Cutting Loose (24 page)

“Are you getting tired already?” Sabrina
teased Cassandra. “Do you need to sit down for a minute and rest your fragile
bones?”

“I know you not calling me old,” Said
Cassandra. “I’m going to show you what old looks like in the next set.”

“Well, bring it on!” said Sabrina.

She loved enticing Cassandra and messing
with her head. When the second set started, Cassandra and Chad put in killer
teamwork and had Sabrina and Brett thinking twice about their momentum, but
they didn’t lose hope. Their strategy was simple; get close up on the net and
play off of it for a while until Cassandra and Chad got used to it and at the
last moment, switch it up and go long.

The second set belonged to Sabrina and
Brett for obvious reasons and after that set it was clear who the better
players were. They came close to losing it, but Brett wasn’t letting the ball
slip out of his sight and he was using his biceps and good form that Sabrina
caught herself trying to perform but somehow it just wasn’t the same.

When it came down to the last match it
was evident that Cassandra was getting a little worked over and she was indeed
getting somnolent, but she was a fighter and didn’t let it show too much,
mostly in part because she stayed towards the back of the court and moved about
a lot. It would have been a good strategy if Chad was fast as lightening to
keep up with Brett, but that wasn’t happening and as a result, Sabrina and
Brett won the game with a score of 2-1.

“That was a hell of a game!” Sabrina
said after the game was over and they stood off to the side.

“I must say, I wasn’t expecting the game
to be so intense,” Brett said moment later. “It was a good game.”

“Yeah, whatever,” said Cassandra. “Y’all
just got lucky, that’s all. My knee was acting up and it messed up my game.”

“Excuses, excuses,” said Chad.

Cassandra looked at him weirdly and
snapped, “Keep it up and we’ll see who gets the last word.”

He played it off like he didn’t want to
comment and say something slick. He said to Brett, “Ready for singles?”

“Sure,” said Brett confidently. “Let’s
hit the court.”

They shook hands and headed for the
nets. As Sabrina and Cassandra watched from the sidelines, they gossiped about
whom they thought was going to when, in between being acting as cheerleaders
and cheering them on. The game lasted four sets and Brett was getting stomped
by Chad the first couple of sets until somehow he gathered all of his reserved
energy and dominated the third set, leading with 4-5 when the game point was
scored after Chad dropped the ball.

When the last set came around Brett took
it as his opportunity to show off his marvelous body and shed his shirt. He
mostly did it because he knew Sabrina was watching and she couldn’t tale her
eyes off him. Chad took his shirt off as well, feeling under the pressure to
have the same athletic body shape like Brett, just in a skinnier form. The game
was over once Brett scored the match point and it was all over. Finally. Chad
looked like he was pissed, but he played it off with a semi-smile.

“Damn, Brett, you were a beast out
there,” Sabrina said as he towered over her. “You killed it.”

“It was nothing. I want to go for
another round. Anybody want to challenge me?”

Cassandra and Chad both exchanged looks.

Chad said, “Dude, you are a beast!”

Brett cackled. “Yeah, I know.”

Sabrina laughed and said, “Well, Mr. Hot
Shot, if you can beat me, then you really are crazy.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Yeah. I want to see what you got.”

Brett stepped closer to her and asked,
“You want to put up a wager?”

“Like what?”

“Let’s see; if you beat me, I’ll give
you a nice massage and I’ll even throw in something extra. And if I win, well,
the same rules apply...but with something extra. What’s up?”

Sabrina smiled and said, “I like the
sound of that. It’s a deal, then. It’s about time somebody put your winning
streak to an end.”

Brett laughed hysterically and walked to
the nets.

Sabrina felt confident going into the
match with Brett, but she knew right off the bat was she was facing. Even with
Cassandra and Chad rooting her on from the sidelines, it was almost enough to
boost her ego but not enough to do the same for her terrible coordination. She
knew the game was over before she even began but she liked the image that was
burning inside her mid of giving Brett a massage or doing something exotic. So
all in all, she was the one with the advantage.

“So, uh, when will I be getting that
massage?” Brett teased Sabrina after the game was over and they all headed back
to their cars.

“Whenever I feel like giving it to you.”

“Ooh, feisty. I like it when you get
mad.”

“Don’t patronize me.” Sabrina laughed as
she threw her arms around him. She couldn’t wait to free up some space in her
schedule to get down and dirty and fulfill her part of the bet, hell, it was
more like a fantasy of hers that was about to come true.

Chapter Twenty:

Exhale

There was no greater feeling than
hanging out on a perfect Sunday afternoon in the cool shade with the world and
all its problems being drowned out by laughter and good times with friends.
Usually Sabrina would have been hunched over her laptop in her office taking
care of work-related issues, but today she and Cassandra decided to hang out
and share their thoughts on just about anything. They put on their best bikinis
and lounged outside on the Sabrina’s deck and let the cool breeze flow through
the air.

“We should’ve done this a long time
ago,” Sabrina told Cassandra after putting a book she was reading to the side.
“This is actually more enjoyable than I thought it would.”

“I know,” agreed Cassandra. “I gave up
spending a few hours with Chad to take this mini-vocation. And those bitches at
my job are getting on my last nerve.”

“You’re telling me. If it weren’t for
the fact that I actually like doing what I do, I probably would have quit a
long time ago. But then again, I would hate to see what would happen to
Fabulous
if Camille was left to run it by her damn self.”

“Isn’t she the editor in chief?”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t get the last
word, that’s where Sean comes in but I’m always doing the work anyways so she’s
just there to take up space.”

Cassandra laughed. “Damn. I’m surprised
she hasn’t gotten the boot yet.”

“Oh, it’s coming, trust me. I’ve worked
my ass of for the past nine years and I think I deserve that job more than she
does.”

Cassandra sipped her drink. “Nine years?
I thought you didn’t start working there until after college?”

“Well, technically I didn’t because I
started interning when I was twenty-one and I started out as an assistant and
that shit sucked.”

Cassandra laughed. “Was it like that
movie, The Devil Wears Prada when that girl was working for that crazy bitch?”

“Girl, it was worse than that. My momma
put me to work like crazy! She said she did it because she wanted me to learn
the value of hard work.” She paused and added, “Have you heard from Larissa
lately?”

“Nah, I haven’t seen her for a few weeks
now. Why?”

“I was just asking. I haven’t heard from
her and I thought maybe you talked to her. I think she still pissed from the
way Brett told her off.”

“It’s likely. You know how she is,
especially these days.”

“I don’t know what her deal is. But she
needs to get over it already. I guess she expect me to just dump Brett because
he’s white and because she doesn’t approve of him.”

 “Rina, don’t pay her no mind or anybody
else that has a problem with you dating a white guy.” She laughed softly as and
sipped her drink.

 “And what was that little quiet giggle
about?”

“Nothing. It’s just funny.”

“What is?”

“I don’t know. I guess the whole idea of
you dating a white guy. I never fathomed you of all people doing that, not that
I’m saying anything is wrong with it. I’m just surprised is all.”

Sabrina waited a beat. “Yeah, me too.
But I really like him. He’s sweet, kind, sensitive. He’s everything I’ve been
looking for.”

Cassandra cackled loudly. “Girl, stop
before I have to slap you.”

“What?”

“Are you hearing yourself right now? You
sound like some peppy white girl in a romance movie.”

Sabrina gave Cassandra a love tap on her
thigh. “No the hell I don’t.” Sabrina couldn’t help but laugh herself. “That’s
so messed up. Why I can’t just be a happy black woman in love?”

Cassandra continued to laugh her ass of.

She said, “I’m just saying, I’m a happy
black woman and I don’t talk like that. It’s just the way you worded it. How
many black girls you know describe their men like that?” Cassandra even went as
far as mimicking what she said about Brett.

“That’s not even right,” Sabrina said
after Cassandra was finished mocking her. “I can’t help it, girl. But I think
I’m falling for Brett.”

Cassandra smiled. “I know you are. Shit,
you hardly have time to hang with me no more ever since Brett popped into the
picture. But I’m not mad at that. I’m glad you found your little slice of
heaven in some white chocolate.”

They both exploded with laughter.

Sabrina said, “Cassandra, I swear you
got issues. But I like that name. I might have to start calling Brett White
Chocolate from now on. What you think?”

“I like it. Hell, I already gave Chad a
nickname.”

“And what’s that?”

Cassandra giggled and said, “I like to
call him King Mandingo.”

“Girl, you are nasty!” Sabrina laughed.
“I thought you were celibate?”

“I am. Just because we don’t have sex,
doesn’t me I can’t look at it and well, you know?”

“So, it’s big, huh? It must be torture
knowing you can’t get any.”

“No.”

Sabrina eyed her.

Cassandra giggled and bust out, “I’m
lying my ass off! It does suck, but celibacy don’t mean we can’t have oral sex
and me personally, I love when he go down on me. I be feeling like I’m in
heaven.”

“Do you go down on him too?

 “No, ma’am! I don’t that nasty shit.”

“Nasty?” repeated Sabrina coolly.
“What’s so nasty about it? I do it to Brett all the time.”

Cassandra cringed. “Nah, see I can’t get
down with that. I will never ever let that thing get close to my mouth. Gross!
It makes my blood curl.”

Sabrina laughed. “Don’t call me a slut because
I’m liberal with my new boo. It’s actually pretty fun, especially if it’s in
public place where I know there’s a chance we might get caught.”

“See, Rina, you nasty, girl.” She paused
and added, “Have you ever done in it in church?”

“Uh, well,” stammered Sabrina, “Kind
of.”

“What you mean ‘kind of’? You can’t kind
of have sex in church. It’s either yes or no.”

Sabrina smiled and said, “Yes, I have.
But it was a long time ago back in my teenage days.”

“Girl, I’m praying for you next time I
go to church. I can’t believe that.” She paused and added, “How old were you
when you did it?”

Sabrina laughed. “Uh, let’s see, I think
I was like sixteen. Yeah, it was ‘cause I remember it was the week after my
sweet sixteen and this really cute guy I liked talked me into doing it.”

Cassandra just shook her head and said,
“That’s a shame and I thought Larissa was bad when she first started out.”

“Don’t act like you’re a saint. We all
had to start out at some point. Come on, when was your first time? Sex, I mean?”

“You already know. Remember?”

“No, I don’t, that’s why I’m asking
you.”

Cassandra waited a beat and said,
“Alright, but don’t judge me after I tell you.”

“I won’t. I’m your girl.”

Cassandra continued and said, “Well, it
happened in high school, prom night to be exact. I was in love with this guy
and we had been dating since we were in middle school and I just knew he was
going to ask me to marry him one day, so I put a tiny hole in the condom and I
got pregnant on purpose. I told him and he freaked out. We got into an argument
and one thing lead to another and the next thing I know, I was falling down the
stairs. I survived with no major injuries but the baby however didn’t make it.
I felt like the worst person in the world for what I did.”

Sabrina could see that Cassandra’s eyes
were bloodshot as tears rimmed her eyes. Sabrina reached out her hand and
placed it on her shoulder.

“She said, “I’m sorry about that. How
come you never told me about that before?”

“I don’t know,” said Cassandra as she
wiped her eyes. “I just figured if I never told anyone about it that I could
just pretend like it never happened. And we all are entitled to at least one
secret, or at least I think so.”