New Title 1 (4 page)

And These Are the Days of Our Lives

Everyone always asks, how do you end up with your best friend’s man? They say some things should just never happen. And I guess for it to be even considerable, there would have to be some excruciating circumstances. Some weird twists of fate or some ill plots of destiny would have had to occur. Well, this is how it happened.

The Next Morning

“
Well, I’ll be sure to tell him before he leaves out Miss Augustine.”

“
Mmm hmm, just like the last time you made sure to tell him… right,
Miss Noelle
?”

Noelle sighed deeply and pursed her lips before responding into the phone to Julez’s old as dirt but still ridiculously sassy grandmother. Between his mother and her, they drove Noelle crazy on a daily basis, all the way from Tennessee.

“
Miss Augustine, I want to let you know that I
do
relay your messages. Julez is just always so busy, he forgets sometimes to return his calls.”

Noelle could smell Miss Augustine’s doubt before she even answered, and it was well justified. Noelle was lying through her teeth.

“
Mmm hmm, lies child, lies. I know my grandson, and he’s always covering for you. The only one who forgets anything over there is
you
. Just like you forget to keep a steady household and forget to cook a decent meal for your husband. What in the lord child has come over the women this day and age?” She seemed to ask this question to the lord himself and not to Noelle. And just as Noelle was about to interfere and give her a piece of her mind in response, Slim walked into the kitchen in his Carthart construction gear, looking sexy as ever.

“
Miss Augustine…” Noelle had to take a brief pause when she felt Slim standing closely behind her; his warm breath tickling the back of her neck. “Miss Augustine, I…I will uhm…
shit
…,” she murmured softly when he pinched her nipple through her camisole. Noelle was still dressed in the short shorts and tank top that she had wore to bed. No lingerie for the birthday boy had taken place. “Miss Augustine…I’ll…I’ll tell him to call you.”

She disconnected the call before any more cries of passion escaped her lips and she turned to face Slim with lust in her eyes.

“
How’d you sleep?” She asked softly, as if he were her husband.

Slim licked his lips subtly and rested his hands on her hips. He leaned down into her ear.

“
Not as good as I sleep with you next to me.” He used his tongue to trace her earlobe. “Come to the site today.” His voice was low, raspy, and sexy.

“
I can’t,” Noelle panted as he slid his hand down in the front of her shorts so smoothly. It was so quick, she couldn’t stop him if she wanted to.

“
I wasn’t asking.” He applied light pressure to her clit with his two fingers and bit his bottom lip in longing, feeling how wet she was as he looked down at her pretty face twisted in pleasure. Noelle’s body in her tiny attire had him ready to bust out of his clothes.

“
Two o’ clock,” she whispered, agreeing with little resistance. As he let up and removed his hand, the two heard footsteps coming down the stairs.
Damn.

“
Nah, just make sure you set that up for this morning. I wanna make sure his ass don’t run into no other options, we got him right where we want ‘em.” Julez made his way into the kitchen, nestling his cell phone between his shoulder and ear and looping his tie simultaneously. His dialogue let Noelle know that he was handling business at his office, although his dialect was still subtly street. Noelle knew he couldn’t help it, he was a street dude at heart, but she figured he could do that, being that he
was
the boss. He walked over to Noelle and pecked her on the lips while still engrossed in his conversation and by this time, Slim had retreated to the refrigerator, pouring himself a glass of orange juice.

“
No, no…he’s not keeping the Merrill property, we’re taking it all. He can’t afford it no more. Kira, set up the meeting.”

Noelle rolled her eyes at the sound of Kira’s name. Kira, her husband’s assistant, the girl that she was sure had more than just a little crush on Julez, the bitch that Noelle couldn’t stand.

“
Alright, see you in a minute.” Julez disconnected the call and Noelle perched her hand on her hip.

“
Had to have your morning dose of Kira, huh?”

Julez tilted his head to the side and looked at her in disbelief.

“
C’mon Noe, not today.” Noelle knew that it was her own guilt that made her think that Julez was constantly stepping out on her. She questioned him about his clients, people at his office, but most of all, Kira. It didn’t help that the girl was attractive, in a video vixen turned corporate type of way. Before the discussion could grow anymore intense, Jordin entered the kitchen, dressed to impress in a waist-high, black pencil skirt with a fitted white button down blouse. It was definitely not her normal job hunting gear.

“
Wow,” Noelle gasped with her jaw dropped; surprised at her choice of wardrobe and how good she looked wearing it. Even though the skirt came down to her knee and the top covered her upper half well, it was still form fitting and rare for Jordin. “Look at you, hot mama!”

Slim and Julez both looked but neither commented at first. Jordin blushed noticing all eyes on her.

“
Thanks Noe…I actually have an interview today at Caramel magazine, so I wanted to, you know, put a little
umph
to myself. I really want this job,” she added modestly.

“
Well good luck mama, I think you’ll get it looking like that, ay caliente’!” Noelle waved her hand like it was on fire while laughing and Slim just sipped his juice while studying his high school sweetheart and his new lover interact.

“
You sure you just want a new job…not a new nigga?” He chuckled and Jordin punched him and rolled her eyes playfully. Noelle couldn’t help but be a tad jealous.

“
You look nice Jordin,” Julez added breaking Noelle’s envious thoughts.

“
Yeah, I picked it out,” McKenzie interjected, making her way downstairs. She was a cute and chubby seven-year-old girl with freckles, who was dressed in her private school uniform accompanied by a light sweater for the April Spring weather. Jordin had gotten her ready as she normally did when Noelle slept late.

“
You didddd,” Noelle sang, running over and bending down to her baby girl, giving her a great bear hug. When she did that, the bottom half of her shorts rose up, leaving her ass halfway exposed. Slim and Julez both took in an eyeful before Julez walked over. Noelle continued to talk to McKenzie seeming oblivious. “Well you did a beautiful job mami, that’s a hot outfit for Jordin!”

“
Yeah speaking of hot outfits,” Julez interrupted, speaking low enough for his wife to know it was a private statement, but audible enough for the others to hear if they wanted to. “Why don’t you go upstairs and put some clothes on. Fuck is all this?”

He patted her on the rear. Noelle could sense the anger in his voice and she looked up at him with slight attitude.

“
It’s just shorts, papi,” she spoke low.

“
It’s just shorts my ass Noe, go put some fucking clothes on.” His voice was even, not threatening but she knew he meant business.

Jordin pursed her lips, slightly embarrassed for her friend but she knew Noelle did things that were not always thought through. She tried to change the subject.

“
Slim baby, you want something to eat? I can make you some eggs or something real quick.”

Jordin rubbing on Slim’s arm as she asked the question caused Noelle to look in their direction before she made her way upstairs. She caught Slim licking his two fingers before he spoke, the same two fingers that were caressing her wetness.

“
Nah, I got a taste for something else,” he spoke, eyes on Noelle. The boldness of him caused Noelle to look away and make her way to her room before either one of them got into trouble. She had a taste for him too.

***

“
Nah ma, she didn’t forget. I just got a lot of shi... I mean stuff on my plate this morning. I was gonna call grandma back.”

“
Yeah, yeah boy. You know I raised ya. Lying to me aint gonna do you no good, I know exactly what ya saying, when ya saying it, and why ya saying it.”

Julez looked into his desk phone with furrowed eyebrows and a smirk, wondering what the hell his mother was talking about.

“
Ma, how ya say, what ya say…what are
you
saying?”

“
I’m
saying
…that wife of yours is a mess. The sooner you see, the better you’d be.”

“
Ma, how many times I gotta tell you to stop disrespecting Noe? And by the way, I hope you know that y'all are just alike.”

His mother huffed.

“
My ass.”

“
Yup,” Julez chuckled. “The daughter you never had. I gotta go ma, call you later.”

“
Call your grandmother boy!”

“
Alright, bye.” And Julez rested the receiver. Before he could get into his thoughts about his wife – how she never
did
do anything special for his birthday, how they had eaten the dinner Jordin had prepared before Noelle had gone up to bed early, no sex of course, how the house was still a mess, and how she still couldn’t relay his personal messages, there was a light tap at his door.

“
Rise and grind.” Julez looked up and Kira was standing in his door frame, coffee in hand, smile on her face. “How was the birthday?”

She walked over in a short black dress that adorned her sexy frame, skin the color of chocolate milk, her shoulder length hair pulled back into a neat bun.

“
Good,” Julez lied.

“
Here…black, the way you like it.” She handed him his cup and rested her ass against his desk. “Did you guys go out?”

Julez took a sip, not in the mood to discuss his personal life or lack there of.

“
Nah, we stayed in.”

Kira smiled.

“
Aw, intimate. What’d she make?”

“
Damn, what you working for the feds or something?” Julez joked, standing up and walking over to his remote that controlled the blinds in his office. He let some sun in.

“
No,” Kira responded a little embarrassed, pouting her heart shaped lips. Julez shrugged.

“
Her friend Jordin cooked. We all just kicked it…watched a movie and shit. Something light.”

“
Oh.”

Julez could sense what her silence meant. It wasn’t everyday that someone turned thirty, it was supposed to be a big one. But Julez didn’t sweat it, he was a nigga and a birthday was a birthday.

“
Did you set up the meeting?”

“
Of course, didn’t you ask me to?”

Julez looked over at her and her blank expression turned to a light smile, one that caused him to crack one of his own. If only it could be that simple at home.
I gotta get my situation under control.