Cousins & Lovers

"Wali , what are you doing here again?" said my cousin Bernadette , who owned and was the chief hair stylist at Urban Beauty...Bernie as I have always called her is like a sister to me...Her mom is my Dad's younger sister...We were born just three months apart..She's three month's older than me... We were practically raised together...We lived just blocks from each other..Went to the same schools all of our lives and knew pretty much the same people..Her Husband, Harry Charles was one of my running buddies back in the day.

''Hey Cous...Where dat girl at?" I asked in a hush whisper..

''What girl?...Who?" she asked.

"You know who...Stop playing dumb." I said.

"Ronnie? , Veronica...She aint studyin you...Are you the one that's been sending all those flowers for her every other day and not signin your name?" she asked.

"I stand guilty as charged." I said.

"That was sweet, but you shoulda signed em...She don't know what to think." said Bernadette..

'Well that's why I come here...to make myself known." I said.

"Boyy, she here to work..not to make time..." said my cousin...

"Aww come on cuzo...I promise not to take too long...I just need a little bit...Just a little bit of her time." I said.

''Oh your rap is that good huh." she laughed.

''Well you be the judge of that..." I said.

My cousin looked exasperated, but managed a weak smile...She pointed across the huge room where several local women were having their hair done, their nails done..Their feet massaged in water pools and an assortment of other things...and there she was ...The object of my affection...Veronica Poole...She was the receptionist that made appointments and directed the ladies to a chair or booth when they came in...I winked at my cousin and walked over to where she was working...I had a box of fresh flowers in my hand..

I walked over to where she was standing and gave her my biggest smile...She looked at me like I was crazy and continued to work...I continued to stand there and she looked up at me again...

"The Barber shop is down the street brother." she said... Ohhhh, a sassy one.

"I'm quite aware of that my sister...Here...these are for you." I said as I passed her the flowers... Her eyes got as wide as saucers and she almost smiled , but she caught herself..

''Are YOU the one who has been sending me all these flowers for about a week with no name or return address on them?" she asked.

I was still smiling...

"Yeah, that would be me." I said, just beaming...

''Well the flowers were beautiful and sweet...but that was a suckuh move." she said tersely...

"A sucker move?" I said.

"Yeah..a real player would've signed his name and of brought them in person..." she said.

"Oh really?" I said..

"Yeah...then I could've told you that I'm not interested a lot sooner." she said.

Just then  I heard a couple of giggles and a few -"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuu." and "Ohhh my god..she blasted him down" from the newsy few that heard what she said..

''Dayummmmmmmmmm...face." said another woman.....

I couldn't smile after that...and the fact that so many people had witnessed it was even more embarrassing..

I looked at her....

''Where did you get your manners , from Kmart?" I said...

'That the best you got?" she said with her hands on her hips....

"It's good enough for you." I said and I turned to walk away...

As I walked out, My cousin shrugged her shoulders....I didn't even look her way...

II-

I was in Josies that night, choppin it up with Paris, Blake, Anita Jenkins, Cherish, Chance Howard, Nicole Butler and some of my other friends...We were drinking Vodka with Orange Juice and Champaigne off and on and listening to Downtown Rob Brown and his band jamming...

I wander to the Men's Room and then over to the bar when I felt a hand tap me on my shoulder... It was Veronica...

I was a bit startled...

"Hey" she said.

"Hey yourself." I said.

"I didn't know you was Bernadette's cousin." she said.

''And you still don't know." I said...Though I don't know why I said that...After thinking a minute..It made very little sense.

''Aww come on..Everybody told me..and I asked her and she told me." she said.

"Yeah and..." I said.

"Well I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you, that's all." she said.

"Did my cousin say something to you?, Cause I had nothing to do with it..." I said.

"No she didn't...She told me that she told you that I wouldn't be interested...and she apologized to me because of you." she said.

''Sounds like her." I said.

"Can I buy you a drink?" she asked.

"That's okay...I'm good." I said.

"No...I want to...We got off on the wrong foot...I was wrong....Those flowers were sweet....I was blushing all week and the girls were teasing me about I had a secret admirer and what not." she said.

"Yeah? Well just as I was leavin , One of the girls apologized to me for you...She told me that you're as mean as a rattle snake and that you've shot down so many guys..that nobody will come near you." I said.

"That was nosy ass Della ...she ought to worry about if somebody is tryin to get with her nosy behind." said Veronica.

"Struck a nerve?" I sneered. Veronica grimaced, then frowned and looked toward the ground-

"I guess that's true....I've been hurt before." she said.

"Oh poor poor you." I said.

'Wow ,I really hurt your feelins didn't I?" she said.

"No..Not at all..Win some, Lose some...That's how I look at it..." I said.

"Yeah ,I guess that's right..." she said.

"Yeah." I said and was about to walk away when she stopped me.

'I gotta start treatin people better...I-I uh thought about that today...I mean like, you did something nice..Something romantic that actually made me feel good a couple of days last week and I had no cause to talk to you like that..I'm sorry..but I understand if you want to tell me to go to hell." she said..

I pulled her towards me, looked her deep in the eyes...and smiled ruefully .....I was a little tipsy...and beyond caring at this point.......

''Girl...If you only knew what I want to do to you." I said... Then I caught myself and let her go.....

"Wow...you smell nice....and you've got the whitest teeth...I love a man with a nice smile." she said.

"You can buy me that drink now." I said.

"Well Okay...but I want to hear about what you want to do to me...." she said with a sly wink..

'Huh?" I asked.

"'In private." she said.

"Really? Just like that?" I asked.

''I was kind of turned on just now the way you grabbed me like that...but don't make a habit of it...Look...don't let an opportunity pass you by...I'm not gonna make this offer again...I'm slightly tipsy and it's against my better judgement." she said... Now she sounded like her old mean self.

III-

Her apartment door swung open and we were kissing as though we had known each other for years...just tonguing each other down.....I had my hands up her dress and she already had my pants down and was massaging my massive erection....

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....mmmmmmmph.... Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." she moaned...

'Lawwdd jesus girl, you feel so good..." I moaned as we continued kissing...

"Ohhh, Ohhhhh, Wali close the door...We can't be doing this with the door wide open..She said as she broke free and closed and locked the door...She turned around and got a good look at me and just smiled..

"Ohhh myyyyy." she said as we continued kissing and making out.... I kissed her neck and her earlobes and she giggled like a schoolgirl...Which I thought was kind of cute...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.." she yelled....

I stepped out of my pants and I unzipped her dress and  pushed her up against the wall , where I continued to kiss her from her neck to her breasts....She squeezed my penis hard...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."I moaned from both pain and pleasure,,,,,

I pulled a condom out of my wallet and quickly put it on...I led Veronica over to her sofa...I bent her over it and entered her from behind....

''Uhhh...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LAWDDDDDDDDDDDDD..."she screamed as I entered her and began to pump her as hard as I could...Her mouth opened...but now no sound was coming from it...

''OHHHHH GOOOD LORDDD...OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.." she screamed as I continued to pump as if my life depended on it...

It doesn't take her body long to start convulsing and for her to start singing out with pleasure,,,,,,,

"OHHHH YEAHHHHHH...YESSSSSSSSSSSSS...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.."

I lift her up....

''Where is your bedroom?" I asked

She weakly points to it....

"I need to do this right.." I say as we head to the bedroom...

I lay her across the bed and I spread her legs....I enter her very slowly this time....She is good and wet and warm like an oven....I'm staring into her beautiful brown eyes and looking at that gorgeous dark skin...We are face to face...She leans up and kisses me...and I begin thrusting inside her again...Slowly at first and then just a little faster..I want this to last....

And last it did....Well into the wee hours of the morning..we made love until we both climaxed hard!...We then took a nice long shower together...Kissing and fondling each other until I came again...I don't know about her....

We of course wound up sleeping together and waking up the next morning in bed together...nude...and cold...

"Wow...I never imagined anything like this." she said.

"Damn...Me neither.." I said.

''I've never done anything like this before...I mean something so spontaneous....I don't even know you." she said.

"Yeah...I know you won't believe this...but me neither." I said.

''Was this the alcohol?" she asked.

"Coulda been...I was a little tipsy." I said.

"Me too..but I liked it...I aint gone front..You got skills boy..mad skills." she said.  I was surprised.

''You aint no slouch yourself." I said.

"I guess you want to keep this a secret huh?   It's cool...I won't say a word...I promise." I said.

"Thank you..I do have a reputation to uphold." she said.

I smiled ruefully!

EPILOUGE:

I was in the Mermaid Club, Choppin it up with a friend of mine named Mike when my cousin Bernadette walked in...

I looked up in surprise...This wasn't her kind of joint...

"Heyyy Cuzzo...What are you doin in here?" I asked.

"I was lookin for you....I heard you come here sometimes." she said.

"So what's up?" I asked.

"I'm gonna buy you a drink...I can't believe you got them drawers." she said.

''What?, What are you talkin about?" I said.

"Don't B.S. Me cuz... Veronica...You know..She's shot down flyer guys than you..Guys with real potential..And when you started sending flowers and came in there talkin bout you wanted to meet her ,I figured she was gonna blow your corny ass away quick....But you surprised me...You got mad game after all." said Bernadette...

"Bernie What are you talkin about?" I asked.

''Wali, She comes to work singing and humming and she's got your flowers all over the place..she waters em and smiles and don't snap at the customers...She actually smiles....And when I just happened to mention you she beamed...She glowed..Smiled like a high school girl..Asked me for your number.." said Bernadette.

''What....??" I said and smiled.

"You must have knocked the bottom out of that the way she's carrying on." laughed Bernadette.

I said nothing...

"I gave her your number..I figured you wouldn't mind." she laughed...

"She already has it." I laughed.

"I knew she did...but she had to put on a little act for me of course." laughed my cousin.

"Can't fool you huh Bernie?" I laughed and ordered her a drink..."Hey Joe, get my cousin a Tequilla..."

"We know each other too well cuzo." She said.