Cougars

by Earl Sewell

  “I wasn’t that drunk.” Alex downplayed that part of the night.

  “The hell if you weren’t, Alex. You were only two sips away from being totally wasted and vomiting all over yourself. You’re lucky that I’m your boy and took care of your punk ass.”

  “Whatever, Travis. It’s a good thing I came over when I did because a woman like Jasmine needs a man who’ll devote all of his attention and time to her and not to his chemistry set,” Alex joked, but Travis heard an undercurrent of suspicion and jealousy in his voice.

  “Well, if she’s too much for me, then she’s damn sure too much for your ass.” Travis stood firm on his opinion.

  “Whatever, man. When you find her phone number, you just make sure you give it to me.”

  “I don’t understand how you can be this infatuated with someone you barely know. It sounds to me like you’re slipping, man. You may be trying to settle down and find true love.”

  “You know damn well I don’t believe in all of that sappy stuff. I’m a stick-and-move kind of man. I can’t be tied down.”

  “That’s what your mouth says, but your behavior and your constant inquiry about this woman is a little over the top, don’t you think?” Travis asked as he stopped at a traffic light.

  “Maybe she’ll call me. I did give her my phone number,” Alex remembered.

  “There you go; she’ll call you to tell you to leave her the hell alone because by then I will have had her ankles in my hands and her toes pointed toward the ceiling.” Travis couldn’t quell the urge to play a mental mind game with his friend.

  “Fuck you, Travis.”

  “No, motherfucker, fuck you,” Travis fired back.

  “Look, on the serious note, did you get your tenure like you wanted?”

  “I haven’t heard yet. I thought I’d have something in my mailbox by now, but I don’t. I’m sure I got it. I’m not worried about it,” Travis said.

  “I can see you now, working in the lab, cloning shit. Just don’t get too carried away and re-create Frankenstein, or that acid-bleeding creature from the movie Aliens or some other biomedical fuck-up that’s highly aggressive and likes to kill.” Alex laughed.

  “Dude, I’m not some mad scientist.”

  “Sure you’re not,” Alex said mockingly. “Well, that’s what I was calling about. Let me know once everything is official so I can come out there and celebrate with you.”

  “Will do. Later.” Travis and Alex said their good-byes before ending the call.

  After arriving on campus, Travis walked into his office, powered up his computer and began finishing up his PowerPoint presentation “Solving Synthesis Problems in Organic Chemistry.” The class he taught was designed to assist students in developing the essential skills required in problem synthesis problems as well as cover a variety of related issues such as retrosynthesis and other fundamental concepts. He enjoyed teaching, but he was truly much more interested in the lab work he was involved with. He was doing promising research on spinal cord injuries and hoped to develop a formula that stimulated nerve repair.

  Travis had just finished up his lecture and was shouting out the reading assignment as students exited.

  “Read chapters six and seven on alkenes and alkynes,” he said. Once everyone was gone, he locked up the lecture hall and headed over to the lab.

  WHEN HE ARRIVED HOME LATER IN THE EVENING, the letter he was waiting on was in his mailbox. Once he was inside he walked over to the sofa table and placed his briefcase and keys there. He then sat down on the sofa and opened the letter and began reading aloud.

  Dear Professor Adams,

  The Tenure Review Board has completed its deliberations concerning your interest in Permanent Status at the University of California at Berkeley. Several well-qualified candidates applied for the position. Although your credentials are exceptional, the panel has made its selection. We wish to thank you for your hard work and wish you the very best in your future endeavors.

  “I don’t believe this bullshit!” Travis crumbled the letter and flung it to the other side of the room. “Those lowdown dirty bastards!” Travis roared like an angry grizzly bear. He was so livid that he squatted down, lifted the sofa and flipped it over.

  “Those motherfuckers!” He hated losing and abhorred being overlooked. Evil and wicked thoughts entered Travis’s mind. He believed that some type of personal retribution was in order. A voice in his head told him to head out to the shed, grab his baseball bat and go bash in the heads of everyone on the review panel for placing an enormous pothole on his road to greatness.

  Chapter 7

  Jasmine

  It was Friday evening and Jasmine was in her office working late, still playing catch-up after she’d returned from vacation on Monday. She loathed that no one could do her work in her absence, but she’d come to terms with the fact that, at times, managing her workflow was similar to wrestling a crocodile. Jasmine felt overwhelmed most of the time because there was always some experiment that needed to be monitored, new studies to be analyzed or some meeting she had to attend.

  At 11:45 p.m. she decided to call it quits for the night. She’d worked herself near exhaustion and her body kept telling her it was time for her to get some rest. Jasmine was thankful her house was only fifteen minutes away. She shut down her computer, grabbed her purse, and headed out the door. She walked down the brightly lit but desolate corridor toward the security guard station.

  “Hello, Sam.” She caught the security guard snoozing with his feet propped on the countertop. When he heard her voice, he nearly tipped over in his seat as he tried to sit upright.

  “Hey, Miss Jasmine. I didn’t realize that anyone was still here. Almost everyone is gone by this time on Friday,” he said apologetically while sweeping away breadcrumbs from a partially eaten submarine sandwich from his shirt.

  “That’s because you didn’t do your rounds like you were supposed to, Sam. A killer could’ve been back there slicing me up and you wouldn’t have heard a thing.”

  “I’m sorry about that. It won’t happen again, I promise. I was just tired.” Sam was a young guy who’d just turned twenty-years old. He favored the iconic rapper Snoop Dogg and liked to boast of how one day he was going to be a big star.

  “Why are you so tired, Sam?” Jasmine asked out of nosiness.

  “I was at my family reunion earlier today and I guess I’m just kind of worn out,” he answered honestly.

  “I understand how those family reunions can be.” Jasmine smirked at him before walking toward the glass exit doors.

  “Make sure you watch me get into my car safely, Sam. Don’t let anyone grab me.”

  “Shit, you’d better hope that I don’t grab your fine, sexy ass,” he muttered.

  Jasmine heard every word he’d mumbled. She looked over her shoulder disapprovingly and glared at him. “What did you just say?”

  “Nothing. Don’t worry. If anyone tries anything, I’ve got some- thing for them.” Sam removed his nightstick and slapped it in the palm of his hand a few times. “You have a good night and drive safely,” Sam said.

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING Jasmine drove to the gym for her yoga class. She was waiting on Lauren to arrive, but as usual she was running late. Jasmine entered the room where the class was held. The space was as large as a dance studio and had floor-to-ceiling mirrors on three of the walls. The usual Saturday morning bunch was there along with a few new faces. In total there were about twenty people in the class. Jasmine began spreading out her yoga mat on the blond wood floor, keeping in mind to save some space for Lauren.

  “Okay ladies, we’re going to get started in a few minutes,” announced Harrison, the young instructor. Jasmine glanced up at him and admired his body, which was a thing of pure beauty. Harrison had on a pair of black loose-fitting gym shorts and a snug-fitting tank top that accented his muscular shoulders and sizable biceps. The sexual thoughts running freely in Jasmine’s mind were simply scandalous. She imagined herself with her legs locked a
round his waist with her back against one of the mirrored walls. He was fucking her while she looked at their reflection in another mirror. She could see herself biting his neck and clawing her fingernails into his back.

  “Girl, you’re not saying a word, but I can hear everything your eyes are saying.” Lauren finally showed up.

  “How old do you think he is? About thirty, right?” Jasmine asked as Lauren placed her yoga mat next to hers.

  “You know damn well that Harrison is nowhere near thirty, Jasmine. I’d say he’s twenty-two at best.”

  “Are you sure?” Jasmine asked, half wanting him to be a little bit older.

  “Look at his face. You can tell he’s young.” Lauren was trying to point out the obvious truth.

  “It’s not his face I’m interested in. Look at his deliciously tight ass. I wonder how his dick hangs.” Jasmine was dying to know.

  “I have no clue.” Lauren glanced at Harrison. “Shit, now you’ve got me wondering what he’s working with.”

  Jasmine sucked air through her teeth. “Shit, I’d screw his young ass all night long and keep his face buried between my thighs,” Jasmine said as she watched him place a compact disc in the player.

  “You need some dick and in a bad way,” Lauren said as she stood on her mat.

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” Jasmine joked. “I’m going to fuck him though.”

  “Well, stand in line, girlfriend, because you’re not the only one who wants a piece of that. I’m sure every woman in here is longing for a round in the sack with him.”

  Jasmine huffed. “I don’t care about these bitches in here. I’m not trying to marry him. I just want to play with him for a little while and teach him about life.”

  “You’re going to mess around and break his heart,” Lauren said.

  “I doubt that. I’m just going to show him a thing or two.” Jasmine laughed as yet another wicked thought flashed across her mind.

  “You are a mess, Jasmine.”

  “Nah, I’m just a free spirit. I’m a liberated and sexually unconstrained woman who is only doing what men have been doing since the dawn of time. I’m just getting my freak on.” Jasmine laughed yet again.

  “Speaking of freaky, you won’t believe what I did last night,” Lauren whispered.

  “Did you do something really nasty?” Jasmine’s attention was now focused on her sister.

  “Girl, nasty isn’t the word for it. What I did is illegal in all fifty states,” Lauren confessed.

  “Yeah right, you’re too reserved and mild mannered. Besides, you don’t have the guts to step outside of your comfort zone.”

  “You don’t know me like you think you do. Trust me, I was way out of my comfort zone. LeMar and I drove downtown to the boat harbor near Soldier Field.”

  “He’s the young guy you’ve been seeing, right?” Jasmine asked.

  “He’s not that young; he’s in his thirties,” Lauren said.

  “And you’re forty-six and thirteen years older than him, which makes you a Cougar whether you want to admit it or not.”

  “Whatever, all I know is that sex with him is fucking liberating,” Lauren said as Harrison instructed everyone to begin doing light warm-up exercises. “He brought along some marijuana for us to smoke while we strolled along the lakefront and admired the luxury houseboats.”

  “But you don’t smoke,” Jasmine said, utterly surprised by what Lauren was telling her.

  “Well, I did the other night—well, that morning actually because it was around two-thirty a.m.”

  “But why?” Jasmine asked, trying to understand her motive.

  “Dumb animal curiosity, I suppose. The dumber the shit sounded, the more excited I was about doing it,” Lauren answered honestly.

  “Okay, so how dumb did you get?”

  “I had no idea that weed could make me so fucking hot. I mean I knew I was high, but I liked it and all I wanted to do was fuck. So LeMar comes up with the dumb-ass idea of sneaking onto one of the empty houseboats.”

  “No you didn’t!” Jasmine tried to keep her voice low, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

  “Girl, I don’t even remember how we got on the boat. All I know is that it was exciting as hell being at the stern of the boat with my skirt above my hips and my ass in the air.”

  “Which part is the stern?” Jasmine asked because she couldn’t remember.

  “The back of it.”

  “Okay, go on,” Jasmine said.

  “It was just wild, that’s all. I felt as if I were living on the edge,” Lauren said as Harrison instructed everyone to do jumping jacks.

  “I do believe LeMar has turned you out.” Jasmine gave her sister a knowing glance.

  “No he hasn’t.”

  “That’s what your mouth says, but I know better.” Jasmine continued to follow Harrison’s instructions.

  EARLY AFTERNOON ON SUNDAY, Jasmine got up early and took care of some house cleaning chores she’d been neglecting. She dragged her unpacked suitcase down to the laundry room and began unpacking the clothes she’d taken to New York. During the process of checking her blue jean pants pocket, she came across the business card that Alex had given to her. She looked at it and laughed.

  “I will not be calling you,” she said as she ripped up his card and tossed the pieces into a nearby trashcan. She went back up-stairs into her kitchen, grabbed a note pad from a drawer and began making a shopping list. She then put on a pair of jeans and her favorite button-down shirt and headed out to a nearby grocery store.

  Jasmine meandered from aisle to aisle picking up the items she needed. When she arrived at the checkout counter the line was long. To kill time she checked her cell phone for messages.

  “Hey, how are you?” Jasmine glanced up and saw Harrison standing next to her. She placed her phone back inside her purse.

  “Well, hey, handsome. What are you doing here?” Jasmine perked up. Her boring and mundane chores were about to get interesting.

  “Just picking up some personal stuff. What about you?” he asked.

  “I’m doing the same thing,” she admitted as she undressed him with her eyes.

  “So do you like the yoga class?” he asked with a hint of bashfulness in his voice.

  “You have no idea how much I like it. You’re so strong and flexible and I’m all tight.” Jasmine accented the word “tight” so that he’d pick up the hint that she was flirting with him.

  Harrison laughed. “Where are you ‘tight’ at?” he asked.

  Jasmine glided her hand seductively down her side and around the bow of her hips. “I’m tight all over, but my hips are extra tense. Maybe you can help stretch them out, really, really wide.” Jasmine looked deeply into his eyes so that he could see every naughty thought she had.

  Harrison licked his lips and the moment Jasmine saw his succulent tongue, she wanted it in her mouth. “So what are you saying? You want a private session?”

  “Come here.” Jasmine wiggled her index finger so that he’d lean in closer. She wanted to make absolutely certain that he heard what she was about to tell him. Once he drew closer, she pressed her cheek against his. She liked the coarse feel of his razor stubble against her soft skin. She cradled the back of his head and whispered, “I want an intimate session with just you and me stretching and exploring each other. I want you to spread open your legs so that I can lick your balls and suck all of the juice out of that delicious-looking cock of yours. Have I made myself clear?” Jasmine let her last sentence linger in midair and awaited a response.

  “Yes.” Harrison laughed nervously.

  “Did that make your dick hard?” Jasmine asked, wanting him to volley back and forth with seductive chatter. But Harrison was young and hadn’t yet perfected that part of his seduction techniques, so Jasmine had to help him along a little.

  “Very much so.” Harrison tried to pull away, but Jasmine wouldn’t release him. Instead she stepped a little closer, and without concern for who might be l
ooking, she slid her hand down and squeezed his pride.

  “I want simple and uncomplicated sex from you.” She continued to pour her seductive words into his ear. Harrison flinched as goose bumps formed on his skin. He finally pulled away from her and took a few deep breaths to gather himself.

  “Give me your contact number, Harrison,” Jasmine demanded as she took her cell phone out again. Harrison gave her his number.

  “You know… If you’ve got time, I know of a place we can go that’s not too far from here,” Harrison said. The uncertain look on his face still suggested that he was somewhat fearful of being rejected, as if she didn’t really mean everything she’d said.

  “Really? You want me that badly?” Jasmine asked.

  “Hell yes!” He flashed his boyish and charming smile.

  “Then you’ll need loads of stamina. Is that something you have?” She knew the answer to her question, but she enjoyed watching his eyes dart from left to right as he searched for the perfect answer to her inquiry.

  “Yes.” He swallowed hard and then leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “I’m always hard.”

  “Wonderful. Later this afternoon I’m going to call you. At that time you can tell me where you are and I’ll come to you.”

  “Okay. That’ll give me plenty of time to take care of a few arrangements,” Harrison said.

  “I’ll see you later.” Jasmine winked at him.

  AS PROMISED, JASMINE CALLED HARRISON and he gave her the address to a popular spa that offered private rooms for couples. She packed a small bag filled with one of her most revealing lingerie pieces.

  When she arrived, Harrison was waiting for her in the lobby. When he saw her, he smiled gleefully, then took her by the hand and escorted her back to the suite he’d secured. It was immediately apparent to Jasmine that he was rather familiar with the place by his thorough knowledge of the multiple corridors. The spa suite he’d rented out for the day was beautifully decorated and featured a heart-shaped whirlpool, two massage tables and a king-sized bed. A popular melody by Snoop Dogg called “Sensual Seduction” was playing. Jasmine couldn’t stand the rapper, but for some reason she didn’t mind the fact that this particular song was playing. The lighting was ideal, not too bright and not too dark.