Gentrified

by Kirsten McCurran

  Rushed as she was, Jessica was perfectly put together, as always. The sheath dress showed off her trim figure and was the color of the orange Creamsicles he’d enjoyed as a child. It was sleeveless and ended just above the knee, and while it had a V-neck, there was no cleavage, just a thin gold chain with a bar in the middle. The dress wasn’t remotely inappropriate, but she still looked good, sexy. He definitely approved of her cream heels. Winston loved a good pair of heels, the spikier the better. He pictured those heels up by his ears.

  It felt like Jessica was trying to avoid him. She started up her side of the street, instead of crossing like normal, so Maddy could say hi. He was patient and sat on his stoop sipping his coffee. As predicted, the little girl pulled on the dangling briefcase, nearly pulling Jessica over, leading Jessica across the street to see him.

  “Hey, little girl. That was quite some birthday party you had,” he said cheerfully.

  “It was awesome!” Maddy proclaimed.

  “I had a great time.”

  “Me too.”

  “Maddy, we really need to get going. I have a meeting first thing,” Jessica interjected.

  “Early morning meetings are never fun. You have no time to get settled,” Winston said, looking up from the girl.

  He was always careful to keep most of his attention on the little girl whenever she was around. And really, she was such a sweet girl that it was no effort at all. He had genuine affection for the girl and would have killed anyone who meant her harm. He was a bit surprised at how attached he’d become to Maddy.

  Jessica sighed. “You’re right. I like to get settled and catch up on my email when I get in. But we’re working on the budget and it’s taking more to get the numbers to work this year than last, so it’s a lot more brainstorming and creative accounting.”

  “If anyone can work it all out, I know it’s you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re obviously dedicated to your work. That’s admirable.”

  Winston sipped his coffee to hide his grin as he watched her cheeks color. It wasn’t just the heat. Jessica had noticeably been avoiding eye contact, but now she allowed her green eyes to find his face. They were so pretty, glinting like jade in the morning sun.

  “You don’t think I’m a deluded suburban girl trying to save the world?”

  “Of course not. We need more people like you. Who’d say that?”

  Jessica smiled wryly. “I know that’s what my parents think. And I know Kyle wishes I would move to the private sector, where I could make some real money.”

  “Money isn’t everything in life,” he said, although he didn’t fully believe it. Coming from poverty, Winston was keenly aware of how important money was.

  “We’d have a better world if everyone believed that.”

  “Do you have money, Mr. Winston?” Maddy asked.

  “I have what I need. Listen, you need to get moving so mommy isn’t late for work.”

  “This will be much easier after this week,” Jessica said.

  “I’m going to the beach!” Maddy announced.

  “That’s great, kiddo,” he said.

  Winston should have thought the family would have a planned summer vacation. It would slow down his plan if Jessica was away, but he liked thinking of her in a bikini on the beach. It would be something tasteful, of course. He didn’t think she was the skimpy string bikini type—especially not with the girl around—but she would look hot in whatever she chose.

  “Maddy is going to spend a month at the beach with her grandparents,” Jessica explained. “Kyle and I will get down there for some long weekends, but neither of us can take much time off from work right now.”

  Winston could hardly contain his glee. His job would be much easier if he had the woman to himself. Her husband would surely be going away for work again soon, leaving her to Winston’s tender mercies.

  “Make sure you don’t get sunburned, little girl,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Say goodbye, Maddy. We really have to get going now.”

  “Bye Mr. Winston.”

  He held up his enormous hand for a high five from her tiny one. “Be good, Maddy.”

  “Have a good one,” Jessica said, steering her daughter away.

  Watching them leave was nice. Jessica’s ass was fine in that dress. He held up his phone and snapped off a quick photo of it. The two walked up a couple blocks and then were out of view, leaving Winston with his thoughts. His last conversation with Kyle had given his plan a direction, and it seemed that this would be the perfect time to put it into motion. He would grab the man at his first chance and get to work.

  ~~~

  Jess scooted Maddy through the door, happy to be back in the air conditioning. It had been a grueling week, a long day, and she was glad it was nearly over. She was drenched in sweat from the short walk from the car and all she wanted to do was peel off her dress and cool down. The door closed, she turned and was surprised to see Winston sitting on the couch, having a beer with Kyle.

  “Hey honey, you don’t mind that Winston’s over, do you?” Kyle said, rising from the couch. She accepted a kiss on the cheek, but felt too gross for a hug.

  “Of course not,” she said, wishing her husband had given her a warning.

  “Mr. Winston, let me show you my game,” Maddy said, snatching up her tablet and folding it open.

  Jess was glad to see Winston showing interest, even though she was sure he couldn’t care less about some children’s computer game. He was great with Maddy. Too many adults were bad at pretending to care about kid’s things, but he was the real deal. She was sure he would be a wonderful father someday, when he found the right woman. Thinking of that gave her a little tightness in the stomach and confused emotions.

  His weekend encounter with Nicole had not fully left her mind, although the busy week had blunted its impact. Each morning’s encounter with the handsome black man brought back a flash of thinking of him with her friend, even if only for a moment. She still wouldn’t admit she was jealous. She couldn’t explain why she felt how she did, but it couldn’t be jealousy. She was a happily married woman. Jess hadn’t heard from Nicole, and so far she’d resisted texting her. She did not want to pry.

  “I guess I should have warned you,” Kyle said, in a low voice, reading her mood.

  “That would have been nice.”

  She still wondered why he was there. Jess wasn’t aware that Winston and Kyle had become buddies. She really didn’t mind that Winston was over, but in his presence she was very aware of how bedraggled she must look. It shouldn’t matter, but suddenly freshening up felt more urgent.

  “How are you doing?” she called out to Winston.

  “Good. It’s nice to have some time off from classes. Kyle asked me to come over and have a look around. He thought I could give you guys a hand.”

  “I know the renovations have been going more slowly than you’d like, but we’re both too busy to speed them up, and Winston mentioned he’d done some contracting work for his cousin, so I thought he could help out.”

  “Great,” she said, more brightly than she felt. She plastered on a smile. “I’m going to run upstairs and change. Do you guys need anything?”

  “We’re grown men. We can hold it down,” Winston answered.

  “Yeah, we’ve got it covered,” Kyle agreed.

  “Great,” she said again, with less conviction.

  Jess stood before the mirror in their bedroom and touched a hand to her sweaty, lank hair. Her cheeks were flush from the heat outside, making the rest of her face look even paler than usual. She glanced toward the floor, thought of Winston downstairs, and instead of simply changing, she stripped off her clothes and ran into the bathroom for a quick, cool shower. The water was so refreshing that she literally sighed when she stepped into it, and it took effort to keep from lingering.

  Instead of throwing on any old thing after her shower, Jess lingered on her clothing choice. She was not going to come downstairs i
n a dress, but out was a sports bra and yoga shorts, which she would have worn since she was going to yoga after dinner. A soft t-shirt bra went on under a fitted gray faux-vintage Eagles t-shirt and a pair of cut-offs. She almost changed when she realized how short the shorts were, but left them on—not wanting to fuss over her look too much. But she did add a quick slash of soft pink lipstick and pulled her damp hair into a short ponytail.

  The men were chatting and laughing when she returned downstairs. Maddy was curled in the big chair in the corner, tablet in her lap, oblivious to the world. Her excitement over seeing Winston short-lived when faced with the lure of the tablet. Jess fetched herself a beer and then perched on the arm of the couch, beside her husband, looking over at Winston. He seemed to check out her long legs, but she was sure it was all in her head. He was interested in Nicole anyway, right?

  “You look much happier now,” Winston noted.

  “This humidity is horrible. I can’t wait for it to end.”

  “This from a woman who is always cold,” Kyle said.

  “It is a little chilly in here, now that I think about it.”

  Changed and showered, Jess did feel the air conditioning was set too low, and she was glad the t-shirt bra was padded. Kyle always had the air conditioning set too low. She swore he was trying to freeze her out sometimes.

  “When you get married you’ll find they’re never happy,” Kyle snarked.

  “Hey!” Jess said, smacking his shoulder. “I do not think I am difficult at all. I’m pretty easygoing.” She caught her husband’s eye roll. “Really?”

  “Okay, as wives go you’re pretty good…” He let the sentence hang, like he had more to say, but didn’t.

  “I don’t know, man. A lot of the women around my way are tough. Jessie here seems like a dream to me.”

  “Aww, thanks. You should listen to him. You could learn a lot.” She melted at his warm, handsome smile and looked away. You do not have a crush, she told herself.

  “You got to appreciate a good woman. I haven’t found too many.”

  “I doubt you have trouble finding girls, dude,” Kyle said.

  Winston smiled knowingly. Jess felt the smile was for her. She felt squirmy. “I didn’t say that. I was talking about finding a good woman—the kind you want around.”

  Jess couldn’t help herself. “Seems like you and Nic hit it off pretty good.”

  “Yeah, she’s a nice girl,” he replied simply.

  “Watch out for her, dude. She can be a wild one,” Kyle said.

  Jess smacked her husband again. “Watch it. That’s my best friend. Nic is awesome.”

  Wild, Kyle mouthed, as if she couldn’t see him. It earned him another smack on the shoulder.

  “Yeah. She’s cool,” Winston agreed, flashing another knowing smile.

  Jess didn’t want to think about what that smile meant. “I haven’t heard from her. I hope she got home okay the other night.”

  “I’m sure she’s good,” Winston said.

  “I should get dinner started,” she said, abruptly changing the subject. “Are you staying?”

  “I don’t want to be a bother” Winston replied.

  “It’s no bother at all,” Kyle volunteered, though he had no plans to help with dinner.

  Winston, smartly, looked to Jess, rather than accept her husband’s answer.

  “Really, we’d love to have you,” she said.

  “I’d love to be had.”

  “Great, I’ll get it started.”

  Jess fled the room, hoping no one saw how she’d started blushing. It drove her crazy that she kept having such a reaction to Winston. Okay, maybe she had a crush, she admitted, but it really was harmless. And who wouldn’t have a crush on him? Winston was handsome and smart and charming. Nicole got it, obviously. Having a crush is okay, she insisted. It happens all the time. Doesn’t mean anything. It was probably weird that this was her first married crush. Who knew how many crushes Kyle has had? Instead of obsessing, she busied herself with dinner.

  Dinner was simple, but Jess was not prepared for company. Chicken breasts, some steamed broccoli, rice and corn on the cob. It was a success, and Winston in particular praised her culinary skills—to the point that she felt he was laying it on a bit thick. Still, it was nice to be appreciated. It felt like Kyle took her for granted some of the time. Kyle had not complimented her cooking like that in ages, probably not since he was still trying to get into her pants. Jess wasn’t a prude, nor was she easy. It had been a couple months before she went all the way with her future husband.

  After dinner, Jess thought Winston might make his way home but he seemed content to stay and hang out with them. She didn’t mind. He was the perfect guest and she found herself enjoying his company more the longer he was around. She forgot about how tired she was from the workday, perked up by his mere presence. Kyle was glad to have him around as well, discussing how Winston might help jump start their home renovations. And Maddy was thrilled Winston stayed. Jess knew their daughter would be a bear to get to bed.

  ten

  Maddy put up a fuss about going to bed, but when Winston told her to be a good girl for her mom she jumped right to it. Jess was impressed. She marshalled the girl up the stairs and into the bathroom for teeth brushing. Pajamas and a story followed. Jess hadn’t expected Winston to stay so late, which ruled out going to yoga. That was fine. She was exhausted anyway. It was too easy to find an excuse to avoid going out again. With Maddy finally tucked in, she went to rejoin the boys when she paused at the top of the steps. It sounded like they were talking about Nicole.

  “Tell me, dude. I know you didn’t really just walk her back to her car,” Kyle said.

  “How are you so sure?” Winston sounded amused.

  “Because I know her, and I saw how she was acting. It was pretty obvious she wanted it.”

  Jess cringed. She hated when her husband resorted to such crude simplifications like that. Ooo, she wants it. But she couldn’t disagree. It had been obvious Nicole was interested in their neighbor.

  “We’re talking about Jessie’s friend here. I don’t think she’d appreciate it.”

  “Jess will be upstairs for a while. Maddy takes forever to get down.”

  After a long pause, Winston answered. “Yeah, man, she came back to my place.”

  “My man!” When Winston didn’t speak further, Kyle went on. “And?”

  “What do you think?” Winston chuckled.

  “I knew it, dude. Sweet. So…”

  “Why you so curious, man? You got a thing for her?”

  Jess was interested in Kyle’s answer, too. Why was he so interested? It had never even occurred to her that her husband might have a thing for her best friend, but she heard the eagerness in his voice. It sounded like something was there. She sat on the top step, resting her elbows on her knees, and her chin on her hands. This was fascinating. She was proud that Winston was trying to be a gentleman. It made him even more gallant in her mind, which did not help her crush.

  “No way. We’re just two guys talking here, right? I mean, she’s hot, so yeah, I’ve looked, I guess I’m curious, but it isn’t anything more than that. Nicole throws a vibe out there, so I just wonder if she’s all talk, that’s all. I’m all about my wife, dude.” The words came tumbling out, like he was working overtime to explain himself. His voice also betrayed that he’d had a beer too many.

  “I hear ya, man. If I had a girl like Jessie, I’d be all about her, too. No offense.”

  “No way, dude. Just two guys talking, right? I know Jess is hot. She’s not one of those bombshell types, but she’s sexy as hell. I got a boner the first time I met her.”

  “She’s sexy as fuck, man. You gotta know other men are looking all the time.”

  “Yeah, I know. I don’t blame anyone. Look at her. She’s so fucking pretty, so fucking perfect. I’d be looking. Hell, I know you look. It’s cool, dude.”

  Jess thought she should be insulted when her husband said she w
asn’t a bombshell, but he made up for it when he said she was perfect. Listening to the boys discuss Nicole was one thing, but now that they were talking about her she was really interested.

  Winston didn’t deny that he looked at her. “It sounds like you dig it when men look at your wife.”

  “Who wouldn’t be? Some guys get pissed off, but they’re Neanderthals. They’re insecure. Another dude looks at your wife like, man, I’d love to hit that, that’s awesome. I guess it’s pride, but that’s okay. I’m proud I have a hot wife, and that people notice.”

  Kyle’s tone bothered her. It sounded like he thought he owned her, like she was a possession. Jess was no man’s possession. It was flattering that he was proud of her, but it felt creepy that her husband wanted other men lusting after her. She did not have similar feelings. Sure, she was proud Kyle was attractive and had a good job and was a good father. But she didn’t like the idea that another woman might want him. She didn’t want other women sniffing around her husband.

  “So you don’t care if I stare at Jessie’s ass?”

  “She’s got a great ass, doesn’t she?” Kyle said.

  Her feminist side objected, of course, but a proud smile creased her lips. I do have a nice butt, she thought.

  “Y’know, there are some guys who take this whole thing further. You ever watch a guy hit on Jessie?”

  “Guys come up to her at the bar, if they don’t realize we’re together. It happens all the time. Like I said, it’s cool.”

  “I meant like hang back and watch, man. Like, sit back and watch a guy flirt with her.”

  “Uh, no. I guess it would be cool, but it sounds a little weird, dude.”

  “Some guys are really into it. It gets them off. They see their wives flirting and they see them in a different light. It’s almost like they’re watching a movie or something.”