Southern Tide Vol. 02

"I work at Brookville Hospital. It's kind of far though. I'll just meet you in town."

"It's no problem. I can get there faster than you taking the buses. They're kinda slow out there right?"

"I'll be driving back to...oh...wait. Cat did tell you that I was having car trouble, right?"

"Yeah. Did you get it fixed?"

"I should tell you that she was just trying to get us to go up there together." she admitted. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I should've figured." he grinned. "You said you were going grocery shopping? How about I just meet you there? Maybe I can help with the heavy lifting or something."

"Um...okay. I might be there a while. Joshua's going away to my mom's house for his winter break, and I have to get lots of groceries. I wouldn't want you to wait on me."

"No, it's okay. I've got to get some stuff too. We can use the time to talk. Should be nice, right?"

He heard her smile on the line, and he began to relax at the idea of seeing her again. Up until now, his nerves had been on end.

"Okay...yeah. It would be cool to have a little company."

"Great. Where do you shop?"

"The supermarket on 89th street's got a lot of good sales this week. That okay?"

"Yup. Text me the time I should meet you and I'll be there."

"Okay...and thanks for calling. I hadn't thought about talking in front of Joshua, so thanks for the suggestion."

"No problem. I'm sure that you already have a lot on your mind. So I'll see you later then?"

"Yeah. I'll see you soon."

"Alright. Take care."

Brian planned to meet Kiara at the store's entrance for 5:30. He was on time, but she hadn't arrived yet. She let him know beforehand that she would be a few minutes late, probably because of Joshua. He was no longer nervous, and it could have been because he had finally gotten her to smile. He was instantly reminded of the last time he saw her. That was when he really began to take notice.

It began two months ago, at Cat and Dale's house warming party. It may have been earlier than that, but he had been in denial about his feelings. The party was a small affair, with only one new person added to the mix. John had followed in Dale's footsteps, and also sought to find companionship. He had taken a liking to the local vet Abby, who frequently came to the farm to check upon the livestock and horses. She and John quickly hit it off once he got the courage to ask her out, and that conveniently left Brian and Kiara as the only single ones.

He had seen Kiara many times before, but Joshua had always been around, and she was in 'Mommy Mode.' Now he got to see a different side of her that all encompassed her sensual femininity. Joshua was left at home, and for one night, she let her hair down.

Brian understood why. She loved and wanted to protect her son, which probably led her to put on that tough and worrisome face he was so used to seeing. Yet, at the party she had transformed completely, into a more carefree character.

At first it was her scent that caught his attention. The beautiful floral notes seemed to reel him in, and soon he found himself inching closer to her. After a few glasses of wine, his desires became even stronger. He wanted to touch her. He had taken into account that there were other people present, but he couldn't contain his fantasies. The Ruby-red maxi dress she had worn to the party was like a red bull's eye. The dress caught his eye no matter where she stood. Its hem stopped only a few inches above her knees, and he was greeted with the sight of her luscious brown thighs. He yearned to find out how soft they were.

The dress hadn't been too tight, and it accentuated the swell of her breasts, and her hourglass figure very well. He wanted to tell her that she was beautiful, but he couldn't go through with it. He already had the reputation of being the asshole of the bunch, and she might have taken it the wrong way. His infamous statements about what he found sexy had dug him into a deep hole, and there was nothing he could do to get himself out of it.

At the time, he had wanted to make her smile, like she did for her cousin. It may have very well been the liquor forming these ideas in his head, but he didn't care. He wanted her to like him. Even though no one was thinking of his past mistakes at the time, he couldn't let it go; not even for the moment. He imagined that she wanted to be as far away from him as possible, and he gave her what he thought she wanted.

He stayed away for the most part, until it was time to take a few photos. He had been directed to put his arm round Kiara's waist, and hesitantly did as he was told. She hadn't pushed him away, or given him any attitude. She could have even been an entirely different person, if he hadn't known any better. She also put her arm round him and pressed her body against his, for the pictures. By then he was completely gone; lost in her fragrance and the softness of her body. He wanted to squeeze her tightly and shower her neck with kisses, but that wouldn't have been appropriate.

He would have ended up with a black eye and a kick in the balls, if he had proceeded with such action. And so, after the picture was taken, he let go of her and went to sit back down in his corner. He remained there with a drink in hand, where he could admire her from afar. Needless to say, he expected these thoughts to dissipate once he went back to being sober. They did not, and even after everyone had gone home and back to their normal lives, he would frequently think upon that night, when he held her close.

He wondered what she would look like now. Would she appear in a sexy nurse's uniform with that beautiful sleek hair tumbling down to her shoulders? He smiled to himself as he looked straight ahead to the store's entrance. Had he not given into his daydreaming, he would have seen Kiara walking towards the side of his red truck. She gently rapped on the transparent window, and he flinched from the unexpected sight of her.

She smiled slightly and waved, while he tried to regain his composure. By God, he hadn't seen her. Had she hesitated for even a second more, she would have witnessed his hand falling to his crotch, to stroke his swollen member through his blue-jeans. He quickly pulled his t-shirt down and over the bulge, and exited the vehicle.

"Hi. Sorry I'm late." she said, with a warm smile. "I had to check on a few things before I drove out here."

"It's alright. I was just chillin' out in the truck." he said, after clearing his throat.

He noticed that instead of a nurse's uniform, she was dressed casually, with a pink baby doll t-shirt and a pair of tight, black jeans. The outfit hadn't been what he expected, but she was still a sight to behold. He was even met with that same delicious fragrance, and it brought back memories of the cravings he felt on their last night together.

"Last night together..." he thought.

He wished those words meant something more than just seeing her at a party. He noticed that Joshua wasn't with her, and wondered where he could be since school was out.

"Joshua's not with you?" he asked.

"No...he's with his dad. They're...going to spend a little time together this afternoon." she responded hesitantly.

"Oh...well, after you." he replied, with a forced smile.

Of course Joshua had a father. It was obvious, but he'd never quite acknowledged the fact. His heart sank at the thought of another man being in Kiara's life, as well as Joshua's. It never occurred to him, because she had never spoken of Joshua's father in his presence. He assumed that it was just the two of them. Jealousy crept into his heart, as he imagined another man holding Kiara in his arms.

"Does he know that you're meeting me here?" he asked, referring to Joshua's father.

"Who Joshua?" she asked, unaware.

His first thought was to say no; however, intuition told him to go with the opposite.

"Yeah." he quickly responded.

"No, I didn't say anything about meeting you. If I did, he would have wanted to come with me, and then we'd never get to talk. Besides, his father needs to spend more time with him."

"They don't see much of each other?" he asked, with a sense of relief.

"No...he was never there for Joshua. He only comes around when he feels like it and..."

Kiara stopped talking, as if she remembered who she was about to confide in.

"I'm sorry. Am I being nosey?" Brian asked, sensing her uneasiness.

"No not at all. I just don't want to lay my burdens on other people." she said, with a tiny smile.

The awkward conversation ceased until they strode into the supermarket's entrance. Brian pulled out a bright red shopping cart from the stack, and observed the store's bright red and green displays. He noticed that the place was quite empty. On the store's polished white floor, was only a handful of employees stacking the shelves. A few children were here and there, cuddling boxes of sweetened cereal and candy bags.

He watched and waited as Kiara fished through her handbag, and pulled out a shopping list. He only wanted a few essentials and had everything memorized. She on the other hand, would not be shopping light. But he didn't mind. Maybe this trip would grant him some time to get to know her better.

"Mind if we start in the pasta aisle?" she asked.

"Nope. You lead, I'll follow."

The two headed to the Pasta aisle, which was recently stocked with boxes of macaroni and cheese and Chef Boyardee cans. Kiara grabbed a few cans of ravioli, and stacked them into the wide cart.

"I remember when my dad used to buy me these. I loved em'." he chuckled.

"Yeah, Josh really likes them too. We eat a lot of home cooked meals, but once in a while I like to spoil him. Since he's going over to my mom's, I want to make things easier on her. So I'm going to get a few quick meals."

"How long is his break?"

"Two weeks. I took off from work at the same time. I wanted to have a little vacation while he was gone."

"Sounds good! So, will I have to duck for cover, when you tell me what's bothering you?"

She laughed at this and he smiled in response. He liked this side of her.

"You make it seem like I'm the angry type. I'm not going to yell at you...although, Joshua did tell me that you guys have been keeping secrets." she said. "You were going to let him ride all alone, and I wasn't supposed to know about it."

Brian snickered, "He blew my cover huh? Well, he did say that you wouldn't yell at me. So I guess he was right. He's around the same age that Jessie was, when he learned to ride."

"Jessie?"

She wasn't familiar with the name.

"Yeah. Dale's little boy."

"Oh...I-I'm sorry." she said solemnly, losing her smile. "I never knew his name. It's horrible what happened. I don't know what I'd do if something was to happen to Joshua."

"We all took it pretty hard. Josh actually reminds me of him. He loved the horses too." Brian smiled.

He hadn't spoken Jessie's name in years, and heartbreak suddenly swept over him at the mention of his deceased nephew. But he hid his pain from Kiara. He wasn't going to act like a big softie in front of her.

"Well as long as you keep him safe, I suppose you can let him ride. I wouldn't want to have to kill you now."

"Yes Ma'am!" he smiled.

"Since we're on the subject, I suppose I should get to the point of the matter."

"Go ahead. Just don't hit me." he joked.

He winked at her playfully and the sad memory slowly began to dissipate.

Kiara rolled her eyes at him, and began, "My son...he really likes you. Actually he talks about you more than his father. But as his mom, I have concerns. What you said about Cat still bothers me. I'm a little smaller than she is, but it isn't by very much. It terrifies me to think that one day Josh might be influenced by the things you said. Whether you like it or not, you've becoming sort of a figure in his life, and I want him to be an upstanding man who respects women, regardless of their sizes or what they look like."

Brian nodded, "I understand where you're coming from, and know that I'd never talk like that in front of him. Dale and I...we've always dated certain types of women. Smaller, I guess and I don't know...I was used to making fun of women I wasn't attracted to. I was wrong for it. I knew that. I was trying to be funny, but I didn't think that Dale would take it so seriously, or that Cat would hear me."

"Well the fact is that she did. I know you have a type, and I'm not trying to force you out of it. You like what you like. Society treats women of all sizes badly; that's a given. You weren't the only guy to do it, and you probably won't be the last. But I can't have Josh treating women like that; skinny or fat. I'll be honest with you. Sometimes I thanked God that I wasn't Cat. I hate to say it, but I saw how people treated her. The name calling, and laughing behind her back; all of it. Sometimes I just stood by and watched, thinking "At least that's not me." Now as a mom I couldn't imagine what going through life must've been like for her. I think that's why she was so quick to get away from Dale. You guys were just like the others...and I'm no better."

"Don't say that Kiara. It's not your fault. It was all me. I know what I did. I remember it every time I see her face. I don't even feel comfortable being around you guys. I feel like I gave the worst impression, and there's nothing I can do to change your minds. I sometimes avoid going to see them because of that whole mess."

"You don't have to. She believes you're a good guy."

"She does?" he asked, with a tiny frown.

"Yeah. She said that you were probably taking your frustrations out on someone you didn't know."

"I guess...but that doesn't excuse what I did. And, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah. How do you feel about me?"

"Well...I...uh..." she stalled. "Joshua likes you, and he thinks you're cool. I guess that's good enough for me."

"Dodging the question huh?" he smirked. "I know how he feels."

"Well...that was the other thing that bothered me. Dale is your best friend and you wouldn't want to lose him. I was worried that you were pretending. I'm hesitant to say how I feel, because I don't know you all that well. So...are you pretending?"

"No, I'm not. If I was, I wouldn't be here with you. You remember the last time I saw you guys? At the party?"

She nodded.

"I didn't say much to either of you."

"I noticed. I just figured that you weren't in the mood for the party."

"I was. I wanted make merry with you guys, but I felt ashamed for being included. I didn't deserve to be around you good people. So, I just kept my distance. Joshua's nice to me, because he doesn't know that I was an asshole to his Aunt Cat. He wouldn't like me so much if..."

"Whoa wait honey! Do you hear yourself? You did just hear my confession of not wanting to be in Cat's shoes, right? We've all done and thought bad things, and no one is below forgiveness. Cat forgave both of you and I should too. I think I went overboard with the anger, because I was just as guilty as you were. When I called you, I think I was also yelling at myself for being a bystander, you know? Once again, I was letting my cousin's feelings get hurt. For the record, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone that far. I never even thought of apologizing to you until now."

"It's alright. I deserved it. I think that phone call actually snapped me into shape, and forced me to question what I was doing. So I should thank you, and I apologize for putting you guys through that."

"No more apologies okay? We've spoken about it, and its water under the bridge." she smiled warmly.

"So, can we be friends now?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't see why not. By the way, what would you like for dinner? I don't know what you like to eat?"

"Anything! I never turn down a free meal." he replied innocently, even though his thoughts had become lascivious at the behest of the question.

She hadn't noticed, because she was distracted by her shopping list, but he had been admiring her plump figure the entire time. When she bent over to look at the prices, he caught glimpses of her heaving breasts, which seemed to bulge and spill out of their tight harness. He wanted to liberate the soft orbs and have them as dessert. He would have even preferred to skip dinner, and instead, prod his tongue into that pink center between her thighs.

He began to feel dizzy at his arousal, in turn provoking his cock into semi-erection. She had been oblivious to all this, yet a part of him wanted her to know just how much of an effect she was having on him. Even in this very public place, he would have liked to pin her against the stocked shelves. He wanted her to feel the bulging evidence of his attraction to her.

"Come on. Give me a hint? Steak? Seafood?" she asked, completely oblivious of his wanton thoughts. "Are you allergic to anything?"

He cleared his throat and smiled, "Don't worry. I can eat anything, and I'm sure you're a great cook. Surprise me."

"Okay. If you say so."

He looked down at the filled shopping cart, and realized that time had passed rather quickly. The distraction of his fantasies, and their brief conversation, led him to enjoy their time together. Otherwise, this would have been a dull trip to the local supermarket.

During the course of the conversation, they had already walked through most of the aisles. They picked up cereal, peanut butter, microwavable meals and fun sized snacks for Joshua. Brian knew that Kiara probably wasn't going to cruise into the beer aisle, so he excused himself for a moment to get a 6 pack. He still liked a beer or two, and hoped that Kiara wouldn't be offended by his drinking.

He felt rather good however, as he left her behind in the Baking aisle. He now knew what the expression, "walking on air" felt like. There had been hope for him after all and it seemed that his fears had been premature. Kiara had given him a chance to explain his side of the story, and she did it as a lady, without interfering or using accusatory words.

He had even seen the vulnerable side of her, which she couldn't have been very comfortable sharing. This made him respect her even more, and he hoped that they would become even closer. He was in no rush to ask her out though. He had seen Kiara for who she really was, through her concern for Joshua and Cat. He was happy enough just to talk with her; at least for now. His desire to have her was still strong and ever present.

He reached the beer aisle and began to scan the shelves for a pack of Coronas. In the next aisle over, he overheard two females chatting amongst themselves. At first, he dismissed the conversation, but then he heard mention of Kiara's name. Curious about what they found so funny, he silently listened in on their conversation.

"Girl I can't believe she's walkin' around with a white boy." one of them said. "What the hell's gotten into her?"

"I know right. At least Joshua ain't there. Derek would blow a gasket!"

"She sure don't know how to keep a good black man. Your brother's a lawyer, he makes good money and he's fine as hell! Why the hell did she ditch him for a white boy?"

"Who knows? The girl's lost it! I'm about to call him right now."

Brian quickly grabbed a 6-pack, and stealthily snuck to the edge of the aisle, to spy on the two women. One of them, a red head with a long curled ponytail was on her cell phone, presumably calling her brother. The other, a shorter woman with a blonde pixie cut, scanned the shelves of soda bottles, with a shopping basket in hand. They were both young women, and probably acquaintances of Kiara. At first he thought to play spy, and continue to eavesdrop, but decided against wasting his time on their type.

A classier woman was waiting for him nearby, and he hurried back to the aisle where he'd left her. He thought it best not to tell her about the two women. He wasn't sure if she would try to confront them and cause a scene. The afternoon had been a good one, and he wanted to keep it that way.