Gills
Seeing Journei again wasn’t somethin’ I planned on doin’ so soon. We had over a month of no contact, and every day that passed, I woke up feeling like she just got out of my bed. That morning, after leaving her that note, I went to the house of the Lord and repented for so many hours.
I was weak for the flesh and soul of one woman. It was the way she moaned my name, the way she exuded her fluids for me, and the way she satisfied every inch of my body that had me keeping my distance.
Hearing her say what she said hurt my lil’ feelings. I did run, but that was somethin’ I needed to. What we did wasn’t the actions of the man I thought I’d grown to be. If treating her like a plague was how I had to go about things, then that was what I was gon’ do.
“Don’t even trip, Hunz. Can you give this to her though? I said I was gon’ send her gift through you.”
“Nigga, she right the fuck there. If you don’t go give her that shit and get out my face. And tell Belle to come here right quick.”
I looked at him like he was crazy. He wasn’t gon’ do my favor but wanted me to do his? Type time was he on? Once I gave Journei that gift, I was leaving. Hunz wasn’t about to aggravate me. I just didn’t have the patience.
Walking up the hall, I heard the ladies talking. Eavesdroppin’ wasn’t my forte, but when I heard my name, I had to. Curiosity had gotten the best of me.
“My baby, what am I supposed to do? I have a wife, but that man… that man has the power to make me forget all about her. When Christian is around, all I see, feel, and smell is him. Alexis was sittin’ right beside me, but once I laid eyes on him, my mind, body, and soul said fuck her.”
“Nei, what you want me to say? ’Cause all I’m hearing is you love your wife, but you’re in love with Gills.
Which is funny to me ’cause when I met your number two, I had the same exact love at first sight feeling for him.
Gills mad cool, and he not the pastor you think he is.
Yeah, he livin’ for the Lord, but that man was just as wild as Hunz.
Why you think he don’t match the holier than thou appearance?
I’m all for you and Alexis, but if I’m speakin’ my truth…
Gills will heal and cherish you better than Alexis ever will. ”
After hearing that, I walked in with her gift in tow. I was no longer nervous. I knew how Journei felt, and by no means was I lookin’ for her to break the union she had with her wife, but she was gon’ be mine eventually.
I walked over to the island, where Journei was sitting, and placed the three bags from Tiffany in front of her.
One held a diamond necklace, the other one a tennis bracelet to match, and the third a set of earrings, adding to the set.
I spent a good thirty grand on a woman who wasn’t rightfully mine.
Journei hesitated to touch the bags. I didn’t like the space we were in, but I was tryna respect her and keep the peace. What I wanted to do was lay her on that table and take her to those same places we visited that night all over my condo. See? Losing control.
Belle Air didn’t say a word. She just threw Journei a wink and walked out.
We were alone, and that wasn’t safe for either of us.
Things happened when we were alone. No matter how many times I told myself to stay away, I couldn’t.
I wanted to know everything there was about Journei, but her marriage stopped all of that.
“I got this for you as a late birthday gift. I know you prolly don’t want nothin’ from me, but I try to stand by my word.”
Silence surrounded us as she dug into the bags. No eye contact was made until each box was opened. When she looked at me, I could see the tears sitting at the brim of her eyes. That woman cried a lot.
“Thank you, Gills.”
“That’s not my name, Journei.” I didn’t like her callin’ me by the name everyone else did.
“Thank you, Christian.” She reached for a hug, which I declined. “So, you’re really doin’ this? You can’t even touch me now?” I could see the hurt on her pretty lil’ face. Those same tears decided to fall. I didn’t ever wanna be the reason she cried.
I leaned over to hug her when her perfume took over my senses yet again.
As I pulled back, she fisted the sides of my shirt and kissed on my neck.
She didn’t want me to move. Declining the first time was because of that.
I knew there would be more. Hunz could’ve done the favor, and all of that would’ve been avoided.
“Journei, don’t do this.”
The most she did was release the grip she had on my shirt. Her lips never detached from my skin. We weren’t about to do that again. I stepped back and headed for the door. For the record, I didn’t know short people could move so fast. She beat me to the kitchen doorway, halting my steps.
“You owe me a conversation, Christian, and you know it.”
I didn’t owe her a thing. My actions were based off the events that happened between us. I put it all in the letter I left for her. I didn’t need to explain nothin’ about nothin’. I said what I said and givin’ her a conversation would lead to me enjoying her walls again.
“I don’t. Tell Hunz I’ll get at him later. Excuse me.” With that, I moved her lil’ body over to the side and left.
What Journei failed to understand was the type of activities we engaged in could have me out there down bad. Each time I entered her canal that night, I felt more at home than I already was. Being inside her was exactly where I needed to be.
I took that two-hour drive aggravated as ever. Journei didn’t care about her marriage when I was around. Alexis might’ve stepped out, but she was still her wife. I didn’t like how I held more respect for their union than she did.
Truthfully, I didn’t care about their marriage for real, but if Journei was my wife, I wouldn’t want anyone doin’ half of what we’d done already.
From the things she said to Belle Air, I knew we were gon’ end as one, but I wouldn’t influence her by sex or my presence. She would have to come to me willingly and divorced. Until then, I had no reason to be around nor converse with her.
It was after seven when I made it back to Nashville. I had a few things to handle, but I was mad tired. Lately, I been feeling drained and just wanted to sleep. I found myself taking naps throughout the day like a toddler. It was weird since I always had the most energy.
“Mr. Gills, a package came for you yesterday. I forgot I placed it in the office.” Nari was our eyes and ears for the building. She might’ve worked the front desk, but she knew everything that went down in these condos.
“’Preciate that.” I grabbed the bag from her and headed for my floor.
When I entered my condo, I placed my things down on the bar. Nobody knew where I resided other than my granny, Hunz, and Journei. I reached in and pulled out a set of expensive sheets with a card attached. I only had one person in mind. I read the card to make sure.
I’m sorry for soakin’ your sheets and comforter the way I did.
Hopefully, this will be accepted along with my apology.
I shouldn’t be replacing shit since it was you that caused me to do so much damage.
You want distance, so I figured I’d just drop it off instead of givin’ it to you personally. Goodbye, Christian Gills.
Even though I’d just left her, reading the word goodbye hurt me a lil’ bit. I proposed the distanced act, but I didn’t want her out altogether. That goodbye felt like she bounced for good and cut all ties to us.
Journei did too much to me that I couldn’t control or understand. It wasn’t no way one person had me cuttin’ up like that. I put on some music to drown her out and do somethin’ other than focusing on Journei Evans.
Slow jams played as I turned down for the night. I had a workshop to do the next day, and I was gon’ need the energy. I showered and decided to make somethin’ quick to eat. A few good tacos were gon’ get me right. It’d been a minute since I made them, but I couldn’t go wrong with crab tacos.
I was in the comfort of my home, so I was butterball naked. I didn’t have a reason to cover myself or respect a soul in there other than mine. Plus, nobody had a key to my place except Nari, and she knew better than to violate the rules. She got paid nicely from the private company.
Babe, I know they’ve seen us before.
Maybe at the liquor store, or maybe at the health food stand.
They don’t know that I’m your man.
Reciting word for word with D’Angelo to “Lady” had me vibin’ out while cookin’. I couldn’t get with too much gospel. I knew the Word and would listen to it, but I was a ’90s baby through and through.
The music was loud and knockin’ so I never heard the doors from the elevator open. When I turned around, the woman I was avoiding and silencing was standing in my condo with everything oiled up and on display. There wasn’t a piece of clothing in sight that was tied to her.
I had just placed my food on a plate, and the floor held all contents of it. Journei wasn’t supposed to be in Nashville, let alone in front of me. I’d only been home for a little over an hour, so with it being a two-hour distance, she must’ve wasted no time comin’ after me.
One foot after another, she made her way to me. By the time she was in front of me, I was rock hard, fighting off the urge to do her on my kitchen island. The piercings she had on her face were drawing attention to all her features. Why are you here, woman?
Her hand went around to the back of my neck, bringing me down to her level. A kiss from those soft lips turned my flame all the way up. Everything I said and felt went out the window. She massaged my shaft, smearing the precum around the tip. I was under her spell, and she knew it.
Journei broke the kiss and looked me in the eyes. Her beauty was unmatched I swear. Grabbing my hand, she pulled me from the kitchen to the couch. I watched her back side jiggle, and that alone had me ready to let loose.