Chapter 4 Justin
JUSTIN
Imade it home not even ten minutes before my wife did.
God was on my side too because I needed to jump in the shower.
If she would have made it home before me, I would’ve been fucked royally.
The last thing I needed was for her to smell sex on me.
I didn’t know about everybody, but the smell of sex and the smell of workout sweat were two totally different smells.
If I could smell myself, I knew without a doubt Ava would’ve been able to smell it also.
Hauling ass to our bedroom as fast as I could, I stripped out of my clothes then jumped into the shower.
As I was showering, Ava walked into the bathroom. “Hey baby, just wanted to let you know I’m home.”
“Hey, baby girl! How was work?”
“It was fine. Today was pretty easy. Now tomorrow is going to be a different story. My schedule is booked with a gang of meetings. I texted you, how come you didn’t text me back?”
“Uh… I’m sorry, babe, I didn’t even notice. I mean, I didn’t see it. I was at the gym and didn’t have my phone on me.”
“Oh, okay. Well, I’ma go get dinner started. I’m surprised you didn’t cook.”
“Yeah, I didn’t get a chance to. I kinda got a late start at the gym. For it to be the middle of the day, it was packed. You know Mondays at the gym be crazy packed from the time it opens ‘til it closes. I guess everybody trying to work off they weekend weight.”
When she didn’t reply, I figured she had walked out of the bathroom.
I finished washing off and then stepped out of the shower.
As I reached for my dry towel, I looked in the mirror and noticed a hickey on my chest. It was small but still noticeable.
I wasn’t sure if Ava put it there or if I had gotten it from my lover.
Things got a little hot and heavy today since it had been a while since we got to spend time together.
“FUCK!” I said out loud, rushing into the bedroom so that I could get dressed. Being careless gon’ get my ass in some trouble, I didn’t want Ava to see it just in case she wasn’t the one who put it there. “Shit! Shit!”
Once I was done getting dressed, I headed to the kitchen to help Ava cook dinner.
I should’ve gotten home earlier so that I could’ve had dinner done for her, especially since I was off all day and it was her first day back at work.
It was the least I could do. Plus, the last thing I needed was for her to start getting suspicious and shit.
To be such a beautiful woman, she had some major issues with being insecure.
She could sometimes be too observant. The shit was aggravating as hell, but it kept me on my toes.
I knew that cheating on my wife was fucked up on my part, but I couldn’t help myself.
Choosing to settle down and marry her was solely for her.
I only proposed because I didn’t want to lose her.
I loved my wife, but she could never fully satisfy me no matter how hard she tried.
“Hey, baby, give your hubby some suga,” I greeted Ava as I stepped into the kitchen and walked up to her.
Wrapping my arms around her, we started kissing.
I made sure to kiss her as sensually as I possibly could because I felt bad about not having dinner done for her.
My nerves were getting the best of me and had me feeling awful and guilty.
The least I could do was show her a little attention.
Plus, it kept her from being suspicious.
Ava loved attention, and if I were to start slacking on giving it to her, she’d start her complaining, making sure to let me know.
Since things had been going so good, I wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible.
“You betta stop before you get something started,” she said, breaking away from my embrace then going back to gathering all of the stuff she needed to make dinner. “You smell so damn good.”
“Thank you, baby. So, what you cookin’? Or shall I say, what we gon’ cook?”
“I was thinking grilled steaks, baked potatoes, and some corn on the cob. While the food is on the grill, I’ll bake the potatoes in the oven.”
“That sounds good. Let me go get the grill started while you season the meat and get the corn together.”
Opening the patio door that led out to the backyard where our barbeque grills were, I went to the shed and pulled out all the stuff I needed to get the charcoal grill started.
We had two grills; a propane grill and a charcoal grill.
Ava normally cooked on the propane grill.
She hated using the charcoal grill. The last time she tried to get it started, she damn near burned all the hair off her head.
She put too much lighter fluid on the coals, and when she went to put fire to them, the whole grill engulfed in flames.
The shit shot so high and so quick that she didn’t get a chance to back up fast enough and some of her hair caught on fire.
She was pissed OFF. Once I saw that she was okay, I laughed for days behind it.
So now, all the grilling was on me. We had the propane grill as option B for her days I wasn’t home, and she wanted to grill.
Once I got the grill started, I cleaned it off then headed back into the house to get the meat.
Ava was still seasoning the meat, so I went ahead and put the potatoes in the oven, that way they would be done by the time the steaks were ready.
Baked potatoes took fucking forever to cook.
Getting the grill fork and tongs, I grabbed the tray of food then headed back outside.
As I was putting the food on the grill, Ava came outside and sat in one of the lawn chairs that were near the grill.
“I made you some ice water, baby. It’s hot as hell out here today.”
“Thanks, yeah it’s a scorcher.”
“So, how was your day? What else did you do besides go to the gym?” Ava asked.
“Shit, nothing really. Like I said, I had a late start getting to the gym because I got wrapped up into this episode of The First 48.”
“You actually found an episode you haven’t seen already?”
“Nah.” I chuckled. “It was a rerun, but a good one,” I lied, knowing good and damn well that wasn’t the case.
Ava sometimes liked to ask questions like she was an interrogator.
That was one of the things that I didn’t particularly care for about her.
I hated to be questioned, especially when I knew that I had been up to no good.
Plus, with her, I could never tell if she was questioning me just to be doing it or if it was because she was suspecting that I was up to no good.
“I talked to my sister and Shane today.”
Thank God she brought up something else.
“Oh yeah, what’s been going on with them?” I asked.
“My sister is crazy busy with work, and Shane is Shane.” She chuckled.
I didn’t say anything as I took a long drink from the cup of water that she gave me. All of a sudden, I was thirsty as hell.
“I invited Shane over this weekend since you have to work.”
“You did. What y’all two have planned?”
“Nothing much, just going to catch up.”
“You know how I feel about you and Shane hanging out.”
“We haven’t talked or seen each other since the wedding,” she complained.
“Y’all just two peas in a pod, huh? I truly don’t see what y’all have in common.”
“You know that’s my bestie. I don’t know why you don’t like us hanging out.”
“Probably because Shane is single and loves to mingle. You’re married now. You need to start hanging with people that match your swag more. A married woman don’t need to be hanging out with someone that’s single and in the streets like he is.”
“Oh, really? What about you and Tate?” Ava countered.
“What about Tate?”
“He’s single.”
“He is newly single for one. And, Tate and I have been friends since the sandbox. Big, big difference between you and Shane,” I said.
“Ion think so.”
“I guess we just gon’ agree to disagree on it then.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about.
I love you and only you. Shane may like to mingle, but I don’t be on that.
Plus, he’s coming here. It’s not like we’re going out to the club or something,” Ava said as she came and stood next to me, looking at the meat on the grill.
“Gosh, that smells so good. I love me some grilled steak, and you make them so perfect, too!”
“Thanks, baby.”
“Speaking of Tate, have you talked to him since the wedding?” Ava asked.
“Actually, no, I haven’t. His work schedule is just as crazy as mine, so you know how that goes.”
“Yeah, I know. I hate your work schedule, that and the fact that your job is so dangerous. It rattles my nerves when you’re at work. I’m always worried hoping that nothing happens to you.”
“Ain’t nothing gon’ happen to me, baby. I’ve been fighting fires for years, and ain’t nothin’ happened to me yet.”
“I know, but still. I’m not looking forward to not being with you. I’ve gotten used to us being together all day.”
“You mean you’ve gotten spoiled.” I laughed. “This been my schedule since you’ve known me. You’ll be just fine. Plus, you got your boy coming over.”
“I’m not talking about this weekend. I gotta get through the next two days first.”
“Well, it’s really not that bad, and it goes by fast. You gotta work so you’ll only be spending the nights alone,” I reasoned.
“I know, but still. I hate being home alone. We need to get a dog or something-”
“Oh, hell nah! Nope,” I interrupted her. “I ain’t tryna be chasin’ after no stankin’ ass dog!”
“Ahhh, come on, babe! I could use the companionship when you’re not here.”
“Then what happens on the days that I’m home? Nah, man! I really ain’t tryna have no dog running around here shitting all over the place and tearing shit up.”
“Will you at least think about it?”
“Hmmm, let me think…” I paused for a few minutes then answered her. “Fuck no, absolutely the fuck not. There, I thought about it. The answer is still no and gon stay no.”
“I thought firefighters liked dogs?”
“You watch too much TV babe. That’s a myth and very cliché.”
“Just think about it. You know what they say; happy wife, happy life, right?”
“Shit, my life and wife gon’ be just fine, dog or no dog. Hell, in my opinion it will be better with no dog.” I laughed, causing Ava to laugh too.
“You’re a mess!” She giggled.
Once the steaks and corn were done, I took them off the grill and put them on the plate that Ava had brought out. She took the food into the house as I closed the top on the grill. When I got back into the kitchen, Ava was just taking the potatoes out of the oven.
“Are they done?” I asked.
“Yeah, I put the oven on broil so that it wouldn’t take forever. You only had it on 350, so they would have still been cooking if I would have left them on that.”
“Girl, you know you smart. See, beauty and brains. That’s why I love yo ass.”
“You play too much.” Ava chuckled as we both made our plates.
As I sat down at the kitchen table to eat, she fixed us both some sweet tea with ice, then joined me at the table.
“Thank you, baby,” I said, picking up the glass of sweet tea and taking a sip. “Ouu wee, this some good ass tea.”
“Gold Peak is the best. Baby, this steak is so good. I swear you grill steak better than a steakhouse.”
“Thanks, baby girl.”
We sat the rest of the time in silence while we ate.
Occasionally, I glanced over at her, and for a slight moment, I started to feel guilty for cheating on my wife.
I loved her so much and honestly couldn’t see my life without her in it.
I just couldn’t help myself. I knew that if she had any idea about what I really was up to today, she would never forgive me.
And if I were her, I probably wouldn’t be able to forgive myself either.
Once we were finished, I cleaned the kitchen while Ava went to take a shower. While she was in the bedroom getting dressed, I sat in the family room and watched Deadliest Catch. As I sat there, I figured I’d text my boy Tate to see how he was doing.
Me: What’s up my boi?
Tate: What up, fool?
Me: Shit. You free this week to meet up?
Tate: I’m off Thursday.
Me. Bet, me too. I’ll hit you up. Later.
Tate: Later, bro.
Just as I finished texting Tate, Ava came prancing into the family room looking sexier than a motherfucker. Too bad I was worn completely out, otherwise, I would have jumped her bones on sight.
“Damn, babe, you lookin’ like a snack.” I complimented, taking in the pastel pink and black lingerie she was wearing.
Ava was a very curvaceous woman. She had curves in all the right places, and that lingerie she had on was hugging her body just right.
“I was thinking more like dessert,” Ava responded as she straddled my lap.
Taking one of her hands, she reached under my shirt and started rubbing my chest. Kissing my neck, she started getting carried away and started sucking.
“Come on, bae. You know I have to work tomorrow. Ion want to be walking around with a hickey on my neck.”
“I’m not gonna give you a hickey, silly. Hickeys are for teenagers.” She giggled then continued, “I was just kissing on you. You smell like a mix of barbeque and cologne.” She chuckled.
“Shit, let me go take another shower right quick then.”
Fuck! That meant the hickey that was on my chest didn’t come from her. Damn it all to hell!
Getting up from the couch, I headed to the bedroom to take my third shower of the day. Once I was done, I put on a pair of boxer briefs and a t-shirt then got into bed. Looking at the clock, it was a little past nine, and I needed to be up at three to get to work by four.
“I thought you were coming back to watch TV with me?” Ava asked as she joined me in our bedroom.
“Sorry, babe. I didn’t realize it was this late. I need to go to bed so I can get to work on time in the morning. The last thing I need is to be late on my first day back.”
“Dang, I was looking forward to some cuddling.”
“Come here, I’ll hold you while we sleep,” I yawned.
As sexy as she was looking, she was damn lucky I was sexed out for the day. My dick and balls were drier than the Sahara Desert. To say I was drained would be an understatement.
Ava climbed into bed and snuggled next to me. Laying her head on my chest, she picked up the remote for the TV and turned to one of her girly shows while I drifted off to sleep.