Big Girls Drama

by Tresser Henderson

  This let his mother know I recognize the people here, and Georgiana was an extra distraction that didn’t belong. They wanted to play games with me . . . then, game on!

  Shifting her gaze to Mrs. Woods, Georgiana cleared her throat as she said, “Um, no. I’m not part of the committee.”

  “Oh, I thought you were since everyone here is part of the board. Forgive me for assuming,” I said smiling coyly.

  Devin reached under the table and gripped my leg gently, signaling for me to let this go. I gave him an icy glare before picking up my napkin and draping it in my lap. I hoped he understood my expression. Try me if you want to. I will turn this dinner out.

  “Honey, please, fix your plate. You look like you need to eat. Is Monica feeding you?”

  Shade thrown and I caught it. It was subtle, but nonetheless, it was still there.

  “Mom, Monica cooks for me all the time.”

  “Well, I can clearly see she’s eating. Is she gaining the weight you are losing?”

  This was her way of criticizing me and my weight without coming out her mouth and calling me fat. She was real good at dancing around things she didn’t like, and right now, she was fox-trotting all around me.

  “Mom,” Devin called out.

  “Honey, I’m just worried about you is all.”

  Shade thrown again. I pursed my lips as I looked at the various guests around the table who also understood the shade thrown but knew better than to say anything to the first lady.

  “I’m fine, Mom. I’m eating very well,” Devin countered.

  “If you say so. But you do look a few pounds lighter.”

  Devin passed me the dishes after placing food onto his plate. I felt like all eyes were on me to see how much food I was going to put on my plate after the shade Isabelle threw. I didn’t know why they were paying attention to me because a few of them weren’t lean themselves. A couple of them were bigger than me. Unfortunately, Mrs. Woods was an elegant, tiny woman. I had to give it to her, for sixty years old, she was a beautiful woman. Her nutbrown skin was flawless. There wasn’t a wrinkle in sight. Her hair was cut in a pixie style, making her look twenty years younger than she was. She was about five foot two and couldn’t weigh any more than 110 pounds. She could stand to eat a bit more herself, but I guess the first lady needed to maintain her image of what she considered perfection.

  Georgiana was a very pretty woman also. Her shape could easily be compared to that of Beyoncé. Her skin was a golden brown, eyes catlike, giving her an exotic appeal, and her hair was cut into an edgy layered bob which had pops of red making her more alluring. To say I was jealous was an understatement. As much as I didn’t like her, I could see what my husband saw in Georgiana. I just hoped his feelings for her would remain in the past.

  “Well, son, I was telling everyone about how excited I am about the church anniversary celebration we are having the Sunday after this one coming up. I can’t believe it’s been twenty-five years already.”

  “We are so excited about it too,” Deacon Jackson stated.

  “We all are,” his wife added.

  “We have a choir coming all the way from New York to sing the Lord’s praises that day,” Secretary Annabelle stated.

  “And they are wonderful. They really know how to get people on their feet. It’s sure to be a magnificent church service,” Devin’s mother said.

  “Son, I know you are going to enjoy yourself,” Mr. Woods stated.

  Devin swallowed hard as his body became rigid. He placed his fork on his plate as he cleared his throat before saying, “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to make it.”

  An awkward silence filled the room. Everyone’s gazes shifted to his dad who picked up his napkin and dabbed at his mouth as he chewed the remainder of the food in his mouth.

  Forehead creased, his father leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. Hands now in the steeple position, his stout voice broke the stillness as he asked, “What do you mean you are not going to be able to make it?”

  My heart galloped for my husband. Mr. Woods wasn’t my father, but he was definitely an intimidating individual.

  Shifting nervously, Devin said, “I have to fly out to California on business.”

  “Honey, you sure you can’t reschedule? You know we would love to have you there. You are our only child, and this event is very important to us,” his mother chided.

  “You see, Isabelle, this is what I’m talking about. This boy chooses work over God all the time, not realizing it’s God who’s blessing him.”

  “Dad, that’s not what I’m doing.”

  “Then what do you call it?”

  “Everson, not here in front of our company,” Mrs. Woods pleaded.

  “They understand what I’m talking about,” he pointed to the guests, and most of the deacons nodded in agreement. “Your place is supposed to be with your family on that day. It’s bad enough you hardly come to church any longer. You supposed to be there every Sunday. But now, one of the biggest events we have during the year and you have to go out of town on business? What is the congregation going to think? Half of them are forgetting I have a son at all.”

  “Dad, I don’t care what the congregation thinks,” Devin countered. “The congregation doesn’t pay my bills. You do want me to use that college education you paid for to further my career, don’t you?”

  “If I knew paying for your college was going to cause you to choose career over family and church, then maybe I shouldn’t have paid for it at all,” Mr. Woods deduced.

  “Everson,” Mrs. Woods called.

  “No, Mom. Dad is telling the truth. He paid for my college, hoping I would follow in his footsteps.”

  Mr. Woods’s jaw tightened as Devin continued.

  “But I disappointed him. When I told him I wanted to be in the corporate industry, he was not happy about it. He should be happy I’ve made a name for myself and be proud of what I’ve accomplished. All he chooses to do is put me down because I didn’t follow in his seminary footsteps.”

  “A son is supposed to want to be like his father.”

  “Who says I’m not?” Devin addressed his dad. “I’m successful just like you. I’m smart just like you. I’m talented just like you. But what, just because I’m not preaching just like you, that makes me a failure?”

  “Honey, that’s not what your father is saying,” Mrs. Woods said, trying to calm the conversation.

  “Then what is he saying, Mom, huh?”

  The room remained silent, and to my surprise and utter dismay, Georgiana began to speak.

  “Mr. Woods, can I add something please?”

  Devin’s father nodded.

  “Devin is right. I mean, look at what your son has accomplished. Just because he’s not going to preach doesn’t mean you have failed as his father. You and Mrs. Woods have done a marvelous job raising a wonderful, respectful young man. You have a lot to be proud of regarding Devin. And most of all, you have instilled God in him. Just because you don’t see him every Sunday doesn’t mean he’s not praying and giving God the glory. And that’s because of what you and Mrs. Woods instilled in him. Why do you think he is as successful as he is? It’s God, and I know Devin knows where his blessings are coming from,” she said, looking at Devin lovingly.

  Devin looked at her for a long moment before she turned her attention back to his dad.

  “You work hard with the church because that’s your calling. Devin works hard in business because that’s what he wants to do. Both of you are successful in your own right. Who’s to say that one day you two won’t be working side by side? Yes, there’s a possibility that day may never come, but if it does, and you two ever get together, you would be a force to be reckoned with,” Georgiana concluded.

  “Amen,” Isabelle said, smiling from ear to ear and the guests around the table shouted amens as well.

  I was speechless because I felt like, as Devin’s wife, those should have been the words coming out of my mouth, not his ex
-fiancée’s.

  I looked at Devin who was still staring at Georgiana like I wasn’t even there.

  “Mr. Woods, I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds and disrespect you in any way because that was not my intention. But I know Devin wants to be there for you and Mrs. Woods. But please look at his accomplishments and know if it wasn’t for you guys, he wouldn’t be the great man he is today.”

  Devin’s father paused as he looked at his wife and said, “No, you didn’t disrespect me at all. In fact, what you said made a lot of sense. I never looked at it like that before. I was so busy feeling bad about my son not wanting to be a preacher like me that I totally overlooked what he has accomplished.”

  “Your son is a very successful man and that comes from the examples you have set for him. I’m pretty sure Devin can make other arrangements to be there for your church anniversary celebration because he has it like that. At the same time, you have to make him feel happy to be there. You know, as well as I do, pushing your son never works,” she chuckled. “He tends to run in the opposite direction.”

  There was that damn eye contact again. Georgiana looked at my husband once more in that loving way that I knew was melting Devin’s heart.

  Mr. Woods chuckled, saying, “You got a point there. That boy didn’t even like when I used to push him on the swing. He always wanted to do it himself.”

  Laughter erupted around the table, and Devin even chuckled himself.

  “You see, Devin wanted to be independent back then, and that was because he wanted you to see he could do it,” Georgiana added.

  Nodding again, Mr. Woods said, “Son, I want to apologize for what I said and how I came off earlier.”

  “It’s okay, Dad. I should have taken your feelings into consideration about a day I knew was very important to you and Mom. I promise I’m going to try to rearrange the trip for another weekend.”

  “Amen,” Mrs. Woods said, smiling as she reached over and grabbed her husband’s hand. She then reached out and grabbed Devin’s hand as well. “God is so good.”

  “Yes, he is,” Georgiana agreed, along with the other guests around the table.

  “Thank you, Georgiana,” Mr. Woods said. “You always knew how to come to my son’s rescue.”

  “That’s because she knows him,” Mrs. Woods declared.

  “It’s not a problem. You guys know no matter what, Devin will always have a special place in my heart.”

  Out of my peripheral, I could see Mrs. Woods glaring at me as Georgiana again gazed at my husband. She shifted her look to me but kept that same kind smile on her face . . . like she’d won. And I guess in a way, she did. She definitely won his parents over, and now I thought she was winning with my husband as well.

  “Now, let’s get back to eating some of this good food I prepared,” Mrs. Woods gushed.

  Chatter filled the room as eating resumed. Needless to say, my appetite was ruined. Georgiana’s presence overrode mine, and if I didn’t know any better, I was the freaking extra here. It was evident his family wanted Devin to get back with Georgiana, and from the subtle glances they kept giving each other, I wondered if my husband wanted to get back with his first love as well.

  Vivian

  12

  I lay in my husband’s arms hearing the rapid beat of his heart after I’d just finished sucking him to a blissful end. I was happy I could bring him to this brink of pleasure since most times when I sucked him, he refused to climax, always wanting to get inside me to reach his pinnacle. I found it extremely gratifying to bring him to a level of exploding without him even entering me. He was always disappointed, but he truly didn’t understand the fulfillment I got from pleasing him orally.

  I knew I had to do something. It had been close to two weeks since Sheldon and I did anything sexually. The only thing we did was kiss when he was on his way out the door to his job. As fine as he was and as horny as he stayed, I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t interested in having sex with me as much anymore. In my eyes, we were still newlyweds. Just having celebrated our first-year anniversary, I thought we should still be at the stage of not being able to keep our hands off each other. But, boy, how times had changed.

  “You okay?” he asked tenderly.

  “I’m good. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you are not saying anything.”

  “What am I supposed to say, babe?”

  “I don’t know. I just wanted to make sure you were good. You seemed troubled about something.”

  I was, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him how I felt. In the darkness, he couldn’t see my grim expression. As much as I would like to think things were okay with us, I honestly didn’t feel good about us at all. We were living an amazing life in a new city and a fantastic home, but for me, I felt like if the sex wasn’t present, then things were critical.

  I still couldn’t get over the fact I couldn’t reach over and touch him in the middle of the night without him jumping up and acting like he wanted to attack me. The first time he reacted like that, it scared me. I didn’t think wanting to hold my husband was a bad thing, but from his reaction, evidently it was. He explained that I frightened him, but he always had this same reaction when I tried to touch him. A few of those times he got mad at me for waking him. What man didn’t want to be awakened by his wife holding his dick in her hand, ready to please him?

  I asked him about his reaction to me touching him in the middle of the night, and he basically brushed it off like it was no big deal. But I could clearly see it was a big deal. The one thing about being his friend first and now his wife was that I could see when something was up with him. Why he wasn’t telling me bothered me. Maybe I was overreacting. I tended to read too much into things sometimes. Besides those incidents and the decrease in our sexual activities, Sheldon wasn’t acting any different. He was working more but seemed to love his job. At home we talked and laughed like we always did, but I knew there was something he was not telling me, and the fact he felt like he couldn’t tell me bothered me.

  I wondered if us getting married was a mistake. I loved him, but I loved the friendship more. It was so effortless. Marriage made things more complicated. The excitement of us being together was no longer present. I felt like somehow, it was my fault, and maybe he came to the conclusion I wasn’t the woman for him after all.

  This was what I hoped would never happen with us. Sheldon was my best friend for years before that one night that changed everything. It was after a nightmarish dinner I had with my sisters. Sheldon ended up coming over, explaining how he had the same type of awful night himself with some blind date he went on. We sat up laughing, eating, and watching television until we both drifted off to sleep. The next thing I knew, he was nestled up behind me with his arm draped around my waist. I could feel his erection poking into my backside, and it felt good. I knew this was a line I shouldn’t have crossed, but that night, we stepped over the line. We damn near erased it, in fact, and it ended up being one of the best nights of my life because Sheldon rocked my world.

  That sexual encounter ruined our friendship for a while, which was the main reason why I never wanted to go there with him. I didn’t realize I was pushing him away because I wasn’t happy with myself, especially my body image. I was a plus-size sister weighing 225 pounds at five foot five. I felt like Sheldon was the type of man that should be with someone half my size and as gorgeous as he was. I wondered why he would want me when there were so many other women that would look better on his arm.

  “Viv, you know I love you, right?” Sheldon asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

  “I know, babe. I love you too.”

  “Do you?” he asked.

  “Of course, I do,” I said lifting my head to look at the outline of his face in the darkness.

  “I understand things have been a little weird lately, but please understand it has nothing to do with you.”

  I wanted to ask him what it had to do with, but I didn’t want to ruin the tranquil moment
we were in right now. So I just listened.

  “Did you hear me?”

  “I did, Sheldon.”

  “Do you believe me?”

  Exhaling, I said, “Yes.”

  “I know you have a lot of fears, Viv, and I don’t want our relationship to be one of them. Like today at the restaurant, I know that bothered you.”

  “What made you think that?”

  He chuckled.

  “What you fail to realize is women like that waitress Hailey are always trying me. They are wondering how a woman like me managed to snag a man like you.”

  “A woman like you? What does that mean?” he asked.

  “Come on, babe. I’m a plus-size sister, and you cut to the max. Hell, you can be Morris Chestnut’s body double.”

  “First of all, Morris Chestnut is bald, and I have dreads. Second, I think I’m better looking than him,” he joked.

  “You are right.”

  “You’re just agreeing because I’m your husband.”

  “You are my sexy husband who I adore.”

  “I adore you too.”

  As much as I would like to think I got over my insecurities about being the size I am, I wasn’t past it at all. If anything, being married to such an attractive man made me feel even more insecure about myself. I didn’t know what I needed to do to change my perception of myself, but I knew I needed to do something quickly before I allowed my insecurities to ruin my marriage. I’d pushed him away before. I didn’t want to do that again now that I was his wife. I had to understand he chose me, and this was an equal exchange of love and affection. But deep down, I couldn’t help but wonder if he ever believed he was doing me a favor by being with me.

  “You are a very attractive man, Sheldon. You can’t tell me you haven’t been hit on since we’ve gotten married.”

  “I’m not interested in any other woman, babe. I’ve told you that.”

  “I hope not.”

  “What do you mean? You’re saying that like you think I have some side piece or something.”

  “Do you?” I asked.