Seeing Black

by Sidney Halston

  “Shotgun!” Jill yelled and ran towards the car.

  “No way, babe. Oliver and I are too big to both sit in the back seat of this tiny clown car. There’s no way we’re going to fit.”

  “Tough,” Jill replied.

  “I’d offer my car, but my Mini is just mini. Y’all sure as heck won’t fit,” Heather said as she slid into the driver’s seat of Jill’s car.

  “Seriously, Jill, Alexander’s right. We don’t fit. One of us barely fits. Two? No way. We’re over six feet tall. This is a two-door hatchback. Forget it. Xander and I will meet you there. We’ll take his bike.”

  “No. No. I hate that machine. The two of you barely fit on that bike either. One of you just go and sit in the front with Heather. You guys are guiltying me into sitting in the back seat. That’s low even for you two.” Jill pouted, pulled down the passenger seat, and made her way to the back.”

  “I don’t think guiltying is a word.” Alexander said with a chuckle.

  “You know what I mean.”

  Oliver and Alexander did rock, paper, scissors, and Oliver won. Seconds later, Alexander was squishing his way next to Jill in the back seat.

  “I can’t believe you rock-paper-scissored for it. You should want to sit back here with me. You’re my boyfriend for Christ’s sake.”

  “I love you, babe, but the front seat wins every time.”

  Jill scoffed incredulously. “Unbelievable.”

  “Thank God it’s around the corner. This car is so small. Babe, I hate your car. You have enough money from your trust fund to buy a decent car. How can you stand it?”

  “Don’t talk about my car. I like it. It’s small, yes, but I don’t normally have so many people in here. It’s a cute car. I love it. Don’t listen to them.” Jill caressed the headrest in front of her as if she were talking to another person. Meanwhile, Alexander was trying to somehow bend his legs to fit inside. Jill was practically sitting on Alexander’s lap. She stuck out her tongue at him. Very mature.

  “Be careful with that tongue. You don’t know when someone will just grab it.” He winked at her, which caused her pulse to race and thoughts of her tongue on his body to run through her mind. There wasn’t much conversation on the way to the restaurant. She was squished in the backseat of her car, leaning her back against Alexander. Less than five minutes later, Heather was parking at the restaurant. Jill could feel the warmth of Alexander’s breath on her neck and his racing heart on her back. It seemed as if the backseat would become their favorite mode of transportation from now on.

  “Red, that might have just been the best five minutes of my life. You’re killing me. Look.” He pointed to the bulge in his pants. She smiled at him in a taunting manner but didn’t let him know she felt the same way.

  “And you wanted to sit in the front? I wonder if the front seat would have had the same effect,” Jill teased.

  “Definitely not.”

  At the restaurant, they ordered a variety of different dishes, all picking from one another’s plates, talking and laughing.

  “So what’s Goonies?” Oliver asked, pointing a chopstick at Heather’s shirt.

  Heather almost choked on her dim sum. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “Kidding you? No, I don’t know what it is. Do you?” Oliver asked, looking at his brother and Jill, both of whom shrugged their shoulders.

  “OMG! Goonies was a super popular movie in the eighties. They play it all the time on television? Y’all really don’t know the Goonies. Group of kids? Pirate ships? Cory Feldman?” She continued to talk since the rest were giving her blank stares. “Goodness, I forget you guys were stuck on that island without television.” She took a sip of water, before she continued, “And then you must have come back and lived under a rock, because everyone knows the Goonies.” They all shrugged. “How sad.” Heather looked genuinely heartbroken for them.

  They looked at each other as if she were talking another language.

  Heather continued to talk as they all picked at the food in the middle of the table. “I wish I’d been born in the eighties. It was the best decade. But as a nineties child, I had all the best music. Granted, it was a little melancholic, but it rocked! I bought this shirt yesterday when I was looking for a costume—” Heather instinctively covered her mouth, almost spilling the beans about the surprise party.

  “Costume?” Oliver asked.

  “Um, yeah. Heather likes to shop early for Halloween. Get all the best costumes and all that. Anyway, so how long you in town for, Oliver?”

  Oliver and Alexander looked at each other but ignored the abrupt and obvious change of subject. “You guys are acting so weird.” Oliver took a sip of his soda, eyeing the girls over his lashes. “I’ll be here another few weeks or so until my next assignment, which will be in Japan for a month.”

  “Oh cool. I’ve always wanted to go to Japan.” Heather said, her chin resting on her palm, looking starry-eyed at Oliver.

  Alexander turned to Jillian. “So what time do you want us over for dinner tonight, Red?”

  “How about nine?”

  “So late?”

  “I know, but I’ll still be stuffed after all this Chinese food. Anyway, it’s Saturday. It’s not as if we have anywhere to be tomorrow morning.”

  “What’s the occasion?” Oliver asked.

  “Can’t I just have my two favorite people over for dinner?” Jill retorted.

  “Hmm?” Alexander said. “Definitely something suspicious going on.”

  When they finished and headed back to the car, there was no rock, paper, scissors this time. Alexander happily sat in the backseat with Jill. Unable to resist, Jill ran her fingers through Alexander’s now-short hair while planting small kisses along his neck. “I liked the long hair, but I love, love, love this shorter hair. It gives you that I-don’t-care-that-my-hair-is-all-over-the-place-because-I’m-sexy-no-matter-what look.”

  “I thought that had always been my look.”

  “No. Before you had the fuck-you-I’m-a-bad-boy look.”

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk, you’re cursing,” Oliver said from the front seat.

  “I think I’m giving up my no-cursing resolution. It just doesn’t seem to be working.”

  “I know, especially in bed.” He winked at her, mischievously.

  “TMI, guys!” Heather faked gagging, and they all laughed.

  When they arrived back at the apartment, the girls did everything except carry the guys to Alexander’s motorcycle.

  “I know you well enough to know you ladies are up to something. I won’t ask, since you obviously aren’t going to tell us. Just answer me one thing. Whatever you guys are scheming in there—is it safe? You’re not hiding any cryptic notes, intruders, or planning a rendezvous with a homicidal killer?” Oliver asked.

  “Trust us. It’s nothing. See you at nine. Thanks for lunch.” Jill got on the tips of her toes and gave Oliver a kiss on his cheek and then went to Alexander to do the same, but he turned his face at the moment and the kiss landed squarely on the lips. The innocent kiss turned into a body-crushing, opened-mouth, tongue-fighting, teeth-biting, panty-wetting, almost make-out session. All until two voices cleared their throats, loudly.

  “Come on, lover girl. We got things to do.”

  “Bye, love.” Alexander yelled as he hopped on his bike. Oliver followed right behind.

  ***

  A few hours later, Heather walked into Jill’s room as she finished applying the final touches on her makeup.

  “Holy smokes! I thought you’d wear something involving big teased hair and leggings. But this is va va voom! Good choice, sister.” She high-fived Jill. “Alex will faint.”

  “It’s not too much?”

  “You mean not enough?” Heather laughed. “Your legs look a mile long, and your boobs look awesome in it.”

  “Speaking of boobs,” Jill reached over and squeezed Heather’s coned bra, “I can’t imagine this was actually cool at one point in time.”

  “Ho
ney, everything Madonna does was cool at one point in time.”

  “What happened to She-Ra? The costume I got Oly only worked with you as She-Ra. Otherwise, he’s just a half-naked guy.”

  “Couldn’t find the costume anywhere. And now that I know Oliver will be half-naked, I’m glad I made you do research!” They both laughed.

  “Well, you look great. Oliver will have a coronary when he sees you. I’m not the only one showing a lot of skin.”

  “Oliver? Please. He and I . . . I don’t know. I don’t think there’s anything there.”

  “Oh, there’s definitely something there. I’ve seen how he looks at you.”

  “Well, we’ll see. He hasn’t said anything to me, so tonight is fair game with any hot single men coming.”

  A few minutes after eight thirty, guests began to arrive. At ten past nine, all the guests began to quiet down, awaiting the guys arrival.

  “SURPRISE!” everyone yelled, when Alexander and Oliver walked through the door a few minutes later. Jill wasn’t sure whether they were surprised at the party or confused over all the ridiculous costumes.

  “Uh, what’s going on?” Alexander asked, his eyebrows furrowed together, his jaw set tight, and his eyes honed in on Jill’s cleavage.

  “What’s this?” Oliver also asked, but his eyes shifted between Heather and the rest of the guests.

  “It’s a belated surprise birthday party!” Heather said, as she turned up the volume of the music, which got everyone to resume dancing and drinking.

  Oliver looked at Jillian. “I see that, but why are you dressed like . . .”

  “I’m Jessica Rabbit. Apparently she was a very popular cartoon character from the eighties. Heather wanted an eighties-themed party since we missed the eighties.”

  “She missed the eighties too. None of us were born in the eighties.” Oliver laughed. It was all so ridiculous and nonsensical for anyone except for those who knew Heather. Since it was Heather’s doing, it somehow made sense.

  “I know, but the eighties were the best! It was the funnest decade.” Heather replied.

  “Funnest? Jill’s rubbing off. You’re making up words too?”

  “Hon’, stop being the grammar patrol, and tell me how much you love your surprise,” she teased Oliver.

  “I do love it. Thank you!” Oliver yelled over the music and reached down and kissed her cheek. Heather’s face turned the same color as Jill’s hair. Jill had never seen Heather blush over anything.

  Alexander had yet to say a word. Jill nudged his ribs with her elbow. “I’m speechless. I’m gonna have to see that cartoon right away. You look . . . Wow!” Alexander said when he finally spoke, still staring at Jill and ignoring most of the conversation happening around him.

  “Well, since you always call me Red and she’s famous for her red hair, I thought it would be appropriate.”

  “It’s not only the red hair she’s famous for, Jillian.” Walter, a friend from class, yelled over the music.

  “I see that.” Alexander said, looking down at Jillian’s breasts again. “Look away, dude. Look away.” Alexander scowled at Walter and then turned back to Jill, who smiled. “Even though you look un-fucking-believable, I’d prefer if not everyone could see so much of you.” He whispered into her ear.

  “Oh stop with the jealous thing.” Jillian said, rolling her eyes and playfully punching Alexander’s shoulder.

  “Trust me, babe. Every guy here is looking at your tits.” Alexander grabbed Jill by the waist and pulled her close to him and brushed his lips on hers. He looked down between them at her cleavage. It was pressed against him and therefore even more pronounced. She heard a low growl from deep inside his throat. “Thanks for the party, Red.” He winked. “I hope you leave that on for later.” He leaned back, and his eyes moved up and down the curves of her body.

  “Stop being an ogre. No one is looking at me. Look over there—that girl is practically naked. I don’t even know what she’s supposed to be dressed as. I’m a nun compared to her.”

  “Yeah, but that girl isn’t mine. You’re mine, and I hate seeing other guys looking at you.”

  “Come on, pervert. Let me introduce you to everyone.” She grabbed his hand and showed him around. Oliver was talking to Heather on the other side of the room and yelled over to Jill. “Thanks for the party, Jill!”

  She lifted a cup to him from across the room as a gesture of cheers. “You’re welcome, Oly.”

  “That guy over there is Mr. T,” Alexander said proudly.

  “Wow. I’m impressed you knew that.”

  “I know lots of things,” Alexander said, kissing Jill’s cheek.

  “Okay, so here we have Walter, who’s apparently some cartoon slash television show named ALF. And this is Walter’s girlfriend, Justine, who is Punky Brewster, a television character. And that guy dressed in a white suit is Al Pacino from Scarface. I’m sure you’ve heard of Scarface.” Alexander nodded and Jill continued. “That guy over there is . . . I’m not sure what he is. He told me, but I can’t remember. Some sort of alien from Star Wars. Anyway, that girl over there by Oly is Rainbow Brite, another cartoon, and her name is Rachel. Okay, there’s more, but I can’t keep everyone straight, so just ask them when you go say hello.”

  Alexander pulled her in close. “Thanks for this.” He whispered into her neck. “I’ve, well, we’ve, never had a big party like this for our birthdays.”

  “I know. That’s why I agreed to it.” She got on the tips of her toes and gave him a light kiss on the mouth and then his cheek. They had made their way around and were now by Oliver and Heather. “Hey, Oliver! Were you really surprised?”

  “Yes. Very surprised. Thanks again, Jill.”

  “It wasn’t all me. Actually, it really wasn’t me at all.” She gestured over at Heather, who stood right next to Oliver. “It was mostly Heather. Remember, I wasn’t around in the eighties or nineties. I was stuck with you two bullies on Onion Island.”

  “I know. Heather has been going costume by costume trying to explain what people are dressed as and who they are for that matter. The eighties were confusing. I’m glad we missed them.” Oliver laughed.

  “I have costumes for you two. Come on.” Jill led them to her bedroom.

  “Y’all have to wear these. No matter what. You promise?”

  The twins looked at each other, concerned.

  “Come on, guys. Promise?” Heather whined some more, using all the southern charm in her arsenal to get them to agree, which they did—reluctantly. Heather pulled out two bags from Jill’s closet and handed one to each twin. “Jill went through a lot of trouble, so no pouting.” Heather handed them bags.

  “Wait, what are you supposed to be?” Alexander reached over to Heather to grab one of the cones, but Oliver slapped his hand away as he was about to squeeze.

  “Madonna. My God, you guys really are clueless.” Heather rolled her eyes and continued, As I was saying, these are your costumes.”

  “What are they?” Alexander asked.

  “Heather over there wanted to dress you two up as raisins, but—”

  “Raisins! Hell no! I’m not going to dress as a—” Oliver argued.

  “Raisins? What was going on in the eighties?” Alexander asked.

  “Yes, they were called California Raisins. There was a song and everything. It was very catchy,” Heather said. “But, Jill said you two wouldn’t want to play along, so she was able to save you. Xander, you’ll be Rambo, and you, Oliver, will be He-Man.”

  “It made more sense when she was going to be She-Ra,” Jill interjected.

  Oliver looked completely confused. “She-what? Oh, never mind. It doesn’t matter. I’m sure whatever is in this bag will suck for me no matter what.” He warily opened the small bag that consisted of his entire costume. “Oh no. No fucking way! This is a loin cloth.” Oliver frowned.

  “Like I said, it made more sense when Heather had planned her She-Ra costume. Then she changed to Madonna without telling me. It’s
still a good costume. Come on. You can totally pull it off. You’re tall and blond.”

  “Yeah, sugar, just like He-Man.” Heather smiled.

  Alexander was admiring his costume. “Oh, this isn’t so bad. I know this guy. I’ve even seen the movie. Give me that bag. I’ll change in here. You,” he pointed to Oliver and Heather, “out. Go change in the bathroom or in Heather’s room or something.” Alexander pushed Heather and Oliver out of the room, and as Jill was about to leave too, he pulled her inside before closing the door behind her.

  “You don’t need my help, Xander. I think you’re perfectly capable of changing all on your own.”

  “I do so need your help. Come here. I need you to show me how to unbuckle these.” He handed her the camouflage pants, and as she fumbled to get them open, Alexander planted small kisses along Jill’s neck, moving his way down to the swells of her very exposed breasts. “Best. Cartoon Character. Ever.”

  As he kissed her, the camouflage pants slipped from her hands, and when she stretched down to catch them, her breasts popped out of her dress. Alexander stared. His eyes were so blue they seemed translucent. He looked excited. Determined. Eager. The music from the other side of the door pounded into their room, but the thumping of their hearts and the rasping of their breaths seemed louder as Jillian fisted her hands in his hair, while Alexander sucked on one nipple first then the other. She pulled his hair, causing him to move up to face her. She then plunged into his mouth in a feverish kiss. The music continued pounding. The laughter and talking from the other room blended into the noise from the music. Jillian tried to control her moans and gasps as Alexander lifted the little bit of material that comprised her skirt. He slipped a finger under the elastic of her panties and slowly slipped them down at the same time trailing a finger from her thighs all the way down to her ankles. Once her panties were off, he wasted no time sliding inside her. She was ready. The look of his Nordic, statuesque body in the nude was enough foreplay for her. His rhythm sped when the music sped and slowed when the music slowed.

  “Xander, please, I can’t take it anymore,” she whispered, but it came out louder and needier than she intended. He didn’t respond. He just continued his agonizingly slow pace without caring that on the other side of the door a house full of people were there for his birthday. When it came to Alexander, Jillian seemed to lose all inhibitions, all sense of reason and morality, and when he sped up his pace, she yelled. Even though the sound was lost to the tempo of the music, Alexander muffled any remaining noise with a deep kiss that took her over the edge.