BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (120 page)

"What did I say?" He had asked firmly.

"Ja-a-ake! I can't even claim unemployment! Granted, I have a few investments and a really good 401k - but - once I leave that job-..."

"You're going to have to depend on me then. Whatever you have from that, if you must, put it in your account there and just leave it. I don't want to be touching any of your money, you got me?"

She'd groaned in misery, scared of letting go of her independence, of letting go of a job she'd worked up in and made it to where she was. Friday was just two days away and she was getting cold feet. In two days, it would be over for her, she would be walking out of her job, leaving a top position, top pay, to relocate to another state, town, small town at that; one filled with white folks. The only thing that made it easier to contend with is that Sylvia was there, and his parents were there. If it were not for them, she would be struggling with the decision a whole lot more. In their discussion, Jake had heard all of her fears and understood them, but was steadfastly adamant about her giving it up and relying on him to take care of her, promising that he would do all he could to make sure she lacked nothing.

Now, it was Thursday morning, the day before, he rang her now that the truck was ready after filling it up, checking his other fluids, water and oil levels. It was just before dawn, the sky going from deep blue, gradually lightening. "Wake-up sleepy head." He started right off hearing her fumble with the phone to answer it. Vivian groaned finally fitting the phone to her ear, trying to wake up, stretching as she did so, he could hear it, "Ohhh, does that sound sexy, emmm." He growled, "What are you sleeping in?" He asked, his voice low and seductive. Vivian chuckled, "Nothing that would turn you on, so down boy. Just a long boring t-shirt and socks."

"Emmm, still sounds good to me, it's what's under that t-shirt that turns me on. In fact, what's under that shirt is on my mind, big time, so you better be ready for me Friday night when I get there."

"Oh no no no, Mr McPherson, as you said, we gettin' right on the road, no messing around. That includes you." She yawned and gave a little moan.

"Lil'girl you obviously still don't know me, 'cause I'll pull over and fuck you in a truck stop-..."

"JAKE! God! Why are you like that!" She squealed.

He laughed on the other end, "Just telling you the truth, I'll slip this sonofabitch into neutral, turn your ass to me and put five more miles on the meter, with the truck standing still. Come to think of it, sounds like a plan."

"See, see, no no no - um em, I can see it now - you ain't gone be on me every time I turn around."

"Ev-ver-ry-time you turn around, I'm gone right there, ready for some more, better believe it. I figure you close to being fertile around about now, or soon, yeah - I'm gettin' you just in the nick of time to get things moving along."

Vivian whimpered, "We should wait Jake, until we married, just to be sure..." She mumbled into the phone, face halfway in the pillow, "... let's do that Jake, get the house ready and stuff."

"Look, it's not hard. We have the house, I'm working on that, and while I'm working on that, I'll be working on you. All you have to do, is stand by and let me do my thing. I have the house covered, I have our finances covered, and you - all you have to do is grow my babies - I'll do the rest. You take care of that, I'll take care of the rest."

Vivian did a mini-temper tantrum, which he could clearly hear over the phone, making him chuckle all the more.

"I can't believe you!" She whined after her mini-fit.

"Hey baby, you wanted me, you got me. So don't complain, I'm not; in fact, I can't wait to get you here, because once you're mine, married and officially, a McPherson, that's it. All mine, for good - permanent, got me?"

She groaned instead of answering him, "Lil'girl? You hear me?"

"Yeah." She grunted.

Switching directions he asked, "My son behaving himself?"

She sighed turning to her back, coming more awake, "Yes, of course he is."

"Good, well I gotta go baby," He climbed up into the cab, slamming the door and started it up. Vivian could hear the roar of the engine, which brought her a strange sense of pride in him, for the work he did, and could do. There wasn't a soft thing about him, he was certainly all man; from his bristly, ever whiskered face; rough, hard calloused hands, hairy hard body, deep and sexy voice, to his take charge, eat you alive, way in bed, scary as hell in bed, because once he had hold of her, he wouldn't let go - his way of love making was a constant shock to the body as if being repeatedly electrocuted - not letting up, no matter how you cried out for mercy, that he stop. Vivian's body tremored from just the thought of him.

"Call me every time you make it to your next stop, so I know you're okay." She forgot all else, because in the end, she did love this man.

"Hey, just think, I roll this truck and snap my neck, you're free to keep working." He joked.

"Tsk!" She sucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, "Why would you say something like that, I love you - you know it. Just because I'm uneasy about my future, doesn't mean I would ever even consider something happening to you to get out of it, so don't joke like that."

Jake smiled, "You really love me lil'girl? You sure?"

"With all my heart. I must love you, because I'm scared as hell of you, but look at me, about to dive in."

"You don't ever have to be afraid of me. I may fuck up from time to time, do stupid shit, say stupid shit - but I'd never hurt my lil'girl, you hear me?"

"There's more than one way to hurt somebody Jake, while I know you would never harm me physically - what about my heart?"

"Listen here lil'girl, I'm about to do for you, something I've never done for another woman ever - not ever! No woman can claim of me, what you soon will. You remember that, you hear, that's what you remember. Now blow me a kiss to keep me going until my next stop."

Vivian sighed into the phone, "Mmm-uah!" She kissed vocally for him.

"That's nice, that's real nice. Well, in the words of a good song, 'On the road again, I just can't wait, to get out on the road again...' He sang in his stunningly incredible voice.

"Be careful babe." She whispered on the line.

"Will do... until my next stop, mmm-uah - to you!"

She heard the click of him hanging up.

Vivian lay there a moment letting her body ease from the effects of speaking with him. Once it did, she realized she had to pee. In the bathroom, finished doing what she went there for, after washing her hands, drying them she opened the door to come out and ran directly into Paul, face to face. Caught so off guard, she screamed.

"Sorry, it's just me, sorry."

"Boy you scared me to death! I didn't even know you were up yet, the house was so quiet." She held her hand to her heart and then happened to look down his body, noticing that he was fully dressed. "Going somewhere?" She asked, assuming he'd just gotten up because she hadn't heard him sneak in.

Staring her in the face, Paul turned red. Blushing because he was not used to lying - and couldn't come up with one fast enough caught as he was. So there he stood, his mouth partially open. He considered the truth, just not - the entire truth. "I ah - I've just - come in."

"Come in? From where? You know what time it is? You been out all night? Paul, this is Chicago! Oh my goodness, where have you been?"

"I ah-h-h - went - out to ah-h-h-h." He couldn't think of one thing to say that was plausible, not one halfway decent excuse.

"Paul?" Vivian questioned again, gently.

"I went - ah - hmmm..."

"Oh my goodness, you've - you've been to that ladies house - haven't you?"

His face colored up red big time.

"You have! Pa-a-aul!"

"I know - I did, that's where I was." He confessed, since he wasn't into lying, there was no way he would get away with one.

"Why Paul? At this time of night?"

Again he stood, this time nibbling on his lip, not sure how to answer her. She was responsible for him, he knew that, so he owed her an explanation, but he wasn't sure how to give her one. Taking another deep breath, he finally mustered the nerve to say, "I'm - a bit - well - uh - taken with her - you - you know what I mean?" He hinted suggestively, trying to be respectful to his father's future wife.

There it was, in the nutshell, Sheila had been right. Of course Vivian knew that she probably was, because as all knew, if Sheila said it was so, then just like the CBS news, you were reluctant to argue with it. She could only stare at him a moment, because she too was ill equipped to deal with a teenage son, stepson - but deal with it, she must, because he was there with her. Taking a deep steadying breath, she finally found her voice, "Are you saying, that you and she - are having a consensual, adult, relationship?"

"Hey, that's a good way to put it, uh - yeah."

Vivian groaned, closing her eyes a moment and then opening them, she asked one more time, "A full - complete - all the way - adult - consensual relationship?"

"Uh-h-h-h - yep."

Vivian whimpered, "Oh Paul, your father is going to kill me!"

"Why? No he won't! Vivian, don't tell him! I mean, why does he need to know? I'm not a little kid you know."

"I know you're not a little kid Paul, but to go out at this time of night - in this city - oh my goodness, just the thought of what could have happened to you out there, and I would have never known! Do you know how dangerous that is! The chance you took?"

"I wasn't thinking about that." He gently defended, his father's grin showing up with a twinkle in his eye.

To see it, made Vivian slap her hands to her face, shaking her head she turned toward the kitchen, he followed.

"I'm okay Vivian, I'm back, safe and sound. I'm sorry okay, I apologize. You're right, that was really stupid of me, something could have happened."

"You're doggone right something could have! Don't you ever do that again Paul! Jake would have never forgiven me had something happened to you! I would have never forgiven myself!"

"Never again Vivian, never ever again will I do something so callous, cross my heart, hope to die!"

"Excuse me, I hope the hell not! Not on my watch!"

He grinned again.

"Stop grinning! You hear me boy, just stop that look right now!" She mildly fussed at him, at the sink for a glass of water.

Paul leaned there, looking at her, smiling and joyful. "You're not gonna tell my dad, are you? Come on, I said I was sorry. I don't usually do things like this, really I don't."

"Yeah, that's why I agreed with you, talked your dad into letting you stay, because that's what I thought."

"Vivian, I'm not an angel. I'm a man, maybe a young one in your eyes, but a man still the same. And well, if I may be so bold to say it, just like any other man, I too, have my needs. I needed to see her tonight. I'm eighteen years old, at the legal age of decision. And, I'm asking you, to forgive me for making one that violated your trust in me, I won't do that again. I'm asking you, not to report back to my father, as if I've been a bad little boy that needs disciplining, please."

Vivian stood staring at him, he was too charming for his own good. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. He wasn't a little boy, albeit under twenty-one - but yet, old enough that if he signed up into the army, they would take him. But still, "Look, in truth, what you do, is none of my business. I am not - your mother. So, I will not - treat you like a little boy, reporting your actions to your father, but I'll treat you as a man, and let you - however way you choose to do so, tell him yourself, okay?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, you can tell him. However, if you don't - then - that's up to you. There's no one who will force you to, that includes me. But I have your promise, that you won't be pulling this again, correct?"

"You have my word on that."

"Okay, as for me, I can get in at least another hour."

"Good idea." He smiled, "Thanks Vivian, for being so cool about it."

She stopped on her way, "It's easy with you Paul, because you're so smart and kind, but don't let new found experiences in life, change that in you. By all means, go ahead and grow into your manhood, all I ask, is, that you don't toss good sense to the wayside as you do."

*

L. A.

Angela sat in the breakfast room of her mother's home; at the table in form of a triangle, with Jeremiah, sitting to the left of her reading the morning paper, and to her right, her mother, spooning up the last of her fresh fruit, nuts and yogurt. She was nervous, and they looked tense, she noted as she nibbled on her toast. An audible sigh captured her attention, pulling her eyes to Jeremiah once more, who lowered his paper to look at her. She could tell that he was not used to being around kids much. He was nice, but struggled to think of things to say to her, but it didn't flow from him, similar to the way it had never flowed from her mother. Weird as it might seem, just in the short time she'd spent around them, she, at her age, recognized that they were perfect for one another. They acted very similar. She reflected back to the previous evening when they'd gone to an incredible play, she and her mother had met him there. They both tried hard to think of things to say to her, to make her feel comfortable with them; going to the standard discussions of school, grades, favorite classes, any new friends. Her mother hadn't been so bad, because she was after all, her mother. But him, he'd had a time of it. Angela, decided, just on general principles, not to make it easy on him, she'd only stared at him and waited for him to say whatever it was that he'd had on his mind. In which she gave more, one word answers, and occasionally two to. In the end, he smiled, stroked the top of her head and looked helplessly at her mother. She felt a bit sorry for him, for being that way, but she didn't wish to give them the impression she was having such a good time, that she might consider staying, no way!

Angela wanted no doubts concerning her being there, it was just a visit - no sense in anyone getting too comfortable.