In With the New Baby

by Jamie Knight

  “He’s doing fine but I think he misses you.”

  “So, do you want to come over for dinner with him or….” She twirls her hair.

  “No way,” I say. “You had me over so I’m taking you and Rexie out to the park for a picnic so we can all be together.”

  She puts both hands to her mouth.

  “Oh, that is just so romantic!” she says.

  “I thought you would like that.”

  “I do.”

  “Amanda!” a voice in the distance calls her.

  She turns around.

  “Are you working your shift or what?” some guy asks her.

  “Be right there!” she says. She turns back to me. “Gotta go.”

  “OK,” I say. “Don’t get into trouble.”

  “Seems I can’t avoid that. So, will you let me know when?” she asks as she walks away.

  “Sure thing,” I say.

  She jogs back to the front door of the clinic. I can see her squabbling with the guy who called her back.

  I don’t want her to get into any trouble.

  But I think I may have gotten myself into a heap of trouble.

  I need to figure what I’m going to do, but I like the idea of a picnic. I’ll figure it out.

  And it will be nice to have Amanda, Rexie, and me hang out for a while again.

  Plus, this will be our third date. Maybe I’ll get to score.

  Chapter 13

  Amanda

  Lincoln shows up at my apartment today as he had promised.

  I can’t wait to tell Catharine that things are progressing between us quite well, just as she’d hoped.

  I hear the doorbell ring and I know it’s him, so I linger for more than a few moments. I check out my hair and makeup in the mirror beside the door. (Margie insisted on putting it there for, as she says, “one can never lose a moment looking good where a man is concerned.”)

  And that’s a funny thing for her to say, given how independent she is.

  I guess her good influence is beginning to rub off on me.

  I open the door and see Lincoln standing there. He has his right arm up with his hand holding the top of the door jam. His left foot is crossed over his right. He’s wearing a wife beater, tight jeans, and worker boots.

  He looks hot. I can’t help but stare at his chest hair tufting over his wife beater and his underarm hair as it juts out.

  I feel myself getting excited, but I need to appear calm.

  “Hi,” he says.

  He straightens up, crosses his arms, looks at me and laughs.

  “Your chariot awaits, my princess.”

  I laugh. He’s being goofy but I know he’s trying.

  He grabs my hand and walks me to his Jeep. As I approach it, I see that monster of a sweet dog shoving his head out the window and panting.

  “Rexie!” I call out.

  I go up to Rexie and put my hand up to his nose. He sniffs it and starts whining.

  “Told ya he missed you,” Lincoln says.

  I pat Rexie’s head and he wags his tail and shakes his body. He’s a big German Shepherd looking thing, all black and brown and beige and white.

  I have to admit that I pretty immediately fell in love with him and every time I see him, the feeling is even more overpowering.

  Rexie, that is. Not Lincoln.

  Or maybe Lincoln, too.

  “OK, enough,” Lincoln says.

  He leads me around to the passenger side of the Jeep, opens the door, and hoists me in with a pat on my ass.

  “Careful,” I say.

  He places his hands on his hips.

  “Careful?” he asks and squints. “I’m just getting started.”

  I sit down and Rexie starts panting and wagging his tail in the space behind the back seat of the Jeep. He starts to howl.

  Lincoln gets in the driver’s seat and starts the Jeep.

  “Enough, Rexie,” he says. “We’ll be there in a minute.”

  Rexie yawns, paces around the small space at the very back of the Jeep and lies down.

  He then lets out an enormous sigh.

  “Good boy,” Lincoln says, as Rexie emits one last whine and then grows quiet.

  Lincoln drives to the public park on the other side of the city near the Rio Grande river. It’s a pretty place with lots of nice spots to enjoy a picnic and a bit of privacy given the clumps of trees dotting the landscape here and there.

  We park. Lincoln lifts the hatchback of the Jeep and lets Rexie out. He leaps out of the Jeep onto the ground. In one great sprint, he runs and runs aimlessly. He runs up to us and then back and runs up to us and then back. Each time he approaches us, he nudges my hand and emits a baby growl.

  “He really likes you,” Lincoln remarks.

  He goes to the back seat and unloads a couple of coolers and a bag of other stuff.

  “Let me help you,” I say.

  He smiles.

  “Sure thing.”

  By this point, Rexie has worn himself out and comes up to us panting and whining. Lincoln takes a dog bowl out of the bag and fills it with a bottle of spring water.

  “There you go, boy.”

  I smile and feel butterflies inside. It’s a funny feeling, but I’m thinking, here is Mr. Tough Guy MMA who’ll beat your brains out until you bleed, and he’s thought of what the dog needs as we picnic.

  It’s just so sexy!

  We move over to a grove of trees and I take the bag from him. He’s packed blankets and plastic utensils and paper plates.

  He opens up the coolers and takes the food out one at a time.

  “For the first course,” he says, “I have some of your wonderful gray cheese.”

  I laugh.

  “It’s Gruyere.”

  “Whatever,” he says.

  “And also,” he says as he takes out a long loaf of bread wrapped in a paper bag featuring the red, white and blue of a French flag and café. “A lovely baguette.”

  My heart is just bursting. What a romantic guy!

  “Let me help,” I say.

  I take the bread and cheese and clumsily cut it with the plastic knife and place it on the paper plates.

  “Sorry for the mess,” I say.

  “Not at all,” Lincoln says.

  We sit on the blanket and enjoy the cheese and bread.

  “And to drink,” he says. “A nice crisp white wine.”

  He opens the bottle. The cork seems to stick and his neck and arm muscles bulge as he removes it. It’s really hot.

  I grab the wine glasses from another bag and hold them up.

  He pours the wine and then smiles at me.

  “Cheers,” he says.

  “Cheers!”

  We clink glasses, sip, and then look at each other.

  We remain silent and he leans into me and kisses me on the lips.

  Just then Rexie howls.

  We break apart and laugh.

  “Rexie,” I say. “We love you too.”

  Lincoln takes out some fried chicken, tears it up with his hands, places it in Rexie’s dog bowl and he devours it.

  I laugh and take another sip of my wine.

  “So, I wanted to ask you about going back to Odessa,” I finally tell him. “I’m feeling really stupid for ever bringing it up.”

  He shakes his head.

  “Now is not the time, my love,” he says. “Let’s just enjoy the moment.”

  I don’t push the issue. This date is going so well that I don’t want to ruin anything.

  He reaches into the cooler and starts to prepare our meal.

  After we’ve eaten fried chicken, cole slaw, and fresh soft rolls, we’re drowsy from the food and wine.

  Lincoln lies on his side, propping himself up by his left elbow, and pats the blanket next to him.

  I scoot over and lie by his side.

  He grabs onto me and lies down.

  My head is lying on his strong, taut chest, and my ear is pressed to his pecs. I can hear his rhythmic breath
ing and his strong heart pounding.

  I wake up and look around. Lincoln is still drowsing while Rexie has laid down under one of the oak trees and is fast asleep.

  I look up at the setting sun, the squawk of harsh birds, and feel the light breeze play with my hair that has become unloosed.

  I place my head back on Lincoln’s chest and wrap my arms around his neck.

  For the first time in a very long time, I can say I’m truly happy.

  I close my eyes for a moment and hear the breeze, the low roar of the river in the background, and those annoying but adorable birds.

  Life is filled with happiness and conflict. Those birds are just asserting their place in the world, just like all of us.

  I can’t blame them.

  I look up at Lincoln snoring. He’s sound asleep. I’m resting on his hard chest. Although I’ve seen it in person, I want to feel it. I untuck his t-shirt wedged tight in the waist of his jeans and pull it out. He moves slightly.

  “Can I peek?” I ask him, feeling as if I might burst if I don’t take this opportunity.

  “Mmm hmmm,” he says, smiling slightly. “Do whatever you want to me.”

  He mumbles it drowsily, before he’s soon back to sleep.

  I pull it up and see his hairy pecs and chest. He is so strong. I lightly caress his pecs, his nipples, and then I lead down toward his groin. I stick my hand under the waist of his tight jeans and stop.

  I lick my lips as he groans and readjusts himself.

  I unbuckle his big brown belt and I breathe heavily. I unbutton his jeans and lower his zipper and see his cock. He has no underwear on, and it doesn’t surprise me that he goes commando.

  His big cock is already hard and grows, and throbs, and stands up.

  I decide to surprise him with a little after-dinner treat and so I start sucking it. I go slowly at first, taking the head, and then move up and down his shaft. I smell his manly, outdoorsy scent and I stop as I suck and rest my head against his cock and balls. They are so sexy that I just want to lie here and stare at them.

  He wakes up.

  “Whoa! Hey! Whoa!” he says. “What’s goin’ on?”

  “Nothing,” I say. “Just lie back down and let me enjoy my dessert.”

  He looks at me and smiles.

  “Is this really happening?” he asks, incredulously.

  “Yep,” I say. “As long as you let me continue, that is.”

  “Of course. Be my guest. This is like a dream come true for me.”

  I take control of his dick and I suck his head and shaft and balls. I massage his head against my upper mouth. I take his dick out of his mouth and he’s leaking pre-cum. I squeeze his dick and eat it greedily.

  He sits up and grabs onto me and pushes me down.

  “What are you doing?” I ask him.

  Apparently, now it’s his turn to be in charge.

  “Just lie back,” he says.

  He pushes me down on the blanket, straddles me, and takes out a condom and puts it on. I tell him I’m on the Pill so if we want to do this, we’re good to go.

  He strips off his t-shirt but keeps his jeans on.

  I feel a little bit afraid about getting caught and I tell him so.

  He laughs.

  “C’mon, babe,” he says. “Ain’t no one around and we can do this.”

  “But what about Rexie?” I ask.

  Lincoln looks over at Rexie, who is sound asleep under the big oak tree.

  “He’s fine,” Lincoln says. “He don’t know the difference.”

  Lincoln pushes his hands under my t-shirt so that my breasts are exposed. He grabs them and starts licking my nipples.

  “I knew they would look and taste this good,” he says. “But to be honest, they’re even better than I thought they’d be. I love your sexy curves.”

  He then moves down to my navel and pulls down my shorts and starts tonguing my clit. After a while he touches my clit and fucks me with his finger and soon I’m all wet.

  “Ready to go?” he asks and licks my juice off his fingers.

  I find that so hot.

  “Yes, big boy,” I say. “Give it to me.”

  He gently puts his cock in me and I wince, but soon he’s rhythmic and I’m really gettin’ off.

  “How’s that feel?” he asks.

  “Good,” I say.

  He’s fucking me and I look up at him and he’s so into it and smiles. His big cock is filling me up, just like I knew it would when I fantasized about it. It’s wide and long and it’s stuffing my pussy full.

  “You are so fucking hot,” I say.

  “You’re telling me,” he says. “You’re hot as hell.”

  I put my hand behind his neck and push his head down and kiss him.

  “So fuckin’ hot,” he says. “So beautiful.”

  We go at it for a while and it’s just so hot. I’ve never been fucked by a man like Lincoln. I’ve never felt like this before.

  And soon I feel a wave of heat coming over my body, culminating in tingles in my nerve endings.

  “Oh, I’m there!” I say. “Oh, keep going!”

  And Lincoln fucks me harder and harder as the sweat glistens on his face and chest and pours onto me.

  “Give it to me, baby!”

  “I’m gonna cum!” he says.

  And after a few more thrusts, he arches his head and his face contorts.

  “Oh, man, fuckin’ man!” he says, as he breathes heavily.

  And I’m like one big explosion. Never before have I felt this way and I see the setting sun and the grass and the trees and the river all whirling into one big picture and then I’m spent.

  Lincoln breathes heavily and drops on top of my body. I’m breathing heavily, too.

  I grab onto his shoulders and hold him close to me.

  “Good boy,” I say.

  His heavy breathing slows as he rests on me as I stroke his back.

  Before I know it, he’s sound asleep.

  I look over at the big oak tree and hear Rexie let out a whiny yawn. He looks over at me and yawns again. He lies back down on the ground and falls back to sleep, which is exactly what I want to do after that vigorous sex session, myself.

  Chapter 14

  Amanda

  Lincoln hasn’t shown up for his physical therapy session. I went back to the examination room a number of times, checked with the receptionist, and she said he hadn’t checked in. She gave me a funny look, and I worry that the office knows I’ve been mixing business with pleasure.

  Fuck it, I say. We’re two grown adults, and if Lincoln wants to fuck me in the park, or the parking lot of the office, or fuck me in the middle of downtown, I don’t give a shit.

  I’m tired of living my life adhering to the silent demands of a still, latently sexist culture that can’t get over itself.

  You know, I’d never been the rebellious type. I remember my bedroom as a little girl, always pink and white with Barbie dolls and tea sets.

  I think back now and have to laugh.

  What kind of a fucking life is that to condition your child into?

  It’s a wonder I’ve made it this far. It’s a wonder sometimes I can cross the street without getting hit by a car.

  I feel like a loser. I feel like a loser because Lincoln fucked me and now it’s over.

  I head back to my office to check my phone and my email.

  Nothing.

  I want to cry but then pull back.

  No, I say to myself, you are not going to do this to yourself.

  I think of asking Diane, that nosy bitch of a receptionist again, but then think better of myself.

  I check my schedule and it’s clear for the rest of the day. I look at the clock on the wall and see that it’s 4:00 PM.

  Since it’s a Friday, I think I’ll check out.

  As I leave, I see Anne.

  “Hi Amanda,” she says, always beaming and smiling.

  If she was a man, I would have married him.

  “Hi,
” I say.

  She touches my elbow.

  “What’s wrong, baby girl?” she asks.

  I kind of fidget and squirm like a little girl and say nothing.

  Anne laughs and crosses her arms over her chest. It’s as if she can already guess what’s wrong, so I don’t need to tell her.

  “Lincoln, right?” she asks.

  I say nothing and sway from side to side.

  Suddenly I feel like that foolish little girl with her name, or nickname, anyway – M-A-N-D-Y – in wooden letters on the wall, so I would constantly be reminded who I was as a nobody.

  I’ve regressed from strong Amanda to that little pink and white horror.

  My emotions are raw.

  “I need to go home,” I say.

  “Not to worry, love,” Anne says and hugs me.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll call Damien and see what’s going on.”

  At the sound of Damien’s name, I brighten.

  “Would you?” I ask.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, you’re the best!” I say and kiss her on the cheek.

  I go out to the car and think what I need to get grocery shopping. I’m going to fix a nice meal for myself and Margie, if she ever comes home.

  I need to relax and not worry so much.

  I do worry I’ll never see Lincoln again.

  He can be so fragile, but, then again, so can I.

  And so can all of us.

  But if anyone can find out what’s going on with Lincoln, then I know that Anne and Damien can.

  I drive away and look at the golden and crimson sunset so rich with light and promise.

  I think I’m going to make it.

  I just really hope I hear from Lincoln soon.

  Chapter 15

  Lincoln

  The phone rings. It’s Damien. I hate to pick it up because I know it’ll be about Amanda. The gossip mill has really been churning overtime, probably. But I know I have to talk to him, or he’ll just keep calling. Damien can be fucking relentless like that, when he wants something.

  “Yeah,” I say.

  “Lincoln, where are you?”

  “Home. Just got back from the gym.”

  Honestly, that’s not true. I’ve been so down and out lately that I haven’t been doing anything. I’ve been lying on the couch in just a pair of sweatpants, as well as being shirtless. Rexie has been snoozing next to me.