by Cydney Rax
Maybe Alexis was being naïve. After all, how many women would go out of their way to befriend their ex-husband’s mistress? “I don’t want to completely diss the father of my children. I really don’t. But the fact that he had the guts to marry that woman tells me that he’s moved on.”
Eddison paid for their meals and even for Varnell Brown’s lunch. It was their first double date, and it felt good to be out and about on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Kiara adored her children, Myles and Jahzara, but she also enjoyed having a moment in which she could be around adults and not have to deal with baby spit or her energetic son.
Kiara found a corner spot by the window. She set her purse on her chair and watched Eddison take a seat across from Varnell.
“You ladies go ahead and fix your plates. We’ll watch your purses.”
“You do that, sweetie.” Kiara looked cute and relaxed in a pair of blue jeans and a cowl-neck knit shirt.
Alexis followed behind Kiara, who started out deciding which meats she wanted to load on her plate.
“I just hope that Nicole doesn’t feed Rashad to the sharks while they are on their honeymoon,” Alexis said jokingly.
“Amen to that. If your troublesome significant other asks you to go with her to an African safari, or to take a relaxing cruise, watch your back.”
Alexis giggled. “But Rashad is doing exactly what he wants to do.”
“Correct. He’s grown,” Kiara told her. “And whatever happens at this point, it’s going to be all on him.”
“Oh right. You did tell me that you warned him not to marry Nicole.”
“I dropped a million hints. But I didn’t outright tell Rashad not to do it because he’d assume that I still care about him.”
“And you don’t care, right?”
“Not in a romantic way. But hey, I can’t wish bad to happen to him. Sometimes I want to kick him in his balls for the crap he’s put me through. But if I did that, he’d think I still loved him. I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.”
“It’s complicated,” said Kiara and Alexis at the same time. They burst out laughing. It was amazing to Alexis that after all they’d been through, they could discuss such sensitive matters in an open and honest way.
“Well, pardon me for saying so, Kiara, but I had to learn to stop being angry at what I couldn’t control. If I could apologize to you a million times over for the pain I caused you, I would do it. But I know you’ve already made peace with what happened.”
“Yep. You’re good. Don’t even sweat it.” Kiara proceeded to pick out a couple of pieces of baked chicken and fish, and then spooned vegetables onto her plate. There. That was a good amount to start with.
Kiara returned to their table and was pleased to see Eddison and Varnell engaged in bits of conversation.
“Yeah, man,” she heard Varnell say, “I just hope the Texans can pull it off and make it to the play-offs next season.”
“How ’bout them Cowboys?”
“Oh Lord, not football talk.” Kiara smirked.
“Okay, babe, do you prefer it if we talked about politics, war, religion, or death?” Eddison studied her reaction.
“Truthfully, none of that sounds good. Tell you what.” Kiara sat down next to her man. “Stick to football. How ’bout that?” Eddison jumped up and grabbed Kiara into a friendly hug. She stared into his eyes. At that moment, any negative thoughts she’d had regarding her ex-husband completely disappeared. The past was insignificant.
The men went to get their food, and soon everyone sat together talking and eating like longtime friends.
This was the good life, Kiara thought. Living in the moment and staying clear of drama. She felt so content that she never wanted that good feeling to leave her. Problem was—she really didn’t know how to ensure that her current happiness would last forever.
“What are you thinking about, Kiara?” Eddison nudged her as he buttered his wheat roll.
“Nothing!”
“I can tell when you aren’t being real with me, Kiara.”
“Can you? Okay, I’m busted. To be honest, I-I was kind of wondering how my ex’s marriage will impact all the kids.”
“Ahh, the truth emerges. If I were you, I wouldn’t worry too much. Those things have a way of working themselves out.”
“You think?”
“I do. Just relax and enjoy the current season of life that you’re in. Which, by the way, I wanted to share my good news. Remember that wonderful piece of property that I showed you a while ago in Fort Bend County?”
“The big empty lot in Katy?”
“That’s the one. I bought it. It’s mine.”
“Eddison, I’m so happy for you. Congrats. What do you plan to do with it? Hold on to it until someone makes you a million-dollar offer in ten years?”
“That would be excellent. But I’m sure I’ll do something really good with it long before then.” He winked at her and grinned.
She truly was happy for him. Eddison was a good person. And good people deserved good things to happen to them.
* * *
A woman who claimed she’d never dreamt about living life on a grand scale was a woman in denial. What average woman who’s worked hard all her life has never wanted to make it big?
Nicole Greene Eason was no exception. The day the newlyweds returned from their four-day honeymoon, she quickly got down to business. They arrived in Houston at 10:15 a.m. on that Thursday. Nicole contacted a Realtor and began setting up appointments. Rashad came home and crashed, then later woke up and went into his office and was gone until late evening.
The following morning, Nicole made a light breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, and grits. She fed her daughter, got showered, and dressed. Her husband was anxious to get back to work and headed out before the sun rose.
It didn’t bother Nicole one bit that Rashad didn’t accompany her on her little excursions to master planned communities. She got Emmy all dolled up, and wrapped a pretty wide bow around her thick curls. Nicole sat in her Jeep in front of her house with the engine running. She typed various street addresses into the map app on her smartphone. She put the vehicle in gear and drove for miles and miles. She drove and chatted with her daughter and had a good time doing it.
“You are a princess, Emmy,” she yelled behind her. Eminence Forever was securely bundled in her car seat. Since she was seated diagonally across from her mom, Nicole had the perfect view of the girl. “If you’re a princess, then I’m a queen, and your daddy is the king. We are a royal family. And it’s time we started living like one.”
Nicole arrived at a model home that was hosting an open house for its subdivision. Her mouth began to salivate the second she parked her Jeep in front of the beautifully extravagant house.
“Curb appeal. Check. Exquisite landscaping. Check. Stone and brick. Check.”
Nicole wheeled Emmy in her stroller and made notes and concurrently snapped photos. Her heart began to pulsate with every step that she took inside the house. The cleaner it was, the fresher it smelled, the more perfect it looked, the more she began to tune out the person giving her a tour.
Nicole began to daydream. The more she saw, the more she knew exactly what type of dwelling she was looking for.
Feeling pumped up, Nicole left the open house and continued her home search mission. And later that day, she parked her Jeep in front of a different brick house. She was waiting to meet a Realtor named Joy.
Nicole got out of the Jeep and quickly observed the exterior. Goose bumps tingled underneath her skin. Moments later Joy arrived.
“Hey, Mrs. Eason. Sorry that I’m late. There’s always a lot of traffic on Highway 6 around this time of the day.” Joy came over to shake Nicole’s hand. “As you probably already know, Riverstone is a very popular subdivision in all of Fort Bend County. So if you’re ready, let’s go take a look.”
Nicole remained unusually quiet as Joy inserted the key and they entered the two-story house. When they walked into the f
oyer, Nicole’s eyes rested on the wooden spindle staircase that led to the second floor. The walls were painted in a soft beige tone that seemed elegant and felt tranquil.
“The owners aren’t here, so we are free to stay as long as we want.” Joy explained the different features of the home while Nicole followed her down the long hallway. They advanced to the kitchen, which was an open area that included a family room with wooden beams in the ceilings. The place looked and felt extravagant yet homey. It was unlike any place she’d ever lived before.
“I come from Alabama,” she explained to Joy. “And I’ve seen some good days, but I also know what it’s like to go to hell and back. Life’s been a little rough, but it’s getting better. I want so bad to live and feel like a normal woman.” Nicole continued pouring out her heart. “Ever since I was in high school, I wanted to know what it was like to live in a big, beautiful house. I was raised with my sister and two cousins all under one roof. Very crowded but filled with love.”
“That’s pretty normal.”
“Anyways, as an adult, I want a different type of normal—one with good things happening all the time instead of just some of the time.”
“I see. I will help you achieve that. Ain’t nothing like living the American dream.”
Nicole continued to take in everything with a breathlessness that made her feel dizzy. The study with built-in shelves, the second-floor game room that overlooked the living room, and that kitchen was a chef’s dream. Something whispered in her heart, This is it. This is my dream house.
From the kitchen Nicole could look through all the windows and view the spacious backyard.
“I can see Emmy running around the backyard. Her and Myles.”
“Oh, you have more than this cute little fuzzy-muzzy here?” Joy playfully nuzzled Emmy’s plump cheeks.
“Um, yes. Lots of stepkids. Tons.”
“No problem. This house has four to five bedrooms.”
“Yeah, we’ll need every single one of ’em. I love a house full of kids.”
“Hmm, good for you. Let’s check out the master retreat. By the way, there are two master bedrooms on the first floor.”
The women ventured inside the first suite. The more Nicole saw, the more she wanted.
“I have a good feeling about this one,” she told Joy.
* * *
“Well, Nicole,” Joy told her. “I think you’d want to know that the current owners have been here less than two years and the property is in immaculate condition. The only reason they are moving is because the husband’s job was unexpectedly relocated to Florida. And this would be a quick sale, which sounds like something you’d be interested in.”
Nicole listened on with eagerness as they returned inside and did another complete walk-through.
“Joy, how’s this for quickness? I am ready to sign a contract immediately.”
“That’s a great idea, because this house won’t stay on the market another day. Tell you what, Nicole. I can get the paperwork. We can meet up at my office.”
“Hold on a sec.” Nicole suddenly remembered she was a wife who needed to consult with her husband. “Let me get real. How much is this place?”
“It’s listed at four twenty-nine.”
Nicole didn’t blink an eye.
“That price is a real bargain when you consider everything you’d be gaining.”
“I agree. How much would we have to put down?”
“Um, let’s go back into the kitchen and I can pull out my mortgage calculator and play with the numbers.”
The two ladies tirelessly went over figures and interest rates and possible down payments.
“I’d say that your mortgage could be between two thousand and twenty-five hundred a month. You think you could handle that?”
“My man is doing very well. A twenty-five-hundred-dollar house note is a drop in the bucket for him.”
* * *
That was all the Realtor needed to hear. Joy and Nicole smiled knowingly at one another, shook hands, and went their separate ways with Nicole promising to get back in touch real soon.
That night Nicole knew exactly what she wanted to do the next time she saw Rashad, but she didn’t want to overdo it. She had to plan carefully.
When Rashad finally made it home around six thirty that evening, Nicole had dinner ready and waiting.
He washed his hands, settled down at the head of the table, and took one bite of his Salisbury steak. He immediately spit it out.
“What’s the matter?”
“This meat tastes raw.”
Nicole took her fork and turned over the steak. She grimaced at the bloodstained piece.
“Yeah, you’re right about that.”
“Well, what happened? Why isn’t it done all the way?”
“I’ve been having problems with this stove. There’s something wrong with it. It’s just not acting right these days.”
“I’ll have to look into it.”
When Rashad piled some rice on his fork, he took one big bite and soon spit that food out, too. Bits of rice splattered all on top of the table.
A toothless Emmy started grinning and banging her fist on her high chair. Then she made little spit bubbles with her mouth.
“Like father, like daughter.” Rashad gave the baby a sympathetic look.
“Maybe you can eat Emmy’s baby food, because to be truthful, anything being cooked on that stove over there won’t taste right.”
“Did you eat any?”
“Nope, I had to settle for a peanut butter and banana sandwich.”
“You’re serious? Call a handyman. Get him over here and get that damn piece of junk fixed. I won’t have much time to do it myself. Why are appliances always breaking down around here?”
“The place is old, Rashad. I will call a handyman, though.” Nicole nodded in agreement. “With the number of hours you’ve been working, sweetie, I know not to bug you about issues that are going on around the house. No husband wants to deal with problems twenty-four-seven when he already works so hard.” She stood up, then walked over to Rashad and crawled into his lap. She was relieved he’d returned to his normal friendly self since they’d gotten back from Harbor Island. Nicole lovingly placed her arms around his neck. As she inhaled his scent, she moaned. Rashad smelled so good and rustic. She pouted and gave him a tongue kiss. When Nicole pressed her lips against his, at first Rashad didn’t pay attention to her, but as she hungrily inserted her tongue into his mouth, he began to respond. He could feel the love emanate from her. He hungrily kissed her back.
Nicole kissed him until he could barely breathe. She finally let him come up for air and she stroked his penis. Rashad started getting an erection and was ready to remove his pants.
But when he tried to stand up, Nicole stopped him. Her thick thighs held him down and she stared into his eyes.
“Baby, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“What’s that?”
“You know I’ve been looking around for another place to live.” She kissed him again on his lips and sucked them for a hot minute. “And,” she said in a breathy tone, “I think I found our mansion today.”
“A mansion?”
“Well, not quite. It’s a little over four thousand square feet. Spacious, but not overwhelming.”
“Is that right?”
“And so, baby, I am very ready to make a move.” She kissed Rashad again. “I want to break this lease.” She rubbed his penis and felt it getting plump with stiffness.
“I want to sign a contract for the new house. Make the sellers an offer.”
He moaned as she licked his dick over and over.
“Ahhh.” Rashad arched his neck and shuddered. “Keep going, Nicky.”
“Did you hear what I said about the house? I’m ready for us to buy.”
“I don’t know about that.”
She took her mouth off Rashad and tried hard to hide her anger and disappointment.
“Oh, c’mon, bab
e. It’s amazing. And once you see the house for yourself, I just know you’ll think differently.”
“No.”
“Please, baby?”
He sighed. “Where is it?”
She grabbed his penis and started toying with it. Her hands were like a violinist. She strummed her fingertips across his delicate skin and performed other sexy maneuvers that aroused him. His penis stuck up like it was saluting her. Soon Rashad was ready to penetrate her. But even though his dick had gotten bigger and harder, she wasn’t ready for him to do it just yet.
One thing Nicole loved about Rashad was his size. His penis reminded her of an eighteen-wheeler during rush-hour traffic. It was big, bulky, noticeable, and always seemed to be in the way.
Nicole began to lick him and was pleased when he began to moan.
“The dream house is in Sugar Land . . . Not too far from where Myles lives.” She licked him again. “Don’t you think it’s better to stay somewhere close to Myles and Jazzy than way over on this side of town?” She kissed the tip, then licked it like an ice cream cone. “Your kids, I mean, our kids will love the beautiful park and clubhouse. And they have tennis courts, biking trails, and you know how much Myles loves to run around and play.”
“Ohhh, Nicky. Let me put it in.”
“We’re not done talking about the price yet.”
He grunted. “How much?”
“That’s the thing, babe. It’s a lot higher than my rental house.” She made sure to sound as sweet as possible. She moved from his torso, up, up, and across his body. She nibbled on Rashad’s ear, totally covering it with her mouth. She blew hot air in it and kissed it. Nicole knew he loved it when she did that. After she teased his other ear for a while, she returned to his penis to see how it was faring. Not surprisingly, Rashad was so stiff it pointed at the ceiling. She knew she’d worked her magic and the house was as good as hers. Nicole had always been told a man was hard when he was soft and he was soft when he was hard.
“Baby, the mortgage would be about twenty-two hundred. Something like that. And I can help with some of the expenses. I really, really want this house.” She could close her eyes and still envision herself living in that space. “I’ve been dreaming about this for years, Rashad. I’ve never known how it feels to live in a place other than an unremarkable one-story that lacks storage space. But you’ve already experienced the finer things in life. While other folks can only wish and hope and pray . . . please, Rashad. Please make my dream come true.” Then she placed his ear inside of her mouth and licked and sucked on it until he began moaning and wiggling around, enjoying everything his wife was doing to him. He loved the way she made him feel. And she always knew just what to do.