Authors: Mercedes Keyes
Patting herself dry, Sylvia began the ritual of spreading lotion on her body. Propping a foot on the toilet seat, she began there. Completely massaging the lotion into the skin of her foot, ankle, calf, up over her knee and behind, further up still working it into the circumference of her thigh. Grabbing the bottle to squeeze out more, she massaged it onto the cheeks of her butt, and then treating the next leg with the same. The spectacle aroused her stalker even more. To his perverse delight, she began smearing her belly and breast with the lotion with such exquisite slowness, he knew she enjoyed what she was doing as much as he enjoyed watching her. Covering her body and arms with the same thoroughness he planned to take once he moved in to invade her.
Finishing up as always, Sylvia put her deodorant on under her arms, and then, grabbing her feminine deodorant spray, spread her legs and applied it to her most intimate area.
Turning, she sat at the vanity, reaching for the bottom drawer, sliding it open to see something that was like a slam to her chest. Her delicate articles, her lingerie, had been rifled through. She had a habit of always keeping her drawers neatly arranged, folded and sorted to almost perfection. What she saw now, was absolute evidence that someone had been in her house. Gasping in panic, she quickly moved aside the top panties to reach for the folded ones beneath, letting out a sudden shrill scream with the sound of someone knocking at her door.
Quickly grabbing her underwear, she thrust her legs within, snatching out a bra, she hurriedly put it on. Running into her bedroom to the dresser, she yanked out a drawer to remove a T-shirt, pulling it over her head. Then down to a lower drawer for a pair of sweats, when the knocking sounded again, this time louder, accompanied by, “Sylvia! I know you’re home…now open this door!”
With silent speed, she ran to the door as her unknown intruder slid into her closet, frustrated at the sudden interruption of his plans. He’d stepped from the door about to attack her when she was bent over the drawer, but the knock had halted him, making him dart back behind the door. Now he stood in the closet, silent, watchful…and waiting.
Rushing to the door, Sylvia hated to admit it, but she was glad he was home. He was finally back! The minute she snatched open the door, it was with the intention of throwing herself into his arms, however, his angry gruff expression halted her.
“Where the hell have you been! I’ve been trying to reach you for two days! Late at night—I might add!” He was pissed and it showed. That immediately put her on the defensive.
“Excuse me! Don’t come up in my house, yelling at me about where I’ve been! Don’t worry about where I’ve been!”
“Well, thank you very much! My trip went well! The flight was fine! And the rental car drives nice! Thank you very much for your concern!” he fumed sarcastically, following Sylvia further into the kitchen. “Since it's apparent that you’re fine…I take it there’s a reason why you’ve all of a sudden changed from the other night when we spoke, to completely ignoring my phone calls and leaving me to rent a car when you were suppose to pick me up!”
“I have other things going on. It didn’t kill you to rent a car. I’m not gonna be running like some fool at your beck and call, Shawn Everett McPherson—Styles! Furthermore, it seems to me…you have other options for getting someone to pick you up at the airport, and I don’t know why you didn’t call her.”
“What?! What’s that suppose to mean?”
“Yeah, right! As if you don’t know! I don’t have time for the games. I explained that to you from the very beginning. But foolish me, I got caught up into playing it with you anyway…and now…I’ve had enough. No more! So I’m glad you had a nice trip. A safe flight. A way home. Now kindly turn around and leave my house, I have things going on… I’d just as soon get back to them. Goodbye!”
“Wait, wait, wait, wait! Hold your horses, lady! You’re not going to get rid of me that easily! I want to know what’s going on here!”
“Sounds like a personal problem to me. Please take care of it across the road, and not in my house…as I said…goodbye!”
“Yeah, well, the thing is, I’m in the dark here! I’m not going anywhere until you shed some light and tell me what’s going on!”
"Fine, let me shine a torch on it for you, just to make it a little clearer. Oh, and by the way, perhaps you’d like a drink first, let me see…ooooh, how’s about a little
Sherry
?” she threw the name out sarcastically. Shawn stood in a dumb-like state trying to figure out where this was leading to, and finally answered, “No thanks on the sherry. I hate sherry, can’t even stand sherry on my lips.”
“Funny, that’s not what I’ve heard!”
“What—in the hell—are you talking about?” he bit out.
Getting fed up and not wanting to continue the fight with him, Sylvia blurted out, “Sherry! That’s what this is about.”
“Sherry? Who in the hell is Sherry?”
“Oh, oh, oh…how convenient selective memory is. Not convenient to remember Sherry now, so you don’t know who she is…but, oh, she sure knows who you are, so much so, that she knows your real name. I mean, I can understand her knowing you by Everett, but she knows your personal name…wanna tell me how that is? No, no, no, no, never mind…like I said…don’t bother and neither will I. Just leave, okay, just leave!”
For a moment he didn’t answer, nor did he move, he stood milling the name over in his head and saying it out loud. “Sherry? Sherry? Sherry?”
“Figure it out across the street, please.”
“Will you hush a moment here, I’m trying to think,” he returned.
“Don't you tell me to hush! Think someplace else, not here…now go!”
“Lady…you can cry ‘go’ all you want…but I’m telling you, I don’t know anyone by the name of Sherry.”
“You liar! How can you stand here and lie to my face?”
“Liar? I have no reason to lie to you! Furthermore, I don’t appreciate you accusing me of being a liar!”
“Well somebody's lying, then, and she knows your personal name. How do you explain that?”
“First of all, who in the hell is this
she
or…Sherry? What does she look like?”
Crossing her arms over her breast, at first Sylvia played the mulish treatment. Shawn stood with his arms crossed over his chest mimicking the gesture. “Well? What does she look like?” Sighing, Sylvia finally described her. Afterwards, Shawn ran the description through his memory, then his eyes got wide.
“That little
bitch!
Oh, now I remember her!”
“Good for you! Goodbye!”
His response was to remove his coat and toss it to one of her kitchen chairs. “You want me to leave? You tell me what happened with this Sherry, first.”
“I don’t have to tell you anything, and you’re starting to piss me off! Now get out of my house, or I will call the police to remove you!” she threatened.
He was stunned, and for a moment he considered saying,
the hell with it,
but he couldn’t…he just couldn’t. Instead he went to the table, pulled out a chair, sat down, then waved a hand toward the phone on the wall. “Okay…call’em. Because until you tell me what I want to know, that’s the only way you’re getting me out of here.”
So angry she could scream, Sylvia charged to the phone, picked it up off the hook, holding it…she stared at him, he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Damn you, Shawn!” She slammed the phone back onto its base, knowing there was no way she could call the police on him. Confused about everything, she stubbornly crossed her arms across her breasts and leaned against her counter, not saying another word. He sat there quiet as well, watching her, and waiting. When she remained quiet, he sighed, leaning forward and said,
“Okay…then let me tell you when and where I met her. It was around the time I first got here. During the couple of weeks you and I weren’t speaking, for whatever reason at the time. A friend of mine came to visit me. We went to the bar in town—”
"Yeah, right! I haven't seen or noticed anyone visiting you there!" she announced.
Disregarding her words, Shawn paused and started again. “As I was saying, we went to the bar in town. We had a few drinks and shot some pool. As this is going on, the little bitch you mentioned had been doing everything possible to get my attention, except for stripping or standing on her head. Finally, she had the nerve to pick my fu—freakin’ pocket, thought it was funny and started reading my license out loud. She finally got my attention, however didn't like it once she had. To put it simply, I told her she ever do that again, I’d have her arrested. Of course, I said more than that. A lot more colorfully, but you get the picture. Haven’t talked to her since, even though she’s tried to get my attention in other ways. She’s a cheap little whore, and I wouldn’t let the family pet do her. Thus…how she knows my real name.”
Sylvia looked down away from him. She believed him. He was telling her the truth and she knew it. Regardless, that didn’t change anything. She was stupid for letting this get started in the first place.
“It’s the truth, Sylvia. The honest to god truth. I only got one of what’s hanging between my legs…I ain’t about to be using it—”
“There’s no need to be crude, I don’t wanna hear all that,” she said finally. “Look…” she started, then stopped, looking up from the floor at him. “This shouldn’t be happening…between us,” she said, swallowing.
With an incredulous look on his face, he drew back exclaiming, “What?! What’s that suppose to mean?”
“You're white! I’m black! Relationships are hard enough! I don’t need the added pressure and stress this combination will bring, so let’s just put on the breaks right now before it goes any further.”
Shawn felt his heart speed up. He stared at her dumbfounded, then very slowly, stood from his seat. Walking to the middle of the kitchen floor, he stared, his mind working with something to say to that. Then something occurred to him. “Did you tell this to your daughter as well? Unless my eyes deceive me, Victor is white. Pale Blonde, sky blue eyes, fair skin…the whole nine yards! What’d you tell her?”
“That's her life! This is mine. Besides, she did that behind my back! She ended up pregnant. It was out of my hands. What was done, is done. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna do it. Now, please, let’s just end this before it goes any further.”
“So, you’re telling me…you don’t want me? Is that what you’re saying?” he asked huskily, his voice laced with low fear that she could clearly hear. Slowly he approached her against the counter. Sylvia turned her head aside, not wanting to look at him. “I asked you a question. Because I can tell you right now…I want you.”
“It’s just a little case of jungle fever…find a hooker, she can fix that for you.”
“Oh, my
god!
I hate that freakin’ term! Never gave it much thought until now! But I can tell you this—I hate it! Because that’s a bunch of bullshit!” He was right up close to her now. His hands braced against the counter on either side of her, leaning low to look up into her face. “Jungle fever has its cure. What I’m feeling for you, lady, I will die with. No cure for this. I got it for good. ‘Cause it’s waaaay down deep and only you can reach it.”
“Move, Shawn,” Sylvia panted. His closeness was wrecking her resolve and stirring her in a way she couldn’t handle.
“You look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t want me, too.”
She pushed against his hand to come from between him and the counter, but he held fast, bringing his body in closer to her. “Tell me you don’t want me, too, I said.”
With tears in her eyes, Sylvia looked up at him, in his eyes and said, “I don’t want you! Now get out of my house!”
His eyes widened in shock. He felt as if she’d punched him in the stomach. “You damn liar! You goddamn liar!” He grabbed her to him. His mouth going to hers. Sylvia’s heart gave a lurch as she turned her head away. “No, Shawn, please!” He ignored her, grabbing her jaw and turning it back to him. Then forced his kiss on her as his other arm went around her back, closing her in between him and the counter. With a hunger neither could deny, he ravished her mouth, while rubbing the length of his body against hers. Sylvia pushed against him, trying to break free as tears gathered in her eyes and fell, fighting an overpowering need to give in. She had the cloth of his shirt gripped in her hands at his shoulders, trying to pull him away, but it was no use. She needed this. She needed him. In mere seconds, she found herself pulling him tightly to her. Her whimpers and moans sounding out as his tongue filled her mouth, while his lower half grinded hard against her. The feel of his large hand covering her breast and squeezing, made her knees buckle. Immediately, he swooped low and scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to the bedroom with her one arm around his shoulders and her palm at his cheek, their tongues waged a battle from their passions.
At the bed he carefully lowered her there, keeping their mouths connected until her head lay on the pillow, pulling him down to her. Taking her by surprise, she found his hands gripping her forearms, pulling them away from him as he rose taking his mouth from hers. Panting and throbbing with desire for him, Sylvia's eyes reflected confusion, questioning his drawing away from her. Shawn stood beside her bed looking down at her, trying to bring his own breathing under control, saying finally as he drew in a deep breath.
“I’ve got my pride, too. I’m tired of forcing you…like this…to want me. No more. I want you to want me, as I want you…and I want you to admit it. I want you to at least meet me half way. This is not a game I’m playing. You see, I’m playing for keeps. Me white. You black. I don’t give a damn. I’m ready and willing to deal with whatever happens. Only thing is, you gotta want it, too. No more forcing. So…I’m gonna go now. You want me…you know where to find me.” With that, he turned and walked away from her, grabbing his coat off the chair and headed for the door and out.