Prohibited: an erotic novel (23 page)

I laughed.

“No, and I am starting to think that this has nothing to do with me. Either she is seeing someone else or…”

He raised his eyebrow.

“You still think she may be playing for the other team? Seriously?”

“It would make more sense. Think about it. She spends all of her time with her girlfriends and they are way more important to her than I am.”

He pursed his lips together and scratched his head.

“I am still having doubts about that, however, I did hear that Gary Thomas had the same issues with his wife Selena.”

“Is that why they got a divorce? I didn’t know that.”

The wheels started spinning in my head.

At that moment Sarah brought our drinks to the table. She gently placed Enzo’s cola down on the table in front of him. Her beautiful brown eyes never left his. They exchanged smiles. Without looking at me, she placed a cola in front of me.

“Your lunch will be ready in a few minutes.” She said.  Slowly and seductively, she walked back to the counter.

“Why don’t you just jump her bones already?” I asked smiling as I took a sip of my soda.

“Who says I haven’t?” He asked with significant lifting of his eyebrows.

No way!

“No way, Enzo.” I answered surprised. “With Sarah?”

He smiled. I was extremely jealous.

“Wow. You dirty dog you.”

“What can I say?”

He took a sip of water and leaned back in his seat. We were quiet for a few minutes. I was thinking about the last time I was intimate with a woman. My mind wandered to Maxine. Just the thought of her and I began to become aroused. I was glad for the security of the booth at that moment.

I’m not proud of myself. No way in hell should I be feeling the way I do about her…but I do. There is not a moment in the day that I don’t think about her. It’s eating me alive inside.

“Lorenzo, I have to tell you something.”

Before I could finish, Sarah walked back to our table carrying a tray of food.

“Alright boys, here is your meal.”

She sat Lorenzo’s cheeseburger in front of him and a chicken melt on sourdough bread in front of me.

“I guess she did know what I wanted.” I said popping a fry in my mouth.

“I told you.” Enzo said smiling at Sarah.

She smiled back and walked back to the counter. We ate for a while. I was very close to spilling everything to Lorenzo. In that split second I started to change my mind but Enzo wasn’t going to let the conversation die.

“So Mike,” he said taking a sip of his drink. “Is it really over? You know your mother and father will go ballistic if you get a divorce.”

I knew the consequences of my decision. Coming from a Roman Catholic family, divorce was out of the question.  There was a chance that my family would disown me. 

“I know. I am hoping that being the baby of the family will keep them from disowning me.” I joked

He shook his head.

Sarah came back to our table and brought us both a new glass of sodas. I thanked her and moved my old glass to the other side of the table. I looked up to find Enzo staring at me.

“What’s up?” I said finishing off my chicken melt.

He wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“I don’t think that is all that’s bothering you. I mean we both knew this was a long time coming. I want to know what is really bothering you.”

I knew where he was going with this and I knew that I would answer him honestly. The weight of what I was doing was taking a toll on me and I needed to let someone know.

“You’re right. That is not the only thing that is bothering me.”

“So, what’s going on?”

I looked at him. I know Enzo knows me very well and my demeanor lately has resulted in this question. I looked him in the eye.

“I’m in love with another woman.” I answered.

He looked shocked. Then his eyes calmed and he leaned back in his seat.

“You fell in love with one of the women you were having an affair with?” He asked. “Wow.”

I continued my story.

“She is a friend of Junior’s.” I confessed.

“Whoa. Michael. Junior does not have very many female friends. You are not talking about my daughter are you?”

“Oh fuck no!” I answered surprised. “Enzo, Julia is like a niece to me. And I would not do that to you.”

He released the breath he was holding.

“Good, because I thought I was going to have to fucking kill you!”

We both laughed.

“So who is she?”

“Maxine.”

It didn’t take long for him to process the name. When he figured it out, his face said it all. His eyes widened in disbelief.

“No,” he said placing his hand over his mouth.

I nodded.

“Mike,” he said in disbelief “Seriously?”

I nodded again.

“Mike she is young.”

“She’s not much younger than Sarah.” I said referring to our beautiful server.

“Yes, but I am not trying to leave my wife for her or start up a serious relationship with her.”

I placed my elbow on the table and put my head in my hand.

“Mike, are you sure this is what you want to do?”

I exhaled nosily.

“No, I am not sure. All that I am sure of is that my wife doesn’t want me.”

It hurts so much. Just saying those words burned my soul.

He looked taken aback.

“Wow,” he said cynically. “So does Maxine feel the same way?”

I lifted my eyes to him.

“There lies one of my problems.” I replied.

I didn’t want to tell him so far it has only been about sex and that is how she wants it. I just figured I could change her mind.

“You are throwing away your marriage over a woman you are not sure likes you back? You need to be careful Mike. She has been hanging around Julia for a while and from what I gather,” he said leaning in closer across the table. “She is kind of a slut.”

I admit. I was pissed and I wanted to punch Enzo in the mouth.

“It doesn’t matter who she is, I am knocking on 50 and I refuse to just let Maria treat me this way. I truly love her but I was leaving whether it was with this woman or not. I cannot be happy with Maria. And if you ever call Maxine a slut again I will beat the shit out of you.”

He laughed.

“You really do love her.”

I ran my fingers through my hair.

“Maybe I do.”

“Look, I understand what you have been going through. I just want to know that you have weighed the consequences this affair will have. It has the potential to hurt a lot of people.”

I knew he didn’t realize how accurate his statement was. I knew what the consequences could be but I knew that the potential of having a meaningful relationship with Maxine and happiness with the woman I love outweighs that.

“I understand that people will be hurt at first, but I cannot live with this lie forever.”

“I get it Mike. You have my support and I promise I will not call her a slut ever again. I will be here when this all goes down.” He said taking a sip of his cola. “And I will be here when your young Nubian harlot dumps your old ass.”

We both started to laugh.

“I just have one more question.” He said leaning back in his seat.

“What is that?”

He smiled and I knew that look. I knew that whatever it was that he wanted to ask, it would not be the least bit appropriate.

“How is the pussy?”

I laughed. Yes, it was totally inappropriate, but a valid question.

“It’s incredible.”

He nodded.

“I heard that black women had really good pussy. I need to take a play from your book and snag me one. I just don’t think black women like me.”

I was laughing so hard I damn near peed my pants.

We were silent for the rest of lunch. Afterwards we went to check the progress on the house. After being there all afternoon I decided it was time to go home.

On my way home, I was determined to call Maxine. I left a message on her voicemail asking her to call me. I told her I had something important I wanted to talk about and was hoping we could meet.

I hung up the phone feeling a little hopeful.

Maria

It seemed like I was avoiding everyone these days.

I have been avoiding Michael hoping that the topic of our marriage and sex would not come up. Those topics have overwhelmed our conversations for a long time and I was not in the mood to discuss them for a while.

I had been avoiding the girls as well. I was still a bit shaken up about the sensual episode that Selena and I shared in my bathroom.

I stayed away from the group in order to avoid her.

I was not prepared to admit what her kiss did to me.

Michael wanted to meet for lunch today and though I was still avoiding the girls, I preferred to avoid him more. Plus I was told that Selena would be busy in court with her divorce. So my plan was to avoid them both and have a nice brunch with the girls.

It looked as if my plan backfired.

Before I knew it I was trying hard not to make eye contact with Selena. Apparently her court date was continued until next month.

I was finding it unnerving and difficult to sit at my dining room table trying not to watch Selena watch me. Her eyes never left my face.

I noticed that she was wearing a short skirt and expensive blouse that didn’t leave much to the imagination. I was turned on by her appearance.

I excused myself a few times just to pull it all together. It had been so long since I had been touched the way I wanted and I had the feeling she would be an expert.

I spent many nights’ thinking about our little tryst on the bathroom floor and occasionally wishing I could do it again. I tried to tell myself that it was just a fantasy and that was all. However, if this was a fantasy, I have been having this fantasy since I was fourteen.

I tried very hard to focus on the dull story that Alexis was trying to tell. She rambled on and on about her house, her kids and her life.

I clearly wasn’t listening. I was watching Selena sitting across from me slowly licking the coffee from her lips. She noticed me watching and smiled. I looked away and pretended I was listening intently to Alexis.

Shannon could tell something was going on here.

“What is up with you two? You both are awfully quiet.”

“There is nothing wrong with me.” I said looking away from Selena.

Alexis smiled looking happy that there might be some tension.

“I noticed too. In fact Maria has been avoiding us for a while.”