Just One More Breath (21 page)

Nicole

Turned out that losing the original home of
The A.R.T Center was a blessing in disguise, because after we moved into the new home, things got better and better. Instead of just being a resource for these girls and their children, The A.R.T Center became a second home, and in some cases, a place to escape from their harsh realities.

The Burns family
came by every Wednesday, rain or shine, and they split the mothers up into three groups. Shawn’s mother took the first group up to the kitchen and she walked them through making dinner. The first few weeks they prepared easy meals like pasta, mashed potatoes, but as the weeks went by, the meals got fancier and fancier and soon not only were they preparing meals, they were also making dessert to go along with it.

Shawn
took the second group of the girls into the pool. His first order of business was helping them feel comfortable in the water. This turned out to be a lot harder than he expected seeing as many of them had never even been in a pool before. The girls did splashing exercises in the shallow end and dunked their heads underwater until they felt brave enough to venture into the deep end.

Shane
flew in as often as he could to get all of the girls certified in C.P.R. He taught them how to do C.P.R on adults as well as children. A local fire station donated dummies for them to practice on. Shane was a really good teacher, and the girls looked forward to his lessons whenever he came to New York. He came up with fun ways to help them figure out how the beat of chest compressions. Their favorite way had been pumping to the beat of “Staying Alive” by The Bee Gees. It was clever in more ways than one.

The most shocking of them all was Mark
, though. He took all of the kids into the gymnasium, threw every kind of ball you could think of out for them to play with, and let them run ragged until their mothers were done with their classes.

When word got out about the programs that
the center offered for these ladies, Zena and I began to receive an overwhelming amount of phone calls and inquiries from people who wanted to help and/or donate something. Before long, there was a different lesson for the girls every night. Sewing, kickboxing, dance classes, even Spanish class. Along with a decent amount of tutors who offered help with homework. However, the best offer was a group of life guards who volunteered their time to teach swimming on the weekends. This allowed us to open up swimming lessons to children who weren’t a part of the center. It made me feel good to have a hand in children learning how to swim. In my own way, I believed that I was preventing other parents from going through the hell that I had been through.

One night
, as Zena and I prepared to close the center up for the night, Zena noticed Melanie, one of the mothers who had a beautiful baby girl named Briana, standing on the corner looking lost. We approached Melanie to find out why she wasn’t making her way home. As we got closer to her they could see that she was crying.

“Melanie, what’s wrong?” Zena asked in a concerned voice.

Melanie looked at us with sad eyes. “Briana’s father broke up with me today.” Her quiet tears turned into loud sobs after she spoke. Zena pulled her in for a hug and began rocking her from side to side while I checked on the baby.

“I don’t get it
,” Melanie said between her sobs. “He said that he loved me and that he loved Briana. Why would he do this to us? Why doesn’t he love us?” Melanie asked between tears.

Zena pulled away from her so that she could look into her eyes. “If he doesn’t want to be with you and your gorgeous baby girl, then that’s his loss
, Mel.” Zena used her thumbs to brush the tears away from Melanie’s face. Melanie gave her a doubtful look,

“I don’t get it
, Miss Zena, my mother never wanted to have anything to do with me. She doesn’t love me and I don’t have a relationship with my father. Now the one person who promised to love me and my baby doesn’t want me,” Melanie said in a voice strangled with tears.

“What’s wrong with me? Why doesn’t anyone think I’m worth their love?” Mel asked. “How can I love Briana the right way when I never had anyone to show me how to do it?”

Zena looked as if she had been hit in the
stomach and I knew exactly why. There were so many nights were Zena would tearfully say something similar to me.

Zena
held it together as she spoke to Melanie. “Melanie, sweetheart, you are a beautiful, smart lady, and anyone who doesn’t want to love you is a complete fool,” Zena said. “And you don’t need anyone else to show you how to love your baby. I’ve seen firsthand how good a mother you are; just keep doing what you’re doing, baby, you’re doing fine.”

I
unhooked Briana from her stroller and held her to my chest. “Melanie, this baby girl loves you more than anything else. The only thing you need to worry about is her, everything else is irrelevant.”

Melanie wiped at her tears and held her arms out for her baby girl. Briana giggled and kicked her feet as
she was placed into her mother’s arms. The infectious smile on that innocent baby’s face made everyone smile. Melanie planted a kiss on her baby’s forehead before she turned to Zena and me. “You guys are right, the only person I need to be focused on right now is my daughter.” She used her free arm to hug both of us and then put her baby back into her stroller.

“Thank you so much for that talk
. I feel a whole lot better now.” Melanie hugged both of us and then started home.

I
entwined my hand with Zena’s and led her back toward the center. I knew that hearing Melanie’s words had to be rough on her since clearly their situations weren’t so different. “Shawn is supposed to pick me up in a few minutes. How about we grab a drink before we take you home?” I asked, wanting to cheer my friend up.

“Uh, sure
,” Zena agreed.

Ten minutes later
, Shawn arrived to pick me up, and to my surprise, Shane was with him. As the two men walked through the door, Zena grumbled, “You know this really should be illegal. It’s not right for men to be this damn sexy.”

I
nodded in agreement. “I know, right? Too bad The Cuban Missile Crisis already got her claws into Shane. He could do so much better than that girl,” I grumbled quickly before the men got too close.

“I know
, right?” Zena said bitterly. “The good ones are always taken.”

Shawn

“Good
evening, gorgeous girls,” I said with a wink, right before planting a loud wet kiss on Nicole’s lips.

“Hey
, baby, I missed you,” Nicole said.

A
ridiculously huge grin spread on my face. “I missed you more,” I replied, as I went in for another kiss.

Zena and Shane stood by uncomfortably waiting for
us to finish our “sickening public display of affection” as Zena often called it. After three long minutes of standing by quietly while we sucked face, Shane cleared his throat and pulled me off Nicole.

“Dude, you guys live together. Do that when you get home.”

I shrugged out of his grip. “Don’t get jealous. It’s not my fault that my woman is so hot I can’t keep my hands off her,” I replied, staring hungrily at Nicole.

He
cheeks turned bright red and she avoided eye contact with Zena and Shane as we walked toward the car. I hopped into the driver’s seat and Nicole into the passenger, so Zena and Shane hit the back seats. Nicole told me that she wanted to stop for a quick drink before we dropped Zena off, so we pulled into a bar not too far away from the center.

The four of
us had a really good time at the bar. At first, Zena was a bit stiff around Shane; I’m assuming it was because of the vibe she got from Mariana the few times that they had met. But it didn’t take her long to realize that he was a really cool guy. They actually had quite a bit in common. They enjoyed the same movies and Zena really enjoyed hearing his stories working as an emergency room nurse.

“Shane, I have a few girls at the center who have told me that they are interested in careers in the medical
field. Would you mind talking to them? I’m sure they would have a bunch of questions for you,” Zena asked.

“I would love to
,” Shane replied.

“Great, let’s exchange information and we can set up a time to sit with those girls. I really don’t want it to interfere with their activity time on Wednesdays.”

“You better give her your email address,” I interrupted. “Cub…Mariana might not appreciate you giving a woman your cell phone number.”

Shane looked a little uncomfortable but Zena spoke before he could
. “I was going to suggest you give me your email address anyway.”

She unlocked her cell
phone, pulled up the new contact screen, and handed her phone to Shane. He entered his information, hit save, and gave it back to her.

An hour later
, we pulled up at Zena’s place. I could see someone stumbling by the front door, but couldn’t quite make out who it was. When the car came to a complete stop, Zena darted out of the car and started running toward the unidentifiable figure.

“Grandma
,” she yelled.

The person turned so abruptly she fell flat on her ass.
We were close behind her ready to offer assistance. Zena’s grandmother was outside in a housedress and with no coat on such a cold November day, and she reeked of alcohol.

“Grandma, what are you doing outside without a coat on?” Zena asked
.

“I d.d.d.didn’t n.n.n.eed one
,” she slurred.

“Grandma
, it’s thirty degrees outside, what do you mean you don’t need a coat?” Zena asked exasperatedly.

Shane appeared next to her with his own coat off and gently wrapped it around Zena’s grandma, coaxing her hands into the sleeves.

“How about we get you inside, Grandma, it’s really cold out here,” Shane suggested. When both of her arms were in the sleeves, I assisted him in getting her off the ground.

“Don’t bother trying to get her inside
,” Zena said walking toward her front door. “She isn’t going to come in until she gets whatever it is that she went outside for,” Zena said bitterly. “And more than likely it’s another bottle of Jack Daniels.” Zena sighed and then walked into her house. I knew she was embarrassed, and pissed off that Shane and I witnessed such a humiliating aspect of her life.

I
stood and backed away a few steps but Shane remained kneeled next to Zena’s grandmother. “Grandma, it’s really late. How about we get you to bed?” He gave her grandmother the biggest smile he could and even in her inebriated state, she wasn’t immune to the charm that we Burns boys possessed. Shane stood and offered her grandmother a hand, and she took it without argument and stood. Shane held her hand and led her into the house, and I walked closely behind in case he needed help.

Zena was nowhere to be found but Nicole pointed him in the direction of
Grandma’s room. Nicole and I watched in amazement as Shane sweet talked grandma into her room and tucked her into bed. Minutes later he reappeared, walked into the kitchen, and grabbed her a full glass of water. When she was done with it, he turned the light off. I heard him make her promise that she wouldn’t leave the house again for the night and then he walked out. I can see how great a nurse Shane must be. He has a knack for reading people well. Which is partly why I don’t understand his attraction to Mariana.

Nicole and
I were waiting for him in the living room area, but Zena hadn’t come out of her room.

“Where did Zena go?” Shane asked.

“To her room. She’s had a pretty shitty day and I think this just pushed her over the edge,” Nicole said. “Where’s her room?” Shane asked.

Nicole showed him her door and he walked purposely toward it. Zena opened on the second knock and Shane slipped
in, and closed the door behind him. Nicole and I stood in an awkward silence for ten minutes waiting for Shane. When he came out of the room Zena followed him out. From the look on her face she had been crying.

“Hey guys, thanks for dropping me home.” She hugged Nicole
. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said.

Then she gave
Shane and me hugs and walked us to the door. Shane looked at her again.

“Remember what I said
.” Zena nodded and then closed her front door.

We
drove Shane back to our mother’s house in awkward silence.

E
ven though Nicole and I definitely had a few questions that we wanted to ask Shane.

Nicole

I pressed answer on my phone started speaking to Shawn through the speakers of the car. “Hi, baby,” I said sweetly.

“Are you almost home
, woman? You have my dinner,” Shawn whined.

I
giggled. "I'm almost home, hungry man. Hold your horses."

"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse,” Shawn mumbled. "Hurry up
, woman," he demanded playfully.

I
laughed and ended the call as I pulled into a parking spot right in front of our apartment. A huge grin on my face as I grabbed the bag of Thai food I picked up for us on my way home. The past few months living with Shawn had been some of the greatest months of my life. For the first time in a very long time I could honestly say that I was happy.

I
cautiously pushed the front door open expecting Shawn to be waiting at the door, ready to grab the food, and sprint toward the table. But to my surprise, he wasn't there. "Shawn?" I called while searching the apartment.

"I'm in the bathroom
," he replied. "Just spread it and set it on the table for me. I'll be right out," he requested.

I
did as he asked; I unloaded the bags and made a spread of food on the table. Then I grabbed two wine glasses and filled them with wine. Still waiting on Shawn, I slipped off my shoes and sat at the dining room table.

When Shawn entered the dining room he looked confused and displeased. "What happened? I thought you were going to spread it out for me."

I looked even more confused than Shawn. "Uh, hello. Look at the table. I did what you asked,” I said, pointing at the mini buffet.

Shawn
walked over to me with a mischievous look on his face. He leaned over and planted a heated kiss on my lips. "I said to spread it and leave it open for me." He looked hungrily at my legs, crossed on the dining room chair. "It doesn't look spread, or open for me." The look of faux disapproval sent a shiver down my spine and realization hit me. Before I could react, Shawn had lifted me off the chair and set me carefully on the dining room table. "Maybe you needed more specific directions,” he said in a low, husky voice.

Oh, Shawn the alpha male. Yes. Please
.

"When I said I wanted it spread and open for me, I meant that I wanted this sexy little skirt hiked up over your ass." He grabbed the edged of
my skirt and pulled up roughly until it no longer covered me. "These luscious legs spread," he whispered, as he pushed his hands between my legs and slowly pulled them apart. "And I wanted this sweet wet pussy left open with nothing in my way." He effortlessly shred the crotch of my stocking and popped the sides of my thong with one hand.

His actions left
me panting; this was by far, one of the hottest things that had ever happened to me.

Shawn’s
mouth watered and he lowered his head. "I told you I was hungry, baby."

Right before his mouth made contact with
my pussy, I violently pushed at his forehead. "Wait," I shrieked. "I need to take a shower before you do that."

"What? Why?"
he asked.

"Because, I've been working all day, I need to wash it."

"Listen woman, if you wash it, you wash away all of the ingredients. Lay back and let me eat."

I
continued to argue, but Shawn tuned me out. He pulled my torn panties from under me and stuffed them into my mouth. My eyes widened, I could not believe that he just stuffed the panties that I had worn for the entire day into my mouth.

Shawn ignored
my look of shock and had me flat on the table and rearranged just the way he wanted before I could remove my makeshift gag and object any further. The moment Shawn's smooth tongue made contact with my warm center, any reservation I had disappeared. I bit down onto the thin fabric of my panties to stifle a moan. This man knew exactly what I liked and didn't hold back while he pleasured me.

"Damn
, baby, everything about you is just so perfect," he moaned after the first lick. "You look perfect,” he said. Then he spread the lips of my pussy apart. “You are perfect. I could stare at this swollen clitoris for hours,” he muttered as he licked his lips. "You smell perfect,” he said, and then he ran his nose from my damp opening to my sensitive, nub. Nudging it gently as he teased me. "And you taste perfect," he murmured, right before pulling it into his mouth and sucking on it gently.

My
hips made wide circles off the table. A muffled sound left my mouth as his tongue flicked vigorously over my sensitive flesh.

Shawn’s hands traveled slowly up
my body, gliding gently over my breasts, teasing my nipples. Without missing a beat, Shawn grabbed both sides of my shirt and ripped it open.

I
knew that I should be upset about him ruining my perfectly good shirt, but the moan of enjoyment that Shawn hummed in the back of his throat caused a vibration that made my eyes cross. Shawn tugged roughly at the cups of my bra and exposed my nipples to the cool breeze. They instantly hardened, and he squeezed them between his thumb and forefinger, causing me to writhe more.

The
muffled sounds of my panty-filled mouth drove Shawn insane. And it gave him motivation to give me more pleasure. His left hand descended down my body, while his right hand continued its ministrations. Shawn lifted my left leg onto his shoulder and ran his free hand along the underside of my thigh. He brushed his finger along the space between the entrance of my pussy and my anus; it was drenched in my arousal. He let his index finger slide lower, to a place on my body that he, or any other man, had ever become acquainted with. He let his finger circle the area while his mouth and other hand continued to stimulate everywhere they touched. I felt like I was on fire.

My
eyes shot open in alarm and I looked down at Shawn, no longer relaxed. But the look in his eyes told me that I could trust him. So I closed my eyes and let my body accept whatever Shawn had planned for it.

Shawn continued to massage
my back opening, rubbing it, and lightly pressing it, but never actually penetrating it. The teasing of my anus, along with the pleasure of my breast, and light touch of Shawn’s tongue on my clitoris became too much for me to handle. I wanted more. I needed more. But every time I tried to coax Shawn into giving me exactly what I needed to send me over the edge…he resisted.

“I’ll stay down here all day
, sweetheart. I don’t care if my jaw needs a brace in the morning.”

I
tried begging, trying my best to say, “Please Shawn,” but between the gag in my mouth and moans that Shawn kept pulling out of me, I couldn’t verbalize the
any
words. Hell, I couldn’t even formulate the simple thought of taking the damn panties out of my mouth.

When it all became too much
I let out a frustrated groan, placed my hand firmly on the back of Shawn’s head, and smashed my pussy farther onto his face. Then I extended my lower body and sunk down slowly. I moved lower and lower until Shawn’s finger had penetrated me to its second knuckle. The delicious pain of it sent me into the most mind-blowing orgasm I had ever experienced. I screamed so loudly that my chest burned, and my lungs felt dry.