The Truth Behind The Lies (19 page)

I told Nina we were going to a church function. I made sure she knew it wasn’t an actual service. I’m sure she would be bored to tears. This was a charitable dinner held at the church in the late afternoon. We would just be volunteering, serving food and cleaning up. She didn’t seem to mind. I wanted her to know I did charitable things. I found that I was overly concerned about her perception of me. I knew I had found a prize. She needed to know I was a valuable accessory. I really wanted her to love me. I realized this. It seemed easy enough but I feared there was some old boyfriend she was waiting for.

It had to be. Why wasn’t she married already? She had to be waiting for some jerk that feared commitment. I debated this and decided I would just hope for the best. Maybe I would come out the victor.

I thought Nina dressed to matronly for this occasion. I had never seen her so covered up. Well she was pretty covered at her job but office attire can still be sexy. Today she looked basic. She was still beautiful but plain. Her dress was long, so no legs to drool over. Her neckline was high, so no cleavage to fantasize about.

Now that I think about her clothes this makes me want to fuck her more. I need to get those test results back before I go insane. I have never wanted a woman as much as I want Nina. I never liked any woman as much as I like Nina.

I told Nina this was my mother’s church. She was aware that she would meet my mother. She seemed to be okay with this. She never made me feel like this was moving too fast. Our pace had no rules. I appreciate that. It put me at ease.

“Okay let’s do this.” We walked up the cobblestone pathway. “You seem nervous.”

“I’m not nervous.” She twisted her full lips.

“Are you sure you’re not nervous?” I bated.

“No Bash, this is not the first mother I met.”

“Yeah but my mother is a stone cold bitch.”

Nina stopped midstep. Her eyes bulged. I held in my laugh. This was too easy.

“Nina I’m just kidding.” I smiled. She slapped me hard on my forearm. Hard enough that she probably hurt her own hand.

“Ouch!” I winced once I felt the sting. “Violence never solves anything.”

“Your jokes aren’t funny.” She delivered deadpan. I almost laughed again. Even if I wasn’t funny she sure was funny. She is everything.

I pushed the door to the church open and guided Nina inside. Someone manned the door and welcomed us. I held Nina at her waist and wondered if that was inappropriate touching inside a church. I wanted to remove my hand given our location but I had this unquenchable urge to claim her. I needed to let the entire world know she was mine. If not the world than just these few people that were here at church.

I wasn’t sure why I felt this way about Nina, the need to claim her. I didn’t care to question it. It had become a natural routine for me. I had wayward thoughts in the house of the Lord. That had never happened before. I hadn’t bedded Nina in the traditional sense and being inside a church didn’t stop my lascivious thoughts. I couldn’t wait to live between her thighs. I was already sleeping there. Face first.

Nina and I walked pass the sanctuary. I led her to the entryway of downward stairs. This was where we would volunteer our services. I knew this church well so I took her downstairs to the horde of churchgoers milling about and talking when they should probably be working.

I spotted my lovely mother from across the room. She was wearing a nice suit, a skirt, jacket and blouse. It appeared to be an outfit I thought I had bought her a few years ago. Her long blonde hair was up in what women call a French roll. I wasn’t sure why it was called that.

I held Nina’s hand and guided her through the churchgoers. I made my way straight to my mother.

My mother’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw me. I covered her with my towering embrace. She smelled of some Liz Taylor fragrance. She loved Liz.

“Sebastian, you made it.” She hummed as she pulled away from me and looked up high. She was only five feet one.

“Of course mother.”

“There are so many things to do around here.”

I watched as my mother’s pale blue eyes noticed Nina. First she seemed confused. Then she smiled with mostly her eyes. I reached back and grabbed Nina’s forearm pulling her forward.

“Mother this is my friend Nina Norwood.”

“Your friend?” My mother questioned my choice of words in a way that made me question them myself.

“Nina this is my mother, Robin Vandervol.”

My mother was quick to extend her hand and Nina quickly shook it.

“It’s nice to met you Mrs. Vandervol.” Nina seemed attractively confident.

“You too dear. Call me Robin.”

“Okay Robin.”

“Nina, you are Sebastian’s girlfriend.” A statement disguised as a question.

“Mother we haven’t known each other that long. Don’t scare her away with labels. I am trying to impress her with charitable acts.”

Mother smiled at my frankness. I have doubted many things in my years as a man. I have never doubted my mother’s love for me. I noticed my mother was still holding Nina’s hand.

“Come Nina, let me show you around.”

And just like that, mother risked Nina away from me. I followed a few paces behind and joined in with their conversations from time to time. I took orders from mother and so did Nina. The church bussed various homeless people and families in from shelters around the city. It was my mother’s churches turn to feed the homeless. There was a network of churches that participated in this program.

My mother was instrumental in building this altruistic network. She had the backing of our town’s mayor and that was all she needed to put her plan into action. After father died of a heart attack, feeding the homeless was one of the projects she immersed herself in. Helping others was her therapy. I understood the need for therapy but I could never share my life with a therapist. Too many demons. Too much to hide.

Things went well. After we fed the people from the shelters we had to clean up. There was much to do. It could have been worse but thanks to disposable plastic plates, cups and utensils the cleanup wasn’t a difficult chore.

Nina left me briefly to find the ladies room. I helped my mother remove the trash. We took it out to the dumpster at the rear of the church.

“So does she know?” Mother asked while we stood near the huge green dumpster.

“Know what?”

“About Caroline.”

“No I didn’t tell her.”

“Why not?”

“You know why? I like her.” I think I love her but we’re not there yet. “She is special to me. I don’t want this, the past to affect my future with her.”

“Huh, your future. So this is serious?”

“For me it is. I don’t know about her. I care about her. I haven’t cared about anyone in a long time, you know this.”

“Yes I do. What makes you doubt she cares for you?”

“I don’t doubt it. I just don’t know. I’ve made mistakes, huge mistakes in the past.”

“That is the past.”

“We haven’t had sex.” Why did I say that?

“Sebastian you bring this topic up at a church. You are a piece of work.”

I smiled. My mother had a way of bringing smiles out of me. “I think God knows my heart.”

“You don’t have to worry. She likes you back.”

“You think so.”

“Yes I can see the longing in her eyes. She thinks you’re the cats meow.”

“Really?”

“Yes and if you’re anything like your father, once you sleep with her she will melt like butter.”

“Mother that’s gross. We’re in a church.”

“Oh Sebastian, you sound just like your father.”

“I was wondering what you thought about Nina?” My stomach flipped. I waited to hear something complimentary. I hoped I wouldn’t hear anything critical. To me, Nina is perfect.

“I think she’s pretty.”

“Yes she’s beautiful.”

“She seems like your type.”

My face frowned. I actually felt my face grimace. “What does that mean?”

“Nina, she’s the type of woman you would choose.”

“I don’t understand what that means.”

“You always dated women that you thought would fit.”

“Fit? Mother, I still don’t know what that means.”

“Fit into a traditional box. You cared too much about appearances. It wasn’t your fault. You’re father drilled it into you. You lived to impress him. Sometimes I found it to be adorable and sometimes it was sad.”

“That’s true. I did live to impress him.”

“Some of those girls you dated would have never been your type. They were your father’s type. You’re my son. I know what you like.”

“Why didn’t you ever said anything?”

“Defying your fathers perfect dream of what you should be wasn’t really an option for me. I’m sorry I was never able to stand up to him.”

“Mother, it doesn’t matter now. I’m happy. I haven’t been happy in a long time. I don’t want her to go away. The person she thinks I am is the person I want to be. I think it’s the person I truly am.”

“You need to be honest with her.”

“Right. I know. I will. One day.” I didn’t see how honesty would work in my favor. I promised myself I would tell Nina the truth but not before I consummated our relationship. I had to ensure our connection was solid before I blindsided her with my drama.

I followed mother back into the building. I had a lot to think about. The truth was a tricky conundrum. Are withholding details the same as lying?

I could feel Nina’s presence. I turned and she was walking toward me. I held my hand out. She took her rightful place under my arm as I wrapped it around her.

I have to keep her safe in our little cocoon. More accurately our bomb shelter, there may be explosives that will detonate soon enough. As long as I keep her away from people who know the truth, I should be safe.

I took Nina back to her place and I stayed overnight. As time passed I felt like I was growing closer to her. I slept in my favorite spot, on my side of the bed with her fragrant pussy pressed into my face.

There’s no other place in this world I would rather be.

NINA

★
MONDAY
★

I met Bash’s mother. That should make me feel special. It does. She seemed to like me and I hope that’s the case. I adore her son. Usually meeting a man’s mother just alerted me to all the things she did wrong while raising him. This time it was different. I could only see everything Robin Vandervol did right. She raised a nice man, a gentlemen, a sexy man. Hallelujah.

I had nothing but good news all morning. The test results came back and everything was negative. I feel like I’m on the greatest high. Now I know we can get it on. The news made me so happy at work. My coworkers were looking at me strange. Maybe I just felt that way and it wasn’t actually the case. I did have a little extra sway in my hips and bounce in my step.

Janice was trying hard to get info out of me but I told her I lost five pounds. She didn’t buy it. I wasn’t about to tell her anything about Bash. I didn’t want to jinx it. I wanted to get some German in me and I would be chill until that happened.

Lo and behold Bash invited me over to his place. This was a first. He lived on the other side of Downers Grove. He resides in a gated community. I stopped off at home to grab an overnight bag. I drove right over to his place as soon as I got off work. Bash commanded it. I was more than happy to drive right on over there to invade his privacy.

My name was left at the gate. Some young average looking security guard looked at my boobs and checked me off his little clipboard list.

Before I left my job, I thought of doing a real estate Internet search. It was just to see how much money a house over here in Cedar Creek Estates went for. I changed my mind. I didn’t really see any purpose. Why worry about other people’s money?

Bash told me he would be home by six-thirty. I pulled into his circular driveway a few seconds behind him. He was in his shiny little sportscar. He stepped out of his car. He rushed over and opened my car door for me. I grabbed my purse and stepped out with his aid.

He kissed my cheek. “How was your day?”

“Good. How was yours?”

“Great! You know why.” He paraded his dimples in front of me. It was a statement and not a question. Yes of course I knew why. We both got our blood tests back. He was going to get to sample some of my hotcakes and maple syrup.

Bash took my hand. He led me through the outdoor atrium up to the stain-glassed windows of his front door. He opened the door without a key or a code. I thought it was strange. I followed him through the door. I stood in the foyer and took it all in.

Oh my. Beautiful.

The outside of the house was huge. It was a mini mansion. Can a mansion even be mini? I mean the word mansion already means large and in charge.

He led me out of the foyer. We landed in a room with a huge table in its center. There was a vase and a few decorative items placed atop it. There was a lone grand piano that stool by this huge winding staircase.