by Marc Avery
I became a whirlwind of emotions. All I wanted was Senior to come back home, but he made it clear we weren’t a priority in his life anymore. He moved on, and now my mother and I had to move on too. I felt like a piece of garbage, and I promised not to give this man power over me or my emotions anymore.
I hugged him tightly one last time and whispered in his ear, “Fuck you and fuck your new family, motherfucker.”
He looked at me in disbelief, and I turned around and walked away from him. I felt the shackles come off.
I would always love my father, but when he chose his new family over my mother and me, he was dead to me. I went and caught the bus home.
* * *
I walked in the house and found Essence sitting at the dining-room table looking at a stack of bills.
Not a good sign.
“So you finally brought your black ass home,” she said without looking up from what she was doing.
“Nice to see you too, Essence.” I went over and sat across from her at the table. “We need to talk about this relationship.”
She looked up at me and crossed her arms. “What about it?” The attitude just seeped out of her pores sometimes.
After taking a deep breath, I said, “Where we’re going and what we’re doing.”
“You need to pull your weight around here, and I know you’re probably sick of me saying that, but it’s the truth.”
I touched her hand and surprisingly, she didn’t pull away from me. “Look at what I’m wearing.”
Her forehead creased in confusion. “What . . . Did you—”
“Yes. I had an interview earlier today,” I said proudly.
She smiled so hard I could almost see all of her teeth. “Did you get the job?”
“I start working at Quick Care next week.”
She bolted out of her seat and came around and wrapped her arms around me. Her embrace was warm, and she smelled perfect. I inhaled the passion fruit scent she wore. When she touched me, I felt electricity course through me that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I’m so proud of you,” she said in between kisses on my neck, cheek, and lips.
“That means a lot coming from you.”
“I want to apologize for the way I acted. I’ll do my best to act less bitchy. I promise.”
We both laughed.
“In all seriousness, I’m sorry for the times I left the house. We should’ve been grown enough to talk about our problems instead of sweeping them under the rug.”
She sat back down. “You’re right. I could’ve been more supportive. I know you were trying. My frustrations got the best of me, and I was wrong.”
“I get frustrated too, but I don’t want to make a habit of taking those frustrations out on you. It’s not fair to you if I did. I just want us to be happy with each other. That’s not asking too much, is it?”
“No. Not at all.”
We looked at each other in silence for a few moments.
She got up and kissed me on the mouth. Then she parted my lips with her tongue.
She broke the kiss and said, “Fuck me, Anthony.” The urgency in her voice made me hard enough to strain against my dress slacks.
As we kissed some more and groped each other, we made it over to the couch. Once she took off her clothes, I unhooked her bra and pulled her pink lace panties down. I licked and sucked her nipples until she moaned loudly.
I laid her on the couch, and she spread-eagle. On my knees, I feasted on her and sucked her clit until she begged me to stick it in. When I dug into her warmness, she bit my shoulder. After I stroked her slowly, I gave it to her harder, making sure I hit all the right spots.
“Do it faster, baby!” She dug her nails into my back. Our raw skin smacking together and Essence’s moans turned me on even more. The harder I went, the louder she screamed my name.
Flipping her over, I pushed her face into the couch and continued to stroke her.
“Just like that, baby!” she screamed.
I grabbed her shoulders and plowed into her until we came together, minutes later. Our foreheads were covered with sweat. Within fifteen minutes, Essence was asleep. She was still beautiful, even with her mouth hanging open and snoring.
Holding her in my arms made everything feel right in my world, and I didn’t want to move from that position.
I prayed that this moment snowballed into more sustainability in our relationship.
February
Moving forward, Essence and I strengthened our relationship by spending more time together and getting to know each other better.
Moving in together was premature, but necessary to find out our likes and dislikes. Sure, I visited her often. Not often enough to form an accurate opinion on living together, though.
We were common denominators in every problem we had, and we promised to talk things out before they spiraled into an argument. It was easier said than done, but it was a start.
Going out to the movies, eating at expensive restaurants, and spending quality time together made me appreciate what we had. The amount of time we wasted being mad at each other was stupid. I took sole responsibility for my part, and she took responsibility for hers.
I couldn’t have been happier.
Our financial situation improved drastically too, because Essence got a raise, and I had two jobs. On top of that, I implemented my plan, and it worked to perfection. With the money Paul gave me, I paid off two credit cards Essence had, we downgraded the cable package, and I found a dirt-cheap insurance carrier. Instead of barely making it to the next payday, we had a little extra money to play with.
At work one day, I stopped off in the break room, and one of my coworkers said the boss was looking for me.
What the hell is going on now?
With slowed footsteps, I went down the hall and knocked on Phaedra’s door.
“Come on in,” she said from behind her desk.
Phaedra was hunched over a pile of paperwork. Her eyes told a story of being up too late. Even still, she smiled when I sat down. Maybe this was a good sign.
“Good morning, Anthony.” Her facial expression went neutral.
“Good morning.”
“I’m sad to say that we haven’t seen the increase we projected, and I have to cut you back to one-and-a-half shifts per week.”
“No problem. Maybe things will turn around in the future,” I said and gave her a half smile.
“I hope so. You’re a hard worker, and you don’t deserve this.” We shook hands, and then I left Phaedra’s office.
Having a second job eased the pain of losing yet another shift. Something had to give at Phaedra’s, though. I couldn’t keep playing the guessing game. Either they would give me a steady schedule or I had to move on to greener pastures. I loved working there and respected the hell out of my boss, but they played too many games. I needed a firm commitment from them.
I spent the rest of my shift thinking about how to properly launch my film career. Sure, I had put feelers out for my work, but I needed to step up my efforts to gain visibility.
Later that evening, I walked inside the house. It smelled like garlic butter and rosemary. My stomach rumbled, and I realized I hadn’t eaten all day. Seeing Essence standing at the stove, I grabbed her by the waist and kissed her on the neck.
She turned around and kissed me on the mouth. She put her arms around my neck.
The house sparkled, and the food smelled incredible. Damn, I loved this woman.
“How was work?” she asked as she went back to the stove.
I sighed. “Interesting.”
“How so?”
“Phaedra cut my hours again.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yup. I’m just glad I have Quick Care to lean on.”
She adjusted the stove burner and turned and faced me. “We’ll be just fine.”
“You’re right,” I said and smiled.
Her vote of confidence calmed me.
She finished at
the stove and fixed our plates.
Essence cooked us ribeye steaks, au gratin potatoes, and lemon pepper asparagus.
The steak was fork tender, and every bite of the food was flavorful. We even had a few glasses of red wine.
After dinner, she hit me with something unexpected.
“Since we’re in a good financial space, I traded in my truck for a Mercedes-Benz,” she said, smiling.
“You got a good deal on the car, right?”
“You know I did. Mama didn’t raise no fool.”
We high-fived each other.
I didn’t mind riding in a Benz. We had a little extra money. Why not?
“Soon as I get my license I’m in there,” I said excitedly.
“I don’t have a problem with that.”
She came around the table and kissed me on the lips. One thing led to another, and Essence and I ended up rolling around on the couch.
After we tired each other out, Essence was snoring up a storm, so I tiptoed downstairs and got on the computer.
I checked the counter at the bottom of my Web site’s front page and was disappointed that I only had 292 visitors and no e-mails.
Obviously, the premium marketing I paid for didn’t work because that number didn’t jump up the way I thought it would. Despite the minor setback, I wasn’t deterred.
I dug a little deeper and found various physical addresses for agents located in New York and Los Angeles using Google. The agents in Los Angeles would get personalized letters and gifts, and I would pound the pavement to get the attention of the ones in New York.
I copied and pasted the agencies’ addresses into a Word document and printed a copy. Then I purchased a Greyhound bus ticket to New York. This film thing had to work, and I would do whatever was necessary to get into Hollywood’s inner circle.
I couldn’t wait to go back to the Big Apple.
February
Two days later, I caught the Greyhound bus to the Port Authority in New York City with a messenger bag full of bound screenplays. Once I came out of the building, I smelled roasted peanuts, gyros, and cigarette smoke.
I loved New York ever since I went there for my writer retreat. There was always something interesting to see. Whether it was the theatrics of people on the streets or a landmark you might’ve seen before somewhere.
The majority of the addresses were in Manhattan, so I jumped into an Uber. During the short ride there I marveled at all the tall buildings and crowded sidewalks.
The Uber driver pulled up to the Avenue of the Arts, and I paid him the fare and climbed out of the car.
The building I needed to be at sat in the middle of the block. I strolled inside and approached the wide wooden, chrome front desk. There was a petite redheaded woman with a bright smile on the telephone. While she talked on the phone, I looked at the list of occupants in the building. Power Play Film Agency was on the fourth floor.
When she got off the phone, she addressed me in a bubbly tone. “How may I help you, sir?”
“I need to speak with someone at Power Play.”
Her smile faded, and she took on a look of sadness. “I’m sorry, sir. They don’t take unsolicited screenplays.”
“I know. Could I give you my screenplay and you pass it along?” I asked with the desperation apparent in my voice.
The woman sighed and looked around before she motioned for me to give her my bound screenplay. “I can’t promise you they will contact you, but I can promise I will put this in the hands of the right people.”
“Thank you very much,” I said and handed her a screenplay out of my messenger bag.
“You’re lucky, you’re cute,” she said and looked me up and down.
I blushed. “I really appreciate this.”
I turned around to leave.
“Hold on a sec.”
I faced her again. “Yeah?”
“Google a program called Kickstarter so you don’t have to put all your eggs in one basket.”
I smiled. “I’ll look it up. You take care.”
“You too.”
I gave the attractive woman one last glance before I disappeared out the door.
I visited ten different agencies that afternoon. Six of them let me leave a screenplay without any guarantees that anyone would contact me. Four of them flat-out refused to let me leave anything.
I spent the rest of the afternoon mailing screenplays to the Los Angeles agencies and taking in the sights and sounds of New York.
Before I hopped back on the Greyhound bus that night, I visited Nintendo, New York, M&M’s world, and ate Hennessy wings at Dallas BBQ in Times Square.
When I got back to Philly, I melted into my bed.
I felt like I was on the right track.
* * *
Next week, I got a response from a job that I applied to only a few short weeks ago. I was used to places sending me an automated e-mail turning me down.
I called the number at the bottom of the e-mail, and Emily Waters answered on the second ring.
Emily was the manager at a collection agency. It wasn’t the most glamourous position out there, but it would pay the bills, and they had monthly bonus opportunities.
“This is Emily speaking. How may I help you?”
“Hello, Emily, my name is Anthony Porter, and I’m responding to your e-mail about the agent position.”
“Thank you for getting back to me, Anthony. I need you to come to the office and finish the interview process. Could you be here within the next two hours?”
“Sure. What’s the location?”
After Emily gave me the location, I got on the bus and pulled into Center City.
Once I got to the front desk, I checked in and waited for Emily to show up.
Twenty minutes later, a caramel-skinned woman in a navy blue business suit took purposeful strides toward me and had a stone expression on her face.
Her hair was pulled back into a basic ponytail, and she shook my hand with authority. She was all business.
“I have one simple rule, Anthony. Don’t waste my time and I won’t waste yours. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“This job is stressful. You’re not guaranteed to get a bonus every month, and most people quit within the first few weeks. You tell me now if you can handle this position, or I can find someone else.”
I took a deep breath. “I embrace new challenges, and I’m not a quitter. I’m ready for whatever.”
“Good to hear,” she said and led me on a tour throughout the building.
All in all, I spent an hour at the collection agency. Emily formally interviewed me, and I met a couple of the agents to get a feel of what my job duties would be.
“If we want to move forward, you will hear from us in about a month or so. If not, we’ve moved on to other candidates,” she said without emotion.
I thanked her for the time and shook her hand.
Although I didn’t admit it, I was a little pessimistic about taking the job. I felt like a hypocrite because I would be asking people for money they might’ve not had. I had been on the other side of the fence, and I sympathized with them and their situations. To put it bluntly, I hated collection agencies’ harassment of people in financial trouble. Luckily for me, I hated being broke even more, so I pushed my personal feelings aside and prepared myself to be a debt collector.
It looked like Phaedra’s would be in my rear-view soon.
I felt confident that I would get the job.
March
So far, Quick Care proved to be a cool place to work at. The work wasn’t difficult, and there was plenty of eye candy to keep me busy. Also knowing I had another potential job in the pipeline made my days more relaxing.
Sitting at work, all I could think about was my coworker Cassie. She had tennis ball-sized breasts and a perfectly rounded ass. Basically, she had a body specifically made to fill out bikinis and boy shorts. She wore her hair in a natural Afro, and she came off shy. We went to lunch a f
ew times, and I enjoyed our time together. She thought I was handsome, and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t flattering. If I was single, I would’ve definitely asked for her number.
After going out to lunch with her again, I went into the break room to get a book out of my locker. When I smelled Cassie’s perfume, I froze in place.
“Hey, Anthony,” she whispered in my ear and let her lips graze my earlobe.
I swallowed hard and said, “Hey.”
She reached around and touched my crotch, and I became excited. When I spun around, I noticed her nipples were straining against her work shirt. The temptation was too much. I pulled her close and buried my face in her cleavage, and she moaned. She gently grabbed my face and kissed me. Her lips were as soft as rose petals. Soon our tongues touched, and I squeezed her ass with both hands. Then I pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” I said and wiped the lip gloss from my lips.
“Don’t be.” She tried to touch me again.
I spared her one last glance before I stormed out of the break room.
For the rest of my shift, I ignored her.
After I got off work, I stopped at the liquor store for vodka before I went home. Later on that night, I waited for Essence to fall asleep before I made a cup of coffee with vodka in it.
I felt like shit because, in a moment of weakness, I contemplated cheating on Essence. Cassie and I clicked, and I thought she was attractive. I shouldn’t have kissed her, but it felt so damn good. I promised myself I would right the ship. Our lunches were dead, and I had to keep my distance. I didn’t want this to be a bigger deal than it had to be.
Once I finished my drink, I drifted off to sleep thinking that I dodged a bullet by not going further with Cassie then I could’ve.
* * *
The next morning, I slipped out from underneath the covers and got a jump start on the day planning. Thinking Essence needed some pampering, I called up the salon she went to and set up a pedicure, manicure, and hair appointment for her. I needed to get my mind off of Cassie, and spending time with Essence would do the trick.
