Libra - Mr. Romantic

by Tiana Laveen

  “Here you go… You’ve been itchin’ to do this to me, haven’t you?”

  “No, but I am tired of folks tryna take advantage of me and think I don’t know what they’re doin’. You and I will talk about this more later. I wanna be with my girlfriend and her son tonight, my one damn night off and you’re tryna ruin it. I’m hangin’ up, don’t call me back and that’s final!”

  He ended the call and stormed out the kitchen. Racing to the bathroom, he slammed the door behind him. He leaned over the small sink with the cute, fragrant rose petal soaps arranged just so in a shell-shaped dish. His chest heaved up and down like he’d run a marathon. His head throbbed and he felt shitty from his head to his toes. Anxiety struck him hard…

  He hated arguing with his family members, especially his big sister, but she’d left him no choice. Seconds later, a tiny knock came at the door. On a deep breath, he opened it and looked into two of the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen. She walked inside and placed her hand on his shoulder.

  “Are you all right?” Lifting on her tippy toes, she kissed his cheek. “I need you to calm down… Look at you, sweatin’ and huffin’.” She took his hand and gently led him out of the bathroom into the living room. He sat on the blue couch, his back pressed into the cream pillows as his eyes drifted off to the television mounted on the wall. It was tuned into CNN, on mute…

  He lowered his head and stared at the floor. His bare feet sank into the rug. He slowly lifted his head and looked over at the front door to glance at his and her shoes sitting by it then tossed himself back on the couch once again. One leg up, the other down, he leaned back against the arm as if in desperate need of a nap. His lady just stood there, her arms crossed, looking down at him.

  “I feel bad for talkin’ to ’er like that… I’m just, I’m just so fuckin’ tired of everybody.” His voice cracked as he put his hand over his face, feeling a little ashamed of the tears of anger he was fighting… and heartbreak, too. He felt the couch sink, realizing Yaz was now sitting with him.

  “It’s hard to stop enabling people, ’specially the people we love and we know love us, too. You and your parents been helpin’ her but you were right if what you’ve told me about your sister is true, Lang.” She placed her hand on his knee. “The woman is married, she said vows, and she runs away from ’er problems instead of facing them. As a woman who is divorced, I know how hard marriage is but you can’t run from stuff; you gotta be present, front ’nd center. She been runnin’ so much that when her brother, someone who loves her, tells her that the marathon is over, she blames you instead of bein’ grateful for the water you done brought her and the break you reminded her to take.”

  “Brittany can’t stomach herself, Yaz.” He rolled his eyes and sighed. “She can’t seem to see that in some cases, blame ain’t got shit to do with it. Sometimes you just gotta move forward and accept your part in the shit, you know? Even if you don’t know what part that was.”

  They were quiet for a spell.

  “Something is botherin’ you, somethin’ more than having to tell her that she couldn’t come to your place tonight. What is it?” Yasmine lay on top of him, the warmth of her body so relaxing, making him feel at peace. He smiled up at her, moved her hair out of her face, then palmed her ass and gave a gentle double squeeze.

  “Do you think she was right for basically tellin’ me that I could dish it but not take it?”

  The woman smiled ever so slightly, gave him a soft peck, and nodded.

  “But this ain’t about you right now, baby. That was a distraction. She knew what she was sayin’ would get under your skin. She knows you ain’t nothin’ but a big teddy bear. But when you get mad, you go clean tha hell off. You probably took her off guard is all, and she got defensive. She’s only human, just like you.” She kissed him again, making him stir within.

  “And she lied. I ain’t sleep wit’ a bunch of women… not in Elsa, that is.”

  They both burst out laughing at that.

  “You’re so crazy.” Yasmine folded her arms along his chest and rested there, closing her eyes.

  “Is it too late to fuck?” he asked with a raised brow. “I think we still got time for at least one round.” He glanced over at the DVD player and took note of the time.

  “I can’t believe you!” She chortled, but stayed in her spot with her eyes closed. “You just got into a heated argument with your big sister and you have the audacity to bring that up like you wasn’t just cussin’ somebody out five minutes ago!”

  “What?!” He shrugged and laughed. “Shit… I still got needs. Brittany don’t stop no show. Come ’ere with yer sexy ass…”

  He turned her around, had her face him. She crawled closer and he wasted no time clasping her close to his hungry body. Sliding his hand between them, he undid his zipper and unleashed his manhood through the slit of his boxers. Keeping his eyes on her, he helped her quickly maneuver out of her pants and underwear. His heart jumped in sweet anticipation as they tore at one another. She removed her sweatshirt, looked nervously over at the front door, then back down at him.

  “It’s locked, right?” He massaged her breasts, the mounds covered in white lace.

  “Yeah, he’s supposed to text me when he lands.”

  “Let’s hurry up ’nd move. Don’t want you all worried.”

  He grinned at her as she yelled when he picked her up in his arms and carried her away, her bare pussy flush against his cock, making him need her all the more. Moments later, he was on his back in her bedroom on the bed, undressed, his head planted on the soft pillow as she guided herself down onto him. Soft jazz music played from her clock radio. She had a habit of keeping it on… said it relaxed her.

  “Shit!” She hissed as she worked her hips, taking him in, inch by inch.

  He held on tight to her, palming her ass as she bounced up and down on his nature. He lifted up, meeting her movements, grinding against her until she’d taken him completely inside her.

  “Feels sooo good, baby… I love every damn thang about you…” he cooed as he brought her down onto his chest, pushing his love muscle faster within her.

  Her sweet walls squeezed his length as his balls slapped against her pussy lips. Her eyes fluttered as she grabbed his shoulders, buried her face against his chest, and rocked against his nature until she vibrated. The sweetest noises emitted from her mouth when she came. Holding her tight, he kissed all along her shoulder blade as he thrust slow and hard within her, giving it to her just how he knew she wanted it.

  “Don’t cum in me…” she stated, as if suddenly realizing he was inside her with no barriers. It was the first time they’d ever not used a condom. He hadn’t even thought about it until right that moment, too.

  “Why? You’re on the pill though, right? That’s what you told me.” His chest tightened as he kept fucking her, not wanting to relinquish his coveted position…

  Come on, baby, don’t make me pull out… shit!

  …Especially right before I bust this nut!

  “Yeah, but I’ve only been on it a few weeks. They said I need to be on it for at least a month and a half. Wasn’t really no need before.”

  He nodded in understanding.

  Damn!

  “Your pussy feels so fuckin’ good, Yaz… can’t wait to fuck you raw with no cares… I got this though, don’t worry about it.”

  He reluctantly grabbed the base of his cock and thrust deep and hard within her, causing her to scream and roll her hips against him. He rotated their bodies onto their sides, still deep inside of her. Lifting her leg up by the thigh, he fucked her with all the passion within him. He rested his forehead against hers and gasped as he felt his climax approach.

  “Mmm, baby… It’s time. I’m ’bout to cum.”

  Yanking his tool quickly out of her warm, wet, sheath, glossy with her juices, he stroked it hard and fast, groaning. Milky cream shot a fast stream against her stomach as he kept pumping it, working it and draining the last velvety drops it had
to deliver. He sighed when she took hold of it, jerking it the rest of the way, making him go crazy with lust as he came a bit more from her mere touch. He groaned loud, shaking against her as more cum spilled from his throbbing dick.

  “Fuck, baby! Shit… shit…” His heart pounded hard within him. He dropped back on the pillow, spent, eyes fluttering and barely able to catch his damn breath.

  Leaning close, she kissed him, then rolled off the bed and got to her feet.

  “I’m gonna go get my phone out the living room and clean up right fast.”

  He swallowed and nodded, barely able to verbalize anything right then. His cock twitched and jumped from the cool air in the room… Oh, how he wished to be inside her once again.

  Tonight… yeah, we’ll do it again late tonight after the kid is asleep…

  He grinned at the thought of it, building anticipation in his mind.

  “Shit!” The woman raced back into the bedroom, one titty flopping out and the other still inside her bra. “Noah gonna be at the do’e any minute! Get ya clothes on! He texted me eons ago! I ain’t hear my phone ’cause I forgot it in the livin’ room. He’s gone be here any minute!” He slowly rose up, trying to regain his bearings. The woman swooped to the ground, rounded his clothes up, and tossed them at him. “Hurry, Langston! You actin’ like you got all the time in the world. I can’t let him see us in a compromisin’ position. That ain’t appropriate!”

  Compromising position? You were fuckin’, havin’ sex, screwin’! I’m your boyfriend. What would he expect to happen? Yaz, please. Your son isn’t stupid. Stop it.

  …But he kept the thoughts to himself. Wasn’t no need to shake the hornet’s nest.

  “Come on! You’re lollygaggin’.”

  “I am not, baby.” He fought a bout of laughter. The woman looked absolutely frantic as she zoomed about, that one titty still floppin’ in the wind. She paused and cocked her head to the side as if she were hearing ghosts.

  “I heard somethin’! I think he’s here!” She shoved her breast away and put on her sweatshirt. He burst out laughing as she shot him a hateful glance over her shoulder. He quickly dressed in seconds, ran his hands through his hair, then grabbed her by the waist and dragged her away from her bedroom door.

  “Put me down! Lemme go!”

  He laughed all the harder as he pushed her long hair aside and layered the back of her neck with kisses.

  “Woman, if you don’t settle down… Damn it, we’re dressed now, ain’t no problem. Somethin’ smells like it’s burnin’ though.”

  She turned and faced him, her eyes huge. They both raced out the door to the kitchen and sure enough, the water was all cooked out of the pot, the ingredients burnt to a crisp at the bottom.

  “Looks like the base of the crock been freshly paved wit’ tar… You makin’ Cajun stew, huh? Got a nice blackened sauce to go wit’ it! That’s a nice touch.”

  “This ain’t funny, Lang. Damn it!”

  She stomped her foot and turned the eye off the stove, then tossed the damn thing in the sink. Once she turned the water on, the pot sizzled and popped like the fourth of July.

  “Oh, Lawd! Look at all that smoke!”

  “Calm your ass down.” He chuckled. “Let a real man up in here.” He snatched a spatula from off the counter and twirled it around. “Now, gimme two fryin’ pans, that chicken you got in the freezer, some flour, eggs, paprika, pepper ’nd seasoning salt.”

  “What? You cookin’?” She threw up her hands. “But it’s too late to defrost the chicken!”

  “No, it aint. I just need a big bowl and cold water, too. It’s boneless, ain’t gonna take but a second. Come on now, baby, time’s uh wastin’.”

  In moments, she got him all he’d asked for. He soaked the raw chicken in the bowl, massaging it just so. Then, slicing the onions real fine, he tossed them in one of the skillets once the canola oil heated up nice and hot.

  “Chop a salad for me right quick and hand me some potatoes for these here onions… I got this.” He winked at her as the doorbell rang.

  The woman’s chest started to rise and fall dramatically. She looked damn near about to pass out.

  It was obvious. She’d missed that boy so much and he’d been only gone for a second. Before she could turn and leave, the jingle of keys could be heard over the jazz music that now played in the kitchen.

  “Maaaaama! I’m home!” Noah hollered out, the tone of his voice jarring from being so out of tune… and yet, it was endearing all the same. ‘In Love with a Ghost’ performed the song, ‘We’ve Never Met But Can We Meet for Coffee or Something?’

  He watched as if in slow motion. The woman dropped the large wooden spoons she’d been using to toss the salad she’d just cut up and raced to her son. The young man dropped his bags and smiled as she embraced him, holding him tight, rocking from side to side before showering his cheeks with kisses. A wave of hot jealousy rushed over him. Langston stood there feeling uncomfortable, out of sorts. He wasn’t jealous that she loved someone else beside him; he felt envious because suddenly he felt like the third wheel. He felt left out… like he was missing out on something beautiful, something wonderful, something prized and needed in his world.

  He walked up to the two, a smile on his face, his hands in his pockets. When Noah finally looked back up, his smile widened.

  “Hi, Langston. Something smells good. Onions and potatoes…You’re cooking?” he signed.

  “Oh! Why couldn’t I be cooking? You think I can’t make somethin’ that smells like that?!” Yaz teased her son as she rolled her eyes, pretending to be deeply offended.

  Langston burst out laughing and returned to the kitchen to check on the meal and prepare the chicken. He could hear the two laughing, and in those moments of silence, he knew they were signing…

  I want this… I want my own family. I can’t believe it, but this just feels right. I’m supposed to be here, right now, with this woman and her son. I want her in my life for a long time… I want Noah, too… This family should be MY family…

  Maybe one day it will be…

  Yeah, maybe one day it will…

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Sex and Moving Back to the City…

  …Several weeks later

  SEBASTIAN LOOKED ABOUT the grocery store, judgement and condemnation in his eyes. Wearing a light gray suit paired with a powder blue silk tie, he tapped his expensive dress shoe against the grocery store floor before his lips curled in a smile.

  “So, this is it, huh?” he said pompously. He tossed up his hands and sucked on his teeth. A long curl of silver from his otherwise black mane sprung forward as he moved about. “You think ownin’ this store is gonna give you and my son the future that you need?”

  “It will… Why are you here, Sebastian? You didn’t call or nothin’. I pull up to open the place before it’s time to let the customers in and there you are, standin’ in front of the doors, blockin’ my way. I have stuff to do and you’re eatin’ up my time. He’s in school right now and I’m workin’.”

  “I know where my son is, Yasmine, but I appreciate the report all the same.” He tilted his chin high, exposing the deep cleft. He was clean shaven, his jawbone sharp. The light hit the long bridge of his nose and the golden glow of his flesh gave him an almost angelic vibe… but the Devil was a lie. The six foot man sported his expensive clothing proudly, his arrogance poisoning the air as he paraded around, working her nerves to the nubs. “I want to let you know that I am taking a new position at my job. I’m now senior advisor.”

  “Good for you. Hand me that box, please.”

  He picked up the large box in question, clearly annoyed. Grunting all the way, he set it down on a nearby table. She sliced it down the middle with her pocket knife and checked the items with a glance—Christmas sugar cookies shaped like red and green Christmas trees.

  “It pays even more, naturally. That’s good though.” He placed his hands on his hips. “It means more security for my family. Speaking of w
hich, I, uh, I’ve had some concerns, Yasmine.”

  “What? You think I should be wearin’ turtlenecks in ninety-degree weather again? Sorry to disappoint you, masta.” She hissed as she bent down and stretched her arm beneath the register, removing a small pouch that held coupons.

  The man laughed and shook his head, clicking his tongue against his inner jaw.

  Even his happiness is big-headed…

  “Yasmine, in that young, silly little head of yours, I know that you believe you’re doing what’s right for our son. Despite that sharp tongue you wag around so proudly in defense of yourself, he doesn’t have everything he needs. We need to discuss the facts.” He shook his head and ran his finger along his chin. “You can’t provide it. There’s no shame in that, but there must be acceptance.”

  “I’m about sick and tired of you comin’ to me and—”

  “Now, maybe that will change in the future, but right now, it’s a problem. This last visit I realized his clothing was old, Yasmine. On top of that, he looks like he belongs in some grunge band. His hair hadn’t been cut in God knows how long. Then there was—”

  “He don’t want his hair cut. He’s growin’ it out. He’s old enough to decide on how he wants to look regardin’ that, Sebastian. His clothes ain’t old—that’s how the kids buy ’em nowadays. I spent over three hundred dollars buyin’ him that shit that look like it went through a damn shredder, but it was brand-new. If you were payin’ attention to the kids’ fashions instead of snubbin’ your nose while you walk around your expensive tailored suit shops, then you’d know this.”

  The man’s brows dipped and bunched like pieces of paper balled-up in a tight fist.

  “What the hell are you doing with all the child support money I’m payin’?” He tossed up his hands as if beyond frustrated.

  “This is so old and lame, man. I take care of our son with it! You ain’t payin’ millions of dollars each month so save it. I didn’t even ask to increase the child support even though you left out important information regarding your finances during the divorce proceeding. I just let it go ’cause my focus was on Noah and letting him see that a real woman don’t rely on no man to make it through. She do it her damn self! I was married to you and still took my ass to school! I worked, too, and took care of our son, then came home, cleaned, cooked, fucked your trifling ass, and turned around to do it all over again the next day.