by Katie Dowe
Garrett was up next at the podium. “I want to thank you all for coming this afternoon. I know how valuable your Sunday afternoons are and I really appreciate you taking the time to come and be supportive. Roseville Mall as it will be called, is going to be a state of the art building with all the modern amenities that other malls in large cities have. There will be a movie theatre to rival movie theaters around the world. We're taking Roseville into the twenty-first century and I promise you that this will be just the beginning. We've ironed out the little problems we had before and we're on our way forward. As a sign of teamwork and camaraderie I'm asking Mayor Williamson to turn over the first spot of dirt with me and let the partnership begin!”
*****
Afiya waited until they'd finished the digging and turning of the soil before she left. She hadn't wanted to come but she knew it would have looked strange for her not to show up. And Hillary had persuaded her. Her shop wasn't open on Sundays, but she usually took the day to do chores and do some inventory or go hunting for items to put in the store. Today she was going to do housework and take things easy. She watched as the sun glinted on Garrett's hair and then turning around she left swiftly. Hillary had told her that she was staying a bit longer so Afiya made her way the two blocks to her home and was determined to put him out of her mind.
Chapter 6
“Mama, I thought you said that these people were nice,” Afiya exclaimed as she looked around the mess they'd made. They had been there for only two months and had practically wrecked the place. Her mother had had to call the police to get them out of the place.
“I thought so honey,” her mother moaned as she looked at the cupboard door hanging from the hinges. “They also owe me a month’s rent. I'm going to have to go to court to get my money,” she sat down on the stool and placed her head in her hands. “What did I ever do to deserve all of this? Melvin left with everything and now this!”
“Are you moving back in?” Afiya looked at the mess the couple had left and felt the anger kindle inside of her. If she ever caught them!
“I'm comfortable where I am, honey. I have my own room and bathroom and my patient is more of a companion than someone I take care of. I'm thinking of selling the place.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “It is too big for one person. I'm guaranteed a place indefinitely where I am now and I don't want to keep it locked up.” She looked at her daughter. “Unless you want it.”
“No,” Afiya sat on the stool next to her. “I just don't want you to sell it and then regret that you did.”
“Your dad made this place a home,” she looked around her kitchen. “My neighbor Pearl has been at me to sell her the place so she can turn it into an old folk’s home and I think I will. I should never have carried Melvin into this place that your father and I bought. And this is the consequence I have to live with. I'm going to sell it and put the money into my account for a nest egg when I can't work anymore.”
“Before you do anything I want you to consult a good lawyer.”
Her mother nodded. “Good idea.” She looked around again. “I've called Mary-Anne to help with the clean-up so we might as well start.”
*****
She'd just turned the 'open' sign around when she saw him striding towards the door. It was late September and it had been raining constantly, bringing up the temperature. He stood at the door and stared at her, both of them still. Afiya’s heart hammered inside her chest and she knew instinctively that tonight was going to be it. Her hand trembled as she opened the door to let him in. He didn't say anything to her but stood there staring at her. His hair glinted with rain water and his clothes were a little damp.
“You know what I want,” he told her hoarsely. “I tried to stay away but it isn't working.” His hand trembled as he cupped her cheek. “I've resorted to drinking myself to sleep. I think I'm at risk of becoming an alcoholic.” He tilted her chin. “I'm craving you,” he pulled her closer to him and she gasped as she felt the hardness of his erection.
“It’s constant,” he told her with a groan. “Every night I go to bed hard thinking about you. I want to sink myself so deep inside you that it's giving me a constant fever. I'm hot.” He bent his head and his breath fanned her lips, causing a rousing flame deep inside her. Afiya trembled as she sagged against him. His mouth touched hers and the fire ignited inside them with such a ferocity that it almost enveloped them with the heat. His tongue battled with hers as he deepened the kiss, his fingers digging into her hair. The control tethered and then slipped away.
He wanted her naked, he thought feverishly as he devoured her mouth. How could this be happening? He tore his mouth away from hers and backed away, his breathing shallow as he stared down at her. “Where?”
She pointed upstairs with a trembling hand, knowing exactly what he meant. “Show me,” he demanded.
She turned and made her way up to her apartment on trembling legs, with him following behind her. As soon as they came into her room he led her to the bed. She'd worn a black and white wool dress that fitted her like a second skin. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at him. For the first time in her life she had no idea what to do, what to say. He took off his pants and shirt and then helped her with her dress. His large work-roughened hands passed over her quivering flesh before unhooking her bra. He cupped her flesh in his palms, his thumbs passing over the hardened nipples, causing the shock to reverberate straight through her body. He bent his white blonde head and tongued her nipple before pulling it into his mouth hard, sucking at the flesh, his teeth grazing it and causing her to lurch towards him. He pulled away again but only to get rid of both their underwear. He fumbled with the condom and Afiya panted as she watched him slide it over his thick erection. “I wanted to do this right,” he told her hoarsely as he came over her. “But I can't wait. Sorry,” he muttered as he guided his penis inside her. She shifted her feet and pressed them flat on the bed. She was tight, he thought as the passion ripped into him. He edged in further, his body rigid as he tried to hold onto the control that was slipping away. He went in deep and then stopped as he looked down at her. His heart hammered inside his chest and he swore that it could be heard around the small room. He moved slowly at first and then with frantic haste as she moved beneath him. He slipped in and out of her, his body trembling so much that he couldn't keep still. He bent his head to hers, taking her lips in a kiss that was so brutal it took her breath away. Afiya brought her hands up and dug her short nails into his back, her body moving towards his as she matched his movements with her own. Their coupling was feverish and frantic, with Garrett digging his fingers into her flesh. He couldn't think, he didn't want to think about the fact that this woman wasn't his type, far from it. He'd been struggling with that aspect of it ever since that first touch that had ignited something between them and because of that he'd used work to try and forget her. But it hadn't worked. She tore her mouth from his suddenly and her body stiffened. “Please!” she gasped.
“Let go!” he told her harshly, feeling the tightening of his testicles and knowing that he wasn't far behind her. She cried out sharply, her body bucking beneath his as the orgasm ripped at her. She clung to him, her fingers digging into his hair desperately. She was halfway through the maelstrom when he spilled his seed, his body shuddering and out of control. His cries were guttural with need and passion. He had no idea what he was saying as he emptied himself, his mind fogging over and his body going limp with exertion.
*****
He rolled off her the moment he could. Afiya pulled the sheets around her as she watched him pull on his pants. He avoided looking at her as he reached for his shirt and pulled it on. He strode to the window and looked down. The rain had stopped and he could the water glistening on the plants. He was wired and still aroused and he felt a strong feeling of despair came over him so much so that it almost swamped him.
“Are you going to say anything?” her soft voice came from behind him. He did not tur
n to her but continued to look outdoors.
“I'm thinking,” he said abruptly.
“That this was a mistake?” she asked him quietly.
He turned then and his green eyes roved her body. She'd covered herself with the sheet but it had slipped and her surprisingly small breasts were exposed, the nipples still wet from his gorging. “It was.” He fought the wave of desire that came over him. This was madness, he thought angrily. What the hell was wrong with him?
“So leave,” she told him angrily. “Do you think I don’t know what you're thinking? I'm overweight and I'm not your type. Well tough! You're not mine either.” She dragged the sheets as she climbed off the bed and marched into her bathroom. He marched in after her and their eyes met in the mirror. He hadn't bothered to button his shirt and he hadn't put on his white undershirt either. Afiya’s eyes wandered over his solid chest, the muscles well defined. He made her hungry, even while she was mad. As if he knew what she was thinking he grasped her shoulders and turned her around. The sheet slipped and fell away from her body. She tried to grab at it but he held her hands. To her shock he bent in front of her and his hand went between her legs, parting them to get to her core. He parted the lips of her sex and ran a finger between the folds. He bent his head and his tongue touched her mound. She sagged against the sink, her fingers curling into fists. He tongued her rapidly and it wasn't long before she was splintering as an orgasm rocked her again.
*****
He left her after he made love to her again. Afiya didn't say anything to him after that. He put his clothes on in the dark and left without saying goodbye. She wrapped the sheets around her and laid there staring up at the ceiling, perplexed. She was always practical and knew that there was no chance of them having a relationship. It was just sex and probably a one time thing. She turned on her side and tried to go to sleep but it was a long time coming.
*****
“I'm thinking of running away and shaving my head while I am at it.”
“Huh?” Afiya shook her head and looked at her friend.
“You haven't heard a word I said. What is up with you?” Hillary asked her curiously. “Even when you were serving that couple a few minutes ago you gave the wrong change. Did something happen last night?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Afiya said a little sharply as she got to her feet. “I'm just a little tired that’s all, and this constant rain is getting to me.”
“Hmm,” Hillary’s eyes followed her friend’s as she went to one of the shelves to tidy up. “If I didn't know any better I would say you met a man.”
Afiya looked at her, startled. “But you know better.”
Just then some customers came into the store and she was spared the probing from her friend. She hadn't slept well last night and had stumbled out of bed. She'd spent most of the morning reliving last night and vacillating between ecstasy and despair. He hadn't called her and of course she hadn't expected him to, but how she wished that he would.
They were kept busy until Hillary had to leave. It was Saturday night and she was taking the children to a movie.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” she asked her friend as she gathered up her stuff.
“Not tonight. I'm preparing for my trip tomorrow. I found this cute little antique store several miles away and I want to get an early start.”
“Are you sure you're okay?”
“I'm sure.” Afiya waved her away. “Go on and have fun.”
Afiya locked the door behind her and stood there, staring across the road, wishing and hoping that he would just show up. After a few minutes she pulled the shutter down and turning out the lights she went upstairs. She ordered Chinese takeout and sat on her sofa with the television on and ate dispiritedly. She felt a flutter in her stomach that made it hard for her to eat much. She jumped as her phone rang and, reaching for it with a trembling hand, she answered. “I want to come over,” Garrett told her abruptly.
She took a deep breath and willed the trembling to stop. “Hello to you too.”
“Stop playing games!” he told her harshly. “I left last night with the intention of not seeing you again. I can’t,” he ended with a groan. “I cannot concentrate on anything. I need you.”
“Come on over.”
He hung up and she closed her eyes as she leaned back against the sofa, her appetite gone.
She went down to the store to meet him. He arrived a few minutes later. She opened the door for him and he stood there staring at her before he pulled her into his arms, his lips crushing hers. She'd showered and put on a t-shirt and nothing else. He reached between her legs and found the core of her, his fingers dipping inside her as his lips devoured hers.
They finally made it upstairs and he almost ripped off his clothes in his haste to feel her against him. This time he stayed the night, making restless love to her before leaving very early in the morning. He didn't talk to her and she didn't strike up a conversation either, knowing that he didn't want to. This time she slept better, with a smile on her lips as she thought about him inside of her.
*****
It became a pattern with them. He would come over at night when she'd closed the shop, parking his vehicle a few blocks away. He could not seem to be able to stay away from her and he'd come to terms with it. He didn't invite her over to his place and she told herself that she didn't mind, but deep down she did. He barely spoke to her. He never said anything to her other than the frantic murmurs when he made love to her. He never spent the entire night but left in the early hours of the morning. But people saw that she looked different. She had a glow about her that couldn't be ignored. She hadn't confided in her best friend because she had nothing to say. There was nothing to tell. She was having a secret affair with the rich, handsome billionaire and she couldn't share it with a soul.
*****
He downed the whiskey and grimaced as the liquid hit the walls of his stomach. He'd told Gertrude that now that the building was off the ground and the construction had started that he was going away for a few weeks.
She'd looked at him curiously. “I thought you wanted to be hands-on like the rest of the projects you take on.”
“I have capable people on the job,” he'd had said with forced nonchalance. “And you can call me if anything goes wrong.”
“What’s going on Garrett?” she'd asked him as she sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Are you coming down with something?”
“Why?”
“Because you're jumpy and irritable and you've been coming to work late every morning,” she pointed out.
“Then it’s a good thing I'm my own boss,” he had told her dryly. But she was right. He was off his game and that had never happened before. He was being eaten alive by this fever he had for Afiya. He never seemed to be able to get enough of her, no matter what he did.
“Get your head on straight before you come back,” she'd warned him as she left the office.
Now, sitting at the card table with some of his friends, he tried to concentrate on the game at hand. He hadn't told her that he was leaving. They weren't in that type of relationship.
“Are you playing or what, King?” a voice asked him irritably.
“I'm folding,” he put his cards on the table and pushed back his chair. He stumbled a little bit and Edward, who was on his way into the room, caught him by the arm.
“You okay, man?”
“I think I'm a little drunk,” he said with a lopsided grin.
“They should have cut you off,” he said a little grimly. “Everything okay with you?”
“Just have some things on my mind. I think I'll take one of the rooms and stay the night.”
“Good idea,” Edward said with a nod.
Garrett made to turn away and then stopped. “How is Abigail?”
The man’s face brightened at the mention of his wife. “She's doing well. She firmly told me to get out of her hair and come to the club. She says I'm hovering. I can't help it. She
's pregnant with our third child.”
Garret opened his mouth to say something then said instead, “Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Sleep it off.” He advised.
*****
Do you have any idea when he will be back?”
“I'm afraid not. He said he would be gone for several weeks. Is there something I could help you with?” the woman asked her politely.
“No. It can wait. Thank you.” Afiya hung up and stared into space. He hadn't told her he was leaving. She knew that they weren't in any kind of relationship but at least a phone call to say he wouldn't be around. He'd slept with her two nights ago, the ferocious passion sizzling between them had kept them at it for several hours and now he was gone without so much as a goodbye. And here she was, in love with him. She gasped and put her hand against her breast. She was in love with him! It wasn't just sex for her anymore. She'd fallen in love with a man who only used her for sex and only because somehow he couldn't do without her. He had this reluctant desire where she was concerned and she knew he wished it was different. It was the end of November and the mall was going up rapidly. She'd gone there to look at the construction, even though she couldn't make heads or tails of anything. She'd also lost interest in the store. She hadn't been out of town for the past two weeks to look for her usual treasures. Very soon it would be Christmas and people would be coming to look for gifts for their loved ones and for themselves and she wouldn't have enough stock. She walked around the store and touched things listlessly. She straightened a colorful lamp and moved a stuffed bird from its perch. It was near closing time and she couldn't wait. Hillary had invited her over for dinner but she wanted to be alone. She had his number and could call him, but what was she going to say? She went swiftly to lock up and then went upstairs. She paced a little first and then reached for the phone. He answered on the third ring. “Hi,”
“Hi.” His deep voice sounded in her ear and she closed her eyes.
