On the Ropes

by Christa Cervone

  “Coulda fooled me, that’s all,” he shrugs his shoulders.

  Opening my car door, I step out, then shut the door quietly, so I don’t disturb her.

  Jase meets me at the back of the car, “So why aren’t the two of you together?”

  Apparently, he isn’t going to give up on this line of questioning. “It’s not by my choice, she has a boyfriend.”

  “So, if she has a boyfriend, why is she here with you?”

  “That’s a really good question, little brother,” I smile at him. “Come on, let’s get Sleeping Beauty upstairs.”

  “Salem,” I nudge her gently, trying to wake her up.

  “I don’t wanna get up,” she murmurs sleepily. Her eyes are slits from the overhead light that is blinding her.

  “I know doll, but I can’t leave you down here in the car.”

  “Ehhh,” she whines.

  “Come on, I’ll carry you,” I try to squeeze the top half of my body into the back seat.

  She hangs her arms around my neck and her body is limp. “You gotta give me a little help here,” I laugh softly into her hair.

  After a couple of attempts, I finally get her out of the car. She’s cradled in my arms, and her head is resting heavily on my shoulder.

  “God, I hope you live on the first floor,” Jase laughs as he holds open the door for me.

  “Try the third.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “I’ll be fine, she’s pretty light.” We head up the stairs, and all I can think about is how great it feels just to have her in my arms.

  Finally reaching the third floor, I lean up against the wall. “I guess she’s heavier than you thought,” Jase teases.

  “I heard that,” Salem mumbles.

  “Busted,” I smile back at Jase. “My apartment is the second door on the left. Can you open the door for me?”

  Jase hustles down the hall to my door, “It’s locked.”

  “Fuck,” I drop my head. Adrian has a fucking girl in there. That’s the only reason why the door is locked. “Bang on it.”

  Jase bangs on the door.

  “Adrian, open the damn door,” I say loudly, giving it a kick.

  We hear laughter and shuffling around inside my apartment. The door swings open, and a scantily clad girl is standing in front of us, leaning on the door jam. My eyes immediately land on her breasts; they’re at least a double D and are popping out of her lacy black bra. My eyes continue down her body, and I notice that her belly button is pierced with a cherry dangling from it. “Come on in, fellas,” she drawls as she saunters away in her black thong.

  “You live here?” Jase has a huge grin on his face as he pushes past me, eagerly entering into my apartment

  “They’re not staying,” I mutter under my breath as I follow right behind him.

  Adrian is resting comfortably on the couch shirtless, with jeans unbuttoned, and he’s clearly not wearing any underwear. I glare at him, “Will you put some clothes on, for Christ’s sake?”

  “Aww Sugah, don’t you want to join us? We were just about to have some fun,” a familiar voice purrs from the hallway. I turn my head quickly in that direction and confirm it’s the dark haired vixen from Shikago’s. “You never came back to see me,” she pouts.

  “I’ve kinda been busy,” my eyes glance down at Salem, who’s still nestled in my arms.

  “That’s a shame. We coulda had a real good time together,” she raises one of her dark, mysterious eyebrows at me then she struts over to Adrian, shaking her ass. She’s wearing another skintight, black catsuit, but this one is shorts, and her ass cheeks are peeking out as she climbs on top of Adrian. She looks over her shoulder and blows me a kiss.

  I instantly get hard. Jesus Christ, what I wouldn’t do to get a piece of ass right now. I look down at Salem, who’s still asleep in my arms, and I instantly feel guilty. “I’m going to put her to bed,” I say to Adrian. When I look over, I realize he’s not listening; he’s too busy tongue-wrestling with the girls on the couch.

  “I’ll be right back,” I inform Jase, who’s obviously enjoying the soft core porn that’s now taking place in my living room.

  “What?” he looks up at me, grinning.

  “Never mind,” I exhale loudly, shaking my head. Honestly, I can’t blame him for wanting to watch. I’m sure Adrian can put on quite a show. Through our paper thin walls, I’ve heard girls he’s brought home scream, and they certainly weren’t screaming in pain. More like praying to God Almighty, Himself.

  I gently place Salem onto my bed, “Here we go.”

  I carefully take off her boots, trying to not to wake her, though I’m not exactly sure how she’s slept through all the commotion that’s going on in my living room. I pull the blankets over her and brush the hair off her face. She looks so peaceful. Her skin is as perfect as a porcelain doll and her complexion is flawless. Gently, I kiss her forehead, then turn off the light and begin to the shut the door as I leave. “Gabriel,” she says softly.

  “I’m still here,” I rush to her side. The light from the hallway is casting a faint glow on her. Looking down, I realize she’s still sound asleep. She dreams about me?

  I walk out into the living room expecting to find a full-on orgy taking place. “Where is everyone?” I ask Jase, who’s standing in the kitchen alone.

  “Adrian said he’d see you tomorrow. Cat Woman convinced him to go to her place because ‘there are too many people here.’ I tried my best to convince her to stay.”

  I laugh, “I’m sure you did.”

  “Well, you know,” he says.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “I’m starving.”

  “Why don’t you go take a shower, and I’ll make you dinner?”

  His eyes light up, “That sounds great.”

  “I’ll show you where the bathroom is and get you some clean clothes.” I walk towards the bathroom with Jase following.

  “Thank you, Gabe.”

  “Anytime,” I pat him on the back.

  As I turn to leave, Jase grabs my arm, “I really do appreciate you bringing me here. You could’ve left me outside of Pablo’s.”

  I look him in the eyes. “No, I couldn’t. You’re my little brother. I could never just leave you, and I’ll never leave you again,” I pull him into a hug.

  I can feel his body trembling in my arms, and a few quiet sobs escape. “Let it out, Jase.”

  “I know I’m a… a… a fuck up,” he stutters, choking back his tears. “Every time I try to get clean, I fail, just like I do with everything else.”

  “Shhhh,” I stroke his hair. He still seems so young; it’s like we’re ten and five all over again. “Go shower and when your hair is clean, I’m gonna give you a trim,” I tug on his hair. “You look like a hippie.”

  Jase shuts the door behind him, and I ease open my bedroom door. Trying not to disturb Salem, I tiptoe through my room to my dresser. Digging through my drawers, I find a pair of shorts and a T-shirt for Jase to wear. I then search through my underwear drawer looking for the underwear I bought for myself last week.

  Quietly closing the bedroom door behind me, I enter into the steam filled bathroom, “You alive in there?”

  “Yeah,” he laughs.

  “Good, here are some clean clothes and the towels are in the closet.”

  “Great, thanks. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  When Jase finally emerges from the bathroom, I’m in full-on cooking mode. I’m making pork chops, rice, and green beans. I have pots and pans scattered all over the place.

  “Oh, my God, it smells like heaven out here.”

  “Dinner should be ready in another ten to fifteen minutes. I just put the pork in the oven.”

  “You’re making pork chops?” he sounds excited.

  “Yeah, just like Mami used to make with Sazon and Adobo.”

  “I haven’t had those in years.”

  “Neither have I, so I figured why the hell not? Let’s give you that haircut,” I gla
nce at his hair.

  “Okay, I guess I do need a trim.”

  “A trim?” I blurt out. “No son, you need it shaved off.”

  Jase begins to laugh. “Yeah, you’re right, I do,” he runs his fingers through it.

  “Man that was so good,” Jase yawns, rubbing his stomach.

  “I’m glad you liked it,” I smile at his empty plate. I notice how bloated his stomach is from all the food he just consumed.

  “Let me show you Adrian’s room, you can sleep in there tonight.”

  “No, I can’t do that; the couch is fine,” he protests.

  “Bro, you don’t want to sleep on our couch,” I laugh, “Adrian likes to fuck on it.”

  He holds up his hand and closes his eyes, “Thanks for the visual.”

  “You got a sneak peek earlier, the man has no shame.”

  Jase fights off another yawn.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty wiped out myself,” I get up from the kitchen table. He follows me out of the kitchen and down the short hallway, until I come to a stop at Adrian’s door. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Gabe, thank…”

  “Don’t,” I stop him from speaking, “you don’t have to thank me for anything. I should’ve been there for you. I should’ve tried harder to find you.”

  “I know it’s not your fault.”

  “Get some sleep, Jase,” I hug him tightly.

  I enter into my dark room, careful, not to trip over anything. Sitting gently on the corner of my bed, I kick my shoes off. I throw my T-shirt to the ground and slide my jeans off, leaving them in a ball on the floor at the foot of my bed. Crawling into bed, I’m respectful of Salem and keep to my side; even though the thought of her in the same bed, within arms’ reach, is killing me. Then I stare blankly into the darkness as my eyes get heavier and heavier.

  A flash of light wakes me. Squinting, I see the dark silhouette of a woman entering my room. “Salem?”

  “Yes,” she whispers. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” she slips back into bed.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I just had to go to the bathroom.”

  I roll over onto my side with my back to her, and I drift back to sleep.

  I wake again to her tossing and turning. “What’s the matter?”

  “I can’t get comfortable in these clothes,” she complains.

  “You wanna wear one of my T-shirts?”

  “Do you mind?”

  “No, of course not.” I get up from bed, feeling my way to the dresser, then open the second drawer and grab a shirt.

  “Here you go,” I extend my arm out to her as I lie back down.

  “Thank you,” she gently takes the shirt.

  Our hands touch and a wave of emotion flows through me. I spring up into a sitting position; I can’t be in the same bed with her right now. “I… I’ll… be right back,” I stammer and quickly leave the room. In the bathroom, I splash cold water on my face then look at my reflection in the mirror. Pull yourself together. She has a boyfriend. Thoughts of our kiss play back in my head like I’m watching a movie. Her sweet taste, the way her lips felt on mine. When my vision comes back into focus, I’m running my fingertips over my lips as if feeling the kiss again. Fuck, snap out of it, man! I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to force my mind on other thoughts.

  I hear a light tap at the door, “Gabriel, are you okay?” Salem.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” I open the door to see her standing there in my T-shirt.

  She fills out my shirt very well. Her perky nipples are poking through the fabric and the length barely covers her panties. I catch myself looking down at her bare legs, “Oh good, I’m glad it fits.” I quickly raise my eyes to hers.

  “Barely,” she tugs on the bottom hem of the shirt, trying to cover herself.

  “You want me to find you a bigger one?”

  “No, I’ll be fine. Are you coming back to bed?”

  I give her a puzzled look.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way,” she covers her face in embarrassment. “I just meant, are you going back into your room to sleep?”

  “Yes,” I smile, “are you?”

  “Yes,” she smiles bashfully.

  We’re both lying in bed, each of us on the edge of our sides, neither wanting to cross the imaginary line down the middle.

  “What you did tonight,” she breaks our silence, “it was a really great thing.”

  “He’s my brother, what else was I supposed to do?”

  “Some people wouldn’t have brought him home.”

  “Well, I’m not some people.”

  “I know you’re not, Gabriel.”

  I feel her toss and turn again. “You want me to go sleep on the couch?”

  “Don’t be silly. If anyone should be sleeping on the couch, it’s me. Unless your roommate is still out there with his friends,” she teases.

  I quickly flip onto my side to face her, “I thought you were sleeping.”

  “I was pretending,” I can hear the smile in her voice.

  “Why were you pretending?”

  “I don’t know.”

  I inch my body closer to hers. “Salem, you’re more beautiful than those women.”

  “Oh, please, those women are every man’s fantasy,” she scoffs, “tits and ass. Why do you think Blaine…” she stops abruptly.

  “Why do you think Blaine what?” I ask her.

  “Nothing.”

  “You have nothing to be jealous over, if that’s what you’re feeling,” I subtly move a little closer to her. The need to hold her has taken over, and I don’t care that she has a boyfriend, I want her so bad it hurts. The smell of her perfume mixed with my cologne on my sheets is driving me mad. “I happen to like your tits and ass,” I whisper, as I slowly run my hand up her smooth bare leg. I’m expecting her to stop me, but she doesn’t. Encouraged by this, my hand continues its journey up her thigh until it reaches her ass, and I gently squeeze. “It’s perfect, Salem,” clutching her, I pull her body into mine and she gasps. I search in the dark until my lips find hers and caress them affectionately.

  “Gabriel,” she exhales. Then she kisses me back as her hands trace the muscles on my shoulders. Her touch is going to take me over the edge. My hard-on is raging, and I want nothing more than to sink myself into her, to pleasure her, to hear her say my name as she comes.

  Her soft wet lips are teasing the skin on my jaw. God Salem, I want you so bad. I’m on the brink of taking this to the next step when I stop myself. I begin thinking about what she said to me at the festival, that she “can’t give me what I need.” How does she know what I need, when I don’t even know? I begin analyzing everything we’ve said to one another.

  “Gabriel?”

  “Yeah?”

  “What’s wrong?” she’s running her leg up and down the length of mine.

  I take a breath, shaking my head, “I’m not sure I can do this.”

  Salem kisses me, “I want you to.” The tip of her tongue gently teases mine and her crotch is pushing up against my hard cock.

  Fuck, it would be so easy to take her right now.

  “Am I not good enough for you?” she whispers in my ear.

  I raise my hand to her face and my thumb strokes her cheek, “I think it’s the other way around, doll.”

  “You’re rejecting me?” the tone of her voice is cold as she pushes me back and rolls away from me.

  “Salem,” I exhale heavily, “you have no idea how badly I want you right now. Please don’t take this as rejection,” touching her back lightly, I feel her flinch.

  “If I wanted to be treated like this, I could’ve gone to bed with Blaine.”

  Her words sting; this isn’t how I want tonight to end.

  “I think I should go,” she sits up.

  “Please don’t,” my mind is searching to find the words to get her to stay, for her not to be angry or feel rejected. Kneeling behind her, I hug her gently and kiss her neck until her
body finally relaxes into me. “I don’t want to rush this. I need you to know that you’re not just another piece of ass to me,” my voice is shaky.

  She turns to face me. “I know, Gabriel. It’s just…” she looks away.

  “It’s just what?” I lift her chin gently; her blue eyes are full of sadness.

  “What you said at the festival. That ‘it doesn’t have to be more than we want it to.’”

  I shake my head at that. “I know what I said, but it’s not true. I want all of you. I don’t want to share you with anyone.”

  She lets out a heavy sigh, “I’m sorry, I just… can’t.”

  Not wanting to hear what she has to say, I bring my lips to hers. I need one night with her, even if it’s only to have her lying in my arms. It’ll be enough; it has to be enough.

  “A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.”

  —Jack Dempsey

  Sounds of laughter and the smell of bacon fill the air as my eyes slowly open. I reach for my cell phone to check what time it is and see that it reads six thirty-five. Holy shit! Frankie is expecting me in less than a half hour. I leap from my bed and hustle into the hallway, slowing as I hear my name.

  “And then, when he got up it looked like he’d shit his pants,” Jase is in hysterics.

  Salem is laughing right along with him. “Did he have to finish the day like that?”

  “No, luckily the school nurse had a change of clothes for him.” Jase is wiping the tears of laughter from underneath his eyes when I walk into the room.

  “I’m glad you think my falling in the mud puddle is so funny,” I smile at the both of them.

  “Dude, it was hilarious,” Jase is still laughing.

  “You want some bacon and eggs?” Salem hands me a plate.

  “I gotta go. I’m gonna be late for the kids.”

  “You got kids?” Jase nearly spits out his bacon.

  “No, I work at a before and after school program.”

  “Shit, I got excited. I thought I was an uncle.”

  “Nah. No kids for me, ever,” I say, putting a piece of bacon into my mouth.

  “What do you mean, ‘ever’?” Salem asks.

  “I need to expand on ‘ever’? I thought that was pretty straight forward. I just don’t want kids, plain and simple.”