Turning Tables??

Bruno is staring directly at Phil. Phil pushes his glasses up on his nose, clears his throat and asks, “Can I come in?”. He’s holding a large bouquet of Stargazer Lilies in his arms. A stern look crosses Bruno’s face as he blocks the doorway. Phil looks at Bruno, throws up his hands and smiles, “Ok, ok. I get it brauh but I was talking to Nikki”. Bruno crosses his arms and doesn’t move. You smile at Bruno’s behavior. Walking away from the door, toward the balcony, you respond, “Philip I don’t want to talk to you”. Phil attempts to step across the threshold but Bruno quickly blocks him. Bruno and Phil are face to face. “Didn’t you hear what she said? She don’t wanna talk to you”, Bruno asserts with bass in his voice. Phil stares directly at Bruno and responds with a threat, “You need to back up brauh”. You immediately turn around and sprint to the door. You touch Bruno’s shoulder and he turns to face you. You smile at him and say, “It’s okay Baby. I got it”. He hesitates, glaring at Philip then backs up but doesn’t go far. Phil smiles at you, “Hey”. You respond with no emotion, “Philip, what do you want?”. “Nikki”, he says handing you the bouquet with a smile, “we really need to talk”. He glances over at Bruno and adds, “Just the two of us”. You ignore the bouquet and reply, “We have nothing to talk about Philip. Now, if you’d excuse me, I have a lot to finish up in here. You start to close the door but Philip blocks it, “Baby Girl, please, just hear me out”. Bruno walks up behind you. Phil glances up at him and removes his hand. You close the door and just stand there for a moment. You expect to feel angry or sad but you don’t feel anything. Bruno wraps his arms around you from behind. Turning to face him, you smile. He kisses you. Before he can ask the question that you know he’s thinking, you answer it. “I’m fine”. He laughs, “Are you sure?”. You squeeze him tight and plant a kiss on those perfect lips, allowing your tongue to dance with his. “Yes”, you murmur as he pushes you against the door and begins to kiss your neck. Removing your shirt, he begins kissing your breasts. He sucks each nipple until they are hard and tingling. He pulls off your shorts and panties then swiftly removes his own. Lifting you onto that carrot, he rests your back against the door as he thrusts deep into your love. “Mmmmm”, you moan loudly, gripping his forearms. He smiles wide knowing that he’s the cause of your moans. You begin grinding on that carrot then pause to kiss him. Switching things up, you start to bounce up and down on his hardness. Beads of sweat begin to form on his brow. He winces and murmurs something under his breath. You stop and caress his face. Staring into his eyes you whisper, “Baby, am I hurting you?”. He responds as if he’s in pain, “Nah…trying…not…to come…JESUS!!”. You laugh and continue to grind. Bruno is fighting a losing battle and finally gives in. “FUCK…”, he groans as his fist pounds the door and you feel him water your garden. You smile and kiss him softly. He holds you tight and whispers, “I love you Nikki”, just as something hits the opposite side of the door…HARD. You both jump. Bruno immediately pushes you out of the way while he pulls on his shorts and opens the door. All you hear is Phil yelling, “FUCK!!”, as he throws the lilies and stomps down the hallway. Bruno closes the door and looks at you smirking, “Oops”. You can’t help but feel bad. It was never your intention to hurt Phil. 

After arranging and rearranging your new bedroom furniture, you are ready for a nice warm bath. You are standing in the center of your bedroom admiring your new decor when Bruno walks up behind you and kisses the left side of your neck. He murmurs, “I’m going to run your bath. I’ll be right back”. You turn to him. He can read your mind before you speak. Placing his finger on your lips he whispers, “Hush woman”. He gives you a quick kiss and walks into the bathroom. You can’t help but smile as you sit on the edge of the bed and watch him walk away. The water in the tub is warm and soothing. The smell of eucalyptus fills your senses as Bruno slides in the tub behind you and begins to massage your shoulders and back. “Mmmmm…baby, this feels so good”, you confess. “I really needed this”, you sigh out loud. Kissing the top of your head, Bruno asks, “Are you happy?”. You smile and nod with your eyes closed. You can’t help but feel a little twinge in your chest hearing Bruno ask you that. Phil has always asked you the same exact thing and Bruno knows it. After a few minutes, you sense something in front of you, so you open your eyes. Bruno is holding a small black box in front of you. You look back at him as he smiles. “Open it”, he whispers kissing the top of your head. You push the box away and shake your head, “No. I can’t accept that Bruno”. “Woman, you don’t even know what it is. Just open it”. You are trembling. Is it because the water is getting cooler? Or is it the fear of finding a ring in that box? You reluctantly take the box from him. Taking a deep breath, you open it…slowly. There is a key inside, a familiar key. You take it out and realize it’s the same key you had when you stayed at Bruno’s for a little while. Confused you turn to face him. He smiles and says, “It’s yours to keep. I don’t want it back”. You smile, still confused. “Bruno, I don’t need a key to your house”. “No baby, that’s not just the key to my house, it’s the key to my heart and it’s yours forever”.

The next morning, Bruno finds you on the balcony. He stands watching you quietly in the doorway. You don’t notice him. “Sweetheart that’s great! Mommy is so proud of you! Oh…ok. Mommy loves you both VERY much. Bye, bye”. You hit the end button and just stare at your phone. A chill runs through you. You’re not sure if it’s from the brisk morning air or the fact that you miss your children more than anything. Bruno steps behind you and you nearly jump out of your skin. “You miss them a lot, don’t you?”, he whispers holding you tight. You don’t respond. He could NEVER understand. Besides, with all the legal shit your ex-husband has you tied up in, you don’t know if you’ll ever see them again. “Did you sleep well?”, you ask trying to change the subject. Bruno gets the hint, “Yup! Your new bed feels soooooooo good”. You force a laugh, still feeling sad. He senses it and squeezes you tight. “How about we get some breakfast?”. You know what he’s trying to do and let him. “Ok. Let’s go”.

You are both undercover at the IHOP smashing some red velvet pancakes. Every so often, Bruno glances at you and smiles. After the third time, you put your folk down and ask, “What?”.  He smiles, “Nothing”. You stare at him for a few seconds unconvinced then resume eating. He glances at you again. You drop your fork and demand an explanation, “WHAT, Bruno?!”. He stops and quietly lays his fork on his plate. Reaching for your hands, he interlaces his fingers with yours. Looking into your eyes he says, “I haven’t been this happy in a long time”. Your heart melts. You have no idea what to say, so you just smile. After filling your bellies, you walk out to the car hand in hand like teenagers. There is a HUGE grin on your face that has been missing for a while. Your text message alarms but you ignore it as you slide into the car. You and Bruno are getting your groove on to some reggae in the car on your way back to your place. “What a bam bam, bam bam dilla, bam bam…”, you both sing in unison, snapping and bouncing to the beat. You both continue singing and dancing on your way up to your condo. You always have so much fun when you are together. You are laughing and joking as you both turn the corner and proceed to walk down the hallway to your place when you see Philip sitting on the floor in front of your door. “You can’t be fuckin’ serious”, Bruno huffs. You can tell he’s irritated. Nothing good can come of them seeing each other right now. You decide to face Philip alone. “B, why don’t you head home? He clearly isn’t going to stop until I talk to him”. You rub his arms but he backs up. You are surprised by his reaction. “So, what…you wanna talk to him now? I mean…after everything Nikki? I thought we…”. You caress his face and kiss him gently. Looking deeply into his eyes, you whisper softly, “Bruno, nothing has changed. I still love you. Ok?”. He places his hands on your hips and twitches his face, “I don’t trust him. I know you still love him and…”. You interrupt him, “Baby, you have nothing to worry about. I promise”. He steps back and says, “Isn’t that what you told him about me?”. ‘Ouch’, that shit stings. “Bruno, I love you and I will see you later”, you kiss him and walk down the hallway toward what you hope isn’t a set up. 

You walk up to Philip and stand directly in front of him. He looks up and smiles. His smile makes you uncomfortable. It’s perfect and his dimples don’t make it any easier. “So, you let your guard dog go I see”, he remarks. You ignore the ugly comment. “Philip, what are you doing here?”, you ask walking past him to unlock your door. “I wanna talk to my Lady”, he replies matter of factly. Phil follows behind you as you enter your home. He closes the door as you place your bag on the table. “I’m NOT your Lady…”, you stop. “WAIT. How the HELL did you even know where I lived? I know Bruno didn’t tell you”. He scoffs, “He won’t tell me shit anymore. Just says, ‘I’m taking care of her. She’s fine’.”. You stare at him waiting for his answer. He sighs heavily and starts, “I…I uh…”. He’s hesitating. You cross your arms and scowl. “Look Nikki, don’t be mad but I uh…<heavy sigh>…I’ve…been following you”. He smiles awkwardly and waits for your reaction. You are so offended, you can’t react big enough. “WHAT???!!!!! So you’re STALKING ME??!!!!!! OH MY GOD!!!!! Not appropriate Philip, not appropriate AT ALL!!!”. You are pacing back and forth in your living room. “I don’t believe you!!! I just don’t believe you”. Philip walks over and grabs your upper arms. “You didn’t leave me any other choice Nikki!” You pull away from him and he let’s you go with a deep sigh. “I mean, you wouldn’t answer my calls nor would you see me. Then, YOU MOVED!”. You cut your eyes in his direction so hard he takes a step back. “You have got some nerve. You lie to my FACE about sleeping with that chick then expect me to just forget about it?!”. “Nikki, you never let me explain!”, he yells stepping closer to you. You uncross your arms and ball your fists at your sides. “I don’t care Philip!”, you spit back at him glaring. He steps even closer and reaches out for you. “Nikki, please…”, he pleads looking into your eyes as his voice softens. You step back slowly as you catch a whiff of his signature scent. That smell of baby powder and masculinity softens your demeanor slightly and you unclench your fists. You lean back on the wall, cross your arms and say, “Fine. Explain to me how your dick just fell into her vagina. Please, I’d love to hear all about it”. He smirks. “First of all, Baby Girl, I love you with everything I am. I’m sorry I hurt you”. You look away not wanting to see the sincerity in his eyes. He steps closer to you and holds both of your hands in his. You are staring at the wall, refusing to look at him. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret what I did. I was hurt and I just wanted you to hurt as much as me. But seeing your face when she…”, his voice cracks and he stops. You turn to face him. He’s looking down at his feet. He sniffs and looks up to meet your eyes. Caressing your face he continues, “I can’t get your expression out of my head. You just…”. He leans in close to you and speaks softly. “I will NEVER hurt you like that again. I promise”. He’s staring directly into your eyes and your heart is beginning to ache. His eyes are moistening. You look away. You can’t bare to see him cry. His face moves closer to yours. He turns your face to meet his and your lips touch lightly. Your love jumps and your nipples harden instantly. You can hear your heart racing as his thumb slowly rubs your lower lip. He leans in for a kiss. Your lips lightly graze his and you quickly back away. “Philip, you should go”, you say walking toward the door. He hangs his head and slowly walks toward the door. You are not so sure how you are feeling right now but you promised Bruno that nothing would happen so Phil has to go. You open the door and Phil walks into the hallway. He turns to face you and says, “Baby Girl, all I want is for you to be happy, even if it’s not with me”. He turns away and walks down the hallway. You stand there holding the door open unable to move.

The next evening you are leaving the hospital after finishing your shift. You didn’t get to eat lunch (again) so you are STARVING. You step out the door and Bruno is waiting for you leaning against his car. That perfect smile is melting away all the weariness of your shift. “Hey beautiful”, he smiles leaning up, giving you the duck face for a kiss. You kiss those perfect lips and everything is right with the world. The quick kiss begins to intensify as he grabs you by your scrub top pockets and pulls you close. You feel the warmth of this tongue in your mouth and you tremble slightly. You begin to hear people snicker and giggle as they walk past your VERY public display of affection. You step back and smile. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you after work today?” “Well, I was wondering if my girlfriend wanted to accompany me to a little get together”. ‘Girlfriend?’, the word rings in your ears like the bells of Notre Dame. You’ve never thought about yourself as his girlfriend. Bruno’s lips are moving but you don’t hear a word. ‘When did I become his girlfriend?’, you continue to wonder. “So, you down?”, he asks walking you to the passenger side. “Uh…yeah. Wait, who’s getting together? And where?”, you ask hoping Phil won’t be in attendance. “Jam is having a little thing at his place. Uh, some of the guys will be there with their Ladies and his friends I guess. It should be fun! You wanna go?” Since Bruno doesn’t seem to be concerned about Phil being there, perhaps you shouldn't either. “Ok”, you agree. “But I need to shower and change first”. He smirks, “I thought you’d say that”. He closes the passenger side door. Sliding into the drivers seat, he smiles and looks over at you. “The party is probably gonna run late so how about I take you to your place, you can pack a bag and just stay with me tonight?”. He gently rubs your hands as he leans into you staring deeply into your eyes. You body temperature rises and you blush. “Uh…”, you try to think of a reason to say no. “Uh, what? You working tomorrow?”. “No…”, you admit. “Ok then. You can stay with me tonight”. You don’t know why but you feel weird about it. You’ve slept at Bruno’s many nights but this time it’s different and you can’t figure out why. You just smile and nod as Bruno pulls off.

You and Bruno arrive at Jamareo’s house. You notice that the party is in full swing as you walk up the driveway. You are moving slowly, glancing out of the corner of your eyes for Phil’s car. You feel a sense of relief when you don’t see it. Bruno puts his arm around your waist and kisses your left cheek, “You look beautiful tonight”. You blush. Bruno’s kiss and sincere compliment is all you need to push Phil out of your mind…at least for the moment. Walking through the door, Jam gives B some dap then greets you with a hug. “Nikki, glad you could make it! How have you been? How’s the new place?”. You and Jam stand chatting for a while as Bruno makes his way around the room. “I love my new place Jam. You gotta come by…”, you stop noticing that Jam is staring at the door. You turn and see Phil…with “her”. Jam looks at you with a mix of sympathy and concern. You smile politely. “Excuse me Jam”, you say walking away to find Bruno. You need to leave before you do or say something you regret. Bruno is at the bar with Phred and Ari. Tapping him on the shoulder you smile and say, “Baby, can I talk to you for a moment?”. Before he can answer, Philip walks up to the bar. “Hey guys! What’s happening?”. Bruno rolls his eyes and continues to sip his tequila. Phred smiles and nods looking cautiously from Bruno to Phil. Phil sets his eyes on you and doesn’t try to hide it. Bruno notices. “What the fuck are you looking at?”, he asks Phil standing to face him. ‘Shit!’, you say to yourself as you and Phred try to get Bruno to sit back in his seat. Phil laughs as “She” walks up to him and leads him to the dance floor. “Bruno”, you whisper, “let’s just go”. He shakes his head. “Nah, we are having a good time. Just ignore them”. He continues to sip. You take a deep breath and decide to head out to the deck. Fresh air always helps you feel better. You are gazing out at the night sky when a familiar hand caresses your lower back. You look over you shoulder just as Phil whispers, “Hey Baby Girl”, in your right ear. Your heart begins to race as he stands next to you. He looks so sexy in his red Possch. You absolutely love him in red. However, you don’t respond to him…well…honestly, you can’t respond. His signature scent is overloading your senses and you can’t think straight. Looking over at you he smiles. “You look amazing. You know I love that dress”. You look down and realize that you are actually wearing his favorite dress. You don’t respond and just look back up at the clear night sky. Phil slides closer to you. His arm brushes up against you. You start to walk away but he grabs your right hand and pulls you close. You are looking down at your feet as he says, “I miss you”. Your heart is aching. You pull your hand away from him and walk back inside. You are fervently looking for Bruno but walk right into “Her”. You couldn’t give two shits that you nearly caused her to spill her drink. She looks you up and down. You smirk. Using your better judgment, you turn to walk away. “So”, she starts, “Where should I send the bill for the glass that you broke in my boutique?”. You try your best to ignore her but she grabs your arm and you can feel your temper begin to emerge. Turning around, you look her straight in her eyes and calmly reply, “Fuck you bitch”. She actually looks surprised at your reaction. You stand staring at her waiting for her next move. She smiles and says, “You want a piece of me for fucking your man, don’t you?”. That did it. You grab her by her neck and throw her to the ground. She gets up swinging. Her right connects perfectly to your left jaw. You can feel your brain rattle around in your skull from that hit. That hard hit just pisses you off more. You kick your shoes off and return with a punch to her left eye. She stumbles and grabs at your face. Her ring scratches the corner of your right eye before you can block her and push her ass onto the floor. You are about to stomp the shit out of her when Phil and Bruno pull you back. “Baby Girl stop!”, Phil urges holding tightly to your upper arms. Bruno steps in front of you and caresses your face, “You ok?”. Before you can answer, “She” gets up and attempts to swing at you but Bruno pushes her away. She hits him on his back. You try to break free because she will NOT put her hands on Bruno. Phil holds you tighter. You can’t get to her. Bruno stands as a blocker between you. “Maybe you should just leave”, Phil states frankly. “She” looks hurt. “I don’t fucking believe this”, she says to herself aloud. “You’re picking HER over me? But she HURT you!!”, she paces back and forth in disbelief. “You are so stupid!”, she laughs. You want to smack her for insulting him but Phil WILL NOT let you go. Phil whispers in your ear, “Nikki, I’m not letting you go - calm down”. You sigh deeply feeling defeated and decide to stop struggling. “She” stands watching you and Phil interact in disbelief. “Phil?”, she asks - her voice cracking. Phil doesn’t respond. Tears fill her eyes as she turns and runs out the door. Phil finally lets you go. You are standing between Phil and Bruno as the entire party stares at you. They both blurt out at once, “You ok?”. You shake your head yes. I mean physically you’re fine, just a little bruised but emotionally you feel stuck…again. You look at Phil who is holding and stroking your left hand. You take it away and use it to rub your throbbing forehead. The tension is killing you. Bruno looks at you from the side and says quietly, “Nikki?”. You glance at him and reply, “I just need some air. Excuse me”. You walk toward the door and see Jamareo talking to a friend on the couch. You walk over and interrupt. “Jam, I apologize for my actions just now. I shouldn’t have caused a scene at your party. I’ll pay for any damages”. Jam gets up and flashes his sweet smile. Hugging you tight he says, “Nikki, it’s cool. I understand. You ok?”. You are NOT ok. You can feel tears forming and quickly excuse yourself. You briskly walk out to the driveway and lean against Bruno’s car. You just want to go home. Covering your face with your hands, you let the emotions of the night flow down your cheeks. After a few minutes, someone removes your hands from your face. It’s Phil. Wiping your eyes he doesn’t say a word, he just holds you in his arms as you listen to his heartbeat. After a few minutes, you look up at him and he kisses you softly. Phil brushes the hair from your face. Holding your face in his hands, he kisses your forehead. You wrap your arms around him and stare into his eyes. Despite his infidelity, you still love him more then anything. “I’m sorry”, you say softly. He gives you a confused look. You begin to explain, “I’m sorry for not listening to you. I’m sorry for not telling you when I moved. I’m sorry…”. He places his finger on your lips and kisses you. “I forgive you”, he whispers. You squeeze him tight. Phil steps back. He stoops down to face you eye to eye. Caressing your face, he speaks softly but sincerely, “I was wrong for what I did. I’m sorry. I should have never slept with her. I’m sorry for lying to you. I’m sorry…”. Now it’s your turn. You smile and place your fingers on his lips, “I forgive you”. He smiles and pulls you close. He quickly picks you up and spins you around. “Put me down!”, you laugh, playfully hitting his shoulders. Putting you down, his hands slide from your hips to your thighs and your love jumps. You can feel that python poised and ready to strike and you are so ready to be bitten. You’re face to face. Your gazes are intense. The sexual tension between you is unmistakable. Phil leans in for another kiss. His hands fondle EVERY inch of your body as you lightly suck his tongue. You forget where you are and drop to your knees. Unleashing that python you place it in your mouth and suck the life out of it. Phil is moaning so loudly you feel the vibrations in your mouth. He stands you up. He pulls your dress up as he forces you face down on the trunk of Bruno’s car. He rips off your panties and tosses them. Caressing your neck he enters you slowly and starts to grind inside your love. It’s been months since Phil has been inside of you and at that moment, you realize just how much you have missed him. With each thrust you sigh and push your wetness onto that willing python. Your walls grip his manhood and you feel his legs quiver. He turns you over and you straddle him just like he likes. Riding your pony, he kisses your breasts and caresses your back. You want to scream each time that python taps your walls but you can’t. You grind and swerve on your python until that fatal bite releases his venom and yours. You slide down and stand, holding on to Phil for stability. You are both trying to catch your breath. You hold each other for a few minutes, enjoying a post coidal cuddle. You kiss him goodbye and try to walk away but Phil pulls you close again. You smile and surrender. Laying your head on his chest you squeeze your man tight and he holds you even tighter. The sound of his heartbeat is your favorite song and right now, it’s on repeat. You are so busy listening, you don’t hear the sound of footsteps walking toward you…