“Please do. Now, what’s going on between you and Jagger? Something isn’t right.” They both watched as Jagger pulled away, his headlights beaming then slowly disappearing into the night.
“Man, you’re not going to believe this.” Saint put his hand on his hip and shook his head in disbelief, as if about to lay out some gossip.
“When it comes to Jagger, I will,” Lawrence teased.
“Well, I think that even this will shock you. He hasn’t told Traci he is an Angel Child and now he keeps dodging me when I try to get one-on-one time with him to discuss it.”
“What?!”
“Yeah, man. He knows I’m after him and he knows I won’t do it in front of others. He’s been trying to read me, too.”
“I had no idea he hadn’t told her!” Lawrence was truly astonished, and a bit disappointed in his best friend. “I think I should call him right this second.”
“No.” Saint shook his head. “Xenia is the one that found out accidentally, so let me follow up with him about it, especially since I already arranged a one-on-one with him. He hid it from all of us.” Saint exhaled deeply. “Anyway man, thanks for tonight. It helped me, I appreciate it.” Saint started to walk away toward his car.
“No problem!” Lawrence called out, then closed and locked the door once he saw Saint steering out the driveway.
“I’ve got a really bad feeling about all of this…really bad…”
~***~
“Hey baby, can you pick me up one of those chicken gyro sandwiches? I have to work late tonight and Pam called me asking where Hassani’s tent is. I take it they are spending their Friday night over there.” Saint chuckled and gripped the phone tighter.
“Oh honey, I can’t swing by Poli’s right now. I’ve got,” he heard her huff and then the sound of something falling. “Damn it…” she muttered. “I’ve got to take all these books of Dakarai’s back to the library. I’m in the car and the damn things just slid off the passenger’s seat, I’m at a light now, hold on.”
He waited while she picked up the avalanche of books.
“I figured since the kids are gone with Mama, I could run some errands. How’d you know I didn’t cook, hmmm?” He could hear her grin through her words.
“’Cause you told me this morning you had too much to do. See, your memory is fading, Xenia. You’ve got too much on your plate.”
“Oh shit, that’s right, I sure did say that. Anyway, I’m pulling up to the library now.”
“Hey.” He grinned, leaned back in his chair and picked at the pants fabric over his upper left thigh. The light gray material rolled between his thumb and forefinger, feeling cool and soft like silk. “Remember when we used to read to each other at night?” He couldn’t help but smile.
“…Yeah.”
She was definitely smiling, too.
“We’d cuddle up real close and sit by the fireplace or in the bed, and one of us would pick a book. It could be about anything, and we’d take turns reading a chapter to one another… I miss that. We haven’t done that in a long time. I just remembered since you said you were at the library ’nd all.”
“Yeah.” She sighed. He heard her car door close. “Those were the days. That was a long time ago, baby. I miss it too. I tell you what, I can’t swing by there and drop you off a sandwich, but I can pick one up on the way home for you. Is that cool?”
“Yeah, baby, that’s fine.” He tried to remove the sadness in his tone. He didn’t want her upset, but he missed her. They didn’t seem to have enough time for one another lately. He hated that he was starting to resent her job and his, too. He hated that every time he turned around and thought he’d get more than just an hour or two with his Goddess, the phone would ring and it was anyone’s guess what alarm had been rung for either of them.
“Okay, honey. See you tonight, and since the kids are gone, and if you aren’t too tired, maybe we can watch a movie or something,” she offered as a consolation prize.
“Yeah…that sounds fun,” he said weakly. They said their goodbyes and Saint looked up at the big clock on his wall. It was getting late and mostly everyone else had left for the weekend. Then it hit him. Devilish delight filled him as he bolted out of his seat, seized his car keys and rushed into the elevator, down to his lonely parked car. He turned on the engine and went in reverse, his tires skidding about in the parking lot, and sped off as if his life depended upon it…
~***~
“It’s not overdue, is it?” Xenia asked as she flipped through a flyer lying on the library front desk.
“No ma’am, you’re fine,” the short, balding, cherub-faced man answered as he placed the hard-bound children’s books in a bin.
A slew of people stood behind her, clutching their bags, library cards and items to return. The place was huge, and had been recently renovated. She loved bringing the children there, but as of late, the nanny got to take them more than she did. Her heart felt heavy as she thought about it. Guilt needled her. She hadn’t told Saint, blaming it on the business with Sinclair, but she missed being around her children in the daytime. She mulled it over a bit, but she wasn’t convinced she’d renew the contract. Life had always been busy but simpler when it was just the radio station. She often had to stop and ask herself as of late, ‘Am I happy?’
The answer was ‘No.’
She missed her husband terribly, and it seemed as each month passed, the less they saw of one another. She stepped out of line and made her way up the steps to the second floor of the library. Her flat brown shoes with tiny satin bows felt like luxury against her aching feet.
The house felt so odd with the children gone, but her mother had called and swooped her grandbabies away, and as soon as Xenia stepped foot inside, the nanny would have her purse in hand and be out the door in seconds. The girl had offered to cook once, but Xenia preferred to do it herself. She figured it was the least she could do for her children. There it was again, the sinking, sad, quicksand feeling that grappled at her heart and pulled it slowly down into the pit of her gut. She pushed it aside as she flipped through an assortment of colorful books and DVDs.
“Dora the Explorer, Thomas the Train… Oh yeah, Dakarai loves him. This is new. I don’t think he has seen this one before.” She flipped it around and read the back of the DVD. Honestly, all of the movies they’d rented were blending together. She used to recall almost every book they had, every outfit they’d worn and every toy they owned. Now, her mind was as good as pudding. There was no room for anything else anymore and the television show was so tiring, wearing her out before it even began. Regardless, she’d agreed to do it, and resigned herself that she would see it through. And now, with Sinclair pushing his weight around and trying to intimidate her, it made her all the more certain to stand her ground. He would not get the satisfaction of seeing her bail, at least not yet.
Xenia collected more books and movies in her grasp, then made her way to the counter. The children’s section was strangely quiet for a Friday evening. After the puppet show had ended, the children poured out of the small auditorium and left. Only the sound of the nearby elevator doors opening and closing breeched the fortress of silence.
The woman at the counter spoke softly; her plain, drawn-in face and nonexistent chin made her appear downy and shy. Her eyes were dull, but softened by thick golden brown lashes, and her lips were drawn downward, causing her to look depressed when she more than likely wasn’t. Xenia didn’t know really why she was staring at this woman in such a way— maybe because the woman looked how she felt.
“Here you are, Mrs. Ak…Ak…’
“Aknaten.” Xenia laughed lightly.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s not a last name you hear every day. Thanks, and have a good weekend.” Xenia spun around on her heels.
“Yes, thank you and you do the same,” she heard the woman call out as she exited the children’s area and made her way back to the first floor. As she stepped off the elevator, she got th
e oddest sensation, as if a cool breeze had rolled past, and it carried the scent of her husband’s cologne. She grinned and looked around, wondering what man had paid such an obnoxious price to sport the scent. Whoever he was, she was sure his girlfriend or wife was a happy camper.
“Xenia.” The deep, titillating voice tickled her ear, along with one long stem red rose presented to her from an arm that reached leisurely over her shoulder. She giggled and turned into him, pressed her head to his chest as her body tightened with excitement.
“Saint!” She hugged him tight, not caring about why he was there, where he’d come from, or who watched them. She didn’t stop to think about anything, only relished the fact that his arm was now around her waist and he intoxicated her with his aftershave and soothing touch.
He pulled back a little and she looked up into his bright eyes, his long, dark eyelashes making her swoon. His upper lip curved to the right in a lopsided grin, but he remained silent, just looked at her intensely.
“Baby, what are you doing here?”
“Why else?” he asked casually as he took her arm and led her across the room. “I’m here to read to you, baby…”
~***~
The small table in the back of the room had four wooden chairs crowded around it. The surface of the wood was so glossy, Saint could see Xenia’s reflection in it as she sat on his lap like a little child and clutched the back of his neck. She leaned into him, like it was a bedtime story and he was going to tell her tales of ghastly dragons slain by heroic knights and fierce bounty-hunter type heroines. Instead, he gripped a worn book, a dog-eared and abused paperback copy of ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Haruki Murakami.
“…Washed clean of summer’s dust…” Saint read aloud, softly, as he ran his fingers lightly up and down her shoulder. She snuggled to him, ran the edge of her thumb over his mint green cotton shirt.
“Your voice is so soothing,” she said quietly as she drew her legs up and tucked them underneath herself on his lap. He’d noticed a few people moseying by, staring at them, but it didn’t stop or hinder him. He continued to read until soon, he found himself plucking at her curls and tracing her face as she listened. He felt her heartbeat race, like a rabbit’s after a chase. It had been a long day…matter of fact, each damned day was blending into the next and it became just one long disaster after another with pieces of hope and glimmers of tranquility. Where had they gone wrong? All couples had hard times and dry spells, but he and Xenia were supposed to be different. Three children, careers in the limelight, family members and friends in need—it was a continuous cycle and the moments they did have together were short-lived. The sex was getting less frequent and hurried. The mornings consisted of them passing by each other in the bathroom, toothbrushes jammed in their respective mouths. He knew Xenia finally had to accept that she couldn’t be everything to everybody, but he hadn’t quite learned the same lesson.
The seconds had multiplied until an entire family of sixty minutes had come and gone — time sure flew past. He swallowed deeply and as he clutched the book a bit tighter, his fingers in contrast with the dark back cover while he turned it to and fro, wondering if he’d already owned a copy at home. He swallowed once again, realizing that what he felt wasn’t an innocent mistake. Xenia’s hand had traveled over the crotch of his pants. Her fingers lightly maneuvered over his mound, again and again. He cleared his throat loudly, placed the book down on the table, and coughed into his fist. He could feel her desire as she stared at him, but refused to make eye contact because if he did, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. He stared out a window, hoping to see something exciting enough to keep his erection contained. Nothing. Now her fingers travelled into his shirt, caressed his chest and played with his necklace.
“Okay, okay now.” He gently gripped her wrist and pulled the hand away. “What are you trying to do, hmmm?” He finally looked at her, and he knew he’d sealed his fate when his dick hardened, ready for battle. She leaned into him. The heat from her open mouth sent shivers down his spine as her soft, slick lips took hold of the side of his neck and gently sucked. He stomped his foot inadvertently, garnering the attention of a few others who appeared to be nose deep in schoolwork. He waved and smiled nervously at them then looked back out the window, searching in vain for a focal point. She continued to suck, harder and harder and her hand roved over his dick, causing him to readjust in his seat. He gasped and looked around, his palms sweaty. He couldn’t do this anymore.
“Stop. Get off of me,” he said gruffly.
Xenia pulled back from him, her expression one of disappointment and anger. It wasn’t his intention to be cruel, but his body was on fire and she’d worked him into a heated storm. She stood, clearly about to tell him a thing or two but before she could, he grasped her wrist and dragged her away, almost causing her to trip over her own feet. They raced through aisles and aisles of books. The rows looked like colorful blurs as he turned here, there, and everywhere, looking for a secluded spot. He found one by the old encyclopedias dressed in dark gray with faded gold writing. Before she could utter a word, he tossed her against a shelf of hardbound books, causing some to fall as he hoisted her high. Pressing his chest into her, he chewed on his bottom lip and reached for his zipper.
“Pull your pants down!” he whispered, unable to keep his frustration and need out of his tone. He felt her feverishly squirming against him. He pulled slightly away from her until she’d done as he asked. Her pants pooled at her ankles along with her tiny pink panties. He looked to his left, then to his right, slid her a bit higher and parked her against those damn heavy, huge books. The volumes loomed, looking down at them, as if passing judgment. He hooked a hand on a shelf beside her head and stared into her eyes so intense, he could see his own reflection in their lustrous sheen.
“Ahhh!” She bit into his shoulder as he lunged hard and fast inside of her—anything to stifle her own moan. He checked the coast once again, sure her voice had alerted a passerby or two. He could hear his own breathing as he waited. Nothing.
“Mmmm!” she muttered, spitting curses as he pushed up into her once more, then again and again. He cradled the back of her head, his pants and boxers in a heap around his shoes. “Oh…God…” she gasped as her nails dragged up and down his back.
“Uhhhhh,” he grunted into her shoulder blade, his teeth daring to sink into her sweet flesh. He moved harder and faster with each thrust, giving it to her, making more books tumble to the floor as he lost control of himself. “Uhhh!” She ran her fingers roughly through his hair. “Uhhh! Mmmm!” He bit her hard as he felt her pussy squeeze his tdick in its moist folds. She sighed in pleasure as he gripped her tighter and pounded into her wet, hot inferno. She shook in his grip then, stifling her orgasmic cries into the crook of his neck.
“Uhhh! Uh!Uh!Uh!Uh!” He banged into her, certain her poor back would be bruised so he hastened his pace to get the whole delicious ordeal done and over with, though he was loving every moment of it. “Uh!”
“You cummin’ baby?!” she whispered, pressing her palms to either side of his face, trying to get him to lift his head and look into her eyes. He didn’t want to…he was afraid he’d scream out, let the entire place know they were having an inappropriate interlude. He nodded but kept his gaze away, then slammed his palm into the books as he felt himself about to fall apart.
“Shiiit!” she gasped. His hands now around her hips, gripping her forcefully, he lunged hard and fast, over and over inside of her. The fast slapping sound seemed to echo, sure to give them away…
“Uhhhh!” He finally looked up at her and gripped her chin, forcing her mouth open so she could swallow his moan as he shot deep within her, in the warm, comforting confines of her feminine sheath. “Uhhhhh…” And he shuddered against her, barely able to hold her up anymore as his entire temple vibrated with the force of the orgasm. He stumbled back from her, allowing her to quickly dress. He’d never seen her move so fast and if he didn’t feel half inebriated, he would have found
it hilarious.
Not waiting for him to get himself together, she dropped to her knees and pulled his clothing up with the acute stealth of a panther. He handled the rest, sloppily zipping his pants and latching his belt. His hard on was still quite prominent. He looked down at the damned thing, causing Xenia to follow suit. She looked around desperately and grabbed one of the fallen books.
“Here. Put this over it.” She slammed it into his stomach. He gripped it and did as he was told, followed behind her with his head slightly bowed while she led him out into the open. He covered his eyes with his arm, as if the breaking dawn had stolen his vampirism license away. It was the bright fluorescent lighting…and the wide-eyed stares from a nearby couple sitting huddled together amongst a stack of magazines. They weren’t there originally; they must’ve come during the middle of the ‘show’.
They’d heard the whole damn thing. He could see it in their eyes. There was no need to pretend.
Saint smirked and tossed the heavy book carelessly on their table. It sounded like a brick skidding across the hard plastic. His prominent erection had relaxed enough to be less conspicuous. Xenia took the bag filled with children’s hardcovers and movies she’d collected and hoisted it over her bitten and bruised shoulder. The excitement of the encounter had blown their breath away, but there was still a problem—she needed him more, needed more of his time. He promised himself, as he looked down at his pants to ensure they were actually zipped, that as soon as the next conference was over, he’d dedicate more of his schedule to her. He leaned over and rested his lips against her jawbone, then slowly pulled away when a gorgeous smile creased her face. She pulled her purse over her shoulder and he took her hand as they walked toward the front doors.
“Hey baby.” He looked back at the table. “Don’t forget your flower.”
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