by Anna Collins
“I have the Keurig going with your favorite already brewing for a single cup serving. I don’t even know why you wanted to buy that thing. I was reluctant, but I find myself enjoying it more and more every day. We do have this funny way of trying new things with one another. If only we could turn that mentality into something more pleasant,” Jackson said as I glanced around the curtain one more time to see that there was a certain part of his anatomy that was showing itself in the best light.
Those briefs weren’t hiding a damn thing. The head was poking up over the waistband and it made me thirsty for a shot of what he could give me. It would be the perfect complement to the coffee. I couldn’t believe that I had even come up with that idea. It seemed naughty and something that would only occur to my friend Sheila. She was always thinking outside the box. I’d never found myself wanting to play the easy target.
“I’m not saying that it’s not possible. I thought about it, but I always come back with the belief that we are better off as friends. It’s possible that you are confused. That something happened to send you into a tailspin. I have been curious. I’m under the adage that we should really play this safe. I’m not talking about what you think that I’m talking about. We should continue to talk about it and then dip our toe into the water very carefully,” I said as I felt the curtain move and I turned abruptly to see him stepping in to invade my personal space.
“We don’t have to do anything. We are close enough that we can be around each other naked and not feel like we can’t control ourselves. I’m glad that you convinced him that I should be there,” Jackson said as he grabbed the soap and used it to reach all of those places that my hand couldn’t.
It felt weird to breach that territory, but it also felt natural like we were bosom buddies. I couldn’t say anything and I let him finish washing my hair in an erotic dance that had him quite aroused.
“You do know that it would be so easy for us to throw caution to the wind,” I said while I turned and got a better view of what had become something of an obsession of mine since the moment that he moved in.
“It’s perfectly innocent for us to be in the shower together. I know that you have been worried that I might be developing feelings for you. I will always love you, Michelle. It doesn’t matter who you are with or where you go. I will always feel like I should be protecting you from yourself. Have I not been there when your mother and father were a little bit too vocal about what they wanted for you? I saw that you were close to blowing your lid and I was that calming influence. I gave you a hand to dig into with your fingernails underneath the table,” Jackson said as we both stared down at the object that had a pulsating life of its own.
“I did say that we should dip our toe in slowly. I have thought about the idea that we could be more than just friends. This really is a sticky situation. We’ve never done more than give each other brief glimpses and light caresses from time to time. I have an interest to see where this thing with Drake goes. I know that is not what you want to hear. I don’t have any problem with us sharing the water. It’s a good way for each of us to see each other without holding anything back,” I said as I turned off the shower.
The tile was a mosaic masterpiece with Spanish accents that he had to fight me tooth and nail to agree to. It had grown on me like something else that wasn’t keeping its intentions to itself.
“I don’t know why I thought that this was going to be OK with you. I just came up with the idea off the cuff. I like that we can be open with each other. We have no reason to hide the emotional connection that we have with each other. I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t extend the intimacy with Drake. I haven’t decided yet if I think that he’s right for you. I will know more when I meet him and we can discuss what his true intentions are,” Jackson said acting like my big brother. If he was family then what we were doing in the shower together would be considered a little unusual.
“I don’t want you to treat him like the enemy. There’s no reason to grill him mercilessly underneath the hot lights. You get too much pleasure from making my dates feel uncomfortable. Those that can’t stand it never lasts more than one more date before they decide that your type of interference is not what they want in their lives. I always take it that they are weak and that they should be able to stand up for themselves. You weed out those that are never going to stick around for the long-term,” I said wrapping the towel around me
“I just want to go on the record to say that I don’t mind you touching me from time to time. It might actually help me. I have been feeling a little confused. There’s no reason for me to feel anything towards you other than friendship. You say that you have been curious. I think that we’re both in the same boat. I don’t want to ruin anything. I’m just going to put this out there. If there’s any time that you feel that you need to see more of me then you have my permission to take in the gun show,” Jackson said as he flexed his muscles including the one that was now making a considerable tent in the towel that he was wearing.
“I don’t know what has gotten into you. It could be a matter of who has gotten into you. You’ve been a little bit too quiet lately like you have something on your mind. I’m going to take a stab and say that you met somebody. You’re fighting two parts of yourself that are playing tug of war with your emotions. You’ve never been with a woman before and gone all the way. You played the role of a ladies’ man, but you confided in me that they didn’t get any further than first base,” I said as I sat down and drank the coffee that warmed me all the way down to my toes.
“I don’t know how you do that. His name is Steven. He’s a personal trainer with a lot of guys vying for his affection. I’m afraid that if I allow him and that he’s going to hurt me. The one thing that I know about the two of us is that there’s nothing that either one of us can do that is going to hurt the other. We can be brutally honest with one another and not have a rift between us that can never be repaired. I’ve gotten to a point in my life that I feel that I need to be with somebody that I trust. You’re my best friend. They say that all good lovers come from being friends first,” Jackson said like it was common for him to speak of me like I was a potential love interest.
“I know you better than anyone. We haven’t known each other that long, but we seem to be separated at birth. There’s just so much that I can do to prevent you from being with me. I think that we can be explosive together. I only wish that you gave me an idea of your curiosity before I met Drake. That may not stop me from taking what you possess out for a much needed test drive. You should get dressed and we’re going to meet Drake at the airport,” I said as I had both hands around the cup.
Chapter 8
“The Embraer Phenom has a price tag of nine million dollars. It only has room for seven passengers but that’s more than enough for all three of us. If you’re looking for a pilot, then you’re looking at him. I’ve had my pilot’s license for several years. Whenever I have a chance, I take this baby up. I just wish that I had more hours in the day. There doesn’t seem to be enough time to enjoy some of my more pleasant pastimes,” Drake said as we stood on the tarmac looking at this beautiful machine with a wingspan that made me feel like I was going to be the one flying.
“I appreciate that you have a passion for flying. I do wonder why you have brought us both here. I can see that this is something that is near and dear to your heart. In all the times that we’ve been talking, you never even mentioned that you knew how to fly a plane let alone owned one that had a hefty price tag. You make it sound like it’s no big deal to throw down that kind of cash for this kind of extravagance,” I said looking over at Jackson who had taken off his Aviator sunglasses to look at this plane with awestruck wonder in his eyes.
“I’m taking us for an excursion away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. There’s a small island that I have just made my own that I would like you to see. I’ve only been there once. My construction crew has informed me that the first couple of outbuildings hav
e been erected. I thought what better way than to get to know each other than to be surrounded by paradise personified,” Drake said while he was standing there in profile in a white suit and a red shirt that made me want to see what was hiding underneath.
Jackson put his hand on Drake’s shoulder and the other one on his face. “If this is your idea of convincing me that what you’re doing with Michelle is right then you are certainly on the right track. I’ve needed a vacation for quite some time. I would like to think that I’m a good judge of character. You can throw around all the money that you want and that’s still not going to convince me that you are right for her. I will say that you’re making tremendous inroads. Keep up with the good work,” Jackson was once again dressed to impress. He was on his I phone apple with a purple resistant case to protect his lifeline to the world. He informed his bosses that he was taking a one week of unpaid vacation to look after some personal business. Had they known that we were jet setting across the globe they probably wouldn’t have been very receptive.
Drake pressed this button and this door emerged from the side of the plane. We had to take a step back to let it land exactly where we were standing. He went up the stairs. He turned and gave me that same grin that made me almost giddy with anticipation.
“You’re supposed to be with me and not falling in love with a man that has become quite important in my life. He’s off limits and I suggest that you keep your talons to yourself. I know how you can be easily swayed by the finer things in life. I think that there is something genuine about him, but I have yet to see the real Drake underneath the sharp dressed man,” I said to Jackson as I slapped him on the ass on the way up the stairs.
The inside was decked out with white Corinthian leather and a bar that was stocked with all the local favorites including some that you couldn’t find at your local liquor store.
“There is room in the cockpit for one more. You can decide amongst yourselves who is going to join me. I know what my preference is. I have to go through my checklist. I need to file a flight plan with the airport as a safety precaution. I’m sure that after you get a closer look that you’ll realize the reason why I had to have this. The owner was anxious to move to Arizona to retire. He knew that he had me from the moment that I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. I may have paid a little more than I should have, but it was worth it to feel that kind of freedom in the open air,” Drake said as he sported a captain’s hat and then he disappeared in behind the door to the cockpit.
“I’m still trying to figure out if this is real or some kind of elaborate dream that is going to have all three of us jumping each other’s bones. I’m going to resist making any rash judgments about this man. He’s going out of his way to make a good first impression and he’s doing one helluva job at it. I know that I tend to gravitate to those guys that have shiny white teeth and bodies that just won’t quit. If you weren’t here, Michelle, I would seriously consider trying to corrupt this man into the gay world,” Jackson said as he went over to the bar and poured himself a shot of whiskey.
“I don’t want you to even consider making a play for him,” I said knowing what Jackson had said about being able to lure men into doing something that was more adventurous.
“I don’t know what you’re getting so bent out of shape for. Have a drink and relax. I’m not going to do anything. I have somebody that I care for. I’m not going to jeopardize that over a meaningless moment that I can never take back. Besides, if I have any chance of being with you then I’m not going to do anything that’s going to make you hate me. I will admit that it’s hard not to want to be a part of all of this,” Jackson said as the twin engines sent this vibration under my feet that ran all the way through my lower extremities.
“I hear you talking, but I’m worried that you’re going to do more than that once we get in the air. I remember what you said to me. You may have spilled the beans in a moment of weakness during a drunken blackout. I recall vividly what you said about straight men. That they only had to meet you to know what it was like to touch on a different part of themselves. Don’t give me the look and that coy smile is not going to help you. Keep your eyes and your hands to yourself and everything will be perfectly fine,” I said as I sat down with the plane lurching and the sound of the wheels moving along the tarmac.
“I don’t remember saying that, but it does sound like me. I’ve always been a big believer that men regardless of their preference can never resist a man with a forked tongue. I give them a little liquid incentive and before long they are betraying what they believe in themselves. I’ve never met a man yet that didn’t confess to certain curiosities,” Jackson said as he had this faraway look in his eyes like he was remembering those times that a straight man had turned out to be less than convincing.
“I’m going to go and join him. Stay here and enjoy your drink. It might be time that you and I have a frank discussion about safe sex. I’m sure that you know all the risks, but it doesn’t hurt that I remind you that there should be no love without the glove. I’ve also heard you say that bareback is the only way to go. I worry that you’re going to find yourself in a situation that you could’ve avoided,” I said as I left him to ponder the evidence of his lifestyle choices. He thought that he was invincible, but it only took that one lover to change everything in the blink of an eye.
“I don’t need a lecture coming from you of all people. You may have been in a dry spell, but we both know the reason why. You found comfort in a man’s arms thinking that losing yourself in pleasure was going to keep you from thinking about what your mother and father were putting you through. We both have a lot to learn. It’s a good thing that we are both in each other's lives,” Jackson said as he downed that whiskey and lay back with his hands in his lap. He had his eyes closed.
I knocked on the door and Drake slid it open so that I could join him in the copilot seat. The view was spectacular and flying above the clouds was a sight that I was never ever going to get used to. I couldn’t say one word. I let the beauty of the moment steal a part of me that I didn’t want back. It was a very smooth ride. He dipped below the clouds long enough for me to see the shimmering water down below.
“I was exactly like you the first time that somebody took me up in one of these planes. It wasn’t like this one, but it did give me food for thought. I couldn’t get it out of my mind and it was no more than a couple of years later that I came across this beauty. It was almost whispering my name. There was no way that I was going to deny that this would be a great way to get away from my dysfunctional family,” Drake said as I began to see that this was his way of escaping.
I could see the look in his eyes and the way that his shoulders were not as rigid as they were before. The stress had been alleviated. He was not thinking about anything other than flying this magnificent machine into the wild blue yonder.
“Nothing can take me away from this moment. This is something that could make me continually come back for more. I find it hard to believe that what I have been searching for was here all the time. I can see the reason why this would bring you up when you are feeling down. There’s a lot that I could say, but I don’t think words even come close to how my heart has become alive for the first time in my life,” I said reaching out for his hand and feeling him touching me and letting me know that there was no better place to be.
“I didn’t take you up here to make you feel that we had anything more than an arrangement. I’m sure that the sex would be something to write home about. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that I haven’t thought of you with those beautiful legs spread and that look of ecstasy on your face. I just don’t want you to take my interest as anything more than physical. I don’t know if I have it in me to love anything. I don’t even know if I would recognize it if it came up and slapped me across the face. I will say that I can feel this feeling deep inside. It’s a deep-seated desire to see you naked. I hate to be so bold, but I got nowhere in life by keeping my mouth shut,” Drake s
aid making me feel like a piece of meat. I wasn’t at all offended by that.
“Let me put your mind at ease, I’m not exactly sure what I’m feeling for you. It could be just a matter of wanting to take that next step. We played the game and maybe it’s time that we stop playing. I can’t be the one to tell you what love is. I’ve never felt it myself. I do want to be around you. You have this magnetic personality that is hard for me to stay away from. Just when I think that I know you, you always have a different chapter to show me. I enjoy that there’s more to you than meets the eye. You haven’t gone out of your way to be something that you’re not. It’s refreshing and a little scary at the same time. Men always seem to have an agenda about how they’re going to get my panties on the floor,” I said as he turned to me with that same smile that made me melt.
“The one thing that I know about life is everything changes. You have to be ready for just about anything that comes your way. Opportunities only knock once and then they move onto somebody else. I think of love the same way. I want that overwhelming need to be with somebody that surpasses the very notion of being with anybody else. I don’t know how you feel about this, but I do want to be with you before I am with anybody else. There’s this hunger inside that needs to be fed,” Drake said as he had one eye on where he was flying and one eye on how my dark blue blouse was open enough for his sexual amusement.
