Love Knows No Color Pt. 04

"These stay here," I said. "You don't have to bring your iPod. This is just the start. If there's anything else you'd like to have here let me know and I'll buy it for you. Anything. No matter how rare. I can find it. I know places that have it. It's how I found most of my music. My house is your house."

Excitedly, she opened the cd case, and put the disk in the player, carefully removing my Mars Volta cd and putting it on the now empty case. She pressed the play button, and set the cd to repeat play. Jill Scott, looped endlessly, would be our soundtrack tonight.

"I guess I don't need this anymore," she whispered, lifting her shirt over her head and letting it drop to the floor. I had been right; she wasn't wearing a bra. Her luscious breasts swung freely, nipples pointy, as she turned to me. She pushed me down on the bed, and tugged at my pants. "You don't need these either." She slid down my body as she pulled my pants down. She dragged her nipples down my leg as she went. "You like that? I know I do."

I quickly stripped off my shirt as she made her way back up my body, making sure to drag her nipples along my sensitive skin. Rolling over beside me on the bed, she removed her shorts in one smooth motion. "You are special to me. This is a special night. You let me know I really am the love of your life." She kissed me. "Wait right here," she whispered. "I am going to do something special for you."

Shavonda got out of bed and wiggled her naked booty at me as she went downstairs. I could hear the refrigerator door opening, an ice tray cracking, the tinkle of ice in a glass bowl. She returned to the bedroom, bowl of ice in hand. Placing it on the counter, she removed and ice cube, sucking it into her full lips and pushing it back out with her tongue, making a slurping noise, she repeated the process, the cube going in and out of those big soft lips. I watched, aroused, enthralled. Spitting the now noticeably smaller cube in her hand, she asked, "What you want, Jason? You want me? Head or tail? What you want?" She slipped the cube back into her mouth and resumed sucking it.

"Both," I whispered hoarsely, my mouth suddenly dry.

She swayed her way to the foot of the bed, and crawled up between my legs, ice cube still in mouth. On hands and knees, she bent her head low, looking me in the eye. Water from the cube dribbled from the corners of her mouth, down her chin. I could feel the cold droplets on my leg. She smiled as she lowered her head further. Her tongue licked the tip of my erect penis. It was ice cold. "You like that," she teased. "I bet you wonder what my mouth feels like, don't you?"

I nodded. My hand went to the back of her head, played in her hair.

"It feels just like this," she said, lowering her head. Her lips parted and she took me inside her mouth. It was ice cold. The cold came as a shock, not because it was unexpected, but because it was so different. I was used to her mouth being warm and wet. It was now cold. It was stimulating. The lips still sucked and pulled as they slid down my shaft. The tongue still worked its magic. But instead of warmth, there was cold. Instead of my manhood shriveling from the shock of the cold like I expected it to, it got harder, more urgent. Shavonda's head came back up, she let me slip from her mouth. "You like? You want more?"

"Yes," I moaned, "More."

She took me back in her cold mouth, swallowing me, working her cold lips and tongue over me. It was incredible. I'd thought I'd experienced everything. This turned everything on its head. She bobbed her head faster. My whole dick was cold now, but the rest of my body was burning with desire. One hand played in her hair, the other found a nipple to tug. Shavonda moaned vibrations into my cold dick. I started to thrust my hips up at her, wanting more, needing more. She continued her pace, licking and sucking. Her eyes shone in the dim light of the room. She was enjoying this too. I was getting close.

Feeling my muscles tense up, she removed her head, replacing it with her slowly stroking hand.

"No, baby boy," she said. "Not like this. I have something else for you." Never taking her eyes off me, she slid up the bed beside me. She reached over me to the bowl. A breast swayed inches from my mouth. I lunged forward and took her nipple in my mouth. Both hand had ahold of the tit, holding it and her still. I suckled like a newborn. She stayed there a minute hovering over me, reached across me, moaning. Then she removed my hand with hers and pulled her tit away from me. She was on a mission. She knew what she wanted.

Ice cube in hand, she slid back across my body and lay on her back beside me. Looking at me she said, "I want you to fuck me good." Her hand, still holding the ice cube, slid down her belly. She spread her lips, ran the cube over her clit with a shudder, and slipped it inside herself.

"Take me," she said lustily. "I'm yours. I want you now."

I rolled on top of her, and slid against her opening. I felt her part, felt her cold dampness engulf me. Her heat had melted the ice cube, chilling her in the process. I could feel cold water trickle down my balls as I bottomed out in her. Her whole insides were cold, and I was cold inside her. I moaned, "Von, That's so good. So good."

She rolled her hips beneath me, thrusting into me in a natural rhythm, in time to the music. Jill Scot sang "My love is deeper, tighter, sweeter, higher and flyer. Didn't you notice? Or didn't you know this?"

Her cold pussy walls slid around me. Enclosing me, Parting for my inward thrust, closing around me as I pulled back. I was in a chilled paradise as I moved through her. All the while, water trickled out of her. On some level, I knew my bed was getting soaked. I didn't care. I reveled in the cold. It had the effect of slowing down my eventual climax, but it didn't kill the arousal. If anything, it increased it. Shavonda moaned beneath me. She thrust back into me with more urgency. She was close. I sped up my strokes, desperately seeking elusive release. She convulsed in orgasm beneath me, hands on my ass, pulling me deeper inside her with every stroke. Back arched off the bed. Walls massaging me, seeking my seed. Her eyes bore into me, unseeing. Her mouth gaped in a silent scream. The ice long melted, she was warming up inside now. She lay there, spent, exhausted as I continued to pound into her. Her hips were still, her breasts bounced with every stroke. She lay gasping for air. Still I hammered into her. Faster. Harder. There is was, the light at the end of the tunnel. I was quickly running out of energy, but my release was in sight.

I gave one final pump deep inside her, then collapsed on top of her with a roar. The dam had burst. Sperm gushed from me into her, attempting to fill every spot I not already filled with my manhood. I lay there on top of her, a gasping, quivering mess.

Under me, Shavonda gave a breathless laugh, more of a cough than a laugh. "I don't suppose you're up for seconds," she asked. I was gasping too hard to answer her. "I guess we won't have to fight over who sleeps in the wet spot tonight," she laughed again.

We slept on the couch, spoon style, my back against the cushions, my hand on her breast, her pelvis thrust back into mine, my penis comfortably nestled in her crack.

4th of July came and went. We'd made a trip to Ohio to buy fireworks. We lit them in the backyard, then afterwards made our own upstairs.

In mid-July, the kids finally got to meet Shavonda.

On Sunday morning, after breakfast, I was upstairs in the bedroom straightening up. I had the closet door open. I had sent the kids outside to play, but Brittany had wandered her way back inside. I Heard a noise behind me, and when I turned she was there. She pointed to the closet and asked, "Is that Mommy's dress?"

"No, that dress belongs to Daddy's friend Ms. Von," I explained. I felt a little uneasy. This was much sooner than I had planned. I had wanted to introduce Shavonda to my family and let things settle out on that front before opening another one. But there was no way to do that now. The cat was out of the bag. I trusted Shavonda with pretty much my entire life, except for this one corner. It was time to rectify that.

I picked up my cell and called her. "Von, baby, what you doing today."

"Well, I was getting ready for church, then I was gonna watch the kids play in the park," she said.

"Maybe you better get over here. Brittany knows. She found your dress," I said. Silence on the other end. "Von, are you there?"

I heard a whoop of joy, then a hallelujah. She came back on the line. "I'll be right there." She said excitedly. "Jesus will just have to understand."

I was out in the back yard with the kids when she pulled up. I heard her calling my name in the house, and said, "Kids, come with me, I want you to meet somebody." They bounded up the back steps excitedly. Shavonda was coming through the kitchen heading for the back door when we came in. We all stopped. Shavonda bent down and said to the kids, "Hi I'm Ms. Von. It's nice to finally meet you."

Ethan looked at her and said, "You're black." Shavonda looked at me reassuringly as I put my head in my hands.

"No she's no, Ethan. She's chocolate, like a Hershey bar. Hershey Special Dark Chocolate." I explained. She was. That was exactly her skin tone. And she was special, special enough that when her existence was discovered, I made sure she got to meet the kids. She'd wanted this for so long. Now she had the kids she wanted. My kids. I was sure they'd love her once they got to know her. Everybody did.

Instead of going to the park, Von insisted on going to Target, where she bought them each a bike with training wheels. They were small enough to fit in the back of the Jeep, once I had cleared a space for them. We spent the rest of the day chasing them around the park on their new bikes. We stopped at McDonalds on the way home, and got them happy meals. Von and I forewent the food. It wasn't what we preferred, and she cooked us up some chicken wings when we got home. I still had the spices she'd bought on the road trip 6 weeks earlier, and they made the chicken extra tasty. We sat in the backyard watching the kids play until it was time to take them home.

Arriving at Rose's mother's house, I took the kids up to the front door, brought them inside and got them ready for bed like I always did, while Von waited in the Jeep. Rose sat on the couch the whole time. When I had them tucked in, she stopped me in the living room. "I need you tonight," she said. "You game?"

"I can't, Rose. Not tonight. Not ever. I'm seeing someone."

"That never stopped you before," she said, following me to the door.

"This time is different," I said, turning the knob. I couldn't wait to get out of there. "This one's special."

I opened the door, Rose on my heels. Shavonda was leaning on my Jeep, in church dress and sandals, looking as beautiful as ever.

"Aw HELL no!" Rose screamed when she saw Shavonda. "Is THAT what you're passing up THIS for?" When she said "this," she gestured to her ample bosom. Rose was not skinny, and was very proud of her large bust.

Shavonda watched us, eyes doing a slow burn.

"Jason, what is WRONG with you?" Rose continued screaming at me. The neighbors were now watching us to see what was going to happen. "She's a NIGGER!" Rose drew out the word, making it sound even more hateful. "You want nigger pussy you got it! But you will NEVER touch this again."

Shavonda started towards the house, I motioned her back. She went and sat in the Jeep.

"Von's more woman than you'll ever be," I said calmly.

"All she wants is your money and your house!" Rose continued, loudly. "Jason, you're so stupid! You had to play with her. Now you're tainted. You're a nigger lover. And I don't deal with nigger lovers."

"She has her own money. She's never asked me for a goddamn thing but my love and respect. You're the one that wants my house. She doesn't need it. She has her own." I spat the words at her. Shavonda had reached over and started the Jeep.

"Fine!" Rose yelled. "Go be with your nigger bitch. Don't come crawling back to me when she's sick of you and your shit!"

I was done. I walked over to the Jeep, with Rose still ranting at her front door. Driving away, I said. "Thank you for not causing a scene. I know you wanted to deck her. I did too. I'm glad you didn't."

I was shaking with rage. Rose had insulted my queen. She had told me I was tainted for following my heart. She could never be half the woman Shavonda was. She had a better degree than Shavonda did, yet she was living at home with her mother stuck in a dead-end job. Shavonda, on the other hand, had worked hard her whole life for what she had, and become successful. Had Rose not fucked up the plan, we would have together been bringing in maybe a quarter million dollars a year. No, Shavonda was not the bottom feeder here. My queen had earned everything she had, including me. And Rose had taken what would have been a very happy day and tried to fuck it up. No, I wouldn't let her ruin the day. Shavonda and the kids had hit it off. Rose could go pound salt.

I later found out from Ziggy that the cops had been called. The neighbors feared the argument would turn physical. He arrived on the scene just after I had left. He came by and took down our version of events for his report. "Don't worry," he said. "This will be on file in case anything ever happens between you two again. You and especially Von kept your cool. You did the right thing."

I was too upset to want to play that night. Shavonda tried to get me turned on, but settled for giving me a bubble bath instead. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," I said. "You don't deserve it."

"It wasn't the first time. It won't be the last," she said soothingly.

On Friday, we headed out early for West Virginia, taking 79 south through Morgantown, then 19. We stopped at the New River Gorge and admired the bridge. I set up the camera and tripod, and with the timer setting I could take photos of us on the overlook admiring the bridge towering over the river 900 feet below. In one of the photos, we had our arms around each other's waist, leaning back and gazing deep into each other's eyes. Looking at the photo on the camera's screen. Shavonda remarked how much in love we looked. We were symmetrical, almost mirror images of each other thanks to the heels she was wearing. Our skin tones complemented each other perfectly. "Love knows no color," I said.

Shavonda looked at me, eyebrow raised. "What was that, Jason?"

"Love knows no color."

She looked at the photo again. "We'll have to print this when we get home. We can add 'love knows no color' across the bottom. If this prints out the way I think it will, we could have a poster here. A poster celebrating interracial love. This photo is more than just us. It can be an inspiration to others like us."

I hadn't thought about that. It was just a picture when I snapped it. A little spontaneous bit of our life. And yet, it captured the essence of our being perfectly. We were different, very different, and yet, in the symmetry the photo showed how much alike we were. It was full of powerful symbolism. "Do you think it would look better if we printed it in black and white?" I asked her. "You know, to heighten the contrast?"

"Good idea," she remarked. "We can print it out both ways to see which is more powerful."

We stopped for the night near White Sulphur Springs, holing up in a cheap motel off the interstate. Shavonda was on her cycle, so after a shower, we lay in bed snuggling, her stroking my hair until I fell asleep. The next morning, we showered again, soaping each other up and enjoying the feel of our hands on each other's bodies. We managed to maintain our self-control, but it wasn't easy. I dressed in the same khakis and shirt I had worn on our first date, and she wore a knee length red sun dress, with matching sandals. She added a red rose hair clip I'd never seen before, in her tight curls just above her right temple. I took a photo of her looking at it in the mirror, taken from behind her. She looked stunning.

We packed the car and left, turning in the key. If I knew my mom, she'd ask us to stay the night in separate rooms. We wouldn't be back here again. We headed south on back roads, over the mountain ridges, crossing into Virginia before crossing back into West Virginia, and there we were, coming up the long dirt driveway to my parents' farm, on the outskirts of the tiny village that bore the family name.

They saw us coming up the driveway in a cloud of dust, and Mom, Dad and Grandma were waiting on the porch when got out of the Jeep. I could tell Dad took an instant shine to her, Mom seemed a little hesitant, and Grandma was obviously not pleased. But she was gracious and welcomed Shavonda anyway.

Heading inside, she met my cousins Calvin and Kenny along with my sister Sally. The cousins were musicians, huge Grateful Dead fans, and Calvin was soon talking to Shavonda like an old friend. I was seated at a picnic table with Mom, Sally and Kenny. We discussed Shavonda and how we'd met. I don't think Mom quite got the concept of internet chat, but she held her own.

"What about the kids?" she asked. "Having mixed parents is going to be hard on them."

"Von can't have any," I replied. "And even if she could, they won't be treated any worse than she is. Besides, times are changing. Couples like us are becoming more common. "

"I meant your kids," Mom said. "Rose called here all fired up last weekend. I won't tell you what she said about Von, but it wasn't nice."

"Rose has no reason to have them taken from us. Von doesn't do anything wrong. She'll be a better influence on those kids than Rose ever will," I explained. "And if she does, we'll fight her. Brittany and Ethan are going to be the kids we can't have."

Kenny spoke up, "Our generation sees things a little differently." Kenny was a year older than me. "Old ways may die hard, but we're much more accepting of couples like Jason and Von. As long as they love each other, and these two obviously do, who are we to judge? If they make each other happy, leave them alone."

"Would you rather your son spend the rest of his life miserable trapped with a bitch like Rose?" Sally asked, "Get to know the girl before you decide she's wrong for Jason."

"That's all I ask," I said. "Just get to know her. You'll see what I see."

I found Shavonda and sat her down at the table. She talked to my mom for a good long while. The food was ready, so I went to the buffet table and fixed Shavonda a plate, letting her talk to Mom, Sally and Kenny without me being there. Grandma pulled me into a back room away from everybody.

"Jefferson Waite," she hissed. "What is wrong with you? She's colored!"

"She makes me happy, Grandma. I make her happy. We belong together. You always told me treat people with love and respect. She does that."

Just then, Dad, who must have overheard us, came and hustled Grandma off. "Don't worry," he reassured me, "She'll come around. She's never had to deal with anything like this before. "

I took Shavonda her plate. We ate with the family. I was happy. Except for Grandma, everybody seemed cool. My queen was winning them over.

Soon it was time to cut the cake. My uncle lit the candles, and everybody started to sing Happy Birthday. Shavonda's voice came through loud and clear. When we were done, somebody said," Would you listen to the pipes on that girl?" The family insisted on lighting the candles again, this time with Shavonda singing Happy Birthday solo. Everybody clapped, including Grandma.

In the evening Mom pulled me aside. "You're staying here tonight. We only have one room for the two of you. So, you'll have to leave the door open. No hanky panky. You're not married yet." I caught the word 'yet.' I smiled, Mom had accepted Shavonda.