The Other Side of the Pillow

“Says who? You? You can’t determine a timeline for our relationship.” I crossed my arms in front of me. This was not going to be easy. “If the two of us feel like we’re ready to take that step, no one has the right to judge us . . . even you. We’re in love,” I embellished by speaking for both of us, “and once we get married, she’s going to have to move out any—”

“Get married? Jemistry hasn’t said anything to me about a damn wedding, and trust, I’d be the fi

rst to know!”

“Actually, you’d be at least the third to know because the two people in the actual relationship, the two people who will be in the actual marriage, would have to know first.”

I was hoping my point was delivered. When she rolled her eyes, I decided to clarify further.

“Winsome, Jemistry adores you. She talks about you all the time. She respects and admires a lot of your qualities, but there are some things that make her . . . uneasy.”

“What things?” Winsome spat out the words. “Oh, let me guess. You have a problem with my sexuality.”

“I don’t, and don’t even go there. What I do have a problem with is you bringing a bunch of strangers up in here while my baby is around. If you want to risk your life over casual sex with the masses, that’s on you. But it only takes one person to be certifiably crazy before a tragedy happens. I don’t want Jemistry to end up on The First 48 or one of those other shows because you can’t control your behavior.”

“How dare you?!” Winsome jumped up from the table and placed her palms on the surface. “If you weren’t a fucking rosewood tree, I’d smack the shit out of you!”

“If it makes you feel better, smack me, but I’m not taking back what I said. And I’m definitely not going to hit you back. Not in my nature.” I stood up to check on the fish. “I haven’t officially asked my baby to marry me yet, but I’m sure she is anticipating it. I’ve been waiting for the right moment. Who knows? That right moment might come tonight.”

Winsome stormed out of the kitchen, went into her bedroom, and slammed the door closed behind her.

I made sure the fish wasn’t burning, flipped it over, and then reached into my pocket to retrieve the velvet ring box. I opened it and peeped the six-carat De Beers Signature collection platinum-banded ring that I’d purchased while we were in the Caymans. It was tricky trying to declare it at customs without Jemistry seeing it.

Yeah, tonight is the night! I hope she says yes!

* * *

Jemistry had called to tell me that she was running even later. Dinner was done so I decided to go into her room and watch the evening news until she got there. Somehow I dozed off. I must have been more tired than I’d thought and the newscaster’s voice might as well have been singing a lullaby. I was out like a light.

I was still completely out of it when I felt Jemistry unzipping my pants and pulling my dick out.

“Ooh, baby,” I whispered. “You’re home.”

I loved it when Jemistry woke me up with her amazing head game.

“So now you want to have an end-of-the-year party with me? Do your thing, baby.”

She didn’t respond. She just took the tip of my dick into her mouth and went to work.

It didn’t take me long to snap out of it, open my eyes, and push Winsome off of me, and completely off the bed.

I jumped up as she climbed up off the floor. “What the fuck?!”

Winsome laughed. “I was only trying to give you what you wanted.”

“I don’t want you!” I stared at her in disgust as I tried frantically to put my dick back in my pants. “You’re fucking crazy!”

“That’s a big-ass dick you’ve got there.” Winsome bit her bottom lip. “Now I see why Jemistry’s so sprung. I should’ve known when she gave up both of her fuck buddies so fast. They’d been taking turns banging her pussy out for years.”

“You’re a dirty bitch!”

“It’s the truth. I bet you thought she was some kind of innocent and virginal chick when you met her, didn’t you? She had your ass fooled and she has your ass fooled now.”

“She told me about her past and what she was doing when we met. There’s nothing you can say or do that will keep me from loving her.”

We both heard the key in the lock at the same time. I tried desperately to beat Winsome to the door but, by the time I got there, Jemistry was standing in the hallway and saw both of us come out of her room. There was no way that we could hide the expressions on our faces.

Winsome walked past Jemistry and said, “I was keeping that dick warm for you until you got home. He’s like a fucking python.”