Love Is Overdue

by Natalie Myrie

  He was quizzing me now. I would have to get on my game. I figured this would surprise him.

  “Well...Gregory Isaacs.”

  A slight pause on his end. “See, that surprise me...”

  I laughed. “I know. Actually, my girlfriend Corinne from high school that I would get high with all the time had all these old school reggae LPs...they were her dad’s...he was this weird hippie that lived in Jamaica in the 1970s,” I explained.

  Another pause. “Yeah, Jamaicans some weird-ass people dem...” he teased me, kicking up his accent a notch.

  “You kinda look like a young Gregory Isaacs,” I teased him.

  “Oh really?” He chuckled at that. “He was kinda small though…”

  I laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. We got into all that stuff, though...Burning Spear, Culture, Bob of course, Inner Circle – fuck, who else?” My mind was racing. “We even got some fake IDs and got into see Lucky Dube at the Commodore.”

  “I was at that show.”

  My mouth dropped open. “What? How do you know?”

  “Because Lucky only been here once in the past twelve years. And then he died.”

  Oh. He got me. “Hmmm. Funny, I didn’t see you there,” I teased him back.

  “I was in the back in a corner hitting on some Swedish girl all night,” he answered simply.

  I laughed again. “Did it pay off?”

  A soft laugh on Ben’s end. “Of course.”

  “You say it with such reluctant modesty.”

  “Not reluctant or modest,” he corrected me, jokingly.

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” I shot back.

  “Aww...come on now...” His sexy voice again.

  I took a breath, recovering myself. “Okay, yours.”

  “My what?”

  “Your favourite reggae artist.”

  “I have a few.”

  “Go ahead.” My ears perked up.

  “Depend on my mood.”

  “Name some.”

  “Buju Banton. Richie Spice. Me like some old-school Shabba sometimes too, y’know….”

  “Hmmm...” I thought. “Hip-hop?”

  “Roots. Mos Def. Outkast.”

  “Favourite movie.” I was enjoying this now.

  “Shaft.”

  “Never heard of it. Pick another one.”

  Ben laughed. “I don’t know...anything Tarantino...that’s one brilliantly fucked-up mind...kinda like me,” he teased.

  “I see...” I smiled to myself. “Favourite TV show.”

  “The Boondocks. Chappelle Show. The Discovery Channel. Shit like that.”

  I laughed at the combination. “Hmmm...favourite food.”

  “Depend on my mood.”

  I laughed again. “Okay, favourite food according to your current mood.”

  “Lays...Ruffles...Original flavour...”

  I laughed. “Potato chips? Seriously?” I thought I had heard some crunching. “This coming from the super chef?”

  “I don’t cook a lot at home,” he said simply. “No point really.”

  “Interesting.” Why did this man fascinate me so much? “Okay, favourite sport.”

  “Soccer...and basketball. I’ve been bowling before too.” He was teasing me now.

  “Favourite drink.”

  “Guinness…or rum punch with soursop and guava…carrot juice and callalloo, if I feel like bein’ a good boy…”

  I giggled. “Favourite sexual position.” It was out of my mouth quickly before I had a chance to rethink my impulse.

  Slight pause on Ben’s end. “Inside.”

  I laughed. “Not fair.”

  “Really?” I could almost see him smiling, that sexy voice picking up again. “I can’t give away all my secrets.”

  “Okay.” I rethought. “Age.”

  “I already told you that.”

  I smiled. “No...age when you...you know...tried a sexual position out for the first time.”

  No hesitation. “Fifteen.”

  “Hmmm...” I was feeling bold again. “Kinkiest shit you’ve ever done.”

  He laughed at that one. “I can’t tell you that.”

  “Why not?” I couldn’t hide my disappointment.

  “Don’t wanna scare you off.” That quiet sexy voice was back again.

  “You think it would?” He was starting to turn me on again so badly.

  “Who knows?” he said easily. “But am actually more worried ‘bout spoilin’ the surprise...”

  My mouth fell open. “Damn...” I let my breath out and I heard Ben laugh softly. “You’re so presumptuous.”

  “About some things.”

  “Things like whether or not you’re gonna get laid?” I guessed, teasing him some more.

  Ben laughed again. “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Remember that,” he teased me back. “But you and me...well...” His voice trailed off.

  “What?” I asked, much too eagerly.

  “Well...I just think with you and me it’s not really a question of ‘if’, it’s more a question of ‘when’ and so in that case, I need to watch what I say,” he admitted.

  I swallowed. “In what way?”

  “I just don’t think I should lay all my shit out on the table when it comes to sex with someone who I...” His voice trailed off again.

  “Who you what?” I wanted to know. “Who you’re planning to fuck?”

  Slight pause. “You’re such a smart girl.”

  I just laughed again. “Well in that case...truth is you don’t know...maybe telling me would spark my interest.”

  “I’ve already sparked your interest.”

  I just couldn’t stop giggling. Fuck, he was full of himself...

  “Damn...” Ben was laughing at my giggling. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you just done get high with me...”

  I stopped laughing. “Did you just get high?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I let my breath out. “Jealous.”

  “Hmmm...” He thought for a moment. “Didn’t know that...shoulda mentioned that. You know I’d hook a pretty girl like you up any time, Gabriela. Free of charge too.”

  “Well, aren’t you kind.” It was my turn to use my sexy voice.

  “Yes.” And suddenly he was all serious. In one word.

  I caught my breath. “So no kinky shit for me then, I guess...”

  “Nah...I never said that,” he insisted smoothly. “What kinda kinky shit you want?”

  And I laughed again. “You see that?”

  “See what?” He was amused along with me.

  “You see how you just turn the question back at me like that? Now who ain’t playin’ fair, huh?” I wanted to know.

  “I just answered my twenty questions. Your turn now.”

  “Oh!” I decided to play along. “So what are my favourite musicians, movies, sports and drinks?” I played innocent.

  I could sense his smile. “You know I don’t care about any of that,” he teased me back harshly.

  And I sucked my breath in, wrapping myself up tighter in my blanket. I loved talking to him so much...

  “Typical,” I sighed. “So what you care about?”

  “Well, except the food question,” he admitted softly. “That might come in handy again some day... What’s your favourite food, Gabriela?” Sweet Ben was back, trying to redeem himself.

  I smiled. “Those really super garlicky Gyros from Falafel Palace, with an insane amount of tzaziki sauce,” I joked.

  “Damn, baby, that’s sexy,” he was teasing me again. “Can you imagine me feeding you one a those in bed?”

  It was pretty funny, but the mention of Ben and me in bed together was nothing but dead serious business. My insides quivered and shook from the thought.

  “Hmmm...” I sighed. “No, but I can imagine those pancakes of yours in bed though.”

  “You liked that, huh?” He was pleased, I could tell. “Okay, next question.”

  I smiled.

/>   “So...”

  I waited. He was thinking about this one.

  “So...if you were all alone for twenty-four hours – all by yourself, no one to bother you, talk to you, need somethin’ from you, distract you – nothing. What would you do?”

  I didn’t expect this. I was at a loss. This was a serious question. One that if I took some real time to think about I was sure I could come up with a much better answer. But I just decided to take a deep breath and go with the flow instead.

  “Well, let’s see...first I would probably run a scorching hot bubble bath and soak for as long as it takes me to listen to my favourite album back to back at least two or three times. Then I’d probably catch the sea bus to North Van and watch the seagulls from the pier, listening to the buskers, drinking lattés and smoking cigarettes. Then I’d go to Robson and try on all the Jimmy Choo’s I can fit into and stand up on and fantasize about walking out in a pair of fire-engine pumps. Then I’d buy myself a new knock-off hand bag, a bottle of wine, some Ben and Jerry’s, and go home and watch a bunch of really sappy tear-jerker foreign films – usually in Portuguese since I’d be way too lazy to read subtitles at that point – and go to bed. Well...maybe throw in a quick little browse through youtube or some soft-core porn on my lap top, and then go to bed.” I sighed and let my breath out.

  Ben didn’t say anything right away and I worried for a moment that I might have weirded him out. But then I heard him let his breath out and I could feel his smile.

  “What’s your favourite album?”

  His question surprised me. “Sinead O’Connor. Faith and Courage.”

  Slight pause. “So watching me on youtube turns you on to porn, huh?” His voice was slow. Deliberately sexy.

  I smiled. “I guess so...” I had no sense to deny it. “Maybe I shouldn’t say that, huh?” I kept my tone soft. Longing. I was so wet for him...

  “Well...” His voice was soft too, matching mine. “You in a bubble bath is all the porn I would need.”

  I gasped. “You know I don’t really...” My voice trailed off.

  “You don’t really what?” Ben wanted to know.

  “I don’t really...you know...get like this with – well, with guys that I just met...” I stopped myself. This wasn’t the right thing to say.

  “It’s okay.” Ben’s soft, serious voice was back again, pulling me in. “I’m not rushing you, baby. Take all the time you need. To be honest...” He paused and I held my breath, waiting. “I just love the way you put a smile on mi face before I go to sleep at night, so...am not complaining.”

  I smiled. “So you’re happy just getting all hot and bothered over the phone?”

  Ben laughed softly. “No. That’s your job, baby,” he teased me back, cranking up the sexy in his voice again.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lied unconvincingly.

  “Ahh...” He was still chuckling softly at me. “So you don’t secretly play with yourself when you’re on the phone with me and then act like you don’t know what am talking about when I call you on it?”

  I laughed, my face flushing. “Ohhh....that.” I shrugged it off. “That was just a minor lapse, I don’t know why...I must have just been ovulating or something.” I bit my tongue. Fuck, I was an idiot...

  But Ben laughed. “Damn. You must ovulate a lot more than once a month. Fucking you could get dangerous.”

  My insides flipped at the thought. “Hmmm....maybe, Ben,” I admitted, laughing along with him. “I’m actually well known for my...multiple ovulations.”

  Ben sucked his teeth at that, still laughing. “You have a terrible sense of humour.”

  I sighed. “Well, as long as you’re calling me out on stuff, may as well keep going...”

  “It’s kinda cute, though...”

  “What is?”

  “Your bad jokes,” he admitted.

  “I see.” I thought. “So you just laugh out of politeness then?”

  He sighed. “I’m a nice guy.”

  “Ohhh...” I made a face. “I’m not really into nice guys,” I teased, needing to get him back.

  “That’s too bad,” he shot back easily. “What kinda guys you into, Gabriela?” That smooth, sexy voice was just too much for me...

  I took a breath, thinking. “Well...tall...dark...ripped...the kinda guy who pretends to be nice just so he can get a girl into bed...total bad-ass.” I sighed, laughing to myself.

  “Hmmm...” Ben didn’t say anything.

  I took a chance. “You’re not that guy, are you?”

  “Not even close.”

  Chapter Six

  Tony’s birthday was that weekend, and since it was already a complete no-brainer that I would be ditching him on Saturday, I couldn’t say no to a little club-hop he had planned for Friday night.

  My mom had been having an amazing week – feeling better and stronger than she had in months, and so she all but forced me out the door on Friday night, saying I could ditch the eleven o’clock curfew and she would call if she needed me. I didn’t feel good about it, but she knew I needed to be there for Tony – she’d always had a soft spot for him, ever since we were kids.

  We were meeting at a tapas bar on Davie Street and I decided to duck into Shopper’s Drug Mart on the way there to grab a lipstick and a pack of smokes.

  As I browsed the aisles I started to think about Ben and how I would be seeing him the next day – him, his house, and watching him shoot one of his videos – it couldn’t get any better. But I missed him. Our phone conversations weren’t enough anymore. I need to see him in the flesh.

  I tried to cast away my daydreams as I tried to focus on the task at hand – scouring the make-up aisle – when I spotted her.

  It was Ben’s ex-girlfriend. Again. How was it even possible? She was standing a ways down the aisle from me, carrying a shopping basket and looking every bit as good as she had the previous week. I knew I should have bolted before she saw me but I was just too curious.

  She was wearing those killer skinny jeans again and a pair of knee-high pointy-toed flat boots and an oversized t-shirt, belted at the waist. It was the same look I tried to pull off all the time, but for some reason it just seemed to look better on her. And she was so pretty – with that silky straight red hair, deep-set green eyes and porcelain skin. When she turned and glanced in my direction I was still staring.

  I quickly averted my eyes and again tried to busy myself with the lipsticks I was supposed to be focusing on, but it was too late. Within a few seconds, she was right next to me.

  “Hey.”

  I had no choice but to turn and face her.

  “H&M?” she said simply, apparently trying to jog my memory, which definitely did not need any nudging.

  “Oh. Hi.” I had to play along. “I’m...like I said...I’m really sorry about that.”

  She shook her head, dismissing it. “Don’t worry about it.” She looked to be thinking about what to do. “I’m Angela,” she said then, extending her hand.

  This was too much. “Umm...” I wished I could have just bolted in another direction. “Gabriela,” I said instead and we shook hands awkwardly.

  “Your...ummm...friend...scared the shit out of me,” she admitted.

  “I know. He’s...kinda nuts sometimes, it was just a real messed up misunderstanding.” Fuck, how many times did I have to say the same thing?

  “Do you...” She paused for a moment. “Do you know who I am?”

  My heart was beating furiously. “No,” I lied. “I mean, your boyfriend, or – the guy you were with -” I corrected myself quickly, “just looks exactly like...”

  “Ben.” She finished my sentence for me. “I know. Ivan is Ben’s brother,” she said then, as if I didn’t know.

  I nodded slowly. “Yeah...it makes sense now. I just can’t believe how much they look alike.”

  There was a hint of a smile on her face. “Yeah. You and me both.”

  I looked at her. All I could think about what h
ow Ben used to fuck her. He used to love her. She was the girl he wanted to marry. He cheated on her. She dumped him. And now she was fucking another guy who looked just like him.

  “So you and Ben...are you, like...together?” She didn’t waste any time getting to the point.

  “No. I mean, we’re friends,” I said pathetically.

  She looked at me like she didn’t believe a word I was saying.

  “I know. I mean, I’m sorry, but the way your friend stepped up to us, it just seemed like...” Her voice trailed off.

  “Yeah, I know.” It was pointless trying to deny it.

  “I think Ivan was about to knock him out. Seriously. It’s been a while since I seen him get that heated.”

  Really. So Ben’s brother had a temper. Well, Tony did kind of have it coming...

  “You know, Ivan and Ben...they don’t really talk anymore. They used to be best friends but...” Her voice trailed off again. “Ben and I...well, he’s my ex-boyfriend.”

  I nodded slowly, unsure what to say to that.

  “Anyway...I’m sorry. You probably don’t know about any of this, but...”

  I couldn’t stand it anymore. “I do,” I said suddenly, partially because I was just too frustrated to keep listening to her ramble in circles. “He told me, so...yes, I know who you are.”

  Her eyes went wide. “He told you?” She looked to be racking her brain for a good number of seconds. “I know this is gonna sound crazy but...you wouldn’t wanna go grab a coffee or something, would you?”

  My eyes went wide. “I...”

  “I’m sorry. I’m not crazy, I promise you...I just...I’ve seen what kinda toll it’s taken on the two of them...they used to be so close and I would do anything to fix it...” Her voice trailed off and that’s when I noticed what I had missed this whole time. Guilt. Her eyes. Her face. She was swimming in it.

  I took a deep breath, trying to figure out what to do. “I...” I was stumbling again. “I understand what you’re saying but...I really don’t know what you want from me, to be honest...I mean, I just met Ben and I certainly don’t know anything about his history with you or with his brother.”

  She sighed, looking somewhat disappointed. “I guess that’s true.”

  I watched her for another moment, unable to help wondering what it was like to be the woman that had that kind of effect over a man like Ben. What did she have that could cause him to disown his own brother because of her? I desperately wanted to know what she was like, how she thought, how she acted, how she fucked, how she could make him fall in love with her... I wanted to know absolutely everything about this woman.