Keepin' The Faith

by Beth Rinyu

  “You think?”

  “That seems to be your only option, unless you want to start making bread down there.”

  It took a second to catch on. “Oh, Sylvia! That’s gross!”

  “Well, those yeast infections are no laughing matter. It’s no fun having a scoochy coochy.” She bellowed with laughter, causing her to go into a coughing fit. “The other option is to tease him by giving him your sexy undergarments to dry.”

  I was fairly certain my cotton plain-jane underwear would hardly be a turn on for him. “Okay, the purse it is.” I was still feeling a little uneasy over it, but I didn’t have a choice.

  “I was just calling to see if you found the dreidel, but this was much more entertaining.”

  “Yes, I found it at the place you told me about. I really have to get going. He’s probably wondering what’s taking me so long in here. I’ll call you tomorrow. Wait until I tell you about this beach house. It’s beyond gorgeous!”

  “Really? And his grandparents own this home?”

  “Yes, actually just his grandmother now.”

  “She must be one classy lady.”

  “I don’t know about that, but she’s definitely a lucky one! I have to run!”

  “Okay, okay…but don’t do anything tonight unless you have a weenie beanie.”

  “A what?”

  “A condom.”

  Where the hell did she come up with these terms? “Oh my God, Sylvia, I will not be doing anything that requires a condom! He’s my boss, and as soon as my clothes are done drying, we’re leaving!”

  “Mmm…hmm,” she hummed.

  “Bye, Sylvia!”

  I took her advice and stepped out of my panties, bunching them up and burying them in my purse. My embarrassment quickly faded when the warmth of the nice dry pants hit my cold damp skin. I pulled off my shirt, which had also gotten wet at the bottom, and replaced it with the oversized Penn State hoodie. This was all so surreal to me. I was in the bathroom of a multimillion-dollar home, going commando in my insanely hot boss’s sweatpants. I expected to wake from this twisted dream at any given moment.

  I crept out of the bathroom, clenching tightly to my wet clothing. Gabe was in the kitchen, rolling his eyes at something he was reading on his phone.

  “Where’s the dryer?” I hardly recognized my timid voice.

  “Oh, right over—” His ringing phone stopped him midsentence, but I was still able to make out the laundry area just from where he was pointing to. He let out a huff and silenced his ringer before reaching for my wet clothes.

  “Oh, I got it.” I gave him an uneasy smile, wondering whose calls he was ignoring. A girlfriend no doubt. I was sure the last thing he wanted to do was fess up that he was trapped with his train wreck of a secretary, who was naked underneath his clothing. The laundry room was about twice the size of my kitchen at home. I didn’t waste any time throwing my clothes in the dryer. Stretching my neck into the kitchen to find Gabe’s back toward me, I debated whether to throw my panties in as well. The thought of driving home without underwear and in jeans made my decision for me. Reaching into my purse, I grabbed my panties, sneaking them in as well.

  “They should be dry in no time,” I whispered as I approached him back in the kitchen.

  “Oh, no problem.” He was still distracted by whatever was on his phone. He shook his head and powered it off, giving me his full attention.

  An uneasy feeling set over me, hoping my stupidity wasn’t a cause for problems in his personal life. “So did you go to Penn State?” I asked, looking down at the hoodie I was wearing.

  “Yeah. I did.”

  I nodded, trying to keep the conversation up and ease the awkwardness of the moment. “That’s a great school.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” His mind was clearly a million miles away. The forty-two minutes left on the dryer were going to seem like hours if I didn’t think of something to liven up the conversation quick.

  “Do you have any wine?” Really, Faith? Really? Have you not learned anything from being with him under the influence? But I had to think of something to loosen us both up a little, and right now alcohol was the only option.

  “Um...yeah, actually I do.” His tone lightened, more than game for my suggestion. Problem solved. One little glass of wine would ease the tension, and by the time we were done, my clothes would be dry...easy-peasy!

  Three hours and three bottles of wine later, and neither of us was in any condition to go anywhere. After downing the first bottle, all the awkwardness of the situation had waned away and a fun, open-minded, relaxed Gabe evolved. We sat together on the couch like two long-lost friends. The wine had worked its magic, allowing me to learn things about him he would have never divulged under normal circumstances. He told me all about his life growing up and touched briefly on his mother, who had passed away. He didn’t share any details of how she died, and my heart ached seeing his eyes fill up with tears with just the mention of her name. I was the last person who should be evaluating the human psyche, but I couldn’t help but wonder if her death was part of the reason for his workaholic personality.

  I, in turn, spilled my guts to him about the loser whom I had just gotten out of a so-called relationship with, and how he was trying to use my daughter against me because I had filed for child support through the state. The way I should have been all along.

  “That’s why I don’t do relationships,” he responded after I concluded my tirade about Cole.

  “I’m still holding out hope. One bad guy isn’t going to ruin the rest for me.”

  His dazed expression told me in addition to his mother’s death, there may have been another reason for his guarded persona.

  “You’ve never been in a serious relationship?” I pried.

  “Once.” He cleared his throat and looked away. “And it didn’t end well.” There was a finality to his words that no amount of alcohol in the world would reveal. This was clearly a subject he didn’t want to discuss.

  “Guess I watch too many Disney movies.” It wasn’t even that funny, but something about that statement made us both roar with laughter. Another bottle was uncorked and more glasses were poured. “This is exactly what you needed.”

  “What?” His head rested against the back of the couch and his eyes were glazed over. God, he was even sexier when he was drunk.

  “To get wasted and chill out a little.”

  “You don’t know what I need,” he whispered with a hint of a smirk.

  I shrugged. “Why don’t you tell me then?”

  He inched closer to me and even in my drunken haze, my heart skipped a beat. His index finger traced the side of my cheek, and his eyes penetrated into me.

  “If two people kiss and they’re too drunk to remember it in the morning, did they really kiss?” I pulled my bottom lip in as he moved closer.

  “Did you want to find out?” His voice was low and hoarse.

  My pulse was racing, my stomach was flipping, and my lips wanted his to be all over them. He moved my hair from my face and tilted my chin with the tip of his thumb. I tried to breathe when our mouths finally met, but I couldn’t. I was so consumed in him. His tongue swept the inside of my mouth and my insides awakened. He tasted sweet, just like I remembered from our last kiss at the bar. We remained lip-locked as my arms looped around his neck, easing us both down on the couch. I pulled him closer, pressing my body against his, letting out a sigh of pleasure when his tongue glided down my neck. I wanted him so bad. My body was ready, willing and able to do whatever he wanted, but as his hand moved up my shirt, I started to come to my senses. As much as I wanted to continue with what was more than likely going to happen tonight, I knew we’d both regret it in the morning. Okay, maybe I wouldn’t…but he would. I couldn’t take that chance. The cold shoulder he’d given me after our kiss that night at the bar would have paled in comparison to the treatment I’d more than likely receive if we slept together tonight.

  He was my boss, and I needed my job. Casual
sex with the man who employed you was a guaranteed trip to the unemployment line. I took a deep breath, giving myself one last moment of pleasure by allowing my hands to wander down and feel his perfect ass. The same ass I’d been ogling ever since the day we met.

  Okay, you copped a feel, Faith. You can cross “I felt Gabe Samuels’s perfect ass” from your bucket list. Now end this insanity right now!

  It was a battle of wills—my mind against the rest of my body. My head was telling me to stop, while my hands were telling me differently. In addition to feeling that flawless ass, they wanted to feel something else. Something that wasn’t visible to the human eye when he was fully clothed. Okay, maybe it was a little…actually a lot. My eyes had examined the bulge in his pants more times than I cared to admit, and tonight was my chance to become up close and personal with it. I’d finally be able to answer the question I’d been asking myself every time I was having my impure thoughts. Was his front equally as nice as his backside? Even though I was fairly certain of the answer, one could never be too sure, right? What would one little touch of it under his pants hurt? My curiosity would be cured, and we’d both get a little thrill. Right? Wrong. It was so wrong.

  Think of your job, Faith. The job you need to give your daughter a better life. For once think of someone else besides yourself.

  Wait! That voice wasn’t mine, it was my mother’s. I wanted to shut her up. I wanted to rebel against all those years of being the good girl because I’d go to hell for every little thing. I’d show her who was in control now by moving my hand down to the button on his jeans. Take that, Mom!

  Miss DiNatale, you’re not setting a good example for Joelle. No wonder why she passes out cock rings to her classmates.

  Sister Antoinette? Oh my God, get the hell out of my head! Just because you’ve chosen a life of celibacy doesn’t mean other people have to do the same. Go away! Take your prune faced, habit wearing self and just go away now! I have this gorgeous man hovering over me, and I will not let you and my mother stop me from what I’m about to do with him.

  Gabe helped me out by pulling his zipper down. That was it. It was really going to happen. There was a gymnastics competition going on in my stomach with all the tumbles and somersaults it was doing. A jolt of energy shot through me when my fingers accidently skimmed his rock hard package. I made Gabe Samuels’s dick hard.

  Did you hear that, Sister Antoinette? I’ve got the power. Little old me. The girl who feared you all throughout grammar school made my boss’s dick stand at attention. Dick. Dick. Dick. I imagined the look on Sister Antoinette’s face as I mentally repeated that word over and over again. My mind was in total rebellion mode. I wasn’t afraid of getting chastised in front of the entire class for using improper language anymore. I was a grown woman now, and I was going in for the kill. I was going to touch it and this time it wasn’t going to appear to be an accident.

  Can I get a swing set for our new back yard, Mommy?

  Joey? No, no, no! This was so unfair. Why was God messing with me? Wasn’t I allowed to have some fun every once in a while too? I sighed deeply as Gabe’s hands continued to wander about my body. If we continued, this would become a domino effect and in the end it would affect Joey. I had promised her a new place for us to live with a back yard, and as crazy as it sounded, if I were to sleep with Gabe tonight that would probably never happen. It was wrong. I knew it now. The other voice that had been telling me otherwise had finally stopped speaking. I had a lot to drink tonight, but Gabe had even more by adding shots of Jack in addition to all the wine we had consumed. So, in a weird way, I was beginning to feel as if I were taking advantage of his inebriation.

  “Gabe,” I whispered.

  His lips settled upon my neck and his hand rested on the waistband of my sweatpants.

  “Gabe!” I repeated, this time a little louder. What the hell? Panic set it. He was dead. He had drunk way too much and then I only added to it by getting him all hot and bothered. I was going to hell. I killed my boss because I was selfish and wanted to have sex with him. His chest began to rise and fall, and a loud snore escaped him. Relief washed over me. He wasn’t dead after all. Thank God. His head rested upon my shoulder as I maneuvered around, trying to get myself comfortable since it looked like this was where I’d be spending the night—on a tiny sofa with a gorgeous guy, whom just moments ago I’d been planning on having sex with. Turned out, I not only had the power to make his dick hard...I also had the power to enable him to pass out in the process.

  Chapter 21

  Gabe

  I awoke, feeling much like I had back in my college days, splitting headache, aching body, and a major hard-on. I rolled over, trying to get my wits about me. I wasn’t in my bed. I wasn’t even in my house. It took me a few seconds to remember most of yesterday’s events and why I was on the sofa of my grandmother’s beach house. What the fuck was I thinking yesterday? I should have never let my guard down and invited Faith to lunch. That was just a stupid move on my part. Then I should have never started drinking wine and mixing it with shots of Jack—another dumb move on my part. But Faith was on edge, and I was hoping some alcohol would ease the tension. Then there were the relentless texts I was getting from my grandmother. First telling me to be a gentleman, then telling me to cover up if I planned on going inside and playing. When the phone calls started, I turned my phone off.

  I vaguely remembered bits and pieces of the night. We had talked a lot, drunk even more, and watched a little TV. I didn’t even remember falling asleep. Did I kiss Faith or was I dreaming? I was pretty sure it was just a dream, because if I had, I wouldn’t have been able to stop there. I would have been waking up naked next to her. I stared up at the ceiling and rubbed my hands down my face before resting them on my temples, trying to subside the throbbing pain emitting from each side of my head.

  I finally manned up, sitting up and easing myself off the sofa. I stood on unsteady legs and went into the bathroom, wondering where Faith was. Why the hell were my pants unzipped? My dire need to piss averted that question from my mind.

  There was still no sign of Faith when I scuttled into the kitchen. Empty alcohol bottles lined the counter, as if I needed a reminder as to why I was feeling so shitty. “Damn,” I muttered, resting my head on the pantry door and coming up empty on the coffee. I stood there silently staring at the shelves, willing it to magically appear, startling at the sound of the sliding glass door opening. A sharp pain jolted up the back of my neck when I turned my head to see who was there. I hadn’t been this banged up by alcohol in a while.

  Even Faith’s contagious smile wasn’t helping to ease my discomfort. I was in misery. Now I remembered why I didn’t drink this way anymore. How could Faith look so perky? She didn’t drink as much as I did, but given her size and the amount of wine she put away, she had to be a little hungover herself. But as she stood in front of me dressed in her now dried clothes she had on yesterday, holding two cups of coffee, she didn’t seem affected at all.

  “Good morning!” She handed me one of the cups she was holding.

  “Where’d you go?” I asked, wasting no time taking a sip of the coffee.

  “Oh, I went for a walk on the beach and came across a coffee place on my way back. I figured you could use some.”

  “You have no idea.” I took a seat at the breakfast bar and rubbed my tired eyes.

  Faith reached into her purse and took out a bottle of Advil. “Here you go.” She shook out two pills and placed them in my hand. I washed them down with coffee, hoping it would take away some of my misery.

  “I’ll get that,” I said when she began to clean up the empty bottles.

  She ignored me and continued cleaning up.

  “Where did you sleep?” I asked.

  Scrubbing the counter vigorously, her eyes darted in the other direction. “Oh, umm…on the love seat.”

  “Oh, man. I’m sorry. You should have just gone into one of the bedrooms.”

  “It’s fine.”

/>   “How can you even be functioning right now?” I asked, growing more exhausted just watching her darting around the kitchen putting everything in its place.

  She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, but then again, I just stuck to wine.” She crinkled her nose and let out a grin. “Wine before liquor, never been sicker,” she teased.

  I was pretty sure she had that wrong and it actually was beer before liquor, but the way I was feeling at the moment, there was a lot of truth to her version.

  ***

  Faith was quiet the whole ride back, which was fine by me. I was feeling shittier by the minute, and the last thing I felt like doing was keeping up a conversation. But the looming silence gave me time to be alone with my thoughts. The dream I had last night seemed so real. I actually tasted her lips and felt her perfect tits. I was getting hard just thinking about it. She’d been so quiet, I had to look over when we pulled in the parking lot to her car to make sure she wasn’t asleep. She sighed deeply, lost in her thoughts as well.

  “Sorry for causing such a disaster yesterday.” She pulled her sunglasses from her head, covering her beautiful brown eyes, which seemed so much more expressive this morning.

  I mustered a laugh. “It’s fine, or should I say once I sleep it off today it will be fine.”

  She nodded and forced a smile, placing her hand on the door handle. “Well, I hope you feel better.”

  I nodded, turning my attention straight ahead and gripping the steering wheel as she got out, trying to shake the feelings I was having about her. She exited the car and bent down, sticking her head back in the car.

  “Oh, I meant to ask you, what’s a good Jewish dessert?”

  That was a strange question, but I was half out of it so everything seemed a little off to me at the moment.

  “Joey wants to bake something for my friend Sylvia for Chanukah,” she clarified.

  That was simple. Even hungover as hell, I knew what my grandmother’s favorite was as well as mine. “Mandel bread.”

  She raised an eyebrow.