I responded, “Thanks. They pack the house every time they play.”
He sat his empty beer bottle down. “I can see why. I hate to bounce with my girl, mates, but this was the only way I could surprise her. I made some plans to celebrate some good news she got. We’ll plan something soon, so I can chat with you guys a bit more, if that’s okay.”
Nora looked shock. “We are?”
He leaned toward me as if he was going to tell me a secret. “See, us blokes need the element of surprise every once in a while to do that swoon thing I hear about from my sister.”
We all laughed. Nora looked like she was glowing within.
Ainsley was beaming as she said, “Well, Jude, you just made me swoon. Nora told me about the good news, and I couldn’t agree more.” Ainsley turned to Nora. “I want deets on what Jude does.”
“Sure thing. Looks like it’s time to roll.”
Jude laughed as he started walking away with Nora. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to your American colloquialisms.”
They were out of earshot when I leaned down into Ainsley’s ear. “You ready to get out of here?”
She nodded, and that was all I needed. I pulled her from the bar, and we started walking back to the sex club side. The crowd was trying to press in on us as we made our way toward to my office that had the connecting door to the sex club.
As I was unlocking the door, I asked, “What was Nora’s good news?”
“Nora’s mom got another clean bill of health. Her cancer is still in remission.”
She was slightly breathless as anticipation started to build. The outline of her nipple showed through her dress.
I opened the door and pulled Ainsley through. “That is excellent news. Jude seems good for her.”
“I think so, too. I think she likes him a lot.”
The moment we stepped into the sex club side, the air shifted to desire. I needed her closer, and I picked her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist.
“Adam—”
My lips cut her off as I started walking. She caught on quickly, and her arms laced around my neck. The sound on this side of the club was pulsing and erotic, and my dick was throbbing. After dodging a few people, we made it to my office where I locked the door behind us as we continued to lose ourselves in the kiss. My hands moved Ainsley’s dress up higher on her thigh. I readjusted her in my arms, so I could make my way to her panties. A snapping sound broke through the silence, and Ainsley started grinding her hips against my dick.
Shit, I need her.
My fingers began grazing her entrance as I kept walking. As she made little noises, we tumbled into the bed. We fervently worked on undressing each other. Clothes were flying until I felt her skin against mine.
I ran my hand along her hip bone and up to the curvature of her breast. “I’ll never tire of this feeling. I’m about to savor you.”
“Adam—”
In a quick movement, I had Ainsley underneath me, and I hovered on top of her. I brought our bodies up to the center of the bed on the satin sheets. Our breaths mingled as we started kissing. There was a faint taste of alcohol. I intertwined our hands, and I brought them above her head as I moved inside her at the same time. We fit each other perfectly, and as I pushed in and out, our bodies synchronized.
I wish this feeling of complete bliss could be drawn out into infinity.
She was beginning to pulsate, and I knew we were close.
“Look at me when you come, baby.”
She broke the kiss and opened her eyes. Her back arched, and I kept stroking her on the inside as her body began to feel the pleasure from her orgasm. I erupted inside of her as we kept our eyes locked.
I am never letting her go. She is mine.
I stayed inside her as I rolled underneath her, and Ainsley lay on my chest. Silence fell on us for a bit as our hands roamed over each other’s bodies. She started tracing the tattoo of an old weighing scale on my arm.
“I’ll never tire of how you make me feel, Adam.” She gave me a light kiss.
“I’m going to make you feel like that always.”
She laid there for a few minutes as she touched my arms, before saying, “I think I understand this tattoo more after tonight. I see the characteristics in how you act.” She traced it again. Last week, I had explained most of my tattoos to her. “You said that this helped remind you to keep everything in balance even when you wanted to tip to the extreme. You try to assess the situation first before reacting to it.”
I kissed her swollen lips. “That’s exactly what it means.”
I was on my way to A New Beginning Domestic Abuse Center. It was hard to believe a month had passed since my mom agreed to get help. This was the first day my mom was allowed to have visitors. With the new semester starting, I had to take a later time in the day to meet with my mom. So far, classes had been intense with it being my senior year.
Jason had called last night to prepare me for today. He’d said that the first few sessions would be with her counselor too. I was comforted and intimidated by the fact that someone would be in there, listening to everything we would have to say. In the end, I was grateful someone would be there to facilitate our discussion.
Adam had offered to drive me, and I had taken him up on it without hesitating. I could only imagine how emotionally drained I would be after today. He was safe, and I felt like I could trust him with myself. I was reflectively looking out the window as I twirled my ring.
“We’re almost there, baby. It’s going to be okay. Jason told you that your mom was making good progress.”
I nodded. “I know, I know. It’s just…I don’t know…a little nerve-racking, I guess, knowing that my mom and I are going to be talking for real today. In the past, we’ve always had this distortion field that kept the truth slightly blurred. We had lots of truths, but the omissions overshadowed them.”
His hand came on top of mine. “You’ll be with someone to help guide you. Do you want me to tell you what it’s like?”
I still wasn’t sure what had happened to Brandt that had caused an intervention. Adam had never offered it up, and I hadn’t asked. I respected Adam for not sharing a story that wasn’t his to share.
When gossip was running rampant at the library, my boss, Angela, always said to all the employees, A story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Be sure to insert yourself in the right spot within the story. Sometimes, your role is solely as an observer who reads the story. Sometimes, you should close the book, put it on the shelf, and walk away. And sometimes, you’re the lead character.
Those words always resonated in my head when my curious nature wanted to dig deeper and analyze the situation. This was Brandt’s story, and if he ever wanted me to know what had happened to him, then he would tell me or let Adam.
“Yes, I’d like to know what you felt like when you were there for Brandt.”
He scrubbed a hand down his face. “It’s like being there with someone you’ve known your entire life, but you’re not sure what’s going to happen since your last meeting with that person was stressful. You’re going to face some hard truths, and then you’ll start finding your way. Eventually, a balance will happen where you’ll sync with each other again. It helps having someone in the room with you to navigate your way.”
We pulled into the parking lot. My biggest fear was that my mom would be mad because I never protected her or that her eyes would be opened from a veil of false realities, and she wouldn’t like the person I had become.
“Okay. I understand.” I was going to have to find my confidence.
Adam put the car in park. “She’s still your mom, Ainsley. Just like Brandt was still Brandt. They are on a self-discovery journey after all the damage they did to themselves. She’s still going to love you.”
I nodded as I looked at the center. Since my mom had left to get help, I had longed to see her again. Now staring at the white brick building and realizing the moment was here, I was afraid of what was b
ehind the hypothetical curtain. Adam opened his door and came to my side. He had his laptop bag over his shoulder as he held his hand out to me, and I took it.
“Thanks for being here for me.”
He squeezed my hand as the breeze blew over my skin. “There’s no place else I’d rather be right now.”