Between Friends

by D. L. Sparks

  In the bathroom I opened the glass door to the shower and started the water running to let it heat up. As steam filled the room, I got undressed. I wrapped a towel around my waist, secured my locs, and brushed my teeth. Just as I turned the water off in the sink, I heard a tap on the door.

  “What’s up?”

  “Can I order dessert too?”

  I laughed. “You inquiring about your meal spread is leading me to believe that I’ma get stuck with the bill.”

  “Of course. It’s all getting charged to the room, Mr. Big Time,” she retorted, giggling.

  “Yeah, whatever. The department’s picking up the tab, so yeah, go ’head and get what you want, baby girl. I’m outta here as soon as this case is over.” I chuckled.

  “Thank you, Trip.”

  I smiled and stepped into the shower and pulled the glass door closed.

  I positioned my body under the water and the sheer heat of it coming in contact with my skin caused my muscles to relax. I leaned forward and pressed my hands against the stone tiled wall and let the water cascade down across my back and shoulders.

  I tried hard to stop my mind from replaying the day and the details of the case, but it was all over the place: the fact that Phil’s informant had vanished, and evidence tampering was making my stay in the Peach State longer than I wanted it to be. There was too much going on. Phil was right, Atlanta had problems deeper than they realized.

  I reached up and rubbed at the stress knot in my shoulder, letting the hot water soothe my tense muscles.

  I stepped back and tilted my head up, letting the water rush against my face, neck and chest.

  That’s when I noticed it.

  Hands massaging their way up my back, reaching around to my chest.

  I was so deep in thought.

  Caught up in my own world.

  I didn’t even hear Idalis get in the shower.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Idalis

  My head was spinning as I undressed in the steam-filled bathroom.

  For a split second I stood in the foggy room and watched Trip through the steam-covered glass. I admired the contrast of the tattoos, covering his arms and shoulders, against his fair complexion; the sheer perfection of his body was amazing, to say the least. His arms were huge, cut. Knowing Trip the way I did, I was sure he put in many hours in the gym sculpting them. Water ran down his back, kissing the natural curve of his body, around to his toned abs, eventually finding its way down to his muscular thighs. As I opened the door to the shower, my heart was in my throat.

  I stepped in and instinctively my hands massaged their way up his back around to his chest.

  I could tell I startled him.

  He spun around and grabbed my shoulders.

  “What are you doing, Idalis?”

  I stared up at him, thankful that the water from the shower was masking the tears saturating my face. “Taking a shower.”

  His grip loosened and his hands slid down my arms.

  He kept his eyes on me as he interlocked his fingers with mine. I stepped closer, moving us backward directly under the stream of water. I closed my eyes as he reached up and smoothed my hair back with the flow of water causing it to slick back resting on my back.

  My body caught fire when I felt his lips on my neck. His mouth opened and his tongue danced on that spot where my neck and shoulder met, and the heart between my legs throbbed pushing a moan up and out of my throat. I slid my arms around his neck and pulled him closer as his mouth left a trail of kisses on my neck before planting soft ones on my cheek, then capturing my mouth with his.

  The kiss was soft at first, held back by hesitation and uncertainty. He gently sucked on my tongue as my hands caressed his face and neck, bringing on more intensity. He began to swell against my stomach as I felt his hands on my hips, causing my core to throb. His touch moved to my waist; his tight grip, coupled with our bodies pressing together, caused my bruised side to scream out in pain making me wince in pain, flinch and pull away.

  He looked at me. Confusion and concern filled his eyes. He reached behind him and turned off the flow of water, signaling the end of our escape.

  “Idalis, what’s that about?”

  I pushed the glass door to the shower open and stepped out. I grabbed one of the huge, fluffy white towels and wrapped it around my body before leaving the bathroom.

  “Nothing,” I said, using a towel to squeeze the extra water from my hair.

  He stood in the door of the bathroom, water running off his body pooling at his feet. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist and came in the room. The weight of the water had freed his locs and they rested long and heavy down back. He reached down and tightened the makeshift knot holding the towel in place.

  “Come here, Idalis.”

  I sat on the edge of the bed.

  I was a little kid. Defiant.

  Not moving.

  He spoke again. “Baby girl, please come here.”

  Keeping my eyes on the floor, I stood up and walked in his direction.

  When I got to him, he placed his hand under my chin and lifted my face to look at him. He looked into my eyes, and when I saw what looked like tears filling his, I felt like my heart was going to explode.

  He spoke, “No matter what, don’t take your eyes off mine. Do you hear me?”

  I nodded slowly and did what he told me. As he slowly reached up and released my body from the confines of the towel, I kept my eyes fixed on his. I felt the fluffy white towel puddle at my feet as it slid from my body. His eyes stayed on mine as he ran his hands along the contour of my body, starting with my thighs. My breathing increased as his fingers gently trailed up the sides of my body until he reached my rib cage, where his touch lingered a moment before he gently pressed. With that action I flinched, closing my eyes to the pain.

  “Look at me, Idalis.”

  I opened my eyes, releasing the tears and the truth they held. I looked up into his eyes, and the fire in them threatened to turn me into a pile of ashes where I stood. I opened my mouth, not even sure of what I was going to say, but slowly he shook his head silencing me.

  “He put his hands on you, baby girl?”

  I bent down and picked up the towel and wrapped it around my body. “I didn’t come here to be judged.”

  His phone vibrated against the table, taking our attention for a brief moment, but he kept his eyes on me. He reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Is that what you thought I would do?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know what I thought.” I felt my face warm. In all of this, that was probably the one thing I did know. I didn’t know what I was doing, why a troubled heart led me to a hotel downtown. Maybe I was running on autopilot. Emotionally, my switch had been reset and I was only doing what came naturally.

  I reverted to doing what I always did when I couldn’t deal.

  I found him.

  He stepped a little closer, examining me with his eyes. The piercing color of them was almost intimidating, powerful. Growing up, we used to pretend his eyes were that color because he was a superhero waiting for his powers to develop. One week the power would be lasers the next week it might be him seeing through walls. I remembered how one time India and I got into a fight and I ran to his house. For the rest of the afternoon, we sat around watching cartoons, eating Sour Patch Kids, and trying to get lasers to shoot out of his eyes so he could go zap her for me.

  Even with all he dealt with on a daily basis in his own house, he was always there for me. Ready to zap anyone who wronged me. I was just as much an escape for him as he was for me. I always ended up staying later than I was supposed to, and he usually had to sneak me out. That typically involved me hiding behind the couch his living-room until his mom and dad were out of sight. So we came up with a signal, a wink, to let me know it was safe for me to make a break for the door and not be seen, ensuring we didn’t get in trouble.

  Unfortunately, it didn’t always work and one night he got a
beating for having me in his house while his mom was at work, but he didn’t complain or blame me for anything. That time the beating wasn’t that bad. But when he came to school the next day in a long-sleeved shirt, I knew what was hidden beneath the material. But lucky for both of us, that wink worked more times than it didn’t.

  “You know what I thought, Trip?”

  He tilted his head to the side a little. “Tell me.”

  I spoke, trying to steady my voice. “That you’d use your superpowers. And make it all go away.”

  For a split second I thought my legs had given out, but Trip had picked me up and his mouth was on mine. This time there was no hesitation in his kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he carried me to the bed.

  He gently laid me down and slid the towel away from my body. He covered it with a kiss each portion of flesh he exposed. He kissed his way to my bruised side and lingered there for a moment—placing gentle, healing kisses on the spot that needed it the most.

  I sucked in a breath and exhaled my appreciation.

  His tongue teased my belly button as his hands massaged my thighs, coaxing them apart. He kissed his way to my inner thigh before running his tongue along my bikini line, sending shock waves through my entire body. He stopped, only to nibble gently on the crease where my thigh connected to my body.

  He ran his tongue along my folds, letting his tongue quickly slide between for a taste, only to take back the pleasure, setting me on edge. His hands gripped my thighs, pushing them apart, exposing me on every level of what made me who I was. I felt his mouth on me and my head started to spin.

  His tongue worked rhythmically and deliberately until he found what was hidden inside. I felt his fingers spreading me, exposing what was buried underneath. He tenderly sucked it into his mouth, driving me over the edge when he began to run his tongue across my sensitive spot at the same time. I reached down and tangled my fingers in his locs, holding him in place as I lightly rotated my hips and released all over his tongue.

  When I opened my eyes, he was over me. Looking down at me. The fire in his eyes had been replaced with something else. Something that made my heart cry out in a way it hadn’t in a long time.

  I felt him between my legs, throbbing, blindly searching for what I was willing to give.

  He kissed me, sucking in my bottom lip.

  I reciprocated, tasting myself on him. The taste was intoxicating.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  I answered by sliding my hand between us and guiding him into me. I felt his body tense as my warmth drew him inside. Slowly, inch by inch, I spread open for him. He slid into me, and I moaned my approval. Once he was buried inside, he froze. I felt him twitching and swelling inside me.

  “Your side ...” he started to say. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he finished saying as he began to move in and out of me slowly.

  “Then don’t,” I breathed.

  His mouth found mine again as he slowly pushed deeper inside me. Our connection held a level of healing for both of us, at that point, that was otherworldly. He kissed me as his stroke took on a slow and deliberate, mind-blowing rhythm, causing beads of sweat to pop up all over my body. Tears escaped my eyes and rolled back toward my ears. He kissed his way to each one, willing the pain and anger to leave my body.

  He slid his hands under my body, cupping my bottom with his hands and raising me slightly off the bed as he buried himself deeper inside, hitting spots that caused me to cry out. My nails dug into his back as he rotated his hips, stirring up every feeling for him that I had fought so hard to bury. A low growl escaped his throat and he buried his face in my neck, gently sucking as his grip tightened and his thrusting became more intense, and his release took control. My own orgasm rode my body in waves and I got lost in the pleasure, letting it numb my pain and replace my worry.

  Together, exhausted and spent, we fell into a deep sleep.

  Hours passed.

  I opened my eyes and blinked against dried-out contacts.

  The sound of the rain against the window stimulated my senses. When I was finally able to focus, the clock on the table let me know it was almost midnight.

  I untangled myself from Trip’s grasp and slid out of bed. I dug around in the dark until I felt my phone. I grabbed his T-shirt off the couch, pulled it over my head, and slipped into the bathroom. I took a deep breath and tapped my screen. I had five missed calls and three texts from Lincoln. I didn’t even open them. Instead I read the one text message from India asking if I was okay and where I was.

  I texted her back: With Trip. I’m okay.

  My phone immediately lit up: Lincoln called.

  Those two words stopped my heart. I typed: And?

  She responded: Told him about Grammie and that you were asleep. Didn’t feel good.

  I answered: My car?

  I asked that because I knew he had driven by, or, at the very least, had someone else ride by to make sure that I was there.

  She answered: Garage. Didn’t want to carry Cameron in the rain.

  I took a deep breath and said a small prayer of thanks for having a sister who, even when she was mad, would still look out for me.

  I asked: Any word on Grammie?

  She typed back: No. Mama said she’s sleeping.

  That made me feel better. I typed back and thanked her, and then I told her I’d be back in the morning.

  After sliding my phone back into my purse, I climbed back into bed. When he felt me next to him, he gently wrapped his arms around me.

  “You a’ight?”

  I nodded into his chest. “I’m good.”

  “Are you ready to tell me what’s really going on?”

  “Not now. Just let me have tonight. I promise I will tell you everything in the morning.”

  He kissed me on my forehead. A few moments later, I heard his breathing change and I knew he was asleep again.

  I took comfort in the fact that all of this was about to be over.

  I was finally taking control of my situation.

  I had no idea how wrong I was.

  On both counts.

  “The face of the enemy frightens me, only when I see how much it resembles me.”

  -Oscar Wilde

  Geech popped the latches on three black briefcases on the table in front of him and spun them around. Neatly bound stacks of cash rested inside. Each held case held 250 grand.

  “Where’s your boy?” Geech asked.

  Linc looked up. “He’ll be here. Chill out.”

  “He better be.” Geech slammed the cases closed.

  “Where you at with that assignment I gave you?” Linc asked.

  Geech laugh a little. “Already got wheels in motion on that playa. Don’t worry.”

  Linc just nodded. He didn’t ask because he didn’t need details. He just wanted to know when it was done.

  “You buried that shit right?”

  “Oh you so far removed from the whole thing, people gon’ be offering you condolences.”

  Linc nodded his approval.

  “Oh and I know it’s you leaving all these dealers laid out around the city, pot’na” Linc said. “You need to slow your roll.”

  Geech smiled. “Collateral damage homeboy. I told you, I’m taking this city over. They ain’t ready for me.”

  “Look here, I understand where you comin’ from and what you tryin’ to do, but you getting some attention you don’t want.”

  “That’s what I got you for, right?”

  “Yeah, a’ight. My insurance don’t cover stupidity, ya dig,” he said, pulling his phone from his hip. He scrolled through the messages of the bitches that he didn’t want to hear from, asking why he didn’t call back or if he was coming over, looking for the one he did want to hear from and didn’t see one.

  That pissed him off.

  He shoved his phone back in it’s holder on his hip. Linc turned and walked around the coffee table and moved toward the kitchen of the tiny apartment. He checked his watc
h. It was getting late and this place would be filling up soon with people looking for a fix or trying to settle up with what they had scored on the street. He needed to be long gone by then. He had managed to get Geech out in the open but he didn’t know how much longer he was gonna stay before he dipped out.

  “How long you gon’ be here, Linc?”

  Linc looked over at Niecey, the chick that was renting the spot. She was sitting on one of the run-down chairs at the kitchen table, shooting up some heroin he sold her in exchange for using her spot for this meet. The sight of her disgusted him, but she was a necessary evil. Her hair was tangled on one side and the clothes she was wearing looked like they’d seen at least a couple weeks’ worth of activity.

  He figured she couldn’t weigh more than a hundred pounds wet, but somehow she managed to keep her cute face, which she used to her advantage when working the corners. He dated her off and on in high school, back when she was fine as hell and was pitching him ass on the regular because he was a star quarterback. He broke up with her when he went off to college and met Idalis and he never thought twice about her.

  She carried her hurt into adulthood and turned to drugs for comfort. The love she never lost for him worked in his favor. That, plus her addiction, enabled him to work his way back into her life through her veins.

  He never had to lay a hand on her.

  Part of him felt bad, but he had learned that life ain’t fair. If he was gonna hurt, then everyone around him was gonna pay. No one was exempt, as far as he was concerned. And the fact that he’d been running drugs through her spot for a couple years now was proof of that. All it took was keeping her high out of her mind, and a compliment every once in a while, to give him complete control of her and her spot.

  “I’m leaving after I handle this business. Why?” he snapped.

  She pulled the needle from her skinny arm and closed her eyes. Her eyelids trembled as the poison soothed her inner demons. Slowly she opened her eyes and focused on him. “’Cause you being here is bad for business.”