by Xyla Turner
“JD,” she whispered as her body fell back on the bed.
“I’m here, sweetheart.” I climbed on top and positioned myself to go home and entered my lady.
Her gasp was cut off with my mouth on hers as I kissed her until her breath was merged with mine. That’s how we made love that evening. Chest to chest and mouth to mouth. When we both reached our moments, I wrapped my arms around her body; her back to my chest and her ass in my crotch – so we could sleep. I knew she was jet lagged, but she tried to hang with me and only lasted two minutes after I pulled her into me.
The next morning, she beat me up and had already started breakfast. The coffee is actually what woke me up because I used the strong shit. It was the only thing that had me going throughout the day.
“Morning,” I said as I came through the threshold and wrapped my arms around her stomach and pressed a kiss to her neck.
“Morning, sweetie,” she called.
“Sweetie?” I asked.
“Yeah.” She looked up at the ceiling, then said. “I like it. You call me sweetheart and mama, which I don’t get by the way. Is that just your country way?”
“They’re my names for you. Sweetheart is because, well, you’re sweet. Mama, well, I’ve always heard men call their ladies, wives, and mothers of their children, that term. I’ve taken it as a sign of respect. Anyone can be a sweetheart, but there’s only one Mama. The only woman I want carrying my seed, in my bed when I close and open my eyes, unless she’s making me breakfast.”
“Jagger,” her voice hitched, as she turned around and planted those watery eyes on mine. “Stop.” She shook her head.
“Why?” I asked. “It’s true. It’s only you, mama. You feel that, don’t you?”
The tear that threatened to escape from her eyes started to roll down her face. I swiped them and kissed her forehead.
“Why’re you crying?”
“I don’t know.” She pulled back and hit me. “We’re not supposed to be having conversations about our feelings yet.”
“What?” I laughed.
She wiped her face free of the water that threatened her tough exterior, then said, “I made this breakfast so we could talk about you not paying for me and accept my check. Not this heavy shit early in the morning.”
I burst out laughing. The woman was crazier than a June bug.
“Tess,” I laughed and grabbed her in a bear hug against the counter. “Woman, you’re a fruitcake.”
“No, I’m very serious Jagger.” She placed her hands on my chest. “We’re going to eat breakfast like humans and discuss this.”
“Nothing to discuss. I’m not accepting your check. I’m not accepting you paying for my trip and if I’m asking you to come visit me, then I’m paying. If you decide to surprise me and come to visit, there’s nothing I can do about your payment up front. However, I’ll let you know now, I’ll probably put the cost of the flight into your bank account or just buy a really expensive gift to recompense you.” She gasped, but I covered her mouth with my finger. “I told you before, I’m going to do what I need to do to make this work. Nothing and no one will get in the way of you and me. I need you to get that. I’ll take that burden, Tess. I know what I want. That’s you. I’m not trying to buy you, not trying to persuade you. I don’t think you’re using me and I can’t throw something in your face that I brought on myself. That’s not the man that I am.”
Her shoulders slightly relaxed as she continued to stare at me. I removed my finger so she could talk, but kept it close in case she started talking crazy.
“I’m not comfortable with this. It’s like you’re leaving me with no choice and that is unsettling.”
“How can I settle things for you?”
“Let me pay my way in this relationship. We are two people that made a decision to go forward, I want to contribute. I want to be active and show my support, dedication, and my appreciation. You shouldn’t do that for me.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. Do you know how happy I was and have been just knowing you were getting on a plane to come see me? I let Holly leave early and I never let her leave early. Hell, I even left work early for once. You don’t need to buy a plane ticket to pay your way in this relationship. Mama, you already do. You call me with nothing to talk about, just to breathe or stare at each other on the phone. We eat dinner together, you send me sweet text, you show up in ways that just make my day brighter or make me bear that fact that you’re so far away. Then you get here and fucking drop to your knees just to please me when all I want to do is please you. Shit. Fuck a plane ticket, I owe you.”
“I’m not going to win this, am I?” She smirked.
“Hot dog! She’s getting it. Told you that over the phone.” I brushed her hair back behind her ear. “What’d you cook me?”
“Waffles, eggs and ham.”
“I’ll grab the juice.” I squeezed her ass. “We’re eating lunch out and dinner at my dad’s. My brothers and some townies might show up, just so you know.”
“Okay.” She uncovered the food on the stove. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
* * *
Our stroll through town was eventful. I don’t know if they were acting like they’d never seen a New Yorker before or a black woman with an afro. Either of these was ridiculous, although there weren’t many black people in my town. However, some of the comments were just off.
“JD, so good to see you around these here parts.” Old Joyner said as we passed his convenient store.
“Hey Joyner, I just saw you last week.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Right. Right. Uh, who’s your friend?” He looked at our clasped hands.
“This is Tess, she’s my lady.”
“Ahh, I see. I like that retro culture these days. See it on the tube all the time now.”
“Retro?” Tess turned to me.
I shake my head at her to signal, not to engage. We would have been there for another hour, listening to what Old Joyner saw on the tube.
“Well, good luck to ya. I hear those housewives are a riot.”
“Housewiv…” Tess started, but I moved her along.
“Sweetheart, he’s like one-hundred and three and God help me, but I don’t know what in Sam’s hell he’s talking about. Don’t wanna know.”
She shook her head and exhaled.
“Where the hell do you have me? Have these people seen black people before?”
“Well, yeah.” I murmured, “I think.”
“Oh, Jesus.”
We ate at Big Jilly’s because she was famous for her pulled pork and beans. Tess was down with that but if I had known how that lunch would have played out, I would have taken her out of town or had a picnic someone else. I just wanted her to get a lay of the town, see how friendly the people were and in my optimism, hope she would say something like, “I could see myself here.”
That wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
“What can I do you for, JD? Ya want the usual?” Carmen, the waitress, asked me.
Tess was returning from the bathroom as she finished
“Hey Carmen, yes. I’ll get the usual.” She nodded at me. “Can you give her a second to go through the menu?”
Carmen whirled around and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, uh, sure.”
She was gawking at Tess, who slowly sat down and looked at me through the corner of her eyes. She looked like she was frightened.
“Carmen, I’ll call you when she’s ready.” I interrupted her staring.
“Oh,” she jumped. “Sure, uh. I’ll come back.” She turned towards Tess and said, “I just love your hair. It’s so pretty and that pink shirt looks great with ya skin.”
“Uh, thanks?” Tess shrugged her shoulders.
“Are ya new here?” Carmen continued, “Because if you are, I’d be happy to show you around and you know meet some other folks.”
“Carmen, she’s visiting me.” Once again, I was interrupting her.
“Yeah, yeah. I know, but u
h, maybe she can come to the Liner later. We’ll be there all night.” Carmen turned towards Tess. “Wanna come?”
“Uh, I think I have plans for later but thank you, Carmen.”
“No problem. Is ya shirt real expensive? It looks like it is. We don’t have those shops here in Libby.”
“Car-men,” I called. “I’ll signal for you when she’s ready.”
“Right. Okay, uh. Nice to meet ya.”
She finally left and when I turned back around to look at Tess, her eyes were squinting at me. Then she hissed, “Where the hell do you have me? I feel like I’m in a goddamn circus.”
Fuck.
She would not be moving to Iowa anytime soon.
Chapter 11
JD
Well, one thing I could give my family was they were semi- normal. So to speak. They didn't act like she was a circus clown but there was some odd behavior.
Dinner started at six and Knox, Troy and Mill came with his girlfriend. Ms. Ida came because that was her reward for helping me cook and to my father’s demise, he was sold out by his own son for a gal. His words.
Ida brought the green beans from her garden of course and dad made everything from his own farm. That included baked chicken, mashed potatoes, kale and corn on the cob.
“There was no need for your beans, Ida.” My dad said for the third time. “I have something green already.”
“There was nothing to it. I'm sure y’all like them. There the best in Libby.” She smiled a wide grin, showing all of her teeth or maybe not all of hers.
“Humph.” My dad grunted.
Mill leaned over and asked, “Who invited Ida. It's clear, dad didn’t?”
“Guilty. She did me a favor, so this was her reward?”
Mill laughed. “Oh shit.”
I shook my head.
“Everything looks good,” Tess announced.
My dad looked at her and said, “Well, wait ‘til you come down first you’ll think you're in heaven.”
She smiled.
“So, Tess. How'd you and JD meet?” Mill’s girlfriend, Rebecca, asked. “We don't get many New Yorkers ‘round here.”
She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes and I didn't like her tone. Nobody else seemed to blink so I chopped it up as nothing, just in case it was simply me being hyper aware.
“At a conference in Arizona. We were in the same session and after that, we kept running into each other. He kind of wore on me.”
“Or wore you out?” Rebecca laughed.
Yup, I didn’t like her tone.
“No,” Tess said. “What I said.”
My girl!
Mill looked at me and I returned a raised eyebrow.
Troy must have picked up on the tension because he interjected, “So, Tess is a pro bowler. Well, she kicked our asses.”
“Is that so?” My father perked up.
He was a bowler and taught us or rather beat us. It was really one of only a few sources of entertainment in Libby, Iowa. The leagues were fierce and my father and brother, Mill were active members.
“We’ll have to see about that. What ya doing tomorrow?” My dad seemed intrigued.
His eyes were wide with shock and it hit me, something as small as a shared hobby or trait could make or break it with this man. He was so absolute in his thinking. My mom left him, all women were bad. The Yankees beat the Sox; baseball is going to hell. The pig got sick, there must be a swine flu.
The man almost sent us into debt by getting rid of the pigs on our farm and any animal the pig even associated with. It was like watching an episode of Charlotte’s Web. The pigs saw him coming and they started to hide.
“Dad, Tess leaves tomorrow so I don't think that will happen.”
“What time tomorrow? We can get in a game. Right?” He looked to Tess.
“Well, I would gladly stay another night to beat you Mr. Timms, but I didn't book my tickets so I can't change them.” She looked at me.
“Ohhh,” people murmured around the room, eyebrows up and mouths open.
“What I can do is buy my own,” Tess added.
That little vixen!
“Ahh,” my father hit the table. “Let's change the damn tickets.”
“Dad, I'm telling you. She handed us our asses.” Troy emphasized.
“That's y’all. Little lady just through down the gantlet. Best believe, I accept.” My dad responded. “So what you do, Tessa.”
“It's Tess, dad.” I corrected.
“Tess, Tessa. She knows who I'm talking too.” He glared at me. “His name is Miller, but everybody calls him Mill. You're JD and I didn't name you that.”
“But those are shortening the names, not to make it longer.”
“I like Tessa,” he clarified.
“It's fine. I'll be Tessa, but a nickname won't save you at the alley.”
My dad burst out laughing and so did everyone else.
“I might just like you, Tessa,” He said as he continued to chuckle. “We’ll see if you’re full of shit or not.”
I shook my head.
“I could use a bowling lesson,” Ms. Ida smiled at my dad.
“Ida, it's a little late for that,” My father replied.
We all snickered at my dad’s comment. It was a wonder why Ida kept wanting to be around the man.
Rebecca said, “Well, I'll bring the cheerleading squad for you, dad.”
“Why would you do that?” Mill asked her.
“Well, it'll be fun.” She looked at him weirdly.
“Why would that be fun?” Mill asked. “This is a friendly, family competition.”
“Uh, I…she's not family,” Rebecca defended.
“How you figure?” I interjected. My eyes stayed on Rebecca because I had enough of her. “You think I’ll bring home anybody to meet my family? Mill,” I called my brother’s name but was still looking at Rebecca. “How many women have you met of mine?”
“Two.” Mill spouted off. “Sara and Tess.”
I stared at her.
“Wait, now. Wait. I was just being funny.” Rebecca tried to laugh it off.
“You weren’t, but it’s cool.” I ended it. “Tess, Dad asked what you did for a living.”
I was annoyed and trying to not to spoil dinner for everyone, but that bullshit needed to be checked. Tess laid her hand on me, causing me to look at her.
Not a word was spoken but it was communicated that I should calm down. Rebecca sunk down in her chair, looking properly chastened.
“Well, I work at a technology sales corporation in New York. I’ve been there for ten years and I love my job.”
Dad looked between Rebecca and me, then he turned towards Tess and said, “Sales, huh?” He nodded his head.
Tess nodded her head.
“What are ya future plans?” My dad asked. “Ya want kiddies, maybe move to a good place to raise a family, start your own business?”
Fuck.
Leave it to Tony Timms to get right down to it.
“Dad,” I called.
“What? Too much?”
“It’s fine,” Tess said. “One day, I want to have kids. I don’t know about moving because I like New York and everything it has to offer. I’ve thought about starting my own business. Maybe before or way after the kids.” She laughed.
Dad looked at me as if to say, do you hear this?
I heard it.
Loud and fucking clear.
She and I would definitely have to talk.
Soon.
The rest of the evening went over with no more outbursts, mainly because Rebecca kept her mouth shut. Mill was pissed at her and dad was annoyed at Ida. My frustration was brewing because Tess just said some things I hadn’t addressed because on some level I didn’t even want to know. I could buy her all the plane tickets in the world, but if she had no plans on moving then how would we ever work.
After dinner, my dad dragged Tess upstairs to embarrass me with pictures of me with the craziest haircut, falling off a h
orse, stuck in the mud and my trophies of course. Troy joined me on the porch and handed me a cup of coffee.
“So, big bro. What are your future plans?”
Typical Troy form; straight to the damn point.
“Shit, I don’t know.” I sighed. “Fuck.”
“Yeah, man.” He took a sip of his drink. “Is this serious?”
I scoffed. “Than a heart attack.”
“Would you move?” Troy asked as we both started off into the meadow.
“If it came down to it. Yeah, I would.”
The door opened and out came Knox.
“Out here discussing that train wreck-of-a-dinner?” He laughed.
“Naw, future shit,” Troy informed him.
“Oh, yeah. Ya girl ain’t moving. I caught that.” Knox joined us in staring. “What you going to do?”
“Don’t know, man.”
“Well, you guys are still new, right? Testing the waters? You have some time to make these decisions.” Knox added.
“Ain’t that type of rodeo, Knox.” Troy scoffed. “You see the way he looks at her, protects her, even put Mill’s girl in line. JD’s ready.”
I grunted.
“Damn,” Knox said.
Damn is right.
* * *
After we left my dad’s, we went to the Liner and Carmen almost snatched her up and introduced her to all her friends who were enamored by her clothes, her accent and, of course, her hair. The word circus kept coming to mind, but Tess stayed with them, laughed and explained until I came to claim her back.
“When ya coming back?” Carmen asked.
“I’m not sure. Need to check in with the guy that books the tickets.” Tess said and threw her thumb towards me.
She wasn’t going to let that go.
“You asking for my whip tonight?” I whispered in her ear.
“I’m asking for a lot of things tonight.”
“Mama,” I growled.
“Y’all are the cutest,” Carmen interrupted us. “When you bringing her back, JD?”
“Gotta check our schedules, Carmen. Soon, I hope.”
“Okay.”
“See you guys later,” Tess called back.