Loading...Dee and I were lying in bed one Saturday morning, just being lazy. We were watching cartoons of all things. One of the characters had the dilemma of choosing between two girls. He went back and forth between the two, and in the end, he was alone. I laughed.
“I don’t see why he just didn’t pick one,” I said.
“Maybe he couldn’t choose. They might both have good qualities.” she replied.
“But one has to be better.” I said
“But deciding which one is better might be hard.”
“No, not if you know what you want.”
“But what if you don’t? I’m just saying…”
“So what if you had to choose between…”
I couldn’t finish the sentence; she cut me off with a kiss.
“Look, why are we talking about this cartoon like it means anything? I know that I’d choose you, no matter who else was an option.” she said, giving me a quick kiss.
“You better,” I said, smiling.
She kissed me again and I forgot all about the conversation. She can always say things like that and give me a quick kiss to make me forget any type of bad feeling I have. We spent the rest of the day at home lounging around. And though she said that she wouldn’t have a problem with choosing me, I couldn’t help but question it a few weeks later.
*
We were eating lunch one day. We were having a wonderful time. I was laughing because she had spilled some soda on her shirt. She giggled as she wiped it off, then she looked up. I watched as her expression changed completely. She looked as though she’d seen a ghost.
“What is it baby?”
Before she could answer me, I heard the reason she looked that way. A voice from behind me said her name, and something told me that I wouldn’t like the person it belonged to.
Dee looked up and whispered on word:
“Mellissa” she said.
I knew from the way she said it and the look on her face that it was the same Mellissa that had broken her heart years ago. She’d hurt my baby. And though I’d never even seen her, I hated her.
A few seconds later, a woman stood next to our table with her eyes focused on Dee. She spoke without even acknowledging me.
“Daphne! How’ve you been? You look wonderful.” she said
“I’m fine. You look good, too Mel.” said Dee
“Can I get a hug?” she said, her arms open.
Dee stood and gave her a hug. Then she turned to me.
“James, this is Mellissa. Mellissa, this is my girlfriend Jaime.” she said, grabbing my hand.
“Nice to meet you,” she said, “You are a lucky woman.”
She shook my hand and smiled at me, but I could see that she wasn’t happy to meet me. Something told me that she wished Dee was hers again. She could wish all she wanted, but Dee was with me. I wouldn’t hesitate to tell her that if the need arose.
She had her hand behind Dee’s back. She brought it back around, and she had Dee’s phone in it. See, Dee keeps her cell phone in her back pocket. So Mellissa had to have reached into her pocket to get it. Knowing she had her hand that close to my girl’s ass pissed me off. But I remained calm.
“I’ll put my number in your phone. Here, put yours in mine.” she said, handing her phone to Dee.
Dee put her number in her phone while Mellissa looked at her like she wanted to lay her over the table we’d been eating on. She gave Dee another hug then said her farewells.
She looked at me with a look that told me that she had no intention on just disappearing. I really didn’t like this girl.
“You take care of her…she’s a wonderful woman.” She said, looking all nostalgic. I wanted to slap her.
She left and I wanted to explode, but I let Dee talk. She could see the look on my face and knew that I wasn’t pleased.
“Baby, don’t worry about her. She’s like that, really flirty. But I’m with you, and no one else. She understands that.” she gently held my face with her hand.
With her looking in my eyes like that, all of the anger I felt at Mellissa disappeared…but not permanently.
*
Just as I suspected, Mellissa didn’t go anywhere. Turns out she had transferred to our school that semester and planned to finish her degree there. She was always around, giggling and smiling. I hated that shit. But, I trusted Dee. She was my girlfriend, and that was enough to ease my mind.
But Dee and Mellissa were becoming better friends than I would have liked. It seemed that Mellissa was always around, in my home, on my couch, on my phone, and worst of all, with my girl. Dee was MY girl! She was trying to take her. I could see it in the way she laughed at Dee’s jokes, or hugged her goodbye. I could hear the want in her voice when she said Dee’s name.
She didn’t even call her Dee. “Daph” she’d say: “Daph, wanna go to the movies?” or “Daph, that’s a cute shirt.” I wanted to smack her.
And even with all of this obvious flirting, Dee seemed oblivious.
“I told you, she doesn’t feel that way about me anymore. She told me so,” Dee said as we lay in bed, “She’s just kinda flirty, and always has been.”
“KINDA flirty?” I said, “Dee, she may as well have unzipped your pants!”
“You’re exaggerating.” She said
“No I’m not. Dee I see that look in her eye.”
“There is no look, baby. And even if there were, she doesn’t mean what you mean to me.” she said
“Why won’t you believe me?” I said, propping myself up on one arm
“And why are you worried? I’m sure there are girls that want you, but I don’t let it get to me.” she said
“Dee, when I look at you, I feel so happy to be with you. I see what a wonderful person you are. Don’t you think she sees what I see? Don’t you think she wants do be with you? I’m sure that plenty of girls want you, but none of them have the history you two have. Baby, I just don’t want…”
Once again, she cut me off with those wonderful lips. She held my face with both hands and looked into my eyes.
“Baby, I know her. And I love you. I wouldn’t dream of being with her, or anyone else but you. You are my world, and no one is going to change that.”
And once again, my mind was at ease.
*
I let myself forget about Mellissa until one day a few weeks later. I was walking across the quad when I saw Dee and Mellissa walking ahead of me. Of course, I sped up to catch them. I realized when I was just a few feet behind them that they were arguing. I backed away a little and just listened to them.
“But Daph baby, you know you want to.” Mellissa said, trying to touch Dee.
“No I don’t. I can’t believe this shit.” Dee said, speeding up.
Dee pushed her hand away. I was so happy to see her do it, but I was still pissed that she hadn’t listened to me all along.
“So what about all that flirting you were doing?” she said, speeding up as well.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t flirted with you. James and I are hap…” Dee said as Mellissa grabbed her arm and forced her into a kiss.
I couldn’t hold back any longer. I saw red. I knew for certain now that my suspicions had been true all along.
“Leave her alone, Mellissa.” I said, trying to keep my voice below a scream.
Both of them turned to look at me. Mellissa had a stupid smile on her face. Dee looked terrified.
“Oh don’t worry, Jaime. I’ll take good care of her now.” she said, grabbing Dee’s waist.
Dee quickly broke away from her and ran to me.
“Baby, it’s not…”
I shot one look at her, and she was silent. Then I turned to Mellissa.
“Look, just leave us alone. She obviously doesn’t want to be with you.”
“I don’t have to do…” started Mellissa, but Dee cut her off
“Stay away, Mellissa.” she said. “I don’t want to see you ever again.”
Mellissa just called us both bitches and left. Immediately, Dee started talking.
“James, baby. I…”
I was so mad—not only at Mellissa for trying to steal my girlfriend—but at Dee for not recognizing it. I couldn’t help my anger, and though I knew Dee wasn’t the person I should shut out, I did it anyway.
“Why the hell didn’t you stop her?” I asked
“I..”
I didn’t hear the rest of her sentence. I had already turned and gone the other way. I didn’t want to hear her voice right now. I was too upset.
“James…James…Jamie!” she called after me, but I ignored her.
I ran to my car and went home. Dee showed up ten minutes after I got there. I was sitting, pretending to watch TV, fighting tears. Dee walked in, and I didn’t want to cry in front of her. I got up to leave, but Dee was too quick for me. She crossed the room and grabbed my shoulders.
“Baby, listen to me.” she said, I could hear the strain in her voice. She was close to tears too.
“I knew it! I could see it! I told you! But you didn’t listen!” I said, the tears flowing now.
I pounded her shoulders as I spoke, she just hugged me.
“I know baby, and I’m so sorry.” she said
I tried to break from her grip, thrashing in her arms. She wrapped her arms around mine, holding me tight while I feebly jerked about. She was so much stronger than me, I knew I couldn’t escape her.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” she said over and over again, each time, kissing away tears.
And even through my tears, her kisses felt like heaven. I melted into the feeling of her lips.
“I’m so sorry…I didn’t know…I should have listened.” she said
She felt my body soften and loosened her grip on me. I leaned into her. She held me steady.
“I love you so much, baby. I don’t want anything to come between us.” she said.
“I love you too…” I said “I was just so mad. She…” I was beginning to well up again.
She kissed me again. And the anger I felt for Mellissa was put on hold.
“I know baby. I hate myself for putting you through this.” she said, kissing me deeply.
Soon, we stopped talking and focused on kissing. She pushed me up against the wall and kissed me hard. I knew that she was trying to put everything she was feeling into that kiss. She succeeded. She picked me up and brought me to the bed. She placed me down gently and began taking off my clothes, feathering my body with light kisses. When she finished, she came back up to look into my eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but she silenced me.
“Shhh…Just let me” she said, kissing each eyelid.
She kissed my lips softly, and then made her way down. She peppered my abdomen with caresses and continued down my body.
“I love you so much baby.” she said before lowering her mouth onto me.
It was so gentle, so soft. Every time she touches me, it’s always just right. This time was no exception. She lightly glided over my skin, and I could only sigh in appreciation. My hand went to her hair. I ran my fingers through the locks, loving the fact that they belonged to her, that I was the one with my fingers in her hair, not Mellissa.
When I came, I could only whimper to her, my breath coming in short pants. I wanted to scream, but my breath caught in my throat.
“Ooooh…” I said, feeling the orgasm come over me
Dee laid down beside me and pulled me close.
“I’ll never let that happen again baby, never again.” she said as I lay on her chest.
When she held me close, I knew that I was safe. I knew that what she was saying was true, and I knew that I wanted an eternity with her.
Mellissa called once more, but Dee immediately set her straight. She hasn’t bothered us since. In a way, I think it was good that Mellissa came, she made our relationship that much stronger.