Double Dippin' (13 page)

Carrying a red tray, he found a seat near the window, looking out while munching on a burger and chomping on fries. When he picked up his soda, he was surprised to discover, a ripped off portion of the famous McDonald’s French fries container on his tray. He picked it up, turned it over. Scrawled in blue ink was the name Janelle, a phone number, and the words:
Call me
.

He jerked his head in the direction of the counter, but Janelle was busy filling orders; she didn’t bother to look in his direction. He tried to catch her eye, to let her know that he’d gotten the message and would definitely give her a
call, but Janelle continued to take and place orders as if Tariq didn’t even exist.

Trying to prolong his stay until he could catch her attention, Tariq chewed slowly, took small sips of soda, arranged and rearranged the ketchup packets on his tray. But it was to no avail, because Janelle refused to look his way.

After numerous stolen glances in her direction, Tariq had to accept that Janelle wasn’t particularly pretty. She was brown-skinned with a greenish-colored birthmark splashed across her right cheek. Her short permed hair lacked luster and style. It looked as if she’d run a comb through her hair without fussing over it the way most girls did.

But there was something about Janelle that made her attractive without being pretty. She had an attitude that defied anyone to mess with her. She was a brittle young woman—no soft edges. Besides his old girlfriend Shiree, who was light complexioned, Tariq had a fierce attraction for brown-skinned girls.

The work uniform—formless slacks and the unattractive boyish shirt hid the figure of most girls, but Janelle had a body that the shapeless McDonald’s uniform couldn’t conceal. And she popped gum so loud and with such rapid-fire precision, it was turning him on. It sounded like she was speaking to him through Morse code.

Tariq interpreted her message with a smile. She was saying:
I love you, Tariq. Look no further, I’m all the woman you need
.

He didn’t wait a day or two like some boys would do when given a number. Unsophisticated in playing love games, Tariq called Janelle the evening of the same day he’d met her. Janelle could talk up a storm and Tariq liked listening to her, but the fifteen minutes’ phone time he was allotted wasn’t enough.

“Um…I have to go, but would it be okay if I called you around this time tomorrow night?”

“Why are you rushing off the phone? You bored?”

“No! Not at all. It’s a long story, but I only get fifteen minutes on the phone.”

“Dag. Well, are you allowed out of the house for more than fifteen minutes? If so, why don’t you come over?”

Feeling embarrassed, Tariq chuckled uncomfortably. Janelle didn’t beat around the bush. “Yeah, I can come over. What’s your address?”

“I live on a little street near Wadsworth Avenue, but you’re new around here. You’ll never find it. Tell you what…meet me in front of the Cheltenham Mall in ten minutes.”

“Okay,” Tariq said enthusiastically. “See you in ten minutes.”

Janelle didn’t respond; she just hung up.

Tariq was intrigued. He liked the way she took charge; he liked the way she got straight to the point. So far he liked everything about her. Even the odd birth mark on her face.

He could see Janelle as he waited for the traffic light to change. She was leaning against an ATM machine outside the mall wearing a short denim skirt and a white tank top.

“Hey,” she said, giving only a hint of a smile.

“Hi.” Tariq felt dumb because he couldn’t think of anything to say. He was shy and that was a major problem when it came to girls.

“My house is around the corner.” She started walking toward Wadsworth Avenue and Tariq followed her. “I meant to tell you…” she paused.

“Tell me what?”

“I like your name.”

He blushed. “Thanks.”

“And I think you’re fine…”

Tariq started grinning and turning red.

“Yeah, you’re real nice lookin’, but don’t let that go to your head. Are you conceited?”

Tariq looked at her indignantly. “No, I’m not conceited.”

“Good. I didn’t think so.”

As they continued walking, a tense silence hung in the air. Tariq wasn’t good at setting the mood, so he hoped Janelle would start another conversation. Or an interrogation. He didn’t mind answering her questions. He didn’t mind at all.

“I live here,” she said, stopping in front of the shabbiest house on the block. She stuck a key in the lock. “My parents aren’t home, so we have the entire house to ourselves.” She gave Tariq a sly grin.

Should he return the sly grin? He didn’t know what reaction would please Janelle, so he simply shrugged and stuck his hands in his pockets uncomfortably.

“Have a seat.” She pointed to a rather old sofa that was covered with a gold cloth. “I didn’t get a chance to ask you your age while we were on the phone,” Janelle said casually as she clicked on the TV.

“Uh, sixteen.”

“I’m nineteen. Do you like older women?”

Before Tariq could respond Janelle was on his lap kissing him, with one hand under his shirt massaging his neck and his back. It felt good. So good he put more tongue into the kiss, trying to show her that he really liked her a lot.

Her hand moved around to his chest, rubbing softly, making him utter soft groans. Shiree had never touched him like that; she always monitored and controlled his groping hands. Although he was nervous as hell, this was a new and exciting experience.

Janelle didn’t fumble around when she undid his belt and unzipped his pants. Experienced hands eased gently inside his boxers and began to caress his stiff member. Closing her palm around it and holding it in a loose fist, she stroked him until pre-cum moistened her palm. Tariq pushed in and out, fucking her hand as if he were inside a moist vagina. It felt good, real good, just like in his dreams. The kind that caused him to cum all over his sheets.

Tariq was sweating and breathing hard when Janelle halted his movement by withdrawing her hand. “Let’s go upstairs.”

As she sat down on the bed, she asked, “Are you a virgin, Tariq?”

“Um…” Technically, he wasn’t a virgin, but aside from the bad sexual experience he’d had with Shane’s girl, LaDonna, Tariq’s penis had never been anywhere except inside his own hand.

“Yeah, you are,” she said knowingly. “But not for long.” Her lips twisted into an amused curl. “Come here.”

Tariq stood in front of Janelle. She reached out and worked his jeans down to his thighs. “Take ’em off.”

He did.

“Take those off.” She nodded toward his boxers.

Tariq’s eyes darted to the lamp; he wanted to tell her to turn off the light.

As if reading his mind, she shook her head. “Let’s keep it on, I want to see the dick I’m sucking, and I want to see your face when you cum.”

Tariq didn’t think his dick could get much harder, but her sexy and extremely bold words had him throbbing in sexual pain. He quickly took off his boxers and closed his eyes. The touch of her hands on his buttocks as she pulled him to her lips gave him an internal tremor.

The smoothness of her lips, her warm tongue put shivers up his spine. The inside of Janelle’s mouth felt like paradise. When the head of his dick accidentally pushed into the moist inside of her cheek, Janelle deftly used her tongue to guide it back to the center of her mouth. It wasn’t his first time experiencing oral sex, but was nothing like the terrible time with LaDonna. This was beyond his expectations.

She sucked softly at first and then with great urgency, which had Tariq pumping into her mouth fast and hard as if the orifice were a vagina. He made guttural gasping sounds and, feeling on the brink of insanity, he began to pull her hair, cried out her name and told her he loved her. In fact, he told her he loved her repeatedly.

“I love you, Janelle,” he shouted as he exploded, feeling deeply that his admission was true. It didn’t matter that he’d just met her that very day. The intense emotions were like nothing he’d ever felt before. He loved her and would do everything he could to prove it.

Janelle’s smug smile of satisfaction went unnoticed as he covered her mouth with a passionate kiss. Her mouth tasted salty but he didn’t mind; she’d done something for him that diminished some of his emotional pain. For the first time in months, his thoughts weren’t focused on missing Shane.

“I really love you.” This time he whispered the words in her ear.

When his heart rate returned to normal, Tariq checked the time; it was past his curfew. Embarrassed that he had to tolerate such a strict and old-fashioned rule, Tariq lowered his head and confessed, “I have a ten o’clock curfew; I’m sorry but I have to go.” He felt humiliated and couldn’t control the pained expression that took over his face.

“For real? You have a curfew?” Janelle asked and sucked her teeth. “I wasn’t finished, but it’s cool,” she said with a shrug. “We’ll just have to finish what we started the next time we get together.”

Tariq’s heart soared; he couldn’t believe his good fortune. Despite all the corny restrictions his foster parents forced on him, Janelle was actually willing to see him again. She hinted that they were going to have intercourse the next time. Now that would be a real first, but he hoped with all his heart that she’d also give up some more head.

T
ariq’s arm was wrapped lovingly around Janelle as they stood in a long line at the movie theater inside the Cheltenham Mall, waiting to purchase tickets. Murmurs from the teenage girls around them that fluctuated between amusement and discontent did not immediately register in Tariq’s mind. The malicious titters of laughter from lips drawn in indignation went unheard.

Tariq was so in love, it seemed he and Janelle were the only people in line. Janelle had control of all his senses: He only heard her voice, felt her touch, tasted her kiss, and smelled the fragrance of her personal scent. No one else existed.

A group of girls in line ahead of Tariq and Janelle kept turning around and giving Tariq flirty glances. One of the bold girls licked her lips; another puckered up and mimicked a kiss; the third girl smiled and winked. And all of this was done right in Janelle’s face. The girls expected a favorable response from Tariq.

“Now, that’s a shame. She know she ain’t got no business being all up under that cute boy with that green shit all on her face,” one of the girls complained loudly, which made everyone in earshot turn around to see the ill-matched couple.

“Who are they talking about?” Tariq asked Janelle.

“They’re talking about us, but don’t pay ’em any mind,” Janelle told Tariq. “They’re stupid little girls; trying to work my nerves.”

“Why? Do you know them?”

“No. But it happens all the time. Whenever we’re out together, little young skanks are always trying to hit on you.”

“For real?”

“You don’t notice, Tariq, but a lot of people think you’re too handsome to be with me. I like the fact that you don’t pay those little skanks no attention. And that’s how I want it to stay. Understand?” Janelle said with a threatening edge to her tone.

“You know I don’t mess around with no other girls.” Tariq pulled Janelle closer and kissed her on the cheek.

“Eeow!” The three girls emitted in disgust. “She must be paying him to be with her because I know he ain’t really feelin’ her with that ugly scarred-up mug.”

This time Tariq clearly heard the malicious words. Anger flashed across his face. Before he could defend her honor, Janelle yanked his arm.

“Don’t start anything. They’re just jealous because you’re with me. Now show them hoes how much you love me,” Janelle demanded.

Tariq had no problem following Janelle’s order; he immediately cupped her face and looked lovingly into her eyes. “I love you, baby.”

There were more utterances of disgust from the hostile teenage trio.

“Who do you belong to?” Janelle asked in a pitch that all could hear.

“I belong to you,” Tariq responded, taking Janelle’s lead and speaking loud enough to be heard by the crowd.

“Now, make those skanks jealous; kiss me!”

Tariq didn’t hesitate. Tariq kissed Janelle as passionately as he would if they were alone in her bedroom.

Janelle threw the trio a look of triumph.

The girls sucked their teeth, offended by the sight. However, they didn’t harass the couple again.