Chapter 20 #2
Slowly the world folded in on us. Aldridge’s arms were wrapped tight around me as he murmured, “God Nessa. Oh my God.” Our hips still in motion not wanting the moment to end. “Oh God. Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I breathed out. “Wow, just wow—”
“Yeah.” He planted soft kisses across my face before devouring my lips. His kiss let me know I had minutes until he was ready for round two.
“Good morning, I brought donuts and coffee, and Danishes.” I laid the goodies on the breakroom table.
“Aren’t you chipper.” Jemini smelled the creamer in the fridge, her turned up nose let me know the milk had gone bad.
“It’s such a beautiful day, the sun is shining, it’s not too cold. It’s like a perfect day. It’s the most perfect day.” I beamed.
Anika entered the breakroom. “You hate Mondays, so why so giddy?”
“I don’t hate Mondays. I love them. It’s like a new beginning every week. New chances, opportunities, and growth.”
“Is this about a man?” Jemini scrolled her phone probably checking her DMs for fresh meat.
“No, no. Why can’t I just be genuinely happy?”
Both Jemini and Anika stared at me. Aldridge and I had the best weekend, and I was fucked in places I didn’t even think were possible.
I’m talking about physical locations not bodily ones, you pervert.
Anika and my mom were right, though I’d never admit it, I just needed a good fuck.
All the tension and stress built up in my shoulders and back was gone.
My legs were wobbly, and my pussy was still throbbing and wet.
I left his hotel this morning, but not before he fucked me with my face plastered against the window as he spanked me to orgasm.
“I’m gonna go start the day.” I shot off fake air guns with my fingers.
“You fucked Aldridge, didn’t ya?” Anika said before I could make it to the exit.
Don’t be ridiculous. Absolutely not. Damn, can’t a girl just be in a good mood? I quickly practiced which denial would sound most convincing. “Nah-uh. I just had a B12 shot, took my vitamins, and drank some orange juice. This is an all-natural high.”
“All-natural dick.”
“Are you and he back together?” Jemini’s voice was optimistic.
“No. I haven’t seen Aldi all weekend.”
Anika gasped and pointed at me. “You haven’t called him Aldi since the breakup. Oh, you two were fucking fucking. His dick reinstalled deleted software.”
“Wow this is fanciful. Just making up stories.” My brow and upper lip were seconds away from breaking into beads of perspiration.
If I had a bag of snakes, I would release them right now, or maybe I could just start a fight to get out of this conversation.
I wasn’t ready to share, especially with my mother.
“I’m going back to law school,” I blurted out.
“What? Danessa.” Jemini’s voice was laced with disappointment. You’d think I’d told her I’d gotten a DUI and not that I was pursuing a degree.
“Why is this shocking? I got into William S. Boyd here in Vegas and I start in January.”
Anika grabbed a coffee and two donuts. Walking past me she whispered, “Nice way to change the subject,” before leaving me and Jemini alone.
“What about work?”
“I’ll juggle both at first and then I’ll figure it out as I go.”
“You have clients who rely on you.”
“And I will still show up and provide excellent customer service. My hours of availability may be a little different, but it’s doable.”
“You should be focused on finding a man like your sister.”
“At twenty-six a man is the least of my concerns.”
“I taught you two life comes at you fast. And before you know it, you’re in your forties and the quality of men significantly decrease.”
She was right, she taught us our ABCs, 123s and that our value was based on whether we had a man.
My mother was what we called male-centered.
A man, shit it didn’t have to be her man, but any man took priority over her and her daughters.
Her pursuit of a husband compromised her judgment allowing her to entertain all types of questionable men, and those men took advantage of her and us.
“Well maybe you should’ve taken your own advice.”
“My DMs are open and active. I can’t say the same for you.”
As we got older, she saw Anika and I as competition.
“Congratulations, how many thirst traps do you have to post per day to maintain that consistency?”
“You are just like your father. You got the worst parts of him, I swear to God.”
“Well at least I didn’t get the worst parts of you.” Make no mistake this was a regular weekday for me and Jemini. We’d fight and work hard to push the other’s buttons.
“You stay single because you’re a constant wet blanket. No wonder Aldridge moved on so quickly.”
One thing I did inherit from my mother was her temper. “This from the menopausal woman who is dating a twenty-one-year-old kid?”
“DeMarcus and I have a lot in common.”
“Yeah, you both love spending his money.”
“I didn’t raise you to be so … blah.”
“You didn’t raise me at all. You left us twenty dollars for pizza while you fucked random men. So because I don’t wanna be a whore—” My mother closed the distance between us and slapped me squarely on my face. This wasn’t the first time.
“You watch the way you fucking talk to me.”
“You just can’t …” The lump in my throat made it impossible for words to pass.
Tears, however, filled my eyes and fell in streams down my cheeks.
Jemini knew how to shut down a conversation when it wasn’t going her way.
My entire body shook with a mixture of rage and embarrassment.
Anika’s dainty foot falls hurriedly advanced down the hall.
She reentered the breakroom to find me in tears and Jemini’s hands balled into fists.
“Maybe you should go back to work Mom,” Anika suggested. Jemini complied, I’m sure she was sorry, she always was afterward. With our mother out of the room, Anika pulled me into her arms. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have left.”
“It’s okay.” I shook my head.
“You know Jemini—”
“Jemini is never gonna change.” My lower lip trembled.
Anika rubbed my back. My sister, for all my complaints, was my protector.
She’d been my bodyguard our entire lives.
Taking the brunt of the beatings and emotional abuse.
She’d locked us in our bedroom when strange men spent the night.
And she told me I was way more than just a pretty face.
“You’re right, it’s such a beautiful day. Too beautiful for tears.”
“I slept with Aldi.” My pout turned into a weak smile.
She stepped back and softly clapped her hands in silent celebration. “It’s about damn time.”