Possessing Josephine (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Silke Ming

  “Where is he right now?” she asked, staring at Gypsy.

  “At his home I presume,” Gypsy replied.

  “With her. And where am I?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  “He’s just trying to protect her from the press.”

  “I have another question, Gypsy. Who is she?”

  “If Richard hasn’t told you, I am not at liberty to say. The only thing I can tell you is that she is well known. If you think about it, you may come up with the answer yourself.”

  Before Josie could reply, the phone started to ring.

  * * * *

  “This is not a good time, Mother,” said Gypsy. “Mother!”

  She held the phone in her hand and stared at it.

  “My mother is coming over,” she said. “She’ll be here in about five minutes.”

  “Guess I should make myself scarce,” she said, closing her bedroom door.

  Josie looked at the book which Gypsy had given her. She opened it and stared at the horrible photos, then sat down on her bed flipping the pages. It was hard to believe that this practice was so rampant and being inflicted on so many innocent young girls and women throughout the world, even here in her country.

  The doorbell rang and she heard Gypsy’s mother enter the apartment. She listened as mother and daughter conversed.

  “Are you eating enough?” Gypsy’s mother asked.

  “Yes, Mother. I am eating enough. What brings you here at this early hour on a Sunday morning?”

  “How could you allow him to slip from your grasp?”

  “Him? Who are you referring to?”

  “I’m speaking about Richard Schreck.”

  Josie now listened even more intently.

  “You told me that you had met him and what a charming man he is. Well educated, too!”

  “Mother, what is this all about?” she snapped.

  “Well, your father and I went to New York to see Les Misérables. And guess who we saw there?”

  Gypsy knew where the conversation was going, but preferred to just listen.

  “Who did you see?”

  “Your roommate Josie! She was with that very handsome lawyer Richard Schreck! I was not aware that they knew each other.”

  “Now you know, Mother.”

  “I just don’t understand his attraction to these types,” she continued.

  “What types?”

  “He seems to like those primitive types. Wasn’t he also going out with that theater actress Willow, whatever her name was? Only God knows what happened to her.”

  “Mother,” said Gypsy shouting at her. “You should really go. I am expecting a visitor at any moment.”

  “Well, I’ll go, Gypsy, but you shouldn’t continue to waste your life while your roommate is having a wonderful time in New York.”

  “Good-bye, Mother.”

  “Good-bye, Gypsy. Eat a little more.”

  * * * *

  Josie had heard it all and she knew that sooner or later, she had to leave the apartment since it was the property of Gypsy’s parents. She already knew how the woman felt about her, but to refer to her as primitive hurt her to the core. Now she knew who Richard’s ex-girlfriend was. She got up and looked in the mirror. Willow, as everyone knew her, was a stunning woman. There was no comparison between the two women. Willow was tall and slender and had a body that seemed to have been built only for sin. When she walked, she looked like a flower wafting in the breeze.

  Yes, a flower. That was her nickname. The name Richard had tattooed on his upper arm. Now her insecurities came flooding back. She looked at her cell phone, at the photo they had taken together in New York. She checked to see if there was a message from him. There was none and her heart sank.

  Gypsy waited, but Josie did not leave her room. She was sure she had heard everything her mother had said. With everything that was going on in Josie’s life, the last thing she needed was her mother’s interference.

  Chapter Ten

  It was the longest day of her life. Nothing had changed at the office. Homeowners were still being shafted and many more had been made homeless. She found herself drinking cup after cup of strongly brewed coffee and thinking only of Richard Schreck. It was almost twenty-four hours since they had last spoken, and she could already feel the pangs of rejection. She dialled his number but lost her courage and hung up the phone. She gazed at the photo which she now used as a screensaver, and ran her fingers gently over his handsome face.

  “Had a good vacation?” a male coworker asked. “Where did you go?”

  “It was a quiet one. I read a couple good books and just enjoyed the peace and quiet.”

  “We all thought you were lying on the beach in the Dominican Republic or somewhere exotic, leaving us alone in this shit.”

  He scurried away to answer his phone and she breathed a sigh of relief. She checked her phone one more time before placing it into her drawer. He had already forgotten about her, she thought. Suddenly she heard a quiet ding, and she scrambled to open the drawer. It was Gypsy.

  “Guess you weren’t expecting my call,” she said, hearing the disappointment in her roommate’s voice. “Just wanted to let you know I had a call from Richard. He’s trying to find a condo with high security for his client. Thought that piece of news should lift your spirits.”

  “How long is she planning to stay around here?”

  “I guess until the trial is over.”

  “Thanks, Gypsy. Will I see you later?”

  “I have nothing planned for the evening, so we can order in Chinese or something and watch a movie. Or if you prefer to talk, that’s also okay. And Josie, I’m sorry about my mother.”

  “Don’t worry about it. She solved the riddle. Now I know who the competition is.”

  “You have no competition, Josie. Richard is all yours. I know that.”

  “Did he tell you that?”

  “Not in so many words, but I know you have nothing to worry about.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that you set us up?”

  “Who introduced you to Michael?” Gypsy asked.

  “You did, but I don’t see what Michael has to do with this.”

  “You don’t? He walked out on you and I felt it was my fault.”

  “What are you trying to say?” asked Josie. “That you think Richard will do the same?”

  “I can’t see into the future, and neither can you. I thought that if I brought you together this way, and it didn’t work out, you couldn’t put the blame on me.”

  “But I never blamed you for anything, Gyps. Michael was just a no-good scoundrel.”

  “Richard is a decent man. I know he cares about you. He has been dying to meet you from the first day he saw you.”

  “He told me that.”

  “So how do you feel about him?”

  “He is sweet and gentle, and he is good where it counts most. In bed.”

  In spite of her heartache, the two women laughed loudly at Josie’s last comment.

  “Tell me something Gyps. Why did he dress like a cowboy for our first date?”

  “Now that was my fault. I told him you had a thing for cowboys.”

  “What?” shouted Josie. “Why did you tell him a thing like that?”

  “He was always dressed in a three-piece suit, so I thought I would make him a little less formal for you.”

  “Suppose I hadn’t shown up at Mercy’s that night? What would he have done?”

  “He knew where to find you. I called to tell him when you were on your way.”

  “I could’ve gone to Jimmy’s on fifty-seventh street.”

  “I covered all my bases. I told him if you were not at Mercy’s, he would find you at Jimmy’s.”

  “You’re in the wrong profession, Gyps. You should become a private eye.”

  They both laughed at the comment. “I appreciate what you’ve done,” said Josie.

  * * * *

  The week turned out to be just as long as the first day of
work. He must miss her as much as she missed him. But why hadn’t he called? Gypsy’s explanation was that with the trial starting in less than a week, he was probably very busy, added to the fact that he still hadn’t found a fitting apartment for Willow.

  Never run to what’s running away from you, her mother had always said. She said it had come from her mother and was an old African proverb. So after the first week of no calls or text messages, she decided she had no choice but to forget about him, just as he had forgotten about her. Her evenings were spent either conversing with Gypsy or reading. She had read in its entirety the book on FGM which Gypsy had lent her, but still had a million questions for her roommate.

  Suppose Richard had decided that her being deformed didn’t really matter anymore? Was she fully mutilated or was it a partial one? And the questions went on and on.

  One evening during the third week of his silence, Gypsy came in with good news. He had found a suitable apartment and Willow had vacated his home the previous evening. Still there were no phone calls or communication from him. Gypsy also said she had a date and would be out for most of the evening.

  Alone and with nothing better to do, she decided to take a nice long bath, and watch a bit of television before settling into bed.

  “I’m leaving now,” shouted Gypsy, as the door bell rang.

  “Have fun,” Josie called back.

  “She’s in the bathtub,” Gypsy whispered, as Richard appeared at the apartment door. “She will be happy to see you.”

  Her eyes were closed as she listened to music from the small radio on the bath counter. Her hands moved through the water making sloshing sounds. Richard opened the door as quietly as he could and stood there watching her. He knelt beside the bathtub, picked up her bath sponge, and started to rub her body. She jumped and opened her eyes.

  “How did you get in here?” she snapped.

  “Gypsy let me in,” he replied. “That’s not a very nice welcome.”

  “What do you want? Have you lost your way?”

  “Why are you so angry?” he asked.

  “Why am I angry? I will tell you why I’m angry, Dick,” she shouted, using his unflattering nickname. “Three weeks ago you brought me back here. You knew how deflated I felt when you left me, but never once did you see fit to call me or even send me a short text. Now do you understand why I’m angry?”

  “I’m sorry, Josie. I have been extremely busy and with everything that was going on, I found myself working into the early morning hours.”

  “It would’ve taken less than ten seconds to send me a text. Were you always so busy you couldn’t spare ten seconds for me?”

  “Please don’t be angry with me,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “I really missed you, even though I didn’t call. Didn’t you miss me, too?”

  “I missed you as much as you missed me,” she spat out.

  “Then you must have been hurting like I was. I missed you every hour of the day. Every morning when I woke up, it was painful. Tell me that you missed me just one little bit.”

  She turned and looked at him.

  “Of course I missed you, Richard. I thought you had a change of heart and was going back to your old life and your old love.”

  He started to laugh.

  “After all we had together, how could you think something like that?”

  “What was I supposed to think, Richard?”

  “You cut your hair,” he said, filling her bath sponge with water and dribbling it over her breasts. She closed her eyes and allowed him to indulge himself. One hand gently stroked her thigh and a finger parted her thighs and gently caressed her pussy. She parted her legs to give him better access to her pulsing clit.

  “How I missed this,” he whispered, looking down at her, as her mind seemed to leave her body.

  She opened her eyes and looked up at him. Neither of them spoke, as he continued to stroke her. . Suddenly she began to tremble and her body broke into spasms. He kept her fingers between her thighs, while she clung to him, pulling his upper body into the tub and soaking him with bath water.

  “Sorry,” she said laughing, when she finally opened her eyes.

  “Come,” he said, offering her his hand to pull her from the tub.

  “Let me hang your clothes to dry,” she said to him.

  “You only want an excuse to get me naked,” he said, pulling the towel from the rack.

  “I don’t need an excuse to do that. It wouldn’t have taken you long to drop your shorts,” she said putting his shirt on a hanger.

  His clothing now hanging on the shower curtain rod, he led her from the bathroom.

  “How are you?” he asked, gently drying her body with the fluffy towel.

  “I am better,” she said, standing in front of him.

  “I really missed you, but it would’ve been a mistake to call you. I didn’t want you to meet because of the fragile nature of this case. I couldn’t take her out to dinner, because it would’ve been on the front page of the newspaper the next morning. It would’ve been difficult hearing your voice and not being able to touch you.”

  “My situation was not as complicated, but my life was not the same without you in it.”

  “I desperately want to make love to you, Josie,” he said, throwing the towel aside.

  “I want you also, Richard. I missed you so much.”

  He pulled her close and she stared down into his face, his fingers moving sensuously over her body. She lay down beside him and he covered her body with his. He kissed her eyes and ran his thumb along the curvature of her mouth. Her lips parted and he pushed the tip of his tongue inside, just barely. He ran it along her teeth, and their tongues tangled. His breath became short and labored. He cupped her face lovingly in his hands and she felt his hardness rubbing against her thigh.

  “Please, Richard,” she begged.

  “Not yet, Josie. I don’t want to fuck you. I want to make love to you tonight,” he cooed breathlessly.

  He stuck a finger into his mouth, moistening it, and ran it over a nipple. She gasped and he moved down to her full heavy breasts. He flicked his tongue over the tip of one nipple and then the other.

  “How I missed these,” he said licking and finally taking in a mouthful.

  He pulled it between his teeth and teased her, the familiar smell of his cologne infiltrating her nostrils. Desire burned inside her and she clung to him.

  “I want you, Richard.”

  “Not yet,” he murmured.

  “You’re torturing me,” she pleaded.

  “Sweet torture,” he whispered in her ear.

  With two burning peaks, one hidden deep inside his mouth and the other between his fingers, she moved shamelessly with each lick of his tongue. Her body tightened, overwhelmed by sweet seduction, and he lifted his body off hers, for fear she would come too soon.

  “Nice and slow,” he said, his hand moving between her thighs and caressing her.

  “Richard,” she whispered.

  “Yes? What is it?”

  “I want you.”

  “You’ll get me soon,” he said, slipping a finger into her opening.

  In and out, around and around, until she begged for more! Her body was suddenly suspended in midair and he plunged the offending finger even deeper inside. Her muscles sucked it in and clenched it like a vise grip.

  “Let me go,” he begged.

  He pulled slowly out of her and inserted a second finger. This time her hips gyrated and she spat all kinds of sensual obscenities at him.

  “Yes. I love it when you talk dirty,” he said, increasing his momentum.

  A thumb rolled around on her clit and she was lost. With eyes glazed over, she called out his name.

  “Touch me Richard,” she begged.

  “But I am touching you, Josie.”

  “I missed your delicious cock,” she cried out, her tongue circling her bottom lip.

  “Did you?” he whispered.

  “Yes.”

  “A
nd what did you do about it, Josie?”

  “I met Steve, and he was just as exciting as you are.”

  “What?” he shouted.

  “He should be here any minute, so you’ll get to meet him.”

  “I don’t want to meet any of your lovers Josie,” he said jumping from the bed and frantically searching for his clothes.

  Before he reached the door, she was standing against it.

  “May I go, Josie? I’m not in the mood for your games.”

  “Come back to bed and I’ll introduce you to Steve.”

  He stared at her totally confused.

  “What games are you playing with me Josie?”

  “Come back to bed and I’ll show you.”

  Reluctantly, he returned and sat on the edge of the bed.

  She opened her bedside drawer and pulled a black vibrator out.

  “This is Steve,” she said.

  He breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her to him. He kept his face buried in her abdomen, while she stroked his hair.

  “You shouldn’t do things like this to me,” he said, looking up at her.

  “Do you forgive me?” she asked.

  “Yes, I forgive you,” he said, taking it away from her. “Let’s see what my competition can do.”

  They both laughed when he turned it on. Its head moved around and around, but it seemed noisier than it was productive.

  “I’ll put him back into the drawer,” she said.

  “Leave him there,” he said. “I want him to know what he is up against.”

  They started all over with him sucking on her breasts.

  “Did Steve ever do this to you?” he asked.

  “No, he didn’t,” she whispered.

  “Can he do this?” he asked, pushing his finger into her.

  “No, he can’t,” she said breathlessly.

  “What about this?” he asked, opening her thighs and sucking her clit.

  “He can’t do that either.”

  He positioned himself in front of her and plunged his hungry cock into her, then withdrew it.

  “Bet he can’t do this either,” he said.

  “Not the way you can,” she said, her hips rising to meet him.

  She gazed into his face to see his reaction. She seemed to be in pain.