by Zuri Day
“Ransom!” Gwen cried.
Ransom chuckled. “Okay, Butterfly.” With that he plunged his tongue deep into Gwen. She squealed in delight, even as she tried to move away. The pleasure was too much, she couldn’t take it. Ransom grabbed her thighs and held her firm, setting her on fire with each nibble, each thrust of his powerful swordlike tongue. Just as quickly as the assault began, it ended.
Ransom calmly got out of bed and walked over to the nightstand.
What is he doing? Gwen thought, but couldn’t speak. She lay back on the bed, closed her eyes, and tried to stop shaking. She heard a cork pop, heard the bubbly being poured into glasses. He wants a drink…now? Gwen opened her eyes, turned onto her side, and her eyes opened wider. Ransom stared at her as he dipped his deliciously formed member into the glass.
His instruction was simple. “Come have a sip.”
The rarely imbibing Gwen hurried to his side like an alcoholic at happy hour. She hesitated for just a moment before closing her eyes and trying to take him full into her mouth.
“Slowly, Butterfly, we have all night.” Ransom pulled himself away from her, dipped himself into the glass, and nodded slightly.
Gwen tried again, slower this time. She was new at this, but could already tell she liked it. He felt so good, hard and soft at the same time. Instinctively, she ran her tongue around the rim of his circumcised shaft. Ransom hissed. Gwen smiled, and did it again. This time it was she who dunked him in the glass. Ransom had said she’d want more to drink later. He’d been right!
After several moments, Ransom rolled on a colossal condom and climbed back on the bed. He placed Gwen in the very center of it, and once again began his oral assault. He replaced his tongue with his finger and found her G-spot. Gwen climaxed immediately, and while she was still shaking from the ferocity of her release, Ransom spread her folds and entered her. Slowly, at first, he proceeded inch after glorious inch, pulling out to the tip and entering farther, deeper each time. Finally, after allowing her body time to relax and expand to accommodate his size, he pushed himself to the hilt and began the age-old dance of love…long, slow movements, as he’d promised. He loved her in a dozen different ways, loved her so good and so thoroughly that Gwen cried. She was experiencing the pleasure of total sexual fulfillment for the first time in her life. And when at last he joined her in release, and Gwen came for the final time, the jolt of pleasure was so intense that her whole body stiffened as if paralyzed…and she got a crick in her toe!
37
Ransom bounded up the three steps to Gwen’s front door and tapped lightly on the screen. “Anybody home?”
“Daddy!” Isis jumped from the couch and unlocked the door for her father. He came in, lifted her up off the floor, and gave her a big bear hug and kiss.
“How’s my princess? Did you have a good day?”
Isis nodded. “We had fun today at school. Miss Gwen has this big map of the United States that covers the floor, like this big.” Isis ran in a circle to demonstrate the size of the rug shaped like America. “And it has all the states on it and we played a game to learn where they were.”
“Sounds great, baby. Miss Gwen sounds like an excellent teacher.”
“Your father’s a pretty good teacher too,” Gwen said, wiping her hands on her apron as she came from the kitchen into the living room. She walked over to Ransom and gave him a light hug.
“Ooh. Y’all hugging, y’all boyfriend and girlfriend.” Isis giggled as she walked around them chanting, “Miss Gwen likes my daddy, Miss Gwen likes my daddy!”
Gwen and Ransom looked at each other. They had talked about how to discuss their relationship with Isis and had decided that aside from the initial conversation they’d had with her, where they had indeed said they were “friends,” they thought it best to just let the situation unfold organically. Gwen keeping Isis after school allowed the three of them to interact daily during the week, and for the past two weekends they had also done activities together. They thought Isis had accepted their friendship as a casual one, much like the one Ransom once had with Carol. But obviously the little cherub was picking up on a different set of vibes.
Gwen looked at Ransom with a “say something” expression. Ransom shrugged, gently grabbed Isis’s arm, and said, “Quit running before you hurt yourself.”
Isis looked between Gwen and Ransom, her large brown eyes twinkling mischievously. Gwen saw the curiosity in those eyes and knew a more explanatory talk was in order, otherwise Isis might take her little sing-song ditty to the playground tomorrow.
Gwen knelt down to Isis’s eye level. “Yes, Isis, I like your father. What do you think that means?”
Isis giggled again. “It means y’all gonna kiss, like this”—Isis made smooching sounds—“and then, and then y’all gonna get married!” She started skipping around the room. “Miss Gwen likes my daddy, Miss Gwen likes my daddy!”
“Princess,” Ransom said patiently. “Come here, Daddy needs to talk to you.” He took Isis by the hand and led her to the couch. “Okay, here’s the deal. Miss Gwen and I do like each other, but there are some people that aren’t too happy about it.”
“Like Carol?” Isis asked.
Another look passed between Gwen and Ransom. Gwen marveled at Isis’s astuteness and believed that Ransom had passed on the gift of intuition to his daughter.
“Remember how when you and Kari became friends, some of the other kids made fun of you?” Ransom asked. Isis nodded. “What did I tell you about that?”
“You said they were just jealous because they didn’t have a best friend.”
“That’s exactly right. And that’s how it is for me and Miss Gwen. Some people are just mad because they don’t have”—he nodded toward Gwen—“a best friend.”
Isis thought about his answer for a moment, and then asked, “Do best friends get married, Daddy?”
“Sometimes.”
“Good, because I would like Miss Gwen to be my new mommy.”
Ransom and Gwen were saved by the bell, literally, as little Tianna, a schoolmate who lived on the block, activated the door chime. “Can Isis come play?” she asked through the screen.
Isis jumped off the couch, her interest in Gwen and Ransom’s relationship status and the future of said status thankfully diverted. “Ooh, can I go, Daddy?”
“Yes, Princess. But don’t leave the front yard.”
Isis had barely gotten outside when Ransom grabbed Gwen and walked them back to the privacy of the kitchen where he kissed her, then burst into laughter.
“This isn’t funny,” Gwen said between giggles.
“Miss Gwen likes my daddy,” he mimicked, running his hand across Gwen’s bottom and nibbling her neck. “What Isis said about your being her new mommy…now there’s an idea.”
Gwen had always wanted to be a mother. And if she could have a daughter, she’d want a smart, cute, rambunctious one like Isis. But as much as she loved Ransom, and the one-big-happy-family idea, she was fresh out of a ten-year marriage.
Ransom laughed softly, kissed her once more, and then let her go. “Dag, my girl got scared silent. It’s okay, Butterfly. I’ll wait for your answer.”
With Ransom now nibbling on her ear, Gwen tried hard to remember the question.
Ransom delivered another one. “What’s for dinner? Something smells good.”
Gwen was glad for the change in subject. She had to prepare for a teachers’ meeting the following day and couldn’t be with Ransom later. “Mini pizzas,” she answered. “Can you guys stay for dinner?”
“Baby, I’m ready to eat right now!” He reached again for Gwen but this time she sidestepped him and went to the refrigerator.
“You’re so bad,” Gwen said.
“Um hmm. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Ransom and Gwen chatted comfortably as he watched her prepare her pizzas, using English muffins for the crust, a shredded chicken topping, and lots of cheese. In a nod to Isis and the child in Gwen, she topp
ed the creations with happy faces: black olives for eyes, a broccoli floret for the nose, and a slice of red pepper for the mouth. She placed the muffins on a cookie sheet, placed the sheet in the oven, and collected dishes and silverware to set the table.
When she came back into the kitchen and reached for the potato chips in the cabinet, Ransom came up and hugged her from behind.
“Why didn’t you and your husband have kids?”
Gwen wriggled out of his embrace and took the soda out of the refrigerator. “It just never happened.”
“What, you were using birth control?”
“I was, but not for the last three years of our marriage. We tried, but I never got pregnant.”
“Maybe your boy was sterile.”
Gwen shrugged, put on an oven mitten, and pulled the pizzas out from under the broiler. “No, I think it’s me. Probably just as well, considering what happened to our marriage.”
“You’d make an excellent mother,” Ransom said sincerely. “You’re a natural.”
For some reason, Ransom’s genuine compliment made Gwen teary. She hid her emotion by busying herself with putting the pizzas on a serving dish and grabbing parmesan cheese from the cabinet. Then she walked to the front door and called to Isis.
“Come on, sweetie, dinner’s ready.”
Ransom smiled as he heard Gwen call to his daughter and then direct Isis to wash her hands. Isis obeyed, rattling on to Gwen, who walked with her to the bathroom to wash her hands as well. Gwen laughed at something Isis said, their voices less clear as they continued down the hall. Their camaraderie made Ransom happy, and a feeling of contentment bubbled up inside him. Not long ago he’d entertained the idea of a queen for him and his princess. And now, he was sure, he’d found her.
38
Carol got so excited at seeing Ransom’s Jeep parked at Kristy’s that she almost ran over a little old lady crossing the street.
“Move, you old bird!” she yelled, honking her horn and giving the startled senior citizen the finger. The old woman used her cane to point out the red light that indicated that pedestrians had the right of way. She then shook her head and continued crossing the street.
“I can’t believe old Ms. Disney is still alive,” Carol mumbled as she tapped her wheel impatiently. “I should have run over the old biddy.”
Carol’s light turned green and she hurriedly crossed the street and entered the coffee shop parking lot. Just in time, Ransom exited Kristy’s and headed to his Jeep the moment Carol parked beside it.
“Hey, stranger,” Carol said. She got out of her car and leaned into Ransom’s Jeep. He was already inside and had started the engine. “Wait! Ransom, can we talk?”
“About what?”
“Five minutes, please. I thought we were friends.”
Ransom hesitated a moment before turning off the car. “Okay.”
“Why are you so angry with me?”
“I’m not angry with you, Carol. I’m just done with you. You effectively ended our friendship when you started lying on Gwen, not to mention lying on my child. That was really the last straw, right there.”
“How did I lie? You two aren’t seeing each other? And I would never lie on Isis. I love that little girl, you know that!”
Ransom reached for his keys.
“Okay, maybe I said some things that weren’t true,” Carol rapidly continued. “But I couldn’t help it, Ransom. You know how I feel about you, that I was hoping you and I could have something special together.”
“I never gave you reason to think that would happen. I mean we were cool and all, and I didn’t mind hanging out because of how our daughters got along but, Carol, I never looked at you like that, as someone to date. Nothing personal, you’re just not my type.”
“And Gwen Smith is? Good Lord, Ransom, she went to school with Adam, for God’s sake! She’s ancient!”
Ransom started his car. “Move.”
“Just one night, Ransom. I promise the things I can do will make you forget all about—”
“Good-bye, Carol!”
Carol stepped back and watched as Ransom peeled out of the parking lot. She was in a major huff, as a distorted memory of what she and Ransom used to have together played out in her mind. If it hadn’t been for her…Carol fumed, as she got into her car and headed for Joanna’s house. If it hadn’t been for that bitch, Ransom would be mine!
An hour later, Joanna pulled into her apartment complex parking lot and noticed Carol waiting for her, inside her car. Puffy eyes and a red nose told her Carol had been crying.
“What’s wrong,” Joanna asked as she approached Carol’s rolled down window. “Did something happen to Kari? She seemed fine at school today.”
“It’s not her, it’s me. My plan to get Ransom back has backfired. He’s really mad that I put his business out there, about him and Gwen.”
“Well, it’s the truth! He is doing her. Why is he so mad about that?”
Carol’s face contorted as crocodile tears ran down her cheeks. “I want him so badly. He’s a perfect man for me and father figure for Kari. What am I gonna do?” A loud boohoo punctuated the question.
“Well, you’re gonna stop crying for one thing,” Joanna said, in a rare moment appearing the older of the two. “Come inside so you can pull yourself together.”
Joanna and Carol were silent as they walked up the steps and Joanna unlocked the door to her condo. But as soon as they were inside, Carol started in again. “What about your plan to make her leave the school? And what about Adam?”
“What about Adam?” Joanna retorted quickly.
“I mean, well, isn’t he mad at her too?”
Joanna plopped down on the couch and took off her shoes. “Yeah, and I don’t know why, to tell you the truth. He’s already been with the whore, so why does he care that his brother is doing her now? Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Never mind. Adam doesn’t want her. He told me.”
“That’s what he said. But how can you be so sure that they aren’t still screwing? You’re the one who saw them coming back from some rendezvous when she first got here, going at it all hot and heavy in the parking lot. And you watched him check her out in the gym that day. That doesn’t sound like the behavior of two people who were screwing twenty years ago. It sounds like what people do who are screwing now.”
“But why would she want him if she’s dating Ransom?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care, and you shouldn’t either. Did you do like we talked about, try to become friends so you can find out what’s going on?”
“Really, Carol, Gwen isn’t stupid. Why would the very person who couldn’t stand her one day be cozying up to her the next? If you’re depending on my befriending her for info, I wouldn’t count on finding out too much.”
Carol angrily wiped the last tears from her eyes, lowered her voice, and looked straight at Joanna. “I will do anything to get Ransom back. Do you hear me? Anything. I ain’t never gonna run across anybody like him again.” Carol repeated her declaration, this time softly, to herself: “Anything.”
39
Ransom looked around quickly before giving Gwen a kiss on the lips.
“Will you stop that?” Gwen looked around too, but satisfied that no one was near her classroom and Isis was enthralled in Kuchekesha Island, the children’s book Gwen had bought her over the weekend, Gwen continued the kiss, opening her mouth to invite his tongue, before pulling back and wiping her lipstick off his mouth.
“Do you have to go into LA today?”
“I’m going to get you for that,” Ransom whispered. He tweaked her nipple through the knit top she wore. “I think so,” he said after he’d straightened up and put some much needed distance between him and his woman. Even though they made ardent love almost every night, he couldn’t seem to get enough of Gwen. “I was hoping my foreman could handle everything, but these small business owners seem to like having me around.”
“That’s becaus
e you’re the man,” Gwen said.
“I guess,” Ransom responded, while beaming under Gwen’s praise.
“I was thinking that maybe I could meet you there,” Gwen continued. “In LA. I could bring Isis and maybe we could spend the night there.”
“That sounds like a plan, B-fly. I’ll call you later and let you know how things are looking on the job.”
Ransom walked over and kissed his daughter, then headed toward the door. He almost ran into Joanna, who came in at the same time.
“Oh, sorry,” Joanna said to Gwen while staring at Ransom as if he were the Second Coming. My goodness, I forgot how absolutely gorgeous you are! “I didn’t know you were…busy.”
“It’s okay,” Gwen said to Joanna. “See you later, Ransom.”
Gwen knew that loving Ransom definitely made it easier to deal with Joanna and Adam, who were still trying to work her last nerve, in and out of the classroom. She looked at her watch and frowned slightly. Some of her other early kids should have arrived by now. Gwen walked to her desk, sat down, and addressed Joanna. “You needed to talk to me?”
“Uh, yeah,” Joanna began nervously. She looked over at Isis. “I was hoping we could talk privately.”
“Well, that obviously isn’t going to happen since we’re in my classroom where about twenty other students will be joining the one already here any minute now.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll make a long story short.” She walked closer to Gwen’s desk and spoke in a low tone. “I’ve been a total jerk since you’ve been here, and want to say I’m sorry. We got along so great that first time I saw you, when you came for the interview, remember? It’s just that, well, I’ve been dealing with some financial problems and personal stuff that I’m sure you’re not interested in hearing. I just haven’t been myself.” Joanna’s voice dropped even lower. “I didn’t want to make you adopt my lesson plans,” she lied. “That was Adam’s idea.” After I suggested it, she thought. “You’re a great teacher, Gwen. I could learn a thing or two from you.”
