Chapter 23

There is a saying my grandfather used to say before he died, “It’s all fun and games until someone gets poked in the eye.”

Holly and I would laugh because we thought it was hilarious in our youth. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve begun to understand it beyond the literal sense.

Ray knew that I was creeping with Derrick. He didn’t know right away but he figured it out. Well, it wasn’t hard when he found us fucking at the beach apartment. I knew I felt someone watching. It was him. He stated he didn’t say anything because he was having a little fun of his own with Gracie on the side. Did it sting when I heard him confess it? Yes. It did. But how could I get mad when I was already doing my dirt with his son and his brother? It was tragic, yet hilarious.

As the days went by, Ray and I got used to being with just each other. I had made enough mistakes which luckily didn’t result in pregnancy by other men. The whole month of December we went at it pretty hard, well, harder than usual.

We were consumed with trying to make this child we both wanted. This made it very difficult at work with Donovan who still wanted me. He’d ask almost weekly if I was pregnant. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen soon enough for him.

I was convinced he needed someone other than me to focus on. He was convinced that he didn’t need anyone except me. As we sat eating one day in mid-January, he commented, “I like what we have, I don’t want anyone else.”

I shook my head, “That’s insane. You need someone for you.”

He agreed but still was content with our previous arrangement. But I felt his heart was too entwined in the interaction. “How can I keep fucking you knowing that you’re in love with me.”

He was quiet for a moment then spoke, “I thought women liked that. Love.”

“You can’t love me. It can’t be that between us. Maybe we shouldn’t—”

“No, don’t. I promise that I’ll do my best to curve these feelings.”

“How?”

“Maybe you could consider taking some time off.”

My face scrunched, “You want me to quit?”

“Come on Ashanti, it’s not like you need this money and it would help not seeing you every day.”

I gulped. He stood, “Just think about it. You’ll be pregnant soon and you’re not going to want to make that drive every day.”

I watched as he headed out of the office. I sighed as I sat at my desk. I didn’t need to work but I wanted to do something. I stood to my feet and pondered Donovan’s words. He needed time to get me out of his system. I nodded; I could step aside. There were other opportunities for me.

February had come. It was a good time for me. I was settling down into my new role of doing volunteer work. I was teaching piano at Jessica’s high school. I got to meet her new boyfriend. He was a sweetheart and they were so cute together.

My cousin and Jeremy were dating pretty heavily. She told me that she loved how good he was in bed. That was something she didn’t have to tell me. I already knew. She commented that he was better than my father and I nearly threw up in my mouth.

I guess all that drinking had my poor papa going limp early and leaving her hanging. She was willing to put up with it because he was the baby’s father. But once he disappeared as I informed her he would, she learned that there were men out there who didn’t mind being protectors and providers and stroking the kitty to perfection. It’s nice when you can obtain all three in a relationship minus the bull shit.

It was Friday evening when I got home from shopping. I decided that after I put my purchases away that I’d get changed and go sit by the pool. That’s where I saw Jessica and her boyfriend Abel in the water kissing. And if I didn’t know any better, I would have sworn he was fingering her little pearl under the water because she had one serious O face going.

He hurried and stepped back, “Ms. Blair, how are you,” he said with a big smile as if I didn’t know he was playing with my little niece’s kitty in the water.

I grinned, “Um, Ms. Henriquez.” My eyebrow lifted.

She looked at me as if she wanted to die. Honestly, I wasn’t going to give her shit. She was eighteen years old. I smiled at her. She looked relieved. They left the pool. I watched as the toweled off and then he gave her a little peck on the cheek before saying goodbye.

I waved to him as he headed into the house with her. Moments later, she returned and sat next to me on my lounge chair, “Abel and I want to have sex,” she blurted out.

I chuckled, “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Very. We want to be careful. I want to get on the pill.”

“Have you talked to your mother?”

“Ashanti,” she whined.

“I’m serious. I think that conversation would be a great way for you two to bond and get back on some kind of cordial playing field.”

“I have no intentions of talking to that woman about having sex. I want to talk about it with someone who enjoys it and can tell me how it’s supposed to be.”

My eyes squinted.

“Oh come on. I hear you and my uncle Ray.”

I laughed.

“That’s the kind of sex I want.”

“Well, uncle Ray is an experienced man, and um, Abel—”

“He can learn, right? We’ve been watching videos. Plus, he’s had sex a few times before with his ex-girlfriend.” I took a deep breath. “Come on, I’m eighteen and so is he. We’ll both be in college in the fall and living on campus. We want to do this.”

I nodded. I knew if she was that adamant that that meant, she was going to do it one way or another and I wanted her to be responsible. I was happy she was using her head. “Okay fine. We can go on Monday but you still have to give the pill time to work in your system. You can’t go all willy nilly letting Abel release his semen inside of you.”

“So condoms?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks, Ashanti,” she said as she hugged me and ran off happily. I took a deep breath and stared out at the sparkling water of the pool. I pulled out a book and read until I fell asleep.

After relaxing by the pool, I headed to the shower. As I washed my body, I felt the fullness of my breasts and chuckled. They had never felt that heavy before. I stepped out after turning off the water. Ray was getting undressed, “How was your day,” he asked before he kissed my mouth.

He had been working late and getting home just before bedtime. I smiled, “It was great.”

He surveyed my body and smiled. He noticed it too. He felt them, “Are you?”

I shrugged, “I think so. I made an appointment next week.”

He kissed my mouth, “I bet you are.” He was beaming with joy. Before I knew it, my ass was on the counter and his cock was buried in my center. Wild, raw, passionate fucking. As he stroked the moments away, he paused briefly, “Let’s fly to Vegas for a few days.”

I touched his face, “To Vegas?”

He panted and moaned, “Yes baby, to Vegas. We can bring our friends.”

I smiled, “Are you asking me—”

“Yes. Marry me, ugghhhh, fuck, ahhhh,” he groaned as he emptied into me. Our lips touched, “So?” he asked.

I nodded, “Yes. I’ll marry you.”

“You like being taken care of and I love taking care of you.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck. We hugged for a moment and then he took a shower.

It was three-and-one-half carat in the shape of a teardrop which sat up nice and high. I couldn’t stop looking at it as it sat on my left finger. We were on the airplane headed to Vegas with Jess, Donovan, Gracie, and Damian.

It would be a weekend getaway and a chance to celebrate the birthday that Ray didn’t get to celebrate back in October. We planned to have a grand time.