Potion Perfect

by Billie Dale

  Once we are seated, we grab our plates and begin to fill them with all the offerings. Turkey, ham, scalloped potatoes, grits, greens, corn casserole, sweet rolls and many other southern dishes.

  “Now, girls, take it easy on all those carbohydrates,” Mrs. Leeland says placing salad only on her plate. “A moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips,” she sings.

  “Oh, Momma,” Ronnie scowls holding her sweet roll to her lips. Tens hand pauses midway to her mouth frowning at her bread.

  Reaching, I grab Tens free hand drawing her attention to me. Staring into her eyes, I say, “I don’t know about you, Mayor Leeland, but I like for my woman to have curves. Soft spots to lay my head. I don’t want a woman that’s all skin and bones,” I wink when her mouth tips in a small grin. “No disrespect, Ma’am, but the time for stick skinny women has passed, every guy I know wants the voluptuous figure. So, you girls eat all the bread you want.”

  “Mrs. Leeland, did you know that America’s sweetheart and the ultimate bombshell, Marilyn Monroe’s, dress size was a size fourteen? In a recent poll of 4000 men, it was found that most prefer women with curves and 78% said the most attractive feature on a woman is her smile,” Tensanne informs us eyeing the roll in her hand.

  “See Momma,” Ronnie gloats smiling, “I say, LET THEM EAT BREAD, carbs be damned,” reaching out her hand holding the roll to Ten who also raises her roll.

  “I propose a toast to fluffy, sweet, succulent, carbohydrate filled bread,” she cheers while her and Ten tap rolls in a mock toast. Bringing it back to their mouths, taking a huge bite.

  “You should try it, Momma. Maybe you wouldn’t be so grouchy if you ate some curve inducing food,” Ronnie gurgles around a mouthful of sweet roll.

  “Veronica Anne Leeland, don’t talk with your mouthful,” Mrs. Leeland huffs.

  Mayor Leeland, Ten and myself cover our mouths to hide our laughter.

  Dinner continues with the Mayor asking me about the season and the women talking about the classes Ten and Ronnie will be taking the next semester. After dinner, we all enjoy a generous amount of Madge’s marvelous banana pudding. Creamy, sweet and all southern, it’s a decadent explosion in your mouth. Once we finish a man in a suit enters the room.

  “Sir, Madame,” a member of the staff calls, “Your guests have begun to arrive.”

  Rising from our seats, Ronnie bounces on her toes grabbing our hands she drags us into the other room exclaiming, “Let’s get this party started.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  A bad day can always be made better with banana pudding

  —Ronnie to Ten

  Tensanne

  THE PARTY IS in full swing. Tons of people from this little college town all mingling together in the Mayor’s Mansion. The Chief of Police and many of his men, the firemen dressed in their tuxedos with muscle’s bulging makes Ronnie drool. Professors, students, friends, colleagues all dressed up, drinking and enjoying the evening.

  Kohl said I’m more beautiful than a princess but I feel like Cinderella at the Ball. Waiting to turn into a pumpkin at midnight.

  Dancing, laughing, feeling free and wonderful. Kohl is amazing. A true Prince Charming. Every little girl grows up wanting the fairy tale and right now I’m living it.

  I have been carrying around the truth potion in my clutch all night. Debating on whether I want to add a couple of drops to his drink or not.

  Ronnie and I have been dancing our feet off. Taking a break, Kohl is sitting at the table with a few members of the basketball team. Catching his attention, I signal that I’m going to get a drink.

  Standing in line, I feel a tap on my shoulder.

  “Yous having a good time, Tensanne?”

  Turning I meet the white smiling eyes of Esmeralda, the little old Gypsy.

  “Yous are vondering if the handsome boy’s feelings are true, zes?” she asks.

  “Yes,” I whisper glancing at Kohl laughing with his friends.

  “His eyes vill tell yous all yous need to know. Focus on his eyes, Tensanne Craig and you vill see his heart is pure. Ze eyes are ze path to ze soul.”

  A glass shatters behind the bar, I turn to see the commotion. When I turn back, Esmeralda is gone. Scanning around the room I don’t see her anywhere.

  The sounds of ‘You Look Wonderful Tonight’ begin.

  A warm hand grips mine. “Dance with me, Tennie Girl,” Kohl whispers in my ear, leading me to the dance floor.

  Reaching the floor, he pulls me into his body. Every hard inch of him is pressed against every soft part of my body while we sway to the music. Lowering his head, he sings the chorus into my ear. His breath spreading goose bumps along my flesh and wetness pooling between my legs.

  “I want to bring in the New Year alone with you,” Kohl whispers, running his nose along the shell of my ear, as the song ends.

  Meeting his heated eyes, I nod my head. “Let me use the restroom, tell Ronnie that we are leaving and we can go back to my dorm,” I say, releasing his hand and making my way to the ladies’ room.

  Washing my hands, I check the mirror. My cheeks are flushed, my eyes are sparkling and my nerves are all over the place. He wants to be alone with me. You can do this. You’ve been alone with him before. He’s never looked at me so heated before but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s fine. You’re ready for whatever he has in mind.

  Standing tall, feeling secure, I open the door.

  Chase is leaning against the wall outside the restroom.

  Ignoring him, I move to walk around and get back to the party. Reaching out, he grabs my arm. Pushing me against the wall, clasping both my hands, in one of his above my head.

  “Where you rushing to, Tensanne?” he asks, his breath rancid with whiskey.

  “Let me go, Chase,” I grit, pulling at my hands trying to get free.

  Using his other hand, he starts at my knee, slowly running his hand up my thigh, “You know you want me more than Black.”

  “Stop,” I plead, moving my leg away from his touch. Still pulling on my hands, I can feel the skin on my wrist starting to burn where he’s holding me too tight. “I don’t want you, Chase. Let me go and we’ll go back to the party and get a drink,” I say, calmly trying to appeal to some part of his brain that might still be sober, tears filling my eyes.

  His hand is still climbing my thigh, reaching under the edge of my dress, bringing it up with him as it rises. He lowers his face down to my chest, running his tongue along the seam of my cleavage, up my neck to my ear. “Nah, I think we’re doing fine right here,” he mumbles running his tongue back down the way he just brought it up. When he reaches the top of my breast, he bites.

  “Ow. Stop, Chase, please,” I cry, closing my eyes allowing the brimming tears to break loose.

  His hand slides between my legs.

  Suddenly, my hands are released and I feel a hard pull on my dress. Opening my eyes, Kohl has Chase tackled on the ground. Straddling him, punching him repeatedly in the face.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Kohl seethes in between punches.

  Ronnie comes running into the hall. Gasping when she sees my ripped dress where he grabbed it on his way to the floor and at Kohl, beating the shit out of Chase.

  Two security guards pull the men apart, standing in between them.

  Kohl’s thrashing against the guy holding him, trying to get back to Chase.

  “You don’t fucking touch her, you piece of shit. I told you to stay away.”

  A sobering Chase blinks at Kohl, his nose and lips bleeding, his eye starting to swell. Taking in my ripped dress and my red wrists. His face fills with remorse and fear.

  “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I don’t know what I was thinking,” he whimpers as the guards drag him away.

  Once Chase is gone, the guard releases Kohl.

  He rushes to me, gently holding my wrist he rubs the angry red, large finger-shaped welts that have formed. “Tensanne,” he whispers.

  “Are y
ou okay?” Ronnie asks.

  Sobbing, I can only nod yes. My words were stolen by my fear. My heart is in my feet, my eyes burn from being afraid to blink and I can’t control the tremors wracking my body.

  “Take her upstairs, Kohl. There are some spare clothes in the room at the top of the stairs. Please, stay here tonight,” she instructs somberly with a helplessness glossing her eyes.

  Hugging me, she says, “Let Kohl take care of you. You’re safe now. I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I reply between sobs when Kohl scoops me up as if I weigh nothing and carries me upstairs. I bury my face in the crook of his neck, his scent providing the safety I need to feel.

  Entering the room, he leaves the light off and carries me into the bathroom attached to the room.

  Setting me on the counter he turns the sink on. Wetting a washcloth, he begins to clean the makeup off my face. Gentle strokes down my cheeks, over my forehead.

  “Close your eyes,” he commands.

  Closing my eyes, he wipes the cloth across them cleaning my eyes.

  “Take out your contacts,” he whispers.

  Reaching behind me he removes the pins holding my hair back, while I remove the lenses from my eyes. One by one, they plink on the counter as pieces of hair fall free. Once he has removed them all and I have locked my vision away in its little disks, he moves to turn on the shower.

  Pulling me off the counter, he turns me. Wondering what he’s doing, I feel the zipper releasing on my dress I shudder when the cool air hits my skin. The only sound in the room is the running water. My eyes meet his in the mirror while the material falls down my trembling body, leaving me standing in only my peach colored panties.

  Eyes still on me in the reflection, he removes his clothes. The scratching of his jacket when it clears his shirt, the thud of his pants as they hit the floor echoes in the silence. His eyes never leave mine.

  Running his hands along my lower back, bringing them around he gently runs his fingers to the edge of my underwear, slowly pulling them down my legs. My body shivers from his light touch.

  Gripping my hand, he leads me into the shower. Pulling back the curtain, he steps in, using my hand he guides me in. Placing me in front of him.

  No words are spoken. The air is filled with remorse and kindness. Regret for the act that led us to where I have been wanting to be for months but not the way we got here.

  With my back to him, he wets my hair. Applying shampoo, he washes away all the styling products when he rinses out the shampoo.

  Gripping the loofah, he pours on body wash, squeezing it until it lathers. The smell of cherry blossoms filling the room. Slowly, he moves it up my arms and over my shoulders. Down through the valley of my breasts, across my stomach, pulling toward the back to run along the seam of my butt and down my legs. Washing away every trace of Chase’s touch leaving his kind touch along my skin instead.

  With each pass of the sponge, his breathing accelerates. I want to turn, to see if there’s heat in his eyes. To see if I’m affecting him as much as he’s affecting me. I will not let Chase Masters take anything else away from me, I will not let what happen taint this moment any longer.

  My pulse is pounding in my veins. Blood pooling in my clit. The feel of his hands, the heat of his body behind mine has the hairs rising along my skin despite the heat of the water.

  Once he has rinsed me clean, he wraps his arms around my waist, sealing his front to my back. His erection sliding easily into the crease of my ass, answering my questions. His arms tremble while he holds me tight to his body.

  Placing his chin in the nook where my neck meets my shoulders he releases a shaky breath.

  “I’m sorry, Ten. I so very sorry,” his voice cracks full of emotion. “I should have been there; I should have gone with you, I’m sorry my body is reacting this way when you have been traumatized,” he croaks reaching forward, turning off the water.

  The words to explain to him what his body is doing to mine are caught in my throat.

  Stepping out he wraps a towel around his waist. Seeing my stare, he slowly closes the towel giving me my first chance to study his body. A canvas of ink runs from his wrist up over his shoulder, ending on his right peck. He’s all sleek lines and formed ridges closing in at his trim waist, flaring again over his strong thighs. Patches of dark hair cover his pecks, sprinkling across his stomach forming a trail down between his sex lines. Those glorious divots that point like an arrow to the thick, swollen erection pointing up, laying heavy against his stomach. Grabbing another towel, he runs it quickly over his hair, tossing it to the side.

  Moving to my purse he pulls out my glasses, setting them gently on my wet face.

  Offering me his hand, I step out of the shower, he takes a towel to my soaked hair, squeezing out the water moving to wipe away the wetness from my body. Running it over my breasts and down between my legs. His eyes lustful and needing gaze into mine, his pupils expanded to leave only a small ring of electric blue.

  Both our bodies dry; he leads me into the bedroom. The only light is from the moon shining through the windows. Searching drawers, he finds a t-shirt for me to wear. When he starts to place it over my head I stop his hands.

  “No,” I say, tossing the shirt off to the side. Reaching out a shaking hand, I remove the towel draped over his hips, dropping it to the floor. This night is about us; I will not let Chase Master’s ruin another second of my life. Kohl was my savior tonight if he hadn’t been there I don’t want to think of the things Chase would have done. He took away my choice when he sent that photo around, he tried to take it away again tonight but I’m done being the victim I have waited for weeks hoping Kohl wanted me the way I want him and he does, right here, right now and I’m not going to let this moment pass. Carpe diem, seize the day.

  Chapter Twenty

  “Be creative, be adventurous, be original.”

  —Wonder Woman

  Kohl

  I FAILED HER.

  I broke my promise to protect her, to keep her safe.

  What the hell was Chase thinking?

  She’s so silent while I care for her. Her silence is deafening.

  Does she blame me? Please God, don’t let her blame me.

  Trying to cover her, to care for her. She’s a broken doll standing before me. I want to get her secure in bed. To wrap my arms around her, holding her close, where I know she’s safe. I would be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t turned on right now but that’s not what this is about. Right now, this moment is about showing her she’s out of harm’s way and proving to her, in my arms is where she belongs.

  Reaching to cover her in a shirt I found in one of the drawers, she grips my hands telling me, “No.”

  I don’t understand why she stopped, her shaking hand reaches for me. Running her finger along my lower stomach, right at the top of the towel she reaches the overlap and releases it. Dropping the plush material to the floor. My breath freezes in my lungs.

  Leaning into me, she whispers, her voice quivering, “I want you, Kohl. I need you.”

  “With everything you’ve been through, I-”

  She quiets me with a finger to my lips, “Touch me, please. Take away his touch. D-don’t you want me?”

  Spinning her to face the mirror on the wall behind us, “Look, Ten,” I order placing my hands on her shoulders. “This woman you see is everything,” I confess slowly moving my hands down her arms, grazing my fingers along the side of her breast. Moaning she closes her eyes. “Open your eyes,” I command. Her inviting brown orbs open, half-mast in her lust, “No makeup, no contacts,” I say moving my hands down to her waist, gripping her hips. Spanning my hands, my fingers brushing close to her pussy, I pull her back into my aching dick, “You are everything I could want, everything I could dream. I’ve never wanted something so bad in my life.”

  Spinning, her lips collide with mine. Teeth and lips fight for control. Hands moving everywhere, eating up every inch of flesh they can find. I can’t
move fast enough; I can’t touch enough. Nothing has felt better, grabbing her breast, flicking my thumb over the hardened nipple and feeling the weight of it resting in my hand. Her body feels perfect under my hands, every soft piece of her along every hard ridge of me. She is right where she belongs.

  Pushing my cock between her legs, seeking some friction. Sliding it between her lush thighs, feeling her wetness coat me; her moan is my breaking point. She’s ready for me.

  Laying her back to the bed, her body spread out before me. Her brown hair splayed behind her head, her brown eyes sparkling in the moonlight, her chest heaving with excited breaths, her brown cookie nipples peaked in need, her stomach fluttering in anticipation with her hand slowly moving to the juncture of her heat, her legs rubbing together seeking friction. It’s my own real life pornographic scene, playing out before me.

  “Damn, your body is delicious. Every inch of you is my ultimate fantasy,” I whisper.

  I drown in the scent of her arousal in the air. Sweet, succulent honey, my mouth waters for a taste, my need for her greater than my need for my next lung full of air.

  Gripping her legs, I pull her to the edge of the bed. Dropping to my knees, I spread her wide. There is just enough light to see her silky-smooth pussy glistening in the moonlight, begging for my touch.

  Meeting her eyes, “Are you sure, Tennie Girl?”

  A slight nod of her head is not enough, I need her words, “I need to hear the words. Please, please, give me the words,” I plead.

  “Yes, Kohl, God, yes,” she pants. Her words fueling the flame burning in my gut.

  With the first yes, my tongue strokes her from back to front, stopping to flick her engorged clit. Her essence exploding on my tongue, her sweetness my new favorite flavor. Humming my appreciation, the vibrations have her clenching her thighs tightly against my face while her fingers weave into my hair pulling the strands.

  Spreading her legs back open, I flick my tongue over her hardened nub. Her body ratcheting up the bed, pulling from me while I continue to gently tease her.