Free Fridays

by Pat Tucker

  The situation wasn’t completely lost on Riley. He remembered months ago when their roles were reversed. It was him talking Bill off the ledge. He had sworn it would never happen to him; he wore the pants in his house and not a day had gone by that he didn’t let Leela know.

  “If anything is going on, I’m gonna kill her, man,” Riley said.

  The iPad he used to track his wife’s movements had been stuck at Samantha’s address the whole time he’d been stuck in traffic. She had defied his orders, and the minute she thought he was gone and she was alone, she’d proven that he could no longer trust her to do the right thing. What really pissed him off was the fact that Leela did exactly what he’d told her not to do. He was fed up and he was not about to let this shit slide.

  He ended the call with Bill; he didn’t need to be talked out of anything. All he needed was to find his wife, and for her sake, he prayed the slut would be the only person she was with when he finally arrived.

  CHAPTER

  35

  With music softly playing, her lips were gently saying, “Maaalone, pleease, stop. I can’t.”

  But when a thick chocolate finger fumbled into her mouth, she sucked and suckled.

  Leela breathed hard and struggled to fight the pure bliss she felt. Her brain raced with thoughts of how something that felt so good, could be so very wrong. Her insides tingled as if every single nerve in her body had been ignited. He moved his hand from her mouth.

  “Please, Malone.”

  She painstakingly begged for mercy, and urged him to stop, but her body moved in sync with his, like she enjoyed everything he was doing.

  “Oh, God!”

  She was writhing in agony, as if she wanted to get away.

  But she was no match for Malone’s strength. Pinned in the corner of a soft leather sofa, there was no way for Leela to escape. She bit down on her bottom lip as Malone adjusted her hips and positioned her thighs over his shoulders. He was on his knees, with his head buried between her legs.

  Leela’s body squirmed, but he wouldn’t let up. When she felt his strong and steady fingers stroke her inner thighs, she thought she’d died and gone to heaven.

  Instinctively, she gyrated and moved to a rhythm that was slow and deliberate. Malone’s soft tongue flickered tenderly against her swollen, hypersensitive clit and nearly brought tears of pleasure to her eyes.

  She felt the sensation as it slowly built and traveled up her weakened legs. Everything he said and did felt good. His words made her cream without trying; his touch was electrifying, and dazzled every spot on her skin.

  They’d been alone while Kent and Samantha went shopping for dessert. The guys had grilled steaks and lobster tails, but there was nothing for dessert, so Kent and Samantha decided to make a run. That left Leela alone with Malone

  “You guys coming to the store or staying here?” Samantha had asked.

  Leela had eyed Malone, but neither answered.

  The seductive grin on their faces told the entire story.

  “Okay then. We’ll be back,” Samantha had said. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Leela remained resolved to set some ground rules for Malone. They couldn’t go on the way they had been; it wouldn’t be good for anyone.

  “We need to talk,” she had said.

  Malone had gotten close. She’d smelled his scent and felt his breath as he got closer.

  One minute Leela was explaining why she needed to back off and give her marriage a chance; then the next, her panties were coming off and Malone was adjusting himself between her thighs.

  “I need a taste before dessert.”

  “No, Malone, this is not a good idea.”

  “Let me taste you. Let me make you feel good, help take the edge off. Your mind is somewhere else. I want you here with me.”

  Leela knew he was right. She’d been deep in thought. The battle that brewed in her head began the moment they arrived at Samantha’s.

  Malone eased back slightly and gazed down at her. His eyes took in every inch of her womanhood. He removed his shirt and yanked off the skirt she wore.

  She had given up. There was no point in fighting anymore. She gave in. She allowed herself to let go of all hesitation and simply enjoy what was happening. Her body was already there. Her heart left first; now, she just needed to release herself mentally and enjoy.

  “Let’s go to the back, so we can be comfortable,” Malone said as he pulled back from the work he was doing between her thighs.

  Breathing hard and heavy, Leela couldn’t find her voice, but she wanted to go. She wanted to follow him regardless of the consequences. She needed him to go back to what he had been doing moments earlier. She fought the urge to grab his head in her hands and guide him back to where he had been.

  There was no turning back, was there?

  When the hurried knock sounded at the door, a sense of relief washed over Leela. She had gone too far; they had done too much. The interruption had come right on time.

  “The door,” she whispered. “Samantha probably forgot something; go get it.”

  “Then we’ll go to the back?” Malone asked.

  “Yes.”

  Leela scrambled for her panties and her skirt. Eager and anxious, Malone rushed to the door and pulled it open. But the sound of a question from the door stopped Leela cold in her tracks.

  “Where the hell is my wife?”

  Riley?

  Leela couldn’t move a single muscle. There she was, in the middle of her best friend’s living room, naked from the waist down, with her panties in one hand, and her skirt in the other, and caught between her lover and her husband.

  • • •

  At first, when Samantha saw Bill’s number flash across her screen, instinct told her to ignore the call. She still had nothing to discuss with him and thought it odd that he’d call.

  She turned to Kent and smirked. “Can you believe the nerve? My loser ex is calling.”

  Kent’s eyebrows went up.

  “It ain’t nothing like that. Actually, Babe, I’m wondering whether someone died or something. He has absolutely no reason whatsoever to call me.” She shrugged and put the phone back into her purse.

  “Well, answer and find out what he wants.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “Why would I? I’m not worried,” Kent said and playfully smacked her on the behind.

  Before she could answer, the phone stopped ringing.

  Samantha shrugged again, and they moved on to the next aisle in the grocery store.

  “You guys want wine or something stronger. I could get some of those frozen mixes.”

  “Nah. We’d better stick with wine. I don’t want to scare Leela.”

  They laughed at that and Samantha went to select a bottle. She picked a couple of Chardonnays and brought them back to the basket.

  The moment she placed them down, her phone began to ring again.

  “It’s him again.” Samantha showed the phone as if to prove he was calling back.

  “Get it.”

  Samantha stopped, and picked up the phone. “Hello?” There was not a trace of enthusiasm or excitement in her voice. She actually sounded kind of disturbed.

  “Yo, Sam, where you at?” Bill asked.

  Samantha frowned. His cheerful voice and question left her confused. “My days of answering to you ended a long time ago,” she hissed.

  She was surprised at the amount of animosity she still held for him. Kent walked farther down the aisle, and she appreciated it. She didn’t need him to witness just how nasty she could get; Bill was definitely about to take her there.

  “Listen. I’m only asking because I think Riley is about to go ham on your girl. I just wanted to know whether she was with you or not, that’s all.”

  “What do you mean he’s about to go ham on my girl? I thought he was out of town. He’s supposed to be gone for a few days, isn’t he?” Samantha felt panic flood her system.

  “He was, but
his trip was cancelled. I think he went by the house and when she wasn’t there, he got pissed. Said something about heading over to your place. Look, I’m only calling because I don’t need my boy to catch a case.”

  Dread settled in quickly. Samantha thought about the lust she had witnessed in her friend’s eyes as they left the two alone. Riley’s presence would only cause problems.

  “Okay, um. Thanks for the heads-up. I need to run.”

  “Wait. Sam, what y’all up to? Do I need to come over there?” Bill asked.

  Samantha didn’t answer as she rushed toward Kent. The frantic look in her eyes told him something wasn’t right.

  “What happened? What did he say?”

  “We need to go. We don’t have time for this. Like we need to go now. Riley is headed to my place.”

  “Riley? I thought he was outta town.”

  “He was, or was supposed to be, but something happened and his trip was cancelled. C’mon; we need to get back to the house.”

  “Shit. You don’t think ol’ boy would do anything stupid, do you?” Kent asked.

  “Well, considering how much he hates me now and how he warned her to stay away from me, I don’t want to take any chances.”

  They left the basket, its contents, and rushed out of the store.

  On the drive back to the house, Kent tried to keep Samantha calm. He discussed all of the reasons Bill’s call might have been an overreaction. As he drove, he clutched her hand tightly.

  Samantha heard every word he said, and although she appreciated his efforts, the sinking feeling deep in her stomach told her things would not end right.

  “I would feel awful if something happened to her. She was very reluctant to hang, but I convinced her that it would be fine.”

  “C’mon, Baby. Don’t beat yourself up. You had no way of knowing dude wasn’t gonna leave. I believe dude got some sense; he’s not about to do anything stupid. Besides, Malone is there; she’s good.”

  Kent was driving twenty miles over the speed limit, but to Samantha, it still didn’t feel fast enough. She picked up the phone and called Leela.

  When there was no answer, she picked up Kent’s phone and called Malone. When he didn’t answer, either, her heart began to race uncontrollably. Samantha wanted them there; she wanted to jump between Riley and Leela and make sure nothing went down.

  By the time Kent finally pulled up at her place, she jumped out of the car before he came to a complete stop.

  Samantha could hear the loud shouting match as she approached her walkway. Before she made it to the door, Bill’s car careened around the corner and screeched to a sudden stop.

  “What the hell?!” Samantha screamed at the sight of Bill and a woman as they stormed up the walkway.

  The front door was wide open.

  The sound of Leela yelling pulled everyone’s attention toward the house.

  CHAPTER

  36

  “The jig is up! So I’m the fool is what you’re trying to tell me?!” Leela screamed. She couldn’t make sense of what had unfolded right before her eyes.

  “It wasn’t supposed to go down like this. You were supposed to do the right thing. You were supposed to tell him you were married. I didn’t think you’d fall for…”

  Slap!

  Leela couldn’t believe she’d swung on her husband until after she’d pulled her arm back and was swinging in the opposite direction.

  Slap!

  The second and hardest slap of all was reserved for Malone.

  “So you were playing me all along?” Tears welled up in her eyes. “Screw you both!”

  She slipped on her skirt and was about to storm out until a crowd rushed through the front door. Leela was dumbfounded.

  “Bill? And Natasha?”

  Leela turned and looked back at Riley. “What the hell is really going on here?”

  “You told her, Dawg?” Bill asked.

  Riley nodded.

  “Man. What’s she doing here?” Riley motioned toward Natasha.

  “She was with me when you called,” Bill said.

  “So you brought her here? What gives, Man? What the hell is up with the two of you? I don’t get it. It’s like you’re working together or something. When is this shit gonna stop?”

  Natasha moved forward. “I’m trying to tell you. We were meant to be together. She’s not right for you. Look, all it took was another man saying all the right things, and she tossed your vows to the side like they meant nothing. How much longer are you going to deny what you know is true?”

  “Natasha, I’ve already told you. What we had was in the past,” Riley said.

  “But after I did all of this for you, for us? You still don’t want to explore the possibilities with me?”

  “You did what? What are you talking about?” Riley asked.

  Leela was more than a little upset, but instead of going off the way she wanted to, she fell back and watched the scene unfold. She wasn’t sure whom she could trust, but it seemed like Natasha was about to answer lots of questions.

  Natasha waved her hands about again.

  “All of this. I did it all for you. I set Kelly onto Bill, because I could see it in his eyes; his life needed some adventure. Then, did you think Bill came up with Free Fridays by himself?” Natasha chuckled. “He’s just a man. You guys don’t think like that. It was me. I came up with the plan. I did it all, so that you could see once and for all that it should’ve been me all along.”

  Riley frowned. He looked at Bill, who looked away.

  “What’s she talking about, Man?”

  “I would’ve…I mean. I thought the idea was cool. She might have come up with it, but I wanted to see what was gonna happen too,” Bill stammered. But suddenly, his head turned as if the words had finally sunk in. “You said Kelly? You know her?”

  “Bill. Bill. I have to admit, I had no idea the plan would go the way it did, but the signs were there all along. If your marriage was stable with her, no woman would’ve been able to infiltrate it. Kelly and her husband enjoy an open marriage; you and yours, well, that was just collateral damage. No offense.”

  Bill stood speechless and dumbfounded.

  “So, lemme get this straight,” Leela began. “You”—she pointed a finger at Natasha—“You convinced this one to convince this one to approach me about Free Fridays?”

  Natasha laughed.

  “Oh, how simple you all are. Darlin’, once Bill was single, I told Bill that his life would be far better if his best friend was single, too. Men are just that simple. They yearn for the good ol’ days, when they were single and sowing their oats. Like I said, it all started with Kelly, and once she did her part, that was just the beginning. No, this was a well-calculated plan.”

  Natasha inched away from Bill. “See, once that was in motion, I had to set it up so that Kent here and Samantha could meet up. Then, of course, his trusty sidekick, Malone, would need a friend too, and once that was in place, bam!” Natasha slapped her palms together.

  “I simply helped Bill see how advantageous it would be if we knocked ol’ Riley down a notch or two.”

  “What’s wrong with you?” Leela asked.

  Natasha’s eyes widened. She pointed at her own chest. “What’s wrong with me? Nothing! I’d say my plan was brilliant; I’ve waited years for this to all come together. I’m patient, and I am determined. I mean, look at where we are now. You’re fucking him; he’s fucking me; and I think we should just leave things as they are.”

  “So, you’re fucking her?” Leela turned to Riley and asked.

  He shook his head saying no.

  “It’s okay, Daddy. I’ve been trying to tell you all along, she’s moved on. Emotionally, your marriage is over. By now, Malone probably has her eating out of his hands. He’s a master at seduction. I hand-picked him myself.”

  Leela turned to Malone. She had no words.

  “Bill, Dawg, how could you do this to me, Man?”

  “It’s not all she’s m
aking it out to be. I’m telling you, Dawg. She tricked me. We talked about it. I had no idea she even knew Kelly. And honestly, I really didn’t expect you to agree to that shit in the first place, but when you did, I was like, let’s see what happens,” Bill said. “Then when we watched them move around on the GPS tracker, I thought you were into it.”

  “A GPS tracker?” Leela repeated. She wanted to gouge Riley’s eyes out with her fingernails.

  Malone eased next to Leela. He reached for and touched her arm. “I need to explain.”

  She jerked beyond his touch and moved away from him. In a crowded room, she had never felt so alone. She didn’t know who was telling the truth and chances of her being able to trust anyone seemed to shrink with each word spoken.

  “I don’t have anything else to say to you.”

  “Sweetness. This may have started out wrong, but think about it. Think about what we feel for each other. We don’t have to throw it all away. You said yourself, he doesn’t respect you; he talks down to you; acts like you’re a kid. It’s obvious, he’s forgotten what he had in you.”

  With narrowed eyes, Leela turned to Malone and said, “But you’ve been playing out some twisted fantasy all along. What was the prize for you? What would’ve labeled you a winner? When were you gonna be done with me and on to your next assignment?”

  “Sweetness, it’s not like that. Natasha wasn’t up front when she approached us. She made it seem like it was friends hooking up. I swear to you, she never said all of this was because she wanted your husband.”

  Malone’s voice begged and pleaded.

  “Let her have him, Baby. I’ve got you. I swear, nothing has changed; I’ve got you.”

  “Dude. That’s still my wife. I need you to step off,” Riley said as he approached Malone. He turned to his wife.“Leela, get your shit together, and let’s bounce. We’ll talk about this at home. I’m tired of this mess.”

  All eyes fell on Riley.

  Leela was stunned that at this very moment, in light of all that had been revealed, he still carried on like he was in control. She didn’t move an inch.