One graphically blew her head off with single letters forming into a cloud that read blow me like this, pappi. I overstayed my stare and forgot myself by reaching my middle fingers out to touch the one where she’s blown her head off … Stanley grips onto my middle fingers, but nippily let’s go from embarrassment.
My heart leaps to the toilet and gets flushed down to avoid having to look into his eye. I snicker the words out - don’t do it -don’t do it - don’t do it. Like a jackrabbit trying to keep the pace at a high tempo.
“I need to find my manners. I’m sorry for grabbing your fingers. I was going to guide them through the whole outline of the tattoo. That one is brand new, so you’d feel how deep the artist went when he did it.”
“Just a little inappropriate.” –
“Yeah.” Stanley slants his head. “I can’t just be reaching out and touching you.” He renders inaudible. I try and think of anything to say. But what the hell, I’m back to staring at the same tattoo. I want him to guide my hands on the outlines. His eyes follow me. “Maybe just this once then. I could … guide your hands?”
My fingers were drawn to his tat. And I placed that as plausible to have him give me a guided tour. He did. And my heart leaped to drink with the stars, as the coarseness and bumps could be felt over every indelicate line the tattoo artist made. I feel some of the stencil, some redness, and some tiny swelling by the finishing of the hair.
It was like sandpaper and going over sharp rocks that had points that would go high like mountains in a way. The coloring of the shorts was the smoothness. He had applied the aftercare moisturizer and had a clean floral scent. Can’t really name the flower.
When Stanley was done with the outline circuit, he just looked up at me and massaged my hands. It got more intense. My eyes started to penetrate his own as it felt good. Real good. In fact, I should stop this finger rubbing before I reach a climax. I have all the time in the world to pull away and stop him. But I can’t. And then it moves to the next level … he’s bringing my fingers to his bottom lip.
He only takes my ring finger, and lets it glide: going closer and closer into his mouth. That’s when I go frigid before he puts it inside. “Sorry” –
“Sorry!” I’m unsure why I’m apologizing. And on cue, Taylor walks in and sees me heading straight up to the bedroom. I’ve no idea what the look on Stanley’s face was.
…
“Knock, knock,” Instead of actually knocking for permission to enter into my bedroom, Taylor makes the sound effects. She’d be better off knocking because I don’t want to hear her voice.
I let her in though … or she lets herself in because the door was open mid-way. “I’m going to sleep.”
“Not before we speak about these bills.”
“You pay them. It’s your house.”
“You’re joking, right?”
I’m not. “Yes. I’m being sarcastic.” I wasn’t. But who needs any more aggro after what happened downstairs with Stanley. “Now that Stanley is here, we can pay it off. I’ll call them tomorrow.” I’m getting under the covers in my shorts that don’t quite cover my two bum-cheeks and my sports bra. “Goodnight.”
“I missed you.”
“Uh huh. Can you switch off my light when you leave?”
Taylor must have heard shut the door for me. “I vetted other potential housemates? The majority were over 30, and either in-or-out of the army. It turned out that Stanley was the best suited.”
My eyes were closed and ready to sleep even if Taylor was in my room. But she managed to sprinkle that wake-up session mentioning Stanley’s name. “I think we need to find another housemate.” I won’t add because I don’t trust myself to do the right thing.
“I’m not getting rid of him. I met his daughter, Chanel. She’s the cutest little thing I’ve seen. You have to meet her?”
“No thanks.” –
“Why not?” -
“Because he won’t be staying here.”
“Did you break up with Marcus?” –
“I’m up!” I spring up from the deathly sleep that was calling me in this double bed.” I’m up. Because you aren’t going to let me sleep!” I chuck off the covers in my heated frustration. I’m tired. But she won’t leave!
“Calm down, Megan.”
“No. I won’t calm down when you never listen to anything that I say! And Marcus is just as ignorant as you. We had a good thing. It worked. And now he’s gunning down my throat trying to stick a label upon me. I’m now forced to break up with a guy who isn’t even my boyfriend. All the emotions and drama is very much present though. I’ve done it again.”
“Did something happen?” -
“You and Marcus happened.”
“Oh … very uplifting. I’m your best friend.” -
“Who was close to chucking me out my own house!”
“Our house!” -
“Over some guy who didn’t want you.” I stop my venting anger. That was too far down the Damascus way. And judging by Taylor who’s now coming to sit on my bed, I think the truth hits her harder than it ever has before.
“I needed to hear that.”
“Yeah but … I didn’t mean for it to come out so mean.”
“But that’s what it is. Rejection. You’re Megan, pretty, slender frame, curly mixed hair that’s natural, confident and determined to do whatever the hell you want. And I’m Taylor: short, bendy legs with a little too much beef and no ribs, stomach could do with an iron press, and my face could do with a weight loss class, and my forehead can break through metal.”
“You’re beautiful, Taylor. Men tell you this all the time.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t. But I’m not you, Megan.”
“Don’t compare yourself to me.”
“Carl was in the way. And even though he screwed ever girl that he assured me he didn’t. None hit home worse than you. Knowing that you and him were intimately writing to one another when he had to go back to enlist.”
“I never got intimate with him. You know that. It was just … stupid of me to do that. I had to escape from Marcus.”
“Who loves you.” –
“He thinks he does. It’s more about me not bending over and allowing him to spank me with a paddle. It's controlled. That’s all he wants.” –
“That’s what you want to believe.”
The tiredness in my voice comes out, “it’s true.”
“And what was Carl all about? Was it the power of knowing that he had feelings for you too? Are you afraid of Stanley? Is this somehow all connected?”
“You need to get some rest. We both have work.”
“You can’t dump Marcus because you’re guilty.” -
“Absolutely! But I’m tired. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
“I’m going with Stanley and his daughter to a 2-year old birthday party, so I’ll be gone in the afternoon.”
“What … why? You hardly know him.”
“He invited me.” Taylors up now. “And how could I say no to such a cute invitation. You know I would like and want kids one day.”
“Don’t get to close to Stanley. He might turn out to be another Carl.”
“It’s just a friendly invitation. Nothing more.”
Chapter 5
It might’ve been a friendly invitation only. But judging by the sex appeal that Taylor was flaunting, I knew that the blurred lines would start to draw themselves from this point onwards. I caught her downstairs putting on some feathered earrings colored like a peacock’s quill feathers. She had on black heels that gave her 1 – inch more, and the pink dress that was riding into the middle of her bum crease gave the breast area some padding.
They squeezed together as she adjusted her top and dress, and then threw on a small black cardigan that only falls below the lungs. Taylor looked ready to hit a few bars with the single tag still on. I had to intervene and remind her of where she was going. Like … prolong the reaaaaaallllly as she can’t be turning up to a kid’s party dress
ed to steal another’s husband.
“Are you sure he’s taking you to a kid’s party?”
“Is dressing up forbidden?”
“No … but …” –
“Then don’t say a word. So judgemental.”
“Taylor …” I chucked my car keys on the sofa. “I mean, you look edible for a date, but toning it down a little won’t hurt your chances. If that’s what you’re going for?”
“I got dressed up for me. Nobody else.”
I wish I could believe that. But when Stanley came up from the basement with nothing on but his black track pants and bare torso – I went to grab my keys because I’m not allowing my body to do the tootsie-roll without my permission. It belongs to me. Not him. Oh no, I’m admitting that my feet want to do the footsie-wrote under the tablecloth with Stanley.
Taylor was patting her straightened hair that smelt hard pressed by a straightener. There was a warmth coming from it too. Stanley walked over to Taylor, she rabidly grips onto her hair subconsciously and yanks it; curls it with her index finger … around … and around … and I saw a small smirk on his face when she did, he knew she was wholly brought for the slaughter on his slab.
But it didn’t matter, his eyes fell on me and his neck twitched involuntarily. My eyes fell to his gold dog tags with a black dotted chain. His name, Stanley Raven, was engraved with a date at the bottom. And then some initials. It could possibly be the name of his army unit, as Carl used to wear pure silver tags with his unit carved which was called B-456.
“Morning, he was addressing Taylor, but his eyes still fell upon me first, and then her afterward.” He came out bare-chested on purpose. He wanted to show us both how much of a Mr. Muscle his torso was. All that protein, crunches, and body weight lifting, paid off because I noticed that Stanley drank pea protein powders and monitored his fat intake. He had his own mixer for his smoothies.
Stanley’s 6-pack was so perfectly aligned from his extensive workout regime that Carl would boast that to get abs like Stanley’s in such a short amount of time turned sheep into the ones they feared: the wolves. I was stupefied as I nearly dropped my keys twice and then left them on the carpet because they would only drop again. My whole frame was crushed by the enormity of not feeling my legs. Taylor was obvious with it, I tried to play it like I’d come over faint and then sat on the sofa so he wouldn’t think he had the upper hand on me. It also meant I wouldn’t have to face him.
“Taylor … as sexy as you look, I don’t think my aunt would approve of you coming to her home dressed like that.”
“Oh.” She feigns the innocence of her outfit. I know her to well. “Should I change?”
“If you can? It’s only because she’s quite religious. And I don’t want her causing a scene and embarrassing you.”
“Ok.” Taylor deserves an award for her very convincing display as a voice-over actress because of the incorruptibility in that tone of hers. The way she’s now transformed into a girl with a crush who hides it by being a grown woman is impressive. She’s higher toned, stuck in the pool of Stanley’s perspired smell from coming up those steps and it being so stuffy. “I’ll go and change.” I imagine, behind me, she’s battering those eye-liner lashes and smiling goofily with pinker than miss piggy cheeks.
I hear her footsteps up the stairs, and then that dead mass in the room which is heavy as a stone troll: it’s only me and Stanley in the room who I hear inhaling, and then the exhale with his bare feet that creak because I’m holding my breath and hoping he leaves me alone. Please don’t come over here? I’m counting my blessings … but none for me, Stanley’s there and peering down. “Can we talk about … yesterday?”
“I think … it’s best if we don’t speak about it?”
“No. I … I can’t really say I’m sorry for doing what I did.”
That’s a new one. Ok, I’m looking up to him bit-by-bit, “You were about to place my fingers in your mouth.”
“You asked for a straightforward roommate. I never try to hold back from a sexual attraction. I’m very forward like that.”
Oh no. “Stanley, I could put that as borderline harassment. In a way, I’m your landlord who’s also seeing someone. And not only that, it was my second time dealing with you.”
“Megan” –
“You know my name?” -
“I asked Taylor.”-
“Ok.” My gaze drops like a blind mole. I can’t keep looking into those eyes of his. It gets me moist. Not physically causing a lubricant, but I won’t allow my external genitals to think it can do such a thing.
“It felt … right. And at the time, it was as if you felt it too. A certain …”
I won’t look at him. I refuse. Taylor, can you please come down those stairs and take the man you’re now going to try and entrap. I hear a few chester drawers sliding open and then shutting. Movement from her room. But does it take that long to find an outfit for a kiddies party? I’m just wanting to escape and have a nice normal day without the image of his torso in my head.
“Whatever you think it was Stanley, it can’t happen again.”
“I can’t keep promises.” –
He’s worse than Carl. I sort of like it … that persistence that he wants to start. I’m fighting back the urge to flirtingly smirk at that. I won’t reach for my hair. I shouldn’t run my hands through and flick-it outwards to get his attention onto my neck area. And as if I spoke a curse, I unavoidably try to get him to see my neck; separating my hair so that he can see my clavicle and thyroid.
I have his attention that outlines my spinal column and cervical lordosis: areas of the neck that I rotate for him. I stop, catch myself out, and see him staring down at me. “Stanley, what are you doing to me?” I dreamily say this, then quickly cover my mouth - as I’m lifted to my feet by him.
“I want to be kissing you. That’s what I want to be doing.” He says it with passion.
I shove him away, but not rudely, in fact, it’s barely a shove, but Stanley let’s go of my forearms that he had clasped close to his bare chest. I could feel my skin receptors prickling just from the slight feeling of that. The first case of his skin upon mine. “Please, I just … I don’t need to be dealing with another Carl.”
“I’m not Carl. I’m Stanley. And I think I want to take you out. Get to know you.”
“Stanley, I’m seeing somebody.” –
“Who obviously isn’t doing a good job if you’re here battling attraction.”
Taylor is coming down, I ignore her footsteps that have gotten quieter. “You aren’t going to stop, are you?”
“Not until you at least let us have a meal or drink? To see if we can leave it be.”
“Fine.” It can’t hurt to have an innocent drink. Jesus, I’m no better than Taylor who’s now 5-yards from me and Stanley in a straight black skirt and casual pink jumper with a silver cross chain. So, she went from hooker to bible basher. And the heels went out the door to as she adjusts her wedges with a black bridge. And her hair is now in a black hairband and ponytail. She can disguise the harlot, but she still sings like a canary. I joke. But it is funny.
Stanley sees the humour. And so, does Taylor, who smirks at me because she knows that her outfit is just to poke fun at Stanley’s aunt. “Very Christian.” He scoffs energetically.
“I haven’t worn this in over 3 – years. So, it does have that appeal.”
“She’ll welcome you as a daughter.”
Taylor’s mouth does this zigzag as she crunches on her tongue. She’s still eyeing him hungrily with a smize. “We’ll see.”
“Ok. Well, give me 10-minutes and I’ll take my ride.”
“Ok.” Taylor looks pleased. She heads to the kitchen to get out that sandwich she didn’t eat: Falafel and lentils.
It’s my cue to go and have my sweet chili wrap. But Stanley grips my wrist and I see that he hands me his phone: xperia phone. “Can I get your number?”
I took it, but; “don’t you already have my number from the a
d?”
“I’d personally like to think that I can get it from you without having to go online. It makes this seem more authentic.”
“Hmm.” It’s all I could say as it was drenched in curiosity. “Ok.” I dab in my number and save it under my name. “There.”
He smiles down at it. And then me. “How about later on tonight? Around, say, 10 pm. I can come and collect you?”
“Yeah.” I had forgotten that Marcus wanted to meet. I was under the spell of the 6-pack. I kept darting from his abs to the side of my tv, and then behind me when Taylor came and handed me my sweet chili wrap. How unusual for her. But I think it’s because I’m spending too much time with her new fancy.
ROCK SOLID TENANT_SINGLE DAD ROMANCE Page 3
