Chapter 3 Flat Water
Chapter three
Flat Water
Back in the day, coming home in the wee hours would have been unthinkable.
I used to live on the Northside, in a house that was more affordable than it was safe.
I was grinding then, working as a medical billing specialist by day and hustling my body care line on the side just to keep the lights on.
In today’s economy, the numbers didn’t add up.
My three-bedroom house in the hood cost the same as a shoebox, one-bedroom apartment in Midtown.
When I met Kel everything changed for the better.
Her occupation as a welder afforded her the luxury of living in a sprawling four-bedroom in Semmes.
My twin brother Nel used to joke and tell me to be careful because lesbian relationships move fast. I wasn’t ashamed to say he was right.
In just six months into our relationship, Kel asked me to move in.
I was hesitant at first, but when she told me I didn’t have to pay a dime in bills I was sold.
That freedom allowed me to quit the corporate grind and turn my side hustle into a career. My business Botanique was quickly becoming a popular name across Mobile and Baldwin County. I was known for my luxury oils and soaps.
Kel hadn't just given me a home. She had funded my dreams and I was thankful for her.
“It smells good in here, baby,” I said, stepping into the kitchen, the scent of bacon and waffles heavy in the air.
I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her full lips. She was shorter than me, a tiny detail that teased my subconscious every day. Luckily that was her only flaw. At least her only physical one.
At first glance, Kel looked like a pretty boy. Light skin, tatted up, always in something masculine, with a sneaker collection that could embarrass most men.
She was fine as hell, but she didn’t fit what I usually went for. Like most people, I had a type and she was the complete opposite. Tall, dark, and handsome had always been my lane.
“It will be done in a minute,” she said, wrapping her arms around my waist. Her nose crinkled as she pulled back. “Why do you smell like cologne?”
The question felt pointed, even though her voice was gentle.
“One of the dancers gave me a lap dance,” I said, offering the sanitized version of the truth. I didn’t mention being hoisted into the air or how my body had reacted.
“Go take a quick shower,” she said, turning back to the stove. Her words were not a suggestion but an order wrapped in care. “I don’t want that man’s scent on my sheets.”
I padded down the hall toward the bathroom. I should have felt like the luckiest woman alive. I had a beautiful home, a growing business, and a woman who adored me enough to have breakfast ready. Something was missing though—something I wasn’t ready to put my finger on and admit to.
In the bathroom, I stepped out of my little black dress, letting it pool at my feet before discarding my bra and thong.
I stood in front of the vanity, studying the woman I had become.
I was proud of myself. I was resilient and still standing after so many trials.
From being abandoned by my mother to losing my first love in a way that never should’ve happened.
Luckily I didn’t look like what I had been through.
I did the therapy thing for a little while, but I never did connect with any of my therapists.
After the third one I decided not to look for a fourth and picked up a hobby instead.
I started making soap. It started with seeing a girl on YouTube do it.
Then I did my research on clean ingredients and natural scents that still smelled good.
My first successful product was my Turmeric Honey Glow Bar.
I used to have dark marks and discoloration before I started using it.
To this day it was still my go to as I washed the makeup off my face. I followed with my Rosewater Toner, its fine mist refreshing and waking me up. Lastly I stepped into the shower to finish the rest of my body care routine.
The hot water pounded my skin as I tried to wash away the memory of the stripper’s hands.
I reached for my signature Honey & Shea Body Polish, rubbing the granules over my curves in slow, circular motions, exfoliating away the scent of cheap cologne and club sweat.
A rinse later, I followed with my Triple Butter Wash, thick and creamy, lathering the shower with vanilla and sandalwood until I smelled like my sweet normal scent.
I was reaching for my shower body oil when the glass door slid open behind me. Kel stood there biting her bottom lip and smiling at me.
“You’re making me cold,” I told her as I grabbed the oil.
She looked at my hardened nipples. “I see,” she grinned.
“Come warm me up,” I handed her the bottle.
She took it and set it down briefly to step out of her pajamas. She wasn’t wearing a sports bra or boxers under the silk. I took her in. Her nipples were taut and she was already aroused and I hadn’t even touched her yet.
My mind went back to the first time we had sex. I was nervous because all my life I’d been attracted to men. The first few times it was strictly about her pleasing me, but as our relationship got deeper and I started catching feelings I wanted to please her too.
The fingering, the kissing, the scissoring was fun for me.
Going down on her was the part I had to work through.
Kel was always a clean girl even before I put her onto my products, but that particular act was still a mental hurdle I hadn’t fully cleared.
Was I attracted to her? Hell yes. Did I enjoy every part of being with her?
That was still a conversation I was having with myself.
I tried not to overthink it as she stepped in and massaged my body with the oil. One thing was for sure, she knew how to turn me on with the simplest of touches. I moaned as she worked the product over my nipples, pinching them just enough to send a shiver down my spine.
“You’ve been gone too long,” she muttered against my ear.
“You missed me?” I asked as one of her hands played with my nipple while the other found my clit. I shuddered.
“Yeah,” she answered. “Let me show you how much.”
She spun me around and pressed me to the tile. The warm water hit us both but the heat radiating off her was hotter. Her hands gripped my thigh, hoisting me up until I was locked around her waist.
“Kel—”
“What?” she asked as her fingers found my opening. She was an expert, never fumbling or guessing. She found my spot and made me forget my train of thought completely.
“Wh-what about the food?” I managed through ragged breaths.
“The quicker you cum for me, the quicker you can go eat.” The motion she had going was bringing tears to my eyes.
I wrapped my fingers in her soft wavy hair and pulled her into a kiss. My moans escaped onto her tongue as my thighs shook. It was almost embarrassing how fast she could take me there.
“Fuck, you got me about to cum already,” I cried out.
“Let me taste it,” she said, dropping to her knees without missing a beat, working my walls while her mouth found my clit.
The sensation had my knees buckling. She held my weight without stopping and my release came so hard it caught us both off guard.
We’d been together two years and the orgasms still shocked me.
Kel was never satisfied with just one.
“Kel please, I can’t take no more,” I tried to push her head away. I felt weak, my whole body throbbing.
“You taste so good baby,” she removed her fingers and replaced them with her tongue. “Just give me one more.”
Before I could argue she was rubbing my clit with two fingers while her tongue explored every part of me without apology. She was making me dizzy with lust. She had the audacity to be moaning like she was the one being pleased, and it turned me on to know my pleasure aroused her that much.
The second orgasm hit deeper than the first and this time the tears fell as she pulled every last bit of it from me.
“That’s what the fuck I thought,” she said against my skin, patting my ass like I had just scored a touchdown.
Kel rose licking her lips, smirking with satisfaction.
That’s when I knew what I had right in front of me.
Kel might not have been what I envisioned when I pictured myself married with kids and the whole American dream, but she was what I needed.
She was a provider, a lover, and she knew my body better than I did. What more could I ask for.
“I love you Kel,” I murmured, forehead resting against hers.
“I know you do baby,” she said, tucking a wet strand of hair behind my ear. “Now come on. Let’s eat before the grits get cold.”