“Good,” she purrs as her robe drops to the floor. “Lie back and close your eyes.”
Cautiously, I lay my head on the pillow and close my eyes. I feel my pants being unbuttoned and unzipped, then Kitten’s hand reaches down into my boxers. “Oh, you’re a big boy,” her voice is almost cartoon-like. She strokes me slowly, then her lips tenderly kiss the head of my dick; I moan. She roughly pulls the front of my boxers down lower and takes my entire cock in her mouth.
“Kitten…” pulling her head away, I try stopping her.
“What’s the matter? Doesn’t it feel good?”
“No, it’s not that,” I pull myself into a sitting position.
“Then what?” she scowls. “Why did you come here tonight?”
“I don’t know,” my eyes dart away from hers and I feel flushed with embarrassment.
“Does she know?”
“Does who, know what?”
“Does the woman you’re in love with know?” She slides off my lap, inching herself onto the couch.
“I’m not in love,” I reply as I quickly pull up my pants.
“Don’t kid a kidder, sweetheart. If you weren’t in love, your dick would be making my kitty purr right now.”
I can’t help but smile at her words. “Is it that obvious?”
“Tell me about her. Is she the same girl from your apartment?”
“Yeah.”
“So, why aren’t you with her right now? What did you do?”
I look her up and down. She’s sitting next to me, completely engrossed in our conversation, wearing nothing but a garter belt. God, I wish I could fuck her. It’s not that I don’t find her extremely attractive, because that’s definitely not the case; she’s drop-dead gorgeous. I’m sure she’d rock my world and possibly make me forget about Salem for a short time, just like the others have. Yet, I have this aching in my heart that won’t go away no matter how hard I try.
“Am I making you uncomfortable?” she asks sweetly, batting her eyelashes at me.
“No, not really, I’ve just never met a woman who’s so comfortable naked before,” again I look at her chest then quickly look away.
“Honey,” her hand lightly touches my thigh, “I spend most of my time naked. I feel more comfortable out of clothes than in them.”
“Yes, I can see that,” I bend over, picking up her robe off the floor. “Here, put this on. You don’t have to put on a show for me.”
“That’s very sweet of you, sugah,” she smiles as she stands to put on her robe. “I don’t have very many men who turn me down, you know. Should I be taking this personally?”
“No, please don’t take it personally. My head is fucked up enough; I definitely don’t need to add mind-blowing sex to it to fuck it up even more.” I run my hands through my hair.
She takes a seat next to me and rubs my back, “Tell Kitten all about your problems.”
I’m not exactly sure why I feel so comfortable with her, but it’s like we’ve known each other for years. I tell her the entire story of Salem and I.
“Wow! You made her kitty purr for the very first time and she let you walk away?” she sounds completely astounded.
“Out of that entire story, that’s what you take away from it?”
“Look, sweetheart, a woman’s first orgasm is a very momentous occasion. I still remember my first O,” she gazes off, sighing. “Jeffrey Thompson. The poor kid had no idea what he was doing. It’s a miracle he found my pussy, let alone my clit,” she giggles. “It took him a while, but when he finally found my button, Lord have mercy,” she says, raising her hands up in the air. “That boy made me squirm, and I think I may have ripped a chunk of hair from his scalp.”
I laugh. She makes me feel so at ease. “Thanks for listening to me and making me feel better.”
She lightly squeezes my hand. “Anytime, sweetheart, I’m just sorry I couldn’t make you feel better in other ways.”
“You wanna go grab a bite to eat?”
“I can’t, doll. I have an early morning appointment and you have to go see about a girl.”
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea. What if he’s there?”
“The only way you’re going to find out is if you go there and see.” She pulls me up off the couch. “I want a full report tomorrow afternoon. Give me your phone,” she holds out her hand. “Here’s my number; call me around four-ish and maybe we can grab a coffee.”
I take a deep breath, “Alright.”
“Now go get your lady,” she pushes me toward the door.
As I walk to the exit of the club, I see Sydney coming at me. “I hope Kitten took great care of you.”
“She most definitely did.”
“That’s my girl.” She looks up at the VIP section where Kitten is standing by the railing, smiling down at us; she blows me a kiss. “I hope we’ll see you again real soon,” Sydney says as she walks me to the door.
“I’m sure I’ll be around sooner or later.” I keep it short and sweet. There’s no need to let her know Kitten and I didn’t have sex.
Blow – A blow is a hard hit, it’s synonymous with a punch.
The entire drive to Salem’s, I fight with myself to turn around and forget the entire thing. I’m insane to listen to one word Kitten has to say. I mean, what does she know? She’s a stripper for Christ’s sake, not a counselor.
As I approach her condo, I turn off the headlight on my bike, trying not to draw any attention to myself. Salem’s car is parked in her normal spot. Looking up, I see that the light’s on in her bedroom. It’s past two a.m., so I assume she must be up studying. As I drive past her place, I scan the cars that are parked along the street, looking for one car in particular, Blaine’s Corvette. Luckily, I don’t see it. Making a U-turn in the middle of the street, I finally park my bike next to Salem’s car. I stare up at her window hoping to see some movement. Why the fuck am I here? I just begin backing my bike out of her driveway when I see the silhouette of someone move in front of her window; my heart skips a beat. Stop being such a fuckin’ chickenshit and go talk to her.
I pull out my phone and send her a text.
Me – It’s me. I just wanna talk. Please.
A few minutes go by and no response, so I send another.
Me – I know you’re up. I saw you moving around.
She finally responds.
Salem – Where are you?
Me – I’m sitting in your driveway.
Salem – How long have you been out there?
Me – Long enough to know you’re home and awake.
Salem – Gabriel, we can’t do this.
Me – I’m not asking you for anything, just to talk to you. I need to see you. I’m out of my mind without you.
There is no response. I stare at my phone, anxiously waiting. A minute turns into two minutes, then two turns into three, and I realize she’s not going to respond again.
Turning the ignition, I rev the engine in anger. I don’t give a fuck what her stuck-up neighbors think. Lights throughout her complex begin to turn on, including her front porch light.
Salem’s front door flies open. “Gabriel, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
Revving the engine again, I put my hand up to my ear, “What? I can’t hear you.”
“My neighbors are going to call the cops,” she runs down the stairs toward me.
“Let ‘em, I’m not gonna stop until you talk to me.”
She looks distraught. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why didn’t you respond to my text?”
“Why are you pushing this?”
“Pushing what? That I want to be with you, Salem? That I know there’s something between us, even if you’re in denial,” my voice is getting increasingly louder.
“Quiet down out there,” someone yells a few doors down, “or I’m gonna call the cops!”
“See?” Salem’s eyes widen.
“Come for a ride with me,” I motion with my head for her to ge
t on the back of my bike.
“Gabriel, I…”
“You, what? Give me a good enough excuse.”
“I don’t have a helmet,” she snaps back at me.
“You can wear mine,” I hand her my helmet. “Give me another one.”
“I have a test tomorrow.”
“Have you studied for it?”
“Yes, of course,” she sounds annoyed, like I shouldn’t dare ask her that.
“Then there’s no excuse. Get on my bike, Salem.”
Her eyes wide and panic-stricken, she glances from the back of my bike, to me, and then back again. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she mutters, and clinging onto the sleeve of my jacket, she climbs up onto the back of my bike.
I turn around to make sure the helmet is secure on her head and tighten the chin strap for her. “Does it feel tight enough?”
“Yes.”
I smile at her.
“What are you smiling at?”
“You look so adorable.” The helmet is too big for her. She can barely see as it hangs low on her forehead; I push it back. “There, now I can see your beautiful eyes. Put your arms around my waist and hold on tight.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” she squeezes tightly around my rib cage.
I take my bike off the kickstand and roll it back. “Here we go,” I warn, slowly turning the throttle. As I accelerate, she lets out a scream. I can feel her fists gripping onto my jacket as she holds on for dear life. I’m relieved to be wearing a jacket or I might not have any skin left.
After we’ve been driving for about fifteen minutes, her grip is finally relaxing. “You okay?”
I feel her head nod against my back.
“Have you opened your eyes yet?”
She shakes her head.
“Open your eyes; the moon and stars are beautiful above us.”
“No, I’m good,” her voice is shaking. “Where are we going?”
“No clue.”
“What’s with you and driving around?”
I veer off the road, pulling into a rest stop, and park my bike in a dark, secluded section of the parking lot. “I told you I find it relaxing.”
Salem’s arms are still wrapped around my body, and I feel her shiver as she presses up against my back. “Are you cold?” I turn my head in her direction.
“A little.”
“You want my jacket?”
“No, I’m good just like this,” she murmurs.
“Me, too,” I sigh heavily. I could sit here all night; just the two of us under the stars, listening to the crickets chirp, and her arms firmly around me. After a few moments of silence, she begins to fidget behind me. “You alright?”
“Yes, I’m just trying to get this helmet off.”
“Let me help you.” I get off the bike and unfasten the chin strap.
She removes the helmet, hands it to me, and immediately begins smoothing out her hair with her hands.
I shake my head. “Your hair looks fine.”
“Yeah right, it’s probably a mess.”
I brush a few stray hairs away from her face, then my hand lingers as I lightly caress her cheek. Her eyes close and she sucks in her breath. “Gabriel,” she says faintly. My thumb traces over her lips as my heart begins to beat faster and my pulse races.
“I’ve missed you,” is all I can manage to get out without sounding like a complete asshole.
“Gabriel, this is the way you wanted it.”
“I know, but…”
“But, what?” she asks as she slides off my bike.
“I didn’t think I’d miss you as much as I do.”
She reaches for my hand and whispers, “It’s better this way.”
“Better for who?”
“For both of us,” she exhales. “What happened between us was…”
“Was, what? Say it,” I snap. “You think it was a mistake, don’t you?” I hate the fact that what happened between us means more to me than it does to her, that she can just walk away from me like nothing happened. My anger, yet again, gets the better of me.
“I don’t regret what happened, Gabriel. But like you said, it can’t happen again.”
“Answer me one thing.”
“What?” She gives me a defeated look.
“Do you think of me when you’re fucking him?”
She shoves me away from her. “Take me home, Gabriel.”
“Answer my question,” I come back at her, wrapping my arms around her as she tries to fight me off. “Has he gone down on you yet? Made your legs quiver and your pussy ache for more?” I growl into her ear.
“Shut up!” She struggles to break free from the hold I have on her, but she’s no match for my strength. “Let… go… of me,” she jerks her body from side to side.
“How can you look him in the face knowing he fucks other women? Did you fuck me just to get back at him? Does it make you feel better to know you’re a cheater just like him?”
My last statement really pisses her off and she stomps down on my foot with all her might. I loosen my grip and she manages to break free.
She spins around and screams, “Shut the fuck up!” angry tears streaming down her face. “You’re just like the rest of them. I thought you were different, that you actually cared about me!” Her voice is quivering and she’s visibly shaking. “Now the real you shines through; you just wanted to get in my pants. Does it make you happy that you have another notch on your bedpost? That you fucked someone’s girlfriend? Was I your ultimate conquest? Congratulations, asshole, you finally bedded a rich bitch!” She’s seething; her words are reckless, and I think she’s angrier at me than she was when she caught Blaine cheating. “I can’t believe I let you touch me!” I watch as her eyes turn from sadness to hatred as she looks at me scathingly. “Take me home, NOW!”
Fuck, what have I done? Everything that I wanted to say, I didn’t, and things I should’ve kept to myself came spewing out in anger. My big fucking mouth gets me in trouble, yet again. This time, I’ll probably lose her forever, and I don’t blame her. I’ve thrown in her face that her boyfriend cheats on her, called her a cheater, and asked her if she thinks of me while fucking him. Christ, I’d hate me too.
“Salem, I’m sorry.” I take a step toward her, trying to console her.
“Don’t,” she holds her hands up defensively. “I don’t want to hear your apologies. You’re so much like Blaine, it’s sickening.” Her lip curls up into snarl, and she can’t even bring herself to look me in the eyes. “You think you can say what you want to me; you put me down, call me names, and then hug me to make it all better? I’ve been dealing with that for years. I’m not a doormat, Gabriel. All I want you to do is take me home, and I don’t ever want to see or hear from you again.” She turns on her heel and walks in the direction of my bike.
I hang my head in shame as I follow her. I took the only woman who’s ever really made me feel anything and made her hate me. What the fuck is wrong with me? Am I really incapable of loving someone? Did my parents fuck me up so bad that I can’t even treat a woman with respect? This is not the man I want to be. I’ve tried so hard not to be like my father, yet my words and actions are exactly how he treated my mother; the only thing I didn’t do to Salem was raise my hand to her.
As I approach my bike, I can see Salem is ready to go. She’s already sitting on my bike with the helmet on. I can’t bring myself to even look at her; I’m ashamed of myself. I hear her sniffle a few times as I climb on. I sit for a second, waiting for her to put her arms around me, but she doesn’t. “Are you going to hold on?” I turn my head in her direction so she can hear me.
“No, I’m fine,” she says coldly.
“You’re gonna fall off.”
“I’d rather fall off than touch you.”
I slump my head at her words. I never meant to hurt her. All I wanted to do was show her how much I cared and I ruined us instead. “I would feel much safer if you were holding onto me.”
I let out a deep sigh, “Well, can you at least hold on to the seat behind you, then?”
Our drive back to Salem’s feels like it’s taking forever, and I continuously look into my mirror, checking on her to make sure she’s holding on. As I pull up in front of her condo, she nearly jumps off my bike to get away from me. I call out, “Salem!” but she keeps walking, not even acknowledging me. “Salem!”
She spins around angrily, “What?!”
“My helmet,” I motion to her head.
Her hands tug at the chin strap; she can’t undo the buckle, and I can see she’s getting frustrated when she throws her hands up in the air with a “Jesus Christ!”
“Let me,” I say softly.
“I can get it,” she insists.
I don’t push the issue. I’ve already pissed her off enough. She tries again, struggling. Finally, she gives in, “Can you do it?” Letting out a huff she walks over to me, avoiding eye contact.
Within a half a second, I have it unbuckled and give her a slight smile, “All set.”
“Thanks,” removing the helmet from her head, she then hands it over.
As I reach out for the helmet, I grab ahold of her forearm. “Everything I said earlier, it was out of anger.” My eyes search her face for a reaction.
She looks me dead in the eyes and stone-faced says, “You may have lashed out in anger, Gabriel, but words like that don’t just come out. That’s how you feel. You see me as a cheater, and you’re right, I am a cheater. I gave in to you. You saw my weakness and took advantage of it. I may be a lot of things, but at least I don’t prey on someone who’s vulnerable.”
A pit forms in my throat and I’m finding it nearly impossible to swallow. “You’re right. I did take advantage of you. I should’ve been there for you emotionally, as a friend, not putting my sexual needs ahead of everything else, and I’m sorry for that. I never wanted things to go this way, Salem.”
“Neither did I.” She’s now looking down at the ground. “It never would’ve worked, anyways.”
“You don’t know that.”
“It’s late, I’m tired, and I have a final tomorrow,” she looks up at me with just her eyes.
Going the Distance Page 4