by Angel Hunter
“What’s going on?” Elsie asked.
“We’re leaving,” Susan told them.
Once outside, Lange told Susan, “Give me and Crystal moment alone.”
Susan looked at Crystal, who nodded.
“We’ll go get the car. Give me your keys.”
Lange looked angry. “What’s going on? Talk to me. Tell me what happened in there.” He felt concerned for Crystal and angry because it was obvious that guy had done something to her. He wanted to know what, so he could handle it.
Crystal didn’t have the energy to lie. She decided to be truthful. “Lange, I was raped a long time ago, and that was the guy.”
Lange didn’t know what to say. This was the last thing he expected to hear. He had a million questions, but he knew that this was neither the time nor the place to get into them. He pulled out his card and wrote down his cell number. He told Crystal to call him the minute she got home.
“I will,” Crystal told him. She sensed his anger and was touched by his concern. “Lange, please just leave him alone. It happened a long time ago.” Lange kissed her on the cheek without making any promises then went back inside.
When Crystal climbed into the car, Susan was in the driver’s seat. Jewell and Elsie asked, “What the hell happened? What’s going on?”
Crystal told them who Jake was.
“And he had the audacity to speak to you?” Jewell said.
Elsie didn’t know what to say.
“Let’s just leave,” Susan said.
“I’m sorry, y’all. I didn’t mean to ruin the night out with my drama,” Crystal apologized.
“Girl, please,” Elsie reassured her. “It’s late anyway. Don’t worry about that.”
The ride home was quiet. Everyone fell asleep and that left Susan driving alone and high. She’d spent most of the night in the bathroom taking hits of cocaine.
“I think I’ll tell Timothy yes,” she said out loud. When no one answered, she glanced at all the girls and laughed.
When they pulled up to Crystal’s, she woke them. “We’re here.”
“Does anyone want to come in for coffee or anything?” Crystal asked, hoping they would say no. She was just trying to be polite.
“No, I’m going home to call Evan, plus I have to pick up my son from his father’s in four hours,” Jewell said, glancing at her watch.
“I’m going to Summer’s,” Elsie said.
“I’m going home,” Susan said.
Hugging each other goodbye, they told Crystal to call one or all of them if she needed to talk.
“I’m okay,” she reassured them, letting herself in the house. Once inside she went upstairs, took a shower, put on her flannel gown, the one that comforted her, and tried to put Jake out of her mind. She looked at the phone and wondered whether she should call Lange. She was worried about what may have taken place after they left the club. The look on his face when she told him who Jake was scared her.
Crystal retrieved her purse and pulled out his cell number. She dialed the digits. The phone rang three times and she was about to hang up when she heard, “Hello.”
“Lange?”
“Crystal?”
“Yes, it’s me. I just wanted you to know I made it home and I’m okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She didn’t hear any loud music in the background, so she asked him, “Where are you?”
“On the turnpike. Do you want me to come sit with you for a while?”
Before she could think about it, she responded, “Yes.”
“What’s your address?”
She told him. After they hung up, she asked herself, “What are you doing? He’s a married man. You should not be letting a married man in your house at four in the morning.”
She decided to keep on her gown. She didn’t want it to appear as if she’d “gotten ready” for him. “He’s just coming by to check on me. He saw how upset I was and he’s being a good friend,” she said out loud trying to calm her nerves.
Crystal sat on the couch and wrapped a blanket around her body. She was just about to doze off when she heard a car pull into the driveway. She jumped off the couch and ran to the door. Just as Lange was about to knock, she pulled it open, causing him to jump back.
“Whoa,” he said.
“I heard you pull up. Come on in,” she told him. “You got here fast.”
“I was near the exit.”
He followed her into the living room while Billie sniffed behind him.
“You want something to drink?” she offered.
“No thank you.”
They sat down, neither saying a word.
Lange took Crystal’s hand in his and caressed it. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I was a little shook up. It was a surprise to see him. It happened so long ago, and for some unreal reason, I thought I’d never see him again.”
“Is there anything I can do for you—to him?” She could tell Lange meant it. “When did this happen?”
“In high school.”
“Did you report him?” Lange asked.
“No, but I did tell my mother. Back then people were quick to cover things up. Namely, our families.”
Lange didn’t know what to say.
“The funny things is,” Crystal continued, “when I used to think about confronting him, I had this big ‘Why’ speech prepared. To finally get that chance tonight and freeze up pisses me off.”
“So, this was first time you’d seen him since it happened?”
“Since that day.” She proceeded to tell him how she and her mother went to their house with a gun and Jake’s father bought their silence.
“Damn, Crystal. I’m so sorry this happened to you. Have you ever discussed it with your mother?”
“No, it’s like it never happened.”
“Have you ever gotten counseling?”
“No.”
“You know it’s never too late.”
Crystal nodded.
Lange sat back on the couch. “Crystal, can I be straightforward with you?”
“Of course.”
“I know I shouldn’t be here, especially this late, but I wanted to check on you, make sure you were okay. I’m here to hold you if you need to be held, talk if you need to talk. Even if you just want to do nothing but sit quietly, I can do that.”
She glanced at the clock on the wall and asked him, “Aren’t you going to get in trouble for being out like this?”
Just because she didn’t acknowledge what he said didn’t mean that his words escaped her. He could have meant anything, but they both know what he was saying. She knew they shared something special, and it scared the mess out of her.
“I’m a grown man, Crystal.”
“Yes, but you’re also a married man.”
“Lena is with her sister in Connecticut.”
“Oh. You two are apart a lot lately.” Crystal was fishing.
Lange shifted uncomfortably. “That we are.”
“You don’t seem too happy about it.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what I am.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He looked her straight in the eyes and said, “What I want to do is make love to you.”
“We can’t.” She moved away.
“I know,” he replied while putting his lips on hers.
Crystal felt the moistness between her legs. She threw common sense to the wind, took his hand and placed it between her legs. “Touch me,” she demanded.
“How about I taste you instead?”
Now that was what she wanted to hear. It had been so long since she’d made love with a man, much less had oral sex performed on her. Please let this man do this right. Crystal always loved this part of foreplay and hated when she got disappointed by a man going down there and eating like it was a snack instead of an entrée.
Lange put his hands on her hips and stood her up. He pulled up her gown and placed his face on her love sp
ot.
“Your scent is divine,” he told her.
Thank God I showered, she thought as she pushed her hips forward, hoping he got the message.
He pushed her legs apart.
“I need to sit,” she told him as she anticipated the rush.
“No, I want you to stand. It’s more intense that way.” Lange ran his tongue on the insides of her walls. He played with her lips before finding her clitoris.
Crystal went weak in the knees and started to grind against his mouth. Unable to stand it anymore, she felt her knees buckle and called out, “I’m about to come.”
After he felt her shudder, he looked up at her, put a finger inside her and said, “Are you sure about this?”
She laughed a low, deep laugh. “It’s a little late for that now, don’t you think?” She started moving against his hand. “Lange, I want to put you inside me.” She took a step back and bent over to unzip his pants.
“Do you have any condoms?” Lange asked.
Crystal looked at him, ashamed because it slipped her mind. “I believe I do.”
Crystal went upstairs and searched her drawers. Growing discouraged, she went into the bathroom and under the sink in the back was a box of unopened condoms. “Thank you,” she said and took one out.
When she returned, Lange was sitting on the couch with his pants undone. She was pleased at the sight. “Where were we?”
“I believe you wanted me inside you.”
They started to kiss and Crystal pulled Lange’s pants down and off. She faced him and straddled him slowly. She took in every single inch.
“You feel as good as I thought you would.” He placed his hands on her hips and tried to control her movements. She pushed them away.
“Let me be in control.” She proceeded to ride him slowly.
Lange put his head back on the couch. “What are you doing to me?” he kept repeating over and over. “What are you doing?” Suddenly his body tightened up, he grabbed Crystal’s hips, and said, “I’m about to come.”
When he was done, she relaxed on his chest and said, “I’ll go get a towel.”
“Can I stay with you tonight?” he asked.
“Yes,” she told him. “Come with me upstairs.”
She climbed off him and he took the condom off. Embarrassed, he wanted to apologize for coming so quick, but didn’t want to bring attention to it.
“Flush it down the toilet. The bathroom is down the hall to the right. I’ll meet you upstairs.”
When he entered the bedroom, he took off his shirt and entered the bathroom where Crystal was washing off. He stood behind her. “You’re so beautiful.” Crystal turned to face him. She ran her fingers through his soft and curly chest hair. She moved her hands over his shoulders and across his back. “Let’s take it to the bed.”
The lovemaking they shared that night was the most intense experience each had ever had. They brought each other to new heights. It was as if their bodies were made for one another.
After they showered together, they lay in the bed and Lange held Crystal to him.
They both knew that this was a mistake, but both wanted it to happen.
Lange knew that getting involved with Crystal would only make matters worse. How could he have been so stupid? He had let his feelings get the best of him—his feelings and his libido. He didn’t want anyone to get hurt, himself included.
“Stop,” Crystal said out of nowhere, feeling his vibe.
“Stop what?”
“Thinking so much.”
“How did you know?”
“I could feel it. Lange, let’s not regret tonight. It happened, and it’s obviously something we both needed. Let’s just enjoy the moment.”
On that note, he pulled her even closer. “Let’s not fall in love,” he whispered in her ear.
It was too late for that.
BUSTED
Susan was driving home from a party she attended alone. Ever since he got clean, Timothy didn’t want to do much of anything other than attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Sometimes Susan felt as though he had become obsessed. It was like the meetings had become another addiction. It was all he talked about, and she was tired of hearing it. She was tired of him questioning her on whether she was still getting high, tired of him staring at her the second she walked through the door. He would look into her eyes like he could read her. She was even tired of him being at her house when she came home from work everyday. Don’t get it twisted, Susan enjoyed his company, but she felt like he was there to check up on her, and she didn’t appreciate being treated like a child.
She didn’t tell Timothy about the party. She lied and told him she was doing something with the girls. “This is bullshit. I’m too old to be lying,” she said out loud. She wanted to go to this party. The people throwing it had the best supply of cocaine in the area, and she wasn’t concerned with the word getting around because this crowd was one of professionals. They had just as much to lose as she did.
Susan had finally told Timothy that she would marry him. She just hoped this whole marriage thing would work out for her. Susan thought about suggesting they get pre-marriage counseling. She knew that in order to do that, she’d have to stop sniffing first. She knew he expected her to stop getting high, and she planned on it, after tonight.
Marriage and the prospect of doing it was frightening to Susan. Over fifty percent of couples that married got divorced. She knew for a fact that it wasn’t just a statistic, because almost everyone she knew was separated, divorced or unhappily married. After representing several divorce cases, she’d come to the conclusion that relationships changed and people changed once they said those two magic words, “I do.” The obsession, expectations and disappointments became magnified.
She really liked things the way they were between her and Timothy. He wanted more than what they had now. He wanted her to be his wife. Either that or he would be out of her life. She thought his attitude about it was messed up, but she loved him, and she was going to try harder to get clean after tonight. There was no way in the world she would allow Timothy to marry someone else.
After the party, Susan was driving nervously. “Just let me make it home, just let me make it home,” she prayed out loud. “A few blocks to go.” Susan was high as hell. Her eyes bulged out of her head, her pulse was racing, and her was nose running.
She tried to drive extra carefully. Trying and doing were two different things, though, because she went right through a red light and realized it a little too late.
A cop car was right on the corner, and the officer quickly flashed on his lights. For a second, she thought about trying to outrun him. This caused her to snicker. She always thought that shit was funny as hell, when people tried to outrun the police. Like they weren’t going to get caught. She looked in her rearview mirror and pulled over. “Please, God, don’t let them search my purse.”
Susan had a small package of cocaine on her. She considered trying to dump it out, but knew there wouldn’t be enough time. “Maybe he’ll just give me a ticket and send me on my way,” she said hopefully.
Two cops got out of the car. She noticed that one of them was Roger, but didn’t know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or to panic even more.
When they reached the car, Roger was surprised to see Susan behind the wheel. “Susan, what the—Do you know you ran a red light?”
“No.”
Roger’s partner peered into the car. “Are you okay? You were also weaving a little.”
“I . . .” She didn’t know what to say.
“I take it you and Officer Soloman know each other?”
“Yes, we do,” she said, trying not to look in the officer’s face.
The other officer noticed and looked at Roger, eyebrows raised.
“So, where are you coming from at two in the morning?” Roger asked.
None of your damn business, was what she wanted to say, but instead she told a lie. “From my boyfriend’s house.”
/> Roger’s partner opened the door and told her to get out of the car. “Officer, what’s your name?” Susan asked.
“Officer Patrick Brown.”
“Well, Officer Brown, do you really think this is necessary?”
“Yes, I do. Now, miss, please get out of the car.”
“What are you doing?” Roger asked, thrown off by this sudden aggression.
“Stay right here,” Officer Brown told Susan then gestured for Roger to follow him.
Roger met him behind the car. “What’s up?”
“Something’s not right. I think she’s high.”
“What? You don’t know what you’re talking about. I know her. She’s an attorney. Drinking maybe, but high? I doubt that very seriously.”
“Take away what she does for a living and the fact that you know her. Look at her eyes.”
Roger noticed her eyes the second he saw her, but he didn’t want to tell his partner.
While in the car, Susan prayed they would let her go. If they searched her purse and found her stash, the repercussions would be serious. Timothy had always told her, what’s done in the dark will come out in the light. She should have listened.
“You check her bag and car while I run a check on her,” Officer Brown told Roger.
Roger didn’t have much of a choice but to go along. He had to admit, her whole aura was off, and he could recall Crystal expressing concern for Susan.
Officer Brown walked back to the car and told her to give her purse to Roger. She did so, reluctantly. Roger noticed.
“Let’s have her take the sobriety test,” Brown suggested.
“You think all that is necessary?” Roger asked.
“Yes, I do.”
Asshole, Roger thought.
While Patrick administered the test, Roger checked her purse and came across a lipstick holder. He shook it. It sounded like something other than lipstick was inside. He took the top off to find a piece of wrapped aluminum foil. He knew what people carried in folded up foil—cocaine. The last thing he wanted to do was bust her. If he did, not only would he be hurting her, but Crystal as well. If he let her go, he would be putting his job on the line.
Office Brown came back with Susan by his side. “She failed. We’re taking her in. Did you find anything in her purse?”