by Tyla Walker
I know that we have rules for this deal, but at this point, I don’t think I trust myself enough to keep my word. I have a feeling that I’ll be having a hard time in keeping my hands to myself this month, especially if Charlene keeps on looking at me like that.
Six
Charlene
I’ve known John for years. We’ve been the best of friends for just as long. What can I say? We instantly clicked. Sure, he wouldn’t know commitment if it hit him in the balls, but he’s a great friend.
You know how there are guys who make terrible boyfriends, but make awesome friends? I’d like to think that John fits that category perfectly. Which is precisely why, in all our years of friendship, I never once entertained the thought of us dating, much less kissing.
But heaven help me, now that I’ve had the pleasure of being on the receiving end of one of his kisses, I’ve come to understand why women go gaga crazy over him. The man could be a fucking kissing guru. It was literally the best kiss of my life. If his kisses are already that good, imagine being fucked by him. No. I need to shake that thought out of my head.
Women have always been crawling out of the woodwork for him. I don’t know why my friend has a penchant for attracting the crazies. He gets stalked frequently. Some women even tried to hack his social media account just to figure out more things about him. It got so bad, that one of the women even broke into his home and tied him to the bed while he was asleep. He woke up greeted by the view of the woman’s pussy on his face. But of course, John doesn’t exactly have a normal thought process. Instead of reacting harshly for a clear invasion of his privacy, he just got amused and humored the woman to an intense night of fucking. I had to convince him to tighten security around his home. Because let’s be real, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. He got lucky that it was just sex the one time, what if it was someone crazy enough to want to do him harm?
I sigh from the memories of John’s sexcapades. It only confirms what I already know. That John is not a man I can ever fall in love with. I’m not under any ill-fitted delusions of being different from the rest of his women if it ever came down to a relationship. He doesn’t do commitments, and I’d be a fool to believe that I’d be the one to change him.
I’ve never known him to stay with any woman for long. I’ve counted, and a few weeks is already too long. He would easily get bored and move on to his next victim. Get it together. I chide myself.
“Mom! I want to see you in your wedding dress.” My daughter says excitedly. I’m taken out of my musings as I chuckle at her excessive energy.
“We need to finish the preparations first sweetie. Then we’re going to have lunch.” I explain.
She pouts. “Okay, mom.”
Thankfully, the preparations are almost complete. The wedding planner has done an immensely good job considering how short notice this whole affair has turned out.
The decorations seem to be all set.
I take Brittany to the dining room so we can have lunch. My mom is already there, chatting happily with the cook.
She notices Brittany and I enter and ushers for us to join her. “My babies. Come here and let’s eat.” She invites.
I decide to eat a light salad. It can’t be too good for me to get stuffed before I even put on my wedding dress.
John then walks in and kisses my mom on the cheek before sitting beside me.
He grins at me boyishly. “So, ready to be my Mrs. Jackson?” He winks at me.
I roll my eyes at him. “Oh, I can’t wait.” I say sarcastically.
“I know. Who wouldn’t be excited to wake up to an eye-full of this?” He says, gesturing to his body.
I laugh. John, despite his narcissistic tendencies is quite charming. It’s one of the reasons I’ve kept him around as a friend.
I don’t comment, not wanting to inflate his already huge ego.
He looks at what I’m eating and frowns. “Is that all you’re having?” He asks.
“Yes. Can’t have myself getting to big for my dress, now can we?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
He shrugs. “You’ve always been sexy as fuck to me. You don’t need to go on a diet.” He says.
My eyes widen, looking over if Brittany heard what he said. She seems to be too engrossed with her fried chicken to notice.
I glare at John and he seems to instantly get the message because he stays quiet for a while.
I look at my mom and it’s like she’s observing our interaction. I know she finds it hard to believe that I’m doing this, when in all our years of friendship, John and I never once went out together on a date. Getting married, all of a sudden, must seem very suspicious to her.
“If you’ll excuse me, I need to get ready.” I tell them, standing up from the table.
My mom stands along with me. “Let me help you get ready.” She offers, to which I nod gratefully.
We go inside my room.
My mom helps me with my dress. “So, are you ready to tell your mother what’s going on?” she asks as she zips my dress.
I sigh. I have a very close relationship with my mom. I decide to tell her everything. By the end of my explanation, she’s frowning.
“Baby, you know I have a bad feeling about this. This whole thing screams bad idea to me.” She says seriously.
“You don’t have to tell me that, mom. But don’t worry. I only love John as a best friend. I know what kind of guy he is. I’m not fooling myself into wanting more out of him. My eyes are perfectly open.” I tell her, not wanting her to worry.
She shakes her head. “Oh baby, your eyes might be open to the truth, but does your heart understand that?” She advises wisely.
Before I can answer, mom decides to go downstairs to leave me to my thoughts.
There’s nothing to worry about. I convince myself one more time before going downstairs myself.
Seven
John
I look at the lavishly well-decorated room. Everything, a tasteful display, thanks to our wedding planner. I wouldn’t say that weddings are a complete and utter waste of my time. After all, I’ve experienced a lot of wild sex in weddings just from being in attendance. However, this time, I never imagined myself being in this situation, standing at the end of a wedding aisle, waiting for my bride to be.
Never in a million years have I ever thought of getting married to anyone. I find that the single life of debauchery suits me best. I never even pictured myself to be in a committed relationship. I just don’t have the time for a permanent woman in my life.
Charlene. My thoughts drift to my best friend, now bride to be. In all the years I’ve spent bedding different women, going through them like used tissue paper, Charlene has been a constant in my life. She’s my best friend, after all. Which is precisely why, I never saw her as a woman. She’s just Charlene. It’s kind of like how I never saw my mom as a woman. She’s just my mom.
However, as soon as ‘here comes the bride’ starts playing, I’m forced to reevaluate my earlier musings about Charlene. As she walks down the aisle, holding onto her father’s arm, looking ever so radiant in her wedding dress and that beautiful smile adorning her face, I admit that Charlene is indeed, after all, a woman.
My heart practically stopped beating from her sheer beauty alone. My mind is taken back to our recent kiss. Never before have I felt such an intense need to have someone. And never have I felt the mythical ‘sparks’ claimed in romance movies until my lips touched hers. Oh yes, Charlene is very much a woman.
She finally reaches me, and I offer her my hand. I should be mortified at being married, but with Charlene, I don’t seem to mind at all.
She takes my hand and the proceedings play out. I keep stealing glances at her, trying to understand these foreign feelings bubbling beneath the surface.
We eventually reach our vows. We both agreed to make our own, to make things more convincing. I look at the Japanese representatives in attendance and they seem happy for us.
“Does the happy couple h
ave any special vows?” The minister asks.
We both nod yes.
“For the longest time, you’ve been beside me. Despite my shortcomings, you never gave up on me. Falling in love with you was never a decision, but it is easily the best thing that has ever happened to me. I promise to love and honor you for all the rest of our days.” I tell her while looking into those deep brown eyes of hers. Strangely, the vows sounded just right to my ears.
“To my dear John. I’ve been blessed to have met you. We started out as friends and got to know each other very well. You became my best friend, and before I knew it, you became my lover as well. You’ve been there for Brittany and I, especially when her father passed away. Despite your past, you are and always will be, an honorable man in my eyes. I promise to love and honor you for all the rest of our days.” She says seriously.
I feel my heart thump at her words. Her words were very convincing. I close my eyes, wondering if I’d be happy to know that she’s really in love with me.
“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride.” The minister says with a warm smile.
I lift her wedding veil. I bring my lips down on hers for a sweet and tender kiss. The moment our lips touch, I feel that same feeling of warmth. The electricity that comes from the kiss is enough to jolt my dick to life. This confirms it. That previous kiss we shared wasn’t a fluke. I find myself wanting more of her. I’m already feeling such desire from a simple kiss.
We pull apart as our guests give us applause.
During our reception, Charlene and I dance together. Holding her in my arms feels so right. The warmth of her body against mine feels perfect.
Our gazes stay locked as we move to the romantic beat of the music. Without even realizing what I’m doing, I steal another kiss from her. My lips move sensually against hers, coaxing her to respond. She tilts her head and opens her mouth. I waste no time in pushing my tongue inside her mouth. She moans, tightening her hold on my back. We kiss long and hard before it comes to an end. Our breaths come out labored as we stare into each other’s eyes. I can see confusion on her features which probably mirrors mine.
Our wedding is a success. We get congratulated by our guests. The Japanese representatives are very pleased. I’m proud to say that I’ve done the job right. My father will be very happy.
However, I can’t ignore the feelings that erupted within me because of Charlene. All day long, it’s like I’m moving on autopilot. I would greet and thank people like the usual, but my head’s been floating in the clouds.
It’s like the day went by a complete and total blur. And ironically, I was sober through the whole ordeal. The only memories that seemed to stay were the kisses that we shared. The confusion only gets worse the more I remember. What’s happening to me?
All I know is that, right now, I can’t wait to be alone with her in my room. Yes, she highlighted that sex will never be on the table with this arrangement countless times, but the kisses are another matter entirely. She didn’t seem to protest whenever we kiss. She was very much as into it as I was. I think it’s safe to say that she loves it when we kiss.
There’s no harm in just kissing, right?
Eight
Charlene
“Will you read me a bedtime story, mommy?” Brittany asks as I dress her up in her pajamas. I give her a warm smile and a kiss on the cheek.
“Of course, baby girl.” I say, scooping her up in my arms. I put her down on the bed slowly. I tuck her beneath the sheets, her chin propped against her covers.
“What would you like me to read?” I ask.
She eyes me sleepily before yawning. “How about the little red riding hood for tonight?” She asks lazily, her lids already half closed.
I smile and get the book. I start reading to her and I notice how she yawns out loud every few minutes. I chuckle at how adorable my baby can be.
“Hey mom, can I ask you something?” she asks, stopping me momentarily with my storytelling.
“Sure, baby. What is it?” I ask curiously.
“It’s just, now that you and Uncle John are married, should I keep calling him Uncle John? Or should I start calling him Daddy?” she asks with a look of confusion on her features.
I smile at her disgruntled look. “You don’t have to be in a rush to call him Daddy, baby. You can keep calling him Uncle John for the meantime. And when the time feels right, and you feel like calling him Daddy, then that’s when you should.” I explain to her so that she understands that she shouldn’t feel pressured to do so just because John and I got married.
She smiles, seeming to be satisfied with my answer.
“You know, mom. I really had fun dancing with Uncle John. I felt like a princess the entire time.” She says sleepily. “And it looked like you had fun dancing with him too.” She adds.
“Yes, I loved dancing with him too, baby.” I say, realizing that I mean every word.
It felt nice to be in his arms. I felt so warm and protected. It was like a gush of emotions that I’ve never experienced before, not even with Brittany’s father.
My thoughts then drift to his kisses. The first time was absolutely amazing. The second time during the wedding was magical. And the third time as we danced was earth shattering. I had hoped that the longer that we kiss, the easier I’d be able to get them out of my system. I was hoping I’d get used to them until the novelty wore off. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
The more he kisses me, the more I feel like putty in his hands. I love it. Even the simple touching of our lips gives me an intense spark that I never knew existed.
Oh, dear lord, I hope to high heavens that I’m not falling in love with him. I send out a silent prayer, hoping that it will be answered.
I don’t want to be like all the other millions of women crawling to his feet for scraps of attention. I knew what I was getting into, and I can’t afford to make the mistake of falling in love with him.
My mother’s words come back to haunt me. Oh baby, your eyes might be open to the truth, but does your heart understand that?
No. That can’t happen. I haven’t let my heart dictate my life before, and I sure as hell won’t let it start now.
I need to shake off these feelings. They are unwanted.
I hear soft snores and I look at Brittany. Being locked in a mental battle with myself, I didn’t notice that she’s already fast asleep.
I kiss her on the forehead. “Mama loves you so much, baby.” I say. Brittany has truly been the best gift that I could ever have received in my lifetime. Such a smart and beautiful little girl.
I decide to stay a little while longer, entertaining myself with a good book of my own. I don’t think I’m ready to go back to our room. Not now, when I’m feeling so awkward. My emotions are still all over the place. I just need a bit of time to sort things out on my own.
All throughout our friendship, I saw John for who he is. He didn’t feed me any bullshit. He’s always been upfront about himself. I trusted him in that regard. It also stopped any possibility of romantic feelings from growing.
However, ever since that kiss. I’ve been forced to see him through the eyes of every woman that ever found him attractive. And I admit, I’m very much uncomfortable. I never saw him as a man. He was just my best friend. And now, I find myself attracted to him. I don’t like it. I don’t want the trouble that it will eventually bring. I can’t afford losing our friendship over this misunderstanding. But most importantly, I don’t have the time to deal with unrequited feelings.
I take a seat on the couch and curl comfortably as I read ‘The Shack’. This book was heavily recommended by my friend. She said that it made her cry no matter how many times she read it. Being the curious person that I am, I decided to buy the book and give it a chance. And now’s a good a time as any to start on it. I’m silently thankful for this momentary distraction to alleviate me of my nerves.
Getting in a few pages, I’ve come to agree with my f
riend. The book, so far, is very good.
I sigh. I decide to mark the page that I’m on for later. Gathering my remaining courage, I go to our room.
I’m still wearing my wedding dress. I look at the mirror and it really is a beautiful dress. I sigh. Too bad that it’s technically just part of the props for this whole pretend marriage.
I realize that I need help taking the dress off. I try to reach for the zipper on my own, but it’s a little difficult.
I’m so focused with trying to reach for it, that I barely register another presence. All I hear is the unzipping of my dress. I look at the mirror again, and I see John behind me, his eyes filled with lust.
Did I make a huge mistake?
Nine
John
I can't take my eyes off Charlene as soon as I see her in our room. Who told her to look so beautiful? She seems like… a goddess that came down from the heaven wearing her wedding gown.
It's like gravity's pulling me towards her, and she's the center of my world. Charlene's the only person I can see standing in the middle of the room, trying to open the zipper of her gown.
She didn't see me come yet, so I still have the chance to gaze and marvel at her beauty. She takes my breath away, I've never seen her like this before.
Usually, she's just… Charlene- the normal one- not this beautiful lady in front of me that makes my blood rush and my heart race. She's supposed to be just a friend. A friend that I can rely on, someone that I can talk to… and have regular fun all the time.
But now? It's like the wool that's covered my eyes disappeared, and I can see the world in a different light. Well, only Charlene. There's this feeling in me that keeps rising and refuses to be stopped.
Charlene's now my wife. Wow, this stunningly gorgeous woman is my other half. This realization hits me like thunder. It explodes and makes me shiver in anticipation of what's about to come.