Live & Learn ~ A Miss Independent Novel

by Kiki Leach

  She placed her phone on the table and glided her fingers alongside it. “Yes. But that person doesn’t matter to me anymore, especially not right now. What matters is what’s happening here.”

  “Good.” He leaned his head, checking her out. “By the way, you look damn good wearing my clothes.” She turned and lifted her heel from the floor and raised her hair, pretending to model the shirt for him. He put his hands around her waist, brushing his dick against her ass, as he pressed his face against her hair and whispered into her ear. “So sexy.”

  “Ay, papi.”

  “I understood that perfectly,” he said.

  She kissed him and he slid his hand inside the shirt, grazing his fingers against her nipple. It hardened and she whispered in his ear. “Are you ready for round two?”

  He pulled back and glided his tongue over his bottom lip. “Almost.” He brought her back over to the bed and grabbed a strawberry, placing it at the center of her lips. “Taste it.”

  She bit down on the tip and clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth as she swallowed. “Sour.”

  He tossed the rest of it back into the bowl and laughed. “Bad booze plus sour strawberries equals--”

  “Good sex. Come on.” She grabbed the bowl, then took his hand and led him toward the door. “I’m going to show you something that my mother would do for me when I was little to make strawberries that taste like that much sweeter.” They headed back to the kitchen and she went searching in his cupboards. When she found a box of sugar in the last one, she poured some of it into the palm of her hand, then plucked a berry from the bowl and dipped it. William snickered and moved his head up and down, understanding her strategy. “Now this should taste a hell of a lot better.” Using the tip of the strawberry, she smeared the sugar around his lips. He ran his tongue around them, then bent forward and took a large bite from the strawberry. Nikki squealed and tossed the stem in the sink. “Now how was that?”

  “Sweet,” he said. “But not any better than you.” He kissed her and removed the shirt from her shoulders, dropping it on the edge of the counter. They had sex again before going back to his bedroom and crawling into bed, holding each other. He fell asleep, but she remained wide away, thinking.

  For the first time, she wasn’t terrified of the wrath that would come from having sex with someone. She wasn’t afraid of his wife busting in on them or that he would tell her that she would have to leave before the sun was up so that she wouldn’t be seen by anyone. She knew that he was proud to be seen with her, that he wouldn’t take any time they had for granted knowing that they had so much more of it. She turned in his arms and watched his face as he slept. He looked absolutely beautiful in the moonlight. She ran her fingers up and down his skin and kissed his lips. He moved in close and she snuggled up against him, closing her eyes and imagining if this is how it would be for years to come.

  Part Fourteen

  Oscar was practically fuming that he hadn’t heard from Nikki after their last conversation and his slew of text messages. After the last customer had left the shop, he tried calling her again, but to no avail. He didn’t see a point in leaving a message because if she wasn’t going to answer a text, she sure as hell wasn’t going to respond to hearing his voice again. Things had changed so drastically between them since his wife had become a more frequent presence in his life, while Nikki had started seeing William on a regular basis, and he hadn’t understood just how much until now. He started wiping down the counter to get his mind off of them being together in his home, but became even more infuriated at the possible reason why she hadn’t been answering her phone. He balled the towel in his hands and chucked it across the shop as if he were aiming for third base, just barely missing his wife as she came through the door.

  As the towel landed on the ground near her feet, she moved to the side of it and glared at him. “Bad night?” she asked.

  He turned away and grabbed another towel from behind him. “No.”

  “That’s evident by you almost taking my head off--”

  “What are you doing here, Melanie? I thought you would’ve gone home after your big night out.”

  “I did go home to check on the kids, then I decided to come here and see how you were doing. So far I’m beginning to wonder if the latter was a mistake.” She locked the door and tossed her purse in a chair in the corner. “Why are you in such a bad mood?” she asked him, genuinely curious.

  He sighed. “The customers were slow coming in tonight and Max couldn’t get time off from his other job, so I was stuck doing everything by myself.”

  “Poor baby.” She moved around to the other side of the counter and keyed open the register. “Have you checked the money yet?”

  “I was getting to it before you came in.”

  “Didn’t look like it.” She counted the bills while ignoring his hateful daggers.

  “I take it you didn’t have a good time tonight.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  “Because apparently you thought about us all night and now you’re here.”

  “I guess that means you didn’t think about me all night,” she mumbled while holding up the cash. “Sheila and I had a lot of fun, she’s great to be around.”

  “Sheila…?”

  “Harris. I didn’t tell you because of the connection to Nikki. Just like I won’t say anything to Vanessa just yet if she were to ask.”

  “Neither of them are friends with her,” he said.

  “Hence why I didn’t say anything. But as I mentioned, she’s fun to be around. At the same time, I can see why Vanessa wants nothing to do with her.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because of what she did. I don’t think she’s a bad person, I think she made a mistake. I also think she has a lot of insecurities and demons she needs to work through because of her past, and even now. But sleeping with your best friend’s significant other is the ultimate betrayal.” She lay her hands at the edge of the register and darted her eyes around the shop. “I can’t imagine one woman doing that to another and still managing to respect herself. The things we share with men are so intimate in various moments of our lives. It’s not just our bodies, but our minds and souls as well…. To just give that away to someone else is something I’ll never understand.”

  Oscar felt the heat engulfing the room and stuck his hand down his collar to loosen it. “Is that what you two talked about the entire night?”

  “No… A little, but not the entire night. Though what we did manage to discuss helped me think about some things on the ride back, and I came to a few decisions.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like adding different members to the staff… and cutting down on others that I feel should no longer be employed here as they show no class or courtesy for me or the job at hand.” She finished counting the money and slammed the register shut. She turned to face him, resting her hands behind her on the counter and leaning back. “I want Nicole Sanger gone,” she told him. He chuckled and lifted his head to scratch the center of his neck. “I’m not joking.”

  “I’m not getting rid of her that easily.”

  “Why? Because you fucked her? Out here?” She pointed. “I know it was back there, but was there anyplace else that needed to be sterilized before I used it?” He gulped. “The next time you decide to have sex with someone else underneath my nose, you might want to turn off that little camera that you have sticking up in the corner of your office for ‘security’ purposes.” A blank expression crossed his face as soon as she said the words, and she knew she had him where it hurt. “I thought back on that and realized tonight through all the drinks and nearly kicking the bitch’s ass, that I am tired of playing games and walking around here as if I don’t know what’s going on just to appease you; while the both of you go out of your way to play me like an idiot day in and day out. You never once questioned why I changed her schedule every week, making sure she was here when you weren’t and vice/versa.”

&n
bsp; “I haven’t been with her in months.”

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” she asked. “How long has it been? Since I’ve been back? Or since you found out that she was probably screwing someone else? Either way, whatever you two had is done. I want her gone by tomorrow morning and if you don’t mind, I’d like to deliver the news myself.”

  “I can’t do that, Melanie.”

  “Fine, then you can tell her, but I want to stand right there and watch.”

  “I mean I can’t get rid of her just like that.”

  “Why not?” she snapped.

  “If I let her go, there has to be a legitimate reason for it. This is a business, not high school.”

  “Are you’re saying that your fucking her right underneath my nose isn’t a good enough reason to let her go?”

  “Not when she can turn around and sue me for sexual harassment on top of a wrongful termination suit. You have friends who are attorneys – you should know that.”

  “She wouldn’t do that.”

  “You don’t know her as well as I do.”

  “I think after tonight, I have a pretty good idea as to who she is and what she has always wanted,” she said. “You were just the idiot who was stupid enough to give it to her. So like a dog, she kept coming back for more--”

  “Look.” He retorted, flaring his temples. “We need to handle this clean, and quietly. Even if she doesn’t come after me, who’s to say that you’re off the hook? You’re not just someone behind the scenes anymore, have you forgotten that? When Vanessa put you on the cover of Attitude, it not only brought in more money, but unwanted attention as well. And now you’ve been seen out with Sheila Harris, who just a few weeks ago was covering every tabloid within the tristate area for getting into a public brawl with the very same woman who gave you your chance at fame outside of the studio. You think outing my affair and humiliating Nikki will help? What do you think that will do to our kids, or your company? Who would want to do business with a woman that chooses to stay with a man that has been openly cheating on her with his much younger employee for almost a year?”

  She tightened her jaw and clamped her teeth together. Tears flooded her eyes but she blinked fast to keep them from falling. “A year.”

  “Yeah.”

  The way he said it so carelessly rattled her. It was as if he didn’t care about her feelings at all, if he ever had. “You cold, sick – sadistic son of a bitch, you….” She stopped to take a breath. “Are you in love with this woman?”

  He pushed his brows together, appearing sincerely puzzled. “I don’t know.”

  “Don’t lie to me, not now. Not after all that you’ve just said. I used to see the way that you looked at her even though you tried to avoid it and I could see the way that she looked at you and that she didn’t try to avoid it at all… And if you two have in fact been fucking for almost a year, then, well, the love is even more obvious. But I don’t care…. Now, I’m not some desperate woman who needs a man in her life because I can and have done a lot for myself and for our children without you. But you’d be a fool to think I’d give you up that easily to some piece of trash who can’t count two quarters and a dime. I may not be ‘winning’” – she leaned in, whispering – “but believe me when I say that she won’t be either. And for that matter, neither will you.” Her deep seated hatred for Nikki had completely emerged right before Oscar’s very eyes, and she wasn’t regretful in showcasing a single it of it. “If you won’t get rid of her, then I’ll just have no choice but to make her life a living hell to the point where she will be desperate to get out, and I won’t apologize for how bad things get.”

  “Have you lost your mind, Melanie?” he asked with sincerity. “Or did you leave it out in California?”

  “It’s probably in the same place you lost your pants, and your dick the moment you decided to stick it in her.”

  They stared at each other for a long time. Oscar casually shook his head and broke away. “I need to close up the shop.” He felt if he said any more than that, it would cut her deeper than he already had. Despite no longer feeling the same about her, he didn’t want to cause her anymore pain, but he was also getting sick and tired of their routine, and even more so of her constant threats.

  “Then I’ll wait. And you can take me back home to our girls.” Once he realized she was serious, and that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, he went to the back and finished cleaning up. Melanie stood there the entire time like a statue waiting for a bird to land on its head. She was determined to keep her marriage intact, even if he wasn’t. And if that meant pulling out whatever stops she could to continue keeping Nikki away from him at all times, so be it.

  Part Fifteen

  When Vanessa finally got home, she removed her heels, placing them aside and headed straight for the kitchen and fridge. She tossed her purse and opened the door to pull out the half empty bottle of tequila on the second shelf and sat it on the counter. She took a deep breath, exhausted, irritated and annoyed as hell, and reached for a glass from her cabinet. She waited a moment before opening the bottle, thinking back on Adrian’s words and her own about how much she had to drink over the years and why.

  But now was not the time to start acting as if she gave a damn about it.

  “Fuck it.” She forcefully twisted off the cap and poured every drop of tequila into the glass before tossing the bottle in the trash beneath the sink. She picked up the glass and stared at the clear contents, then placed the edge of it to her lips and drank it back until there was nothing left. It burned the back of her throat as she swallowed, but she ignored the pain. Because all she could seem to think about was how desperate she was to forget the day, and that this was the only thing that was going to help move the forgetting along a lot faster.

  She sat the glass back down on the counter and moved her fingers to the rim, spinning it around in circles a few times; the sound as it clanked against the bottom had become so loud by then that she hadn’t even heard Maurice come in behind her. Without even seeing her face, he knew that something was wrong, and was determined to fix it. He didn’t say a single word as he walked up and held her in his arms. She didn’t even flinch when she felt his fingers on her skin; it was the most comforting thing he could’ve done, considering how she felt. He leaned forward and placed his lips on the back of her neck, softly kissing her. She sank into his body as if he were a couch enveloping her. As she lay her head back on his shoulder, he rocked them from side to side, embracing the moment between them.

  “You must’ve had a fantastic end to your day,” he said.

  “I know you’re being facetious, but I had a really shitty ending to this day. I didn’t think it could possibly get much worse after Nathan showed up, but it had.”

  “Does this have to do with your visit to Queens?”

  She nodded. “It has everything to do with that visit. But I took care of it. And I don’t think that person is ever going to want to do business with me again – sure as hell not like before. At least I can only hope not because I’m done – more than done with them.”

  “Was it that bad, V?”

  “It was worse.”

  “I’m sorry…” He brought his lips down to her shoulder and breathed out. “Did you get my message?”

  “I got it. But I just couldn’t talk to you right then – I couldn’t talk to anybody. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to…” She stopped.

  “Doesn’t matter anymore. You’re home now, and with me.” He looked over and saw the empty bottle of tequila. He nodded and glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. “Did that do the trick?”

  “Not as quickly as I would’ve liked. I’m starting to think that I might be immune to the effects of it by now. Shit doesn’t even get me buzzed anymore. Not like it did back then.”

  “Maybe that’s a good thing,” he said.

  She looked aside and grinned a little. “No it isn’t.”

  “I might have something better.”
He kissed her again. “Nikki’s not coming home tonight. She’s staying with William at his place.”

  “Then that means we have this entire house to ourselves for one whole night?” She turned to look him in the eyes and melted at his roguish grin. “I could use a little rest. And relaxation.” He bent down to kiss her and brought his hand up to her breast, squeezing it. She opened her mouth to exhale. “Mmm.” And fluttered her tongue against his. She dropped her hand down the front of his pants and slowly stroked the length of his shaft to feel him rising against her. When he pulled away to catch his breath, she knew she had had him completely entranced. She spun around on her toes and wrapped her arms around him. She tilted her head, her hair cascading down her back. She was a complete fantasy come to life for him. “Make love to me,” she said. Her voice was so sincere, so smooth and honest. “Make love to me, and it might make everything alright.” She shut her eyes and leaned in to kiss him again, but stopped when she realized he hadn’t done the same. He stared at her with wonder and curiosity, with fear and bitterness after she said those words. She opened her eyes and appeared confused for a second, only resorting back to a smile in the hopes that she could ease whatever anger she thought he might have been feeling, though she couldn’t understand where it had come from so suddenly. “What is it? What’s wrong? This is what you wanted – this is what we have both wanted for a long time now.”

  “There’s no question about that. It’s what I’ve always wanted with you, Vanessa. Always. I want to take you upstairs right now and--”

  She attempted to pull him closer and brushed her mouth against his. She exhaled between his lips and he almost lost all self-control. “Then why are you stopping this from happening when we both need and want so much for it to keep going?” She lightly bit down on his bottom lip and looked directly at his face, begging for him to take her.