Loose Ends Part 12

The more I talked to her, I realized there was something very feminine and s.e.xy about Kree. I'd be looking at her when she talked and she'd blush, push a strand of her hair out of her face, place it behind her ear and lick her full lips. The air-conditioning in the place was cranked up to freezing. Kree's nipples were standing at full alert when I glanced down at them a couple of times. I couldn't help but notice, because she had the prettiest pair of b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Kree was actually kinda shy, and I guess my being so close to her made her nervous.

My initial impressions of her were wrong too; baby girl did have a mind of her own that came out when she wasn't around Brice. She was also very intelligent. Kree told me about some of the musicals that were coming to the Fox Theater in the fall. If Brice didn't take her, she planned to go by herself. For some reason, I believed her. She had a pa.s.sion for dance.

When I glanced up again, Mia and Brice were still playing the game with much laughter. I did my second double take of the day. Brice was standing behind Mia, bending down, with his arms on both sides of her and his hands on the Pac-Man machine maneuvering the gears. With Mia standing in between his arms, they looked intimate, like a couple. Mia laughed at something Brice said and leaned back, for a brief second, into him.

She glanced in my direction with this look on her face-this gleeful, nostalgic look. I smiled. She smiled back.

Kree remained silent by my side. Brice didn't look at her. Kree managed to give me a strained smile.

Finally Mia turned around. "Kree, come over here and help your man lose with some dignity. Like I said, he's no match for me." Brice laughed his hearty laugh and threw up his hands in defeat.

"Yeah, come here, baby. Let me touch that s.e.xy a.s.s of yours and maybe it'll bring me some good luck."

Kree walked over and they exchanged places. How symbolic.

Brice I've grown in my admiration of Mia. Really, I can't get her off my mind. For the longest time, I grieved over the termination of our marriage. I felt like someone close to me had died. I loved that woman to death and a part of me will probably always love her. Even though I treated her wrong, dead wrong, I still felt that Mia had betrayed me by divorcing me and not giving our marriage, our love, another chance. I went from loving her to hating her. I wanted to do some serious bodily harm to her at one point. Then I met Kree, and Mia was moved to another part of my heart. To the back, in the corner. At least, that's what I thought.

Last Sunday I saw a glimpse of the old Mia, the Mia whose heart hadn't frozen in regard to me. I saw a glimpse of the Mia who was pa.s.sionate, fun-loving, giving, and loved me dearly. I tried to play it cool, but I started having flashbacks. Pieces and fragments of our life together kept pa.s.sing before me, playing out in my mind. Mostly the good times, the pa.s.sionate times, the times when Mia was totally uninhibited with me. I used to love that about her. Back then, she'd do almost anything I told her to. And when she leaned back into me, at the Pac-Man machine, I got an instant hard-on. Mia always had that effect on me. There's always one who can take you there with no effort.

To be honest, I'm proud of her! Mia is following her dreams and is good at what she does. Christian told me she was teacher of the year at her school last year. I can't lie-she has matured into an even lovelier woman, and wife, than when we were together. Mia has this confidence about her-something, I'm sad to say, I stifled when we were married. I kick myself every day for what I lost in her. I'm happy for and jealous of Christian all at the same time, but that will forever remain my secret-the jealousy part, anyway.

After we dropped Mia and Christian off at their car, we made plans to have dinner at our house the following Wednesday. We realized that they had never visited us before. That night, Kree and I had some of the best s.e.x we've had in a long time. Kree was singing. It was off the chain! Later that night, I had the weirdest dream. It was so vivid that I thought it was real until Kree woke me up. She said I was calling out something and tossing and turning.

In the dream, I was making love to Kree. I was on top, going in and out slowly, and she was looking deep into my eyes with her big innocent eyes. I pulled her face to mine for a kiss and when I opened my eyes again, Mia is staring up at me with this look of pure ecstasy while I grind inside of her. She was crying softly. I asked her why she was crying, because I thought I was hurting her. She said, "I've waited so long."

I shook my head, looked back down, and then I was on my knees and I was doing it from behind her. I reached around to caress her face with my hand; she put my finger in her mouth and slowly sucked on it for a few seconds. As I pulled her head back by her hair to kiss her neck, I looked and it was Kree again and she was crying. Kree asked, "How can you do this to me? Why? All I did was love you."

That was the dream. I was going back and forth f.u.c.king Kree and then Mia. Finally, I couldn't tell one from the other, they became one, and just when I was explosively coming and shouting out, Kree woke me up. I'm not even going to try to figure that one out.

The dinner Wednesday was pleasant enough. It was pretty laid-back and casual. Kree took an exorbitant amount of time planning the meal. I'm like, "It's only Mia and Christian, baby. We aren't entertaining the king and queen of England." But that's my Kree; everything had to be perfect. She finally decided on a garden salad with red-wine vinaigrette dressing, baked salmon with rice pilaf, and steamed long-stemmed green beans, and, for dessert, we had strawberry shortcake. Kree even brought out our good china.

I knew Kree would be a little p.i.s.sed at me because I arrived late. Dinner was at six o'clock, and I showed up from work at six thirty. To top it off, earlier, I wasted so much time on a doc.u.ment that I had to rewrite twice. And I had a ton of phone calls to place and return. I can't get some of the kinks out of my software; it's just not running smoothly. Kree is not big on installing computer software, and I'm definitely not. I hate the thought of hiring someone to set me up when everything is almost working. They will charge me an arm and a leg for a couple of hours of work. All of this put me behind schedule.

Anyhow, when I walked through the door at six thirty, the first and only person I saw was Mia. She was standing in the middle of my living room wearing this s.e.xy, knee-length, wraparound red dress that tied at the waist, with sling-back red shoes, flaming red toenail polish, and bright red lipstick. She even had her short hair gelled down on the sides. Needless to say, Mia took my breath away. Talk about s.e.xy, totally hot and sensual.

I slowly closed the door and turned away from her in order to give myself a few seconds to compose myself.

"I apologize for being so late. Where is everybody?"

"Your wife ran to the corner store for rolls or something, and my husband is in the restroom."

I noticed the way Mia always referred to Kree and Christian as "your wife" and "my husband."

"Oh, I see. By the way, you look lovely. You always did look great in red. And something smells wonderful in the kitchen. I'm starving." I loosened my tie and hung up my suit jacket in the coat closet. I never hung up my jacket; I'd usually toss it on the sofa for Kree to take care of.

"Oh, yeah, Kree should be right back. She wouldn't let me help her with anything. She seemed right at home in the kitchen."

"Yeah, she's a great cook."

"I'm glad. I know that's important to you."

There was a silence. We just stood there smiling at each other. I took a step forward and Mia took one step back.

"Oh, I was looking for something to put in the CD player."

"Here, let me help you." I slowly walked over to her.

"Don't we have deja vu going on here?" Mia joked.

"Ummm, you smell good. Good enough to eat."

Mia gave a nervous, high-pitched laugh, the one she used to do when she was uncomfortable, and turned back around to focus on the CDs.

I knew she was embarra.s.sed at the thought of me eating her out.

"What do you have on?" I asked, walking up behind her. Mia turned suddenly around and we were looking at each other, eye-to-eye. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s accidentally rubbed up against my chest. She gasped like she had been burned, and jumped back from me. I grabbed her arm to keep her from falling. Man, when my hand touched her bare flesh, I felt an electric shock. Seriously. It was my turn to let go.

Christian walked into the room at that moment. "Man, you'd better get your a.s.s in there and change before your wife gets back from the store, because she is already p.i.s.sed that you're late."

"You ain't never lied. Okay, y'all make yourselves at home. My home is your home, mi casa es su casa and all that jazz."

Mia was rubbing her arms, her back turned to Christian. I heard Kree at the front door, fumbling with her keys, before I saw her. By the time Kree arrived home with fresh baked rolls in hand from the local deli, I had showered and dressed in khaki pants, a tan s.h.i.+rt, and loafers. We were sitting in the living room listening to the Alicia Keys CD, talking about how talented she was and how she was going to be a superstar, and sipping on chilled chardonnay.

"Hey, baby." I got up to help her with the package and to give her a wet kiss. Her mouth was hot and wet and yearning for more when I pulled slowly away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mia watching us intensely. When I looked in her direction, she dropped her eyes to the floor.

I didn't want a d.a.m.n att.i.tude from Kree for the rest of the night because I was a little late. So I figured I'd pour the lovey-dovey on. Just as I thought, Kree forgot all about my being late. I'm telling you, most women just want to be babied and pampered and they'll melt in your mouth. Ha ha ha.

I've been with a lot of women, all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds, in my lifetime, and they're basically all the same. Some are just a greater drain on your wallet than others; they need more from you. They require more maintenance. But believe me, when the loving is good, they are all the same in bed; they come like cottage cheese.

In no time at all, Kree was calling us to the dining room. The table setting looked great along with the delicious food. Once again Kree had outdone herself. To create an atmosphere, she dimmed the lights and adorned our crystal candleholders with some gold-trimmed white candles. With Alicia Keys playing in the background, we couldn't ask for more other than good conversation. Christian and Mia fixed their plates, at Kree's request, and dug in after I told them not to wait for us. After Kree fixed my plate, she finally sat down to dinner as well.

I noticed the look Mia gave Kree. When we were married, Mia used to hate with a pa.s.sion to fix my plate. We would have major, major arguments about it. I remember one time I broke every plate in the d.a.m.n house, because if I didn't eat then no one would. Mia felt that if I was a grown man with the use of both hands, then I should do it myself. I told her that she was my wife and that was a form of respect, something a woman should do for her man. Take care of him and all. It would almost kill her if I made her fix my plate if we were out in public at a buffet-style restaurant.

"Brice, how's business, man?" Christian asked.

"Man, didn't I tell you? I got my first two clients the other day. Nothing major, just some security work at this upcoming rap/hip-hop venue."

"That's great. Looks like you're in the house."

Christian raised his winegla.s.s for a toast. Everyone followed suit. "To much success and prosperity."

Everyone chimed in. "Cheers."

"But that's why I've really got to get my software problem solved, and soon."

"Mia's pretty good at stuff like that. Baby, why don't you go over and take a look at it?" Christian asked, looking in my direction.

"Uh, sure," Mia responded hesitantly. "I can drop by one day next week and take Kree shopping afterward."

The remainder of dinner was pleasant. We talked about all sorts of things, as friends do. I caught up on my ex-mother-in-law, heard all about the joys and tribulations of teaching these new generation kids, and learned about the newest adorable thing Lyric was doing. Based on Mia's comments, it was also obvious that Mia wasn't pleased with the long hours Christian was putting in at work. Kree was making plans for us to attend some of the ballets that were coming to town. I'd have to think about that. Ballet wasn't my thing.

Christian and Mia finally called it a night around nine thirty, because Christian had to work the next morning. All in all, it was a good evening. We had all come a long way.

Kree "Sure, Mother. Just let us know when and where and we'll pick you up at the airport. Hartsfield-Jackson." Mother had informed me that she wanted to pay us a visit soon. Real soon. Secretly, I was dreading it, because she and Brice didn't get along for more than five minutes at a time, and it wasn't a good time anyway. I didn't need more drama.

"Are you sure you're feeling better, baby? You might have that bug that's going around. You're not usually this quiet."

"Yes, Mother. I'm feeling a lot better than I was earlier this morning. I just needed a day off from work, a day to myself."

"Good. You take care of yourself down there. Don't let that husband of yours run you ragged, girl."

"Mother, he doesn't run me." I felt my temper rising.

"Yeah, that's what you say. I see otherwise. You wouldn't know the truth if it slapped you in the face. Anyhow, I'm just glad you finally got that little ex-wife problem resolved. It's not kosher to have a relations.h.i.+p with your husband's ex-wife. And how does his best friend end up marrying his ex, anyway? It doesn't make sense."

I said yes and no a few times for effect and let Mother go on and on. I had lied and told her that we hadn't seen Mia and Christian in a while. I would have never heard the last of it if she knew we were all hanging out a lot lately. It had been about a week since I last saw them. Today was a sick day for me, or at least a sick-of-Brice day.

"Okay, I'm going to hang up now and give your brother a call at work. Take care, baby, and I'll talk to you soon. Go get back in bed and drink some orange juice. Don't you even think of preparing that man's dinner today. Let him fend for himself for a change."

"Mother, that man's name is Brice."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Okay, Mother. I gotta go. Bye. I love you," I said before we started to argue.

"Love you too."

It was almost noon and I hadn't even dressed yet. I had heard Mother leaving a message on our answering machine and had instinctively picked up without even thinking about her long lectures. Still not in a hurry to shower and dress, I sat down on the sofa, turned on the TV and flipped through a few channels. Nothing caught my eye, just a lot of talk and court shows. I didn't need more drama in my life, even if it was somebody else's. Yesterday, I'd experienced more than enough drama to last me for a lifetime. It all started out so innocently . . .

I was in the kitchen finis.h.i.+ng up our dinner dishes while Brice sat at the kitchen table, reading the sports page in the Atlanta Journal-Const.i.tution.

"Brice, what's wrong, baby? You've been distracted lately," I asked him with concern etched in my voice. I know my husband, and he had been too restless the last few days and nights. Something was up; something wasn't right with him.

"Kree, for the fifth time this week, I'm fine!"

"Sweetie, I was only asking because-"

"Well, don't ask. d.a.m.n it, can you understand the words coming out my mouth?" he asked, glaring over at me.

"I was only concerned, thinking-"

Brice jumped up from the table, his face an angry mask. "Don't think! G.o.ddammit, how many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my m.u.t.h.af.u.c.kin' business? You got that, Kree? Is that simple enough for you? Leave me the f.u.c.k alone. You-you're my d.a.m.n problem! Always fifty questions."

"Fine!" I screamed as I ran by him and threw the wet dish rag in his face.

"Kree, get your a.s.s back in here. Now!" he screamed at the top of his voice.

"No, leave me alone," I cried from our bedroom.

"I'm not telling you again, Kree!"

"No!"

When I glanced up again Brice was towering above me with his face scrunched up in a total fit of rage and his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Before I could get over the surprise and react, Brice yanked me up from the bed by my hair and dragged me back into the dining area. I was crying, kicking and pleading the entire way. When he got to the spot where the dish rag lay, he stopped.

"Now, pick it up and place it neatly in the sink," he said calmly, pus.h.i.+ng my face near the floor.

I didn't move. The only sound was my cries for him to stop. It was chilling because Brice was so calm and cold.

"This is my final request. Pick it up or you're going to regret it in exactly five seconds. One, two, three . . ."

I reached down and quickly picked up the dish cloth before he reached five.

"Good girl."

Brice, still holding me by the hair, led me over to the sink. I placed it neatly in the sink as he requested. He let go of my hair with a smirk on his face. Brice pushed me away like discarded garbage.

I ran back down the hallway. "I . . . hate . . . you! I hate your a.s.s so much! You make me sick! I can't stand your d.a.m.n a.s.s," I screamed in between hysterical sobs and clenched teeth.

"What? What did you say to me?" he yelled. He caught me by the arm and readied his fist to strike me.

"Repeat that s.h.i.+t to my face. I'm waiting, Kree."

By now, I was hugging the wall in fear and trying to get as far away from him as I could. Brice was out of control.

"You promised-you promised, Brice . . . that you'd never hit me. You promised," I sobbed. My body gave out and I slunk down to the floor in a squatting, fetal position.

Something broke in him. He came to his senses. His entire demeanor changed in an instant. His seething anger changed to instant regret.

"Kree, I'm not going to hit you. See, you're doing that same s.h.i.+t Mia used to do all the time. Provoking me. Come here." He pulled me up into his strong arms.

"I'm sorry, baby. I love you, Kree." He kissed me all over my face and neck, over and over again.

I couldn't even look at him. I looked down at the floor. He cradled my chin in his hand and forced me to look up into his light brown eyes.

"I love you, Kree."

"Okay."

"Did you hear what I said?" he asked with just a hint of anger in his voice again.