by Amy Brent
Lila
What the hell was she thinking! She stood by his door, knowing that any minute he could come out and see here standing there like some idiot? She wasn’t really sure why she was here at all, she should be in her room where she belonged. But deep down, some part of her wanted him, wanted the way he made her feel. She smoothed down the front of her robe, she had gone to great lengths to try and be perfect, just in case she actually went through with it. She had no business being here, no business risking her job like this. She sighed before she turned around and started back down the hall carefully. When she saw Miss Jeannie in the kitchen, she realized she had no choice but to go back down the hall to his room, or risk being caught!
She walked past his door and gasped as he pulled her inside his room, shutting the door behind her.
“You scared the life out of me Ray what were you thinking?” She frowned, taking in a deep breath.
“This is an old house, Lila, every back and forth pacing you did try to make up your mind if you were coming in or not was driving me crazy. I finally came out there to get you and pull you in here once and for all, and I saw you rushing this way. I wasn’t sure if you had some sort of realization that made you want to run into my arms or what… that is until I saw Miss Jeannine.” He gave her a wide smile.
She crossed her arms, as she felt the heat of a blush crawl up into her face. “Well, for your information I was going back to my room and I saw her.” She lifted her chin up another inch.
They eyed each other for a moment before they let the reality of their situation kick in. He was in boxers and nothing else, and she was in a gown barely covering her at all. She watched as a shadow came over his face, creeping in as he looked her over, letting his eyes travel the length of her. He moved, taking a step in her direction, but she was stuck against a table and couldn’t move. She felt his body come into contact with her and it was all fire.
The kiss this time was almost angry and frantic, he moved with deliberate slowness, his hands gently caressing against the outside of her thighs on each side, slowly moving up and revealing her caramel thighs as they went. Further and further they traveled until he was certain that she wore nothing under her gown and he lifted his eyes up to meet hers. She was on fire and he knew it, used it to make her realize her own desires for him. His lips trailed down her neck and across her shoulders until they met with the sheer film of her gown. He moved a finger up and under it to slide it down her arms slowly revealing more and more of her skin to him. She felt him hesitate for a second and she looked up at him.
“If you don’t want this… want me to touch you tell me now before I can’t stop it.” His gaze was intense and she knew he was giving her an out if she wanted it. “Lila…”
She wasn’t sure what to say, but her actions came naturally to her, she reached up to him pulling his head down to her own, letting her lips find his once more. He needed no other encouragement making quick work of her gown. She felt the materiel rip apart in one swoop and she was there standing in front of him exposed. She trembled, and she felt him move once more, pulling her with him to the bed. He turned kissing her and gently pushed her down onto the blankets covering the bed, she felt the silky softness pressing into her back as she moved, shifting until she was laying there, exposed.
He stood watching her for a moment. “You are so beautiful Lila.” He moved beside her laying the length of him along her body pressing his chest into hers. She felt his hands, then, traveling all over her. First cupping one massive globe in his hands, moving only to run the pad of his tongue on one peak and then the other until they both stood at attention for him. He moved his hand, then down the curve of her hip resting there only a moment before moving further and further until he found his way to the apex of her thighs and the secrets she had hidden there. He slipped his finger lower and deeper until he found the hot wetness of her desire, gently moving until he found the tiny bud of desire.
She felt her body tremble under his hands, she had never felt like this not with anyone. He moved and rubbed until she was more than relaxed, her body opening up to him, her legs falling apart as he moved within her walls slightly. She moaned loudly not realizing the sounds came from her until finally she found release. It was only momentary as he shifted then, moving up and between her thighs and pushing gently at first.
“I can’t wait Lila, I’m sorry.” He pushed hard and deep filling every inch of her then.
She gasped with his entry and together they moved as one, pushing and pulling to a rhythm as old as time. She felt his gaze on her and his lips met hers as they crested the final peak together. They lay there then both silently at peace for a moment in time. She felt him moving and she wasn’t sure what to do. She sat up to gather her things to leave, but instead she felt him pull her close to him once more.
“Just stay, just for now.” He whispered in her ear, and she felt his arm securely tucked around her. She let an easy smile pass as she drifted off to sleep.
It could have been an easy thing, to share something beautiful, but she knew it was only a moment in time. She woke some time later, his arm still touching her. She stood, careful not to wake him and looked down at him sprawled across the bed. He was a good man, and he tried to be a bad ass, but she knew it was only a part of who he was. She looked over at the table by the door as she quietly made her way out, noticing a picture of him with his mother. He was a good son too. She quietly tiptoed back to her rooms, and settled in to sleep for a few more hours.
Ray
He knew he was in trouble the moment he opened his eyes. She had gotten under his skin and he had tried to stop it, but somehow she had managed anyway. He opened one eye, his hands feeling for her in the bed, but she was gone. Never, had he woke wanting to see the face of his bed partner before now. He rolled over, thinking once more about the complications of his life. A couple of weeks ago he had wanted to rush home, and now he didn’t want to go, not yet. There was something here, something real and he wanted to explore it. He smiled as he replayed out the night he’d had. She had been more than any man could hope for, just as he expected. He stood, throwing on some sweats and a t0shirt before heading in the direction of the coffee he smelled brewing.
He had hoped to see her, but she was nowhere to be found. He supposed she had already been up since it was getting late. He heard the voices talking, and went to investigate what was going on. He watched as she talked, or argued more like it, with some guy. He was tall and towered over her, and it was obvious he was mad. He felt the heat rising up in him, as he looked her over making sure she was ok. He wouldn’t interfere unless she asked him to. It went on for a few minutes longer until she tried to walk away. That’s when he saw red.
Not only did the guy grab her arm and pull her to him, he pushed her and hard until she hit the ground. Ray moved with deadly cause into the yard where they stood, not once breaking stride until he picked up the guy and pummeled him down into the ground. He only got in three hits before he felt her pulling on his arm.
“It's fine now Ray, thank you.” He turned to look at her then and without a word pulled her into his arms checking her face and body over to be sure she was ok.
“Did he hurt you Lila, did he?” He held her face in his hands and looked at her intently.
“No, no he didn’t. He gets mad, but no.” She waited for him to let her go, but instead he pulled her back into a hug, holding her close.
He felt her lean into him, and he knew she felt the closeness as well. Yes, he was in deep and he would be in trouble if they didn’t talk about it and soon. Hearing the moans from the guy on the ground, he called the police and together they waited for them to come and get the guy. They both gave a statement about what happened, neither of them talking about the issues between them. When Andre finally was hauled out of sight they made their way back inside.
He poured some coffee, glancing around to make sure his mother wasn’t up yet. “I guess that was your boyfriend?”
; She rubbed her temples as she spoke. “No, we broke up days ago actually. He just didn’t want to accept it, that’s all.”
“Well, I think he got the message now.”
“Thank you Ray, really. He’s been made before, but not like that.”
He watched her as she sipped some of the hot brew from her cup. “I have to go back to New York… today.” He knew being direct was the best option.
She blinked twice before looking up at him. “Ok, I am sure you have to get back before training starts.” She gave him a weak smile.
“Yes, as usual. Last night was…”
She smiled at him, her heart breaking slightly. “Yes, it was.” She blinked rapidly once more and stood to go. “I have to get going myself. I have a lot to do today.” She moved out of the room, and though he should have felt relief he felt something much closer to despair.
Lila
She had known from the door that it was all fun and games. He had made that clear right from the start. Why she felt her heart breaking was beyond her. She had done everything right, everything to make sure she didn’t get involved with him emotionally. Yet here she was, doing her best not to cry over him. She cleaned her room vigorously, trying to stay busy, something she had always done before in life when she didn’t want to deal with the emotional effects.
She heard him leaving, loading the car. She didn’t want him to say goodbye, but she knew he wouldn’t go without doing it. She made it as easy as possible, sitting with his mother when he was about to walk out the door. He couldn’t make it personal then, no instead he had to be polite. She felt him trying to get her attention more than once, but she refused to meet his eyes. As he was getting into his car they noticed a car coming down the drive. She heard him swear under his breath as the car rolled to a stop in front of them.
She watched, waiting for something to happen next. The door opened and first one long leg exited and then the other. A woman, blonde and beautiful emerged, smiling at them all. Lila had never seen anyone ice her all blonde and tan, her body absolutely perfect. She gave Lila a look of disdain before she walked over to ray and enveloped him in a hug. Lila noticed he didn’t return it.
“Well Raymond, who is this.” Lila glanced over at Miss Margie who had chimed in on this new addition to the group.
He cleared his throat, as he slowly detangled himself from her. “This is Melanie Shaw. She was just leaving.” He moved then gesturing her back towards the car which she didn’t do. Instead, she gave a tinkle of a laugh and Lila knew that infuriated him even more.
“Don’t be so formal sweetheart.” The blond turned to face his mother. “I am his fiancé, and you must be his mother.” She held out her hand to the older woman and Lila noticed the ring on her finger. Only then did she let her eyes flicker up and meet his own.
“No, she is not. As a matter of fact, you aren’t anything to me anymore and I’d appreciate it if you left.”
She saw the anger there, and the defeat. Before the situation got any more out of hand, she turned to go back inside. No, she would not deal with this right now. She made her way into the bedroom and only then did she lay down and take a breather. Somehow she managed to fall asleep, her heart in pieces.
When she woke the stillness of the house left her feeling empty. He was gone, and he was getting married. She had never asked him, never thought about it. She sat up silently trying to sort through the heartache she was feeling. Glancing at the clock she knew she needed to go see Miss Margie, it was time for her meds.
She went through the motions for almost a week before she let herself really feel what she already knew. She had fallen in love with him, and he had simply left. Despite his words the sting of his reject hurt more than she wanted to admit to anyone around her. Work was the only thing to keep her busy, and she found more and more of it to occupy her time. She volunteered to take on another patient nearby, which kept her traveling between both houses.
Miss Margie knew something was wrong, but every time she tried to talk to her, Lila changed the subject, carefully avoiding any talk about Ray at all. The days became weeks and Lila did her best to keep working. She knew she had taken on too much, and she was always tired. She made her way into the garden one night as the sun was setting and she settled in to her favorite spot to watch. Just the sun setting seemed to be enough to make her emotional these days. She cried for no real reason at all, and for Ray. He hadn’t even tried to call her; he hadn’t tried anything at all.
The morning came and she did her best to drag herself out of bed but she knew she was sick. She called Miss Jeannie and after some discussion she rolled over and snuggled even deeper into the comforter. What she needed was rest, something she’d had very little as of late. By the afternoon she felt a little better and it only confirmed her need for rest. When she woke the next morning feeling the same way she knew she was in trouble.
On one particular day she decided to take a nap, something she was doing more and more of these days. She woke and the sun was setting. She knew he was there, but she didn’t want to face him just yet. Somehow he already knew she was awake.
“I know how you sleep Lila, and I know you're awake. I need you to sit up so I can talk to you… please.”
She sat up carefully, checking her eyes to make sure they were still wet from her tears. She turned to face him. He was sitting there on the chair by the bed, unmoving.
“You don’t owe me anything Ray, really.” She let her eyes meet his.
“Actually, I do. I want to tell you the truth and try and understand.”
“Its fine Ray, I don’t need to understand.” She moved to walk past him but he stopped her his face close to hers.
She let her eyes meet his. “Why are you doing this Ray?”
“You are so beautiful Lila, I’ve missed you.” He pulled her into a hug and despite her reservations she let his arms wrap around her in comfort.
She pulled away slowly, feeling her stomach doing flip flops of another kind. She took a deep breath. “You can’t do this ray, just leave for weeks and then come back and tell me I’m pretty again and think everything is ok.” She pressed her fingers against her temples.
“It’s not like that Lila, not at all. Just let me explain.”
She nodded, unable to speak as a wave of nausea rolled over her.
“I was engaged to her, a long time ago. We drifted apart and I found out she was stealing money from me, and sleeping with a hotel manager. I caught them, and I ended it. Sadly, I broke the guy up pretty good when I found them. He is pressing charges and I had to go back to New York to get them dropped. My lawyer had sent me here for a few weeks until the situation was resolved. I knew if I played along she would go back home with me, and I was right. I called the police and they came and got her, only then did we realize how many times she has done this before. She’s gone, Lila for a good long time.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I just couldn’t tell you until it was over, but trust me being gone has killed me, and I’ve thought about you every day.”
“I see.” She wasn’t sure what to say.
“No, I don’t think you do Lila. I know you and how you think. I know you think somehow that you’re not good enough, but it’s just not true. I never had a good night’s sleep in my life until that night, until you Lila.” He said it with force.
She looked up at him, surprised.
“I don’t know how we are going to make this work, but I guess we will just have to find a way.” He said it with a sense of finality.
“Make what work Ray? I mean, don’t I have a say in anything?” She stood and crossed her arms over her chest.
“No, you don’t. Mainly because I know you love me too, and will try and convince yourself it won’t work or you’re not good enough so I am saying no you don’t get a say.”
“Love you too, huh?”
“Yes, Lila, I love you now come over here and kiss me.”
When she didn’t move he stood, taking a step towards her until she
found herself falling back on the bed.
“I need to tell you something too Ray, and it may change everything.” She felt him lay beside her on the bed, his arm pulling her closer so that he could look down on her.
“It’s not possible Lila, nothing will change how I feel. I was running from the commitment and from life but with you I want everything.” He smiled down on her.
“I certainly hope so Ray, because it’s not just us anymore.” She swallowed hard as she looked up at him and with his look of confusion she gently took his hand moving it to her stomach.
She wasn’t sure what to expect from her revelation, but his face took on many expressions until he lit up completely.
“You’re sure? I mean just from one night?” He waited.
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve been sick for weeks and I took a test, does it change things Ray?”
“Yes it does. I mean I was going to propose later when I could make it memorable but looks like you beat me to it. I guess we will just have to get married sooner.” He shrugged as though it was the most natural thing to say in the world.
She looked up at him flustered. “DO you always get your way Raymond?”
“Yes, yes I do, now shut up and kiss me.”
She smiled and did so, gladly.
PLAYING HIM
Susan
The sounds of the basketball hitting the court floor and the squeaking of shoes as they ground against the lamination of the floor boards my heart racing with excitement almost as much as the gorgeous guy whom I was going one-on-one with. With skill borne of countless hours playing with my opponent and secret crush, Ross. I dribbled the ball down the court, breezing past him with a twirl and leapt up, pushing the ball up and out to sail through the air and into the ring where it rolled around once, twice, then gravity took possession of the ball and dropped it through the net, passing the white, red and blue netting.
