“I can’t wait for you to taste me,” I responded, helping him to get my panties all the way off.
I kicked them onto the side of the bed. He lifted his head from my breasts and his saliva glistened on my nipples as he lowered his head to my honeypot. I spread my legs wider and he eyed me lovingly as he prepared to take the plunge and …
I was startled by the ringing of my cell phone.
“I need to change this damn ringer,” I said aloud, as I sat up. Damon’s name appeared on the screen. I yanked the phone open quickly. “Hey, you!”
“Hello, Brooke.” I could hear a lot of traffic in the background on his end and assumed he was driving. “What are you up to?”
I bit my lower lip. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Really? What were you thinking?”
I was thinking about you eating my pussy until I screamed! “It dawned on me that we haven’t talked much lately.” I reached down and felt my bra and panties—still intact, of course. “I know you’ve been busy with Able Minded Dating, so I didn’t want to bother you.”
“I can’t believe we’ve been getting so much press,” Damon said, then sighed.
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“It’s definitely a very good thing. I’ve had to do a lot of interviews, that’s all. I’m not really the public-speaking type.”
I laughed.
“What’s so funny?”
“When you gave that speech at the Carolina Kitchen, I never would’ve known that.”
“I was running on pure adrenaline that day. I was so full of emotions that speaking about the site came easy.” He paused. “I guess that it still does. On second thought, I don’t mind the interviews. I just have a lot of other things going on.”
When are you going to realize that she doesn’t deserve you, I thought, but didn’t dare speak. Instead, I said, “Well, I’m glad you thought of me today.”
Damon chuckled. “I did more than think about you. I’m sitting outside of the diner.”
I was stunned. “My diner?”
“Yes. I went inside looking for you, but some guy named Hank said you were off for the weekend. He seemed to have a bit of an attitude about it.”
I giggled. “I’ll bet he did.”
“Then he said something about making sure that you didn’t lose your marbles.”
I really fell out laughing then.
“What did he mean by that?”
“Destiny concocted a story about me having a nervous breakdown in high school and told Hank that I needed some time off. She’s so crazy.”
“Well, she’s also right. I’m sure you did need some time off.” There was silence on the line for a few seconds. “I was trying to surprise you. I wanted to see what time you were getting off.”
I stood up and walked over to the window, opening the shades. It was a beautiful day. “Oooh, I love surprises. Tell me more.”
“Summer’s playing in a wheelchair basketball tournament today, over at the Fort Lincoln Recreation Center.”
“That’s great!”
“You seemed to connect with her a little and I thought you might like it.”
I glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was 11:13 a.m. “What time does her game start?”
“At one.”
“That’s pushing it a little for me.”
“It’s cool. I understand if you can’t—”
“But I’ll meet you there.”
I could sense Damon smiling through the phone. “I can come pick you up.”
“No, that’s okay. It’s out of your way and I can hop on the metro. The station’s less than two blocks away.”
“Sounds like a plan. See you there.”
“See you.”
I hung up the phone and gazed out of the window for a moment, wondering what the hell I was doing. Why was I continuing to place myself around a man whom I had obviously developed romantic feelings for? Pure stupidity!
I pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that had they might all look alike, but mine is tight screen-printed on it. I felt like being naughty. Plus, I wanted Damon to think that I was on the prowl for a new man. Not to make him jealous—of course not. I wanted him to realize that nothing could ever happen between us. That was the story I tried to spoon-feed myself that day.
I went into the bathroom to hit the shower so that I could get to Fort Lincoln on time.
Damon
June 15, 2008
THE basketball courts at Fort Lincoln were packed. Friends, family members, and other spectators were crammed in beside each other. It was hard for me to save Brooke a space, but I was determined.
I had my digital camera and was snapping shots of Summer as she and her teammates—both male and female—warmed up on the court. They were on the east end and their rivals were on the west. All of them were in wheelchairs, but their upper-arm strength was incredible. It is amazing how people learn to adapt in the face of adversity. They were rushing around the court like NBA players, and I could see the expressions on some of the local kids’ faces. They were amazed to see what was possible with determination.
A lot of the players had been injured while in the military. Others had suffered spinal diseases, been in accidents like myself, or had been shot during the local wars, mostly over drugs or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Summer was throwing the ball back and forth with a young man who appeared to be about her age. They were grinning and blushing at each other, and I couldn’t help but wonder if love was in the air. When I’d first arrived, we had a few moments to speak before she had to get out there. She said that she had been on about five dates already with men she’d met on Able Minded Dating. Amazingly, she liked all of them—a couple more than most. She had become a “playette,” and I was elated. I remembered when she felt that she would never find love. Now she was finding it in abundance. She said that one of the men, Calvin, was not disabled in any way. He had decided to check out the site because he was sick of stuck-up women who thought that they were God’s gift to men. They had a second date scheduled the following weekend.
Steve and Bobby were there, but they were too busy scoping out women to sit in the bleachers. I couldn’t take those two anywhere without their having pussy on the brain. The women were there to check out the game and not them. Then again, what did I know?
When I spotted Brooke walking toward me, waving, I was surprised by how much weight she had lost in a few weeks. She was so damn beautiful. As she got closer and climbed through the people on the lower bleachers to get to me, I frowned when I saw her T-shirt. It said they might all look alike, but mine is tight. Maybe some of the women, Brooke included, were there to pick up men.
“You’ve lost weight.” As soon as I said those words to Brooke, I regretted them. I knew how self-conscious she was about her body. She pouted, then sat down next to me on the bleachers. “You look great,” I added solemnly. “Not that you didn’t look great before.”
“Thanks for noticing,” Brooke said reluctantly. “Stress will make you lose weight faster than anything else, but I’m glad the weight is finally falling off.”
“That’s not the way to lose it. You should—”
“I realize that’s not the way to lose it, Damon. But it is what it is.”
I touched her knee and she started shaking, so I removed my hand.
“What I was going to say is that you should start working out with me. Can you meet me at the gym three days a week?”
She smirked, then giggled. “With my schedule?”
“My schedule’s crazy, too, since I started the new site. We can work out really early or really late. Your pick.”
Brooke smiled at me. “That’s great! I didn’t realize you were back in the gym on the regular.”
“Yeah, it took me longer than expected, but it feels good to be in the mix again. And I still plan to get out of the daily grind completely soon, but not yet.”
She tapped me
playfully on the arm. “Check you out, Mr. Entrepreneur.”
“How’s school?”
“It’s coming along. Seems to be moving slowly though. I wish that I could afford to go to school full-time and get it over with, but, oh, well.”
“You’ll be a pharmacy technician before you know it.”
“Thanks. From your mouth to His ears,” she replied, pointing up to the sky.
“I appreciate you coming out.”
Brooke smiled at me. “I appreciate you asking me.” She glanced over in the direction of Bobby and Steve. “Aren’t those your friends?”
“Unfortunately, yes. They have no shame.” I chuckled. “I keep telling them that if they stop acting so desperate, they might actually meet some women.”
“Closed mouths don’t get fed.”
“Is that why you have on that T-shirt?” I blurted out.
Brooke eyed me for a few seconds, then looked away. “It’s just a novelty T-shirt. I think it’s funny. Besides, it could be talking about anything. You just have a dirty mind.”
“So do you, if you know what I’m thinking.”
She looked back at me and I found myself glued to her eyes. The sexual tension was thick between us—too damn thick.
Brooke looked out at the courts. “Summer looks like she means business out there.” Brooke glanced at her watch. “They’re running late.”
“They’re waiting on one of the referees. They made an announcement that they would be starting around one fifteen.”
“Cool.”
A silence fell between us for a moment.
“Would you like something from the concession stand?” I asked. “Bobby said they have a mean hot dog.”
“No thanks. Maybe later, but don’t let me keep you, if you want something.”
I rubbed my belly. “I’m stuffed. I ate a huge breakfast at the diner.”
“Oh my God, you let Hank poison you?! Please don’t tell me that you had the corned beef hash.”
“No, I had bacon, eggs, and grits.”
She let out a sigh of relief. “Whew, thank goodness.”
“What’s wrong with the corned beef hash?”
“Let’s just say the ingredients can get a little tricky from time to time. Hank always makes that the special for breakfast when he has a ton of leftovers from the night before. He mixes various scraps together and calls it corned beef hash. It’s amazing how people don’t know the difference between what he serves and the right thing.”
“Well, I guess it’s a good thing that I have never been a corned beef fan.”
“That’s a very good thing.”
Her tone was suggestive, even if she didn’t mean for it to be. Maybe I just wanted her to mean it. I was glad that she hadn’t brought up Carleigh or asked where she was. In fact, I didn’t know where my wife was. She had left the house at the crack of dawn, mumbling something about meeting a client who couldn’t do the viewing any other time.
We’d made love the night before, if that’s what you want to call it. Carleigh still acted like she was doing me a favor by giving me some pussy. She definitely was not into it the way that she used to be. We were still trying for a baby. I was hoping it would happen soon. Maybe it would reignite the spark in our marriage and maybe it would make me stop lusting after Brooke. I couldn’t keep myself from spending time with her though. She meant something to me, but she couldn’t mean that.
“Looks like they’re about to get started,” Brooke said, breaking me out of my trance. She stood up and yelled out, “Let’s go, Summer!”
Summer looked in our direction and waved, then smiled as she wheeled herself into position. It was about to be on!
After the game, Summer’s team went to Armand’s Pizzeria over on Wisconsin Avenue. Collectively, we took up the entire place. Bobby and Steve tagged along and were trying to talk to some of the sisters and friends of the players. They really were an embarrassing pair.
Brooke walked up to congratulate Summer and hugged her. “Summer, you did great! Congratulations!”
“Thanks, Brooke. I’m glad you were able to make it,” Summer replied.
“This is my first weekend off in heaven knows when so everything worked out for the best.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have given up your free time for me.”
“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it,” Brooke replied. Both of them were so sweet. “You all kicked some serious ass out on that court. Thirty-two to thirteen. The other team might as well have stayed home.”
We all laughed at that comment. Other people came over to speak to Summer, so Brooke moved away and came to sit with Steve, Bobby, and me at a corner table.
“What are we ordering?” Brooke asked. “Other than beer. I can tell you two are serious beer drinkers,” she added, eyeing their guts. “Damon’s such a fuddy-duddy, with his no-drinking ass.”
“I like her more by the minute.” Steve waved his index finger at Brooke and then grinned at me. “Single?”
“Why don’t you ask me that?” Brooke said. “I can speak.”
Steve gazed into her eyes. “Single?”
“Yes, but my situation is complicated.”
“Aw, hell,” Steve said, then chuckled. “Same shit, different day. Not the complicated thing again.”
We all laughed.
Brooke said, “I’ll admit that I’m carrying a lot of baggage, but technically, I am single.”
I was fuming inside; the two of them were about to flirt right in front of me. Steve was about to say something when I yanked the menu that he was holding out of his hand.
“I’m starving. Let’s decide what to order.” I scanned the pizza toppings quickly. “With all of these people in here, there’s probably going to be a backup in the kitchen any minute now.”
Brooke got up from the table. “I’m going to the ladies’ room. Be right back.”
As she walked away, Steve yelled after her, “What do you like on your pizza?”
Brooke replied over her shoulder, “Anything but mushrooms and anchovies.”
We all watched her disappear through the crowd and into the back to the restrooms.
“So how long have you been fucking her?” Bobby asked out of the blue.
I glared at him. “Watch yourself, man!”
“No, you watch yourself. It’s as obvious as a six-legged dog that something’s going on between you two.”
“Bobby, Damon would never cheat on Carleigh,” Steve said in my defense. “That’s out of the damn question.”
Bobby addressed Steve. “A few months ago, I might have agreed with you, but check out where we are. Brooke is here, Carleigh is not. When Damon launched his new website, same story. Why’s she playing wifey if he’s not making her feel that way?”
I was pissed. “Brooke is not playing wifey! She’s my friend and I’m entitled to have friends; even female ones. Stop trippin’ over nothing.”
“Damon, I’ve known you a long time; both of us have. When you’re infatuated with someone, it shows all over your face. The way you talk to a woman. The way you look at her. You look at Brooke the way you used to look at Carleigh, and that’s fact. I don’t give a damn what you say.”
Steve acted like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. My cell phone started vibrating as the waiter was approaching the table to take our order. Steve and Bobby ordered a large pepperoni-and-sausage deep-dish pizza while I answered the phone.
“Hey, Carleigh.”
“Hey, baby. Where are you?”
What do you care? “I’m over at Armand’s on Wisconsin with Bobby, Steve, and Summer.”
Bobby eyed me suspiciously, since I’d omitted Brooke’s name.
“I’m not that far from there,” Carleigh said. “I might stop through.”
“No,” I said much too quickly. “I mean, we’re about to leave. All the pizza’s gone.”
“Oh, okay. So you’ll be home soon?”
Brooke was out of the restroom and
Summer was now introducing her to some of the other players.
“Damon, you there?” Carleigh blared through the phone.
“Yes, I’m sorry, baby. Steve distracted me with his usual antics.”
She laughed. “Steve needs to get laid.”
I chuckled. “Trust me. Both of them have been working overtime on that all day.”
“What time will you be home?”
“I’m not sure.” I was about to tell a bald-faced lie. “Bobby wants me to go with him over his parents’ house for dinner. It’s their wedding anniversary.”
Bobby shook his head and Steve suppressed a laugh.
“Oh, that’s nice,” Carleigh said. “What time is the dinner? I could go with you.”
“They already did a final head count, baby. It would be rude for me to bring you. You know how that goes. People always show up without responding to the invite and then someone has to share a steak or split a chicken breast.”
I realized that my words sounded utterly ridiculous, but a ring of truth was in there someplace.
“Good point.” Carleigh sighed into the phone. “Maybe I’ll go see my mother.”
“That’s a great idea.” I hated Carleigh’s mother, but she was a welcome distraction at the moment. Carleigh couldn’t know that I was hanging out with Brooke. She would’ve never understood. “Why don’t you take her to her favorite restaurant?”
“Sometimes it’s tough getting last-minute reservations at Art and Soul. I’ll give it a shot though.”
“Sounds good.” Brooke was making her way back to the table. “You all have a good time and I’ll see you later tonight.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
I hung up my phone and noticed Bobby sucking his teeth.
“What?” I asked him.
“Nothing. My name’s Bennett and I’m not in it. But whenever the shit hits the proverbial fan, I’ll have your back.”
“No shit is hitting any fan,” Steve interjected. “My boy’s faithful, despite what you just heard on the phone.”
Bobby said, “Whatever,” as Brooke sat back down.
“So what did you fellas order?” she asked.