Cutting Loose

by Dash, Jayson

  Sabrina thought to invite Brett but she wanted to use this as her advantage and get some practice in before she called him back and challenged him instead of it being the other way around.

  Later on she and Cassandra went to the mall and bought band-new tennis stuff. With a new tennis racquet, a new pair of sneakers and even a tennis outfit.

  After a couple of practice ruins, it was known that Sabrina was getting better than she thought.

  “I beat you again,” Sabrina gloated after she won yet another match with Cassandra. “What’s up with that?”

  Cassandra frowned. “You cheated.”

  “I didn’t cheat. I won that match fair and square.” She couldn’t believe how much fun it was to feel like she was on top. Cassandra was good at some things and tennis just wasn’t her thing.

  Cassandra said, “Whatever. Let’s see you do the same in a doubles match with Chad and me against you and Brett. What’s up?”

  Sabrina smiled and said, “Puh-lease. That’s not a challenge; it’s going to be like stealing candy from a baby.”

  Cassandra cackled and called Chad over. “Do you hear all trash talking coming out of her mouth? She thinks she is all that ‘cause she won a couple of matches.”

  Chad said, “I saw her lips moving but I didn’t hear anything coming out.”

  Cassandra and Chad gave each other hi-fives like little kids.

  Sabrina said, “Oh, I see y’all got jokes. We’ll see who gets the last laugh. Same time and place tomorrow?”

  “Yep. You better bring you’re A-game. I know I will.”

  They played one last match before they went their separate ways. Sabrina went home and called Brett to see if he was up for the challenge and he was looking forward to it. For the most part Sabrina was probably more anxious to see him then he knew since it had been a while since she last saw him. Between her hectic schedule and his busy schedule, it felt like they were never going to catch a break.

  The morning of the big eve t Sabrina woke up extra early and did a light workout. She danced around the house in her one-piece tennis outfit and pictured herself as a pro tennis player like Venus or Serena Williams.

  It was a quarter to three when Sabrina finished prepping herself for the match as Brett pulled into her driveway. When she stepped outside the air was warm and cool, it was perfect weather with no gray clouds in sight. When she climbed into Brett’s car she was happy to see that he has taken the time to get his haircut and it was shorter than usual. His copper highlights were gone and his hair was back to the natural auburn he wore before added highlights to it.

  “I see you got freshened up since the last time I saw you,” Sabrina said a moment or so later on the road. “It makes you look sophisticated…and kind of sexy.”

  Brett smiled and did, “Thanks. I wanted to look good for you, and try to show off some for the game.”

  “You know you always look good, and you’re like a tennis champ.” She placed her hand on his thigh and coyly looked to her right, away from Brett’s direction.

  “If you move your hand any higher, I might crash this car.”

  Well, you better keep your eye on the road,” Sabrina said coolly, and at the same time, disregarding what he said.

  Brett just shook his head and maintained his focus as he multitasked as Sabrina’s hand slid into his pants and found his flesh.

  There was no telling how they managed to make it to the country club in without any incident. Sabrina didn’t know what had come over her when she boldly decided to go down on Brett on the long drive. Whatever it was, it sure as hell put Brett in a good mood and, even she couldn’t stop smiling when she realized what she had done. It wasn’t anything shameful and it was probably the first time she ever did it.

  She could tell Brett was thinking the same exact thing she was before she even said it.

  “Have you ever done that before?” Brett asked as they grabbed their bags out of the car and walked inside.

  “Did it seem like it was my first time?”

  He paused and studied her playful expression. “Uh, actually, no, it didn’t. It was mind-blowing.”

  “Yeah, well, I know I’m the bomb. I don’t want to toot my own horn but, hey, toot, toot!”

  Brett laughed. “Wow. You are a total hot mess.”

  She smiled and said, “I’m your total hot mess.” She kissed him on the cheek at the corner of his lips.

  They walked hand in hand until they reached the outside tennis courts. Cassandra and Chad hadn’t arrived yet so they took the time to practice. About twenty minutes later Cassandra and Chad showed up dressed in color-coordinating outfits.

  Sabrina had to suppress a laugh as they approached her and Brett.

  She said, “Damn. Whose bright idea was this hot mess y’all call coordination?”

  “It was my idea,” said Cassandra. “Don’t be hating on us. We look good don’t we, boo?” She turned to Chad and kissed on the lips.

  “Get a room, will ya?” Brett said momentarily after finishing his stretches. He was probably feeling sick to his stomach at the sight. “Nobody wants to see you two lovebirds swapping spit.”

  That’s all it took to get them to break up their little heat of the moment.

  “So, what are we playing first?” Chad asked a moment or so later.

  “Doubles,” said Brett. “Then we can do singles.”

  “Alight then. Just make sure you watch where you are swinging those guns around,” Chad said, pointing his tennis racquet to Brett’s large biceps.

  Brett cackled and walked towards the nets where Sabrina was finishing up her last few minutes of stretching her calves. He snuck up behind her and gave her a love tap on her bottom.

  She jumped up like a spasm had erupted in her back.

  “Hey, thanks for the warning!” Sabrina snapped at Brett.

  He just smiled. “No problem. You ready to play?”

  She straightened out her one-piece outfit and said, “I was born ready.”

  They set up the game rules according to how they were going to play it, which was as close to a real tennis game as they were going to get. Some rules were overlooked and others, well they just didn’t matter. Like when Sabrina messed up the first serve and nearly cost her and Brett a point when the damn ball hit the net. It was hard to tell who was going to win the first set after it came so close when Chad and Cassandra got the hang of things and were throwing fast balls all over the place. Then it came to a deuce and Sabrina broke the tie when she scored on Cassandra.

  “Are you getting tired already?” Sabrina teased Cassandra. “Do you need to sit down for a minute and rest your fragile bones?”

  “I know you not calling me old,” Said Cassandra. “I’m going to show you what old looks like in the next set.”

  “Well, bring it on!” said Sabrina.

  She loved enticing Cassandra and messing with her head. When the second set started, Cassandra and Chad put in killer teamwork and had Sabrina and Brett thinking twice about their momentum, but they didn’t lose hope. Their strategy was simple; get close up on the net and play off of it for a while until Cassandra and Chad got used to it and at the last moment, switch it up and go long.

  The second set belonged to Sabrina and Brett for obvious reasons and after that set it was clear who the better players were. They came close to losing it, but Brett wasn’t letting the ball slip out of his sight and he was using his biceps and good form that Sabrina caught herself trying to perform but somehow it just wasn’t the same.

  When it came down to the last match it was evident that Cassandra was getting a little worked over and she was indeed getting somnolent, but she was a fighter and didn’t let it show too much, mostly in part because she stayed towards the back of the court and moved about a lot. It would have been a good strategy if Chad was fast as lightening to keep up with Brett, but that wasn’t happening and as a result, Sabrina and Brett won the game with a score of 2-1.

  “That was a hell of a game!”
Sabrina said after the game was over and they stood off to the side.

  “I must say, I wasn’t expecting the game to be so intense,” Brett said moment later. “It was a good game.”

  “Yeah, whatever,” said Cassandra. “Y’all just got lucky, that’s all. My knee was acting up and it messed up my game.”

  “Excuses, excuses,” said Chad.

  Cassandra looked at him weirdly and snapped, “Keep it up and we’ll see who gets the last word.”

  He played it off like he didn’t want to comment and say something slick. He said to Brett, “Ready for singles?”

  “Sure,” said Brett confidently. “Let’s hit the court.”

  They shook hands and headed for the nets. As Sabrina and Cassandra watched from the sidelines, they gossiped about whom they thought was going to when, in between being acting as cheerleaders and cheering them on. The game lasted four sets and Brett was getting stomped by Chad the first couple of sets until somehow he gathered all of his reserved energy and dominated the third set, leading with 4-5 when the game point was scored after Chad dropped the ball.

  When the last set came around Brett took it as his opportunity to show off his marvelous body and shed his shirt. He mostly did it because he knew Sabrina was watching and she couldn’t tale her eyes off him. Chad took his shirt off as well, feeling under the pressure to have the same athletic body shape like Brett, just in a skinnier form. The game was over once Brett scored the match point and it was all over. Finally. Chad looked like he was pissed, but he played it off with a semi-smile.

  “Damn, Brett, you were a beast out there,” Sabrina said as he towered over her. “You killed it.”

  “It was nothing. I want to go for another round. Anybody want to challenge me?”

  Cassandra and Chad both exchanged looks.

  Chad said, “Dude, you are a beast!”

  Brett cackled. “Yeah, I know.”

  Sabrina laughed and said, “Well, Mr. Hot Shot, if you can beat me, then you really are crazy.”

  “Is that a challenge?”

  “Yeah. I want to see what you got.”

  Brett stepped closer to her and asked, “You want to put up a wager?”

  “Like what?”

  “Let’s see; if you beat me, I’ll give you a nice massage and I’ll even throw in something extra. And if I win, well, the same rules apply...but with something extra. What’s up?”

  Sabrina smiled and said, “I like the sound of that. It’s a deal, then. It’s about time somebody put your winning streak to an end.”

  Brett laughed hysterically and walked to the nets.

  Sabrina felt confident going into the match with Brett, but she knew right off the bat was she was facing. Even with Cassandra and Chad rooting her on from the sidelines, it was almost enough to boost her ego but not enough to do the same for her terrible coordination. She knew the game was over before she even began but she liked the image that was burning inside her mid of giving Brett a massage or doing something exotic. So all in all, she was the one with the advantage.

  “So, uh, when will I be getting that massage?” Brett teased Sabrina after the game was over and they all headed back to their cars.

  “Whenever I feel like giving it to you.”

  “Ooh, feisty. I like it when you get mad.”

  “Don’t patronize me.” Sabrina laughed as she threw her arms around him. She couldn’t wait to free up some space in her schedule to get down and dirty and fulfill her part of the bet, hell, it was more like a fantasy of hers that was about to come true.

  Chapter Twenty:

  Exhale

  There was no greater feeling than hanging out on a perfect Sunday afternoon in the cool shade with the world and all its problems being drowned out by laughter and good times with friends. Usually Sabrina would have been hunched over her laptop in her office taking care of work-related issues, but today she and Cassandra decided to hang out and share their thoughts on just about anything. They put on their best bikinis and lounged outside on the Sabrina’s deck and let the cool breeze flow through the air.

  “We should’ve done this a long time ago,” Sabrina told Cassandra after putting a book she was reading to the side. “This is actually more enjoyable than I thought it would.”

  “I know,” agreed Cassandra. “I gave up spending a few hours with Chad to take this mini-vocation. And those bitches at my job are getting on my last nerve.”

  “You’re telling me. If it weren’t for the fact that I actually like doing what I do, I probably would have quit a long time ago. But then again, I would hate to see what would happen to Fabulous if Camille was left to run it by her damn self.”

  “Isn’t she the editor in chief?”

  “Yeah, but she doesn’t get the last word, that’s where Sean comes in but I’m always doing the work anyways so she’s just there to take up space.”

  Cassandra laughed. “Damn. I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten the boot yet.”

  “Oh, it’s coming, trust me. I’ve worked my ass of for the past nine years and I think I deserve that job more than she does.”

  Cassandra sipped her drink. “Nine years? I thought you didn’t start working there until after college?”

  “Well, technically I didn’t because I started interning when I was twenty-one and I started out as an assistant and that shit sucked.”

  Cassandra laughed. “Was it like that movie, The Devil Wears Prada when that girl was working for that crazy bitch?”

  “Girl, it was worse than that. My momma put me to work like crazy! She said she did it because she wanted me to learn the value of hard work.” She paused and added, “Have you heard from Larissa lately?”

  “Nah, I haven’t seen her for a few weeks now. Why?”

  “I was just asking. I haven’t heard from her and I thought maybe you talked to her. I think she still pissed from the way Brett told her off.”

  “It’s likely. You know how she is, especially these days.”

  “I don’t know what her deal is. But she needs to get over it already. I guess she expect me to just dump Brett because he’s white and because she doesn’t approve of him.”

  “Rina, don’t pay her no mind or anybody else that has a problem with you dating a white guy.” She laughed softly as and sipped her drink.

  “And what was that little quiet giggle about?”

  “Nothing. It’s just funny.”

  “What is?”

  “I don’t know. I guess the whole idea of you dating a white guy. I never fathomed you of all people doing that, not that I’m saying anything is wrong with it. I’m just surprised is all.”

  Sabrina waited a beat. “Yeah, me too. But I really like him. He’s sweet, kind, sensitive. He’s everything I’ve been looking for.”

  Cassandra cackled loudly. “Girl, stop before I have to slap you.”

  “What?”

  “Are you hearing yourself right now? You sound like some peppy white girl in a romance movie.”

  Sabrina gave Cassandra a love tap on her thigh. “No the hell I don’t.” Sabrina couldn’t help but laugh herself. “That’s so messed up. Why I can’t just be a happy black woman in love?”

  Cassandra continued to laugh her ass of.

  She said, “I’m just saying, I’m a happy black woman and I don’t talk like that. It’s just the way you worded it. How many black girls you know describe their men like that?” Cassandra even went as far as mimicking what she said about Brett.

  “That’s not even right,” Sabrina said after Cassandra was finished mocking her. “I can’t help it, girl. But I think I’m falling for Brett.”

  Cassandra smiled. “I know you are. Shit, you hardly have time to hang with me no more ever since Brett popped into the picture. But I’m not mad at that. I’m glad you found your little slice of heaven in some white chocolate.”

  They both exploded with laughter.

  Sabrina said, “Cassandra, I swear you got issues. But I like that name. I might have to st
art calling Brett White Chocolate from now on. What you think?”

  “I like it. Hell, I already gave Chad a nickname.”

  “And what’s that?”

  Cassandra giggled and said, “I like to call him King Mandingo.”

  “Girl, you are nasty!” Sabrina laughed. “I thought you were celibate?”

  “I am. Just because we don’t have sex, doesn’t me I can’t look at it and well, you know?”

  “So, it’s big, huh? It must be torture knowing you can’t get any.”

  “No.”

  Sabrina eyed her.

  Cassandra giggled and bust out, “I’m lying my ass off! It does suck, but celibacy don’t mean we can’t have oral sex and me personally, I love when he go down on me. I be feeling like I’m in heaven.”

  “Do you go down on him too?

  “No, ma’am! I don’t that nasty shit.”

  “Nasty?” repeated Sabrina coolly. “What’s so nasty about it? I do it to Brett all the time.”

  Cassandra cringed. “Nah, see I can’t get down with that. I will never ever let that thing get close to my mouth. Gross! It makes my blood curl.”

  Sabrina laughed. “Don’t call me a slut because I’m liberal with my new boo. It’s actually pretty fun, especially if it’s in public place where I know there’s a chance we might get caught.”

  “See, Rina, you nasty, girl.” She paused and added, “Have you ever done in it in church?”

  “Uh, well,” stammered Sabrina, “Kind of.”

  “What you mean ‘kind of’? You can’t kind of have sex in church. It’s either yes or no.”

  Sabrina smiled and said, “Yes, I have. But it was a long time ago back in my teenage days.”

  “Girl, I’m praying for you next time I go to church. I can’t believe that.” She paused and added, “How old were you when you did it?”

  Sabrina laughed. “Uh, let’s see, I think I was like sixteen. Yeah, it was ‘cause I remember it was the week after my sweet sixteen and this really cute guy I liked talked me into doing it.”