by Anne Leigh
So when she had looked up from her computer, she’d let out an excited shriek and proceeded to show me how much she loved my haircut with her mouth running up and down my jaw, her hands softly caressing my neck, and the lovey-dovey action rapidly progressed from the living room to the bedroom.
I had missed her, so I emptied into her in less than two minutes, which would make any other woman cry, but Nalee knew what the score was, she’d let me release my pent-up frustration in somewhat less-than-satisfactory time for her because she knew I wouldn’t let her up the rest of the night. And oh, what a blessed night it was.
Four earth-shaking orgasms later, she was still showing a slight limp today because I’d positioned her legs and her body to elicit the maximum pleasure for her. Hanging your legs over someone’s shoulders while they ate you up for half an hour wasn’t exactly comfortable, but she’d say that it was all worth it.
I wanted to give her some more loving tonight, but she’d straight out refused. She’d simply stated, “You’ve broken my vagina, Xavier. Give me a week to recover.”
A week?
I’d give her another day.
So instead of marathon sex, I was rubbing lavender oil on her feet and shoulders to loosen her tight muscles. I’d tried to trick her by rubbing higher on her thighs, but she’d clamped her legs tight which meant no go for tonight, Big X. I was enjoying massaging her feet and every once in a while, I’d kiss her on the lips and she’d smile at me sleepily while we were trying to catch up on our DVR’d Cooking Channel shows.
Our phones were on silent because on Friday nights we turned off all of our e-mails, as well as Facebook and Twitter. Instagram was allowed because we had a joint account and we only had our closest friends on it.
Why was she talking to Sedona?
I had no issues with her talking to her BFF. Especially if it was an emergency. Sedona was in Minnesota with Z right now so that meant that it was way past midnight, which meant that something was wrong. Otherwise she wouldn’t be calling at this late hour.
“I’m sure we’ll be able to. If not, we’ll tweak our schedules so we’d make it,” Nalee said, motioning for me to come closer.
I raised my right finger to signal Okay, hold on as I grabbed the small bottle of peppermint by the bedside drawer. This would help with the tension headache she was having.
I handed her the iced peach lemonade and rearranged my pillows so I could snuggle close to her as I slowly rubbed some of the herbal oil on my hands and positioned myself so that I could gently massage her forehead.
After a few seconds, she sighed in gratitude.
“Thank you, Nales, for being such a great friend.” Sedona was speaking as Nalee took small sips of her drink.
When her monthly visitor arrived, Nalee would have horrible cramps. I would have cut off my left nut for her not to have those monstrous tummy pains. The only things that helped were a combination of some iced drink, preferably not chocolate because it induced inflammation, and essential oils. I wasn’t ashamed to do research on it. Nalee used to eat mountains of chocolate before her periods and they just worsened her cramps. I’d called my primary doctor who referred me to a female doctor who specialized in female parts, the masses call them OB-GYN’s, and Dr. Lailani Kiwani was more than happy to share her expertise with me. She thought I was sweet for trying to help my girlfriend. The truth was, anything that would make Nalee have less pain was worth a try.
“Goodnight. Lemme know how everything goes and don’t hesitate to call if you need anything,” Nalee spoke into the phone.
“Alright, thanks again, Nales. Say hi to Xavier for me,” Sedona said before ending the call.
When Nalee and I broke up, one of the hardest parts for me was not being able to tell our friends what exactly happened. I told the guys that we’d grown apart, a Hollywood cliché for why the relationship didn’t work. With Sedona and Tanya, I just sort of left them in the dark. I let Nalee tell them what she wanted to tell them because as much as they were my friends, they were her girlfriends first. And I knew that she would need their support. I have a feeling that Tanya would always see me as the bad guy and that was okay with me because I was. I was the one who broke Nalee’s heart. What really bugged me was that during our break, I couldn’t even look the ladies in the eye because every time I saw them, I felt like I was such a failure. That I owed Nalee much more, so much more.
The woman by my side is a different woman. One who now carried the scars of a heart twice broken and her trust for me not quite mended.
I removed my hand from her temple and moved it lower to her left shoulder, slightly pulling her towards me.
“You wanna talk about it?”
“Sorry, I know we have our no-phone time in effect.” She lifted a hand and placed it on top of my elbow, rubbing on a spot.
“It’s okay,” I replied, my hand making circular motions around the soft skin of her shoulder blade.
“Sedona needed someone to talk to.”
“Okay.” She didn’t need to explain but I wouldn’t stop her.
“Nicholas had a super high fever so she brought him to the ER,” she explained, her dark hair forming a cloud over her pillow. She was so beautiful. Nalee’s beauty wasn’t one of those in-your-face types; she had this quiet beauty, the longer you looked at her, the more you would see just how dainty and timeless her features were.
“Was Z there?” Z would’ve texted me if the situation was bad.
“He’s in San Diego for a charity golf thing with Kieran.” Kieran was Sedona’s Olympian BFF. Since Kieran and Z were two of the top athletes in the country, they often attended charity events together for their foundation. Z hated golf but he’s played more golf than Dom, John, and I in the past year. It was laughable really. But it was for a great cause so Z could log in as much tee time as he could and it wouldn’t be a waste.
“He was just arriving when Sedona said bye,” Nalee continued, her voice tinged with worry. Nicholas was Nalee’s godson. He was a cool kid, and I hated hearing that he’s sick.
“K, that’s good. Haven’t heard from Z. He’ll probably call us tomorrow.”
“Yeah, Sedona said that Nicholas’ fever is going down now so that’s good news.”
“It’s great news,” I reassured her. “I’m sure Nicholas will be okay. Sedona’s a great mom and nurse and since he’s in the ER now, I think he’ll be okay.”
Nalee nodded her head, “Yeah, he will be. Sedona sounded pretty calm already so I think the worst has passed. The doctor said that Nicholas might have caught a stomach bug that’s been rampant with the kids lately.”
“Poor kid,” I muttered, leaving my hold on Nalee’s shoulder and wrapping my arm around her so that her head would lean on me and I could feel her hair on my skin.
“Actually, Sedona also called because she wanted to know if we’d make it to Nicholas’ birthday.” She had placed her drink on the small table close to her side so her hands were now freely making rhythmic, swirling motions on top of my chest.
I had two big meetings next week so hopefully it wasn’t until after that. “When is it?”
“April twenty-sixth, Saturday,” Nalee answered. I loved the way her hands felt on my skin. Like they were always meant to touch me.
“I think I’m free.” I logged into the calendar on my phone and seeing that I didn’t have any pressing appointments on the twenty-fifth, it was the perfect weekend to get away. “We can fly in on Friday night and leave Sunday night. Let’s book it.”
Her mouth lifted in the corners. “That’s great. I think I’m free too. If not, I’ll try to reschedule some things so we can go.”
“Isn’t Nicholas’ birthday on the twenty-ninth?” I may not be godfather of the year, that title belonged to Dom after he gave Nicholas a customized kids’ version of the Lotus Evora for Nic’s first birthday, but I still have a good memory of when the kid was born.
Nalee’s smile got wider, “Wow, you remember when his birthday is.”
I grinned. “Of course, what do you expect from me?”
“Nothing less,” she chuckled. “Sedona wants to celebrate it three days early, and it’s the weekend so Zander’s parents can attend. Apparently his dad has to be in Geneva the week after.”
“Ah, okay.” I closed the distance between her head and mine. “Then it’s settled. We’re going to Minnesota for a kid’s birthday party.”
She looked up half an inch to welcome my kiss. “It’s gonna be fun.”
“I’m sure it will be,” I agreed, my lips opening up to taste her. “I’ll reserve the tickets tomorrow.”
Closing her eyes, her tongue slowly coming out, I caught a whiff of the peach lemonade she was drinking mixed in with her own unique scent, making the lower half of my body come alive.
Her breaths were coming out short and heated as she said, “Thank you, Xavier.”
“For what?” I stopped the current descent of my mouth on hers, the pause deliberate so I could hear what she was saying.
“For being here.” Her hands thumped on my chest softly, her hazel eyes turning a shade darker, the depth of her gaze fathomless yet slowly filling with life, unlike the hauntingly empty gaze she’d been sporting for the past few months.
“I’m here, Nales,” I said, my breath hitching three beats, my voice holding a promise that will no longer be broken. “I’ll always be here.”
She opened her eyes and her gaze simmered with a swirl of emotions. Sadness, tiredness, but not hopelessness. I’d seen the last one before and I hoped to God I’d never see it again.
She lifted her shoulders to inhale and this time, when she looked at me, I saw something else, something that hadn’t existed in a while.
I used to see it every single time she stared at me. And my heart, my selfish, bastard heart, the four chambered pump that refused to give her up when all seemed lost and hopeless, just found a renewed sense of purpose.
This.
The way she was looking at me.
Right at this second.
This was why I could not give her up.
Because right now, after all the crap that I put her through, she was once again, looking at me with…
Love.
“So what are you going to do with Hotness Number One and Hotness Number Two?” Nelson, with both legs perched on the small swivel chair, asked.
“Huh?” I glanced up, reaching for the tea in the mug that I’d abandoned a few hours ago. Yuck, it tasted old, but I was too lazy to get up.
“You know, Gorge One and Gorge Two.” He tapped a finger on his forehead, I wondered if it actually made a sound or was his brain hollow?
Rolling my eyes, I said, “I have no clue on what you’re talking about.”
We were currently working on a new proposal, a project that was supposed to increase housing near Sleepy Hollow without disturbing the existing wildlife. In theory, it would be great to maximize the space to accommodate more of the mainstream public in an area where the large majority earned more than $100,000 a year; but the project had many unanswered questions, voids that I couldn’t ignore.
I’d been cross checking the state’s wildlife protection act, and I was hoping that Nelson found similar problem areas.
Clearly he wasn’t.
Judging from his pose, he’d be experiencing leg cramps for a few minutes because he’s been at it for a while. Browsing his phone, snacking on some cookies, when did he leave my office?
“Oh, sweet pea, dear Japanese cherry blossom, who among those two will give you the essence of sensual amber?” He sing-songed away before stretching his legs and stood shakily on one leg.
I sighed, “Nelson, I have no idea on what you’re referring to and honestly, no clue what you just said right now.”
Lifting his right hand to push away an errant purple hair, he’d called them “bangs”, he shook his head.
“Pearberry, just tell me, who among those Velvet Sugars would you want whisking you away for a Golden Pineapple Luau or a Tiki Mango Mai Tai?”
Did he spike his morning tea with drugs?
“Nelson, you aren’t making any sense. If you wanna list all of Bath and Body scented lotions, please feel free to do so after office hours and with your latest man toy,” I huffed, rotating my neck in a small circular motion, feeling the exhaustion settle in my muscles.
The purple-and-gold suited man wearing a dark fuschia striped tie moved to the back of my chair and slowly worked his magical fingers on my neck.
“Why so strict, Professor Sands?” His tone admonishing yet his hands continued to weave their spell on my neck, removing the kinks that had started to grow within a few hours. “What came up your noo-noo, my peach bellini?”
“Seriously, Nelson,” I stated, putting an extra umph in my voice to make him stop advertising Bath and Body product lines. There’s nothing wrong with them, but if given a leeway, Nelson would be reciting Mac’s makeup line next and our conversation would go nowhere. The man had a photographic memory to all beauty products.
“We’ve been working for hours,” he replied, his thumbs digging on a knot on my shoulder, releasing the tension. “We need a break.”
“You’ve been on a break for at least half an hour now. The cookies didn’t just appear by your side.”
“What? Now you have three eyes? I sneaked them in while you were daydreaming about the Marine Life Protection Act which clearly states that any proposal dropped in your inbox needs to have clearly defined objectives, effective management measures, as well as enforcement.”
He may be a revolving ad for all that’s glittery in this world, but the left side of his brain also functioned fifty percent higher than normal.
He knew facts. Memorized them. He can regurgitate all the laws including their amendments in a chronological fashion. From the reason they were created to who changed them and all the triggering circumstances in between.
“You’ve got a big problem, Nalee. A huge one. Well, two huge hunks of men.” He stopped kneading a sore spot and with a sigh said, “As much as you want them both, you can’t have them both. One of them will be hurting.”
“Nelson…” I couldn’t find it in me to recant a denial.
“Devon’s a great guy, sweetums.” He removed his hands from my back and in a few steps, he was sitting on the black leather chair that he’d help pick as a new addition to my space.
“I see the way he looks at you.” Devon had stopped by twice this week to have lunch with Nelson and I.
He said he was in the area and would love some company. “When you smile, it’s like he’s found his purpose. Like you’re a promise that he’s kept.”
“Okay, now you’re quoting Bieber.”
“He’s a quotable guy, have you heard ‘Sorry’?” He winked and grabbed the diamond encrusted Hello Kitty fountain pen from its holder that Xavier had given me for our anniversary.
“Devon’s a friend,” I reasoned, the logic ringing flat behind my ears. “He’s a good friend.”
Nelson lifted a brow. “Have you told Xavier about him being your friend?” Nelson had met Xavier whenever Xavier picked me up from work. He and Xavier found common ground in sports and traded contacts on where to buy great business suits.
I continued to stew in my silence. Silence meant no. It’s a lot easier keeping my mouth closed than voicing it out loud because then I’d have to explain why in the world I hadn’t said anything to Xavier.
“I don’t know what’s going through your head, Winter Candy Apple, which by the way is B and B’s best scent, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
I nodded, grabbing a pencil and doodling on a lime green post it note.
“Devon’s going to keep pursuing you…” he warned, his left hand playing with the side of his loosened tie. “You know, the first time I met him, I thought, this guy is taken.”
I continued to listen. I was at a loss for words.
“Then he looked at you and I realized it right there and then, that you were the one
who claimed him.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Why?” His question was almost rhetoric. “Is it because you really don’t see the way he looks at you? Like you’re the most precious creature since Bei Bei?”
Bei Bei was a giant panda who lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Nelson gave me a stern look, making the sides of his face droop a little. “Or is it because you’re in a state of denial?”
“No,” I breathed out. “I think he’s a great guy.”
“Devon or Xavier?”
“Both of them.” I pulled on the top drawer of my desk and grabbed a mini Snickers almond bar. “But I’m talking about Devon.”
Nelson caught the dark chocolate candy I threw at him. It was a short distance, but with all his witty remarks, Nelson’s hands were incapable of holding on to something. Pens, napkins, papers would fall from his grip at the oddest times. During a meeting. In the middle of lunch. During a graduation speech at his alma mater.
The ringing of my office phone punctuated our talk.
“This is Nalee.” I lifted the receiver to answer. “Oh hi, Stephanie.”
“How’s the Redford contract going?” she asked. I could hear the sound of her feet hitting the treadmill. She had one of those powerwalking/running/incline machines installed in her office. “Saved me valuable time,” she’d said.
“Nelson and I are reviewing it.” I paused and glanced at Nelson who has now resorted to making funny faces. Right now, his right hand was opening his mouth, forming an elongated shape to imitate a duck.
“And?” Stephanie gulped, she must be drinking some of her ten-gallon-a-day water requirement.
Who actually drank those required eight to ten glasses of water a day? My boss did. Good for her body. Bad for the environment. Didn’t she know that we had a drought in California? The less I drank, the better for the environment.
I was being facetious. With all the running around I’d been doing lately, my entire body was comprised of snack bars rather than hydration.
“They have to fix major areas, the excavation site is a big issue and also the materials that they’ll be using. There’s no chance it will pass regulations as is,” I gave her my assessment.