Unraveled - A Short Story Collective

by KR Bankston

  “I’m like, shit, Devon already knows we’re together, so what’s the big deal,” she giggled and Kina smiled slightly.

  They were doing some shopping together this morning as Alisha was trying to find an outfit for the club they were headed to tonight.

  “Did he ever tell you why he was mad?” Kina asked as she picked up the imitation leather halter.

  It was black and she thought it would go nicely with the black decorative jeans she’d bought. They were low cut and showed her belly piercing. She wanted a top that did the same thing.

  “No, just that he was tired,” Alisha replied holding up the red mini she’d found. “Besides, it was all good after I gave him what he needed,” she giggled and Kina laughed with her.

  “So what was Miss Chrissalyn thang doing with Devon last night?” she threw out and Alisha became quiet.

  “Hmph, I don’t know,” she replied still thoughtful. “Maybe he likes her or something,” she went on. “That’s a good thing though. Maybe now her fat ass can leave Lathan alone,” she replied haughtily once again checking out her butt’s reflection in the mirror.

  Kina laughed with her as she decided she would buy the top.

  “Wassup Alisha?” Sammy greeted her looking her over in the skintight low-rise jeans she was wearing.

  “Hey Sammy,” she replied trying to sound nonchalant.

  Truth was he still intrigued her, but he’d cheated on her, so she had to leave him alone.

  “Whatcha buying now?” he asked chuckling lightly.

  He knew Alisha loved to shop and normally he would be giving her money to do just that. Now however, she was on this kick that she was in love with this man from her job. Sammy smiled inwardly knowing he would have her back, it was only a matter of time. Alisha may have everyone else fooled, but he knew her. She’d never had a serious monogamous relationship in her life. She had a fear of commitment, yet she was always trying to convince herself she wanted one.

  “Just a couple of things, nothing special,” she replied hoping that would end the conversation and he would just go on.

  “Mm, OK,” Sammy replied looking into her eyes now. “So what’s on tap tonight? You hanging out with old boy?”

  Alisha sighed gently knowing Lathan was going out with his boys tonight and she wouldn’t see him. “No, me and Kina heading to Oasis,” she replied calling the popular nightspot by name. Sammy nodded his understanding, making a mental note to be in attendance this evening.

  “Sounds like a plan then,” he replied as he readied himself to leave. “See ya later Kina,” he told the girl as he turned his back to her, so she couldn’t hear or see what he said to Alisha. “When you tired of playing with old’ boy, call me. I’ll still give you what you need and you know I got it for you,” he told her softly, kissing her ear gently.

  Alisha sighed lightly but didn’t speak. Sammy smiled again and left the two ladies standing looking at his back as he walked away.

  “Girl, you still messing with him?” Kina asked curiously.

  “No, he just doesn’t seem to get the message though,” Alisha replied, secretly filing away Sammy’s declaration in the deep recess of her mind. “Let’s go eat girl, I’m starving” she told Kina who eagerly accepted. They made their way out of the mall and headed for the parking lot, entering the vehicle and driving toward McKinney’s Steak house, their lunch destination.

  *****

  “Feeling better?” Devon asked Chrissalyn as they talked. He’d called her after awakening this morning.

  “Yes, actually much better,” she replied honestly.

  She’d thought about the evening and the things Lathan said, dismissing them as him being under pressure and perhaps having a bad night. She knew how badly Alisha wore on his nerves and she supposed every one was entitled to a bad evening.

  “Good, then you won’t mind hanging out with me for a while,” Devon slyly asked.

  Chrissalyn smiled to herself. She knew now without a doubt Devon was feeling her, but she still wasn’t sure how she felt about him. He’d always been nice and of course funny as hell, but he was seven years older than her. You didn’t care that Lathan was 13 years older, her mind told her. She sighed gently.

  “What did you want to do?” she asked cautiously.

  Chrissalyn knew he and Lathan were best friends, meaning she would see a lot more of Lathan away from the office. Are you really ready to handle that emotionally, she asked herself as she listened to Devon outline his plans for the day. She’d long since admitted her romantic attraction to Lathan when they met and how quickly they melded with each other, never to him of course, but to herself she knew she cared deeply for him. Still, once she found out about him and Alisha, she never pursued it and she deliberately went out of her to way to date and socialize more with friends and guys she met, finally putting the feelings in check..

  Now if she decided to spend time with Devon, she knew that she may possibly have to confront those feelings once more. Not to mention the open hostility she already had to deal with concerning Alisha.

  Oh that heffa would die a dead death finding me at their house, Chrissalyn thought knowing she might eventually accompany Devon.

  “Are you listening to me?” Devon inquired after she didn’t answer one of his questions.

  Chrissalyn chuckled and apologized.

  “Sorry, I got a little distracted,” she replied and he scolded her gently.

  “So, I’m picking you up in an hour,” he told her. “That enough time for you?”

  “Yeah, barely,” she joked and they both laughed as they disconnected.

  Devon was still smiling as he went about his task of getting dressed. Please don’t let the drama from last night come back to haunt me, he thought to himself once more as he entered the kitchen finding Lathan coming out of the laundry room.

  “Sup man?” Lathan greeted his friend who returned the greeting. “Where you off to today?” he inquired seeing that Devon was dressed and in a really good mood.

  “Picking up my baby,” he replied and Lathan gave him a quizzical look.

  Devon chuckled before answering his unasked question. “Hanging out with Chrissalyn today,” he replied sticking his head back in the fridge and missing the deep scowl that immediately appeared on Lathan’s face.

  “Oh?” he replied trying to keep his voice even.

  What the fuck is he up to, he thought angrily. Why was Devon insistent upon dating Chrissalyn? Lathan knew his friend’s reputation with women and he never kept any of them around for any length of time.

  “You know Chris ain’t like most of them broads you be dating right?” Lathan threw out protectively.

  Even if he and Chrissalyn weren’t going to be together, he didn’t want her screwed over. Devon sighed deeply and turned to his friend looking him in the eye.

  “I know that,” he began. “It was one of the things that attracted me to her,” he went on still holding his friends gaze. “Chriss is definitely a treasure and I plan to treat her that way,” he told Lathan before finishing his statement. “Now the question becomes, can you handle the fact that she and I are going to be together?” Devon threw out already assuming Chrissalyn would agree to a relationship with him.

  Lathan was careful not to frown and betray the true depth of fear the question brought. He didn’t want them together. He didn’t want any man with Chrissalyn except him. You’re too big of a punk to act on that though, his mind taunted him before he pushed past the thought knowing Devon was expecting an answer.

  “Man, look,” he began. “I just want what’s best for Chriss. She’s my friend and I definitely care what happens to her,” he went on. “I don’t want to see her hurt or used,” he finished looking at Devon hard.

  His friend seemed to accept that explanation and nodded his agreement as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. Well you’re gonna hafta put up or shut up now, he thought once again of Devon’s plans to be with Chrissalyn. “Shit,” he said aloud still very mu
ch dismayed at the current turn of events. Lathan dressed and headed out, he needed to talk, and outside of Chrissalyn, there was only one other person he trusted, His mind was still racing as he drove finally arriving at his destination, definitely pleased they were home.

  Devon continued to think about his conversation with Lathan as he drove. That joker is lying, he thought of his friend’s declaration of protection when it came to Chrissalyn. Devon knew he was attracted to the woman, but he hadn’t made a move, instead preferring to hang on to the dysfunctional arrangement he had with Alisha. Thinking of her brought

  back the night before and made him physically ill. She definitely wasn’t his type and he would have never slept with her. He often wanted to ask Lathan why he was slumming when he’d first met her. Aside from the figure and nice smile she possessed, she wasn’t attractive. Not to Devon anyway. She had bad acne, was rather plain, and definitely too dramatic for his tastes. He also knew her type, the kind who looked for a decent brother to latch on too and subsequently bleed dry. She hadn’t finished college and basically had no mobility outside of DCA.

  He’d warned Lathan again and again about doing her raw, knowing one of these times she was going to come up pregnant and his friend would be stuck for life. He shuddered again, saying another silent prayer, that the mistake of last night never come back to haunt him. Chrissalyn would never believe me and she would kick my ass under the curb, he thought arriving at her house and pulling into the drive.

  The thought of her immediately chased away all the darkness he’d been thinking and brought a smile to his face. He was 31 years old and tired. Tired of all the games of dating, tired of lying cheating women who only wanted to take what he’d worked hard to get. He wanted someone who loved Devon for Devon. He’d seen that quality in Chrissalyn.

  She was always the same every time you saw her. She wasn’t prone to moodiness and he didn’t think he’d ever seen her whining. She should slap the shit outta Alisha though, he chuckled to himself, knowing that if she ever got that angry there would be hell to pay. Chrissalyn was very tolerant with a great patience span, but Devon was no fool. Those were the ones you had to watch, because when they finally got to the end that was it.

  “Atomic combustion,” he mumbled aloud laughing at his own joke as he knocked on her door, anxious to see her and start their day.

  “Uh, you kinda suck at this,” Chrissalyn teased Devon as they played the arcade game.

  They were at Famous Phil’s, a popular gaming and restaurant combination. Today it was packed, because it was Saturday and there were three birthday parties in full swing. Chrissalyn was completely relaxed as kids squealed delightedly at the various games.

  “It’s cause I’m white ain’t it?” he threw back and she laughed.

  Chrissalyn had to admit she was having a wonderful time with Devon. She’d seen a new side to him today that she’d never known existed. He was extremely caring she found as they talked about their passions and interests.

  Guess you never know huh, she thought as he continued to try and beat the game and failed miserably.

  “Aww, its okay,” she tried to comfort him in his defeat.

  Devon chuckled and told her to come on. They made their way to the parking lot and his car, getting in and heading out.

  “So have I made my intentions obvious enough, or do I need to spell them out for you?” Devon asked getting directly to the point.

  Chrissalyn looked over at him and smiled again. “I get it,” she said calmly and he nodded. After a few more moments of silence, she spoke again. “So what exactly do you want from me Devon?” she threw out looking directly into his eyes, sitting in the parking lot of the ice cream shop they’d stopped at. He sighed deeply before answering.

  “Ideally?” he asked and she nodded. “To love, and to be loved, without games and without drama,” he replied softly never taking his eyes from her.

  Damn, what a perfect answer, she thought to herself sharing the sentiments he’d just expressed. Why couldn’t it be that easy? Why did everything always have to be struggle? She questioned as her mind answered for her. It doesn’t, you’re going to make it that way though, she thought, Lathan immediately coming to mind. Let him go Chriss, and give this man a chance, her mind charged once more.

  “I’d like to be with you Chrissalyn,” Devon told her after she didn’t respond to his earlier statement. “In a relationship,” he added quickly, not wanting her to think he was just looking to bed her.

  Chrissalyn smiled slightly, still not sure what she wanted to say. Take the chance Chriss, stop letting Lathan keep you on lockdown, her mind told her once more. She sighed gently and reached out to stroke his face.

  “OK, let’s see what happens,” she told him quietly.

  His smile illuminated the entire car. It warmed her heart that she had the ability to affect someone so positively. Devon took the opportunity to kiss her softly, then more insistently after she didn’t protest.

  “It’s gonna be good Chriss,” he told her still looking into her eyes.

  She smiled again and they embraced holding each other tightly. Chrissalyn took a deep breath getting out of the car and making a silent pledge to honestly give the relationship a chance and to let any feelings she had for Lathan go, permanently. A few moments later they were laughing and enjoying their cones, making plans for next week.

  *****

  “Woo, that’s my song!” Kina said as they music began and the crowd started bumping to the beat.

  She and Alisha were having a great night, enjoying free drinks and plenty of male attention as they partied. Oasis was almost at capacity. Tonight was DJ Steele’s birthday party and everyone was in attendance. They’d spotted a couple of local celebrities before they disappeared into the VIP section. The club was huge with an expansive bar and knowledgeable bartenders. The drinks were stronger than most, but diluted more than Alisha would have liked. Still, she was beginning to feel her high and that was all that mattered.

  “Come on girl, let’s dance,” the guy told Kina as she sat swaying in her seat. She immediately smiled and accepted his proposal, heading out onto the floor with him.

  Alisha watched as her friend worked the guy over, gyrating against his groin and dropping it to the floor, definitely arousing him. Alisha chuckled knowing she was only teasing the man, Kina was picky as hell about her men and he didn’t fit the bill. She liked them tall and damned near transparent. This guy had the height, but he was midnight.

  She was so engrossed watching Kina, she never saw Sammy approach the table. He eased the chair out and sat down beside her. “Wassup baby?” he asked softly in her ear as his hand slid up her thigh. Alisha jumped slightly startled by his presence.

  “Hey Sammy,” she replied pushing his hand away.

  He chuckled and moved even closer to her. “Mm, you smell good as hell,” he told her once again placing his hand on her thigh and boldly sliding it under her dress. Alisha felt her body begin to respond and knew she needed to stop him. “Why you still tryna act Alisha?” he asked again, kissing her neck softly.

  As if on cue, the music slowed and the lights dimmed. The guy Kina was dancing with managed to talk her into having the next dance with him, pulling her close and caressing her as they danced.

  “Stop Sammy,” Alisha told him, her resolve becoming weaker the more he touched her.

  Lathan will kill you. Stop it, her mind told her as Sammy continued to kiss her neck. He took the extraordinary step of sliding his hand further up her dress finding her thong and rubbing her through it. Alisha moaned involuntarily and Sammy smiled to himself knowing he was affecting her.

  “Come on, let’s go,” he told her as he rubbed even more vigorously.

  Alisha sighed and told him again to stop. “You want it, stop playin’,” he replied as he pushed her legs open wider and made contact. She was wet and he knew hotter than hell right now. “If you don’t move, I’ma take it right here,” he warned and Alisha knew he would. Sam
my had absolutely no inhibitions.

  “OK,” she whispered quietly and he helped her from the chair.

  Kina saw them leaving and knew what was going to happen. She turned away and returned the kiss from her dance partner as his hands slid down her butt and his tongue entered her mouth.

  Alisha and Sammy went into one of the darkened back rooms of the club and he immediately pulled her to him, kissing her deeply as he lifted the mini dress and removed her thong. Alisha was on fire with the things he was doing, bringing her almost to orgasm. She undid his pants and freed his erection. Sammy stepped back and pulled her down to her knees.

  She willingly took him into her mouth and began sucking him gently. He sighed deeply. Alisha always did give good head, he thought to himself as he gently moved in rhythm with her. She let him go long enough to take each of his balls into her mouth, sucking them gently, before returning to his member and bringing him new pleasure. Mm, shit, Sammy thought feeling himself nearing the end.

  Alisha wasn’t worried about him coming and leaving her wanting. Sammy always had at least three orgasms before he went limp. She felt him thrusting faster and knew he was about to come. “Aww yeah, yeah,” he groaned as Alisha felt the warmth in her mouth. She swallowed as he continued to come.

  Sammy finally pushed her away and pulled her to her feet. He removed the condom from his pocket and she looked at him hard. “You still fucking with old boy,” he said plainly and she could only sigh. Alisha loved the feel of Sammy inside her, but she understood. She was already playing Russian roulette with Lathan, not being on the pill and them going raw sometimes.

  Sammy made her quickly forget any of that when he began rubbing her breasts and fingering her once again. Alisha removed the condom and deftly placed it on Sammy as he leaned her over the counter and entered her, thrusting deeply and forcefully inside her. Alisha loved it. The first wave of the orgasm hit her and she cried out. Sammy smiled knowing he was even closer to breaking up her relationship. After he came, they gathered themselves for a moment before he was inside her again, this time enjoying the pleasure she brought him from anal sex.