BOMAW 10-12

by Mercedes Keyes

  Ben stood, feeling completely helpless, scared. He had the most horrible feeling, that he was falling in love with her, and she - was still in love with her husband. Because standing and seeing how torn up she was about him, he wished with all his might, that she felt that way about him. "Look, in another week, we'll be back -..."

  "And I'll be divorced." She interrupted sadly.

  Again, he felt a weird ache in his chest, brought on by what he was about to say, but as a friend, he had no choice, he had to say it. "You could always back out of it."

  "That's the thing, I don't want to back out. You think I want to spend my time, my life, loving someone who doesn't love me? He wants to be free. I won't hold any man that doesn't want to be held by me. No way. I just don't want, his boys not to love him - because he really does love them, he does."

  "Crystal you know what, you came here, to get away. To breathe. To think. To see and feel and know a new world for you and your future. Next week, will be here soon enough, and you'll be right back into it all once again, with him, and them. Come on, cheer up, we're going to a ball. And - we're going to have, the time of our life, right?"

  Crystal smiled.

  "Right."

  * * *

  Georgiana was carefully, closely inspecting herself once more. This would be her first outing since her multiple surgeries. Still a bit tender, it was not enough to keep her in this night. The bruises were finally almost invisible, one would have to look close to see them and her very expensive make up would take care of that. Her hair was freshly done, newly cut, a head of cascading ultra glistening locks, it looked stunning and she couldn't help but touch it, imagining Shawn before her, looking at the new her style and color, his hands in her hair. She smiled. All day, she'd been pampering away at her luxury spa. The head to toe treatment getting everything on her body done to perfection. Her feet, her nails, everything had to be just so. It was only a few hours away now before the ball. All had been laid out for her, the only down side ... she would be attending with him. He was tapping at her door now and then entered.

  "Well now, bride of Frankenstein, all your zippers healed?" Oscar T. asked sarcastically.

  "What do you - want?" She asked dry, and droll.

  "Just checking, to see if you're actually wanting to attend this thing?"

  "Aaah, were you hoping you'd get to go - all by - yourself?"

  "Me, hope? My life lost all hope the day I pursued you."

  "And all - my - money!" She spat nastily.

  "Darlin', that's because it takes, all - your - money - to stomach being with you. Otherwise, who would bother?"

  "Fuck you!"

  "Stop begging."

  "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"

  "Careful, all that hard work - you're gonna wrinkle or, you're gonna rip." Oscar T. shivered in distaste, as if he might choke and gag any moment. "One thing before I go, please if you will, be a bit discreet at the ball, if you should be so lucky as to find someone willing to fuck you, make sure you do so out of sight." Closing her door, he heard the crash of something against it.

  Walking away he shook his head, "Oh how I hate your guts."

  "You made your bed." Bea murmured walking alongside him to his room.

  "If you've come only to antagonize, go away."

  She did.

  He stopped, looked to where she had just been beside him. Waited a moment, and then carried on to his room to get ready for the ball.

  * * *

  Ben was dressed and ready to go, he stood outside on the patio visiting with King Louie and the adults of the house. Everyone was giving him the oooh's and aaah's saying how handsome he was. Shawn had his camera by his side, had been taking pictures all evening of King Louie, Mama JoJo, posing with Sylvia, the boys, Mundo, Crystal and Ben. Now that he was dressed, looking like a Hollywood dream escort, more pictures had to be taken. He took one with Shawn and Sylvia, and then another with Mundo and Shawn. The mood was light and cheerful as all waited to see Crystal.

  "Let me go and check on this girl, see if she needs any more help. I've been up and down them stairs I don't know how many times today." Sylvia announced standing, smiling between Mama JoJo and King Louie, really enjoying her evening, meeting him, getting to hear stories from both of them about Shawn and Jesse.

  "Hey, after this, I want you to chill for the rest of the evening, hear me?" Shawn warned, worried that she may be doing too much.

  "I am just fine Mr. McPherson." She sassed him.

  "Never mind that, what did I say?"

  Sylvia leaned back, threw her hands on her hips, "Don't let your company see you get told off, ain't you something, what did you say?" She turned rolling her eyes, leaving a laughing audience.

  King Louie was cracking up, "You knew better! Didn't you?!"

  "Can't blame me for trying." Shawn laughed with him.

  "Well you atleas' gotta try - if you don' try - how you gone know?" King Louie went on.

  "Exactly, and believe me, I know - but you gotta try it out again every now and again to see if maybe, this time - you get away with it."

  Mama JoJo laughed shaking her head, "Lawd ya'll somethin' else, I can see now how it's gone be living with you two."

  Upstairs, Sylvia checked on the boys, they were fast asleep already. She then went into the room to check on her daughter.

  "How you doing in here, you ready yet?"

  Crystal turned around, "How do I look?"

  Sylvia's hands went to her face, the sight of her stunning daughter blowing her away. "Look at my baby. Look at you - you make me so proud, so so proud."

  "Don't start mama, don't get sentimental on me, I don't wanna mess up my make-up - I have it just right, any tears would blow it." She grinned. Turning, offering her back, "Can you do up the zipper the last bit of the way, and close the hook for me mama."

  Sylvia stepped up doing it, and fixing the draped gossamer silk shawl.

  "Your hair looks so nice, perfect all the way around."

  "Good, I want to look as perfect and beautiful as I can. I wanna, feel - like, all in my life, in my world - is - well - as it should be." She turned back saying.

  "We've come a long way, haven't we baby - we been through some stuff, you and I, your brother too."

  "Yep, and we still going strong. Remember what we used to say, when we were scared, out there, going through it, and it was just you, me and Mundo, on our way wherever."

  Sylvia smiled, nodding, "The three Musketeers, all for one, one for all." She remembered and ended up fighting back tears with the memory of it.

  "Mama don't!"

  "I'm sorry, but looking back then, I didn't know what I was gonna do sometimes. Where we were gonna go, I just - I don't know how we made it."

  "Well we did. And I just want you to know, that through all the bad times, and the ugly times, I could face anything, long as I had my mama."

  Sylvia covered her face and started crying.

  "See mama, you gone make us late, now I'm gone have to make him wait and fix my eyes again."

  Sylvia swiped at her eyes, she couldn't speak. She nodded instead, turned and left the room. She went to the bottom of the stairs, sat down and took a moment to get herself together. To just breathe, to say thanks, "Lord God in heaven, you have blessed me, you have blessed me. I thank you, I thank you." She murmured softly, taking another breath or two, she stood, went into the downstairs bathroom, checking her eyes. She splashed her face with cold water, dried it - determined to look normal she headed back outside.

  "She's just about ready." She informed them.

  They would be taking the limo for the evening.

  No sooner had Sylvia taken her seat, when Crystal carefully slid the glass patio door back and stepped out for all to see her, everyone turned to look at her.

  "Well, I'm ready for the ball - what'a'yah think?"

  "La-a-a-awdy, lawdy lawdy - get that babies picture, I sho' want one of them to sho'off." Mama JoJo instructed Shawn.

  He stood gazi
ng at her with all the pride of a father blown away. Lost for words, he lifted his camera and snapped her there before the doors. Ben stood back as everyone gave her double the attention they gave him, and for good reason - she was amazing. And he asked, for God to help him, because, he was in love.

  He knew it.

  It was there, landing in the pit of his stomach like a boulder dropped in on him from above. He felt nauseated with the sensation, because what he also knew, was that she was not in love with him. Everyone was taking pictures with her. He hadn't said a word; in fact, he was frozen in place, staring at her. Hadn't moved a muscle since she showed herself. He was feeling a bit awkward, embarrassed, because he had a feeling, they knew, his face was burning. He caught sight of Shawn staring at him, Mundo, staring at him. Sylvia, staring at him. He knew he had to move. Shawn gave him a reason to.

  "Ben, your turn, together you two for a few pictures, I wanna snap pictures of you going all the way out to the front gates."

  Ben moved then, smiled and did what he was told, albeit wooden. Wooden and lost, because he'd never been in love before. Of all persons to fall for, it would be a married woman in love with her husband.

  He smiled for the camera.

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  Do to the direction of BOMAW and where it is going, from this point forward, and in the case of our fictitious character, Jacob Patrick McPherson, soon to be - aka -(Jake Patrick)- all mentioned lyrics, partial and complete, titles, verses, chorus, songs arranged for the development of this character - is strictly and entirely, copyright protected and "Registered" with Amber Swann Publishing Inc. Songs quoted for said character, -(Jake Patrick)- are original and written by, Mercedes Keyes & Lawrence James. First title song, lyrics, and chorus, of "Vivian" - is an original song, with the copyright to Amber Swann Publishing inc. Second title song, lyrics, and chorus of, "Alien Girl" is an original copyright song, with the copyright to Amber Swann Publishing inc. Third title song, lyrics and chorus of, "Good Son" is an original copyright song with the copyright to Amber Swann Publishing Inc. Fourth title song, lyrics and chorus of, "Here we come" is an original copyright song with the copyright to Amber Swann Publishing Inc. Atbsolutely without variance - are the above songs to be duplicated in written form to be printed to be distributed, for any means without the expressed and certain notification of their creators, Mercedes Keyes & Lawrence James, this would also include their permission. ©Copyright 2006

  , Amber Swann Publishing inc. - All Rights Reserved.

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

  Chapter 244

  Wisconsin, Saturday night...

  He was off work for the weekend, the first weekend in some time. Pocket full of money and no where to go. No one to be with, missing Crystal and the boys. They were off in California and it was starting to piss him off, his patience was wearing thin. Now that he'd made up his mind on what he wanted, he wanted it now, he resented having to go through this waiting game, he still couldn't believe that she'd taken off to California. He was incredulous that she said nothing to him, not asking him could she take his boys off there. Just for the heck of it, he called information asking for the L.A. info line. With that in hand, he dialed it, asking for the number of Shawn McPherson. He waited a moment and then the message that it was an unlisted number.

  He hung up, "This is bullshit!" He grumbled, flopping back on the sofa, flipping through channels on TV, the light from it and from the bathroom the only illumination in the house. It was Saturday night, he was alone. He wondered what she was doing. "Probably out having a good time. Screw this man!" He shot up from the sofa, headed for the bathroom and turned on the shower, as it ran, he splashed his face, lathered it up and shaved. That done, he stripped down and stepped into the shower washing his body down. He was restless and feeling randy. He hadn't had sex since Jeanine. So intense was his need that scrubbing his groin area gave him an erection. With his heart pounding, he ignored it, which wasn't an easy thing to do. No way, was he going to just sit around, bored and do nothing, lonely. It didn't help being estranged from his family, that made it worse. Still irritated at her, he grumbled and huffed because finally, he'd stood up to his mother, stormed out of her home only to find himself alone and waiting on Crystal. Finished with his shower, he stepped out, grabbing a towel, dried himself down. Snatched up the deodorant, sprayed his pits, and then the palms of his hands, setting down the can, he pat carefully around his hanging testicles and hairy scrotum. Observing himself in the mirror, he brushed his teeth, rinsed his mouth out, grabbed his favorite after shave, slapped that on his face, grabbed the hair mousse and dabbed a palm full of it into his hair styling it with it his fingers. Leaving the bathroom, he went into his bedroom, took out some nice clothes, his Tommy Hilfiger, powder blue shirt, which he left hanging outside his jeans of the same label, and then, went out.

  He cruised to La Crosse, heading for his favorite hang outs. Parking, he went to the one he was most often found frequenting, sure enough, he spotted some friends, waving to them, he parked at the bar, ordering himself a drink with the loud music blaring and the dance floor packed.

  "Victor, Victor, Victor, what's up dude?! Where you been?" One of the guys he knew from college approached him.

  "Working, just working dude."

  "Still married? How's the kids, two boys right?"

  "Yep, two boys, they're doing fine."

  "You mean your ol'lady let you out tonight?"

  "We're ah, sorting through some issues right now. She's back with her folks, temporary."

  "Oh dude, is that good news or bad news? Talkin' divorce already?"

  "Did you hear what I said, temp-or-rary, that's all."

  "If you say so, I know it ain't easy, that's for damn sure. Me? I couldn't do it - know what I'm saying? You only live once, why get bogged down too early with all that - commitment trauma, know what I'm saying? Hell with that, my life, is about me! I'm doin' all I can for me - fuck the rest, know what I'm saying?"

  "Yeah - I do."

  "Hey, to each his own, long as you're happy I guess." He saw someone else and took off, calling back, "Check you later dude!"

  Victor stood nodding his head, thinking about what had just been said. In a way, he knew that he was right - life was too short. Here he was, working his ass off, at two jobs and for what? She was off in L.A. no doubt having a good time while he stood there alone. It was starting to piss him off the more time he had to think about it all. He was tired of all this thinking taking him back and forth, up and down, regretting and then, resenting. Trying to think of what to do with himself from one day to the next until they returned. He'd been willing to go so far as to take the blame for what had happened between them, now - he wasn't so sure. Why should he? Regardless of the reasons, she was the one who had all the emotional problems, he did his part. He quit school, he got a job, he used his money in the bank to set them up, he let her continue school, he even let her younger brother move in and had treated him good, not that it hadn't been easy to do. Had it not been for Mundo, he might have not hung in there as long as he had. He was starting to feel a little taken advantage of, if his mother knew what was going on right now, he'd never hear the end of it.

  "Hey you - what are you doing here? Who let you out?" Omiyah walked up asking.

  The question broke into his thoughts. Victor turned to see a very familiar face next to him.

  "Hey, what's up?" He asked, thinking he must be lonely, Omiyah wasn't one of his favorite people after he and Crystal got together, even though they'd known each other for sometime.

  "I ask you first, where's the white girl you where with? She joining you here?"

  "No, that' over - that was no big deal."

  "Really, what happened?"

  "Nothing permanent that's all."

  "I see, so how is Crystal and the boys doing, what's up with that?"

  Victor turned away, sipping at his drink once more, after a couple of swallows, "They're
out of town."

  "Ohhh, so that's why you're here drinking all alone, nothing better to do huh?"

  "Guess not, what can I say?" He glanced at her following that statement.

  "Nothing obviously; buy me a drink."

  Victor stared at her a moment giving it some thought, he decided in her favor and turned back to the bar, signaling the bartender over, he laid some money out, "Whatever she orders." He instructed. Smiling Omiyah ordered herself a drink and couldn't help the surprise on her face.

  "Wow, you're in a different kind of mood, almost - back to your old self again, pre-Crystal. I remember when, you were one wild and crazy white boy, would dare anything."

  "Hmph," He shrugged, grinning, "I haven't changed that much." He challenged.

  "Really?" She returned. Her drink was set before her, she lifted it, took a few sips from it. Sitting it down her next thoughts, spoken out loud were, "So, you came here all alone huh? All by your lonesome?"

  "All by my lonesome."

  "That's terrible."

  "That's life isn't it? It happens some times."

  Standing side by side as they were, unmistakable vibes passed between them. Grinning, she asked, "Wanna dance?"

  "Finish your drink first." He advised.

  Hearing one of her favorite songs come on, Adina Howard's - Freak Like Me, she downed her drink in no time. Victor tucked his money back in his pocket, leaving only a bar tip and turned leading her onto the dance floor, she approached it moving her body seductively with rhythmic steps before they got to their chosen spot. Omiyah got her freak on, rocking her hips, and rolling back against him. Victor was not the best of dancers, but he wasn't shy and he knew how to move enough to enjoy the action on the dance floor. True to his old self, the Victor that could pull a girl in an instant, bumped and grinded behind her, staying right with her through the song, letting his groin touch her every other move or so, they stayed out there when that song was followed by Blue's - Too Close. Feeling his drink, Victor leaned back making the move to spank it - as Omiyah offered it up. They stayed through the last song for them, dancing to Nelli Fertado's, Party with Omiyah turning to him, her eyes on his as she gyrated up against him; he reciprocated getting into the music. Grinning she boldly stated, "Shi-i-it, you ain't changed at all." She could see it in his eyes, yes, he'd been drinking, but she knew the old Victor. Granted, to a certain extent, she and Crystal were friends - even so, she'd known him before she knew Crystal. And anyway, she'd seen Victor first, screwed with Victor first before Crystal came along playing little miss goody two shoes and snatched him up, letting herself get pregnant by him. Omiyah consoled herself in what she was doing because she wasn't the reason they'd broken up, it had nothing to do with her. Besides, all bets were off when he'd been dating someone else, already - Crystal had seen him with her, the white girl and she let that slide, so hey, he was fair open game to pursue.