The Marriage Pass

by Briana Cole

  “Goodbye?” Dorian asked in confusion.

  “Yeah, TJ and I are leaving. I got a job out of state, though I sure hate to leave my family.” Sarcasm dripped from the last statement. Between the hall pass and the fiasco that happened at the retirement dinner the previous week, it was a wonder she hadn’t left sooner.

  “Well, how you getting to the airport? You need a ride or something?”

  “I definitely don’t mind taking you.” Kenny jumped in, licking his lips.

  “Thanks, but I have a ride,” Reagan said, readjusting the strap on her purse. “I’m about to go get TJ from my parents’ first.”

  Dorian didn’t know why he felt the need to ask, but the words were out before he could stop them. “Well, let me take you to lunch. The least I can do, since there’s no telling when I’m gon’ see you again.” He didn’t look at Kenny, but he could feel the man throwing a questioning stare in his direction.

  “I appreciate that,” Reagan said with a smile. “Can I just go use the bathroom really quick and we can go?”

  “Yeah, back down the hall on the other side of the waiting room,” Dorian said, motioning in the general direction. “Claudia or Pam can show you if you need them to. I’ll meet you by the elevators.”

  Kenny waited until Reagan was gone before he spoke up. “Um, what was that?”

  Needing something to do with his hands, Dorian began to stack and restack the papers on his desk. “What was what?” he asked innocently.

  “Don’t play.” Kenny leaned back so he could angle his head out of the door and look down the hall. “That’s your sister-in-law? Why you ain’t never mentioned her before?”

  “What you want me to say? ‘Ken, guess what. I have a sister-in-law? ’ ”

  “Yes!”

  “She’s dating a friend of mine,” Dorian informed him, though he wasn’t entirely sure of that anymore. Especially with her leaving.

  “Uh-huh.” Kenny gave a knowing smirk. “And you going to lunch now? I thought you just said it was too early. Guess it ain’t too early for her, huh?”

  Dorian rounded his desk and pushed Kenny toward the door. “Man, that’s my wife’s sister,” he said. It was pissing him off how right his friend was, but he obviously couldn’t let on to that fact. “She just said she was leaving. Hell, I haven’t seen her in some years. May be another five or six before she finds her way back to Georgia. Who knows.”

  Claudia glanced up as both men made their way in her direction. “Taking lunch, Dr. Graham?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Dorian said. “Taking my little sister to lunch.” He felt compelled to establish the sexy woman’s relationship with him. Especially after seeing Claudia’s eyebrows creased in a disapproving frown. He wondered if the reiteration made him seem guilty, or if that was just how he was feeling at the moment.

  Claudia seemed to relax at the statement, and she smiled. “Oh, okay, then. Well, enjoy.”

  Kenny followed Dorian to the elevators. “You need to hook me up,” he said, while they waited for Reagan to emerge from the restroom. “I mean, chick is young and fine.”

  “One, didn’t she just say she about to leave,” Dorian reminded him. “Two, I told you she got somebody. And three, what happened to your lady? You know, the one you living with who can’t cook for shit?”

  “Man, I ain’t trying to hear all that.” Kenny dismissed the question. “I’m trying to get with baby sis.”

  Reagan came out of the restroom and headed their way, her hips swaying with each step. She had let her hair down and had apparently applied a little more makeup, judging by the glossy lips that stood out in a rich purple hue.

  “Damn,” Kenny murmured, and Dorian could only stare as his friend verbalized his own thoughts. “Yeah, hook me up, man. Put in a good word. You got me?”

  “Yeah,” Dorian lied. Call it territorial or just plain selfish, but there was no way in hell he was going to give Kenny the opportunity to enjoy Reagan. Not when he still wanted her for himself.

  “So, what’s up with your boy?” Reagan asked, after they had sat down and ordered. She had chosen a little pizzeria around the corner and they had apparently beat the lunch rush. They were the only ones in the restaurant, perched at a high-top pub table with a checkered tablecloth.

  Dorian took a sip of his Coke. “What you mean? Nothing’s up with him,” he answered with a nonchalant shrug.

  “Whatever. Ol’ boy was all up my ass,” Reagan shook her head in disgust. “And I can tell he was one of those cocky ones.”

  “Why you say that?”

  “He’s light-skinned. All them Shemar Moore – looking dudes think they shit don’t stank. Or they can pull any chick.”

  Dorian started to rebut the stereotype, but he had to admit, Kenny did act like that. “Would you give him a chance?” He didn’t know why he was curious. When she hesitated, he recognized the slight twinge of jealousy and had to take another swallow of his drink to wash down the annoyance.

  “Nope,” she answered, finally, resting her elbows on the table. “He’s really not my type.” It was clear, she was baiting him to ask more, especially by the desire flickering in her eyes.

  “Yeah I know. Myles is more like it.”

  Reagan gave him a “you don’t get it” look but didn’t bother commenting.

  “So, where you headed anyway?” Dorian asked instead at her continued silence.

  “Dallas. A friend out there hooked me up with a job and a place to stay.”

  “A friend, huh?”

  The question had Reagan smirking. “No, not that kind of friend,” she clarified. “She is just a homegirl of mine and she had a spare bedroom. So we can just crash with her until I get myself situated.”

  Dorian frowned. “You and TJ in one bedroom?”

  “Yeah, he sleeps with me anyway,” Reagan said with a shrug. “Besides, it’s just temporary. I’m looking for another place now.”

  “What’s the job?”

  “I’ll do shampoo at this salon she works at.”

  Dorian shook his head. The girl seemed like a lost soul. “You moving all the way to Dallas for that kind of job?”

  “It’s better than having nothing going on here.”

  “Shit, you can do that here too,” he said. “There are plenty of hair places in Atlanta. Why don’t you just stay with your parents or something?” he suggested. “It’s safer than where you are now and it’ll save you a few dollars. I’m sure they’ll love having you and TJ around. Plus, if they see you’re serious, they can help you get on your feet.” He already knew she wasn’t even entertaining the idea, so he tried a different approach. “Let me ask you this. Even if you don’t stay with your parents, why not stay here in Atlanta? Why go all the way to Dallas? At least here, you’ll be closer to family so we can help you.”

  Reagan grinned and sat her chin in her hand. “You want to help me, Dorian?” she asked with a hint of seduction.

  “I want to make sure you and TJ are taken care of,” Dorian clarified, curbing the innuendo. “You don’t have anybody in Dallas.”

  “I don’t have anybody, period.”

  “I wish you would stop saying that.”

  Reagan shrugged but kept her mouth shut as the server brought the wood-grilled pizza to the table. They ate in silence. Dorian was tempted to bring the topic up again, but he knew it was a dead conversation. Reagan always had been a free spirit. He just wished she would ground herself more. Especially considering she had a kid.

  By the time they had finished and boxed up the last few slices, it had started to drizzle. The wind bit through his coat as he held the umbrella out for Reagan to huddle under, and he didn’t object when she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  Dorian opened the door for her and then skirted the hood to dash into the driver’s side just as the sky opened up. “What time is your flight?” he asked, watching the rain pelt the windshield in sheets. “Weather may be a little bad to fly out today.”

  Reagan fi
ddled with the heat knobs. “Yeah, maybe you’re right,” she murmured. “I have to see. We’ll probably be okay, though.”

  “Please, just be careful. You sure you don’t want me to take you to your mom’s?”

  He didn’t notice Reagan had slid her zipper down a bit lower to allow her breasts to peek through the opening. “No, but you know what I do want you to do?” she whispered, brushing her damp hair from her forehead. “I want you to make love to me, Dorian.”

  Dorian paused with his key hovering over the ignition. His body seemed to spring to life at the loaded request. He kept his eyes trained on the glass ahead, afraid of what he would see when he looked over to the passenger side. “Reagan, you know I can’t.”

  “I know.” Reagan inched closer to the middle console. “But you want to, don’t you?”

  “That’s not the point.” He eyed the diamond-encrusted white gold wedding band on his finger and sighed.

  “Listen, I’m not trying to make this uncomfortable for you,” she said. “I just like you, Dorian. I always have. So when you called me about the hall pass thing, I was thrilled that I could finally have you, if only once. I thought I would be satisfied with just that. But I just want you so bad. All the time. And the shit won’t go away.” Dorian didn’t respond, so she rushed on. “I know this is wrong and I promise, this stays between us. You and I both know when I leave Atlanta, I’m probably not coming back for a while. Let’s just have this one last time, Dorian. Please. I need you.”

  She leaned forward and Dorian willed himself to pull back. But he didn’t move. Even after she pressed her mouth against his, he could only hold his breath and relish how good it felt to have her tongue coax his lips apart. He swallowed her moan and she pulled away just long enough to whisper, “Touch me, Dorian.” She then grabbed his hand and slid it inside her zipper to rest on her breasts. All rational thoughts dissolved at the feel of her soft skin, and this time, it was Dorian who pulled her back to devour.

  The rain provided a sensual ambience as the two wrestled with their clothes. As soon as Reagan had peeled out of her jumpsuit, she threw her leg over the driver seat and straddled Dorian’s lap. Dorian bent over to suck her nipples, at the same time reaching for the glove compartment.

  “What are you doing?” Reagan’s voice came out breathless.

  “Condom,” he murmured against her flesh.

  “No, I want to feel you, Dorian.” She teased him further, massaging him until all his logic seemed to disappear. “Don’t you want to feel me?”

  He didn’t bother weighing the decision. He gripped her hips and slid her on him, cursing when he felt her clenching against him. Damn, she felt good. They began moving, as if entangled in some slow dance, Reagan’s hands balancing on his shoulders.

  “You feel so good, baby,” Reagan was nearly whimpering. “Is this all mine?”

  “Yeah,” Dorian grunted, urging her to quicken her pace. He could feel the sensation building, and the anticipation was making his toes curl in his shoes.

  “Tell me you love me,” Reagan whispered, leaning forward to lick his ear. She had now elongated her strokes, taking in every inch of him and coating his skin with her nectar. She ignored the tightened grip on her hips and moved faster. “Tell me you love me, Dorian. Please. You don’t have to mean it.”

  He felt the pressure continuing to build and he pulled her body closer to his, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I love you,” he shouted as he released inside her. At the same time, he felt her reach her peak, and her body began to quiver.

  For a moment, they sat there, each breathing heavy as they came down from the high. Finally, he felt Reagan pull away and climb back over into the passenger seat. She reached into the glove compartment, shuffled past the papers and box of condoms until she found the napkins.

  “Thanks,” she said, holding a wad out in his direction. Dorian nodded and began cleaning himself. Reagan managed to put her jumpsuit back on, and she flipped down the mirror and ran her fingers through her damp hair.

  “It stopped raining,” she observed.

  Dorian hadn’t noticed. All he could think about was sex with Reagan, what they had just done, but also, he was aching to do it again. He should have felt guilty now. Why didn’t he feel guilty? He remained immersed in his thoughts, even after they had made the short drive back to the office.

  Reagan turned to him and smiled. “It was good seeing you again, Dorian.”

  He nodded, not really sure how to respond. “You get where you’re going safely,” he said. “And . . . I guess we’ll be seeing you around.”

  Reagan watched him as if she expected him to say something else. When he didn’t, she got out, nearly slamming the door behind her. Dorian watched her stomp down the sidewalk and cross the street at the intersection. He debated following her and once again offering her a ride, but something told him that wasn’t a good idea. Instead, he wheeled into the parking garage and hoped she made it wherever she was going. He knew she was leaving, and they had managed to get away with their little fiasco, but he couldn’t help the uneasy feeling that settled over him.

  “Your wife came looking for you,” Claudia said, as soon as Dorian stepped off the elevator. Dorian stopped dead in his tracks. Since when does Shantae just show up at my office before calling?

  “Oh? She still here?”

  “No, sir. I told her you were out to lunch with her sister.”

  Dorian nodded and hurried into his office. He didn’t know why it looked suspicious, but something just didn’t sit right with Shantae knowing he was out with Reagan. And considering he was still warm from having her, his paranoia was riding on level twenty.

  He punched in Shantae’s number and held his breath, listening to the ringing.

  “Hello?”

  Dorian tried to analyze her tone through the one-word greeting but he couldn’t really tell. Is she mad? Does she know something is up? “Hey, babe. I just got back from lunch and Claudia told me you came by.”

  “Yeah. I was actually at an off-site meeting in the area and I just wanted to stop in and take you to lunch or something. But Claudia said you were with Reagan?” She had inflected the statement like a question, and Dorian knew that meant she was waiting on an explanation. His mind was cluttered with thoughts, so he tried his best to sound as nonchalant as possible.

  “Oh, yeah, she just dropped by on her way to the airport.”

  “Airport? Where is she going? She didn’t tell me she was leaving.”

  Dorian barreled on, not knowing if he was helping the situation or making it worse. “Well, I guess she’s going to call you in a bit. She was on her way to Mama’s to get TJ. Something about a job in Dallas.”

  “Dallas?” she echoed.

  “Uh-huh.” He held his breath, waiting.

  “Oh.” Shantae paused as if she were processing the information. “And y’all just went to lunch?”

  “Well, I was on my way out anyway,” he lied, swiping at the sweat beginning to form on his brow. “And she was hungry, and I figured it was cool, since there’s no telling when we’ll see her again. You know how your sister is.”

  Shantae chuckled. “Tell me about it,” she said. “Can’t keep up with that girl. I’ll probably give her a call in a minute, if she doesn’t call me. So, what do you want for dinner?”

  Dorian wanted to sigh in relief. He could feel his muscles relaxing bunch by excruciating bunch. He had definitely dodged a bullet. It was a good thing Reagan was leaving. He didn’t know if he would be so lucky if there happened to be a next time.

  Chapter Fourteen

  She was acting different. Dorian couldn’t really put his finger on it, but lately, Shantae was more reclusive. He didn’t know if he should be nervous, but the short answers and silent treatments were enough to heighten his panic.

  It had only been a few days since Reagan had left, and despite missing her conversation and the bomb-ass sex, he was honestly glad she was gone. It was safer that way. Easier to resist t
emptation when there was none. But with Shantae not giving him any attention or affection, he had even toyed with the idea of texting Reagan, but he knew he would be doing nothing but opening another can of worms.

  After yet another morning of silent tension and strained conversation, Dorian knew he had to do something to put the excitement back into his marriage. The only way to get his mind off Reagan was to make sure he and Shantae were focused only on each other. He informed Claudia he was taking the rest of the afternoon off and went to the grocery store. Shantae loved his teriyaki salmon so he made sure to pick up some, as well as vegetables, rice, and the ingredients for a red velvet cake. The tulips in the floral department caught his eye, so he grabbed a bouquet, as well as some red wine.

  Dorian didn’t cook often because Shantae had always deemed the kitchen her territory. But when he did, he damn sure knew how to throw down. Before long, the delicious aromas were wafting throughout the downstairs and had his mouth watering. The cake was almost done, the vegetables had been sautéed, and the salmon was seared to perfection. He went ahead and set the table with their wineglasses and the beautiful arrangement front and center in a crystal vase.

  Dorian checked the stove clock, mildly surprised when he realized his wife still wasn’t home. It was well after six and she was usually home by five thirty. But then, she tended to stay over at work sometimes, especially if it was a really heavy season. Or maybe she had stopped by the store to grab some dinner or gone to her parents’ house. He cursed when he realized he probably should’ve given her a heads-up about the food waiting at home and he picked up his phone to call her. It went straight to voice mail.

  Dorian sighed and glanced around the kitchen. Everything was ready and smelled delicious. He hoped she was on her way. Just in case, he dialed his mother-in-law and rested a hip on the counter while listening to the phone ring.

  “Hey, Mama,” he greeted when Barbara answered. “Is Shantae over there with you?”

  “No, sweetie. Why? Is everything okay?”