Chapter 13
chapter thirteen
donavan
The smell of morning dew was the perfect way to start my third day at training camp. The coordinators of the Waste Management Phoenix Open allowed us to train for two weeks before the competition. It was perfect because I took so much time off to focus on Ivory, but I was amazing at my job.
After ten years, it didn’t feel like work. I was living my dream and if I could have my dream woman, too, I’d be the luckiest man in this world.
“Matthews, it’s been a while, how are you, champ?” Tom Sanders, my biggest competitor - in his eyes – said, bothering me.
I was counting down the hours until Ivory arrived; it was Thursday, and her flight got in on Saturday.
Our date was planned down to a T, Ivory didn’t know how bad she fucked up by allowing me to woo her until we knocked down this bucket list. If it was one thing I knew how to do, was woo a woman, my father set the best example.
“I’m good, Sanders; how’s Martha and the kids?” We had to rub shoulders with each other, I could take it there with the best of them.
Sanders complained too many times to my manager that I was rude, I knew his type, though.
He doubted me when he first met me, once I dusted his old ass, he tried to accuse me of cheating.
It couldn’t have been that I was naturally better than him, it was in my blood to be a great athlete. This shit was in me not on me.
“Ah, you know, the ball and chain is never too far away, but that’s marriage for you, right?”
I took another sip from my coffee to think about how I wanted to address him.
“Sanders, we won’t see eye to eye when it comes to marriage.
The marriages that I had the privilege to witness are beautiful beyond comparison.
The unification of marriage should be of two souls eternally tethered to each other; it’s sad that after twenty years of marriage, you are still a piece of shit.
If I was into older women, I’d snatch your wife from up under you just to teach you a lesson.
” The smirk he wore crumbled as each word registered in his pea size ass brain.
“As if my Martha would want anything to do with the likes of you.” Now he’s possessive.
“Right, tell that to her the next time she’s had too much to drink at the party. Watch out, Sanders, someone might not be as generous as me. If you’ll excuse me, I need to practice my swing.” I nodded at his reddening face before going back inside to get started with the day.
Swarms of people fled in and out of the airport, it wasn’t a normal thing for me to be here. I usually chartered a jet, but Ivory’s client got her tickets this time. She told me that her flight landed at around 3:00 p.m. and I’d been here since 1:00 p.m., waiting around.
There had been a tightening in my chest since we’d been apart, I used to blame it on my worry because of her epilepsy. But, now I knew it was just because I missed her. Since I didn’t have to hold back anymore, I could allow my true feelings to show.
Some of the tightening loosened as I watched Ivory come around the corner to baggage claim, searching for her luggage that I’d already grabbed for her. I wanted to see if she could feel me in the room, my Ivory meter was always accurate.
Ivory stood with the rest of the people, scrolling on her phone. I watched her smile at – a video I’m sure – before she paused. Her head lifted, fully exposing all of her beauty before she locked eyes with me.
Maybe we were soulmates after all.
She smiled the biggest smile I’d seen from her in a while.
I really was the luckiest man alive, Ivory ran to me at full speed and I caught all of her when she wrapped those thick thighs around me.
We didn’t say anything with words, but the beating of her heart matched my intensity.
My arms held her as close as humanly possible, everything in my world was alright when she was right here, heart to heart.
“Fuck, I missed you; I didn’t expect to miss you this much, but I did. What does that mean?” Ivory mumbled into my neck.
“It means that you aren’t alone. I missed you too, Ivy – so damn much. Let’s go, baby, I have your bags already.” I tried to unglue her from my body, but she was koala bear tight.
“No, not yet. I need a longer hug.”
“Whatever you want, Poison Ivy.”
ivory
I kept sneaking glances at Donny, was it possible for him to get finer over a course of a few days?
For example, I have driven in the car with him since he got his driver permit at sixteen years old.
We were so excited to ride around —- with Elijah in the backseat of course — it was a great experience.
He excelled at everything he put his mind to and driving was no different.
But now, almost fifteen years later, it feels very nostalgic but different at the same time. The veins in his right arm flexed each time he tightened his hand against the steering wheel, why were veins a new turn on for me?
He was telling me about the different landmarks here that I didn’t really care about because all I kept thinking about was the fact that he didn’t give me a kiss.
Since we started this whole thing, Donavan had always greeted me with a kiss, and right now, I was feeling shy about initiating it first. I would have never categorized myself as shy beforehand. In fact, I was a wild child in college and kissed many girls first before I met my ex.
But, everything with him was a new experience. A new version of me was here in this situationship with my best friend and for once, I was leaning toward the fact that he could be my for?—.
“You’re not even listening to me. What’s wrong, Ivy?” He placed his hand on my thigh, lightly squeezing it. It was supposed to be comforting, but instead, it heated every fiber of my being.
“You didn’t kiss me today, we’ve been driving for thirty minutes, and not once have you given me a proper greeting.” Crossing my arms, I sat back with a pout.
“I’m sorry, princess, let’s fix that.” Donavan swiftly pulled the car over, ignoring the cars beeping behind us, stirring up so much dust from the dirt road, it was hard to see out the window.
I watched him get out of the car, walk over to my side, and open my door. A part of me felt pathetic for even mentioning it, but I really wanted a kiss.
“Get out of the car.” Donavan unbuckled my seatbelt, beckoning me out of the truck.
“What are you doing?” Did he really pull the car over for this? I climbed out of his truck and stood there staring up at him, the sun making every feature of his shine brighter.
It was easy for him to reach my lips with our height difference, so effortlessly, he kissed every word out of my mind.
There was an eagerness in the way his tongue searched mine, Donavan was pouring every emotion into this kiss.
I was so lost in his web that all I could do was cling to him tighter, giving in to the feelings that I was so scared to admit out loud.
Regretfully, he broke our kiss and pressed his forehead to mine. My lungs were on fire, but if kissing him was the reason, I’d never complain.
“Are you happy now?” He took a step back, cuffing my chin, eyes focused on me. He always gave me his undivided attention, I didn’t realize how much that fed my soul.
It was heart-searing to know that he cared enough about my feelings to pull over on the side of the road to just give me a kiss.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I mumbled, suddenly scared of every new revelation I experienced in the past few weeks.
“Don’t start that shit, Poison Ivy; yes, I did.
You wanted something that was easy for me to give.
All it did was add a few more minutes to our destination.
Now, answer my question: are you happy now?
You had a serious pout going on, thankfully, I’m used to your bratty ways.
” I pushed him away, well, I tried to, but he was freakishly stronger than me. He didn’t move an inch.
“I am not a brat, don’t tell lies.”
He opened my door, and I climbed back into the truck, the sting of his hand slapping my ass hurt. I gave him my nastiest look as he kissed my forehead, then shut the door in my face.
“You are a brat; remember, you didn’t talk to me for a week because I went to the school formal with Candice Beckham.” Anyone would be upset if their best friend went to a dance with their arch-nemesis.
“That’s because she stole my part in the school’s play.
I was supposed to be Alice, but I had to wear that stupid catsuit instead.
It was humiliating, to say the least, so we were deemed enemies but of course, all you saw were her flirty looks.
I should have known you couldn’t stay loyal to the cause! ”
Donavan laughed so hard, the car swerved slightly to the left.
“You are so damn dramatic, Ivory, it’s ridiculous!
I’ll be the one to say it, but you sucked as Alice, and that’s because your cocky ass thought you didn’t have to practice.
You didn’t want to listen to me or your sister and you was salty as hell.
Why should I have passed up on a good night just because you didn’t do your diligence?
” I turned up the music louder to ignore him.
It was my song, Boo Thang by Verse Simmonds. I used to be so obsessed with this song back in college.
“You’re beautiful, and I’m handsome...” He sang, jamming alongside me.
We spent many nights just vibing out to our favorite songs. In a sense, some things changed, while others never failed to stay the same.