Hope, Charity & Faith Ch. 08

"Nín shìfǒu yǒu yīshuāng piàoliang de 12 hào zhèngzhuāng xié, ó, hái yǒu yīxiē hēi wàzi?" Whatever she said in perfect Chinese made this guy light up like Christmas as he quickly disappeared into a back room.

"What'd you tell that guy?"

"Nothing, besides, I don't wanna find out if Charity stole that too." Faith nudged me towards a rickety looking dressing booth to change.

I glanced back over my shoulder finding her looking through a rack of clothing while talking on her phone. The sight brought a smile to my face before I drew the curtains shut. Faith had been the only other person I'd seen given a few errant relatives who wanted to get in and out quickly after tacit facetime more out of morbid curiosity than anything else. In particular was a Uncle Moe, a very distant relation on my mother's side of the family tree.

The wizened eighty year old repeatedly asked how it felt to get whooped by a man until I was fit to be tied. It was my first time noticing that Faith seemed always in my sphere. I didn't know what to make of it considering the innocuous nature of our first meeting in that study hall. Admittedly I was more than a bit frustrated after tussling with Charmaine and being ineptly gaslighted by the school safety officer.

"Faith, so tell me how I look?" I stepped out of the booth dressed in her chosen attire sans shoes, white socks, and all. The aisle outside the changing room was somewhat packed with pedestrians leaving the area where she'd standing obscured.

"You first." I glanced over to my left finding Faith staring at me from the next aisle over.

There was a matching changing room in that area that I missed. I shrugged walking around to her as she took a step or two backward making space for me.

Faith took the opportunity to change in my absence and the effect was immediate. She was decidedly slender ranging from 5'6" to just under 5'8" in height with a pair of noticeable heels that she'd bought along with my shoes presently on top of one of the overstuffed clothing racks. Her torso was covered with one of those free flow peasant tops, the kind with billowy long sleeves. It was made of knit material, angelic white as I gazed down finding a stretch mini skirt with decorated with some multicolored applique butterflies.

Humorously enough, Faith was still wearing a pair of white socks that contrasted with the Mary Jane pumps on her feet. They were the kind with the exterior made up to look like on of those suitcases from a European junket covered in faux passport stamps and newspaper looking material in shades of white and blue. Faith cut a striking figure in this context with the most striking feature being her legs which were thicker than you would initially think upon looking at her. I realized at that moment that I always looked at her face from the moment we'd begun this friendship born of tragedy.

Honestly put, Faith had legs to die for, shapely, muscular, and toned almost a size too big for her body which was mostly average. Her hips were still narrow, but the difference came in the form of this over exaggerated "Hip Dip" or violin hips that pushed her spoon shape beyond the norm. These powerful legs just seemed to emerge from her pelvis in dramatic fashion screaming to be noticed and acknowledged. Some pudgy middle aged guy was checking Faith out from the back rubbing his scraggly chin before noticing me just as his equally pudgy wife slammed her loaded purse into the side of his fat, doughy head. The sudden commotion caused her to turn around giving me a surprising view.

"...okay, wow."

That exaggerated violin aesthetic when applied to her derriere, left me visually staggered in that while her overall hip shape was narrow, the rest was an explosion of packed, meaty rear cleavage in this cartoonish, spear shape. It was the long lean butt of aa model viewed straight on, but all black queen sister girl of the universe in a two, pronged shelf accentuated by the high waisted bikini bottoms underneath. The VPL (Visible Panty Line) was that serious as I looked up finding her wryly staring.

"So, you like my secret booty, huh?"

"Yeah, but what're you gonna do about that hair?" Faith always wore her hair in a unkempt, sometimes ratty shoulder length bob of light brown and contrasting black curls. This more often than not was alternated with the double ponytail on the side of the head look.

"Asshole." Faith smiled slamming her purse down on top of the rack next to what were presumably my shoes removing two decorative scrunchies. Me and a few bystanders watched as she fashioned some weird, jazzy looking pony hawk out of her unkempt mane.

"Better?" She asked afterwards.

"Secret booty?"

"Bring your tail, Jaleel!!" She hooked an arm in mine playfully dragging me to the elevated counter where she plunked her card down barely stifling a full on smile. Faith was a take charge type, but in a subtle manner that I didn't mind.

"No seriously, uhm, Secret Booty, right?" The shop keep was snickering at our exchange happily making a sale.

"Well, I transferred into our school at my sophomore year and I was wearing some really nice Brazilian jeans I ordered online, feeling really good. Then some jerks had to remind me why you don't go to our school with a twenty-seven inch waist and sketchy thirty-eight inch ass. So, I decided to keep the booty on the down low, after that, okay Jaleel?!!" Now the shopkeeper and a few onlookers were openly laughing at us.

"Thirty-eight inches?"

"Quiet!" Faith emphasized her words by slamming her purse loudly into my butt making my pelvis jerk forward earning more laughter.

My vision blurred a bit for a second and I would've soldiered through, but Faith noticed taking my bicep leading me outside to a big, concrete planter for a seat. The shopkeeper followed us out setting the bags down at our feet. Faith slipped away for a moment returning with a bottle of water. She sat beside me rubbing my back as I took a few sips looking concerned. I found myself staring at her muscular thighs.

"Feeling better Jaleel?" She looked worried.

"Secret thirty-eight inches of caramel goodness." I wanted to lighten the mood smiling up in her face.

"Shit, I should've bought some parachute pants." We both chuckled as I offered her my plastic bottle.

Faith took a sip before tossing it, returning to make sure I changed my white socks and shoes. Finally meeting her visual approval, we walked back over to her car in silence as I tried to gauge what this impromptu date meant.

"Do you mind being with; uhm, hanging out with me today, Jaleel?"

"No, not even a little bit Faith; it weren't for you, I might not even be here today. You've helped me keep up with my schoolwork and listened to me when nobody else cared. Even though I had to take a dirt nap, I wouldn't change a thing if it meant we couldn't be here today. Uh, maybe that first meeting in the study hall, I guess."

"You hated me for that, huh?" She asked as I placed the bags containing our old clothes in her trunk.

"Water under the bridge, Faith; I don't miss you being Nerdy Glasses Girl."

"Nerdy Glasses Girl?!!" She slammed her trunk shut peering over at me, eyebrow raised.

"I prefer Secret Booty, now."

"Get your ass in the car." Her palm collided with my butt a second time. I didn't mind.

We made small talk going further into the outskirts of the downtown area to an arts district. Faith was an art lover with preferences between classic and postmodern art. We hit up a few galleries along the strip as Faith gave me a tour and education before finally settling on a gallery having a semi-crowded premiere.

"So what are we looking at?"

"A very nice piece from artist, Jeff Koons." I scratched my head trying to make sense of the display.

"Faith, it's a giant blow up, balloon dog."

"That's the beauty of it, can't you see Jaleel? Mr. Koons has taken a small item and blown it out of proportions the naked eye is used to seeing; this allows it to be viewed in a different perspective. This line of artistic freedom is indicative of the postmodern era."

"It's still a giant blow up, balloon dog, Faith." Both of us were nursing complimentary glasses of wine. No one bothered to card either of us allowing full access to the wine and cheese selection.

"Don't be basic; I wanted to share something of myself with you."

"I appreciate it; guess my attempts at humor are unwarranted, could you explain the piece over there please?"

There was a huge wall sized black square mounted on one wall cordoned off with a few spectators observing. Faith led me closer to the canvas staring between it and my face. She seemed appreciative with a glow about herself.

"Why don't you tell me what you see, Jaleel." We both stood there for a few minutes as I tried to figure out what to say, but then an answer dawned on me.

"It's a window; yeah, some kind of portal that honestly creeps me out a bit because I don't know if we're looking into it or if something is peering out at us right now. What do you see, Faith?"

"I see a black square."

"You just had to go there, didn't you?" She was already giggling pressed close to my side with a palm at the small of my back. I couldn't help but laugh too, as we took in the black square once more.

I turned back into her waiting lips.

It just happened spontaneously out of the blue. We both went with it flowing freely into one another. Our tongues intertwined in a sensual duel as she turned fully into my chest wrapping her arms around my abdomen. I followed suite embracing and pulling her into my body carefully. Several rabbit pecks to the cheeks and lips followed afterwards.

"Let's get dinner first, okay?" She asked timidly.

"I'm yours."

One of the gallery assistants, an elderly silver haired woman smiled warmly handing Faith a swag bag containing some flyers, postcards of the displayed art and a bottle of red wine. She didn't ask for ID wishing us well as I took custody of the gift bag. I could barely take my eyes away from her face as we strolled a few blocks to a small fusion restaurant. Somehow, we managed more small talk and light, playful banter. That kiss lingered in my head and probably hers as well. It was probably somewhere north of nine in the evening as we made it back to her car when I realized something.

"Hey, uhm?"

"What?"

"I don't have a phone; I didn't even think about it once while we were together."

"I don't understand." Faith's brow furrowed in confusion, but I gingerly tugged at her thumb drawing her close. We shared our second kiss with her back to the passenger side of her vehicle. I broke the kiss this time, concerned.

"That wasn't too much, was it?"

"That wasn't enough, Jaleel."

Her hands were cupping my butt as she initiated our third, sensual make out session. I planted my palms flat on the top of her car unwilling to reciprocate grabbing her cheeks in kind. I was content to follow her lead allowing her to grope and knead my bottom.

"Hey, I've got to tell you something; it's been on my mind for a couple of days now, but first I want to know something."

"What is it?" I was a bit worried at the sudden tone shift in her voice.

"Was Kimberly Bivens really the first girl you ever slept with?"

"Yes."

"And your friend's older sister, Hope; she was the second followed by Charity Gilbert; no others after?"

"Yes." Now I was definitely worried that shit luck was rearing its ugly head at the ninth hour, but Faith hadn't released me, sliding her interlocked fingers up into the small of my back.

"Can I be the next girl you sleep with Jaleel?" Faith asked demurely in the silence of the parking lot. I was literally blown away by the question. The green in her corneas seemed that much brighter as I shook my head.

Things were heady and surreal for the most part as Faith drove us to her place not too far from the outskirts of the downtown adjacent area with strains of "RIGHT NOW" by Al B. Sure flowing throughout her car as we held hands. Turns out Faith always wanted to visit those galleries and the restaurant on a date. Keeping her nose in the books almost to the exclusion of all else had been a concerted effort which earned her several accolades and a spot on the student council right under Charity Gilbert. The girls maintained an easy enough, worked amiable relationship due in no small part to Faith's willingness to defer to the toxic egomaniac. Seeing her now outside of school brought with it the fact that Faith was literally a princess in disguise. I felt truly sorry I hadn't met Faith earnestly before Charity.

"Does anything look familiar, Jaleel?" We pulled over outside a row of brownstone apartments, some a bit more colorful looking than others. I picked up on her meaning right away in seconds.

"Charity lives around here, huh?!" My pulse quickened expecting some sort of shenanigans, but Faith gave my hands a light squeeze.

"We used to be neighbors after she moved in with her mother a while back; kinda fast friends, more like frenemies when she transferred into my school. Her mother enrolled her in a magnet school a few blocks over, but she couldn't cut the mustard, so she followed me to our school. Big fish in a small pond because the curriculum at our school is more uhm, relaxed. She knew she'd look like a genius in that environment."

"Why're you telling me about this now?"

"Because I'm nothing like her in the slightest; she tailors herself to each person she meets, and they never see it coming until she cuts their throats. That's why I was so mad earlier today. It felt like she stole my personality to ultimately FUCK you over." It was the first time she actually used blue language in front of me.

"Is there something else?"

"Yeah I want a promise from you Jaleel."

"What promise?"

"That we'll still be friends after we sleep together; I want to be with you. I want you to make love to me because I want my first time to be with a good guy. "I glanced over finding her eyes glistening in the early evening darkness.

I gave her hand a little squeeze of affirmation.

"One more thing Jaleel; I'm not gonna be at school with you when you return. I'm kind of going abroad with my dad. He's got this job overseas and uhm, I've learned Chinese. Pretty fluent at it so he worked out something with MTH Corp so that I could get a job as an interpreter, too."

"Damn." I whispered sitting there holding hands. Her grasp tightened around mine as she looked around afraid to peer into my face. Both of us were audibly breathing as the music played, just sitting outside her home.

"Jaleel, kiss me."

The brownstone containing Faith's abode was similar to Charity's but a little more pragmatic in design and furnishings. The difference came when we entered Faith's bedroom which was a vision in cream colored walls, matching home office with active laptop. Her bureau was part of those cream colored walls with black rectangular drawers embedded each with primary color circular knobs.

Also of note was the day bed used by Faith which could accommodate one prone body at most. It was more like a couch than a bed, white with three drawers underneath following the design aesthetic, pink bedding and three throw pillows. I chuckled at the strategically placed undersized teddy bears sitting there.

"Don't laugh at my stuff."

"You can come over my house and laugh at my crappy room, okay?" She kissed me on the cheek directing me to have a seat on her bed slipping the swag bag from my grasp. I got a good view of her butt as she walked to her door.

"I can feel you looking, Jaleel." I just shrugged as she pulled the door closed.

I glanced over finding a family portrait on her desk depicting Faith's parents along with her as a twelve year old. Her mother had succumbed to breast cancer a year and a half earlier leaving her husband and daughter to find their strength in one another. Faith explained that her father was already overseas working as a geologist for a foreign company. He was a specialist in his field and trusted his daughter enough to allow her to complete a formal education in the states. But it seemed, he was missing her enough to arrange a lucrative job if she joined him in the east.

Faith returned with our complimentary bottle of wine chilled in an ice bucket, sans heels. She filled our glasses before plunking down beside me facing her half opened bedroom door. She sat there beside me lazily swinging her legs below the knee for a few moments before sticking one out straight in front of me looking at her bare foot. I followed the movement for seconds before realizing she was smiling at me. It was wholly intentional giving her a smirk as my head bobbed matching the cadence of that leg.

"Really like my legs, huh Jaleel?"

"Yeah, they're beautiful like the rest of you, Faith." We toasted emptying our glasses.

"I was on the track team in grade school, got a little too much into the competition after my first loss. So dad got me a treadmill and ran with me on the weekends. I ended up with these legs, so I guess it worked out."

"I should work out."

"Yeah, is that right Jaleel?"

"Oh yeah."

"Maybe you should work out on me." Faith leaned over finding me ready and willing as our tongues dueled and intwined sensually.

She was kissing me more wantonly and passionate than before covering my bulge with her palm. Her palm blanketed my covered tumescence as she massaged, squeezed, and traced its length with her middle and index fingers, vertically rubbing me into a frenzy. After a few seconds of this she suddenly groped my endowment as much as she could with her thin fingers.

It was apparent that she was getting her perv on, unfiltered. Faith moaned into my mouth partially breaking the seal but lightly nibbling on my bottom lip before breaking contact. We stared into one another's eyes gasping before she averted her gaze down to my zipper bringing her other hand into play. I leaned back on her daybed supporting my weight with both palms flattened.

It was amazing to see her open enchantment with my endowment as the new hand continued playing and stroking my shaft while her fingers captured my zipper. I noticed a slight tremor in her hand as she audibly inhaled, drawing my zipper down. I was erect to the point that it throbbed and hurt a little. The instant my briefs came into view between the almond shaped negative space on my slacks, her fingers invaded impatiently finally drawing my turgid erection out before her eyes. Realization that she was seeing a man's penis for the first time made things clearer.

It was a role reversal after being with three experienced women beforehand.

Faith had this look of curiosity, sexually speaking glancing between my face and cock as she drew the shaft fully out. I was content to let her do as she pleased watching as she softly stroked it a few times before pressing her thumb into the tiny slit on my crown. She used both hands in counter motions playing to her heart's content. Precum began pouring out of the mushroom tip of my cock earning her attention. She tightened her grip around the base of my member sliding her other hand along the shaft with increasing intensity and slickness.

It felt heavenly having those thin fingers of hers sliding and stroking in youthful, exuberant playfulness. My hand finally drifted up timidly cupping the underside of her right breast. It was a perfect handful, defiant and bouncy when kneaded as my thumb encountered a thickened nipple. There was no brassiere as she gasped when I brushed against that nipple. Faith reached up hooking a thumb into her top drawing it down until a nice pair of swooping breasts appeared before my eyes. They were probably at or under a 34C-cup. Faith's perky breasts were topped with these puffy areolas and thickened nipples.