Mine Forever

by Mia Ford

  I finally sighed, shivered in place and let the excitement slowly diminish to a simmer. I turned on the speaker portion of my phone and the voice that greeted me was somebody that wasn’t very happy.

  “I know that you said that you needed a month to complete this transaction. There might be a problem.” I didn’t like that word. Problems were made to find solutions. “I think that you may have noticed that there was one in our little group that wasn’t saying much when we met. Julia has misgivings and has been thinking about telling him what we are up to. I’ve tried to talk her out of it, but she won’t listen to me.” I could tell that Lillian was at her wit’s end. I was worried about Julia and the way that she kept looking away during our conversation in my office.

  “It might be time for an intervention. Get her over to your house on some pretense. I’ll be there to confront her with you. I have some news of my own, but I think that it should wait until everybody is present. It’s nothing to worry about, but it does change things. I’ll explain when I see you. Send me a text message to confirm the time that I should show up at your place.” I hadn’t told them that he had caught me, but I didn’t want to make them think that all was lost.

  “I hope that you have things handled. I haven’t been able to sleep since the moment that I met him. My husband knows that something’s wrong and it’s only lucky that he is an international salesman. He’s always on the road and right now he’s in Australia for a few weeks. I try to keep a stiff upper lip, but it’s hard when we talk almost every day and there’s this tension in the air. I’ll feel better when Marshall gets his comeuppance for making my life a living hell.” I could feel for her, but I also knew that it took two to tango. She was as much to blame for this indiscretion as Marshall was for seducing her with words and then actions. He needed to be held accountable and I was just the girl to do it.

  “I’m a bit busy at the moment. I’ll be more than happy to discuss this in depth when I see you. I understand how hard it was for you to resist him. He knows how to read people and tell them exactly what they need to hear. His charm is unmeasured and those dimples and blue eyes really do set the stage for an erotic play.” In the last two days, I had vivid and very explicit dreams of him in various positions.

  “Be careful and he has a funny way of making you think that everything is innocent and then it turns into an afternoon delight. He preys on weakness. He filters out what he doesn’t need to know and zeros in on the feeling of neglect or that desperate need for something more than a 5-minute wonder.” I could see through the picture window in his condo and I saw that he was drinking coffee alone.

  I looked at the bedroom window and the curtains didn’t flutter like somebody was afraid to get caught taking that walk of shame.

  “I have to go.” I looked in my rearview mirror and a police car was no more than a few feet away. It did not have its lights flashing, but it must have been informed that there was somebody suspicious lurking about. The man stepped from his vehicle. He was wearing a shiny badge that I could tell that he took pride in.

  There was no point in denying why I was there. I had no idea how long he had been sitting there before I noticed him. I didn’t try to hide the binoculars and then his crotch was right in front of me.

  “I don’t suppose that you want to tell me what you’re doing here young lady.” He knelt down by the window. I motioned for him to come closer like it was some sort of secret.

  “If you must know, I have my suspicion that my boyfriend is cheating on me. I told him that I had an early morning and then I came up here to keep an eye on things. I am relieved. There doesn’t seem to be any proof of his cheating ways. I just got this feeling. I know how that sounds, but I’ve learned to trust those feelings. It could be that I’ve been in this position before and I really don’t want to go down that same road again.” He listened with a smirk on his face like he understood my reasons for being here.

  “I figured that it was something like that. Nobody called me and I was just out on my rounds and I saw you sitting there. I wanted to make sure that everything was OK. I’m glad that he’s not cheating and I don’t see how any man could even fathom to think that they can get away with something like that. I would have to shake him and remind him that he’s lucky to have you in his life.” He was a man in uniform and that was a weakness of mine. I swallowed hard and felt my cheeks flush. That only led to him to touching my shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

  “There are times that I just need to hear that from somebody else. It’s nice to know that I still have it. You probably think that I should have them beating down my door, but I think that I might intimidate them. I know that I scare my boyfriend. I can be quite a handful in the bedroom. I like to think that I satisfy my man. I’m always willing to entertain the idea of doing something out of the ordinary behind closed doors.” I saw that he was waiting for me to elaborate, but I felt that his imagination was better than anything that I could come up with.

  “If I thought that I had a chance to lure you away from him, I would make a play for you myself. I’m not someone that goes around and uses my authority and uniform to drive girls wild with desire. I’m not opposed it. I could tell you a few stories, but I think that I need to get back to my rounds. Don’t stay here too long and the joggers will be showing up in less than ½ hour. If they see you, they will call and I’ll be out here again to have this talk all over again.” The weapon on his belt snapped into his holster reminded me of the one that was hidden behind the zipper of his pants. The unfortunate thing was that he didn’t fit the criteria of a young buck in the prime of his life.

  “Not to worry, I’m practically done here anyway. I appreciate you looking in on me. I will say that I’m the kind of woman that loves a man in uniform. I even had my boyfriend dress up like a police officer. Let’s just say that we put good use to the handcuffs.” This time he was the one that was blushing and pointing at me like he was chastising me with one finger.

  I heard the sound of his boots crushing against the pebbles underfoot. I looked into my side view mirror and got a damn good view of his backside. He knew that the way to a woman’s heart was in the gym. I could definitely think of a few ways to make those pants come down a little.

  “Settle down girl or you are going to set off the smoke alarms.” I put my hands on the steering wheel, bowing my head and breathing deeply with thoughts that were enough to make a grown sailor blush.

  Chapter five

  I arrived at exactly 2:00 PM, pushing a cart and not really paying attention to where I was going. The other customers were in their own little world, dealing with kids yammering about some favorite cereal that they wanted or a husband that was grumbling about how he was missing the big game.

  I was just doing some browsing and picking up some things that I would probably not buy otherwise. I reached for a bottle of pickles and out of my peripheral vision; I could see Marshall down by the produce manhandling a couple of melons in both hands. I could only imagine what was going on in his head. Those melons were remarkably similar to the size of my chest.

  He was wearing this long black leather coat, a pair of casual blue jeans and a pullover green sweater that hugged his frame and had me drooling.

  I turned the corner timing things perfectly so that I slammed into his cart. This irked him and he looked ready to take off my head. That anger died off when he saw my apologetic face.

  “I can’t believe that you’re here. I was just thinking about you.” I was sure that he was thinking about putting his hands where he had them on those melons. “I guess it’s true about asking the universe and you will receive. What are you doing here? Don’t tell me that we live that close that you could come knocking on my door anytime for a cup of sugar.” This was a little out of my way, but they did have a unique international section that was above and beyond the big box stores.

  “I come here from time to time, but I didn’t know that you frequented this place. I’m sure that you’re wondering
why I haven’t called. If you think about it, it’s pretty damn obvious that I want you to suffer. I don’t know how many times I sat beside a phone and waited for a guy to call. Guys make us wait all the time and men have no idea how annoying that can be. If it helps, I was going to call you tonight and see what we couldn’t do about getting together.” I had just been given a confirmation from Lillian that Julia was going to be at her house for supper.

  “I understand how it can be nerve-wracking for a woman to think that there was something between them and some guy only to have their hopes dashed when they don’t call. It’s even worse when they sleep with that guy. Sometimes that is all that someone of my obvious character flaw would want. Like you said, men will say and do anything to get a piece.” I couldn’t help but draw my eyes south. I hungered like what he had inside those pants was a raw piece of steak ready for me to tear into it with my teeth.

  “I’m sorry that you had to walk a mile in my shoes.” I saw him in my mind’s eye wearing my high heels and trying his best to balance himself before he fell flat on his ass. “I am happy to see you.” I had also dressed casual, but that didn’t take away from the blood red lipstick that I was wearing. It was my favorite brand with a strawberry scent that had men coming to me like a moth to a flame.

  I thrust out my chest and there was the telltale thump against his zipper in appreciation. If he had been a good boy for the past couple of days, then I made an impression on him.

  “I’m glad to see you as well, Gillian. Since you are already here, I thought that I might give you a brief hint of what we will be doing. I’ve talked to a friend of mine and I do hope that you’re not afraid of heights. That’s all I’m going to say and the rest I will leave up to you to fill in the blanks. I’m going to give him a call and have everything prepared for this evening. We can meet there, or you can give me your address and I can show up to pick you up.” This was his way of trying to find out where my home field advantage was.

  “It would be best that we meet there. I’ll give you a call. I have your number.” That last statement was my way of telling him that I was onto him, but not coming out and saying it blatantly and outright.

  “I have to say that I did enjoy myself the other night. I was hoping that you would call earlier, but it wasn’t like I was hanging by my telephone. I’m not some silly little girl in high school that gossips to her friends and waits with girlish glee for the phone to ring. You really have no idea what kind of man I am. I like to take things to the extreme. It’s my way of shocking the woman that I’m with. That fear really does have a very profound effect on them. Scary movies or roller skating are some of the things that I have done to impress.” I kinda liked the way that he looked this morning like he had just rolled out of bed.

  “I have dinner plans, but I’ll be there.” It was a little odd for him to make plans at 9:00 PM in the evening, but he did have my curiosity piqued. He told me that what I was wearing was perfectly fine and that there was no reason to dress up. If I didn’t know any better, I would think that he was a serial killer about to take me to some desolate location to get rid of the body.

  “You’re not the only one that has dinner plans.” My heart sank, thinking that he was two-timing and playing the field. “My mother called this morning and now I’m obligated to make her dinner while my father’s out of town. I know that she’s going to ask to stay over, but I’m not sure that it’s a good idea for us to be under the same roof. We really do tend to get on each other’s nerves. I never was able to please her growing up. Everything that I did had to be perfect.” I was getting a better understanding of his psychology and the hold that his mother had on him.

  “It’s nice to see a man caring for his mother. It shows that he can be devoted to one woman. It’s always a good sign when a man that I’m dating is close to his family. I do want you to know that it was hard for me to keep you waiting on pins and needles. I came very close to calling you an hour after I left you at the restaurant. I just thought that I owed it to women everywhere to give you a small taste of what we go through.” I knew that guys were stuck in the position of asking girls out. Our gender really didn’t have to do much of anything, unless we felt that the man was disinterested and had no idea that we were throwing the signals out to get his attention. I had been known to break down and do the impossible by asking a man out. I could see how that could be hard when rejection was a distinct possibility.

  “It’s a little petty, but I think that I can look past this indiscretion. You need me to give you a real reason to trust me. Those girls said things about me and it can’t be easy to get that out of your head. It’s not who I am, but you really don’t know that. Taking thing slow is a good idea and it’s not like we are limited in how much time we spend together. I’m willing to wait and leave things in dry dock for the time being. Don’t be surprised if I get overly amorous by kissing you and touching you. If you were me, wouldn’t you want to take the risk of getting your face slapped?” It was definitely an interesting way for him to look at things.

  “I’ve taken more than enough of your time. Not sleeping together convinces me to give you a chance. I want to see what you have up that sleeve of yours. I have to pick up a few more things and maybe we can walk together.” He nodded his head and we did spend another 10 minutes in the store. We talked about nothing in particular and separated at the cashier.

  I had retrieved my own car and I could see that he was driving the Corvette that he had just finished signing on the dotted line. It had that new car smell and the metal was gleaming and had a few younger guys staring at it in a dreamlike fashion.

  He was parked directly across from me and I could feel his eyes from behind. I bent over with my ass the only thing that he could see. I knew what I had and wasn’t above working it. This was the kind of jeans that would need the Jaws of Life to get out of. There was no wiggle room, but Sergio Valente really did know how to make clothes for women.

  “I know what you’re looking at. I can set my watch to how easily it is to get you to look at me.” I turned quickly to see him looking into the sky and whistling like he wasn’t undressing me with his eyes. “You are that bad boy that always gets women to think that they can fix him. I’m beginning to think that I’m going to need protection.” I didn’t know that it was the slip of the tongue until his eyes rolled up and his fingers began to stroke the day-old growth of hair on his chin.

  “I’m sure that you meant that in a different way. I relate something like that sexually. If we ever do get that far, I can assure you that I have taken care of that. I do believe that I have said too much or maybe not enough. I suppose it depends on your point of view.” I was playing a dangerous game. It was meant to keep the home fires burning, but it was also having an undesirable side effect of making me want to leap into his arms.

  “Damn it, you are doing that on purpose to make me want to see the inside of your bedroom. Once you get me in there, there’s no going back and that’s a pretty damn good ploy if I don’t say so myself. You would make a consummate salesperson. Come to think of it, I never did ask what you did for a living. You already know what I do and you’ve seen me in action. You actually bought a car from me.” He didn’t give me the courtesy of saying anything more and got into his car and drove away with me questioning his motives.

  By saying nothing, he really did make it necessary for me to step up my game. He was the one that I was hired to turn into a gibbering idiot. Those girls wanted him to be castrated metaphorically and given that very distinctive letter A for adultery that hung around his neck like a noose. If they were thinking that he was going to fall into a pit of depression, then they really didn’t know this man. Women come and go and I had no doubt that I would find some very disturbing results if I were to use a black light on his sheets.

  I could almost see the blue discoloration of where his bodily fluids would be found. It would be found in the sheets, the floor, against the wall, in the shower and even on the stairs. That
thought alone made me bite on the tip of my index finger and sway back and forth with that image causing my legs to feel like they had turned to jelly.

  I had to shake myself from that thought with a weekend warrior standing no more than a few feet away. I shrugged my shoulders, bounced up and down for his amusement and followed his eyes as he looked at those two beautiful round orbs that were in perfect symmetry to the rest of my body.

  I drove away with him still standing there, stunned and the bag that he was carrying ripping in his hands. The contents fell to the ground and that was when he came out of that sexual trance that I had put him into. It was fun to play with his emotions. I was practicing and using this man in the place of Marshall.

  I figured by the time that I had finished some errands that it would be time to let the girls know of my progress. They had paid me half up front. The money was my way to make sure that they were serious. I could tell that Lillian and Tina were not going to stand for his behavior. Julia was that dark horse that could throw a monkey wrench into my plans. I had to find a way to make her see that what this man was doing was wrong. That his time had to come or he would continue to act this way with other women.

  Chapter six

  When I got out of the car, I could hear raised voices coming from inside. It didn’t look like they had waited for me to play referee. I walked briskly up the driveway, looking at this house and knowing that it probably cost more than the studio apartment that I was renting. I could’ve easily bought something more permanent, but I had no interest in putting down roots. I had no idea when that nomadic spirit would come over me, but I was waiting for the call. That hadn’t happened in a couple of years. When it did, I would leave skid marks on the lives that I touched.