My Friend, Phoenix

by Sidney Wright

  “You can keep it on.” A sexy smile played on his lips. “For now.”

  “Behave, or I’ll pinch you with my toes again.”

  A challenging glint entered his eyes. “I’d like to see you try.”

  Ooh, a dare. I lifted my bare foot, toes wriggling in the air.

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  He laughed as my toes glided along the length of his leg and tickled his bare stomach. They fluttered here and there as he tried to catch them. When he finally trapped my foot in his hands, he got on his knees before me and began massaging the center, then the heel. I fell back against the pillows, reveling in the sensations spreading through me. I knew my legs were too exposed, and that he was probably getting a good peek at my underwear, but I didn’t care.

  He gave my other foot the same treatment, then worked on the calves. Minutes later, he gave me a soft nudge.

  “Lie on your stomach.”

  Sleepily, I obeyed and immediately felt his strong hands massaging my back and shoulders. I felt the anxiety and tension roll off me. Oh, he was good. Very good. If this was how he treated his girls, it was no wonder that Wanda couldn’t let him go. I totally understood her need to hang around.

  He pushed my top up and worked on my lower back, his large hands warm and firm against my bare skin. I wriggled my ass, hoping he would go even lower when he stilled me.

  “Stop moving around,” he ordered, but his voice was strained. “Just relax.”

  “MphmMmmm,” I mumbled into the pillow.

  He laughed softly. “Go to sleep.”

  When he finished, my body felt limp and boneless. I felt him lean over me, his breath warm and sweet.

  “Goodnight,” he whispered, planting a soft kiss on my shoulder. “And dream of me.”

  Because of him, I was certain that I would. And I was grateful for it.

  Chapter 8

  Phoenix

  On Monday morning, I was in the kitchen with our housekeeper, who had arrived before I’d woken up. She fried eggs and sausages for me and then piled them onto a plate.

  “Eat,” she insisted, watching me. “So you can grow tall and strong.”

  I grinned at her rotund, five-foot frame. “I’m six foot three,” I replied. “Not tall enough for you, Nan?”

  She sniffed and returned to her pan. “Young people nowadays don’t eat enough.”

  I smiled and pierced a plump sausage with my fork. “You do realize that we have an obesity issue in our country, don’t you?” My smile widened as she shook her spatula at me.

  Nan had been with us for as long as I could remember. She took care of most things in the house and basically raised Sean and me. She was like a mother to us, unlike the coiffed mannequin who spent more time lounging at the pool with her boy toys.

  Just as I finished off my plate, Sam padded into the kitchen, greeting us as she sat down at the breakfast table. Nan clucked her tongue and quickly brought her a plate piled high with food.

  I watched her as she bent her head and bit into the sausages. When she came over yesterday evening, I’d known that something was wrong. Just the look on her face had said it all. And I would bet my future royalties that it had something to do with Jack.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” Sam asked, sipping at her coffee.

  I leaned back in my chair and shot her a lazy grin. “I was just remembering last night. All those sexy moans you made while I was on top of you.”

  She spewed coffee over the table as Nan shot me a look filled with fervent approval. Nan had this “thing” about manly men, and she liked to hear that her boys were now men who were serving their women right. In fact, she was the one who first sat Sean and me down to talk about the birds and the bees when I was in third grade. Yeah, I started early, and it was all because of Nan. I was forever indebted to the woman. Holding back my laughter, I focused on Sam once more as she frantically wiped the table with her napkin.

  “I was sleeping!” she whispered fiercely, her eyes twitching. “They were probably snores you heard.”

  Shrugging, I reached for my mug and gulped down coffee. “Are you ready to talk?”

  She peered at me through her lashes, then nodded. “I think so. But I need to speak with Mom first.”

  “I can go with you, if you want.”

  She shook her head. “No. Mom wouldn’t appreciate having an audience. Not for something like this.”

  “Okay.”

  We began playing footsies under the table, and my eyes never left her face as I studied her over the rim of my mug. It dawned on me that I wanted to do this with Sam every morning (and more, so much more) for the rest of my life, and my heart began to beat a little faster.

  ***

  Sam

  I went back home around midday, at a time when I knew Jack would be busy at his restaurant. Mom was probably at home watching her favorite soap operas. It was the perfect time to talk to her alone.

  As expected, Mom was sitting in her chaise lounge, sipping sparkling wine and nibbling on small cucumber sandwiches when I walked in.

  “Oh, darling,” she said, spreading her arms wide. “I’ve missed you. Come, give your mother a hug.”

  The smell of her perfume filled my nostrils as I held her close. All my life, she had been a very beautiful mother who was always coiffed and presentable. She had also been a distant mother. I prayed that she would open herself to me today, even if just a little.

  “Mom, we need to talk.”

  She smiled, showing her even white teeth. “Of course. Let’s do that.” She turned the TV off and gave me her undivided attention.

  I kneeled down in front of her and held her hands. “This isn’t easy for me to say,” I began, staring up at her green eyes, which were so much like mine. She nodded, still giving me that bland smile of hers. “Mom, I’m moving out.”

  She pulled her hands away. “Oh, but why? Aren’t you happy, darling? You know, Jack has been trying so hard. But you just won’t give him a chance.”

  The next part was going to be even more difficult to say.

  “Mom . . . while you were gone, something happened.” When she arched an elegant brow, I swallowed and continued. “He – he touched me.”

  Silence fell between us. Her eyes, which had been warm just moments ago, were now cold.

  “And you expect me to believe that?” she said finally.

  Yes, because you are my mother.

  “I know how it sounds,” I said, feeling warm tears pooling in my eyes. I dared not blink for fear that they would flow down my cheeks. “But it’s true. He put sleeping pills in my drinks and –”

  “That’s quite enough.” She rose to her feet and smoothed down her dress. “Ever since you were little, you’ve had your flights of fancy, but this is ridiculous.” Her expression soon relaxed and shifted to something more like pity. “Darling, I know you don’t have much experience with men. And Jack is a handsome man, unlike your father. But you can’t have such fantasies about your stepfather. It isn’t right.”

  And that was the end of that. End of discussion. Like shutting a book closed.

  Honestly, what did I expect from her?

  I gave her a tremulous smile. “But you’re okay with me moving out, right?”

  She let out a sigh and cupped my cheek with her manicured hand. “I will miss you, darling. Just don’t go too far.” Her gaze turned sorrowful. “Jack will be so disappointed. I mean, he really tried. We could have been happy. But when your grown daughter harbors unnatural feelings for her new father, what can you do?”

  Bile rose in my throat. How quickly she had changed the situation around! In her head, this was entirely my fault.

  She was like a stranger to me. Moving out was no longer enough. I had to go somewhere far away, where I would never have to see her and Jack again.

  With a forced smile, I excused myself and raced up the stairs to my bedroom, where I broke down and cried on my bed. I’d never felt so alone in my life. I
reached for my phone to call Phoenix, but it didn’t feel right. This void in my heart could never be filled by friends or lovers.

  I needed family. More than anyone, I needed my dad.

  After wiping away my tears, I dialed Dad’s number. He picked up on the third ring.

  “Hey, honey,” he greeted, his voice warm and so full of love.

  I broke down again, startling him in the process. When I was able to speak, I asked him the one question burned into my mind.

  “Dad, can I come live with you? I . . . I can’t keep up with this charade anymore.”

  “Have you spoken to your mother?”

  A bitter laugh escaped from my throat. “Dad, you know her. When it comes to unpleasant matters, she’s like an ostrich sticking its head in the sand.”

  “Did something happen to you? Tell me everything.”

  And I told him, not holding any of it back. Through it all, he remained silent, listening intently as I described what had happened over the weekend.

  When I finished, I could hear Dad’s erratic breathing over the phone. “I want you to come here right away,” he said, sounding furious. “I don’t want you anywhere near that man, you hear?” He paused, speaking to someone in low tones, then returned to the phone. “I have to go, honey. I have a seminar in fifteen minutes. But talk to Kelly, my grad assistant. She’ll help you with plane ticket reservations and university applications for your transfer. I want you here within the week.”

  Numb by how fast things were happening, all I could do was nod. Dad told me he loved me and would call later at night. Then he gave me his grad assistant’s number and hung up.

  Sniffing, I went to my closet and pulled out more clothes. I had about three thousand dollars saved in my bank account. I would withdraw all of it, close the account, and use some of that money to pay for my single ticket.

  An image of Phoenix rose before me, and I collapsed on the bed. How could I leave him? How could I live without seeing him every day?

  My phone buzzed in my pocket, and of course, it was Phoenix. Perfect timing.

  “How did it go?” he asked.

  I sniffed and smiled weakly. “As expected.”

  “Meaning . . . ?”

  “Not so well.”

  He paused, then asked quietly, “Are you going to tell me what happened?”

  At first, I had planned to. But there was no time. I wanted my remaining days with Phoenix to count. I didn’t want a minute of it wasted on Jack.

  “No. But . . .” I trailed off, embarrassed, then said, “I want to ask you out on a date. An actual date, not just hanging out.”

  He was taken aback. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “When?”

  “Tomorrow night.”

  There was another lengthy pause.

  “Phoenix?” Did we get disconnected? “Hello? Are you there?”

  “I’m here,” he said, his voice quiet. “Does this mean what I think it means?” When I didn’t answer, he pressed on. “Are we crossing that line?”

  I didn’t know what I was doing. I just wanted to spend time with him before I left. That was all.

  “Let’s not put a label on what we’re doing,” I pleaded. “I just want to have a date with my best friend, okay?”

  “Okay.” This time, he sounded gentle. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  After we hung up, I went downstairs to find Mom watching her soaps again. I bent down and kissed her cheek.

  “Goodbye, Mother,” I said. “I’ll be staying at Phoenix’s place for a while.” When I reached the door, I turned around one last time to look at her. “Please take care of yourself.” I waited for her to say something, but all she did was stare at me, so I stepped out of the house and left for good.

  Chapter 9

  Sam

  I spent the past hour getting ready for my date with Phoenix. The little black dress I had on was one of my favorites; it hugged all the right places and made me feel slim and pretty.

  I checked myself in the mirror one more time. I was ready.

  When I swung open the door and stepped out, I smacked straight into Phoenix, who laughed and held me at arm’s length. He whistled appreciatively as his gaze ran up and down.

  “You look amazing,” he said.

  As did he, with his dark pants, gray shirt, and jacket. Then again, was there ever a time when he didn’t look good?

  “So where are you taking me?” he teased later as I drove, my eyes on the road.

  “We’re going to Oscar’s Steakhouse.” I shot him a quick grin. “And this time, you can order anything and everything.”

  He lifted a brow. “I’m impressed. But where did you get the money? That place is pretty steep.”

  Took out my entire savings account, I thought silently, but I just acted all mysterious when he kept peppering me with questions.

  At the restaurant, Phoenix ordered a Porterhouse steak, and I ordered seared ahi tuna. We sat there, talking and laughing as we enjoyed our meal with expensive wine. As we talked, I noticed some of the women stealing glances at Phoenix, and I sat up straight as if to say, That’s right; he’s with me.

  My phone buzzed in my bag a couple of times during the meal. When I checked the missed calls, Jack’s name popped up. It seemed he had also left several text messages. I quickly deleted them and cast aside all thoughts about my stepdad. Tonight was about Phoenix; no one else.

  Later in the night, he took me to The Blue Den, one of his favorite nightclubs. It was so loud and packed that we had to practically shout at each other.

  “Let’s dance!”

  I leaned in closer. “What?”

  He pointed at the dance floor, then snaked his arm around my waist and dragged me there when I protested. The deep throbbing of the bass was so distracting that I could barely think straight. It felt like the entire floor was throbbing beneath me.

  He had some serious moves. I gawked at him, mesmerized. What was with this guy? Were we even from the same planet? It turned out that my attention wasn’t the only one he was commanding. Nearby women began eyeing him, and before I knew it, I was rudely elbowed aside until I could no longer see Phoenix. I stood on my toes, trying to see better, but soon gave up. Let him have his fun, I thought, heading to the bar where it would be a bit quieter. That was one of the points of this date, after all.

  I ordered a coke and sat on a stool, watching the revelers with open curiosity. So this was Phoenix’s scene. Had he brought his past girlfriends here as well? There were so many beautiful people that I began to feel a little self-conscious. Feeling frumpy all of a sudden, I sucked my stomach in and tugged at the dress, as if that would somehow make it better.

  “Looking a bit lost there, gorgeous,” a male voice said beside me. Startled, I almost fell off my seat. I whirled around, wide-eyed.

  A lanky man in an impressive-looking suit and with an even more impressive-looking goatee smiled at me. Thick, wiry chest hair popped out from his open collar in greeting. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  My first pick-up artist, and he looks like a seedy character from a porno movie.

  “May I buy you a drink?”

  I lifted my glass. “Thanks, but I already have one.”

  He pulled his stool closer to mine and stroked his goatee. “You are stunning,” he mused. When I didn’t respond, he put his slender hand on my thigh. “Your eyes,” he intoned, “are like the precious emeralds mined in Zambia.”

  “I thought Colombia produced the best emeralds,” I noted, sipping at my coke.

  Porno Man faltered; apparently, he hadn’t been expecting a rebuttal. He began again. “Your eyes,” he intoned once more, “are more precious than any Colombian emerald –”

  “Give it a rest already,” a weary voice interrupted, and Phoenix joined us at the bar. When Porno Man saw him, he jumped up from his stool and stood a few paces away.

  “If you want me to show you a good time, I’ll be dancing over there,” he s
aid with a small bow. After a quick glance at Phoenix, he darted toward the dance floor and immediately began a dance routine that involved forceful, pelvic thrusts in the direction of a poor, unsuspecting girl. Needless to say, I was mesmerized, and not in a good way.

  “What’s he doing?” I asked, wincing when the girl screeched and pushed him aside.

  “Boris calls it ‘The Mating Call.’ It’s one of his signature moves.”

  “He names his dance moves?”

  “I guess so.”

  “His name is Boris?”

  “Yup.”

  I glanced at Phoenix, askance. “And you know him? Personally?”

  He laughed. “Everyone here knows him.”

  The music shifted to a slower song, and I saw Boris heading my way again, his eyes narrowed in determination. This time, I grabbed Phoenix’s arm and dragged him to the dance floor before Boris could ask for a dance.

  “Hmm, this is nice,” Phoenix said, wrapping his arms around me. He pulled me in closer. “I was looking for you just now.”

  “Well, you found me.” I pressed my cheek against his chest, feeling his heartbeat. I could stay like this forever. But in a couple of days, I would be leaving, and the thought of being thousands of miles away from him brought silent tears to my eyes.

  ***

  It was after midnight when we reached the mansion. Phoenix dropped me off at the guestroom, kissing me tenderly on the forehead before heading to his own bedroom. After I showered and put on warm pink socks and his pajama top, I sat on the bed, thinking.

  The date felt unfinished to me.

  I jumped up and left, heading for the stairs. Phoenix’s room was at the far end of the hallway. When I reached the second floor, I eyed my surroundings, praying that Sean was fast asleep. What I was about to do was something I’d never attempted before, and I didn’t want an audience for it.

  When I reached Phoenix’s room, I knocked on the door. Seconds later, he pulled the door open, drying his wet hair with a towel. He looked surprised to see me.

  “Hey, is something wrong?”

  I shook my head. “No, nothing’s wrong. I just came to return your pajama top.” And I pulled said top over my head and dropped it at my feet.