by Liz Davis
Heat was building in her loins, and she felt a strong pull to join him on the bed, but she knew there was no time for them to fool around, so she chose instead to continue getting dressed. She headed for the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans from a hanger, and as she shimmied into the tight fabric, her breasts jiggled from the movement. She delighted in Evan’s rapt attention, and couldn’t help but revel in the fact that she held some sort of feminine power over him.
Evan stood up from the bed and walked over to her, embracing her from behind as he placed a kiss on the nape of her neck. “Mmmm, you smell delicious.” He pressed his crotch against her backside, sharing the feeling of his excitement with her.
She felt his hand slide up to offer her left breast a firm squeeze, and she gave it a playful slap. “You’d better stop, or we’re both going to be late for work.” A little smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and she reached into her jewelry box to retrieve her favorite choker.
“Here, let me.” He took the necklace out of her hand so he could slip it around her neck.
After pushing her hair over her shoulder, he secured the clasp in the back. Evan’s lips grazed against her shoulder, and she gave a smile of contentment in response. She loved the feel of his mouth on her skin, and as his tongue slid across her flesh she gave a small moan, shivering from the erotic sensation of it. His hard-on pressed urgently against her thigh, coaxing her to give into temptation.
She wanted him so badly that her groin was aching in response, and she knew that being in his presence would only continue to build her desire for him. Seeing no other option, she removed herself from his grasp, and then turned around to face him. “Why don’t you go into the kitchen and get something to drink? I’ll be out in a few.”
Evan’s eyebrows rose a little, as if he found himself surprised that she’d managed to resist his ministrations. “Trying to get rid of me, are you?”
“It’s kind of hard to concentrate with that thing of yours poking into my backside.”
“Afraid you might not be able to control yourself?”
She playfully rolled her eyes. “I have plenty of control. You, on the other hand…” Her voice trailed off, and her eyes roved southward.
A small chuckle fled his lips, and he headed for the door. “You give me a striptease, and then send me on way, huh? I see how it is.” He gave a little pout, and hung his head low in an exaggerated show of disappointment.
She gave a little laugh, and then pulled her uniform T-shirt over her head. After applying her makeup, she fixed her hair, and then dabbed a bit of perfume oil behind her ears. Then she headed out of the room and into the living area.
Evan looked up at her from the magazine he was reading. “All ready?”
“Yep.” Maya grabbed her purse, and they headed for the door.
Once they were outside, Maya locked the door behind them, and they walked to the end of the pathway. Cradling her face in his palms, Evan claimed her lips in a deep, hungry kiss, tonguing her mouth with a passionate urgency. They found it a difficult feat to pull away from each other, but eventually their lips became unsealed.
“Is it okay if I come by again tonight?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Great, I’m looking forward to it.”
“So am I. Have a good day, okay?” She then headed for her car.
“You, too, sweetie.” Evan walked toward his own vehicle, offering her a wave before he got inside.
Maya was first to pull away from the curb, and she watched in her rearview mirror as Evan drove behind her, following her out to the busy main street that was a few blocks away from her apartment. Once they reached the busy road, she turned one way and he turned the other, and a few moments later his red Jeep was completely out of her sight.
Barely a minute had passed since they’d separated from each other, and already she felt an ache in her heart, as well as pangs of terrible loneliness. She supposed this was what they meant by lovesickness, because that’s exactly how she felt—sick to her stomach over the absence of him. It was now certain that she was in love, and life as she knew it was already in the midst of change.
* * * *
Evan parked his Jeep at the curb in front of his apartment then got out of the car. He still had half an hour before he was due to show up at work, so that would give him plenty of time to change into his uniform and then hit the road. Once he entered his apartment, he headed straight for the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. He was just taking a swallow of the cold liquid when he felt a vibration in his pocket, followed by a soft chiming noise. As he pulled his cell phone out to look at the display screen, he found himself hoping that it was Maya. It hadn’t been very long since they’d parted, and he already found that he was missing her. As he looked at the display screen, he saw that the text was from Tanya, the woman who worked as a cashier at Ted’s Diner. He knew that the best thing to do was to just erase it without even opening the message, but curiosity got the best of him, so he decided to see what it said.
Hey handsome, where have you been hiding? I haven’t heard from you for a few days now. Hope to see you at the diner soon. Give me a call sometime, ok? Xoxo Tanya
Evan stuffed his phone back into his pocket and then finished his bottle of water. He couldn’t lie to himself—he did find Tanya very attractive, and had enjoyed the times they’d gone out for lunch together. But now that Maya was back in his life, he was going to commit himself to only seeing her. He really did like her a lot, and he wasn’t about to mess things up by continuing to see Tanya on the side.
After finishing his glass of water, Evan exited the kitchen and headed back toward his bedroom. After stripping out of his clothes, he discarded them in the dirty clothes hamper, and then changed onto his work uniform. After that was done, he headed into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face then slicked his hair back into a ponytail. He had just finished brushing his teeth when the melodic sound of his ringtone filled the air.
He grabbed his cell phone from off the bed and then hit the call answer button.
“Hello?”
“Hi cousin, what’s up?”
“Hey there, Reyna. How are you?”
“Not too bad. Just busy with the kids, as usual. Listen, your mom was running a bit of a fever last night. Nothing to worry about, though. Just thought I’d get in touch with you to let you know.”
“How has she been feeling today? Has her temperature gone down any?”
“Oh, she’s much better now. The fever broke this morning. Her blood sugar was pretty high yesterday, so I think that’s what caused her to get sick. Last time I checked her glucose levels was earlier this morning, and they were within normal range, so it looks like everything will be just fine.
“So other than that, is she okay? Do you think she needs to see a doctor?”
“No, I think she just needs to get outside and get some fresh air, so I’m planning on having her go out with me for a walk later this afternoon..”
“That sounds like a good idea. Thanks for looking after her, Reyna. I appreciate it.”
“Hey it’s no problem. We’re family, and we always take care of each other, right? So, what exactly have you been up to lately? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you for days now, but it seems like every time I call, the voice mail picks up.”
Evan felt a pang of guilt at her words. He’d always been close to Reyna, and the bond that they shared made it seem as if they were more like brother and sister, rather than just cousins. She’d been calling him for days now, and he’d meant to get back to her, but this past week had been quite busy for him. Yet still, he knew that was no excuse for him to fall out of contact with his family.
“Yeah, sorry about that. You probably just caught me at a bad time. Sometimes I’m in the middle of working or I’m driving home, but I hope you know I wasn’t trying to avoid you.”
“I know you would never do that, but it’s kind of unusual for a week to pass without you g
iving me a call. So what’s up with you? You must have a new woman in your life.”
His lips curved into a little smile. “Yeah, I’m dating someone.”
“So give me some details. Let me know what she’s like.”
“I’ll tell you all about her the next time I come out for a visit. How about that?”
“Oh, so you’re gonna make me wait, huh? Okay, I see how it is.”
He offered a light chuckle. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just that I’m running a bit late for work, so I can’t stay on and chat for too long.”
The tone of her voice expressed disbelief. “Hmm, right. You’re always so secretive about the girls that you date. You never tell me anything.”
“Well, it’s not that I’m trying to hide anything. It’s just that I’ve been casually dating for a while, and there hasn’t been anyone special in my life. Well, at least not until now.”
“Oh, so you’re really into this girl then, huh? Now I’m even more curious to hear about her.”
“I know you are, and I promise to let you know all about her on my next trip home. You have my word, okay?”
“All right, cool. So how are things otherwise? What’s life like in the city?”
“Things are okay. Just taking it day by day, you know? Sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle, but I’m hanging in there.”
“Good to hear. Well, I hope you come out for a visit soon.”
“I know, it’s been awhile since I drove out to the rez, and I feel bad about that. I just don’t like showing up to see mom, and not having a lot of money to give her. I’ve managed to save up quite a bit during this last month though, so it should be more than enough to take care of everything that she needs.”
“I know your mom appreciates the money, Evan. But just so you know, she’s always happy to see you. We all miss you and people ask about you all the time.” The sound of a baby crying came from the background, urging Reyna to end the conversation.
“Sounds like Eddie’s up, so I guess that’s my cue to get off. Give me a call tomorrow, okay? I want to chat with you some more.”
“Sure thing. Tell the kids I said hello, and give Eddie a kiss for me, okay?”
“I will. Later, Matoskah.”
“Bye.”
After ending the call, he slipped the phone into his pocket and was grabbing his car keys from off the bedside table, when his eyes drifted to a framed picture. It was one of the last photos he’d taken right before he’d left the reservation, and whenever he looked at it, he always relived the variety of emotions he’d experienced on that day. He remembered feeling uncertain about the new life he was embarking on, but also hopeful about all of the things he could achieve. He’d also felt sad about leaving his family and being so far away from them, but he knew that his connection with them could never be severed. They would always be close to his heart, in both mind and spirit. When his uncle had offered him the job as a mechanic at the car repair shop, Evan had seen it as an opportunity to make some good money and send it to his mother back home, and for the past five years, he’d been doing just that. He was thankful to have Uncle Gary’s help, and since he was Evan’s only relative that lived in the city, it saved him from feeling complete alienated from his family back home.
Caught between two worlds, Evan had one foot in the ways and traditions of life on the reservation and another in the day to day activities of urban city living. Such a dual existence wasn’t easy, but he made use of the opportunities he had and worked hard to provide a decent life for himself. The chime of an incoming text message broke him out of his thoughts, and as he took a glance at the display screen, he saw that it was from Maya.
Miss you already. Can’t wait to see you tonight. X
He felt a lift in his spirits from her text, and responded back with a message of his own. Then he stuffed the phone back into his pocket and headed out door to begin his day.
Chapter 8
As the hand on the clock finally reached ten, Maya grabbed her purse and slipped on her jacket, then exited the restaurant. As soon as she was outside, she inhaled deeply, grateful for the fresh air that surrounded her. It was quite a chilly evening, but the cool air was refreshing, and it was certainly a whole lot better than being cooped up in a noisy, crowded restaurant.
She headed through the parking lot toward her Honda, and as she came closer to reaching it, she noticed there was a note stuck beneath one of the windshield wipers. Maya pulled it free and opened the paper, then read the message that was scribbled on it.
He’s hiding something from you. What is it?
Her brow furrowed and she felt her pulse speed up. Just what was this note all about, and who was the he in question? At the present moment, there was only one significant male in her life, so the first person her mind turned to was Evan. But what secret could he possibly be keeping from her?
She turned the note over to see if there was anything else on it, but found that the opposite side was blank. Maya reread the cryptic words several times, and each time she did, something deep down in the pit of her stomach reacted. Who would write such a thing, and what was the point behind it?
Multiple questions raced through her mind, but she found herself wanting to trust Evan and not believe what the note said. But yet, was there not another part of her that wondered if it was true? She wanted to trust him, but her overactive imagination was creating all sorts of unpleasant images in her mind.
Maybe he had another woman on the side, and if he did, she guessed that it would most likely be Tanya, the cashier who worked at Ted’s Diner. It was also possible that he was keeping some other secret from her, but she couldn’t even begin to guess what that might be.
Calm down. A voice inside of her spoke. You don’t even know if any of this is true yet.
But a feeling inside of her told her that it was. And if there was something he was hiding from her, then she had to find out. She couldn’t live a relationship that was a lie.
She lifted her gaze and took a glance around the parking lot to see if anyone was around, but as far as she could tell, she was the only one out there. Once she was inside her car, she turned the key in the ignition and drove off. As she made her way home, she found herself thinking about Dylan, and the rocky relationship they’d had. He’d played her for a fool for so many years, and it seemed that no matter how many times he screwed her over, she always forgave him and allowed him back into her life. This vicious cycle had continually renewed itself during the four years they’d been dating, and unfortunately it had done quite a number on her self-esteem.
Now that she was finally out of the craziness of that relationship, she was able to see just how much of a loser he was. She was also able to see that he was quite manipulative. This led her to the realization that it could be Dylan who left the note. It seemed pretty fitting that he would try to play head games with her, but she wasn’t going to allow him to destroy the relationship that she and Evan were building. She could feel the stress building inside of her, so she inhaled a deep breath, and then let it out, hoping to expel the nervous energy. Although she didn’t like the idea of Dylan still hanging around her, she began to hope that he was the one who left the note. Because if he didn’t, then it surely had to mean that it was from one of Evan’s admirer’s. He was a very attractive man, and had undoubtedly dated his fair share of women before her, so it was difficult to determine who had written it.
Stop overthinking and just trust him.
That voice in her head was right, and she knew it. So why couldn’t she just chill and have faith in Evan? She felt it in her heart that he was a good man, but for some reason, she felt a pull to focus on the negative thoughts that lingered. As she turned onto the street where her apartment was located, she found that she was experiencing quite a bit of apprehension. Yet instead of allowing it to consume her, she chose instead to remain optimistic. It wouldn’t do any good to let a relationship this wonderful be ruined by something as petty as jeal
ousy.
After parking her car in front of her apartment, she headed for the door and unlocked it. As soon as she was inside, she went through her routine of slipping out of her shoes and grabbing a beverage form the refrigerator. With a bottle of iced tea in hand, she headed for the couch and gratefully plopped onto the cushions. There was a pile of mail on the coffee table that needed to be looked at, so she got busy at opening the various envelopes. Discovering that most of it was junk mail, she grabbed the TV remote and began to channel surf. She eventually decided on a cheesy eighties horror film, and was only a few minutes into watching it when she heard a knock on the door. As she looked through the peephole, she saw that it was Evan, and swung the door back to greet him.
Still dressed in his mechanic’s uniform, the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, displaying his toned biceps. He bent down to give her a peck on the lips, and then followed her into the living room.
“Sorry I didn’t stop at home to have a shower first. I was just so excited to come by and see you. And I thought you might be hungry, so I picked up some Chinese food.” He held two small containers up by their silver handles.
“Thanks, baby, just set it down on the coffee table, and I’ll bring you over a drink.” She walked over to the fridge and took out a carton of juice. “Is cranberry okay?”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” he answered.
After pouring him a glass, she brought it into the living room and set it on the coffee table. As they opened the paper containers, the mouthwatering scent of kung pao chicken and fried rice filled their nostrils. They munched in silence for a few minutes before Maya began to speak.
“Somebody stuck this strange note on my car today.”
Oh yeah, who was it from?”
Sliding the slip of paper across the table, Maya responded, “I don’t know, it was left anonymously. Have a look.”