Cucked in the Tropics Ch. 12

He began to scream.

***

ONE YEAR LATER

"This is way too fancy for me," Callie said, her voice was soft and nervous as she glanced down the street at the restaurant where he was taking her.

Kevin held the car door for her and offered her his hand. There was an equally nervous smile as he helped her from her car. "You always sound like you're apologizing." He laughed.

"Do I?" Standing on the sidewalk now, Callie straightened her flower dress. She'd been futzing with it all night. It didn't fit her as good as it had a few years ago-- her belly hadn't completely bounced back after the baby, and nursing had swollen her breasts almost a full cup size larger than their usual 36DD size. But tonight was her third date with Kevin, and she really wanted to look nice. And she always thought that this dress was a winner.

Kevin nodded. His eyes were starry and sparkling. Not just nervous energy. There was hope in them. Hope that this might blossom into something wonderful. "You do," he said.

"Sorry," she said with a humble honest smile.

There was a pause, and they both started to laugh. Their laughter turned into a fit of delighted giggles. Kevin put his arm around her and guided Callie down the sidewalk. The restaurant was a popular hotspot, and parking around here was a bitch. It wasn't the best neighborhood, but Callie didn't mind the walk, and the night air felt good on her face. Warm, with just a slight pleasant breeze. It wafted Callie's blonde hair back from her face.

"So do you think I'll get to meet your son tonight?" Kevin ventured, slightly hesitant.

"Oh... I don't know..." Callie hesitated. She knew that this was going to be an inevitable conversation. And she'd been hoping to procrastinate it for as long as possible. Kevin knew she had a baby. But he didn't know that it wasn't her ex-husband's. That would become apparent to Kevin the moment he laid eyes on the infant, and saw the drastic difference in skin color between mother and child. Then there would be questions. Questions regarding her timeline of marriage, pregnancy, the baby, the baby's race... Not to mention why she lived with her parents again, and why her own family was hardly on speaking terms with her.

The thought of having that conversation brought a sick feeling to her stomach.

"I get it," Kevin replied, seeing the nervous look on her face. His voice was sympathetic and unassuming. "You're not ready for me to meet the family just yet. And dating since your divorce is probably weird for you. So that's cool. You can just take your time because I really like--"

A voice from a nearby front porch called out to them. "Damn baby, you got some big white titties on you!"

Callie glanced over sharply at the row home beside them. The front porch that they were passing in front of was occupied by three young black men in tank tops and red bandanas. Their tattooed arms were flexing with muscles and bravado. They were drinking beer. Familiar smelling smoke wafted from one of the hand rolled cigarettes that they were passing back and forth.

"Them titties would look even better with my big black cock squished between them!" He called out after her. His friends laughed and applauded their buddy's unabashed boldness.

"God damn, she's got some milk trucks on her," another punk agreed.

Callie's whole body had gone stiff. Kevin tightened his grip around her shoulders, holding her protectively, and keeping his eyes carefully straight forward at their destination, not daring to risk a glance at the trio. Ahead was a dark alley separating the restaurant from the corner house.

"Hey white boy, you don't mind letting us borrow your girl, do ya?" They called after the retreating couple. Kevin still not looking or acknowledging them. Callie's legs wobbly and trembling.

"We'll bring her back when we're done, almost as good as new!"

Callie and Kevin crossed the alley, and Kevin held the restaurant door for Callie. They stepped inside, but not before the punks managed to holler out one final remark.

"Bring those *big*... *white*... *titties*... back here!"

Then they were seated at the restaurant, and both Callie and Kevin could breathe a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry about those punks," Kevin said with a nervous smile, trying not to let it show that their remarks had bothered him. But they both knew.

"It's fine," Callie said with a smile. Her cheeks were cutely red beneath her big doe-like eyes, and Kevin found himself falling for her in that glance alone. "What were you saying?"

The candle that glowed between them on the table cast Kevin's sincere face into shadow.

Kevin took a deep nervous breath. "Just that I really like you. I kind of always have since high school... but I don't think you really noticed me much back then. I know it's only our third date, so I hope it's not too sappy to say... but you make me really happy."

Callie blushed again, averting her eyes from the compliment. They went to the window... she didn't think it was on purpose. But outside, she saw the three thugs still sitting on their porch, smoking and drinking...

"Me too," she replied absently.

"The food here is supposed to be pretty good," Kevin explained, thumbing through the menu and asking what she was in the mood for.

Callie nodded distantly, biting her lip, her eyes still lingering on the window and the trashy alley beyond.

Suddenly she snapped out of it and blinked apologetically at Kevin. "I'm sorry, but I just want to call my mother really quickly and check on the baby."

Kevin looked a little surprised by her sudden change in the subject, but his hopeful smile never wavered. "Oh, of course. Go ahead," he urged her.

Callie excused herself from the table and made for the front door on legs that trembled with anticipation. Her shoes clacked down the sidewalk as she crossed the alley and stood in front of the row home porch. Three sets of eyes watched her. Three cocky smirks.

"Mmmmm, hey baby," the punk on the porch grinned at her. "Want to bring them big white titties closer?"

Callie bit her lip, glancing hesitantly at the restaurant. Somewhere behind that window, Kevin was sitting alone, not aware that she hadn't bothered to take her phone with her.

Then she turned back to the trio of gang members. "Okay," she said with a nervous smile. It wasn't until she mounted the stairs that she was aware of just how wet she was.

***THE END***