I couldn’t give him another chance. I couldn’t give him my heart all over again. He hurt me too bad. Too damn bad. I would be a complete bimbo if I risk letting him hurt me all over again.
Decade-old memories flash through my mind, moments that I thought I’d forgotten until now-the way we met, our prom, our first time, the first time I heard him say he loves me, late night phone conversations, the way my name sounds when only he says it, his unforgettable smile and enticing charm. This is torture. I’ve gotta’ get out of this office. I grab my purse and coat. I don’t know where I’m going but I have to clear my head. I’ve got to get out of here.
“Should I just put these on your desk” Pam asks, as I walk by the copy room”
“Yes I’ll get them when I get back, I need to get out of the office for a little while”
I’m patiently standing in line, behind a tall well-built man. He’s entering his pin into the ATM machine. He’s entered it five times already and the feeder still hasn’t spilled out any cash. When he types his pin in for the sixth time and pulls out another receipt without any cash I grow impatient. “Come on obviously you don’t have any money in your account” I say over his shoulder “Will you hurry up already?”
“Look lady today is not the day” He says turning around “Stace?”
A chill rushes through me again, this time it has crawled up my spine. I’m hot all over. My heart is beating so hard I’m surprised I can’t hear it. I feel embarrassed...foolish even. My mouth won’t move.
“Stacy” he smiles. “Are you okay?”
The ground may as well be quicksand because I’m sure that I’m sinking. No other man has ever said my name sexier.
I can’t believe this shit. How can this man still be this damn sexy after all of these years? Get a grip on it Stacy; this is the man that ripped out your heart. Why is he in Chicago? I hope he isn’t moving here. Chicago isn’t big enough. Just like we ran into each other today, it’s bound to happen again. Damn, damn, damn. I’ll just die if I run into him and Jennifer.
“Excuse me mam, are you going to use the ATM or not?” The old man behind me asks me rudely.
“I’m sorry sir, go ahead” I say and step to the side “Malik what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to pick up my daughter”
“Your daughter lives here and not you?”
“She and her mom moved here not that long ago”
Is Malik and Jennifer separated? “Oh” I say.
“It’s complicated.” Malik says. “Did you get my message?”
“Not long ago I just haven’t had the chance to call you back yet. What’s so important?”
“You haven’t talk to Lena or Brandi”
“Not lately”
“Maybe we should go somewhere and sit down.”
“Why? What’s wrong? Has something terrible happened?”
“Vanessa’s been in an accident.”
“No” I weep and fall into Malik’s arms as if he’s my security blanket. When I realized that I’m letting him, the man I’m supposed to hate console me I pull away. “What happened?”
“Some man ran a traffic light. She’s okay now. Was in a coma, lost part of her memory. But for the most part she’s okay. She has been released from the hospital and everything.”
“I’m glad to hear that” I say wiping my tears away. “I was scared there for a minute.”
“Jason wants everyone to come to New York for Thanksgiving. He thinks it will help her. Kenneth and Lena are leaving out today. I’ll be leaving shortly. Might not hang around more than a day or two since I’ll have my daughter with me. Are you going to make it?”
“Yeah, I guess I’ll book a plane ticket tonight.”
“We’re both headed the same way, why don’t you ride with me? I was going to fly but something came up so I’m having to drive.”
“Me and you in the same vehicle for twelve hours is not a good idea”
“Stacy, I don’t bite and we’re both headed to the same place”
“Look I said no, okay? So just drop it”
“You still hate me don’t you?”
“I no longer waste my feelings on you!”
“Well if that’s the case you shouldn’t have a problem riding with me.”
“I don’t have a problem riding with you. It’s just- we just shouldn’t ride together. I haven’t talked to you in ages and you think that I’m going to ride alone with you?”
“We won’t be alone. My daughter Mackenzie will be in the car. Look you just found out that your best friend has been in an accident. You shouldn’t be by yourself right now.”
I shouldn’t be with you either “Fine but don’t you for one second think that you and I are friends because we’re not?”
“Okay I got you! We’re not friends” He smiled.
****
If this little girl pops her gum in my ear one more time I’m going to ask her to spit it out. I can tell she’s a hand full. And let’s not even talk about how grown she is. I’m almost convinced she’s older than me.
“So Ms. Stacy” She says, smacking on the bubblegum I wish she’d hurry up and get rid of. “At what age were you allowed to talk to boys on the phone?”
“I was in the ninth grade so I guess I was about fourteen”
She popped her gum. “Well I’m almost twelve and all of my friends at school are already talking to boys on the phone but I can’t because my dad says that boys only want one thing.”
He would definitely know what he’s talking about with his cheating ass. “I think that your dad is right. You are definitely too young to be talking to boys on the phone. Right now you need to focus on school. Boys are always going to be here.”
“That’s what everyone always says. But all my friends are talking to boys and it makes me look lame when a boy asks me for my phone number and I have to tell them that I can’t receive phone calls from boys.”
“One day you’ll be able to talk on the phone to boys. And eventually you’ll start dating. You’ll have all the time in the world to do those things. You’re so young. Don’t worry about boys right now. Trust me boys are not all they’re cracked up to be.”
“When did your parents start letting you wear makeup?”
“I was about sixteen?’
“Sixteen. I’ll be getting ready to graduate by then. What about your period?”
Malik needs to hurry up. He’s pumping the gas. These questions are getting intense “What about it?”
“When did yours start?”
Why am I suddenly getting nervous? “I started my period when I was thirteen”
“I haven’t started mines yet but I’m ready. I wonder what it feels like.” She says. “What’s it like?”
“What’s what like?”
Malik climbs back into the car “Is she talking your head off yet?”
“We’re just getting to know each other that’s all” I’m lying. “Mackenzie I’m sure that your mother is going to give you the talk soon. I don’t want to spoil that for her okay?”
“My dad told my mom to stay away-”
Malik cut into her sentence. “Mackenzie I think that you’ve talked Stacy’s ear off enough for one day”
“Yes sir” She says and squeezes her ear buds into her ear.
I wonder what’s going on with him and Jennifer. I bet he cheated on her. In fact I almost hope that’s what happened. Karma is definitely real and maybe now she knows how I felt in college. But why would he tell her to stay away from her own daughter? And why do I care about this?
Some things never change. This man still sounds like an eighteen-wheeler when he’s asleep. Which is going to make this trip seem longer. I can’t believe I gave in. I can’t believe I let him trick me into being stuck in a car with him for twelve hours. And on top of that I’m driving.
chapter 19
Thanksgiving in New York City
“Vanessa it’s so good to see you” Stacy said when Vanessa opened the d
oor.
“It’s good to see you too, it feels like it’s been ages.” Vanessa said and hugged Stacy’s neck. She looked down at Mackenzie. “Hello” She said.
“Hi” Mackenzie spoke.
“Where’s Malik?”
Stacy rolled her eyes. “He’s getting the rest of the suitcases out of the trunk. Where should I put my things?”
“You two follow me. Mackenzie you’re just going to love the room you’ll be sleeping in.”
“Cool” She uttered.
They stopped at a room just off the hallway. Vanessa flicked on the lights. The room was colorful with futons, bunk beds, a drawing table, a huge television and a Nintendo WII, a stereo system and plenty of space with a huge wide mirror that wrapped all around the room. Mackenzie dashed inside and glanced around the room before she started dancing.
“I can just look at myself dancing in the mirror all day” She said.
Stacy and Vanessa both laughed and continued walking.
“Now let’s go see the guest room where you and Malik will be staying.”
‘Vanessa Malik and I aren’t together anymore. We can’t sleep in the same room”
“I’m sorry! I didn’t know that, Jason didn’t fill me in. The other rooms are already taken, sorry!”
“I’ll just book me a suite at a hotel close by”
“I really want you to stay here. Please Stacy! It’s only a few nights.” Vanessa begged with perched lips. “I guess a few nights won’t hurt.” She agreed squeezing Vanessa as they walked into the room. “You owe me big time”
****
Jason opened the door as Malik walked up the porch steps carrying the rest of the suitcases.
“Pretty Boy Malik” He smiled. “Been a long time.
Malik walked through the door. “Where should I put these man?”
“Just set them right there. That’s a lot of stuff. When are you guys planning on leaving, next year?” Jason laughed.
Malik chuckled. “Most of this stuff is Stacy’s”
“Women” Jason smiled.
“Exactly”
“Kenneth called, he, Lena and Khi should be here later tonight. Let’s go down to the basement and have a beer or two”
“That sounds good to me.” Malik said and they headed through the foyer and down the steps that led to the basement.
“Man I’d love to kickback in a place like this after a long day. This is paradise.” Malik said and walked over to a sofa and sat down. The leather was soft with a cup holder between each seat. The television hanging on the wall was at least eighty inches. A pool table and theater seats, gaming machines, a poker table, a bar, a juke box and even a stripper pool filled the spacious room. “The only thing that this place is missing is a billiard sign” He joked.
Jason chuckled as he opened the refrigerator. The icebox was stocked with alcohol beverages, Heineken, Corona, Budweiser and a few others. “What kind of beer you want man? I have it all”
“You got any Heineken?”
“I definitely have Heineken” Jason grabbed two Heinekens, popped them open and joined Malik on the sofa. “So how have you been man?”
“Let’s see, Jennifer divorced me and took every piece of furniture that I own with her, moved to Chicago took my daughter and then just the other day I got a phone call from Mackenzie at two o’clock in the morning. Her mom’s fiancé tried to have sex with her.”
“Are you serious?”
“I drove straight to Chicago and I tried to kill that motherfucker.”
“I don’t get it man. I don’t understand why a grown ass man would want to sleep with a child. It’s sick”
“Mackenzie is back with me now and if her mother thinks that she’s going to get her back she better have an entire goddamn army with her when she comes.” Malik took a swig from the beer bottle. “So how have you been?”
“I’m just happy that my wife is still breathing. I’m lucky. When I saw her lying in that hospital bed I thought I was going to lose her. It’s a blessing that she’s still here with me. I just have to help her get her memory back.”
“It’ll happen man. It might take some time but everything will work out. Let’s shoot some pool” Malik suggested getting to his feet.
“I hope you don’t still have those rusty ol’ moves you had back in the day” Jason laughed.
“That was back in the day” Malik blurted to him.
“Let me be the judge of that”
****
Vanessa and Stacy caught up on life and so did Jason and Malik and in no time it was dark outside. They all said good night and headed for bed.
****
“I should have just stayed home before I agreed to be stuck on a train for eighteen hours with a jackass like you.” Lena barked.
“Yeah maybe you should have” Kenneth told her.
“If I could send you somewhere, I’d send you straight to hell with gasoline drawers on.”
Vanessa could hear Kenneth and Lena arguing before she reached the door. She hurriedly raced to the door before her friends woke up the entire neighborhood with all their bickering. Who argued at three AM for Christ sake? She wondered.
“Hey you three” Vanessa smiled ushering them inside. “How was the ride?”
“The ride was hell” Lena said as if she was exhausted.
“Tell me about it” Kenneth cosigned.
“Come and hug my neck girl” Vanessa said hoping that they’d quit arguing. “Hey Kenneth” She spoke.
“Hey Vanessa, it’s good to see you” He said as they hugged.
“Did you enjoy the ride?” Vanessa asked Khi as she pulled away from Kenneth.
“I probably would have if my mom and dad hadn’t argued the entire time”
Vanessa cut her eyes at Kenneth and Lena and then squeezed Khi. “Let me show you your room” she said as they walked up the stairs. “Mackenzie has already taken the bottom bunk so you’ll have to get the top. Lena you and Kenneth will be staying in the last room on the right.”
When they got to the top of the stairs Vanessa watched Kenneth and Lena walk into their room “Goodnight, I’ll see you beautiful people at breakfast.” She told them.
After she tucked Khi in for bed she headed back to her bedroom.
As soon as Lena walked into the room she headed for the bathroom. She needed a shower. Kenneth undressed and climbed into the bed. He needed sleep.
When Lena got out of the shower she walked back into the bedroom wrapped in a towel. She was putting on her panties when she heard a chirping noise coming from Kenneth’s cellular. His mobile was in his pants that’d been tossed to the floor, right beside a wingback chair. She crawled around the bed, not knowing that Kenneth was only pretending to be asleep. She grabbed his pants and as soon as she wrapped her hands around his mobile he started tossing and turning in the bed. She slid the mobile back inside the pants and tossed them back over by the chair. The phone slid underneath the chair. She crawled closer and grabbed the phone so that she could put it back inside Kenneth’s pants. He started tossing and turning again. This time she bumped her head as she tried to pull her head from underneath the chair. Kenneth’s insides nearly exploded as he held back his laughter. That’s what your ass get, he thought.
Lena crawled back around the bed, slid into her night gown and climbed into the bed upset that she couldn’t ramble through his phone. She turned to her right and he turned to his left and they both slept.
Around six AM Lena was horny. Her pussy throbbed inside her soaked panties. She rolled them off and then squeezed her breast. She pinched and pulled at her nipples and slowly she slid her hands between her thighs and pinched her clitoris. She moaned and shivered as she dipped her fingers in and out of her slit.
She moaned salaciously.
She flipped over on top of a pillow and started hunching it. Her fingers pinching and pulling her nipples the entire time.
“Suck my nipples like I like it” She insisted.
Lena licked her
fingers and circled her saliva around her erected nipples before sliding her hands back between her legs. “Mmm that’s it Chris, dig your fingers deeper.”
Her legs shook violently and her voice moaned loudly.
“I’m about to cum...I’m about cum. That’s my spot. That’s it” She moaned.
Her juices oozed onto the pillow.
With closed eyes she rolled back over still playing with her erected clitoris.
“So” Kenneth said.
Lena’s eyes popped open and Kenneth was staring at her with a devilish look in his eyes. She was shocked and embarrassed. She’d had a sensuous wet dream
“Who in the hell is Chris?”
“Alright I’m busted” Lena confessed. “Sometimes I have wet dreams about Chris Brown. It’s not that big of a deal. Go back to bed” She said and settled into her pillow, the dry one.
Kenneth couldn’t go back to sleep.
****
Down the hall, Stacy had crawled out of bed and sleepily headed into the bathroom. Malik was peeing when she walked in. “Sorry” She said, frozen.
Malik turned around without attempting to slide his manhood back in his drawers.
Stacy pulled her hands to her eyes “I’m not looking” she said.
“It’s cool” He smiled pulling up his pants. “You can look if you want to”
“You’re still an asshole” Stacy said.
“Why? Because I said that it’s cool that you walked in on me while I was taking a leak?”
Stacy wanted to scream. “No because you’re being an asshole about it. No one wants to see your burnt balls”
“So you did look at my dick? I thought you said you weren’t looking?”
“Get out” Stacy yelled. “You’re not the only person that has to use the bathroom”
“Lock the door I wouldn’t want to barge in on you” He said heading for the door with a smirk on his face.
“Kiss my ass Malik”
“Can I?” He turned to her and asked.
“Uuggghhhh----“ Stacy screamed. “This visit is not going to end soon enough”
****
The smell of coffee, pancakes and bacon fluttered around Stacy’s nostrils before she reached the kitchen. Everyone else was already sitting at the table chowing away when she walked in.
Unfaithful Ties Page 24