by Darrien Lee
“I don’t know. Just keep it to yourself. You, Joshua, and Galen are the only ones who know where I’m going to be. Galen’s tripping about it, too. He told me not to put him in a situation like this again.”
“I can’t blame him. You’re his sister and Craig’s his boy.”
“I didn’t expect to fall for him like this. It slipped up on me. Well, I can’t worry about it now. I’ve told Jarvis I was coming. Now, I’m packed.”
Chanelle asked, “Are you going to need a ride to the airport?”
“No, I’m going to leave my car there. Pray for me, girl. I hope I know what I’m doing. Maybe this weekend can help me decide what I really want to do.”
“I hope so.”
The flight wasn’t very long and when Venice stepped off the plane, she immediately spotted Jarvis waving. She ran over and gave him a big hug. He picked her up off the floor and gave her a kiss, which brought emotions flooding down on her. They hadn’t seen each other for about two months and he really, really looked good. His smile made her melt and his touch made her weak. His faded jeans were molded to his athletic frame and women definitely noticed him.
He said, “Girl! I thought you’d never get here. You’re looking as fine as ever. Turn around so I can see if you’ve still got that big booty.”
“Jarvis! You haven’t changed a bit. I can tell you’re still taking care of yourself.”
He flexed his muscular arms and said, “You know I have to, girl. Now let’s get your bags and get out of here. I got us a room at a hotel near campus. I can’t wait to get you there and do all kinds of nasty things to you.”
Chills shot through Venice’s body when he described what he was going to do to her.
“Niecy, I’ve rented a car for the weekend since I’m not going to be able to get my car up here until after Christmas.”
They walked through the airport arm in arm. For the weekend, Venice was going to have to try not to think about her relationship with Craig.
Hell, men have been doing shit like this for years.
After getting her bags, they proceeded to pick up the rental car and were on their way. Jarvis took her on a brief tour of the city before arriving at the hotel.
Venice asked, “What time do you have to be at practice?”
He gave her a devilish grin. “In about two hours. That’ll be plenty time for me to do what I’m going to do to you.”
She closed her eyes and shivered at the thought. He was the king of foreplay.
After checking in to the room, Venice fell back onto the bed as Jarvis put her bags down. “This is a nice room. Thanks, baby.”
Jarvis took his jacket off and joined her on the bed. He didn’t waste any time nibbling on her earlobe. “You know, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
Venice touched his face. “You are too, baby.”
They gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment as if they needed to recapture something lost. His lips were inches from hers when he whispered, “I love you, Venice.” There was no time for a response. He leaned down and hungrily kissed the lips he thought only belonged to him.
Damn! This man knows how to make me feel good.
Venice wrapped her arms and legs around him as his tongue found its way back into her warm mouth. He kissed down her neck and continued to her breasts, even though the soft material of her blouse covered her. Taking his time, he savored on the softness of her body. She squirmed and moaned as his fingers worked her like a magician. They hadn’t made love in two months and she hoped that she’d find all the answers she searched for. Jarvis started slowly unbuttoning her blouse. Venice hurriedly pulled his shirt over his head and threw it across the room. He rolled over onto his back, pulling her on top of him.
“Have you missed me, Venice?”
Planting small kisses on his neck and chest, she answered in a sultry tone, “Oh, yes.”
“How much have you missed me?”
Venice looked him in his eyes, massaged his desire, and said, “This much.”
He smiled as she lowered her mouth and tasted him.
“Oh! Sh-h-hit, Niecey!”
Jarvis closed his eyes and let out a loud groan as he watched himself appear and disappear. He shivered as he found himself grabbing a handful of her hair. Venice continued the sensual pleasure until he could no longer stand it. He slowly rolled over on top of her, pinning her gently into the mattress. He stared at her for a moment and she smiled into his loving eyes. It only took a couple of seconds for him to strip her remaining clothes. They began to taste each other more passionately as he flicked his tongue over her hardened nipples.
Venice was almost screaming when she said, “Come on, Jarvis! I can’t wait any longer!”
Jarvis didn’t let another second go by before pushing himself between her thighs. He entered her silkiness with unexpected ease. He noticed but was too caught up with pleasure to address the issue right then.
“Damn, Niecy, I missed you more than I thought I could! You feel so good!”
Venice felt the same way and tears built in her eyes as his hands explored her body. His lips found her breasts again as his hands stroked her intimate area with tenderness. He licked her up and down as she arched her back and moaned uncontrollably to his touch. His strong, muscular frame reacquainted itself with her soft, firm body.
Venice held onto him as tight as she could until all she saw were fireworks. Jarvis was the only one she’d never protected herself with, but she’d always been on the pill. They’d promised each other that if, God forbid, they ever slept with anyone else, they’d definitely use protection.
Jarvis continued to make love to her with the intensity she was accustomed to. He whispered his undying love into her ears, which caused her to tremble even more. He pushed his hips in and out of her moist body more vigorously and possessively. Venice thought her heart would burst out of her chest when his fingers delved inside to her inner core. She screamed and unintentionally scratched his back as he thrust his body even deeper. Venice admired the tattoo of her name on his bicep as he ran his tongue from her neck down to her navel. She had his name tattooed on her left shoulder blade. Her parents weren’t happy with her doing it, but there was nothing they could do about it after the fact.
“Jarvis!”
“I’m here, baby. You’ll never belong to anyone except me, Niecy.”
She wrapped her legs around this man who was built like a black god.
“Venice! Baby!”
She clung to him tightly as his body shook with spasms and collapsed, taking her mouth and tongue into his. She shuddered hard beneath him as she moaned his name. He had released two months of frustration and loneliness on her and it was the most overwhelming feeling he had ever felt. Hot tears ran out of Venice’s eyes
Jarvis looked at her and asked, “Are you okay?”
She nodded as her body shuddered again.
“You know I still love the hell out of you, don’t you?” Jarvis asked lovingly.
“Yes, I know. I still feel the same way, too, baby.”
He lay across her as she massaged his neck and back. She stared at the ceiling. “You’re still tense, Jarvis.”
Jarvis rose up on his elbow. “Have you slept with him, Niecy?”
“Huh?”
“You heard me. Have you given it up to him?”
“I don’t want to talk about him right now, Jarvis.”
“It’s obvious. Your body wasn’t tight at all.”
Venice was silent for a moment. “Why would even ask me that?”
“To see if you’d tell me the truth.”
“I love you, Jarvis.”
“I love you, too, Niecy.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
“Have you told him about us yet?”
“Which part?”
“You know, the main thing.”
“No, why does everyone think I should tell him?”
“Who else said you should?”
“G
alen did. They’re friends.”
Jarvis sighed. “Venice, I just think he has a right to know that we were married and that we still have strong feelings for each other.”
“He knows I still have strong feelings for you. He just doesn’t know we used to be married.”
“Does he know about the baby?”
“No! Look, Jarvis, I don’t feel like talking about that right now.”
Tears were glistening in Venice’s eyes as she fought to hold them back.
“Where does he stand in your life, Niecy?”
“He knows I hold him close to my heart. He’s a special friend.”
“I see,” Jarvis stated sarcastically. “Don’t you think you need to tell him the whole truth?”
“I’m not ready to share my loss with him right now. I still ache for our baby.”
“I feel like I’m losing you. I can’t stand the thought of you being away from me. I lost my baby and I’ll be damn if I lose you, too.”
Jarvis turned on his back and stared at the ceiling.
“Jarvis, don’t you go get sad on me now. I’m still hurting just as much as you are. I wanted your baby so bad, but God knew best. It wasn’t our time.”
Jarvis asked, “So, do you still think we should’ve gotten a divorce?”
“If we hadn’t, we would’ve probably ended up committing adultery against each other. You know our mothers didn’t put that pressure on us for nothing. I think they were worried about it happening more than we were. We’re nineteen years old and freshmen in college. I think what we did was for the best. At least for now.”
He leaned over and grazed his lips against hers tenderly. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re still my wife and will always be my wife. I still don’t see what the big problem is. We’re together right now. This proves it can work. It could’ve been arranged for us to at least be together on the weekends when I wasn’t on the road.”
“Possibly, but we didn’t need to take any chances. I did meet someone and he’s nice. I don’t want to cause any hard feelings between us.”
Jarvis stroked her thigh. “I can’t help the way I feel. I still think we can make it work. We’ve been together too long and I’m not looking to meet anyone new. I haven’t met anyone up here so far that I could get into seriously. The few I have met are ‘tricks.’ I think they’re only interested because they heard the NFL is scouting me. I think they see dollar signs. Niecy, I hate to admit it, but I don’t want to cause any problems for you. I’m not happy that you’ve met someone to spend time with. I just hope this doesn’t backfire on me. I also hope that when we graduate, I’ll be able to put that wedding ring back on your finger.”
Venice looked at her hand. She was wearing it as a thumb ring. Jarvis wore his on a gold chain around his neck.
She placed her hand on his cheek. “Me, too, Sweetie. Hey, I’m hungry.”
Jarvis looked at his watch. “Let’s get out of here and get a bite to eat. I have to be at practice in a little while.”
They took their shower together, just like old times, and headed out to get some food.
Sixteen
Jarvis took Venice on campus and introduced her to several of his new friends while they were on their way to one of the on-campus restaurants. One of the girls Jarvis had dated came over and Venice politely shook her hand. Jarvis didn’t hold his tongue about introducing Venice as his girl. He’d told all the women he dated up front that he wasn’t looking for a serious relationship. He made it clear that he just wanted to date casually. This made them curious to see the woman who had her name tattooed on his arm and his heart. Upon first look, the young lady rolled her eyes. She especially noticed how Jarvis couldn’t keep his hands off Venice. She realized her chances of getting with him were impossible.
Jarvis knew he had to stay beware of gold-digging hoochies. Bryan told Venice that the NFL was probably going to try and draft Jarvis before he finished college, possibly in the first draft. This meant he’d probably be an instant millionaire as long as he stayed healthy and didn’t get hurt. Venice never saw him as a golden opportunity. She was in love with him before he became a football star. She loved him because he was outspoken, fun, sexy, attractive, and intelligent. Jarvis knew his potential for wealth and it was hard for him to trust any one other than the women who sincerely loved him: his mother, his sister, and Venice.
After they finished their meal, Jarvis took Venice back to the hotel and told her that he’d see her after practice.
Venice said, “Hurry back and, if you’re a good boy, I’ll have something special for you.”
Jarvis laughed. “All right, I’m going to hold you to that.”
“Cool, I’m going to call Galen and give him the phone number in case he needs to contact me.”
“I’ll see you in a few hours. Do you want the car?”
“No! I don’t know my way around and I don’t want to get lost.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
Before he left, he pulled her to him. “Venice, I’m sorry that I’m so selfish when it comes to you. I hate the thought of you giving my stuff to some other man. I have to accept that for now, but I don’t like it. I hope you don’t have any regrets about coming up here later on.”
Venice put her arms around his waist. “I’m a big girl, Jarvis. Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself.” She gave him a possessive kiss. “Drive carefully.”
Jarvis patted her on the butt. “See you shortly.”
Venice collapsed on the bed after he left the room. “Damn!”
Venice called Galen and gave him the phone number. He asked her about Jarvis and the campus. She told him that she was having a good time.
Galen asked, “Are you up there messing around with Jarvis, girl?”
“None of your business! Don’t start with me, Galen!”
“I don’t even know why I asked. I know you are.”
“Has Craig called you by any chance?”
“Yes, he called and asked me who you went to visit.”
Venice raised up off the bed and nervously asked, “What did you tell him?”
“I told him you went to visit your ex-husband.”
Venice screamed, “No you didn’t, Galen!”
“Yes, I did! You should’ve told him the truth by now!”
Venice’s voice started cracking. “Why’d you tell him anything, Galen?”
He started laughing. “I’m just playing with you, girl! Craig hasn’t called me.”
Venice started trembling with anger. “I can’t stand your black ass!”
She slammed the phone down and burst into tears. A few minutes later, the phone rang. When she answered it, Galen said, “Dang, girl, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were going to flip out on me. But that should show you that you don’t need to be sleeping around with two men. Somebody’s going to get hurt. You need to make up your mind what you’re going to do. I know you and Jarvis were married and all, but Jarvis isn’t at Dawson. You’ll probably get to see him maybe once every couple of months. At least you can see Craig almost on a daily basis. Look, I’m not telling you what to do, but I just think you need to give yourself a chance to meet other people. Just think about what I’m saying. Okay? I’m your brother and I don’t want to have to get involved. I’m just afraid that if Craig finds out about you and Jarvis the wrong way, he’ll go off. I couldn’t blame him, but the whole situation can be avoided. You need to go ahead and tell him the truth. If he still wants to be with you, then fine. If he doesn’t, then work things out with Jarvis. It’s simple, Venice. This way, you don’t leave anyone in the dark. You’ve already told Jarvis about Craig. That was a step in the right direction. Now finish it up.”
Venice listened and said, “Okay, Galen, I’ll talk to you later.”
She hung up the phone and laid down to take a nap. She had a lot to think about and it gave her a migraine. Somehow, she was finally able to go to sleep.
Venice didn’t re
alize how exhausted she was. She was awakened later by Jarvis’ soft kisses on her face and his manly scent. She was sore and exhausted and didn’t even hear him enter the room.
“Hey, baby. What time is it?”
“Midnight. I’m sorry it took me so long to get back. After practice, we had to go over some film and some more plays. By then it was nine-thirty and curfew check is at ten o’clock. We heard rumors that the coaches were going to do a double check tonight, but we didn’t know what time. Well, they did check again at eleven-thirty. I’m sorry I didn’t call.”
“It’s okay. I was asleep anyway.”
Jarvis sat up on the bed. “Are you okay? You don’t look like you feel well.”
“I’m fine. Galen called and pissed me off, that’s all.”
Jarvis took off his sweats and asked, “What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Come here.”
He got underneath the covers and Venice turned to him, rubbing his face. “I love you and I’ve decided that I’m going to tell Craig everything about us when I get back to school. If he doesn’t want to hang out with me, then it’ll be his loss.”
“It will be his loss. Look Venice, are you telling him because you’re ready to tell him or because you’re listening to everyone else?”
“I need to do this. I don’t want him to find out from someone else. That’ll only make things worst.”
“Okay, Venice. You do what you feel like you need to do. Now, where’s my surprise?”
She whispered into his ear. “Take your clothes off.”
He smiled and knew exactly what she was about to do. She gave him one of her famous full body massages like she used to give him every night after football practice. Afterwards, feeling relaxed from her touch, Jarvis couldn’t help but make love to her once again. Venice enjoyed every inch of him and as he worked her over so completely, she felt like she would pass out. He made her body throb from head to toe. It was going to be a long night. This had to be true love.
She snuggled up to him the rest of the night, feeling like she wanted to stay. But she realized it would be short-lived. She fantasized about the many nights she’d fallen asleep just like that when they were married. Venice was very excited about the homecoming activities in the morning and could barely wait.
