Magic Touch

by Treasure Hernandez

  “No one said you cared enough to know. I just hope you care enough to hear me out,” Kyan replied. “Can we go somewhere and talk, just you and me? Please?” He turned down the edges of his mouth like a sad puppy dog.

  Simmy sighed. “I don’t know about that, Kyan. Seems like you got a lot of baggage that you haven’t unpacked.”

  “Please,” he pleaded, putting his hands together. “C’mon. You going to make me keep on begging?”

  Simmy folded her arms across her chest. “I mean, what is there to say? I saw it with my own eyes.”

  “A lot. I have so much to say, you have no idea. Man, I can’t think straight. I ain’t made a dollar since that thing happened. I just need you to hear me out,” he begged some more.

  Simmy rolled her eyes and stuck out her left hip. It didn’t seem like Kyan was going to give up anytime soon. She really didn’t want to go anywhere with him, though. She glanced over at Kyan, who just stood there looking like one sad case. “I have to change and grab a jacket.”

  Kyan grabbed her arm. “No. What you have on is fine. You look beautiful to me. And, here, you can wear mine,” he said, shrugging out of his jacket and holding it out to her. “You might go up there and not come back.”

  How did he know that was my plan? Simmy snatched his jacket and put it over her shoulders.

  “Mummy, I’m going out with Kyan. I’ll be back later,” she yelled out to her grandmother. “Can you please lock my bedroom door?”

  “Yes, baby. Go on now. Have fun,” Simmy heard as she headed out.

  “So where are you taking me?” she asked Kyan as they made their way toward his car. Kyan drove a pearl white Honda Civic with charcoal black rims and a black interior to go with it. One thing she appreciated about him was that he wasn’t into flashy cars and jewelry. You could tell he had money because he was always decked out in new clothes, hats, and sneakers, but he wasn’t the type who went overboard with big gold chains, bracelets, rings, and other flashy things. And even with his new clothes and gear, he was still humble.

  Simmy slid on to the seat and immediately was intoxicated with the aroma. His car smelled like fresh Burberry cologne. The car was so clean, it was hard to believe he drove around in it every day.

  “You like the way it smells?” Kyan asked as a sly grin crept across his face. Simmy immediately felt herself start blushing. She didn’t realize she’d breathed in so hard. She felt dumb for making it so obvious, but she wasn’t about to let him see that.

  “Yeah, it smells all right.” She tried to play it off. “So you’re not going to answer my question?”

  “What question?

  “I asked where you are taking me.”

  “Oh, that question.” Kyan tried to act like he didn’t have a clue.

  “Yes, that question! Boy, you better stop playing games before I get out this car and go back inside my house.” Simmy folded her arms and pouted.

  “Oh, so you’re making threats now?” Kyan chuckled. Simmy looked over at him, rolled her eyes, and reached for the door handle. “Okay, okay, I’m just playing around with you, lady. Calm down.” Kyan reached for her arm and grabbed her hand. “I’m bringing you to my place,” he finally admitted as he began to drive.

  “So you dragged me out of my house, in my house clothes, just to bring me to your house?” Simmy grumbled, folding her arms across her chest in defiance.

  “I wanted us to have a quiet place to talk. That’s all. Nothing more,” Kyan assured her. “I’ll make it worth your while.” Kyan winked.

  The way he winked at her made Simmy feel all warm and tingly inside. As much as she wanted to stay mad at him, she still liked him a lot. They rode the rest of the way listening to Hot 97 on the radio.

  “Welcome to mi casa,” Kyan announced as he pushed into his apartment.

  Simmy walked in slowly, still trying to hold on to her attitude. She couldn’t let it go too easily or else he’d think he had her. Once she stepped inside, she didn’t want to give him any compliments but, secretly, she admired how neat and well furnished his place was. Simmy looked around at the shiny, blond-wood floors, the gorgeous African artwork on the walls, and the huge flat-screen television. Kyan had good taste for a young dude. But, it was the entire wall of books that had made Simmy’s heart pump harder. She hadn’t taken Kyan for the reading type, but only a real avid reader would have an entire bookshelf built into one wall of his home like that. It became harder and harder for her to hold on to her attitude with him.

  “Make yourself at home,” Kyan invited, opening his hand toward the brown leather sectional.

  Simmy took a seat at the edge of the couch. She didn’t want him to think she was going to get comfortable, although she was already comfortable. It was strange to her that she felt so at ease with Kyan.

  “Can I get you anything to drink?”

  “Water,” Simmy replied. She had to make sure that sleep breath was gone before she tried to speak to him in close quarters. “Thank you.”

  He disappeared behind the wall that separated his kitchen from his living room. Simmy dug in the corners of her eyes and swiped her hand over her face to make sure she was all good. She was mad she had let him convince her to leave home before she had the chance to clean herself up a little bit.

  Kyan handed her a tall glass filled with ice and water. She nodded. He sat down next to her and took off his New York Yankees fitted. He scratched his head and let out a breath.

  “That don’t sound good,” Simmy said, sipping.

  “I’ma get right to it, Simone. I don’t want to play no more games,” he said, his tone serious.

  Simmy raised her eyebrows and swallowed hard.

  “So, from middle school, I was always feeling you. But, back then you were the flyest girl in school and I was like a nobody. You were definitely out of my league. I used to watch you, and I swore you never wore the same outfit twice. Jewels, furs, the newest kicks as soon as or before they hit the stores. All of that. I was always watching and telling myself I had to step my game up if I wanted to bag you. I knew who your father was and even when people said he had got bagged, he was still a legend in the streets, so I knew what kind of expectations you probably had.

  “Then, when we got to ninth grade, you still seemed to be so strong. Everybody knew your mom and pops were both locked down by then but you still walked with your head held high, holding your own, and that made me like you even more. See, for me, as a little nigga out there, I ain’t ever have those kind of resources you had growing up. I ain’t have no pops lavishing me with shit. I never had nobody coming through with stacks of money to keep me up. What I liked about you the most, though, was that you were the prettiest, best dressed, smartest girl in school but you never acted like you were better than anyone. Facts.”

  Simmy blushed. Thoughts of her parents and the good old days flashed through her mind. Kyan was right. Her mother and father got locked up when she was fourteen and, up until then, things had always been good for her. Even for the first year or so after her parents were arrested, her father’s associates, whom she called uncles, came around and kept her dipped in the best clothes. It didn’t last, though. Once her father received that life sentence and her so-called adopted uncles knew he wasn’t coming back, the money and the clothes stopped.

  She took a big gulp of her water. It was all she could do to stay focused on what Kyan was saying.

  “You was one of the reasons I started hustling,” Kyan said.

  Simmy twisted her lips and sucked her teeth. “So, wait. You blaming me for your not-so-legal activities?”

  “Nah, not like that. I just mean you was my motivation for wanting better, for doing better. You and watching my moms struggle, working three jobs just to keep a roof over me and my brothers’ heads,” Kyan said honestly. “I wanted better for her and my brothers so I started hustling so I could help provide for them. I done good for myself. I’m eighteen, and I helped my mom buy her house, bought her a new car, got my own place, a
nd I give my brothers whatever they need. Everybody thinks I’ve got it all but the truth is there is one piece missing for me, and that’s you. I’ve always liked you, Simone. To me, you’re the most beautiful girl out here, and you’re the only girl I want to be with. Real talk.” He raised his right hand for emphasis.

  “What about Av—”

  Kyan put his finger to her lips before she could get the name all the way out. “Shh.”

  Simmy moved her face away from his finger and closed her eyes. She felt a pang of hurt flit through her chest. She wasn’t over what had happened.

  “We not saying that name. I promise never to say it in your presence if you promise the same,” Kyan said softly.

  Simmy nodded and sighed. “That’s easy for you to say. I don’t know what the story is between you and her, but the way she rolled up on you was crazy. I mean, why would she flip out on you like that if you had already told her it was over between you two? And you brought me here because you said you wanted to explain yourself. Now you trying to brush it off, telling me we won’t ever speak her name again. Smells like bullshit to me.”

  “No, it’s not even like that. I promise you I won’t ever try to bullshit you about anything,” Kyan said as he clasped both hands together. “Truth is I used to date her.”

  “No shit, Sherlock. Everybody knows that already,” Simmy snapped, getting frustrated.

  “Okay, but not everyone knows I stopped liking her pretty quick. The more I got to know her, the more I started seeing her through different eyes real quick. She was all beauty, no substance. Cute face. Empty head. It was all about material things with her,” Kyan said. “I couldn’t have a conversation with her unless it was about the latest clothes, shoes, bags. It started to get on my nerves. There’s so much more to life than the material stuff. That’s why you don’t see me walking around rocking the most expensive stuff. I like my Nikes and a few Jordans here and there, but I don’t feel the need to have to go and buy Yeezy’s, Gucci belts, and all that extra shit. Most people I know be wasting their money and investing in the wrong shit.”

  Simmy shifted uncomfortably on the couch. For the past three months, all she’d thought about was material things, how many high-end outfits she could rack up to impress people at school. She felt stupid now.

  “So, I had to dead her. I told her I was out. That she wasn’t right for me. She ain’t want to accept it, but I was very clear about it. Right hand to God,” he said, raising his right hand.

  Simmy hung on his every word. She didn’t know he was so smart and so deep. She’d been shallow to think that being shallow was what he wanted.

  “But you, Simone, you are different. I used to see you at lunch with your head always buried in a book. I see you go to class every day when all the other girls spend their time in the bathroom combing weaves and fixing them fake-ass eyelashes and freak ’em dresses they wear. I’ve always known you are a woman of substance, Simone. I see the ambition in your walk, in your eyes. You’re destined for more. You deserve more.”

  “But you don’t really know me,” Simmy said, her tone low and soft. “I’m not the same person I was a few years ago. After my parents went away, things became worse and worse for me. Every day was a new struggle, and it still is now.” She wanted so badly to really open up to him and tell him about how she felt about things. How much she missed her parents, how much she hated being in that cramped-up house. She wanted to tell Kyan that she had become just like Ava, thinking about clothes and money all of the time. She wanted to vent and talk about how she felt she was losing her drive and desire to do good in school and get a career for herself. She wanted him to know that she had resorted to the easy money life. And, that she was doing all the wrong things just to impress people.

  “You ain’t telling me nothing I don’t know,” Kyan interrupted her thoughts. “The struggle is real out there. You think I want to be out in the streets passing poison to my own people? Nah, but the way shit is set up in the world, if you grew up in it, you stuck in it.” Kyan kicked more facts. “For real, I’m hustling now, but I got an end goal. All I want is to make enough to invest in a legit business, take my moms out of the hood, and have a woman like you, a smart one with her own goals, by my side.”

  “But you barely even know me, Kyan. You know my history and what you’ve seen of me. I’m really not as good as you’re making me seem right now.” Simmy lowered her head. She didn’t want him to see the tears welling up in her eyes right now.

  “I know you’re smart, funny, and beautiful,” Kyan complimented her. “ I know you have a mind of your own and you think for yourself. And I know that you and I are meant to be. I’ve know this since we were in junior high. I’ve always had feelings for you, Simone.” He reached out and gently put both her hands in his. “Simmy, look at me.”

  Simmy finally looked him deep in his eyes. She felt something inside of her pop loose; her inhibitions floated away like a helium balloon cut from its string. She inched over and grabbed his face and crushed her mouth on top of his. Their tongues intertwined, performing a soft, sensual dance. Kyan moved in closer until he forced Simmy down gently onto her back. She held on to him tight, feeling things happening to her body that she’d never experienced before. Simmy’s head spun, and her ears felt clogged. Kyan kissed her deeply, but his hands roamed her body in places no one had ever gone. Simmy didn’t fight it. She wanted it.

  Kyan moved his mouth from hers and pulled up a little so that he was hovering over her. He looked down into her eyes. “You sure you’re ready for this? We don’t have to.”

  Simmy reached up and pulled his face back down to hers. She opened her mouth and accepted his tongue inside. Without another word, she’d given him her answer.

  Kyan ran his hands under her shirt and began rubbing her breasts over her bra. Simmy loved the sensation and couldn’t help but let out a soft moan. She tugged at his shirt and motioned for him to take it off. He stood up and took his shirt and pants off. Simmy was amazed at how lean and toned he was. He looked like an underwear model, the way he was standing there in just his boxer briefs.

  “Your turn,” he said as he sat next to her.

  Simmy was hesitant about taking her clothes off in front of him. She had never been naked in front of anyone. Kyan noticed her discomfort and decided to help put her more at ease. He pulled her in for another kiss. As they kissed, he guided her arms and pulled the shirt over her head. He reached toward her back and unstrapped her bra while he laid gentle kisses on her neck and shoulders.

  Simmy’s heart began to race as she felt the bra become loose and her perfectly round breasts were exposed. Kyan slowly laid her on her back again. He grabbed her left breast and gently began to suck on her nipple while his remaining hand slid down her smooth stomach and undid the string on her pants.

  Simmy was mesmerized by the sensation. She rested her head and closed her eyes. His hand made his way down, and he slid it in between her legs. He could feel the heat coming from the lady part. He pushed her panties to the side and slid two fingers inside of her. Simmy gasped. She could feel her juices flowing as his fingers came in and out of her.

  “Take my pants off,” she instructed him barely above a whisper. Simmy no longer felt timid about what he was doing. She wanted to feel him inside of her. If his fingers felt this good, she couldn’t wait to see what his dick would feel like. Kyan wasted no time taking her pants and underwear off. As soon as he did that, he took his underwear off too. Simmy saw his member standing at full attention. She sat up, reached out, and put it in her hand. It felt soft and smooth as she ran her hand up and down his shaft. She looked up at Kyan, and their eyes met once again. Without hesitating, Simmy brought her mouth to the tip of his dick and began to suck on it. She ran her tongue up and down as his dick came in and out of her mouth.

  Her pussy was throbbing at this point. Simmy lay back down on the couch and spread her legs for Kyan. Kyan leaned over and placed himself in between her legs. Simmy felt his dick be
gin to enter her tight, wet pussy. The feeling took her breath away. Kyan immediately realized she was a virgin. He took his time making love to her. He wanted to make sure this was an experience she would never forget.

  Chapter 6

  Things Fall Apart

  Simmy felt like she was bouncing on a cloud when she got back home. She rushed into the kitchen and found Mummy Pat at the table going over her lottery tickets. Simmy laughed. “I hope you hit it soon.” She kissed her grandmother on the cheek and walked right back out.

  Simmy went to her room and realized it was unlocked. Mummy must have forgotten to lock it. She flicked on her light and right away she could tell someone had been in there. Simmy rushed over to a group of bags that she had set neatly in the corner of her room and began dumping everything out. Working with Jayla, Simmy had become a pro at taking inventory of things she had. She had also become more observant of her surroundings. She had gotten used to taking note of where things were and leaving them exactly as she’d found them; the slightest deviation caught her attention. Instinct was what Jayla called it.

  “For real? I know this chick gotta be out of her mind. Didn’t I tell her ass no when she asked me?” Simmy grumbled as she pulled things from the bags. She knew right away who the culprit was. “And she took the best stuff I had at that?”

  Simmy’s nostrils flared, and her face grew hot. She stormed out of her room, down the stairs, past the kitchen, to the door that led to the basement where her uncle Marcus, his wife Serita, and their kids, including his stepdaughter Jalissa, stayed.

  “Jalissa!” Simmy boomed before she even made it all the way down the narrow staircase that led into the basement. “Jalissa!”

  Serita rounded the corner from the tiny bedroom she shared with Marcus. “Simone? Why the heck are you yelling like that?” Serita asked, her face crumpled in confusion. “We are in bed.”