A Dreamer's Today

by E. L. R. Jones

  “Now why in the hell would I tell you when I told her that it was something I didn’t want to speak on?” I said as I steered the car toward Chelle’s house.

  “’Cause skank, if it was anybody else you woulda already spilled ev’ry part of da juicy details and you know it,” she said as she flipped the visor shut and focused her attention on my face. “Unless there is mo’ to da story,” her eyes flared as if an epiphany just hit her.

  “No, there is not any more to it. One night two friends hung out, got drunk, and had sex twice. End of story, until the female friend winds up pregnant, nothing more, nothing less,” I said as I turned the corner to the street that led to Chelle’s house.

  “Naw trick, you lyin’. There is somethin’ else and you don’t wanna share it. It only happened the once?” she asked as if she could see into my thoughts.

  “Technically, it happened twice.” She began slapping her leg and then threw her hands in the air.

  “Success. I knew it! You punk, I knew you were holdin’ out on me! So when did the second time happen?” she questioned as she repositioned herself so she could catch all the details.

  “Look, it all happened in a 24 hour span of time. I was crying and drunk, he was there to help me get over the situation with Eric and one thing led to another. The next morning we woke up next to each other and were somewhat shocked to find the other there. Me more than him. Suggestions were made that we do it again, seeing as how neither of us remembered the night before and we did. That was all,” I stated with finality in my statement. I pulled the car into the driveway and parked.

  “Whoa, so was it good? Who made the suggestion? Why are we in my driveway?”

  “It was…he made the suggestion. We are here because I have some things that I need to take care of.”

  “Oh, okay. One of those things should be to call your mother and fix things with her. I know the suggestion is completely horrible to you, but she was only looking out for you. The second should be Alex, so I can live through you because he is not sweatin’ all this,” she said as she slid her hands down her body.

  “Girl, you stupid! I’ll talk to you later and no I will not be doing either of your suggestions.” I yelled as I pulled off and headed home. I picked up my cell and pressed the speed dial for Alex. He answered on the second ring.

  “Wassup, missy! How is my baby mama?” he snickered.

  “Fine, goof! I was just visited by my mother and your girlfriend at the office.”

  “Sharonda was at your office,” he sounded concerned and worried. “Why was she there? What did she say?”

  “She just needed to be reassured that there was nothing between us other than the past and our baby, that’s all.”

  “Oh, okay. If that’s all, then we’re good,” he said sounding a little too relieved.

  “Hey, let me ask you something. Have you and Sharonda, uhm, how do I put this? Have you slept with the lady of the hour?”

  “She is not the lady of the hour and of course we have! Why would you ask me that?” he sounded offended.

  “I’m sorry. It was just something she asked me that made me question it.”

  “What? What did she ask you?” sounding defensive, very defensive.

  “She asked me how you were, but then tried to quickly cover and ask how it was between us.”

  “Damn. Why would she ask you that?”

  Picking up on the tension in his voice, I asked, “Alex, you really don’t have to be embarrassed if the two of you haven’t…”

  “Look, all right! We haven’t! I can’t seem to be with her or anyone else!”

  That statement made me want to turn my car back on and head to his place to talk to him face to face. This didn’t seem like a telephone conversation, but that is what we had going and didn’t want to deter him from continuing.

  “Why? You’ve never had a problem before.”

  “Yeah, but something happened when we were together. Something that never happened before. It just felt right with you and me. It felt like there was where I was supposed to be,” he voice trembled, but his words were filled with affection and clarity.

  “Alex, what we shared was more than I expected we would ever share, but…”

  “Linnie, I love you and I don’t want to mess up our friendship. I am just saying something happened to me after we were together. I wanted something more than just another girl in my bed. I wanted someone who was going to be more than the latest rider.”

  I had to laugh at the last part of his statement. “The latest rider, Alex? Is that the way it’s done with females other than me because I know that wasn’t just the rider, I was many more roles and positions that morning,” I stated recalling that morning.

  “Very funny, Linnie. You know what I mean! I have never been the kind that didn’t leave the lady wanting,” he said with great pride. That was more like it.

  “Yeah, that’s what I hear,” I laughed. “So, why can’t you be with Sharonda?” I asked as I pulled into my own driveway.

  “I don’t know what it is, but something feels off about her. She hasn’t exactly provided opportunities for it, either. We are always out and about. She never has invited me in to her place come to think of it. When we are here, she only stays for a little while then says she has to leave.”

  “Interesting. Have you ever called her on it? Are you sure that she is available?”

  “I guess I am about to find out because she just walked in and…damn…I gotta go!” he said as he hung up.

  I guess she was about to find out for herself just how he is. I shuttered at the picture forming in my head of the two of them together.

  5 months later:

  I really didn’t think that I would have a child this way. I didn’t think that becoming a mother was something that I would look forward to. I really didn’t think that I would be more appreciative of my mother after becoming one myself. I reveled in her ability to be the woman she was after raising us. I was amazed at how she was able to maintain her world in spite of being a mother. I found the non-sleep was kicking my butt. Alex was away on vacation when Crystal Lynn was born. He beat himself up for it the entire way home. He hadn’t left since then and had practically moved in with me. He and my mom had agreed that he would stay with me and she would take care of everything outside of the house. Even with him there, I couldn’t bring myself to stay asleep while she was awake and considering the fact that she was up every couple of hours, so was I. I told Alex that he should go home once and he did to get more of his stuff to bring to my house. I was out of it most of the time, so I didn’t know if he was in contact with Sharonda or not. I decided to ask him.

  “Alex, how is Sharonda?” I asked one morning at the breakfast table.

  “She’s good,” he said flatly.

  “Good? I haven’t seen her since the day Crystal was born, right?” I wasn’t sure.

  “Yeah, she came,” he said as he stood up to put the dishes in the sink.

  “Alex, what aren’t you telling me?”

  “She and I broke up.”

  “What? Why?”

  “She said that she couldn’t handle my always being here all the time.”

  “Alex, why didn’t you tell me? You really don’t have to be here all the time. I can handle this.”

  “Linnie, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. I want to be here with my child. It’s not just about being here with you, although that is a perk. I don’t want to miss out on anything with her,” he said as he walked out of the kitchen to go and get our daughter who had just started crying.

  “Alex, I can’t believe that you didn’t tell me,” I said a little too loudly because he was in the kitchen with me again and I didn’t know it.

  “Why was that important? You just had our baby and you have been exhausted. Why would I even try and talk with you about my non relationship with Sharonda?”

  “Because it is something that is or was important to you. You can go back to your place.”


  “Linnie, I am not leaving. I still have a couple weeks off and if needs be I will be here even longer. I told you that I’m here and I’m staying.”

  He laid the baby in my arms and I prepared to feed her by lifting her to my breast. “Thank you!” He leaned over to kiss my forehead, but I had just lifted my head to look at him. He ended up kissing my lips, which ignited something in both of us. He kissed me again and I took his cheek in my hand leading him into another kiss.

  He pulled back and sat in the chair next to me. “What was that? I thought that…”

  “Alex, I love you. I really have always loved you. I just didn’t realize how much until this moment. Having our daughter here and you here, it just feels right. It feels like this is the way that it is supposed to be.”

  “I was trying to tell you that a couple months ago when we talked about why me and Sharonda hadn’t slept together.”

  “But you said that you didn’t want to ruin what we had.”

  “I didn’t and you didn’t seem to be where I was or at least feeling what I was feeling. Even when I tried to have sex with her, it didn’t work out. I couldn’t do it, at first. Then when I did, I was picturing you there with me and not her. So, I had to let go of the relationship. It wasn’t fair to her, my being in love with my best friend.”

  “Alex, I was hesitant because I didn’t want to interfere in what the two of you had. I didn’t think that you wanted more than what we had, really. I thought that you were just saying that because of my being pregnant.”

  “Now, that sounds nothing like me. You know, I never say anything unless I mean it.”

  “Yeah, I know. So, what are we going to do?”

  “Well, I am going to kiss the mother of my child and…” he kissed me in that moment.

  “Well, hello you two,” my mother said and Crystal burped.

  “Yeah, what’s going on here? I thought that you were just having a baby together and nothing more,” Chelle said.

  “There wasn’t, when I told you that,” I said as I stood and walked to the other room to put Crystal in her basinet.

  “So, when I asked if you and Alex were going to ever be more than friends, you actually wanted to?” my mom asked.

  “I don’t know about her, but it’s something that was always there for me,” Alex said leading the group into the living area.

  “I thought about it before, but always dismissed it because of our friendship,” I said following the group.

  “So, what does this mean?” Chelle practically yelled.

  “We don’t know just yet. It just happened,” I said pulling the basinet closer to me. I hadn’t noticed where Alex was positioned. He was sliding to the edge of his seat and reaching for my hand.

  “I think I do.” He pulled out a ring and placed it on my finger. “I love you and I know that I want you in my life forever and not just as my best friend. We have a child together which is more than I hoped for and I was hoping that you would agree to be my wife. Rosaline Carrie Miller, will you agree to be Mrs. Alexander Holt?” he said as he slid down to one knee.

  “Girl, if you don’t want it, then I surely will take it,” Chelle said as she looked at the ring.

  “Baby, if you don’t say yes I will put you over my knee,” my mom said.

  “Alex…” I began.

  “Linnie, yes I’m sure this is what I want. I’ve wanted to be with you for as long as I’ve known you,” he said as if he knew what I was going to say.

  “Alex, I couldn’t ask for anything more from you than what you’ve given me. Of course, I will become Mrs. Alexander Holt,” I said as I allowed him to slip the ring on my finger and take me in his arms.

  I never thought in a million years that my best friend would become my husband. I never expected to have any of this happen to me. I tell you, true joy comes out of the most unexpected moments.

  Who Cheats Best?

  August 12, 2008

  Who says that once you’re married you have to have children? Not every married couple has kids. Some enjoy each other enough to be just there with one another. Some like having the ability to pick up and go whenever they pleased. This type of couple is the couple that Kym believed she and Shaun were. Shaun on the other hand did not want to be that type of couple. He wanted to be the one tied down and the doting father. Kym wished she would’ve known how Shaun felt before they married. They’d been married for 5 years and were enjoying their relationship until one evening, about a year ago, Shaun stated he wanted to not wear a condom or pull out. She was instantly turned off. They both knew what that meant and she didn’t want that at all. She looked at him and questioned his sanity. The discussion began that evening and quickly turned into an almost yearlong argument.

  She met Jared within a couple months of that fateful night. She was perusing the mall boutiques one day when she saw a grand specimen of a man practically stalking her. He was watching every move her 5’7 frame was making. He watched as her dark brown eyes reviewed his 6’ foot olive toned frame. He marveled at the flow of her jet-black hair and almond colored skin. She watched as his blue ocean colored eyes stayed mesmerized by her every movement. She was trying on a royal blue pencil skirt that fit her size 8 bottom and size 6 waist well and a matching silk sleeveless top with a choker style neck and no bra. She liked the feel of the material against her bare skin. She was excited by the way she captivated his vision. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of her since she walked out into the main dressing area mirrors. She was trying to avert her gaze when she looked up and realized that he was standing behind her. He breathed her vanilla scent in and took a step forward. She could feel his breath on her neck. It was warm and smelled of cinnamon. He took his hand and slid it down the material on the side of her shirt. Her breath quickened.

  “Beautiful material for a beautiful lady,” his deep, Italian voice spoke.

  She could barely breathe, less more speak. “Thank you,” she said pulling herself from his warm body and making her way back to her dressing room.

  He was standing there waiting for her when she came out to pay for the ensemble. She slid past him in the little bit of space that he’d given her to move around him. She could feel his heat and excitement as she passed. She tried everything to not give him any hint that she too was excited. She’d not felt that excited by another human being in quite some time. He watched her like a hawk. The saleslady behind the counter tried to get her to acknowledge the sexy gentleman who could not and would not take his eyes off of her. She refused. She went to grab her bag and he slid in and took it from the clerk.

  “Uhm, hi. Again. May I please have my bag?” she asked as politely as she could muster.

  He just looked at her for a moment and then he began moving toward her. She began stepping back from him as he moved closer and closer into her personal space. They kept going like this until she backed into a clothing rack. She went to speak again and he placed his hand over her mouth.

  He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “You have something I want as well.”

  She nearly fell to the floor, but he caught her. She regained control of herself. “I’m sorry, sir, but I am married and happily so…so…would you just hand over the bag, please!”

  He handed the bag back to her. He didn’t let go of her hand immediately. He leaned over and kissed the back of it and then turned and walked out of the store. She wanted to race to Shaun’s office and lay him out with all the excitement she had left over from the chance meeting she had with this perfect stranger, but she knew she would have to wait for him to come home. He was supposed to be in meetings all that day.

  Shaun was truly in love with Kym. Shaun loves Kym. He knows that he does. He wouldn’t have married her if he didn’t believe that to be true. They’d been married for 5 almost 6 years and Shaun wanted to share with her what his parents shared by having him and his four other siblings. He told her of this desire one evening about a year ago and Kym responded that she would like to keep their relationship just as
it was. She enjoyed the quiet of the house and loved the idea of shopping and cooking for just the two of them. He wanted to have things work out between the two of them. He wanted them to go the distance. The only thing was that Ming had somehow captivated a portion of his soul. He wanted to do what’s right and be with his wife, but a part of him knew that he couldn’t be. As if to add to his dilemma, Ming was more than ready to do the one thing that Kym refuses to do. Have his child.

  Shaun met Ming at a business lunch with an Asian conglomerate that his company was working with at the beginning of the year. They were at one of those restaurants where you ate food off of a human being. He admitted that he was intrigued by the idea of it. He’d heard from colleagues that it was quite an experience. They’d stated that it was an experience like none other. The hostess brought them to their “table” and Ming was the individual their food rested upon.

  He was instantly drawn to her large, gray eyes. She smiled at the party as they were introduced and seated. He looked at her beautiful petite feet dressed in one of those things that women wear when they get their feet done. He drew his eyes up her body. Her skin tone was not that of a normative Asian woman. She had to be mixed with something else for her to yield such a copper tone. He took in her hips and then her waistline. It had such a perfect shape to it. Her stomach was toned. As it should, in this line of work. His eyes finally worked their way up to her breasts, which were covered with leaves that were rising and falling rather quickly. This was when he realized that the rest of his party had begun eating and he wasn’t. He picked up his chopsticks, but did not know where to begin. His eyes then met hers.

  He figured before that he had made her uncomfortable by studying every inch of her the way that he had. After looking into her eyes again, he realized that it was an ignorant thought. She was probably used to that type of thing. She must’ve been studying his 6’7 slender frame. His caramel complexion and hazel eyes gave him that pretty boy affect. The wavy, jet-black locks on his head, aided in that affect, as well. God bless his Hawaiian mother. He had a broad nose, full eyelashes and lips, and a cleft in his chin. He always kept his face fee of hair accept for the goatee he sported. He tried to eat, but he was enjoying the spectacle of her studying him. When the rest of the party had completed their meal, they began to leave. The hostess stopped Shaun and asked him if he enjoyed his meal. He admitted that he hadn’t been able to eat. She seemed to understand and slipped him a card during the walk to the door. As he got into his car, he looked at the card and noticed it had Ming’s information on it. He drove home to his wife with a bit of extra enthusiasm to be with her.