by Coffy Paige
“I-I just mean…” she wavers for a half step then goes right back on track, “oh c’mon! Jenny Bo-Benny? What’s shakin?”
Mallory turns his whole posture towards her to give his full attention. Maizy stamps down the rising nerves of having his full interest. He grins full on, “Jealous?”
She scoffs, “N-No…”
He looks over at Jenny who’s finishing his drink before leaning into Maizy, “Good, you have no reason to be.” The last part he says with a sweeping gaze of her. Just as he thought, the view is better up close. Her juicy bosom rises and falls and he can catch a hint of burgundy rising from the swell of her cleavage and racing its way up. Jenny comes up with the drink and he never turns his stare away from Maizy as he pays. He walks away from the counter with his paper and drink to sit at a nearby table then he turns back, “You look hot by the way…I mean when you were doing your little dance recital.” She begins to blush even harder but he remedies that with, “You were stunning Maizy. But you were always that.” He takes a seat with his back facing them. He almost busts a gut at hearing Jenny hiss at Maizy to go talk to him and Maizy shushing Jenny then telling her to keep her voice down.
After his first initial meeting with Char about her giving Maizy pole dancing lessons he’d made sure to get full progress reports back on anything that went on. He loves that she loves the class and surprised, but not really, at her quick advancement. He could tell from their first date that she’s ambitious in every facet of her life so why will this be any different? He also loves that his sister and her are becoming good friends. Everything is working out way better than he planned except for two things. Maizy went on two dates with Alex Huerta. Granted it’s only two dates with no prospects for a third. According to Char, she also said didn’t have a good time. That fact still didn’t sate his worry. Alex was with his woman more than he has and that bother him. So much so that it made him drive by her house every Friday and Saturday night to make sure she was home. He also makes Char get as many details about any other guys she likes. Thank the heavens it seems that she only has eyes for him. Maizy would never say names but Char would report back to him about details of himself. He finally knows what it feels like to be giddy and bashful like a teenage girl and doubling down on the fact that his sister has to tell him the gory details. It totally grosses her out but it makes him die with hilarity.
Once again a light clearing of a female’s throat makes him look up from his paper. He meets Maizy’s dainty mocha face peering at him behind her long lashes. “God why does she have to look so fucking sexy” seems to be his mantra every time he sees her. A breath-halting smile appears on her lips as she says, “So I know the last time that we talked was …awkward to say the least…”
“You mean our date. Neh! ” He interrupts jovially, not to be a dick but just to have a little jibbing. She looks down slightly embarrassed and he instantly regrets the comment. He straightens and clears his own throat, “Sorry Maizy. Go ahead.”
“Well I know we haven’t had much interaction since then and I totally understand why you don’t want to talk to me but I’m a different…person now.” She stops to take a breath. “Anyway I was wondering if…well if you’re still interested in me… maybe you would come over for dinner tomorrow?”
He thoughtfully nods, not wanting to betray anything yet secretly he’s singing “Ode to Joy”. When he notices her expectant gaze he realizes he hasn’t answered yet, “Um…” Jesus, he’s speechless, he really wishes Char had given him a heads up on this so he’d know how to handle this. This is totally out of norm for both of them so to save face he continues, “What brought on the change? I thought we didn’t belong together.”
She looks wistfully past him and says, “I’ve had some work done on myself recently. Very therapeutic.” She ends the comment looking squarely at him. Her posture is more confident as she waits again for his answer.
“I thought cheesy kung-fu flix from the 70s and 80s were all the therapy you needed?”
She blushes in shock, “How did you remember that?”
The sincerity in his voice and eyes shine through her. “I remember everything about you Maizy. Your favorite color is Magenta, not for the actual color but for the character from Rocky Horror Picture Show. You have a cat named Bonkers because when you walk in he goes crazy until you pick him up and kiss him exactly three times. If you don’t or try to jip him a kiss, he’ll continue to go bonkers until you do it right. I remember that you had chicken pox for all of a day when you were eight and your doctor said you were a medical oddity and you thought it was the coolest thing.”
He does remember everything. Every stupid little detail that bores the shit out of other people, he remembers it all. The next comment he makes while leaning into her, as it’s only meant for her ears, “I also remember how your body trembles when I touch you. How you look when ecstasy takes over that gorgeous face. The way your desire tastes…” He trails off as his mind wanders to that night. It generally always does when thinking of her. When he meets her gaze he can tell the last part has her confused. He slyly moves the exact finger he used on her in his car to move past his lips with a Campbell’s soup moan. Maizy’s eyes go as big as saucers as she realizes what he means “So this dinner…”
She shakes her stricken state and says, “Um yeah…it’s at my place. I mean…duh. Of course it’s at my house. I could cook for you then… ” Her adorable shyness is taking over again. The fact that she’s approaching him and asking him out this time is a testament to Char’s reports on how well Maizy is doing. As sultry as her exuberance is he still loves the shy side of her. It gives her a sort of renewed appeal to her demeanor.
He had a meeting that evening, “Well I may be busy but…”
Before he can even finish saying that he can make it for a nightcap she rushes on to save face, “Of course, I understand. I don’t know what I was thinking. I have someone else I can ask.”
She goes to run away but he grabs her hand roughly at first then lessens his grip when he realizes the infraction. Flashes of irascibility lace his voice, “I’ll be there. What time?” At this point he’s standing and towering over her.
“I-I was thinking around 6:30?”
He’s slightly aggravated and the feeling is turning to rage from her little comment of inviting someone else. He knows he has to leave before he says something that will blow his cover or get him uninvited. He goes to leave but the barbarian in him won’t allow it to go unfinished. He turns back to her agape expression and cools a bit as not to alarm her. He runs a finger down her jaw, taking in the new light in her eyes. The confident sparkle she’d been missing from the start is finally there. “I’ll be there, got that? Nobody else needs to show up Maizah. I’ll be there with bells, whistles, and fog horns on okay?” With nothing else to say and fear that he looks completely crazy he turns back with a hasty retreat.
She just nods then calls to his receding back, “Just bring you…no need for the…other stuff.” The last part is cut off as he’s already out of the door. He knows she has to be utterly confused at that whole conversation but he can’t help it. Someone else reaping the benefits of his plan, he thinks not! He didn’t hear everything in her and Jenny’s conversation but her heard enough. Something about lingerie shops and spiked heels is enough for him to know that he’s definitely going to be on the receiving end of that shopping jaunt. The image had him grabbing an old newspaper just to hide the erection. “No trips for La Perla and Victoria’s Secret for you buddy boy.” He mumbles as he walks by a scowling Alex. That chocolate beauty is made for him, and no one else. To say that waiting this long for her has been hard is comparable to saying the Menedez brothers have daddy issues. She is and was always the total package. Watching her swan-like transformation and fending off competition in turn makes some changes in him as well. He was going to wait longer before he made his move again but hopefully tomorrow night he’ll be able to unwrap that delightful little package. Mallory’s first stop aft
er the gym is hi sister’s place. He needs to try to get a sense of what’s going on here. He greets her husband and his trainer, Will, with a fist bump and casual conversation about one of his new tattoos until she’s back in the room. Will excuses his self to allow them to talk. Mallory wastes no time. “Do you know what’s going on tomorrow?”
“Nope.” She shrugs before falling on the sofa with a bit too much nonchalance.
Mallory narrows his gaze at his sister. On everyone else that ‘nope’ would have worked but only he knows that’s a 50/50 chance she does know what’s going on. A dead give away is if she bites her nails. As if on queue her thumb goes to her lips, “Ah hah!” Mallory jumps up with a pointing finger, “You know what’s going on tomorrow, you’re just not telling me.”
“I know what I will tell you! Whatever happens tomorrow you better come clean to her or I will!”
That’s when it got serious. For the past month they’ve been constantly bickering over Char’s guilt of betraying her new friend. Mallory can understand really, but wants to tell Maizy in his own way. “Char not this again.”
“Not this again my ass Mal’! That girl is really special to me.”
“She’s special to me too Char. That’s not fair.”
“But you’re not the one constantly lying to her like I am or betraying her trust by going back to you with information! That’s not fair either.”
“Well what do you want me to do? We’re in too deep now.”
Char looks down a bit, “Not exactly. I told her I’ve been busy lately and that’s why I haven’t been able to see her everyday like I used to.”
“So you’re not really busy?” Char shakes her head ‘no’ while practically gnawing her fingers off. “If you like her so much why are you purposely lying to her?
“Because I need to distance myself. I’m too afraid to see what will happen when she finds out the truth.” To that Mallory really didn’t have anything else to say. His need to know if he was walking into an ambush turns to impending dread of having this strange and awkward conversation. All this and he still can’t tell if Char knows more than she’s putting on.
Soon his face expresses his paramount frustration. His hands barrel through his hair as his forearms rest on his knees. “Look Mal’.” She puts an arm around him, “I believe this can be done right if you finesse it. I love you like a brother.” She doesn’t continue until she gets him to at least half smile at that. “But I can’t keep doing this to her, and if you truly want to pursue a relationship then it has to come out some time.”
Char is beyond right at this point. It’s down right gospel. “I know Char, I know. I just think the fear of losing her again before anything starts is more daunting than telling her the truth.” They sit there in silence for a while before he finally gets up to leave.
Before he does though Char stops him, “whatever happens tomorrow is really big for her Mal’. Remember what I said about finesse.” He only nods before he exits the door. This was so not like him, influencing one’s hand to his will. Yet the bigger picture of Maizy feeling just a gorgeous as he sees her seemed like an even split with no one hurt. Hell ultimately the decisions are still all her own. No one ever held a gun to her head to go to those classes. Still, he doesn’t know how to tell her this truth of their involvement.
Chapter 5
The next day leading into the evening is a total whirlwind for Maizy. That morning she wakes to Jenny and Char banging at her door. Like forces of nature they declare a day of beauty ahead of them. The schedule consists of a facial, mani-pedi, and a salon visit. While Maizy is at the salon and spa the girls are back to Maizy’s condo fixing it up for the show and dinner. They work like a covert team in a mission to get Maizy laid. Strangely Char is in tears before she leaves but tells her that tonight will change everything forever. As if that’s not enough pressure Jenny wipes her own tear away and nods. She loves them but finally getting them out of the place does wonders for her nerves.
Now he’ll be there any moment. She looks at her reflection in the full-length mirror as she plays with the shot glass filled with Cabo Wabo. She is definitely going to be driving more than 55 thanks to Char’s liquid courage. She looks over to the smoldering joint and jumps to put it out. She only took one puff because to calm her nerves. Once confident she put it out she goes back to her reflection. She purchased the most gorgeous baby doll from La Perla. It’s a creamy beige silk number with Leavers lace at the bust and waist. It hugs in the right places making her once hidden hourglass shape more pronounced. She always had a lot of tits and ass but also a lot of stomach as well. Now everything has more definition and form with some extra meat on her bones. This being the first time she’s had a chance to examine her body besides on a scale, she has to admit she loves what she sees. With a grin illuminating her face, she swings her shiny voluminous curls. Her eye makeup is expertly done with a sultry black smoky look, creating the allure.
Her fantasies of seducing Mallory are all she can think about most days. The alter persona she’s created is staring back at her in the reflection and it’s liberating. She smoothes her hands down the bodice of the gown and grins sinfully to herself. She has three parts of this recital and it will require three costumes changes with only two actual costumes. If all goes well he won’t mind that the third will be in her birthday suit. But speaking of ingredients, she quickly dons her shoes and skitters to the kitchen to check on dinner. As she takes things out of the oven and shuts burners off she notices that she has a text. Butterflies flutter her tummy as she reads the message from Mallory explaining he’ll be there in five minutes. She looks at the time of when the message was sent and notices the four-minute gap.
Going on alert she looks around to make sure everything is good. The place looks impeccable thanks to team Maizy. The set up for the “stage area” in the extra room has a theme of naughty but elegant. The table setting is romantic but not cheesy or forced. Thinking about it seems in vain now that it occurs to Maizy. If all goes as planned they won’t use the place settings at all. Scented votive candles are everywhere burning the lingering yet subtle scent of persimmons and sage. The combination is exotically sweet yet sensually dark. Once the doorbell rings her hands are shaking and her under arms are stinging from the impending dread of swamp pit. “Oh gosh!” She admonishes herself before she side steps the front door to her half bath for a quick check and refresh.
Mallory’s conversation with Char the day before haunted him throughout his night. True to form, his sister was the queen of deflecting and even he couldn’t break it this time. Not to mention she actually made sense enough for him to lose his train of thought. What she doesn’t understand is that he plans to tell Maizy everything but in due time. His plan was to pretend like it was some huge coincidence. You know, take her to a family gathering and play dumb to the fact. Yet the only way for that to happen is to make sure Char hadn’t spilled the beans. He just hopes that it isn’t an ambush waiting on him. He looks at the bottle of expensive dessert wine he brought over and the bouquet dove orchids, her favorite flower. He looks down at his watch and realizes he’s been standing at the door for quite some time. When he’s about to ring the bell once more the door pops open to reveal the most tantalizing view known to man.
She is in an ankle length silk robe with the heels on she explained from the day before. If he were a cartoon he would have flattened her by his tongue rolling out of his mouth like a red carpet. She washes her smoldering gaze up and down the length of him in a gesture that lets him know that he’s on the menu tonight. Just then a older gentleman walks by and give in involuntary whistle, “Maizah is that you?”
Maizy blushes and giggles, “Yes Mr. Jerry, it’s me.”
“Jesus girl! If I were 20 years younger I’d-”
His comment is cut off by Mallory’s bustling body pushing a still giggling Maizy in her door, “Excuse me…Mr. Jerry is it? Ms. Winston and I have some dire needs to attend to so if you’ll excuse us.”
Once inside he unconsciously shuts the door but never wavers his unblinking stare at the phoenix like siren coquettishly luring him deeper into her house. It’s almost worth it not to have had Char tell him this was going to happen. She takes languid steps into her home with him right on her heel. He can smell the scent of her place mingling with her own aroma of vanilla and he instinctually needs to be in her comfort. He fights the urge to start kicking off his shoes and his jacket.
“I hope you don’t mind that my attire is so…relaxed. I just figured since we were staying in that it just made more sense…don’tcha think?” When Maizah finishes her comment she turns and finds him directly behind her. She swallows hard enough to stamp down begrudging nervous energy then allows the sweet fragrance of his cologne to fill her nose and breathe her Phoenix anew. Her eyes lazily go to his thick strong neck. She can see the deep color creep up his collar and his pulse drumming next to his jugular. Seeing him so worked up gives her the final confidence she needs to push through with the occasion. He’s looking at her with the same hooded expression but she can tell that she’s getting to him. She boldly lets her stare drift up to his mouth. Again his lips are just as flushed as the rest of him is becoming.
She keeps her eyes on his mouth as he speaks, “I do think actually. What’s…going on here? Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining but…” Maizy smirks at his hesitation. The shoe is nice on the other foot for a change.