by Tiana Cole
He looked slightly embarrassed. “Are you ever going to let me forget that our first time was in a doorway?”
“No,” she laughed. “I don’t plan on letting you forget that—not ever. I know I certainly won’t. And all joking aside, I'll put you on notice right now that it better not be the last time we make love in an odd place.”
“There might be a slight delay in such adventures,” he chuckled, pulling her against him. “We have a small someone to consider.”
She grinned. “The point at which penetration, even with such a noble cock, is problematic, is still far on the horizon.”
“We could ditch your brother and test that theory,” Kenneth joked.
She got on her toes and kissed him. “Or we could go meet him, have a nice lunch, and then slip away for a ‘special dessert.’”
“I do like dessert.”
“And I like the taste of you.”
***
It was a gorgeous day. Terry knew he could park closer to the place where Audra had asked him to meet her and her lover, but he was early and decided to take a walk. It was his first time in the Quarter and there was a lot to see, even this early in the day. He’d heard it really got lively in the evenings, but before he came here for that kind of good time, he hoped he’d meet a girl to bring along. It seemed like the sort of thing that was better shared with a lover. So many things were that way—most, now that he thought about it, and that made him glad that Kenneth Steele was showing an interest in rekindling the relationship with Audra. He’d reserve judgment about the man until he’d met him and spent some time sizing him up. Until then, hell, if Audra thought so much of him, he had to have something going for him. He’d always known his sister to have high standards.
If they got married, he’d heard that weddings were a great place to meet women. And if he met somebody local, then she could show him where the hot spots in town were. That would more fun than going out alone.
He was getting ahead of himself, though. He stopped to peek into a bar outfitted like an old-time saloon where a small group was playing music. The clarinet player seemed to be the star. He had a bowler hat and a striped shirt with a garter around his arm, and the group was good, too. He was finding there was a lot to like about New Orleans. This stuff wouldn't ever replace The Rolling Stones for him, but it was fun anyway and seemed perfect for the scene.
***
Black clouds rolled in from over the sea. Audra smelled the rain long before it arrived, coming in fast behind the drop in temperature that told her a cold front was moving in. Afternoon showers were common and hardly worth the trouble of worrying about. Even if you got wet, a few minutes later the sun would be back out to warm you and dry your clothes. It was rather lovely. When the rain began to trickle down on them, she hugged Ken’s arm tightly, then moved in front of him, standing on her toes.
“You haven’t kissed me or fondled me in at least four minutes,” she scolded playfully. “And never in the rain.”
“Not once?”
“Never.”
“What a dreadful lapse in manners on my part,” he smirked, grabbing her ass and pulling her against his body, then pressing his lips to hers. She sank into the loving warmth of his kiss. This one had passion, but without the fire of sheer arousal. The sensuality of it ran far deeper than that. She opened her eyes to find him staring into them as he brushed her cheek softly with the back of his fingers. The stare was soft, almost tender, and she wondered for a moment if he was going to cry.
“I have a serious question for you, Audra. After all this…”
Suddenly something crashed into them. Audra watched with horror as Ken was knocked down and sent sprawling onto the ground. Hands grabbed her and slammed her back against a tree.
“Bitch!” she heard hiss at her. A face, twisted in anger, filled her field of vision when she was able to regain focus. His breath, reeking of alcohol, filled her nostrils. Still reeling, she tried to make sense of what was going on. “You lying, cheating bitch!”
She looked at the man in panic, confused and scared by the anger she saw. “Who are you?” she screamed back at him. “What do you want?”
She couldn't make out all of what he said next since his shrieking was so loud that her ears were overloaded. She saw Ken get to his feet, clearly shaken. He quickly grabbed the man’s arm.
“Let her go!” he growled. “The woman’s pregnant, you idiot!”
The attacker released her and whirled to face him while throwing a fist. Ken moved with a surprising grace to avoid the assailant’s punch, but the second blow connected with his jaw and sent him tumbling to the ground again. Audra tried to take the opportunity to get away, but the man moved too quickly, grabbing her and slamming her back against the tree for a second time.
“You told me he kissed you once and that was it!” the man sneered.
“Who are you?” she asked pleadingly. With his face red with rage, she suddenly remembered something Terry had taught her when he came home from training on leave. As the man looked like he was about to hit her, she clapped her hands over both of his ears as hard as she could. The move worked as intended, stunning him for a moment. She saw Ken getting up again, not as steady this time. She needed time, and he needed time as well, so she raked her nails over the man’s face. He jumped back in pain and shock.
“What the fuck, Myeisha?” he roared. Hearing the name threw her off for a second—long enough that the man grabbed her again, this time holding her painfully by the wrists. She struggled, but he was strong. He seemed to be staring at her breasts. “Where’s your cross? What’s going on Myeisha?”
“Let go of her, Bruce!” a deep, commanding voice sounded loudly, and she immediately recognized it as her brother’s. Her attacker let go of her and turned to face him.
“Terry? Get the fuck out of here. Mind your own business.”
She watched as Terry’s fist caught the man squarely in the stomach and he folded, collapsing on the ground. She sagged against the tree, but Ken was there supporting her, easing her gently to the ground.
“Ken,” she panted, catching her wind from the fright, “this is Terry, my brother. I have no idea who this other lunatic is,” she added, pointing to the fallen man who was now clenching his stomach and attempting to rise to his feet.
“That's Bruce,” Terry said.
“Terry, this is Kenneth Steele,” Audra introduced.
“I’m even happier to meet you than I thought I’d be,” Ken replied, extending one hand in greeting while the other rubbed his aching jaw. “You know this man?”
“I thought I did,” Terry answered with a look of bewilderment. “This reunion was a lot more eventful than I anticipated.” He watched Bruce get to his feet, then unexpectedly lunged at him and grabbed him by the collar. “If you so much as make a move towards my sister, I'll break your goddamn face.”
Bruce shook his head in confusion. “Your sister?”
Terry nodded toward Audra. “Audra, my little sister.”
“That's Myeisha,” Bruce replied, looking even more befuddled.
Ken groaned and muttered, “Oh my God, it’s that Bruce.”
Terry laughed. “Hear that Bruce? You’re that Bruce.” He looked at Ken, asking, “You know him?”
“Not really. It's complicated.”
Audra nodded. “I don't think Myeisha told him the story. We need to all sit down and have a nice talk.” She looked at Bruce. “Seeing the look on Bruce's face, we better call that assistant of yours and get her in on this.”
“Myeisha?” Terry questioned with an arched brow. He looked completely mystified, and had every right to be.
Audra pointed at Bruce. “He thought I was Myeisha—his girlfriend,” she explained.
Terry laughed, then looked back at Audra. “You certainly have an exciting group of friends, sis. If this is a walk in the park, I’d love to see them party.”
***
Audra wasted no time calling Myeisha. “We have a major mix-
up going on here,” she told her.
“What’s going on?” Myeisha asked. “I've been trying to call you since last night. Now you're calling me on Kenneth's phone. I wanted to warn you that Bruce is furious. I think he saw you kissing Kenneth and thought—”
“We know about Bruce,” Audra stopped her. “Sorry I didn't get the call. I forgot my phone.”
“Forgot it?”
“I turned it off last night. I got… distracted,” Audra replied, recalling her torrid night with Ken. “Majorly distracted. It’s turned off and I think it's still tucked behind my couch.”
“That’s handy.”
“Look, we need to come over there,” Audra sighed, looking at the three men before her. Bruce still looked confused and had his eyes on her warily, while Terry and Ken were watching him from their peripheral, ready to pounce should he try anything. “We, all of us, need to figure what’s going on together,” Audra continued. “With the help of visual aids, everyone might get the picture straight for once. Even you and me.”
Myeisha began to understand a bit then. “Ah, more black girl confusion?”
“I think Bruce still doesn't believe we’re two different people. He's a little… shaken up.”
“I’m at the office,” Myeisha replied, “but I'll meet you at my place in half an hour.”
“Your boss is standing here saying to take the day off.”
***
An hour later they awkwardly sat in Myeisha’s living room. Ken and Bruce were nursing a split lip and a sore stomach, and everyone was taking turns telling overlapping stories that had been hopelessly entangled, discovering plots and subplots that they’d acted out in innocence or by design that weren't exactly as they seemed.
At the beginning, none of them had more than a slice of the story; none of them knew all of the others, and even when two of them knew a person, there were contradictions to resolve. To Terry, Bruce was an Army buddy who’d gotten out to marry his girlfriend and suddenly gone berserker, attacking his kid sister while she was walking with the man she loved. To Myeisha, he was the man she loved who somehow got into a jealous rage over something that never happened. Mistaken identity—again. Lighting striking twice and all that.
Audra sat next to Myeisha on the sofa, knowing that them sitting side by side explained a lot by itself. It also raised questions. Being that close, the differences between them were obvious. “We even wear our hair differently, for Pete’s sake,” Audra pointed out.
“But women do change their hair,” Terry said reasonably. “You dress differently too, but that doesn't make a man see you as a different woman. And you’re the one who told me that even I would confuse you at a distance.”
“You’re still wearing the cross…” Bruce noticed, sounded defeated.
“Of course,” Myeisha replied. “I told you I never take it off.”
“This story started even before Brazil,” Ken chimed in. “It’s going to take time and a few bottles of wine to comb through everything that’s happened.”
“Orange juice for us,” Audra said, patting her belly.
Soon, with the shock wearing off and some of the pieces of what had happened beginning to fall into place, they had all relaxed. Audra took in the strange collection of people around her, the amalgam of former strangers who had become significant in her life one way or another. The billionaire who was the father of her baby, his assistant who was her twin, her brother, the out of work martial artist, the jealous ex soldier who loved the assistant. Toss in her waitress friend, Gale, and you had quite an odd assortment.
She listened to them talk and her mind drifted to the future. Despite so much taking place, she had no more idea of what would happen than the day she’d discovered she was pregnant—the event that forced her to reset all her plans. She'd been so sure before, but everything was in flux now.
Her face was warm… flushed. It had been a stressful, fearful, exciting day. She’d been made love to, and then been attacked. And then the revelations, the truth began coming out. It was a lot to process.
The conversation had faded to a drone; her pulse raced and the room felt stuffy. A strong fragrance began to reach her nostrils. A perfume? Whatever it was, it made the air seem thick, and hard to breath. The others were talking, someone was going to answer the door, letting room service in. She could almost taste the orange juice she’d ordered. Terry looked at her. His face said something that she couldn't read at first, then she saw it was concern. He handed her the glass of juice. It felt odd in her hand. There was a murmur of sound, muffled. Terry, then Myeisha, were speaking at her—asking something.
Audra stared at them curiously. “Why are you sounding so muddled?” The glass in her hand was cool and she tried to take a drink, but her hand wouldn't move to bring the glass to her lips. She was so thirsty. Why was her hand not moving? The glass slipped, falling to the floor, splashing orange juice on her feet—but she didn't feel it.
Then everything dissolved into a swirl of color and light.
Chapter Eleven
“It’s all my fault.”
Bruce said the words right to Kenneth Steele’s face, speaking clearly and meaning every word of it. If the man hit him in the face, well, he knew he’d deserve it and even braced himself for the punch. He’d gotten mad and had let things get out of hand. He hadn't trusted the woman he supposedly loved at all, when you got right down to it. Now it was easy to think rationally, to wonder how he’d feel if Myeisha believed something about him that wasn't true. He'd be furious, of course, yet that’s exactly what he’d done to her. He'd trusted an illusion over her word—Myeisha's word! It didn't make a damn bit of difference that he’d been drinking. In fact, that made it worse. Instead of talking things through with her, he’d accused her of cheating and hadn’t given her a chance to defend herself. Rather than trying to resolve things, he’d stormed off and gotten drunk. How stupid was that? Of course when he saw Kenneth Steele kissing who he’d thought was her, and her responding to him, it had pushed him over the edge—he’d been in a stupid blind rage and too drunk to care. He’d been irresponsible.
It would be bad enough if he’d just called her names or walked out in a huff. That would be him being the asshole he obviously was, but he’d done much more than that. He hadn't just gotten mad, he’d attacked a woman who’d done nothing wrong. All she’d done is look like his fiancée and he’d assaulted the poor girl. Now they were all at the hospital, waiting for the a doctor to tell them what had happened to her—to let them know if it was serious.
“If she’s really hurt, I'll never forgive myself,” he muttered with his head buried in his hands, too ashamed to look anyone in the eye.
“She’s going to be fine,” Myeisha assured him. “She passed out.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Steele didn't say a word. Once Bruce had said his piece, Ken looked away and refused to make eye contact with the hothead who’d hurt Audra. None of them were looking at Bruce, and he knew he deserved that and a whole lot more. If Steele suddenly rushed over and threw a punch at him, he wouldn't move out of the way. He deserved to be hit for his stupidity. That wasn't Steele's way of course, but still.
Even Terry was keeping his distance. The man was worried about his sister and clearly not in a mood for an apology at the moment. An apology for what he’d done would sound more like he was feeling sorry for himself anyhow. Like he cared more about what Terry thought about him rather than having concern for Audra.
When you looked at it closely, both men had good reasons to beat the crap out of him, and so did Myeisha. He’d be lucky if they didn't call the cops and have him charged with assault—that’s the crime he’d committed, after all. He’d acted like a thug as well as an asshole—attacking a woman half his size because she wanted to kiss someone else? That was crap. The mistaken identity thing didn't make it any better. Even if it had been Myeisha kissing Steele, that didn't justify him slamming her against a tree and screaming at her—nothing could make t
hat right.
Seeing that clearly now didn't help, either. It was too late; he’d fucked things up with just about everyone. Even if they didn't press charges, Myeisha would never trust him again and he wouldn’t blame her if she never wanted to see him. And after attacking the client he was supposed to be protecting, he’d definitely be out of a job. He could be blacklisted and never land a security job again. And what else did he know? That’s what the military taught him. Unless there was a market for former Special Forces members that he didn't know about, his only option was an exciting career flipping burgers or, if he was lucky, working as a Walmart greeter.
Things had seemed so good for a moment. Getting out of the Army and getting engaged, then landing a plum job... he’d managed to screw it all up in a matter of days. That had to be some kind of record, didn’t it? His thoughts were interrupted when a woman in a white coat scurried into the waiting room. She wore a professional look on her face and carried a clipboard under her arm.
“Mr. Steele?” she asked, looking around the room.
Kenneth quickly stood and went to her with Terry right behind him.
“Audra’s going to be fine, and so is the baby,” the woman smiled. “She overexerted herself and hadn't been drinking enough fluids. The combination deprived her brain of blood, apparently. Nothing worse than that. I want to keep her here a day for observation and to rehydrate her, then she can go home. Please see that she drinks water more often, especially when she’s getting exercise.”
Bruce could feel the tension easing. At least Audra and the baby were going to be alright. Now everyone would surely turn their attention to him. He nervously looked at Myeisha. What a beautiful woman she was. How much he loved her. Looking at her made his heart ache. Losing her for his stupid actions would be even more painful that the feeling he’d had when he thought she was cheating on him. How could he have ever believed she would do that?
