Chapter 14

Sheryl's phone buzzed on the way to work the next day. She was still glowing from the unbelievable sex she had with Cricket and Shawn, and she couldn't have been in a better mood! Not only did Shawn finally handle her the way she'd been craving, but screwing Cricket in front of him was an experience she'd remember for the rest of her life. She couldn't wait until she could have sex with the two men again!

"What the hell did you do to Shawn last night?"

The voice was her brother's, and he sounded angrier than she could remember.

"What do ya mean? I didn't do anything to him."

It was true; it was Shawn who did it to her, and she smiled at the memory the thought evoked.

"Well he was fine when he and Cricket left my crib last night, but he's actin' all fucked up now! What'd you do ta him?"

"I didn't do anything ta him!" shouted Sheryl defensively. "Why don't ya ask Cricket if yer so sure somethin' happened ta him?"

"Cause Cricket ain't my sister! You are!"

Daryl's voice sounded so angry it almost scared her, and softening her tone, and not knowing how much she could say, she said, "I don't know Daryl. They came over, and we sat around, and had a little fun talkin' and shit. That's all. He seemed fine when he left. What did he say ta you?"

He ain't said nothin' but that's just it. He didn't say anything at all, not even a, hey. He had a real fucked up look on his face, too, like someone had shot his mother or somethin'"

"I don't know Daryl, maybe he's sick or somethin'."

"Yeah, maybe."

That's what Daryl said, but Sheryl knew him well enough to know that he didn't believe her. "I knew I should have gone after him," she mumbled, after her brother hung up.

She remembered thinking that something was wrong the way he left the apartment. She wanted to go after him to make sure he was all right, but Cricket told her he'd be fine and that she just needed to give him a little time.

"He did fuck you didn't he?"

Cricket sounded so convincing when he had said that that she let it go. Now, she knew better, but it was too late to do anything about it.

After Shawn had left, she and Cricket took a shower together, and they ended up in bed again. It seemed like they spent half the night fucking before he finally left, and she thought that is was one of the best nights of her life.

Now, as she rode the bus on the way to work, she realized that things were a lot more serious than she could have imagined, and how serious it would get depended on Shawn. She had no idea what he would do once he'd had a chance to sort through his feelings.

'Who knows?' she thought. 'Maybe Cricket's right. Maybe he'll find that he really liked what happened after all.' She didn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't. All she knew was that there wasn't anything she could do about it either way, unless... 'Yeah, unless, ' she thought.

All through her work day, she thought of different ways that she might be able to influence Shawn in a way that he wouldn't tell her brother what happened. Then ten minutes before her shift ended, Cricket called her and asked if she wanted a ride home.

She thought about how much fun she had with him the night before, and she thought about the prospect of continuing the fun when she got off from work. She also liked how he wanted to spend more time with her, and she figured she was really making progress with weaning him off those "other bitches he fucks," but she also knew that the last thing she needed just then was for someone to see them together, and it got back to Shawn.

"That's all right, Cricket. I don't need a ride today; thanks for asking, though."

"Suit yerself."

Again, no whining voice, no begging, just, "Suit yerself," and that was it. Oh how she loved the way Cricket does things! It almost made her want to change her mind and call him back, but no. She knew she had to concentrate on Shawn now.

"Focus," she told herself, and she was proud of herself for being able to do so.

"Dr. Jameson is wrong," she mumbled. "I ain't no sex addict!"

By the time the bus picked her up, she thought she had a plan for dealing with Shawn, but when she called him, she was surprised that he didn't answer the phone!

'Maybe he's doing somethin' and can't get to his phone right now, ' she told herself. 'After all, he's still at work.'

That's what she thought, but he never even called her back, and later that evening, when she tried calling him again, he didn't answer his phone then either.

"Please Shawn, call me back Baby. I need to talk to you," she said, after hearing the beep on his phone.

'Damn, now I sound like Shawn!' she thought. 'Well, at least my begging won't piss him off like it does me! I only hope he opens up, and talks to me before he talks to Daryl!'

The next day, she found Cricket waiting for her when she got out of work.

"Hey Babe, wanna ride?"

"Sure as long as you drop me off on the other side of the block. I still don't want anyone to see us together."

"Yeah, whatever; get in."

"I'm worried about Shawn," she began, after buckling her seat belt.

"Whatchu mean, worried about him?"

"I think he may be hurt really bad over the other night," she replied, softly.

"He certainly wasn't hurt too bad ta fuck ya!"

"Yeah, I know, but he hasn't been returning my calls, and Daryl's upset because he knows something went down, and now Shawn's actin' all fucked up and everything.

"So? He'll be alright. Just give 'em a little time for things ta blow over. You'll see."

"But what if he tells Darryl what happened?"

"Trust me, he won't," replied Cricket with a laugh.

"But how can you be so sure? What if he does? He and Darryl are tight ya know."

They had come to a red light, and Cricket paused a moment to look at Sheryl before saying, "Just think about it. What's he gonna do? Go up ta Darryl and say, 'Guess what? I watched Cricket fuck my woman the other night.'? Believe me, ain't no man gonna admit to that, no matter how tight they is."

Sheryl hadn't thought of that, and was quiet for a few moments before asking, "Have you tried calling him?"

"Yeah, I did once, but he didn't answer my call either."

"You only tried once?"

"Yeah! What do ya think? Look, if the boy don't wanna talk ta me, then that's it. I ain't gonna beg the man. Sheeit, I ain't his woman. You are!"

Sheryl was quiet again for a few more moments before asking, "Why don't you go over to his crib, and see if he'll talk to ya then?"

"Hey, if the boy don't wanna talk ta me, then he sure ain't gonna wanna see me! Damn girl, don't make more out of this than it really is. It's just a little thing, and I'm tellin' ya, it'll blow over. Now I'm done talkin' 'bout it, and if ya mention it again, then you can just get yer ass outta here and walk the rest of the way home. Ya dig?"

It was obvious that Cricket wasn't going to cooperate, and all she could do was hope that he was right and that it would blow over without Shawn talking to Darryl about it. The only option she had was to try calling him again after she got home.

"I've already called him enough!" she mumbled, going into her apartment.

"Damn! I hadn't felt this way since I was in junior high!" she angrily mumbled, after catching herself glancing at her phone on the table for what seemed the hundredth time. "I can't believe I'm just sitting here hoping that the man'll call!"