Flag On The Play

by Lace, Lolah

  It took Jackass four days to come prancing down here like he was on the runway at a Calvin Klien fashion show. Somehow I thought he would come to see me but I’m still a little surprised to see him. The douche bag is not as lame as I thought.

  I walked up to jilted Jack but I kept a decent amount of space between us. There was always something about this snug bastard that I never liked. There was something about his jawbone that made me want to punch him in it.

  RJ was standing idle when I approached. He knew who Jack was and he probably knew this was a hostile situation.

  “Jack Unger, what do you want?” I don’t know why I addressed him by his full name. I sound like a superhero.

  “Mason where is she?” Jack looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He may have been drinking. He eyes looked tired but there was something else. Maybe worry. I’m not sure. I don’t care.

  “I don’t know.” I took a step forward and crossed my arms over my chest.

  “You know.” He spewed.

  “No, I don’t have a clue. You are barking up the wrong tree.”

  “I’m barking up the tree with all the urine stains at the bottom of it.”

  Good one, Jackass. I chuckled. He was noticeably upset. Oh well, so swell. Take your plastic mug and go to hell.

  “Kari is not here.”

  “I know you had something to do with her bailing on our fucking wedding.”

  I wasn’t sure if I should be sympathetic to his disturbing situation or should I remain true to myself and twist the knife in his anatomically incorrect ass. I could kick him in the balls and watch him fall to his knees. Then I could punch him in his Zoolander face.

  Violence never solves anything but it sure proves a point. Jack was falling apart at the seams and I was holding the biggest piece of his thread. I was ready to pull that string and really unravel this bastard.

  “Jack you are not the first person to accuse me of shit I don’t have a clue about. I don’t know where Kari is. I have not seen or talked to that woman in months.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “I don’t really give a fuck what you think. If you really knew Kari then you know she is indecisive.”

  “I guess you know her so well.”

  “I know she was banging the both of us at the same time for months. Maybe you got your facts screwed up but I dumped her six months ago. I handed her over to you whether you know it or not.”

  “You didn’t hand over shit.”

  “Yeah I did. You should be thanking me.”

  “You are the biggest fucking dick I’ve ever seen.”

  Mason, do not punch his teeth in. Mason, do not smash his face in. Ignore this prick. “It’s not my fucking fault she bailed on you.”

  “This is bullshit. You took her.”

  “And did what with her?” I hunched my shoulders and dropped my hands. Fight stance.

  “How the fuck do I know? You did something.”

  “I’m so done with this conversation.”

  Jack’s dark haired companion stepped forward. “Dude you don’t have to be an asshole.”

  “I’m not your dude and I can be whatever I want to be.”

  “I could kill you right here and now!” Jack yelled out full of a bravado I had never seen on him before.

  “Make your move tough guy.” I stepped forward and Jack’s guy was the only thing between me and Jack. RJ had taken a defensive position behind my back. Jack was heated and ready to rumble. I was annoyed. Jack was pissed. I was over this two minutes ago.

  “I know you have her!”

  “Fuck off! You sore loser!”

  “What the fuck does that mean?”

  “Jack let’s just go. Come on man.” His friend called out. I think I remember his name. It’s Rob. I think that’s what Kari told me.

  “Listen to your friend Jack.”

  “Fuck you! You slimy motherfucker.” Jack pushed forward and knocked his friend into my chest. Did he really want a piece of me?

  “Get the fuck out of here and go look for your damsel in distress.”

  “I’m watching you. I know you took her.”

  I shrugged. “Prove it.”

  Jack reached over his friend and tried to take a swing at me. He missed of course. My reflexes are superior. I have Jedi knight’s blood coursing through my veins.

  I felt the weight of RJ’s body as he pushed forward behind me. Rob was trying to hold Jack back. I reached over the Rob guy and got a hold of Jack’s throat. We were all in a wicked frenzy. I was trying to choke Jack. He was trying to swing over his friend and hit me. RJ was trying to pull us apart and that dude Rob was trying to separate us also.

  I was squeezing Jack’s neck and he gasped for air. I went into a self-possessed rage. My focus was on crushing his windpipe.

  “Let him go!” Rob shouted from the middle of our crammed melee.

  Fuck! I let Jack go. “Get your friend and get the fuck out of here!”

  The front door suddenly burst open. Out of nowhere my employees Marcus and Javier rushed into the action. They grabbed Jack and his friend and tossed them out the front door. It happened so quickly I almost missed it.

  Marcus and RJ raced outside. They both watched from outside the front door as Jack and his friend left my office, got into their car and drove off. I watched from the window.

  I was breathing hard even though I hadn’t done much of anything. I kind of blacked out and I couldn’t remember how long I had my hand swathed around Jack’s throat.

  Marcus and RJ soon stepped back inside. Marcus turned to me. “Me and Javi pulled up and saw all this commotion threw the window. What the fuck was going on in here?”

  RJ shrugged. “Bullshit.”

  “Mace, is this about that bright ass black girl?” Marcus asked me.

  “Of course it is.” I have no idea why I admitted it. My confession brought about a storm of pure laughter. They all were laughing. I grinned. I guess this is funny.

  I never talk about Kari to my employees. I know they were calling me DeNiro behind my back but I didn’t really mind. I was far from Robert DeNiro. I only had one black woman. I love only one black woman. Mr. Raging Bull has had his fair share. My heart only belongs to Kari.

  RJ removed a handgun from the small of his back. Where did that come from?

  “Where did you get that?” I asked my nephew.

  “It’s mine.” RJ claimed.

  “Let me see.” Marcus asked and RJ immediately handed the handgun over to him.

  “This is nice.” Marcus swooned.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Marcus held it up for all of us to see. “It’s a Colt. Nickel plated?”

  “Yeah, 1911 AI .45 caliber, seven rounds.” RJ rattled off the specifications.

  “Do you have a license for that gun?” I asked.

  “Yeah Uncle, chill dude, I pulled it out when I saw them coming to the door. I didn’t know what they were packing. I was only going to pull it if they pulled first.”

  “You can shoot people on your property and get away with it.” Marcus added.

  “I’m glad it didn’t come to that.”

  Marcus handed the Colt back to RJ. He patted me on the shoulder. “If you white dudes are going to be fighting over black women, you are going to start making us brothers look bad. I’m not fighting any man over my wife. They can have her complaining ass.”

  “I’ll take her.” RJ proclaimed and grinned widely and raised his hand.

  “Mace, get your nephew.” Marcus joked.

  “Looks like you will fight for Mrs. Jackson.” I said to Marcus.

  “Ahhhhh maybe.” Marcus snickered and Javier joined in. “Mace, you ready to talk business or do you need to cool down?”

  “I’m cool. Step into my office.” I extended my hand toward the back door and Marcus lead the way to my back office.

  I was so glad when the day was finally over for me. I was
leaving around five. I was parked out front and RJ was sitting behind the front desk when I went to make my departure. The reception area was clear of all patrons.

  “Hey kid I’m going to head on out.”

  “Later Uncle.” RJ looked up at me. “You were lying to that guy Jack.”

  “Was I?”

  “Yeah, I know when you’re lying.”

  “You do. How do you know?’

  “I’m not sure. I just do.”

  I shrugged. “I could have ripped him to shreds.” Or ripped him a new asshole, that is one of Kari’s phrases.

  “Why didn’t you?”

  “I don’t care about him either way. He’s done. He’s loss this game. It may not be fair and square but I don’t fight fair so he should just go play in a semi-pro league. I’m a professional.”

  “Uncle you are the friggin’ MVP.”

  “You get off of my jock strap and don’t forget to lock up.”

  “Yes sir, Uncle Mason sir.”

  I left my assclown nephew alone in the office. I got in my Rover. I had to go home to Kari. I like how that sounds.

  * * *

  I listened to Nina Simone in the Rover on the way home. I needed to mellow out before I went back to face Kari. I had made it up in my mind that I wasn’t going to tell her about the little scuffle with Jackass. His name would put a damper on what I was trying to do. I couldn’t tell her that he was looking for her. She might feel sorry for him. There’s no way I can let that happen.

  I had erased all his voicemails and text messages from her phone before I left it on the bedside table. I can’t stop him from texting but I can try to eliminate as many of his ways of communicating with her as possible.

  I wasn’t in the mood for grocery shopping so I just grabbed a pizza from Home Run Inn and I grabbed some beer.

  When I arrived back at home Kari met me in the kitchen. She was fully dressed in some of the clothes I had purchased for her. Why? My mind started to race with different reasons.

  It was clear she hadn’t seen or talked to Jack. He had just been to my office breathing down my neck.

  “Hey, you’re dressed.” I tried to sound as casual as possible with my line of questioning.

  “Yeah.” She looked down at her clothes. “I went for a walk.”

  “Where?”

  “Out back, in the forest of trees you got out there behind your castle.”

  “It’s cold outside.”

  “I know. I wasn’t out there for long. You have to name this place. The people who owned it before had a plaque out there by the gate.”

  “They did?”

  “Yeah, someone took it down. It was at the front gate in the grass. It says Ramsey Estate. Did you buy it from someone named Ramsey?”

  “No I got it from the bank. I don’t know who the previous owners were.”

  “Oh well you should name it something.”

  “I don’t think normal people name their houses.”

  “You’re not normal. I think you should call it Winterfell or Westerous.”

  “I’m not going to name my house after places in a TV Show. Besides Westeros has seven kingdoms and this is just one house.”

  “Excuse me nerd. Well just name it something else.”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “That’s too much.”

  “Fuck what you talking about.” She waved her hand at me. “How about the Rizza Estate? No that sounds whack, Casa de Mason.”

  “Ah-no.”

  “Ou-Ou, I got it, Plaza de Rizza.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “I am very serious. You know it sounds good. Please call it that. Please. Please.”

  “You are in a good mood.”

  “I guess.” She grimaced.

  Was Kari really in a good mood or was she just playing her role to unsure her release on Saturday. I wish she would just be honest with me.

  “I left you something this morning. Did you get it?”

  “Yes I got it.”

  “So?” I asked.

  “So.” She repeated.

  “What do you think?”

  “What am I supposed to think?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You’re divorced.”

  “Yes.”

  “I saw the date. How come you never said anything?”

  “I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell you.”

  “Why?”

  “You seemed so happy. I didn’t want to spoil it. But ultimately I ended up spoiling it anyway.”

  “Huh, you came in like a wrecking ball.”

  “Miley Cyrus reference.” I smiled. “You are coming back around to your old self.”

  “Maybe I am.” She shrugged.

  “I love the old you.”

  “Do you?”

  “Hells yeahs.”

  “Well name this place Plaza de Rizza.”

  “Okay I will name this house Plaza de Rizza. People will think I’m some eccentric asshole but if it makes you happy.”

  “It will. You have to get an engraved plaque or get it put in some stone and put it out by the front gate.”

  “That gate doesn’t work.”

  “You can fix it.”

  “I could.”

  “So now it’s time for you to dance with me?”

  “There’s no music. I can sing.” I popped up from my chair.

  “No singing.” Kari stood.

  “What are you trying to say?”

  “Nothing at all. You are an excellent singer.” She’s lying. “But I have music.” She swiped through her cell phone until she found the song she was looking for. The volume started to rise as I tried to figure out the artist.

  “Michael Jackson.” I pulled Kari into my arms.

  Kari looked up into my eyes. “This song is dedicated from me to you because You Rock My World.”

  “Oh Kari Lynn.” Damn, she always says the coolest, sweetest things. I miss that. I have to win her back.

  I held her close as we swayed to the music. She pulled away and showed me some of her nasty girl moves. She started stripping her shirt off, one button at a time. I was mesmerized. I couldn’t look away but I didn’t want to. She turned her back to me and I pulled her close. We danced until the next song played. It was a slower song. I didn’t recognize it.

  “Who is this?” I leaned to whisper in her ear.

  “You don’t know this song. This is black folks music boo-boo.”

  “Who is it?”

  “V.S.O.P by K. Michelle.” She’s right. I don’t know it.

  Our bodies just swayed to the music. My crotch was firmly planted against her ass while she sang along to the music.

  I listened to the words and the lyrics jumped out at me. “Hope you make the rest of my life, very special.”

  My cock was hard. It’s always hard is when she’s around. It’s not really a problem. I dealt with it before and I will deal with it again.

  Kari turned around and smiled at me. “Why are you always poking me with your penis?”

  Because your pussy is fucking incredibly hot, wet and deep. “I don’t know.”

  “Let’s go to bed.” She asked.

  “We spend too much time in bed. We didn’t eat the pizza I got us.”

  “I don’t have any other place to be. We should just get in bed, eat pizza and watch a movie.”

  “Fine.” Kari got on her tiptoes and kissed me quickly on the lips.

  “I pick the movie.” I called it first. I grabbed the pizza box off the stove top.

  “Oh no, I’m not watching The Departed.”

  “I only have like five movies.”

  “Yeah, The Departed with Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond with Leonardo DiCaprio, Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio. I can’t compete with The Great Gatsby. I’m tired of your little bromance with him.”

  “He’s a good actor. There is no
bromance.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Fine, Colombiana or Man of Steel?”

  “You are in love with Zoe Saldana. We are not watching that.” She grabbed my jaws with both her hands. There was only a cardboard pizza box between us. I leaned down and kissed her lips. I held the box with one hand and wrapped the other hand around her body and fondled her ass.

  “I’m not in love with Zoe, I’m in love with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Cause you have bigger tits and a bigger ass then Zoe.”

  “Oh Mason you are such an ass.”

  “I know.” I invaded her mouth and licked my way to her collarbone. “Here take the pizza downstairs. I will get the beer.”

  Kari took the pizza box and jetted off. I stood there for a second and realized how happy I was. I grabbed the four pack of bottled beer off the kitchen table.

  * * *

  Every day with my doll was a gift. The days went by so fast. When I looked up it was Friday. I didn’t go into the office Friday. I wanted to spend every minute of the day with Kari and that’s exactly what we did. I wanted to take her to lunch or even an early dinner. My fear stopped me. It was stupid but I felt like we might run into Jack.

  I guess I could have taken her somewhere far away from Bolingcreek or Naperton but that was stupid. Why sneak around when I’m no longer married. I was thinking too hard about it so I just decided to spend some old fashioned one on one time with the woman I love.

  I refused to let her fall asleep on me. There was no napping during the day. This may be the end of the road for me. I was afraid her loving behavior was an act. I was afraid that what I thought we had was just a figment of my imagination. What if she leaves and never returns. I love her. She loves me but is love enough after all the damage I’ve done to this poor woman.

  There was only one way to prove to her that the past is the past. I want to live in a future that she is a part of. The day was full of laughter. I wasn’t going to lay anything heavy on her today. I will save the adult conversation for Saturday morning. This would be my last night with her.