by Pat Tucker
“Hungry?” Leela asked as seductively as she could. She waved her arm as if to show off the spread she had laid out.
Her husband’s eyes grew wide. “Daaayum. You did that, Babe?!” Riley said, as he looked around his space. “Hot wings, cold beer, loaded fries, nachos? Damn!”
Leela beamed with pride.
“And, girl! You gon’ get it for sure! What’s that you got on over there?”
There was no point in being shy with a pair of crotchless panties, a matching garter belt, and a push-up bra with tassels that dangled from the nipples. But Leela felt a slight hint of discomfort now that she was the focus of Riley’s full attention.
“Get up so I can see what you working with over there,” he joked.
Leela told herself this was not the time to be shy. “You surprised, Babe?” she asked as she eased herself up from the chair.
“You damn right I am! You did good, Baby,” he said.
As sexily as possible, she sashayed closer to her husband. He had already made himself at home near the display of food and drinks.
“Dance for me?” he asked, with his mouth full.
“Hoooney,” Leela whined.
She never felt comfortable beneath his stare, especially when he wanted her to dance. Leela could dance enough to blend in, but she never felt she could hold her own in the spotlight.
“What? I’m your husband. You put on these sexy clothes and act like you don’t want to do what’s gonna come natural.”
“Yeah, but dancing?”
“Aw, forget it.”
Leela felt a bit slighted when he turned his full focus to the food.
“It’s okay, Babe. It’s just that sometimes a man wants to see his wife do something different, unexpected,” he said.
Mentally, Leela coaxed herself into ignoring the disappointment in his voice. But it was Big Mama’s voice telling her to follow her gut that popped into her mind.
Riley turned to her and asked, “You not hungry?”
“No, this is all for you. Go ahead, eat, because I have another surprise for you.”
Riley’s eyebrows rose and he stopped chewing. He looked around the room and turned back to his wife.
“You mean there’s more?”
Leela nodded slowly.
Riley began to adjust his body where he sat. He rubbed his hands together and got comfortable.
“What more can a man ask for? Shiiit. Good food, good drink, and his beautiful wife decked out? I don’t know how much better it could get.”
“Well,” Leela approached in a sexy manner. “What if I told you that I’ve decided we should spice things up a bit?”
Riley jerked his head in her direction. When his eyes connected with hers, Leela saw confusion in them. “Spice things up how, exactly?” Riley asked.
“I’ve been thinking, and I, um…I want us to give it a try,” Leela stammered.
“Give what a try, Babe?” Riley asked. The excitement had all but drained from his voice.
“You know. What we talked about.”
Riley’s face was a blanket of confusion. He reached for some fries and stuffed them into his mouth. He shrugged and picked up his beer, took a swig, then reached for another wing.
Leela stopped him and touched his hand. When he looked up at her, she said, “Ry. I think we should try your plan. Once a month, Free Fridays, just like you wanted.”
A blank stare gazed back at her.
Leela picked up the remote and pressed a few buttons. As her husband sat in a state of disbelief, music flooded the room and she began to sway her hips.
She struggled to pay close attention to the music and the beat, but stumbled a little. It was hard for her to keep her balance on the six-inch stilettos.
When Riley’s eyes focused on her, Leela tried to keep it simple. She spread her legs, gyrated her hips and shook her behind. Then she stooped down and brought her hands up the length of her body.
She had no idea what the hell she was doing, but before long, her husband moved close.
Riley played with the tassels that dangled from the front of her bra. Leela tried to focus on her strained movements. But when he palmed her bare behind and pulled her close, she lost all thoughts of rhythm.
“You look so sexy,” Riley said.
By now, all Leela could do was sway her hips. He had guided her closer to his face and tugged at the bra. When he pulled it down to reveal her stiffened nipples, Leela lost all focus.
Riley used his free hand to undo his belt and unzip his jeans. He pulled her closer. With one nipple in his mouth, he guided her thigh and urged her to straddle him.
“Oh, shiiiit!”
Riley pulled her down onto his lap where his stiff erection entered her.
Leela closed her eyes and grabbed her husband’s shoulders.
“Whose is this?” he moaned. He moved his hips and thrust into her. “Whose is this?”
His question was throwing her off.
Leela clung to him and tried to focus on the pleasure she wanted.
Then suddenly, Riley went limp, and just as quickly as it had started, it was over.
This could not be happening. Leela couldn’t believe he had just gone limp while they were in the throes of passion. Did this mean she no longer turned him on? And if she didn’t, who did?
• • •
The following Thursday evening, Riley had taken so many questions from Bill he wanted to kick himself. He should’ve kept his mouth shut. He was still somewhat confused by his wife’s sudden change of heart. Although he didn’t want to question her decision, in the back of his mind, he wondered whether she had someone on her own bucket list.
“So you had no idea whatsoever that she was still thinking about it?” Bill asked.
“Caught completely off guard,” Riley said.
“Daayyum, who you banging first? I’m sure Natasha will be hyped and willing,” Bill said.
Riley shook his head. “Oh, hell nah, we’re not telling her a damn thing. On the real, Dawg. I still don’t really believe Leela agreed to this and besides, it ain’t like I’m trying to find another wife.”
“Yeah, I feel you there. If we don’t know anything else about Natasha, we know she wants that last name.”
Thoughts of his wife and her possible desire to be with another man seemed to haunt Riley since the moment she announced her decision. Before, when Riley thought Free Fridays was the best way to save his marriage, he only wanted to give himself a break if he needed one, and of course, prove a point. But he didn’t take the time to think about whether Leela would take into consideration that she would be given the same opportunity.
“Dawg! What you doin’? Daydreaming over there?” Bill snapped his fingers a few times.
Riley shook the thoughts from his head. “Oh, my bad. I’m good. I’m good. What’s up?” he asked. He couldn’t let Bill know that he had been having second thoughts about the whole thing. Bill would surely think it was a punk move, especially after the way Riley had gone on when they first talked about it.
“I asked when are y’all gonna start? When do y’all get a pass to bang whoever you want?” Bill chuckled. “Man, if Samantha would’ve agreed to an arrangement like that, who knows, we might still be together today!” Bill shrugged easily.
Something about the jokes and innuendos from Bill, made Riley that much more uneasy. He was still trying to make sense of it all.
“Ah. Next month. And, it’s not really like that. We agreed to see how it goes. Then after a few months, we’ll reevaluate if we have to,” Riley said.
Bill winked at him. “Oh, okay. Not really like that, huh?”
Riley silently scolded himself. He needed to man up! This was what he wanted. He wanted them both to have some freedom in the marriage. It wasn’t that he had a list of other women he wanted to screw, but there were things he fantasized about. There were things his wife simply wouldn’t do, or if she did them, it was a big, blown-out production.
“So,
what’s up, Dawg? We going out or what?” Bill asked.
That’s what Riley needed. Sitting around Bill’s apartment talking about this free pass was only making matters worse. He needed to be out. Once he started looking at other women, he knew for sure he’d fall right in line with the idea of Free Fridays.
Besides, it wasn’t like he was planning to cheat on Leela. He just didn’t want them to end up like her grandparents or even their best friends.
Riley told himself that when two people loved each other and would do anything to make their marriage work, that was no cause for alarm or concern.
Hell, they were living in new and trying times; temptation was everywhere. If he slipped up here and there, that shouldn’t be the end of their life together.
“Hey, Man, you okay?” Bill asked.
“Yeah, Dawg, I’m waiting on you. We leaving or what?”
“You’d think you’d be grinning from ear to ear since your wife agreed to let you get some ass on the side, but nah, ever since you been here, you’ve been zoning in and out acting like a lost chick,” Bill joked.
“C’mon, Dawg, before I change my mind,” Riley threatened.
They continued to take jabs at each other all the way to the car. But despite the distraction, Riley couldn’t shake the feeling that his life was about to undergo a drastic change, and deep down, he knew he was nowhere near prepared.
CHAPTER
21
Nearly thirty days after the initial agreement, the very first last Friday of the month was less than twelve hours away. As her husband’s light snores filled the air, Leela was as nervous as she could be.
She had made plans with Samantha and was actually looking forward to what the first Free Friday would hold. Hours earlier, she and Riley tried to hash out additional rules over a romantic dinner.
“So do we start Thursday at midnight, or Friday at midnight?”
“What do you think is best?” Riley responded.
Leela wanted to remind him that he had answered her question with a question, but she resisted.
“Hmm. I don’t know. We both work during the day Friday, so I guess we should do something like Friday evening to Saturday evening; seems like that’s what would make the most sense.”
Riley simply nodded.
“But then again, what if we wanted to go away for the weekend or something like that?” she asked.
Riley frowned. He put his fork down and looked up at his wife.
“So now we’re expanding to an entire weekend and we haven’t even tried one Friday first?”
There was something about his tone that gave Leela pause. It dawned on her that her barrage of questions could be taken the wrong way. She didn’t want her husband to think this was something she was eagerly awaiting.
“No, Riley. That’s not what I meant at all. I was just trying to make sure we were both on the same page. You do realize I’m only doing this because you said it’s what you wanted to do, right?”
Suddenly, it dawned on Leela that if this had been a test, she would’ve failed miserably. What if he never expected her to get on board with the idea? She found herself in an awkward position. Initially, she felt backed into a corner, like she didn’t have a choice. But once she warmed up to the idea, and started to see the benefits, Riley was suddenly acting like she had done something wrong.
• • •
Sounds of the shower running pulled Leela from a restful sleep, even though she couldn’t remember when she had finally dozed off to sleep. Moments after she pulled herself upright in bed, Riley rushed into the bedroom freshly groomed and dressed to the nines.
“Hey, Beautiful. I’ve got an early meeting, then hanging after work with Bill and some friends. Have a great day and I’ll call you later,” he said. The haphazard kiss that was meant for her forehead landed somewhere between her left eye and the bridge of her nose.
He dashed out of the master suite like it was on fire, and only traces of his cologne lingered in the air.
“What just happened?” Leela said aloud. “What time is it?”
When her eyes focused in on the clock, and the digital numbers flashed 6:45, she was baffled. Riley had never left the house so early.
Leela’s work day was easy and quick. She finished up some lingering files and answered various emails. She talked to Riley around lunchtime, then right before she got off. That last conversation was the one that stuck with her. As she turned off her computer, she thought back to the call.
“Hey, Babe, are you ready?” he asked.
“Ready for what?”
“Free Fridays. Did you forget already?”
Leela didn’t want to focus on the excitement in her husband’s voice. Silently, she wondered whether he already had a date planned.
“I haven’t forgotten. You be safe out there, okay?” Leela said.
“Damn, Babe. You act like I’m heading out to war or something. I’m about to meet with Bill and a few of the guys. What you doing? Chilling with Samantha?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Samantha’s incoming call pulled Leela back to the present.
“Hello?”
“You ready or what?” Samantha’s bubbly voice asked.
“Yeah. I’m just about to leave the office,” Leela said.
“Girl, bump that; we’re right outside,” Samantha said.
Leela’s heart began to race. What did she mean “we”?
“C’mon, we ain’t got all day to be waiting on you,” she added.
• • •
Leela gathered her things, turned off the computer and turned off the light in her office.
“Samantha! What is wrong with you? This is my job!” Leela said through gritted teeth as she walked up on the unbelievable scene in the parking lot of her job.
Music blared, and Samantha and the man who seemed to show up wherever they were, danced as if they were in the middle of a bar room floor. Leela looked around nervously, unable to make sense of what was happening.
But suddenly, the twisted expression across Leela’s face quickly melted at the sight of the gorgeous chocolate god who pulled himself up through the convertible’s top.
“Hey, Sweetness! I’ll bet you don’t even remember me, huh?” he asked.
Leela was so shocked that the man was talking to her, she forgot all about the scene Samantha and her dance partner had created. He was handsome and his face was very familiar.
“I’m sorry. Can you turn it down a bit?” Leela asked when she finally found her voice.
Once the music was lowered, Samantha and her dance partner stopped and turned to Leela.
“Oh, I didn’t even see you walk up,” Samantha said. “So you ready?”
Leela’s eyes bounced from Samantha to the two men with her. She knew she couldn’t go off in front of them, or could she? What was Samantha thinking, bringing all of this to her job?
“Ready for what?” Leela asked.
“We’re going to the Woodlands; gonna pick up some food and drinks and go relax in the room,” Samantha said.
With her eyes moving from Samantha to one of the guys, she struggled to remember the last time she had discussed the Woodlands or these two men with Samantha.
Samantha eased next to Leela and whispered, “Girl, Malone has been dying to see you again.”
Leela was so angry with Samantha, she didn’t know whether to strangle her there or wait for the guys to leave first. “Who the hell is Malone?” Leela asked.
The DJ raised his hand without looking in their direction.
“Oh, Sweet Jesus! Girl, you must’ve really been fucked up that night. You don’t remember when Malone had to drive your car home, and help me walk you to the door? Riley was pissed!”
Leela remembered the very first time they’d met Kent and Malone at the bar. The guys had sent a round of drinks before they came over to the table. But the second night they hung out was something else. Leela had a vague memory of that night, but she didn’t remember j
ust how gorgeous Malone was.
What she didn’t forget was the Russian Morning she’d had the following day. After a night of drinking vodka, the hangover was something fierce.
Malone’s skin was blue-black and seemed to glisten under the sun’s rays. When he looked over at Leela and she caught a glimpse of his hazel-brown eyes, she was embarrassed.
“You look good,” Malone said. “The last time I saw you, I was worried.”
He was worried about her? Bits and pieces of the night flooded her mind. She vaguely remembered their time at Belvedere, the bottle service, the champagne, and too much fun. And that wasn’t even the beginning of Free Fridays.
“So, okay, you guys remember each other. We need to get on the road, because I plan to be poolside in the next two hours,” Samantha said.
Leela looked in Samantha’s direction.
Samantha rushed to her side and whispered, “What better way to celebrate Free Fridays?” She giggled.
Leela eased into the car and once Samantha and her date climbed in, they took off toward I-45 North. She knew there was something so not right about Free Fridays. As they sat in traffic, she told herself there was no way she could carry on like that, even if it was only once a month.
She turned and saw the smile on Malone’s handsome face. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
• • •
The hot sun seemed to focus its glare solely on Leela’s back as she stopped at the front door. She stooped down and removed her stilettos, then eased the door open as quietly as possible. Everything about her first Free Friday had been sheer bliss, and she felt good. Samantha didn’t want her to leave, but at 8:30 in the morning, Leela felt like she had overdone it and didn’t want her husband to question whether she could handle Free Fridays.
As quietly as possible, she crept through the foyer and down the hall. With each step, she attempted to build the courage she knew she would need to face Riley. Once outside their master suite, Leela clutched the doorknob, took a deep breath and eased the door open.
She was stunned to realize the room was empty. Leela’s feelings were crushed. Here she was nervous about the time she’d made it home and he wasn’t even there. Maybe Riley was in the bathroom. Or perhaps he had fallen asleep inside his man-cave. The bathroom, closet, and every other inch of the room were empty.
