“I… um… can’t see you anymore,” she bursts into tears, sobbing into the phone. What the fuck did Cyn do?
“There’s got to be a way around this,” I tell her. “Tell me what happened and we’ll work through it.”
“Aunt Cyn,” she chokes.
“Don’t let her control our lives, Jasmine!” I almost scream. Taking a deep breath I continue more calmly. “Come on, let’s at least discuss it. I’ll pick you up and you can tell me everything.”
“NO!” Jasmine cries. “I love you, Mike, but it’s been just my mom and I for so long… I can’t hurt her.”
“Jasmine…” she cuts me off.
“I love you, Mike. Goodbye.” She disconnects and I just stare at my iPhone. Fuck! A minute later the familiar tone signals that I have a text message.
If you love me, don’t make me choose between you and my mom. Don’t call me or try to see me. Please don’t hate me. Ily
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! What does she mean don’t make me choose. She’s already chosen and it’s not me who forced the choice. Goddamn Cyn! Fuck! Shit! Fuck! I catch myself just before throwing my iPhone across the room. I’m tempted to text her and tell her how chicken shit it is to do this via text but I don’t really want to add to her misery.
To say I was in a funk would be an understatement. For the next several weeks, I’m just going through the motions; work, school, home, repeat. Even Amber can’t cheer me up, not that she offered anything other than a ready ear to listen. Her and Jim are still together and she’s made it clear that their relationship is exclusive. In my current state I doubt I’d be able to get it up anyway.
One evening, while pointlessly walking through my bookstore shift in a depressed mental fog, I’m shocked when I look up and see Barbara, the third neglected black housewife enter the store. I’m thinking it’s just a coincidence, she’s probably shopping but then she spots me and heads purposefully in my direction.
“Hi Mike,” she says. “Can we talk?” She looks as gorgeous as ever in a cream-colored, button up blouse and black legging stretch pants. The top three buttons are undone and her blouse curves sexily around her light brown cleavage. Apparently my cock doesn’t know about my depression.
“Um… sure,” I stammer, moving my eyes up to her unsmiling face. “I’m almost due for a lunch break, do you want to talk here or we can meet at the Starbucks down the street.” I can’t imagine what she wants but if there is a message from Jasmine or Cyn, I need to hear it.
“Starbucks is good,” she says. “I’ll wait for you there.” As she turns and walks away my eyes lock onto the suggestive sway of her sexy ass cheeks visible under her stretch pants.
I check with my manager, get the okay to start my lunch break early and head over to Starbucks. There is a sense of deja vu when I see Barbara sitting at the same table Cyn and I sat at on our last visit. She’s sipping a drink and there’s one on the table for me.
“I didn’t know what you drink so I got you a caramel latte. I hope it’s alright,” she smiles.
“It’s fine, thanks,” I say, ignoring the drink as I lean across the table. “What’s up? Did Cyn have a change of heart?”
“No, I’m sorry, Mike,” she says sincerely. “If it’s any consolation, Shelly and I have both told Cyn that we think she’s wrong about this.”
“Then, do you have a message from Jasmine,” I asked hopefully.
“Oh Mike,” she says, reaching across the table and putting her hand on top of mine. “This isn’t about Cyn or Jasmine. They don’t even know I’m here.” That takes the wind out of my sails and I sit back in my chair to regroup.
I appraise Barbara as I take a sip of my latte and the Halle Berry comparison comes to mind. She really does look like her. The cleavage I was starring at in the bookstore is even more apparent from the way she is leaning towards me. I barely taste the hot liquid going down my throat as I take in the erotic sight of the exposed portion of her caramel-colored breasts.
“I’ve changed my mind, Mike,” she says quietly. I don’t know what she reads into my startled reaction but she quickly adds more. “I know I wasn’t very nice to you at first but I thought we had gotten past all that. Of course, I’ll understand if you don’t want to…” Don’t want to? Who in their right mind would say no to Halle Berry or even her quasi-clone? Okay, I know I’ve been depressed but I’m still a man and Jasmine has made it clear that it’s over between us and…
“I guess that’s my answer,” Barbara says as she starts to stand.
“No! Wait,” I cry, reaching for her arm and guiding her back to her chair. “I’m just surprised that’s all,” I tell her. “I mean… what changed your mind?”
“Does it matter?” she smiles flirtatiously.
“Maybe… I don’t know… it’s just… you know… pretty sudden and I haven’t been with anyone since Jasmine.” I’m fumbling for words and not making much sense but Barbara’s smile defuses my discomfort and I continue more calmly. “The last time we talked your plan was to confront your husband, right?” She nods. “I’m guessing that didn’t work out so well.”
“He denied everything!” she says louder than she means to and quickly lowers her voice. “He accused me of paranoia and said my girlfriends were putting foolish notions in my head.” When I raise my eyebrows she continues, “I’m not stupid, Mike. I could tell he was lying but where was my proof? I felt like an idiot.”
“Did you tell him you knew who they were seeing?” I ask.
“No, I wasn’t expecting such a vehement denial and it caught me off guard. I didn’t know what to say and by that time he was stomping out the door yelling at me to stop wasting his time.” She stops, brushing tears from her eyes and looking around at the other patrons. “Can we go somewhere else, please?” she asks, standing up and leading the way out of Starbucks.
Out on the sidewalk, she’s dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief and looking around like she’s trying to figure out which way to go.
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” she says, looking up at me with tears streaming down her cheeks. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. Fuck! She even smells sexy, must be some type of exotic perfume or shampoo.
“Oh Mike,” she sobs. “I’m sorry about this. I didn’t know where to turn. My best friends are caught up their kinky little Thursday night tete-a-tete, which I’m sure they would willingly let me join. You were the only other person who knew what was going on and… I thought… you know… you could maybe make me feel better.” As she squeezes my waist, her breasts push against my chest and my cock responds accordingly. So much for depression, maybe they should market this as an anti-depressant.
“Barbara…” I start but she cuts me off.
“I know, I know,” she says, waving my words away. “A desperate act by a desperate woman. I’m sorry I bothered you.” As she starts to back away I pull her tightly against me, making sure she feels my hard-on pressing into her abdomen.
“You bothered me a lot,” I whisper. “But not the way you’re thinking.” She tilts her head up to look at my face just as I lower my lips to hers. The saltiness of her tears mixes with the light berry flavor of her lip-gloss as my tongue glides into her welcoming mouth. Her kiss is full of hungry desire and I’m surprised when she starts grinding her pussy mound against my hard cock.
I’m trying to recall if my roommate is home when I remember that I’m only on my lunch break. Fuck!
“I have to go back to work,” I say, brushing her hair from her moist eyes. “We could meet later tonight or I’m off tomorrow,” I offer expectantly.
“I should get home soon,” she pants, stepping back and adjusting her shirt, which bunched up during our embrace. “I’m supposed to work tomorrow but… what time can we meet?” she asks, stepping back into my arms and kissing me again. My cock is raging and her mouth tastes so good I wish we weren’t standing on a public sidewalk. Ignoring our location, my hands glide down her back to her ass cheeks, squeezing and kneading her firm, round flesh.
“As early as you like,” I pant from the breathtaking kiss. “I’ll make sure my roommate is gone and we can spend the day at my place if you’d like.”
“Sounds nice,” she says. “Is ten o’clock too early?”
“Not early enough,” I answer, squeezing her ass cheeks for emphasis.
“Mmmm,” she purrs and I feel like I could cum right there in my pants. “Thank you, Mike,” she says, her radiant smile nearly putting me in a trance as she steps back and my hands drop away from her body. I feel a little foolish, standing there with a raging hard-on as this sexy Halle Berry lookalike smiles at me expectantly.