Xeni

by Rebekah Weatherspoon

  “You never told me what you thought of my piping skills last night.”

  “Oh, you want more notes?” Xeni teased.

  “I always want notes.”

  “I thought maybe you were trying to tell me something, but you know what happens when you’re busy projecting.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Nothing.” Xeni pushed down the lump in her throat. “Should we go in?”

  “Hold on. I have something I want to say.”

  Xeni swallowed again. She was not going to fucking cry. He wasn’t even her boyfriend. She needed to get a grip.

  “Usually you follow up a serenade with some kind of verbal declaration, but the conversation I had with your mom caught me a little off guard,” Mason said.

  “I know. I pride myself on typically having my shit together, but last night I—I didn’t realize how pissed I am with her still. It’s really confusing when you feel betrayed by your own parents. I mean, you know.”

  “I do.”

  “I wanted to hurt her. That’s the petty ass truth. She kept something huge from me and since I can’t have it out with Sable, I decided that throwing low blows at my mom was the way to go. But I fucked up and dragged you into it. Not my finest moment. I’m sorry.”

  “I accept your apology. And I apologize for not saying this last night, though I did try to say it through song. We don’t have to stay married at the end of this legally binding month, but I do have feelings for you, Xeni. I don’t know how we’d make it work with you in Los Angeles and me serving high-quality meals at a reasonable price three thousand miles away, but I didn’t want you to go away without knowing how I feel.”

  Xeni wanted to respond with something cute and clever, but she couldn’t. Her heart had exploded and she’d died from a combination of relief and happiness.

  “If that’s too much for you in such a short period of time, I understand.”

  “There’s another thing you should know about me. When I know, I know. Time doesn’t really factor in. I told you I’m a witch.”

  “And what are your witchy senses telling you?”

  “That I’ve got it for you pretty bad.”

  18

  It took all of fifteen minutes to sign the post-nuptial agreement that Mr. Barber had prepared for them, including the time it took for Mr. Barber to answer their questions.

  “Glad we took care of that,” Xeni said when they stepped back outside.

  “I’ll have to concoct another elaborate scheme to rob you blind. Here, do you want to put that in my car?” Mason asked, reaching for the box. She happily handed it off to him.

  “I was hoping I could keep walking around with a box full of dicks. Uh, do you still want to use all that fun stuff with me?” She knew they’d come to a truce and even slapped a declaration of like on top of it. Even so, she wanted to know if he still wanted her in all the ways she wanted him.

  “I didn’t regret getting a full night’s sleep—”

  “At least one of us got some rest.”

  “It wasn’t by choice, love. I was staring at my phone, trying to decide whether or not to text you, and the next thing I knew, my alarm was going off. I needed that sleep, but I regret not coming to you. I don’t want to think about going back to not having you in my arms.”

  “You’re trying to make me fall in love with you. It’s not gonna work, McInroy.”

  “Mmmhmm. Does that mean you don’t want to join me at the jewelry store?” He nodded over Xeni’s shoulder. She turned and looked down the street at the wooden sign for Ghent Street Jewelers.

  “No. I mean, I wanna go.”

  “I had a feeling that might be the case. Let me just set this in my car.”

  Xeni followed him back to his SUV, then took his hand as they continued their short walk down the street.

  When they walked into the jewelry store, they were greeted by a gray-haired White woman in a petal-collared blouse and short-sleeved sweater.

  “Welcome! How are you folks doing today?” Xeni was shocked by her thick Southern accent.

  “My wife and I are looking for some wedding bands. I’m sure I need to be sized for one.”

  “Oh, I love that accent,” she said matter of factly, before she leaned closer to the counter. “I’m from out of town too, if you couldn’t tell.”

  “Me three,” Xeni laughed.

  “What brings you here to Ghent?”

  “Family. The both of us, separately. I mean we both came here for different family reasons, but we met here.”

  “I’m here for family too. My mama’s from here, but she moved down to Atlanta to open another location and never looked back. But now I’m back and I feel like I’m just the person to help you. Julie-Pam Christie.”

  “I’m Xeni and this is my husband, Mason. We—”

  “Oh, I heard about you two! Little, arranged kinda shotgun thing?”

  “Um, sort of,” Xeni laughed. Julie-Pam’s bright mood was pretty infectious. “Who told you?”

  “Mrs. Chen over at the Chinese restaurant. I’ve been eating lunch there every day and she’s been catching me up on the goings on in town. She was wondering if you two would stop by and here you are.”

  “Julie-Pam, how long would we have to wait for my ring to come?” Mason asked. Xeni knew what he was thinking. They both hoped she at least got to see the ring on his finger before she left town on Sunday night.

  “No time at all. My daddy is a big man like you, so I told my aunt it’s a good idea just to keep a few larger rings in stock. Our customers come in all shapes and sizes. Give me one sec.”

  Julie-Pam disappeared into the back with a little extra spring in her step.

  “We should have invited her to our wedding,” Mason said quietly.

  “She would have been a much better guest than Deborah,” Xeni said.

  “I have to agree with you there.”

  “Okay. Here. We. Go. I have these two. Simple, tasteful. And this one.” Xeni watched Mason as he skipped right over the plain, but elegant white and yellow gold bands. He picked up the third option and examined it closely.

  “What’s this one made of?”

  “The outside is titanium and the inside is lined with wood from an old whisky barrel. Not Scotch, but close.”

  “Oh babe,” Xeni said as Mason’s eyes lit up. He slid it on to his thick ring finger and she was positive he was this close to a spontaneous orgasm. “Do you like it?”

  “I’ve wondered what my purpose in life was and it turns out I was born to wear this ring.”

  “We’ll let you wear that out of the store,” Julie-Pam chuckled, before she turned to Xeni. “Now let’s get you squared away. Are we just doing a band for you or—”

  “Okay, yeah. I think I’m a little overwhelmed.” For a small-town jewelry store, their bridal section was huge. She knew what she liked, but the truth was Xeni had never owned any fancy jewelry. Her parents had given her a charm bracelet for her sixteenth birthday, but the rest of her stuff was from Target or the racks near the check out at Old Navy. She’d never picked out grown folks jewelry before.

  Xeni glanced up at Mason as his fingers caressed the back of her neck. “If you want a diamond, I’ll get you a diamond. I came into a little money recently.”

  “Pssht. You know I want a diamond.”

  “How about this?” Julie-Pam reached into the case and pulled out a gorgeous diamond engagement ring with a matching band. “I think this matches your style and your energy.”

  “What do you know about my energy, Julie-Pam?” Xeni teased, before looking closer at the rings. “Damn, she’s right.”

  “That’s a cushion cut with diamond halo and they are calling that pretty band a Marquise and Dot. Both are set in white gold. Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

  “May I?” Xeni asked before snatching up both rings.

  “Of course.”

  “Ah, allow me.” Mason gently picked up the rings and took Xeni’s hand. She saw the look in his eyes. She kn
ew he was about to say some sweet as hell shit that would make her knees melt, but she was still a fragile mess and now was not the time. She pointed at him with her free hand and fixed him with a hard stare.

  “I swear if you make me cry in front of our new friend Julie-Pam…”

  Then this asshole got down on one knee. He didn’t say a word, just slid the rings onto her finger. They were a tiny bit loose, but Xeni didn’t care. Mason stood, brushing his lips against her cheek, before he whispered in her ear.

  “I cannot wait until you fuck me in the ass later.”

  The sputtering snort that came out of Xeni was inhuman. Mason winked at her and turned back to Julie-Pam. “Is debit, okay?”

  As Mason ushered Xeni through the entrance to Szechuan Garden, they almost walked right into Deborah. The cranky town clerk took a step back and gave them both a stern look.

  “Glad to see this lasted the weekend,” she said.

  “Thank you again for officiating,” Mason replied. Xeni shouldn’t have been shocked by his politeness. He was kind to everyone, but as Deborah muttered her “you’re welcome” and excused herself, Xeni realized something else. She’d share it with Mason when she felt Deborah was at least one hundred yards out of earshot.

  “Welcome! Dining in or taking out, Mr. McInroy?” A young Asian woman said from behind the bar.

  “In. Thanks, Rosemary. Xeni, this is Mei’s other daughter. Rosemary, this is my wife.”

  “It’s nice to meet you. Your aunt was one of my favorites. We miss her a lot.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Right this way.” Rosemary led them through the half-full restaurant. It was some of the best take-out Xeni had had since she got to town. No surprise the place was live and bumping before five p.m.. Rosemary left them with their menus and went right back to grab their drinks.

  When they were alone, Xeni said, “Deborah’s a witch too.”

  “You think?”

  “Yeah. She’s pissed about something and it’s bleeding into everything. Today’s the equinox, so it makes sense. Her power is probably the strongest in the dead of winter. Getting a permit from her in late January must be a nightmare.”

  “You have to tell me more about this,” Mason said.

  “That’s all I know. It’s just a feeling. A feeling you have to trust, believe and embrace. Deborah knows her power and she just uses it to scare people away. Makes sense she was friends with Sable.”

  “Are all the women in your family witches?”

  “All women are witches, period. Like I said, it just matters if you embrace it. If you believe.”

  “What about Julie-Pam?” he laughed.

  “Oh, she’s the kind of witch that accidentally makes wonderful things happen.” Xeni looked up from her menu. “I know what—what?”

  Mason was staring at her was a dreamy look in his eyes. He shook his head and opened his own menu. “Nothing.”

  A few minutes later, Rosemary was back with their waters and an older woman who could have been her twin, save the two wrinkles she’d acquired and a blunt bob hair cut.

  “You didn’t invite me to the wedding,” she announced, playfully slapping Mason on the shoulder.

  “Mei this is—”

  “You’re Sable’s daughter, Xeni.”

  “I am. She told you?”

  “Of course she told me. Sable was my best friend, but not that good of a friend if she didn’t leave a note telling you to invite me to the wedding. I’m glad to see our plan worked.”

  “What plan?” Xeni laughed.

  “The plan to find you a husband. See? Mason is a perfect choice.”

  “So far so good.”

  “Dinner’s on the house. My wedding gift to you. In return, you have to name your first child after me.”

  Xeni glanced at Mason. “Not sure there are going to be any children.”

  “Oh. Then our plan failed. Eat and I’ll come join you.”

  “I feel like the universe is trying to help me correct the last few days,” Xeni said as Mei walked back into the kitchen.

  Three hours later, they left the restaurant. They’d taken their time eating and talking, and in between customers, Mei came out to chat with them. Finally she’d told Rosemary she was taking a break to spend time with the newlyweds. She pulled up a chair and started telling Xeni all kinds of stories about Ms. Sable. For a moment, Mason was worried that hearing more, or anything, about this person who she still had such a complex relationship with, even in death, might make Xeni upset, but it seemed to do the opposite.

  More than once, they both doubled over laughing, hearing about the elaborate pranks Sable, Bess, Mei and Lucy had pulled on Reverend Pummel. Or the time they’d rigged the county fair’s pie-eating contest so Mei could win. Bribing the one and only Deborah for midnight access to the park during Bess’s son’s final days.

  Mason knew Sable and her crew were often up to no good, but he’d never realized they were a small criminal enterprise in the making.

  As the sun went down and the evening stretched on, Mason focused less on Mei’s stories and more on the beautiful woman sitting across from him. He’d seen the happiness in her face when he’d gotten down on one knee earlier that afternoon, but Mei had brought the light back to her eyes. He couldn’t imagine how badly she needed this. A real break from the lies and secrets, a reminder of how amazing of a person Sable Everly could be. The good things mattered, maybe even more than the bad.

  They finally said their goodbyes and carried their leftovers back out to Xeni’s car. “I’m in love with Mei,” she said.

  “She’s got character to go around. She comes to the cafe maybe once a year and tells me how bad my cooking is. It’s how we bond.”

  “I’m—I’m glad my aunt… Sable. I’m glad she had good friends. I always wondered what it was like for her to be so far away from her sisters, have that many strained relationships, but clearly she had it figured it out.”

  “The family you create is sometimes just as important as the one you’re born into.”

  “So true.” Xeni paused. “So, where we doing this?”

  “Doing what?”

  Xeni held up her hands and slid her finger into the tight hole she’d made with her index finger and thumb. “You know what. I want to get in that butt.”

  “You know, I made a list too,” Mason said. “A list with all the things I want in a woman and the phrase ‘wants to get in my butt’ is number four.”

  “Listen, don’t blame me. Blame Mei. Blame my aunt. They knew we’d be perfect together. So, your place or mine?”

  “Mine. Bigger bed and the rest of my furniture is cheap. It’s okay if we break it.”

  “Oh, okay, it’s gonna be that kind of party. I’m perpetually horny around you, but say something really nasty to hold me over until we get over there.”

  Mason was glad it was dark and the streets of downtown were basically empty. Only Mei’s place and the pub at the end of the block were still open. He stepped closer, caging Xeni in against the side of her car. The sound of her breath pushing out of her lips made him instantly hard. He leaned down and kissed her, tasting the apple candy she’d eaten on the way out. When he pulled back, he watched the dazed look on her face as he slipped a hand between her legs. She’d complained about not packing more nice outfits, but he’d do anything to see her in these tight stretchy pants every day.

  She was so hot and he imagined that if he kept teasing her, moving his fingers up and down, it wouldn’t take long for him to find out just how wet she was through the fabric of her clothes. He drew his tongue over her bottom lip before he kissed his way across her cheek.

  “I’m going to make you forget all about Daryl,” he whispered in her ear. She let out a sexy little whimper as he gave her pussy a light squeeze and then a pat. “Go on. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  He waited until she buckled in behind the wheel before he walked to his own car. If they weren’t gearing up for a long sweaty night, he
’d consider taking care of himself right then and there. Instead, he started for home, doing his best to mind the speed limits and stop signs.

  * * *

  The moment they stepped into his apartment, Xeni started taking off her clothes. Mason set down the box of fun.

  “Can we talk a minute?” he asked. He was hard as a rock and he wanted nothing more than for them to get down to the business at hand, but they needed to have a real conversation first. Xeni stopped before she pulled off her pants and came back toward him. Mason pulled her into his arms, soaking up the heat of her soft body as she pressed herself against him. She looked up, resting her chin on his chest. “Yes, dear. What do you need?”

  “While I appreciate your enthusiasm when it comes to getting naked in front of me, I need to know you want to do this. This is something I’ve missed, but I want you to be comfortable.”

  “Oh, I wanna do it. I wanna do it a whole lot. Just tell me what to do because I want you to actually enjoy it.”

  “I will give you notes if I have them. I’m gonna step into the bathroom for a bit. Give me a shout if you need anything.”

  “I will.”

  “Excellent,” He gave her a quick kiss, then let her go so he could grab the things he needed from the box. “I’ll just be a sec. Or fifteen minutes. Stay horny.”

  “I will,” Xeni laughed. “Mason?”

  “Yeah, love.”

  “I think you’re super cute.”

  Mason literally bit his tongue to keep the words from flying out of his fool mouth. “If I could only match your beauty,” he managed to say, instead of the four not so little words that would have ruined their whole night.

  In the restroom, he prepped himself with one of the disposable enemas, then after he cleaned up, took a few minutes to stretch. He didn’t want to embarrass himself by pulling something. When he came out of the bathroom, hard and definitely ready to go, he almost let the bold declaration fly. Xeni was standing in the middle of his bedroom, completely naked except for the strap-on harness and the neon purple dildo they’d ordered for it. She had her phone in one hand and the butt plug in the other.