No Perfect Affair

by Charmaine Galloway

  “You sure can,” Asia piped in.

  I didn’t say a word. I was looking at his grill saying to myself he needed to take care of that. His teeth were such an eyesore I couldn’t stomach talking to him. We told Mr. Overbite what we wanted to drink, he ordered; then we thanked him. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get rid of him. But why was he all up in my face when Asia was the one who wanted him to buy the drinks?

  He leaned his body close to mine and said, “Baby, I can’t keep my eyes off you.”

  Dang, his teeth and breath were bad. I didn’t say much to him because I wanted him out of my face. “I’m married.”

  “Well, is he up in here?” He licked his chapped lips.

  “Yup,” I lied. He needed to make a date with Listerine and Scope.

  “Oh, well, okay. I don’t want no problems. But next time you should warn a brotha before he buys you a drink,” he said with a serious attitude and quickly stepped to Asia.

  I laughed to myself and sipped on my drink. But then my eyes met up with a sexy guy that was watching me from across the bar. It was David. I smiled, and he walked himself over to me. Asia was still taking to Mr. Overbite, and I noticed that Melody was talking to one of her exes. I haven’t seen Dominic in a while. He was still looking good. But I wondered if Rodney was watching her run game. He needed to see that someone else was interested in Melody because he just wasn’t right, and she needed to stop being so weak and stupid over Rodney’s dirty drawers. She needed to put her big-girl panties on and get rid of his behind. Enough is enough.

  “You still sexier than ever,” David said in my ear from behind me.

  I smiled. “You lookin’ pretty dapper yourself.” He was causal, wearing a blue striped button-up shirt and jeans. He resembled Drake, but just dark skinned.

  “I was watching you. I thought you had come here with your husband.”

  “Nope. Just me and my girls.” I knew he was referring to Mr. Overbite.

  “What are you drinking?” he asked looking into my glass.

  “Cîroc, straight, no chaser,” I smiled seductively.

  “You bad. I like that.” He licked his lips.

  When I saw his tongue, it instantly made me hot as I thought about what that thang did to my body. He ordered my drink, we made small talk; then he asked me to dance. We dance through three songs, but on the last song, I couldn’t take no more. I wanted him, and I couldn’t hide my lustful desire for him. I could tell he felt the lust seeping through my pores.

  As we danced, he brought his lips to my ear and tickled it with his tongue. “Are you ready to leave this joint?”

  I nodded.

  We were out of the club and in his car within minutes. This time, he drove, and I just sat back and listened to the jazz that he was playing. I waited to see where our destination would be. To no surprise, we ended up at the same spot. I shook my head and smiled to myself. I see he wasn’t creative when it came to picking spontaneous spots, or maybe he just liked the park. But this time, we were not parked by the water. He pulled into the parking spot and turned the car off. He got out of the car and walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk. He then shut the trunk and walked over to my door and opened it. I got out to see that he was holding a large blanket.

  I see he came prepared. “I ain’t lying on no ground,” I spat and looked in his eyes.

  “Just come on,” he replied as he took my hand.

  We walked over to a wooded bench that was on a hill, and when I looked over the hill, I could see the Maumee River. He placed the blanket over the bench. He then took my hips and pulled me in close to him. He kissed me passionately, and while our tongues danced, he guided me over to the bench. He sat me down, sat next to me, and started kissing my neck. Then he pulled my dress past my shoulders, pulled my bra down, and my breasts popped out. He sucked on them vigorously, and my heart started to beat rapidly. I was excited and full of lust.

  My breathing became intense as he continued to feast on my breasts, one at a time. Then he took my hands and placed them on my breasts as if he wanted me to massage them. I did. After that, he got on his knees and raised my short dress up high enough so he could get his tongue to my hot spot. He lifted my butt up with both of his hands and gripped it tightly as he nibbled on my womanhood like it was a cupcake.

  I moaned. I whimpered. My toes curled as waves of euphoria filled my body. As my head lay back on the bench, I looked up at the stars that were sprinkled across the dark sky. “You are a beast,” I belted out. I gyrated as I massaged my breasts, and he ate until he was full. As he was rising up from his knees, his eyes suddenly became huge like saucers as he looked over my shoulder. He scared the mess out of me, and I quickly turned to see what had him stunned. My heart dropped out of my chest.

  “Jonathan,” I gasped. I stopped breathing. But then I had to come to and put my boobs back in my bra and dress. I quickly stood to my feet after pulling my dress down.

  “Oh, no, don’t stop now. I was enjoying hearing my half-naked wife moan as some random dude devoured her like she was his for the taking.” His voice was calm, but his face was filled with anger. I had never seen him that way.

  “Jonathan, I—”

  “Shut up, you little whore. So this is what you wanted when you said you wanted to be free?” he spat as he walked toward me. I thought he was about to hit me the way he glared at me, but David quickly walked in between us.

  “Hold up, man,” David piped in. I was shaken to my core.

  “No, you hold up, bro. This is my wife.” Jonathan shoved David so hard that he fell back a few feet.

  Jonathan then charged at me and smacked me in my face.

  “Ohhh,” I cried out in pain. My hand shook as I grabbed my face where it stung. I looked at my hand. It was full of blood that dripped from my nose.

  “You are a trifling bi—” Before Jonathan could get all of his words out, David punched him in the jaw, and he fell to the ground.

  “Man, what you ain’t gonna do is put yo’ paws on no woman. You got paws, put them on me,” he growled as he stood over Jonathan as he lay on the ground with a busted lip.

  Oh God, what have I done?

  13

  Asia

  As I was getting dressed for my date with Steve, I thought about how he had been such a good dad to all of my children. When he got out of jail almost a month ago, I thought he wasn’t going to be able to find a job, and I was right. So he went out and started his own business. He was the CEO of Tight and Right Lawn Services. He started with one lawnmower, an old truck that his uncle gave to him, and family members’ lawns. Now, he was cutting over twenty lawns a week with a riding mower that I helped him purchased.

  “Babe, don’t you worry. I’m going to pay you back all the money for the equipment. I’m so glad that you stood by my side, and I promise I’m going to make it up to you. I love you.” That was what Steve told me after we picked up his used riding mower.

  Steve and I meet at the club, and on the first night I met him, I ended up at his place. We had a nice evening, but he really wasn’t my type. He wasn’t that good in bed, so the morning after, I didn’t call him. I wanted him to contact me. Yes, I flipped the script on his behind. Well, I guess that turned him on because he started blowing my phone up, and he couldn’t get enough of me. But I didn’t give him any attention until after I found out I was pregnant, and I knew it was his.

  When I told him I was pregnant, he was ecstatic. But the thing was, he didn’t have a legal job. I wasn’t the type of chick that dealt with drug dealers. Well, let him tell it, he was a “pharmacist.” I learned in the past to walk away from a man with that career choice. I was dealing with a dude awhile back, and my house was raided, and that scared me straight . . . to walk straight past drug dealers. Steve knew how I felt about what he did, and he told me that he had stopped. I believed him because he was discreet about what he did. But that was a lie, because he got pulled over by the cops, and they found drugs on him. That’s wh
en he went to prison. It was like an epidemic where I was from. It was sad, but it seemed like most of the men went to jail for selling drugs. All the females that I went to school with were dealing with a man going in and out of jail for a drug-related crime. The person that truly suffered was the child, because most of the men were fathers.

  The ringing from my cell phone snapped me from my thoughts. “Hello.”

  “Hello, Asia, how are you?” my mom said.

  “I’m good, Mom, how are you?” I asked as I tried to apply some foundation to my face.

  “I’m a little stiff today from my arthritis because of the rain outside,” she whined.

  “Have you taken any pain pills?”

  “Now, you know Charles don’t like me taking all those pills. So I just take the little pain until it subsides.”

  My mom was the type to follow her husband. If he said jump, she would ask how high. Melody said that I was beginning to have some of her ways. She once told me that I catered to my men too much, and that I shouldn’t spend my money on them. They should fork out their money on me. But I didn’t mind helping my man out if he needed some money.

  “Baby, how are the kids doing?” Mom asked.

  “They running around the house like they crazy. Can’t you hear them in the background?”

  She laughed and said, “I miss my grandkids.” My stepfather had stopped my mom from watching my kids because he said all I did was party, and if she kept on watching them when I went out, I would just keep having more for her to babysit. I loved my stepfather, but he could be a pain at times.

  “How’s Steve over there treating the kids?” she wanted to know.

  “Mom, he’s great with them. He has changed so much for the better, and I’m glad that I gave him another chance.” I smiled from the warm feeling I had in my heart for Steve.

  “Well, Asia, don’t you go having more kids, okay?”

  “I’m not, Mom.”

  “How is crazy ol’ Melody doing? Is she still following after that no-good boy that she introduced to us at Thanksgiving dinner? Then a few months after that, she said that they were never a couple like she thought.”

  “Mom, they’re not together anymore.”

  “Well, you said that last time, and they were back together. She is just too old for that. What’s wrong with the girl? Why can’t she find a good man and keep him?” she huffed.

  My mom was always in everybody else’s business. If there was gossip to be told, she was right in the middle. “Mom, it’s just some no-good men out here and—”

  “And Melody bumps into every single one of them,” she said, cutting me off. “Any who, enough about Melody. What’s going on with Sasha? You know I heard about her husband finding her in the arms of another man.”

  “Yes, Mom, I know you heard ’cause you don’t miss a beat.” I shook my head.

  “Um, um, um, why would she go and do something so stupid? Arlene told me all that man wanted was a baby, and she didn’t want to give him one. He makes good money too, so why go and mess that up?”

  Arlene was Sasha’s mother, and I don’t know how she found out what happened between Sasha and her husband, because Sasha didn’t even talk to her mother. They haven’t been close since Sasha left for college. They really hadn’t got along when we were growing up. I still don’t know why they couldn’t stand each other. “Mom, how did Aunt Arlene find out about Sasha?”

  “Sasha’s husband called Arlene and told her that her daughter was no good, and he was going to divorce her. But, baby, I know that she stole him from you anyways, so she got what she deserves for going after your leftovers. I bet she feels really stupid now.”

  Way back when we were in college, I had told my mom that Jonathan was my first crush. I didn’t think she remembered that. She would have a kick out of it if I told her that the man Sasha cheated with was a man that I went out with, and the man that I told to go and holler at Sasha. But I thought I would keep that little bit of information to myself. “Well, Mom, I have to go. I have a date with Steve, and he’s waiting on me.”

  “Bye, honey. I’ll talk to you later. Kiss the kids for me.”

  “Okay, I will.” I checked myself in the mirror one last time to make sure my makeup was on point. Then I went downstairs to let Steve know I was ready. I still had to figure out how I was going to break it off with Lance before he found out that I was back with my baby daddy. I enjoyed how Steve was treating me and the kids, but his sex sure didn’t compare to Lance’s. Was I ready to let that go?

  Not at all.

  14

  Melody

  That night, Dominic met me at the club. I didn’t want to leave with him, but I did. I sat in my dark room and replayed what went down.

  “I sure have missed the time we spent together back in the day.” Dominic talked over the music.

  I just smiled and looked around to see if Rodney was watching me talk to Dominic. I wanted him to see that I was a catch, and if he didn’t hurry up and catch me, someone else would. But Rodney was nowhere to be found. He had been texting me every day since the day he told me that chick was living in his house. At first, I didn’t respond; then after a few weeks had passed, I responded, and we talked on the phone. He just kept telling me he wasn’t with no one, and I didn’t have to worry about her. He loved me and wanted to see me soon. Of course, I gave in because I missed him, and I wanted him. My life was boring, and he excited me with our dates and sex life.

  At the bar, I texted him and asked him why he wasn’t in the bar. He told me he wasn’t there because he would be gambling all night. So that meant I wasn’t going to see him. I didn’t want to go home alone, so Dominic and I rekindled an old flame.

  I was driving myself insane. I knew I had no business taking Dominic home. Rayn had stayed the night with her friend. I was tipsy, and he was just a rebound because I couldn’t be with Rodney and I didn’t want to be alone. But the morning after, I felt like a slut, even though Dominic and I had relations in the past. I didn’t want him to think that I was the type to be having one-night stands, because I wasn’t. After we had great sex, he then told me that he stayed with his mama, and when we bumped into each other at the mall, that job he told me he had just come from was a one-time gig he was doing for his uncle. It was not a permanent job. I couldn’t believe I slept with a man who lived with his mama and had no job! I was snapped out of my dark thoughts when I heard the phone ring. I looked at the caller ID and had no clue who it was. “Hello.”

  “Hey, sexy,” a deep voice said on the other end.

  “Um, who is this?”

  “Tayvon.”

  Oh, I had forgotten that I gave him my number in the club. Tayvon and I dated many, many years ago. We didn’t really date. I had a crush on him when I was in high school, and he was the only guy that I did have a one-night stand with. I didn’t want to be with him because I was in a relationship with someone else, but I did want to see what he was working with. I was a mess back then, but know I am too old now to be playing games.

  “Hey, Tayvon, how you doing?”

  “I’m good. Are you busy?”

  “No, just sitting around the house chilling.”

  “Have you eaten yet?” he asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Well, why don’t you come by? I cooked Sunday dinner.”

  “Oh, okay. That sounds good. Do you want me to bring anything?” I asked.

  “Nope. Just bring yourself.”

  “Okay. I’m on my way.” I didn’t know what his intentions were, but I was bored, and all I wanted to do was get out of the house. So, all I would do was eat, chitchat, and come back home.

  15

  Sasha

  A month had passed since Jonathan kicked me out after catching David and I making out on the park bench. Of course, Jonathan was furious, but he had no right smacking me in my face. He had never put his hands on me in the past. I was shocked when David came to my rescue. If he didn’t, from the look in my husband’s eyes,
he would have killed me.

  I didn’t dare go to my house after that incident. I had David take me to the hotel. The next day, I called my husband to apologize, but he didn’t want to hear it. He angrily told me to come and get my things, and he was in the process of filing for divorce. It hurt at first, but I had to really think about everything. I did love Jonathan, but I was not in love with him. The main reason why we got married was because I was pregnant. Maybe this breakup is what we needed.

  I had been living in my new luxury one-bedroom apartment alone for a few weeks. The complex is very nice and quiet. My 800 square foot apartment is not as roomy as the 2,500 square foot home I shared with my husband, but it was just enough space for me. My apartment had an open floor plan with a fireplace, vaulted ceilings, and a skylight. My kitchen was small, but it had nice light-colored ceramic tiles on the floor and dark granite countertops. I had to shop for new furniture, and I was very satisfied with the red leather love seat, chair, and sofa set for the living area, and a queen-size sleigh bed and dresser for my bedroom. My spacious walk-in closet was to die for.

  I was sipping on Avion and feeling good. I rearranged the pillows on my bed so I could lie down when I heard my phone ring. I looked at the caller ID. It was Melody.

  “Hey, Mel, what’s up?” I said as I flopped down on my bed and lit a cigarette. I had stopped smoking for over two years, but with all the drama that was going on in my life, I needed the nicotine to calm me down.

  “Girl, you sound real chipper from dealing with what you’ve been through.”

  “Girl, I’m good.”

  “Are you going to try to get Jonathan back? What you did was foul. But maybe he’ll forgive you,” she said matter-of-factly.

  “Um, no, I’m not going to chase after him. I’ll be just fine.” I wasn’t like her. I didn’t need a man to defend me. She needed to worry about her problems and stay out of mine.

  “So what’s up with you and that guy? Isn’t his name David?”