Some Like It Spicy, page 15
“I’ll behave if you do,” he whispered into her ear. It was a promise, but sounded more like a warning.
She tried to heed the warning but couldn’t because the movie was too damn scary.
The movie’s creepy, sick scenes had her burying her head in Barry’s chest and clinging to him like he was a raft and she was drowning. At one point, she grabbed his thigh tightly, but didn’t realize just how high up his thigh she’d grabbed.
It was only when the scene ended that she realized that her fingers were on the inside of his thigh and were brushing against his groin. However, before she could take her hand off him, he slammed his own hand over hers.
“You were naughty first,” he murmured into her ear while keeping his hand firmly atop hers on his thigh.
Honestly, she could’ve torn her hand from his hold if she wanted to. But she didn’t. She kept it right there, curious about what his next move was. He didn’t do anything. He just kept her hand right where it was.
Though her hand wasn’t directly on his cock, there was enough contact that she felt him growing, swelling, getting bigger…
Her mouth dried as the urge to move her hand upward so she could cup him overwhelmed her. Reason told her to leash her desires. They were in public. Their friends were right next to them. She shouldn’t…
She pushed her hand upward and cupped him. It wasn’t a light touch. She actually squeezed his swollen length.
Oh! Barry’s mouth opened in a silent groan and his wide-eyed gaze snapped to her. It seemed like he couldn’t believe what she’d done.
She couldn’t believe it either.
Heat rushed up to her face, and she quickly jerked her hand from his groin then turned to face the screen. What in the world was wrong with her? How could she touch him like that in public? She pressed her palms to her very hot face. She must’ve gone insane.
It took Barry a minute to get it together and stop staring at her in utter shock. Afterward, he gave a low laugh then put his arm back around her shoulders. She spent the rest of the movie with her hands plastered innocently in her own lap and her gaze studiously focused to the front and away from him. Even when the gory scenes came on, she just closed her eyes.
Her hope was that by the time the movie ended, he would’ve forgotten all about her little moment of insanity. But no such luck.
“You should’ve done more,” Barry whispered to her as they filed out of the theater when the movie was over.
She lifted her chin, arched her eyebrows, and tried to fake innocence. “I’m not that kind of girl.”
“You better be careful around me then,” He warned with a wicked glint in his eyes. “I plan to make you that kind of girl.”
What? The desire Xolani had leashed strained against its collar and threatened to attack again. This man was dangerous to her sanity and modesty! If she wasn’t careful, he’d turn her into an exhibitionist.
“What are two whispering about?” Camryn called out behind them, shattering the illusion that they were alone.
Xolani snapped back, “We’re just planning your funeral.”
“Oh, in that case_” Camryn grinned. “Make sure to invite Pastor Day. He’s the only one I want speaking over my dead body.”
“Wow, Cam!” Xolani gasped in utter shock. “Did you have to bring Pastor Day into this? That’s foul.”
She hated Pastor, and Camryn knew that. She tried to smack her brother, but he ducked behind Anika with a chuckle.
“That’s why you shouldn’t come for me, Xo,” Camryn taunted once he was a safe distance from his sister’s hands. “I know all your secrets.”
“Who’s Pastor Day?” Barry asked.
Pastor Day was the senior pastor at their parents’ church. Back when Xolani was sixteen, he’d caught her and her then boyfriend making out behind the church. He’d gone ahead to broadcast it to anyone who had ears. There was even a sermon on nasty teenager sinners. Though no names were mentioned, the Pastor kept casting ‘do you hear me’ glances at the two sinners, making it obvious who he was talking to and about.
After that, whenever Xolani misbehaved, her parents would threaten to tell Pastor Day so he could share it with the whole congregation.
The memory was enough to make Xolani grit her teeth. “You don’t need to know about Pastor Day.”
“But I want to know,” Barry said.
“I want to know too,” Justine chimed in while Nigel looked on curiously like he wanted to know too but couldn’t say the words.
“Me three,” Anika piped up.
Xolani’s traitorous brother lifted his hand. “I’ll tell you.”
That led to a fast-walking chase between the siblings that ended at the food-court. While Xolani tried to silence her brother by first pressing her hand to his mouth then eventually offering bribes, Barry and Nigel found a table that could seat all six of them.
The group settled at the table. Barry and Xolani sat next to each other. Nigel sat next to Barry and opposite Justine. Anika was next to Justine. Camryn sat beside Anika and opposite Xolani. The seating was somewhat deliberate. Justine wanted to be close to Nigel, and Xolani made sure her brother was across from her so she could kick him under the table if he spouted anymore rubbish.
“Okay, what’s everyone having?” Justine handed out menus.
Everyone made their choice. Because Barry and Camryn had offered to cover lunch, they went off to make the orders and pay. When they came back, Xolani’s friends were waiting.
Anika bumped her shoulder against Justine’s as if to give her a signal. Justine nodded at Anika then pounced.
“So, Barry,” she smiled at him. “What do you like about my girl?”
“Justine!” Xolani shot her friend a sharp look.
They’d agreed there’d be no interrogations today. The girls were only here to silently observe how Barry interacted with Xolani and everyone else, then make a judgment about his character.
“What?” Justine tried to fake innocence as she met Xolani’s gaze. “I’m not allowed to even make conversation?”
Xolani glared at her but didn’t say anything.
Justine came back to Barry. “Barry, you don’t mind me making conversation, do you?”
“No, of course not!” Barry was like an innocent ram that didn’t know it was walking into an abattoir. He was all smiles as he answered, “And to answer your question; I like Xo because she’s easy going, easy to talk to, and, might I add…” He gave Xolani a lingering onceover. “Very pretty.”
“Ugh!” Camryn gagged like he was about to hurl. “You need to get your eyes checked, man!”
That earned him an under the table kick.
“Ow!” He glared at Xolani. “What’s that for?”
“I was attempting a factory reset on your brain. It doesn’t seem to be functioning very well.” Xolani smirked. “Next time, I’ll aim higher.”
While the siblings were trading barbs, Justine was still on Barry’s case.
“Aw, that so sweet. I actually feel a toothache coming on from all that sugar,” Justine cooed in response to Barry’s sappy answer. “You must like her very much.”
Barry glanced at Xolani and nodded. “I do.”
His tone, words and look warmed Xolani and started a weird fluttering in her belly. If they were alone, she would’ve kissed him.
“Hmm.” Justine went for the kill. “But not enough to make her official, huh?”
“Justine!” Xolani exclaimed in shock. Meanwhile, Barry’s guard went up, and he gave Xolani a look as if to ask how he should handle this.
“What?” Justine amped up the innocent act with wide, earnest puppy eyes. “I was just making an observation.”
Anika nodded as if to add credence to Justine’s absurd claims. Meanwhile, Nigel was watching Justine with a half-smile as if he was thoroughly enjoying her acting.
“Keep your observations to yourself,” Xolani ordered while giving both her friends narrow-eyed looks.
“She’s not the only one wondering,” Cam piped up. “Why won’t you make an honest woman out of my sister, Barry?”
Xolani spoke before Barry could. “Your sister is the one who refuses to make an honest man out of him.”
Barry said, “Actually, it’s a mutual decision.”
“And none of y’alls business,” Xolani added before he could say more. “We’ll sort it out ourselves.”
“Oh, touchy!” Camryn gave a mock tremble. “You look like you want to skin all of us alive.”
“Look at her coming to her man’s defense,” Justine piled on. “So cute.”
Fortunately, the circular disk on their table lit up to let them know that their food was ready. Xolani grabbed Barry’s arm. “Let’s go get the food.”
As they walked away from the table, Barry put his hand on the small of Xolani’s back and said, “You know, you don’t have to defend my honor.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I just don’t want them boxing you into a corner and making you uncomfortable.”
Barry’s discomfort was just part of the reason she didn’t want her friends questioning him too much. She was also afraid that their questions might make him angry at them and by extension her. If he got too angry, he might’ve decide to end what they had going. She didn’t want that. She was too addicted to let him go.
“Your friends are just looking out for you.” Barry squeezed her waist. “And I don’t mind their questions. I can handle them.”
Worried, she said, “You don’t have to.”
“I want to.” He kissed her temple. “Just give me a chance to show them they have nothing to worry about.”
“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed.
When they got back to their table with the group’s food, a list of seemingly premeditated questions awaited him. Justine took the lead with Anika egging her on.
Did you have other girls on the wings? No, Xolani was the only woman on his roster, and he didn’t plan to add to it. He was a one-woman man.
What do you hate most about Xolani’s personality? Nothing. He liked everything about her. He added that he liked how assertive she was about her boundaries, and was trying to be more like her.
That answer made Anika smile and almost flipped her to his side. But Justine gave Anika a look that screamed ‘Get it together, Lady. We’re at work!’. Anika dropped the smile, sat up in her seat, and glared at Barry fiercely like the silent bad cop she was supposed to be.
Justine continued with the interrogation.
If Xolani and Nigel were drowning, who would you save? Xolani. Barry answered immediately and with no hesitance, earning himself a scowl from Nigel. He took the sting out of his words by saying Nigel could swim.
“So can Xo,” Cam said.
“But she’s my lady.” Barry stared at Xolani affectionately. “I’d still have to check on her to make sure she was fine.”
Xolani almost melted in her seat. Why was this man so sweet?
But Justine remained undeterred by the sappiness. She demanded, “What’s your opinion on men who don’t claim their women on social media?”
“That depends.” Barry went on to explain his answer. If the man was constantly posting everything from his breakfast to his colonoscopy results, then it was a red flag. But if he wasn’t active on social media or if his partner wanted privacy, then it was okay.
Would you post Xolani? Only if she wanted him to.
And many other questions.
Barry would’ve made a great politician. He volleyed those verbal grenades like a champion. Nothing the ladies asked flustered him, and he was always ready with a great answer. If Xolani didn’t already know him, she would’ve thought that he was reading from a script. But no, this was just who he was, and it made her like him even more.
Meanwhile, her girls were getting frustrated because they couldn’t rattle Barry. Their questions became even more silly.
“What’s your sign?” Justine asked.
“I’m a Gemini?”
“Is that bad?” Justine whispered to Anika.
“Very bad,” Anika confirmed. “She’s a Scorpio.”
“You don’t match.” Justine triumphantly declared to Barry.
Before Barry or Xolani could rebut that illogical claim, Nigel chimed in. “I didn’t figure you for an astrology believer, Justine.”
Xolani had already noticed that he was oddly fixated on Justine. Who could blame him though? Magnetic was Justine’s middle name. Xolani wondered if she should warn him that Justine was a maneater. But she decided not to. He was a big boy. In fact, he was one or two inches taller than Barry, which made him and extra big boy. He could handle himself.
“I’m a believer today.” Justine turned all her attention to Nigel. Her tone became seductive as she asked, “What’s your sign? I bet it’s something that matches with mine.”
Nigel grumpily returned, “I don’t have a sign.”
“Oh, a man who wasn’t born but just appeared on earth? Wow!” Justine was undaunted by the grumpiness. Smiling, she added, “That’s how I got to earth too. Did you lose your angel wings and come down from heaven like me? Or are you just from another planet, Superman?”
Everyone laughed. Even Nigel.
Xolani chuckled. “No one here believes that you were ever an angel, Justine.”
“I was, but I sinned. Hence…” Justine gestured to her whole body. “Fallen angel.”
That drew another round of laughs, and gave Barry an opportunity to get off the hot seat. The group’s conversation wandered off once Justine asked about Nigel’s job so she could claim how it matched hers.
All in all, things went well… so well that they all decided to go clubbing together after their meal.
As they walked to the club, Justine and Anika crowded Xolani between them.
“I like Barry,” Anika said in a low tone so the men, who were in front of them, wouldn’t hear.
“Me too,” Justine agreed. “He seems like boyfriend material.”
“I told you he’s not my boyfriend and will never be,” Xolani protested. But she couldn’t deny the intense relief and happiness that came from know that her friends approved of Barry.
18
THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY, XOLANI AND Barry decided to have dinner together outside their homes. Xolani arrived at the restaurant first but Barry wasn’t far behind. About five minutes later, he parked his car next to hers in the parking lot.
The restaurant looked like an English cottage, and could easily pass for the home of a wealthy baron. It was hidden behind a large gate and surrounded by lush lawns and greenery.
One did not find such a place by accident. You had to know what you were looking for.
“When I said pick somewhere private, I didn’t mean take me to the middle of nowhere,” Xolani teased as she and Barry walked hand-in-hand to the restaurant.
He laughed. “Hey, you’re the one who insists on keeping our relationship a secret from our workmates. I just made your wishes come true and found a place that none of them knows about.”
“So this is my fault?” Xolani gave him a disbelieving look. “Honey, you’re the one who has a problem with_”
“Did you just call me honey?” Barry stopped walking to stare at her with raised eyebrows.
“What? No!” she denied even as her heart-rate sped up and nervousness shot through her. Had she called him that?
He confirmed, “You just called me honey.”
“No, I didn’t.” Somehow, she managed not to sound panicked as she added, “You must’ve imagined it.”
His gaze was locked on her. “No, I didn’t.”
She wanted to deny it again but her throat closed up because she didn’t know if she’d messed up. ‘Honey’ was an endearment used between committed couples. Friends-with-benefits weren’t supposed to use it on each other. Obviously, she’d crossed a line by using it.
Was Barry going to end their situationship because of her unintentional slip-up?
Her heart lurched in terror. It wasn’t over, right?
Barry’s expression was unreadable as he asked, “So, we’re doing pet-names now?”
More anxiety swept through her, and again she didn’t answer.
His lips curled in a crooked smile. “Do I have to call you honey too, or can I come up with my own pet-name?”
That smile sent immediate relief through her. He wasn’t furious. He wasn’t ending things.
She found her voice and wit. “No, I don’t trust you with a pet-name. You’ll probably come up with something weird.”
“Weird like what?” He put his arm around her waist as he teased, “Peanut butter buns? Queen of my bedroom? Slayer of my dick?”
“Good Lord, no! Those are awful!” She gave him a horrified look and tried to swat his arm away from her waist. “Don’t even think of attaching any of them to me.”
“I can be more creative if you like.” His eyes danced with amusement. “What about sugar lips? That one’s fun and accurate.”
“Only if you want to end up on Fatal Attraction,” she threatened.
“You don’t like it? Fine. I have some more.” Grinning, he brought her even closer to the side of his body. “How do you feel about Lady Sex-a-lot?”
Despite herself, she burst into laughter. “Absolutely not.”
“Well, I have to call you something.”
“Xo. Let’s go with Xo.” Half laughing, she pleaded, “I like Xo. I really, really like Xo. Call me Xo.”
“Naw! Too mainstream.” Barry shook his head. “Since I’m now honey, I reserve the right to choose a new name for you. Hmm. What do you think about…”
He kept throwing ridiculous pet-name after ridiculous pet-name at her while she begged him to stop in between laughs. By the time they got to their table, her stomach was aching from all the laughter. She smiled at him affectionately. She loved a man who could make her laugh.
Unfortunately, that smile didn’t last for long.
Just after they’d ordered their food and started on their wine, Misty, Barry’s clingy colleague, showed up. They didn’t even have an opportunity to hide because it felt like she’d just appeared from thin air.
