Gumbo

by Tiana Laveen

“Did you ever love your ex-husband?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.

  “Why?” They both kept their gazes straight ahead, as if waiting for God to come and give them a word.

  “Because I want to know.”

  “Yes.” She heard him swallow. “Did you love anyone after me? Romantically that is, Tony?”

  “No. Cared about, liked, but loved? No.”

  She sucked on her lower lip.

  “I loved my ex-husband, but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t… like you. It was a different type of love.”

  She didn’t miss the slight smile that appeared on his face, spotting the bastard’s expression from the corner of her eye.

  “Do you believe in destiny?” he asked.

  She thought about that for a short while. “I don’t know. Do you?”

  “Not until I saw you at the funeral.”

  She squeezed his hand. Something was happening—a sleeping angel had risen and dusted off their wings. She could not lie there in that old room that smelled of dampness, dank dreams and spent, aged tears covered in Floridian dust and not feel the electric charge between them. Something that had been dormant was now definitely alive and well, walking about, stretching, growing. She rolled over onto her side, and he followed suit. They looked at one another, their arms cradled along the sides of their faces.

  “So… you want to be my friend, huh? See where this goes?” She smirked, then reached over and stroked his lips.

  “Yeah… I want you to let it play out just like it did back in 1987… when I came over and sat on your porch. Grandmama invited me in for dinner, and then we became friends. Sometime after that, we fell in love and became inseparable. I want to earn your trust again. I never fell out of love with you, but the friendship isn’t there anymore. I want that back. I need that back, Cassidy.”

  She leaned in and kissed him.

  “Okay…” She nodded. “I will stop overthinking, and just see what happens.”

  “That’s a lie, man.” He laughed lazily and briefly closed his eyes, making her smile. “You always overthink things. It’s who you are. I just ask that you try.” He began to play with her hair once again.

  “Okay. I can do that.”

  “Roll over on your stomach…”

  With little hesitation, she did as asked and heard him opening another condom. Her pussy pulsed in anticipation as she gripped the edge of the mattress.

  “Sweet Melrose! Ahhh, Tony! Shit!” He thrust slow inside her from behind, balls deep. She remembered how intense his doggy style was, and she shuddered from his strokes.

  He reached beneath her, around her waist, and shoved her ass upward against his groin. Then, he was slamming against her ass, forcing the bed to rock and squeak with each nasty thrust. Reaching beneath herself, she spread her pussy open with two fingers, falling under his spell, giving him everything he wanted, loved, needed.

  “Fuck! Yes, baby… let me see that pussy!” He pumped hard, then slowed and paused.

  She whimpered when she suddenly felt his long, soft tongue run the length of her pussy lips, then tease her clit. Sliding a finger within her, he fucked her knuckle deep while sucking on her pussy. The loud slurping made her quake against him, ride his face. When she looked over her shoulder, the bastard was practically smothering himself, his face buried against her ass cheeks.

  “Can you breathe, baby?” She chortled.

  “Nope,” came a muffled voice. “But if I gotta die, this is the best way to go out.”

  She roared with laughter. Tony was still so silly… He sealed her pussy with a final kiss, lay her down flat onto her stomach, and fucked the complete shit out of her. She cried out in ecstasy. His stamina was unbelievable.

  “Come on! Don’t hold back, Cass! I know you can cum again!” he growled.

  “I just did!”

  “That’s not enough!”

  He turned her on her back, pressed his weight onto her, and ruthlessly plunged deep inside of her, bottoming her out, making her fall further in lust… She loved it so much. She sighed when his fingers reached between them and stroked her pussy in rhythm with each thrust. She came again, this time harder and more intensely than the last. Out of weary eyes, she took note of the sunshine creeping through the window, and smiled.

  Moments later, their sweaty bodies were twisted together like pretzels. Half off the bed and half on the floor, Tony bent her over the bed, held her around her hips, and entered her, hitting her special spot. Her legs shook as her pussy dripped, nectar trickling down her inner thighs. The smack of his balls against her pussy echoed in the room.

  “Oh God! I’m about to cum, baby!” he roared. Just then, there was a knock at the front door. They both froze and looked at one another. Then, the doorbell rang, and another pound echoed through the house.

  “Oh no! Danica! Shit! What time is it?” She struggled to find a clock, a watch, hell, an Egyptian sundial, but nothing was available.

  Much to her horror, Tony screamed out, “JUST A MINUTE!” He jammed his dick deep inside her, making her scream, while Danica kept knocking and ringing the damn bell.

  “TONY, STOP! We have to answer the door!” She was horrified and amused all at once, fighting laughter and embarrassment.

  “No, she can wait. I’m almost there…”

  “We can’t have her waiting outside!”

  “Why not? I waited twelve fuckin’ years for this so she can wait two fuckin’ minutes!”

  “Oh my God!” Cassidy gripped the air, finding nothing to hold onto, nothing to keep her steady as the deep, rapid plunge of his long cock practically impaled her. Finally, he emitted a loud groan, his body shook, and the warmth he released into the second condom filled her special zone. Panting long and hard, they held onto one another, slick with sweat and no doubt looking totally insane. He softly kissed the back of her neck, then stumbled away from her. The next few seconds were spent racing about and getting their clothes back on.

  “My hair!” She jerked his arm before he walked out of the bedroom. “Does it look okay? Does it look like—”

  “You’ve been fucking?” He smirked. “It’s okay. You’re fine.”

  She knew the bastard was lying. He disappeared out of the room and she quickly closed the bedroom door, looking for her damn shoes. She could hear him opening the front door then Danica yell out happily.

  “Toooony! So good to see you, boo! Oh my God! It’s been way too long!”

  The woman went on and on. Tony responded, but she couldn’t quite make out what he’d said. Cassidy heard the front door close, then spotted her shoes and slid them on. She opened the bedroom door, tossed on a big grin, and strolled into the living room to find Danica sitting on the couch, a big cheesy grin on her face and her long legs crossed. The woman’s eyes narrowed on her, then on Tony, then back on her.

  “Hi, Danica.” Cassidy tried to push her tresses back into place with a few pats of her hand. “Uh, Tony and I were just working on my old bedroom.” She swallowed then turned away, avoiding eye contact.

  “Mmmm hmmm… I bet you were workin’ in the bedroom… a bunch of heavy liftin’.” Danica was smirking when she chanced a peek at her. Tony chuckled and disappeared into the kitchen without saying a word.

  “So, you wanna go ahead and head out to breakfast, Danica?” Cassidy searched about for her purse, still a bit disoriented as her cheeks heated.

  “No.” Danica clasped her hands around her knee.

  “But… that’s what we agreed to. Why not?”

  “Oh, baby, breakfast ain’t the problem. The issue is, you just gone go out to breakfast, in public, and you ain’t wash yo’ ass after gettin’ dicked down?!” Danica roared. “You ain’t going nowhere wit’ me smellin’ like fresh baby batter and hot ass! Tony out here sweatin’ like a pig and you look like you just left Freak Nik, circa 1997! Get yo’ booty rockin’ everywhere behind in the bathroom, fix ya hair, and for God’s sake, put that damn titty away!”

  Suddenly, Tony’s lo
ud laughter could be heard from the kitchen.

  Cassidy quickly looked down to see a few of her shirt buttons were undone, and part of her breast was showing.

  “Oh, shit!” She rolled her eyes. The jig was up. “Okay, okay… uh, give me fifteen minutes!” She made her way to the bathroom.

  “Danica, I am putting on some coffee while you wait, okay?” Tony hollered out. “I’m going to jump in the shower with Cass. We won’t hold you up too long.”

  “Okay, Montana! Y’all take your time!” Danica giggled. “I’ll help myself to the coffee when it’s ready. I told you, Cassidy! You gone learn the easy or the hard way. Looks like you learned the long, strong, hard way, huh? But that’s the best way, ain’t it?”

  “Danica…” Cassidy warned as she searched for clean washcloths and a towel.

  “That mothafucka still got it! Congratulations, Mr. Godfather! Montana, I see Cassidy got a chance to meet yo’ little friend! This the remix since it’s the second time around!” The horrible woman cackled.

  It’s far from little…

  “Danica, shut up.” Cassidy laughed as she started the water in the small bathroom, hoping and praying that the shower still worked. Grandmama didn’t like showers too much, she preferred baths.

  She jumped when Tony’s naked body pressed against hers. She hadn’t even heard him come in and close the door. He kissed her shoulder, wrapped his arms around her, and brought her in close, just like old times.

  A flash of them being skinny teenagers, standing in his bathroom after making love entered her psyche. Her shattered world spun, her mind shut down, and for just a moment, her brain let her heart have its way…

  He reached up and fixed the shower head, making it go in the right direction, then stepped in. She handed him a washcloth and a fresh bar of soap that had been in the small bathroom closet. And then, for a little while, she just stood watching him bathe…

  I asked you for help, Grandmama. I guess this was your answer, huh?

  He’s here, and he wants me back…

  “Girl, these White folks at my job got me eatin’ this avocado on toast shit. It’s good, too!” Danica sat next to Cassidy in a booth at the First Watch breakfast and brunch restaurant, Tony on his seat across from them. Danica had kept them cracking up the entire way there.

  “That’s one of my favorites.” Cassidy picked up her glass of orange juice and took a sip before perusing the menu.

  “Cass, you look like you stepped right outta 1989 with those clothes!” Danica giggled.

  “I didn’t expect to spend the night at Grandmama’s house, so I looked in my closet in there and found this old white shirt and shorts. They’re kinda tight, but I managed.”

  “You ain’t gotta rub it in that you still can fit in ya high school clothes… ova here showin’ off.” Danica sucked her teeth. “With yo’ cute ass.”

  They all laughed.

  “You’re cute too, Danica.” Tony winked, and the woman’s cheeks flushed.

  “Thank you, Montana. You wanna do a threesome? Owww!” Danica laughed when Cassidy poked her in the side. “I’m just playin’, damn! Anyway, you have no idea how happy I am to see you two are back together!” She squealed.

  “Um, we’re not back together, Danica.” Cassidy cleared her throat, tossed Tony a sheepish glance, then turned back to her menu.

  “It’s a ‘wait and see’ situation,” Tony explained. “I’m on a thirty-day trial. Act now and I might double my order, throw in a pair of slippers along with a 100% money back guarantee.”

  Cassidy grimaced while he and Danica shared a good laugh at her expense.

  “She got yo’ ass on probation! Ha HA!!!” Danica rocked back and forth in her seat, mirth oozing out of her. “I guess the first time wasn’t enough, huh? He did his time. Damn! Cut tha boy some slack!”

  They lost their shit then, but Cassidy remained unamused as her lips crimped and her eyes hooded.

  “We’re just, you know…” Cassidy shrugged. “Trying to get to know one another again.” Danica nodded and winked in his direction as if she knew a secret Cassidy wasn’t privy to. “Hey, sis, I need to get up.” Cassidy began to squirm about in her seat. “If the waitress comes when I’m not here, I’m going to get the Western omelet and a side of mixed fruit. I need to go to the ladies’ room.”

  When Cassidy left, Danica flopped back in her booth seat and grinned from ear to ear.

  “Now that she’s gone, we can talk freely!” She giggled. “I’m tickled pink, Montana! I can’t believe I’m sittin’ here lookin’ at you! You look good, too! Healthy and everything… How’s Dante and ya mama?”

  “It feels good to be here, hasn’t even fully sunk in yet.” He glanced at his phone that lay on the table. That same unknown number had just called for the fifth time, but this time he didn’t answer. “Everyone is good… Dante is getting married and Mom remarried.”

  “Good! Good! Glad to hear your brother is keepin’ his nose clean… I mean, shit, that came out wrong! You know what I mean!”

  Tony burst out laughing and nodded. “Yeah, he’s clean and sober. So how’s Texas, huh?”

  “I like it a lot, Tony. Kevin’s job is good. You probably don’t remember my husband Kevin Williams, do you?”

  “What’s he look like?”

  “He was a couple years older than us, five foot nine, caramel skin. He was the quiet type, wore glasses…”

  “Hmm, I don’t think I know him.”

  “Yeah, he wasn’t really around like that and I never paid him any mind, but one night I saw him at my cousin’s birthday party and he told me he’d always had a crush on me. We started datin’, got married, and had our boys. The rest is history! Real good man… I’m happy.”

  “That’s nice, Danica. It’s always great to see good people living a good life. You definitely deserve that.”

  “Thank you… so do you.” Sadness filled her eyes.

  “So, tell me about everyone! I asked Cassidy but she said you’d be much more in the know than her, that she kinda lost track of everyone over time.”

  “Yeah, Cass got tha hell outta dodge and barely looked back. I sure as hell don’t blame her.” Danica grimaced. “It’s been crazy ’round here… gotten better in some ways, worse in others. That old man that y’all used to work for, uh, what was his name?”

  “Fred.”

  “Yeah, he passed away ’bout two years ago.”

  “Yeah, he was kinda up in age back then. I liked Fred.” Tony smiled as he contemplated. “He was crazy but he helped a lot of us to not go out and rob someone, you know?”

  “Exactly.”

  “E.T. … what’s up with him, Danica? Heard anything?”

  “Prison.”

  “Shit.” Tony shook his head. “How long?”

  “He ain’t ever gettin’ out. Armed robbery, and a couple people got killed.” Tony’s heart sank. “Shame, too. He’s got three girls. One of ’em is gorgeous, a young model. She loves her daddy, too… Rebecca is her name. I used to babysit her sometimes for him back in the day.”

  “Damn. What about T.J.?”

  “Strung out last I heard ’bout a year ago.” Danica sat up and crossed her arms over her big breasts, a serious expression on her face.

  “He is the last person I would’ve thought would get involved with that.” Tony shook his head. “He didn’t even smoke that much weed, barely drank. Are you serious?”

  “Very much so, unfortunately.”

  “What is he on?”

  “What ain’t he on, Tony? If it can get you high, he’s doing it…” Tony closed his eyes as his chest tightened. “Messin’ with crack, heroin, meth… all of it.”

  “How’s Maize’s mother?”

  “Oh, last I heard she’s doin’ real good. She moved to Fort Lauderdale, opened a boutique or somethin’ like that…” Finally! Some good news. “She didn’t stay ’round here long after Maize passed away. Said everywhere she looked she saw him. She had a nervous breakdown soon after
ward, and had to stay in the hospital for a little while. She said she kept seein’ his blood in the street, even when it was all washed away.”

  Tony rubbed on his face and shook his head. “I’m almost afraid to ask about anyone else, Danica. I don’t know if I can even stomach it.”

  “I hear you. Well, I’ll go on and name a few for you to get it all out the way. Monica still here, got ’bout seven kids, five different daddies. Still ain’t got no neck and still just as mean and shit startin’ as ever. Sonya died of complications from AIDS. Oh, T.J. is HIV positive too and I’m only tellin’ you that because he ain’t gettin’ treatment and he just hangin’ around here, dyin’. It’s probably full-blown AIDS by now.”

  The waitress came and took their orders.

  “I don’t even know what to say right now!” Tony said when the woman walked away. He threw up his hands. Danica was a nurse, and after what had happened to her mother, she took these issues to heart.

  “Tony, you’d lose yo’ damn mind if you knew how many of the people we graduated with are dead, in prison, or drug addicts now. Many are HIV positive, too. It was sweepin’ the city when you got locked up, and then afterwards got even worse. Things are better now, you know, with PrEP and more condom usage, but it’s still out here. Speakin’ of which, thank you for that money you sent all those years ago so I could get my mother’s medicine.”

  Tony waved her off. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “It was! To some, that may have only been some measly $200 but to me, it meant the world. I honestly believe she lived a little longer because of it.”

  “You’re welcome, but you don’t have to thank me. You’ve always been a real good friend to Cass, and to me, too. If I could’ve sent more, I would’ve.”

  Just then, Cassidy returned. After she got settled, she looked at both of them and her brows bunched.

  “Why do you two look so sad? When I left, you were cracking up.”

  “Tony wanted to know how the old crew was, girl…” Danica played with the wrinkled white wrapper of her straw.

  “Oh…” Cassidy shook her head. “Yeah, not a pretty forecast, is it?” She folded her hands. “It’s downright depressing. I don’t even ask Danica for updates anymore, Tony.”