by Kaylee, Katy
I came quickly and soon, I saw her convulsing and heard the sounds of her release. I don’t know how she managed to hold the phone still, but it doesn’t matter, because it was perfect. Utterly perfect.
6
Christina
I was two months behind on my electric bill when I started using candles to see at night. A part of me wanted to beg Macon to come back. At least then I would have just a little bit of help with the bills. Two weeks earlier the diner I was working at part-time shut down for renovation. I collected my last check from them about two weeks earlier. Between groceries, toiletries, and my cell phone bill, I was still constantly strapped for cash. Everywhere I looked, most of the jobs hiring work part-time. The pay was beneath minimum wage. I’ve been putting in applications for full-time jobs at several places online. But, getting my application seen online was harder than finding a needle in the haystack.
As a last ditch effort I thought about reaching out to some of my college friends to see if they knew of any opportunities. But, most of them had moved back in with their parents or were struggling just as much as I was at the moment. I had hoped the online dating site would lead to a roommate. But, most guys and a few girls were looking for someone to take care of them or sleep with them for money.
The world was in a pathetic place. I was battling every bone in my body not to pick the phone and call my parents. I knew they were worried about me. I’d basically gone mute since Macon and I split up. I knew my mom hated his guts and my dad only tolerated him for the sake of peace of mind. My mom was always the hard ass in the house. She ran our house with an iron fist. I remember one time my dad forgot that she was making her famous pot roast for dinner. He came home with a large pepperoni pizza. My mom went bananas. She made my dad throw the pizza in the garbage and made us eat her pot roast for two weeks. Until this day I will never eat another pot roast.
My dad would give me his left arm and right leg if he knew it would make me smile. That was just his natural heart. He always wanted to see the people he loved happy especially me. When I started dating Macon, my dad just would nod his head and agree with my mother. I’d run out of the room in tears. My dad knew how much I loved a good chocolate chip cookie. He’d sneak inside my bedroom once my mom was asleep and give me a tray of fresh baked cookies. “It’s going to be okay.” He’d advise and plant a warm kiss on my forehead.
I never quite understood what my dad saw in my mother. I would think the woman was an alien if I didn’t act and sound so much like her at times. I was running down to last couple of bucks in my pocket. I had enough to buy a few frozen pizza and a one way trip in Uber for an emergency. I knew my parents were going to bitch and moan, but they would send me some money. With a quick prayer to God, I dialed my mother’s number.
“Christina, sweetie is that you?” Mom asked awkwardly.
“It’s me, Mom.”
“It’s good to hear from you, sweetheart. I’ve been thinking a lot about you,” she admitted. “Oh yeah…Hopefully all good things, Mom.”
My mom paused momentarily. I could hear her breathing through the phone. She cleared her throat and said, “I wish it was all good stuff, sweetheart.”
“I bet, Mom,” I agreed. I could feel her gearing up for a lecture on why I hadn’t called in a while or where Macon was? I intercept and change the subject. “Hey Mom, is Dad around? I’d love to speak with him.”
“Christina, your dad went to the grocery store a short while ago. He should be heading back soon. If you stick around for a few more minutes you might be able to catch him,” She reaffirmed. I hesitated. The longer I was on the phone, the more she was going to pry into my personal life. “No, that’s okay, Mom. I just wanted to call and say hello,” I lied.
“Christina, I can tell when you want something or when you’re lying, young lady. You can either tell me now or wait until your father returns and still get a no.”
I sighed. She was right. As much as I loved my dad he was the weaker link of the two of them. “It’s no big deal, Mom. I’m a little tight on cash. Can you float me some money?” I confessed.
“Well, how much do you need, sweetie?”
“Just a couple of hundred for the month. I’ll pay you back within a few days.” I lied.
“Sure, I’d be happy to send you some money. Is Macon contributing to the household?” she questioned. Just when I thought it was safe to get my hopes up again she tricked me.
“No, Mom. We broke up.” I admitted begrudgingly.
“Well, you were better off in the first place. That boy was as a lazy as skunk.”
“Right. So, can you put the money in my account today or tomorrow?” I inquired.
“Are you working, Christina? I need to know when I can get my money back from you. You’re a grown woman, remember. You’re old enough to make your own decisions.”
I sighed. I removed the phone from my ear as the tears and anxiety of having this discussion caused me to become upset. I knew that was going to happen. I just hoped it would be less painful. “No, Mom, I’m not working right now. If you’re going to give me the third degree every time I call, don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”
My mom became equally agitated. Her tone began to elevate and she said, “If you think you can talk to me like that young lady you have truly lost your mind. Who do you think you are, Christina?”
“You know what Mom, I’m sorry I’m such as disappointment. Tell Dad I said hello and I’ll figure this out myself.” I stated. Click. I burst into tears uncontrollably. I wanted my mom to have some compassion for me. But, all she ever did was judge me and make me feel less than. I buried my face inside my shirt as the tears fell from my eyes. I knew that there was a way out of this situation. It just seemed impossible at the moment. If there was a God I needed Him to show up for me.
A few hours after lying in bed all day, I received a message from Nathan that he wanted to meet. I almost declined because I was in such a bad mood that I didn’t want to ruin things. I agreed to have dinner, at least it was a free meal for the night. I slipped into a pair of jeans and a flirty olive green top that I picked up at Forever 21 a few months earlier. I used my Uber money to meet Nathan at a semi-formal restaurant called The Block. As soon as I arrived I walked into the restaurant and spotted Nathan sitting in the corner with his head buried inside of a book. I walked over toward him and greeted him with a kiss.
“Hello, beautiful!” He said with extra pep in his voice.
“Hello, yourself handsome,” I added, complimenting him for his white tee shirt and dark blazer.
Nathan planted a few more kisses onto my cheek. Before long, I blushed and turned red from embarrassment. “Nathan…stop!” I urged playfully. He began to obey himself just as the server appeared to take our order. I ordered a bleu cheese burger with home style fries. Nathan ordered the same with a vanilla milkshake.
As soon as the server disappeared to place our order, Nathan pulled my chair a little closer to his. “I want you as close as possible to me,” he said with a smirk.
“I don’t mind that at all.”
Nathan bookmarked a few pages inside his book and closed it. He laid it flat onto the table and reached for a sip of his water. “Did you do anything fun today?” he asked, placing his glass of water back unto the table.
“Nothing as interesting as being here with you,” I admitted.
“That’s sweet, Christina,” he remarked with a chuckle. “No, really tell me about your day.”
I took a deep breath and shared that I was considering going back to school to get my master’s degree. Immediately Nathan’s eyes perked up with excitement. “That’s great! Do you plan on enrolling in college this semester?”
“Not quite. I’m in a little bit of a pickle.” I confessed.
Nathan turned his head sideways and looked at me with concern in his eyes. His lips disappeared as he waited patiently for me to explain in more detail. I shrugged my shoulders. “I’m too embarrassed to
talk about it with you.”
“No,” Nathan replies sternly. “You can tell me anything. You’re safe with me.”
“Since you put it that way, I’ll tell you. I’ve been struggling to pay my bills since my boyfriend and I broke up a few months ago. That was part of the reason I joined the site. Not for just hook ups or anything; to find a roommate to offset some bills.”
Nathan nodded his head and listened closely. I waited for a barrage of questions and judgmental comments. But, instead he just waited until I was finished and asked, “Have you found any work lately?”
I let him know that put in over a hundred applications at youth centers across the city for a youth counselor with no luck. When that didn’t work I settled for a part-time job at local diner. Unfortunately, it closed a few weeks earlier. “Talk about a shitty job market,” Nathan stated.
I released a sigh of relief and laughed at his comment. “What? The job market is terrible here in Milwaukee, especially for beautiful college students, “he admitted.
“Trust me; my son couldn’t get a job to save his life.”
“Yeah, it’s not like I haven’t been trying; it’s just hard and I don’t know what else to do.”
Nathan lifted up my chin and looked me in my eyes and said, “ I don’t want you to worry another minute about this. Let me see what I can do. We’ll figure it out together.”
He made me feel better just as our French fries and burgers came to the table. I laid big kiss on Nathan’s cheek. That was the best news I’d received all day.
A few days later Nathan informed me that he made a few calls to the university to some of his former colleagues. There was an opening in the American studies department. The position didn’t pay much. But, it offered tuition reimbursement and I got to take the classes I wanted. Once the good news was confirmed, Nathan asked me to take up a class in sex therapy. He agreed to help me with my “homework “as needed. How could I ever say no to that offer? I felt Nathan’s request and started getting excited about starting class soon.
7
Nathan
I was becoming increasingly selfish and possessive over Christina. I wanted her all to myself and there was nothing I wouldn’t do to make her happy . She was the reason I was starting to believe that there was a thing called soul mates. I’d found my second soul mate in Christina. When she started taking class at the university I wanted to be in the classroom right next to her studying. I knew that would be too much to ask for, so I opted to have her study beside my good friend, Roy Barnes.
Roy and I had been friends for quite some time. We often joked that we would travel the world talking about sex therapy. Oddly enough I followed our dreams for a short time until my life changed permanently. I knew if anyone would be take care of my beloved Christina, it would be Roy. After two weeks of being in class, I insisted that Christina bring her homework back to my place to study. Since she had informed me of her situation I wanted to be as helpful as she would let me. She knew I was falling for her like a dog in heat. Yet, she let me have my way because she trusted me.
Her first assignment was on the history of sex. We went over all the scientific theories and studies that some of the greatest researchers contributed to today. I could tell by the spark in Christina’s eyes that she was excited to learn about the way sex played a large part in human behavior.
“Wow! I never knew sex was so complicated and intense,” Christina lamented.
I agreed. “There so many things about sex that we still don’t understand til this very day. So the research must continue through hungry minds like yours.”
A few days went by and I met up with Roy to discuss Christina’s progress in the class. He greeted me with a bear hug and smiled. We walked toward the campus court yard to grab a cup of coffee.
“So what do you think of Christina?” I asked.
Roy began to bow his head repeatedly and ran. He took a few sips of his coffee and said, “She’s one of my brightest students this semester. I’m thinking about making her my protégé.”
“Wow! I knew you would be the perfect teacher for her, Roy,” I affirmed.
“Yeah, she’s great. She’s very articulate, comprehends the materials, and prompts interesting questions in class. She reminds me of one of my three wives.” Roy joked.
“Agreed on all the above. You can’t imagine how much this means to her, you know Roy? I owe you one for sure. Christina has been going through a rough patch lately. This had really set her back on track,” I added.
Roy peeked over both his shoulders and leaned forward to say, “How is she in the bedroom?”
I furrowed my brow, confused by his questions. “Excuse me?”
Roy shrugged his shoulders and said, “Is she as good in the sheets as she is in the classroom?”
I shook my head adamantly. “Christina is a good girl. She’s not like all the rest,” I told him.
Roy shrugged his shoulders once more and said, “Just thought I’d ask, you know how we were back in the day.”
I couldn’t believe the words coming out of Roy’s mouth. Some people never changed no matter how much time went by. Later that evening I was sitting at my desk inside my bedroom when my cell phone rang. I wasn’t expecting a phone call from Christina since she knew I needed more time for my research. I answered on the second ring just because I wanted to hear her voice. “Hey beautiful, you miss me, don’t you?” I joked.
“Nathan?” Christina whispered through her tears. The pain in her voice caused me to jump to my feet.
“Christina sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“Nathan, I need you to come and pick me up. I’m at the university in the girl’s bathroom,” she whispered.
“Okay. Don’t move I’ll be there in just a few minutes okay, baby.”
Christina uttered “Yes.” I grabbed my jacket and ran out of the front door. My heart was racing as I sped down the highway. I just wanted to get to Christina as fast as I could. The sound of her voice was so scary. I never wanted to hear her sound like that again. I pulled off the highway within a matter of fifteen minutes. I parked illegally in the handicapped space. I don’t remember if I left the engine running or not. I just remembered jumping out of the car at lightning speed and into the ladies room.
“Christina! Christina!” I yelled. “Christina, where are you?”
A few women were inside the ladies room. I apologized and waited for one of the stall doors to open for Christina to come out. Slowly she walked out of the stall and toward me. Her face was red and pouty like she’d been crying for hours. I could tell by her blouse that it had been ripped. A few buttons were missing. From where I stood by the door she didn’t look physically hurt. I waited for to gather herself once more.
“I’ll be right outside the door.” I advised. Christina nodded her head in my direction and washed her face with some water. I waited patiently for Christina to come out. When she did, I wrapped her up inside my arms and kissed her all over her face. “Baby, I’m so sorry. Tell me everything.” I advised.
I escorted Christina out of the building and into my Chevy. Once she was safely on the passenger side, I raced to the other side to get inside the car. Before we pulled out of the parking lot I reached for Christina’s hand. I immediately grabbed her attention from staring out the window helplessly. I squeezed her hand and reminded her,” I’m here for you.”
She smiled a half smile toward me and nodded her head. I didn’t stop or get anything to eat. I was too perturbed by Christina’s appearance and phone call. I drove her back to my place and carried her inside. She placed her head on my shoulder and cried once more.
I poured Christina a glass of water as she rested momentarily on the couch. I gave her a minute and allowed her to tell me what happened in her own time.
“He said I was his protégé.” Christina started with a few tears sliding down her face. I move closer to her on the couch to comfort her as much as I could.
“Take your time, baby.”
I shook my head and grabbed Christina’s hand. “In class he would say things to me like “That’s how daddy likes it,” or something even more inappropriate. I usually just ignored it and figured he was just a dirty old man that needed something to jack his dick off, too.” Christina admitted.
“Most of us are, baby.”
“Yeah, but when we got in the car he took it too far. He started trying to give me a massage because he said I looked tense. I stopped him and told him I was fine. He tried to rub my leg when he reached inside of the glove compartment. I moved over so he wouldn’t touch me. I thought his advances were over. That is until, we got to the restaurant. He insisted on sitting next to me in the booth. I thought I could handle his advances because I was doing well so far.” Christina said.
She took a few sips of her water and caused. She stared down at her hands and started shaking her head. I grabbed her and placed her head on my chest. “I’m right here. You made it out safely. Whatever you had to do it was justifiable,” I encouraged.
“I hope so.” she said. “Roy placed three hundred dollars on the table and looked over at me. He began to lick his lips and stared at my breasts. I didn’t say anything. I just sat there quietly.
He said, “How much for a blow job in the back seat?” He didn’t crack a smile or anything. That’s when I knew he was serious. I didn’t say anything. So, he placed two hundred more dollars on the table and said, “Let me fuck you in the asshole.” He began rubbing my thigh underneath the table. No matter how many times I told him no, he kept touching me. I had to get out of there. So…”
“So what?” I inquired.