BOMAW 12-14

by Mercedes Keyes

  Shanna and Vivian leaned on the porch rail, watching the two women leave, while waiting on Paul and Jake.

  "I think Sheila's right, I'll have Paul come over, just for tonight - so you two can be alone."

  "Be alone for what? We're getting married, we'll have all the alone time we need." Vivian murmured low.

  "Still, you're not married yet..." She started, watching her brother and nephew turn the curve from around the house, and called out, "...Paul, I'm thinking you'll wanna stay by my place tonight, seeing as how, Jake's just home after 4 days on the road."

  He paused, realized that and turned to his dad, "Oh yeah - of course." He immediately switched gears, saying to his father, "I'll see you tomorrow." Smiling he looked back at Shanna nodding he would go with her, and looked to Vivian smiling, lifting his bag in greeting.

  "You can leave that here if you want? Just get you a change of clothing for tonight." She advised.

  He did just that, and in no time, he was back on the porch and off with Shanna, leaving Jake and Vivian alone.

  Jake had gone up the stairs, eyeing his soon to be wife; the same way her eyes were watching him, as if she wasn't sure what to expect from him. With his bag in hand, he leaned towards her, softly asking, "No welcome home?"

  "Welcome home..." She greeted just as softly, her eyes gazing into his. In a moments heartbeat, she'd gone from excited to see him, to weary. There was something inside her, that was coming to life, more and more so as they moved closer to being married. In was within her, and growing steadily every since he began heading out on road trips, making deliveries that would take him away from home for days. The fact that he wouldn't take her with him, didn't make it easier to deal with. Already, no vows had been said, she was starting to feel, suspicious.

  Her skin still tingled a bit from his quick peck on the cheek, slapping her bottom as he headed inside, wanting to get right in the shower.

  Vivian remained on the porch, closing her eyes, leaning heavily forward on the rail, her face high in the breeze, she inhaled deeply. Sweet, wonderful fragrances wafted delicately to tantalize her senses. Opening her eyes, she looked out at her front garden, letting it bring her joy to affirm she should be nothing but happy.

  He was home.

  She was already feeling like a housewife.

  She knew what he'd want to put on out of the shower, and turned going in, up the stairs, down to the end of the hall, to their bedroom, where she entered, and as a wife would, laid out his comfort loungers.

  In the bag, there would be dirty clothes, she lifted it onto the bed to sort through it. Checking the pockets of each article of clothing before dropping them to the floor. In one pair of his Khakis, in a pocket, she found a small sheet of paper, that had been ripped from a larger sheet, a corner piece with 12D on it. Nothing else, just the number and letter. Vivian stood staring at it, looked at the bathroom door where he was now, singing in the shower and back at the paper, deciding to pocket it. On the way to putting his clothes in to wash, she headed for the kitchen, took out the Spaghetti and meatballs she made from the night before for that night he'd be back home; a fresh salad made earlier and the garlic bread to put in the oven.

  A bit later, she heard him making his way down the stairs, his foot steps heavy as if he needed her to know, that he was home and coming her way. She was sitting at the table, beside his setting, waiting for him with a smile, everything ready.

  "Look at you, look at that. Emmm, smells good, you miss me?"

  "Yeah," She admitted quietly, watching him settle into his seat, suddenly he leaned over and dropped a long square box before her, it was a present she realized right away. At first, she smiled, her eyes lit up, she gazed up at him, "What's this?" She lifted it, shaking it to hear what might be inside.

  "Open it and see." He encouraged, pouring himself some lemonade.

  Vivian held it, staring at it, and then let her eyes wonder back to him, "Why? For what reason?" Immediately her mind flashed back to Dr. Chan - she remembered the gifts he bought for his wife, often times, she'd been with him when he chose one, because she had helped pick it out. Guilt gifts - things to make her think, everything was okay, when that was far from the truth. Just thinking about it, made her face burn with shame - and now she held a box, had someone helped him pick it out for her? Her very own guilt gift?

  "What do you mean, for what reason? We're getting married for one; I've been on the road half the week, for two; and I missed you... three."

  "Oh... I see." She murmured less than enthusiastic.

  Jake was digging in, hungry, his eyes watching her at the same time, shoveling in the terrific spaghetti, "Well..."

  Vivian sighed, worked it open, and was surprised to see a amulet like bracelet. "What in the world, what is it?" It was made of tiny crystal orbs connected to each other, sitting on a filigree bed of gold links, in one, a coin of some type smaller than a dime, and every other from it, an herb or green of some kind; something else she couldn't quite identify.

  "It comes from a gypsy camp I drove by on the way South." He grinned, "I was tired, needed a rest, curious I pulled over, checked it out. They were set up to tell fortunes, sell remedies, stuff like that." He explained as he ate, waving his fork to and from his mouth. "I walked around the trailers a bit, I see this old lady set up to tell fortunes, and I thought, what the hell."

  "You got your fortune told?"

  "Yeah..." He admitted, grinning.

  "Are you serious?"

  "Yeah, why not?"

  As dry as can be, she asked, "Why not? My luck, you would be the one turning into a damn werewolf next full moon."

  Jake shouted with laughter.

  The sound of it, the sight of it, him that way, made her smile - just like that - switched again. Compacting it, he leaned towards her, flirting, "What, you like werewolves or something? Aiooooooo..." He howled low and sexy, staring into her eyes.

  Vivian blushed, feeling bashful, she looked back to the bracelet, dangling it to get his attention, "The bracelet remember?"

  "Ah yeah, the bracelet - well - I had to tell her a little bit about me before she would tell me my fortune, one of the things I told her, was that I had a baby on the way; that I wanted a little girl - and that, well - I couldn't decide in my mind, what I'd want her to look like, me, or my beautiful wife, or both of us, either way - she'll be a beauty." He ate some more, drank some lemonade, he had Vivian's full attention.

  "Okay, and then what?" She questioned more.

  "Well - after she tells me my fortune, she gives me this - for a few dollars..."

  "Not surprised..." She grinned.

  "Come on now, she said, you must wear it, and because of that, I will get what I want. So there you go."

  "A sucker born every minute, I bet she sells a 100 of these a day!"

  Jake laughed some more, "Hey, you should'ah seen this old lady, she looked the part. Put that on, right now."

  "What is it?"

  He pointed to each one of them, explaining to her, as she'd explained to him, "This amulet symbolizes rich fertilization - women who wish to get pregnant, wear that..."

  "I'm already pregnant."

  "I know, I know... still can't hurt, can it? And these are herbs of good health, I can't remember them all, but I remember this one is sage; which is peppery, velvet, and of many uses; supporting good health and pleasures; and this is willow bark root; the roots are remarkable for their toughness, size, and tenacity to life - she said these would be absorbed by you, thus - absorbed by our daughter - giving her all of those traits." He nodded as if it were a sure thing, "So, come on, wear it - I like it."

  "You like it, huh?" She asked, falling for him once more - observing him closely, she noticed his hair began to dry, fluffing up, turning golden, reflecting the light from overhead. His skin glowed, tanned as it was from working in the sun, his eyes, because of it, seemed a brighter, bolder blue, and his lips, looked soft and pliant, and his voice was like a hundred strong and gentle hands,
soothing her soul.

  Because she was so busy daydreaming about him, watching him speak and move, he stopped speaking, took the bracelet and placed it on her wrist.

  "Yep... perfect, not too loose." He announced, and went back to eating, watching her - looking into her eyes. "How come you're not eating? You've lost more weight." He couldn't help but notice, "You're gonna have to start eating more."

  "I'm eating, I just can't keep it down."

  "We need to take you to the doctor, find out why?"

  "Nooo, I'll be fine."

  "You know - I kind'ah think you will be, but ah, what about my daughter? She needs food."

  "That's why you're gonna get another boy." She teased him.

  "Nope - that ol'lady says, you young man, are out to get what you want, and you will - get it, and more. That's a girl." he winked, cleaning up his plate and taking a drink of lemonade. Sitting back a moment, he asked, "Any reason why your man's been gone for days, and he hasn't even gotten a kiss for his return?"

  She stared at him a moment more, looking at the bracelet on her wrist, then reached down in her smock top pocket, feeling the piece of paper, thinking, should she ask him, or not?

  "Hey, what's on your mind?" He could see her thinking.

  Meeting his gaze, she brought it forward, "This was in the pocket of your khakis? What is it?" She tried to make sure there was no accusation in her tone, yet - would it matter? She was asking for obvious reasons.

  He smiled, looked at it, and then back at her, "It's a room number."

  "A room number?" She asked, as if to say, that's it?

  "Yes - I am on the road for a few nights; so, depending on how I'm feeling, I'll sleep in the cabin of the truck, but if it's too hot and uncomfortable, I'll get a room. That's the number of the room, I wrote it down real fast - because I called from a truck stop, booking the room. Ripped it from a clip board, pocketed it."

  She quietly nodded, what else was there to say?

  "If you remember, I called you a couple of nights ago - it was from that room." He explained further, patient, watching her closely, her reaction.

  She crumbled it up in her hand, eyes swinging demurely to him, smiling gently.

  "I'm home now, what a bout that welcoming kiss?"

  Vivian blushed, smiled, "A Kiss? That all, just a kiss?"

  He flexed his brows, "Anything more, I'll have to carefully consider, considering..." He flirted back, turning in his chair and tapping his lap. "Get over here."

  She went right away to his lap, wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly at first, then leaning back, her arms over his shoulders, hands in his hair, as they sat facing one another, just about nose to nose, she returned to the bracelet. "Tell me, am I wearing this when we marry?"

  "You sure are, that's your something new - from me. Further more, I don't want you to ever take it off, at least, not for the entire pregnancy." He pulled her snug against him, his pelvic stroking upward to her, a clear erection beneath her, his large hands, palming and gripping her thighs and rump, leaning forward, he gave her a gentle smooch to the lips. "You haven't told me you like it yet?" He whispered.

  "I didn't know you were superstitious?"

  "I'm not really, but things like that intrigue me. Tell me, you like it?"

  She sighed, smiled, "I like it."

  "Liar - not diamonds."

  "I said - I like it. Doesn't have to be diamonds."

  "One day - it will be - you know that? My day is coming, and when it arrives, you'll be my wife, standing by me, every step of the way, dressed in the most expensive clothing, jewelery with diamonds dripping off of you, to blind you or anyone looking your way. You name it, and when people see you, they'll see the best and know, you belong to me."

  "Silly man, only two things people are gonna see, when they see us-..."

  He cut her off, knowing what she'd say, "Don't say it - it's not gonna be that way."

  "Jake, we may live at a time where we're more accepted depending on where we are, but for what you're doing, it'll be a gamble - Country Music? Come on, they see us coming, it'll be, 'Yeah, here they come, the nigger and the redneck' - dark as I am, with an afro too?"

  Jake stared at her a moment, sighed and then, "Fuck it, you'll be one glittering, afro wearing, nigger, with your famous ass redneck holding your hand! And when it happens, they can all, kiss our ass."

  Vivian cracked up laughing, shaking her head looking at him. "What a terrible thing to say." She was still grinning.

  "You know me, do I give a shit? About any of those fuckers? They'll never call you that to your face, I betcha that." He promised.

  She believed him when it came to that, and shook her head, "You don't care, do you? I don't think you do."

  "Damn right I don't!" He slipped his arm beneath her knees and scooped her up, stood and started stepping around the kitchen, holding her high in his arms, "Lock that door missus..." Meaning the kitchen door, he leaned there so she could reach and do it. Leaving there, he walked towards the kitchen lights, "Flick those off missus..." She did, smiling, sighing, being held by him. He made his way to the front door, checking it, looked her in the eyes, winked because it was already locked, turned and went through the house, until they were heading up the stairs, where he took them slowly, one by one, his eyes on hers; she was comfortable in his arms, her own around his neck. "Will you be making love to me tonight?" She asked sweet and low.

  "I'm thinkin' about it - that's for damn sure." He answered, at the top of the stairs, where he rounded them heading for their bedroom, "You weren't so frail looking, I wouldn't even be thinking about it, I'd be doing it."

  "I'm not, that frail." She wanted to be made love to.

  He was halfway to their bed, he smiled, his eyes twinkling, and finally, he gently laid her down, and laid beside her, partially leaning over her, "Maybe I'll lay back, let you have your wicked way with me, how's about that? But first, kiss me, the way you should have, when I got home - lil'missus."

  She reached up, pulled him down, wrapped her arms around his strong broad shoulders, turning her head so their lips would perfectly align; opening her mouth to him, she did just that, the way he wanted her to and because she needed it; she pushed him gently to his back, and had her wicked way with him.

  * * *

  He'd heard her voice, she'd been with Angela. He'd heard his father's voice, Shawn - talking to her.

  Ben was in the studio, in his office, finishing up some work he'd freelanced from the Dells - a new order of brochures for one of the water parks. He'd taken some outstanding pictures; immediately upon seeing them, they'd bought the rights to them including paying him for the design of their new seasons brochures.

  It was a hot day. Shawn wouldn't turn on the air unless they had clients coming to the studio. In truth, because of the way the studio was situated, with trees for shade, and blowing off of the back of the bluff, there was plenty of air circulating to keep things comfortable. However, problem was, he could hear all.

  He could hear her.

  She'd spent the day there with Angela and the bodyguards. They'd come and gone through out the day, making it hell for him to stay out of sight. He should have gone into the Dells to do lifeguard work that day, that's what he should have done. He'd forgotten that today was Wednesday, the day she'd promised to Angela. She was so dedicated to her. They loved each other.

  Ben stood, walked to his side window, from it, he could see into the back corner of the yard where they were right now, everyone out, playing basketball. Even though he stood somewhat hidden, he leaned forward just enough, to see to the back.

  Mundo, Sheila's sons; Tyrese, Jimmy and Zachery; Angela, her bodyguard, Crystal, Isaac and Darren, were all playing - he so wanted to join them, but he couldn't be around her, she worked his guts over so that it made him weak to stand half the time. She laughed at something someone said; and he wondered how could she laugh, when he could barely breathe sometimes when she was there?

  He felt l
ike walking back there, just to show her he wasn't fazed one way or the other. Then shook his head at the stupid idea, why start lying now? Besides, it was getting late, they were all playing by the light of the motion sensor lamps as dusk had turned to dark night.

  Crystal was getting ready to leave, no doubt she had to get back to him. He worked nights, so he'd be up soon, she would go home to him, wake him no doubt, fix him dinner maybe - or perhaps before he got up, he'd call her to his bed, maybe...

  "Ugggh!" He grabbed his hair, the mental imagine sending him insane; his eyes flooded; he went back to his desk, sitting there, holding his head, elbows on his knees. He sniffed, "Roll on Saturday, roll on." he sniffed again, his thumb caught a slight tear beneath his eye. He sat back in his chair, reached over, put his computer on standby. He'd finish the last steps on the brochures tomorrow. For now, he was going home. Flicking off the lights, he headed for the front door, stopped by it to code in the alarm which would set the moment he turned the key outside.

  Problem, he stepped out of the studio, turned around to find Crystal leaning back against the front of his car, hers was parked haphazardly by as if she'd pulled in at the spur of the moment, to look for him, wait for him. His guts tied into knots - he froze on the spot.

  "Hi..." She started.

  He couldn't move, didn't know what to do, how to handle it. His jaw clenched, the pulse there ticked and throbbed from the pressure of him grinding his back teeth, trying to steel his nerves. He turned, locking up the studio and made a slight step away from it.

  "So, you're never gonna speak to me again... ever?"

  He glanced towards the ground, his heart going like mad.

  "You said... you understood me. You said... you knew me, better than anyone, that - you were my friend. That you would always, be my friend! You said, you loved me." She bit her lip, trying not to cry, not to say anymore - staring at him, waiting, wondering, how could he not know what this was doing to her?

  He stood a few seconds more, breathing hard, so hard she could see his chest moving with each breath that he took. Refusing to answer her, refusing to look at her again, he turned the keys to get his car keys, walked by her, got in his car, started it.