Changing Faces (10 page)

Chapter 13

W
HITNEY

H
AVE A SEAT,”
I said after disarming the security system. Rico and I had just walked into my house and I was glad there wasn’t anything lying around. While I was growing up, my mother had always been a stickler for keeping every room in order at all times, and it was the one good trait I had inherited from her.

“You have a very nice home,” he said.

“Thank you.”

“And the decorating is straight, too. You got skills, girl.”

“Thanks,” I said, walking into the kitchen. “Can I get you anything to drink? Soda? Juice? La Croix?”

“I never do soda. But I’ll take bottled water if you have it.”

I opened the cupboard above the sink, pulled out a crystal glass, and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

“Can I get you something to eat?” I asked when I came back into the family room.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll probably pick up something on the way home.”

Rico was sitting on the sofa, so I sat across from him on the love seat.

He took a sip of his water and looked at me. “Why are you sitting all the way over there?”

“No special reason,” I said, although I was still thinking about the shower I hadn’t taken yet.

And he must have figured the same thing because he didn’t force the issue.

“How long have you lived here?” he said, admiring the surroundings.

“Almost ten years.”

“That’s a long time.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”

“I just purchased my first home two years ago and it’s a great feeling.”

“You said you live in Chicago Heights, right?”

“Yeah. I’ve lived in a couple of other suburbs, too, but Chicago Heights is where I grew up. Plus, my parents and my sisters are still there.”

“It’s good when you can live close to family.”

“For sure,” he agreed, and drank some of his water. “So, what about you?”

“I grew up in Aurora, but when my two best friends bought homes out here, I decided to do the same thing.”

“Nothin’ wrong with that. So, have the three of you been friends for a long time?”

“Charisse and I have been friends since we were in seventh grade, and we met Taylor while we were in college.”

“What school did you go to?”

“Northwestern.”

“Man, you were practically right at home then.”

“I know, but that’s where the partial scholarship and grants came from, so…”

“Is that why your friends went there, too?”

“Charisse had a partial like I did, plus her mother refused to pay out-of-state tuition. But Taylor got a free ride all four years.”

“Wow. Did she play sports?”

“Nope. It was strictly academic. And then she went to Yale for law school.”

“Well, if I ever need an attorney, let her know that I’ll definitely be calling her.”

We both laughed.

“Yeah, that is my girl of girls. And she’s extremely intelligent. She scored in the top five percent nationally on her SAT exam.”

“Those are the kinds of stories that make you feel proud.”

“I know.”

“So, what do you do for a living?” he asked, pouring more water into his glass.

“I’m a manager for Telecom Wireless.”

“Then you’ve done pretty well yourself.”

“I can’t complain.”

Rico leaned back on the sofa, making himself more comfortable. I picked up the selector and switched on the television, but I turned the volume down to a murmur.

“So, what about you?” I said. “Where did you graduate from?”

“Howard.”

“Great school. What did you major in?”

“Accounting.”

“Oh, okay.”

“And I work for AIC Healthcare.”

“Is that one of the PPOs?”

“It is. And there’s a lot of room for advancement if I can ever pass the CPA exam.”

“I’ll bet.”

“I took it two times right after college and then I sort of gave up on it. But my plan is to start back studying so that I can take it again next year or the following.”

“I don’t blame you, because I’ve been thinking about going back for my M.B.A. There’s this accelerated program that I’ve been researching, so at some point I’m definitely wanting to do it.”

“It’s never too late.”

“I turned thirty-eight this year, so a part of me was thinking that it was, but now I’m planning to just go for it.”

“And I’m thirty-five, so I do know the feeling.”

I’d been hoping that we were at least the same age, because my history with men who were younger than me wasn’t good. Either they proved to be immature or they eventually realized that they didn’t want to be with an older woman.

I glanced over at the television, unable to look at Rico.

“Does that bother you?” he asked.

“What?”

“Our age difference.”

“Somewhat.”

“Well, please don’t let it, because I date women of all ages.”

“And you don’t prefer one over the other?”

“No. I don’t. As long as a woman is good to me, I don’t care if she’s twenty or fifty.”

“I feel the same way.”

“You know,” he said. “The more I sit here, I am getting a little hungry. Do you have any fruit?”

“I’ve got apples, but that’s pretty much it. I started this low-carb diet today, so I can’t have a lot of fruit in the beginning. Do you want me to grab you one?”

“Please.”

“I’ve got some cheese, too, if you want it. My grandmother used to eat them together, so I kinda picked up on it.”

“Get outta here. My parents do the same thing. What kind do you have?”

“A block of cheddar.”

“Then I’ll take it.”

I stood and walked back into the kitchen. When I returned I passed Rico a plate with a sliced Rome apple and a wedge of cheese.

“Can I ask you something?” I said.

“What’s that?”

“And please don’t be offended. But are you part Puerto Rican?”

He laughed. “It’s my name that has you curious, right?”

“Well, actually, yes.”

“No. My parents went to Puerto Rico on their honeymoon and my mother swears that I was conceived there, so she named me Rico.”

“That’s neat.”

“From time to time I ask her how she knows for sure and she says because she was a virgin until the day she got married and six weeks later the doctor told her she was six weeks pregnant.”

“Then it must be true.”

“It is, but I like giving her a hard time.”

I thought about sitting back down but I was starting to feel more and more sticky. I didn’t think I smelled bad, but I’d learned years ago that women my size needed to shower and bathe more often than everyone else. There were so many creases and crevices that needed to be dealt with, and I made sure to pay careful attention to them.

“If you don’t mind, I’m gonna take a shower.”

“No problem. Go ahead. I’ll just flip through the channels to see what’s on.”

“I won’t be a minute, and if you want anything else to drink, just help yourself.”

“I will.”

I turned and walked down the hallway to my bedroom. When I closed the door, I leaned the back of my body against it. Just thinking about how fine Rico was made me breathless. The man looked good. And his personality was so in tune with mine. It was already apparent that I could sit and talk with him for hours. He was noticeably outgoing and all I could pray was that he wasn’t trying to run any games on me. Such as robbing me blind as soon as he heard the shower running. But if he did, I knew I deserved it because the truth was still staring me in the face—the same as it had been at the health club. I didn’t know a single thing about Rico.

I removed all of my clothing, slipped on a silk robe, and went into the bathroom. I started the shower and scanned the top of my vanity, which was filled with body products. The vanilla collection was my favorite, the scrub, shower gel, mist, and lotion.

I lined everything up, preparing to take it into the shower, but when I shed my robe I became depressed. It was the image I saw in the mirror that saddened me. I’d made it through an entire day, monitoring what I ate, but eight weeks was a long time. And then after my reunion, I would have to continue this same process if I wanted to lose the other fifty.

But the advantage I had this time was that my normal manner of thinking was different. In the past, I would diet when I knew there was an upcoming event and then hold a bingefest as soon as it was over. But now I realized that good eating habits would have to become a new way of life for me. And I wouldn’t stick to simply eliminating carbohydrates either. I was doing this early on because it was a quick way to lose weight, but I would eventually learn to eat more healthily. No red meat, if any meat at all. More fruits and vegetables. A lot of water and a lot less refined sugar.

I stepped into the shower and closed the glass and chrome door behind me. The water was hotter than most people could stand, but I loved it. I stood there, savoring every moment, turning slowly, making a 360-degree turn. I did this for five to six minutes and then opened the shower gel.

I squirted it into the palm of my hands and rubbed it across my body. I started at my shoulders and moved down to my toes. The smell was most satisfying and I didn’t want this to end.

Next, I rinsed off the gel, opened the jar of scrub, scooped out a portion, and massaged every area. My body always felt smooth whenever I used this. When I finished, I rinsed off the residue and turned off the water. Then I dried my body and sprayed mist over it. Afterward, I sealed everything I’d used with lotion. There was nothing like layering any sweet-smelling scent.

As I reentered the bedroom, I tied my robe the rest of the way and jumped when I saw Rico sitting at the foot of my king-size bed.

My first thought was to ask him what he was doing, but when I tried, nothing came out. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was terribly in shock or if it was because I didn’t mind him being there.

“I hope you don’t think I’m trying to use you or disrespect you because I’m not. But the truth of the matter is, I wanna make love to you.”

I guess he was a lot more straightforward than I realized. He’d told me that from the start, but I certainly hadn’t expected anything like this.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” he asked.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. That you want me just as badly or that you want me to get out. Because I’ll understand either way and I won’t be upset with you.”

“The problem I have with this is that we don’t know each other. And I don’t want to be in some wham, bam, thank you ma’am situation come tomorrow morning.”

“And I promise you, it won’t be that way. I’m really and truly attracted to you and I’d like us to keep seeing each other long after tonight is over with,” he said, standing and walking toward me.

My nerves went haywire and Rico must have noticed.

“Why are you so uncomfortable? Is it your weight? Because I’m telling you, I don’t have any issues with that. If you want to know the truth, I’m fascinated by it. I’ve always wanted to date someone your size, but you’re the first person to catch my eye like this,” he confessed, and grabbed both sides of my face. “You really are beautiful, Whitney, and don’t ever let anyone tell you different.”

Then he kissed me slowly and gently. I kissed him back and after seconds we kissed rough and uncontrollably. We kissed just the way I liked it and I wanted him. I needed him to make love to me immediately.

But Rico had other plans.

He backed away, untied the belt to my robe, and stared at me seductively. I was feeling self-conscious again, but not as much as before. Within seconds he took me into his arms and kissed me again. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I wrapped mine around his neck. He kissed my neck in all the right places, caressed my breasts, and then rubbed his hand back and forth between my legs.

I squirmed and moaned and pleaded with him to take me. But he wouldn’t.

Instead, he kneeled to the floor and looked up at me.

I knew what he wanted me to do but I didn’t have the heart to tell him: I couldn’t spread my legs unless I lay on the bed. It was the only possible way with all the fat surrounding them.

But Rico didn’t care about any of that and quickly found his way to my glory. Surprisingly, I opened my legs farther than I’d thought I could.

I rested my hands on his shoulders and whimpered like a child. Real tears actually fell down my face. The feeling was that ridiculously wonderful.

When I felt myself preparing to explode, I held his head with my right hand.

When it happened, I screamed at the top of my lungs and cried even harder.

Rico stood up and smiled at me, but he never said a word. He led me to the bed and I pulled back the rich purple duvet and tossed the matching throw pillows anywhere they wanted to land.

“Still think I’m just here to use you?” he asked.

At this point, I didn’t care if he was or not. But I shook my head negatively and lay on my back.

Rico undressed his well-cut body and I learned very quickly why his hands and feet were so big.

I opened my legs, Rico lay on top of me and then slid inside. He moved in and out, slowly at first and then picking up speed. Now, he moaned with me.

“Oh.” He sighed.

“Is it good to you, baby?” I asked.

“The best,” he answered, groaning.

I bent my knees and Rico plowed into me even farther. He worked fast, rocking back and forth, and I gyrated my pelvis forcefully.

“Oh shoot,” he spoke loudly. “Oh…my…goodness.”

He breathed heavily and relaxed his body.

He lay there for a while and then raised his head up and moved to the side of me.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine.”

“Was it worth it?”

I chuckled. “Do you really need me to answer that?”

“I guess not. And I meant what I said. You are the best. I don’t know if I’ve ever been with a woman who felt this good.”

“Maybe it’s the cellulite,” I joked.

He couldn’t help laughing. “Are you always this critical of yourself?” he said, smoothing down my hair.