The sound blaring in her ears, startled her out of her slumber. She snatched the phone from beneath the pillow and placed it against her cheek as she continued to lay.
"Hello," she croaked.
"Morning. How are you feeling?"
It was her Aunt Pam. She could recall speaking to her last night. About what? She was sure it was her level of intoxication, but for the most part, it was a blur.
"I'm okay. I haven't opened my eyes yet. I'm afraid to, my head is already spinning," she pouted. "How long will this last, auntie?"
"Depends. Have you eaten yet?"
As if on cue, she could hear the bedroom door open and feel the weight shift on the bed.
"No, ma'am. I haven't."
"You need to eat," she ordered. "I know Henry's folks are cooking. Joy wakes up early as hell so you should be good. Go eat."
"Okay..."
"Well alright. Remember, 6 o'clock. Or your head is really gonna be spinning." Without a goodbye, her aunt ended the call.
Jamie tossed the phone towards her feet as she buried herself beneath the covers. Just as quickly as they covered her, they were pulled back only for them to be thrown over her again.
The feel of his bare body meshing against her own, made her shiver. "Morning," he cooed in her ear as his arm slithered across her side before running over her stomach.
"Morning," she whispered.
His lips brushed against her neck as he spoke. "How you feeling?"
"Okay, I guess," she mumbled. "You're naked..."
"So are you."
She racked her her brain as to why. Sure, they done this before, but how they came to the now wasn't quite clear. Jamie placed her hand upon his. "What happened last night?"
"You got really drunk. Even though you were denying it," he revealed.
"Did we--"
"No," he answered, pulling her close. "Almost, but no." He kissed her shoulder blade. "You made it difficult, but I couldn't let it go down like that. Not at all."
She brought his hand up to her lips. "Thank you."
"For what, mama?"
"For not, you know," she shrugged in his arms. "And I'm sure I was probably a handful. Mind telling me what happened? I remember bits and pieces."
"How about you tell me what you remember..."
Jamie turned in his hold, coming face to face with the person she grew fond of with each passing day. The same person who seemingly managed to string her along until they got too close, before retreating. She made a mental note to ask about his disappearing act.
"I remember dancing..." she mumbled before biting her lip. "Umm, there was...beer pong. I won," she giggled. "At least, I think I won."
Gazing into his eyes she continued. "I remember water. The shower. Everything in shower I think..." she recollected. "I came in with you."
"Yeah...." he cupped her cheek. "You did."
Jamie closed her eyes, as his thumb ran across her cheek. "And you should have let me do it."
Jamie dropped her gaze, unable to look him in the eye as she prepared to confess her desires. "I wasn't that drunk. I really wanted to..." her voice trailed off. "...to do that to you. I've been wanting to for a while now."
"Why?"
The simple question had her mind running a mile a minute. Why did she want to? Why did she feel the need to?
Prince looked on, watching her think. He knew she had to have an answer. Especially for that type of act to only surface due to liquor courage.
"Why?" He repeated, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb.
"I--" she hesitated. "I just wanted to see if it were possible to get you as high as I am when you do it to me."
The left side of his mouth pulled up into a sly smirk. "How high are you when I'm down there?"
Jamie gazed at him, the small rays of sunlight still managing to seep through the comforter, illuminating the beauty of his eyes.
Her voice was soft as a whisper when she replied. "High..."
"And what if I'm already where you are?"
The statement made he insides tingle. She couldn't be that special. She just couldn't. "I'd still want to, maybe for me."
This made him chuckle. "For you? It's like that?"
Jamie shrugged, toying with his chest hair. "You get pleasure from giving just as much from receiving right? At least that's what I've read."
Prince continued to chuckle as her cheeks grew hot. "Sometimes. Depends on what you like to do. Your stance on sex..."
"I think," she mumbled, "I think I like to please. I haven't done anything to show you but--"
"Maybe next time when you're completely sober and when you don't pass out in the shower, you can."
Jamie immediately covered her face with her hands. "Oh god, don't remind me."
"Already done," he snickered, fiddling with the end of one of her braids. "In all seriousness, let me do the work. All I need you to do is keep coming back for more."
"And what happens when you go missing on me?"
"What do you mean?"
Jamie rolled her eyes, as she yanked the covers from over them. "The last time I spoke to you, was the last time we lay together."
Jamie got up from the bed, heading straight for the bathroom. She needed to get rid of the morning breath. "What happened?"
Prince watched her as she stood naked at the bathroom sink, brushing her teeth. "Talk to me."
"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck, studying her as she gazed at him through the mirror.
He could spot the small gleam of insecurity in her eye, as she prepared to hear the worst. It was there that he decided to withhold the truth of his recent dating sprees with other women.
"I was quite shook from our last encounter, J. I just needed some time to wrap my head around it."
"Wrap your head around what?"
"That I'm in this position," he took a few steps towards her. "With you."
Jamie's cheeks burned as she stared at his reflection. "So you're afraid?" She asked, clutching the toothbrush in her hands. "So I am."
Prince stood behind her, grabbing the end of a braid. "May I?" Jamie nodded, as she finished brushing her teeth.
The feel of his fingers against her scalp as he took down her braids was more relaxing than she anticipated. Maybe because it was him that was doing it.
"I'm definitely hesitant about all of this, but not as afraid as you think," he finally answered, as he worked on the second braid.
"I like you, Jamie. And I'm trying my best to keep myself together around you..."
Jamie hummed as his fingers danced through her hair. "Doesn't seem like it."
"Like I said earlier, you make it difficult at times. Last night was definitely one of those times."
"It can't be that difficult..."
"It can be when you've taken a vow of celibacy." He countered. "Oral sex and masturbation was a part of that vow."
"And you've done both," she sighed. "I'm sorry."
"There's no need for you to apologize. I know what I did and I don't regret it." He began to take down the last braid. "I'm telling you because there's something about you that channels into me. Wherever you come from, is my homeland. Wherever you're going is a place I've been. I'm just waiting for you to catch up to me."
Finishing the last braid he ruffled her hair. "Thank you," she sighed in relief.
"It's nothing..." he shrugged, resting his cheek on her shoulder.
"No," she replied, peering at him in the corner of her eye. "Thank you for choosing me."
Both stared at their reflection, attempting to engrave the image in their minds.
"You're a work of art, Jamie," he complimented as his thumb swayed against her lower abdomen.
"So are you," she smirked. "A bit small but..."
He spun her around, quickly lifting her up onto the sick. "I'm small? I'm strong though and quick."
"And even shorter with me sitting on this countertop," she giggled as she tapped his nose.
He shook his head as he stood between her thighs. "You ain't right, mama. I swear you ain't right."
Jamie tilted her head to the side. "I'm not right? Really? You think so?" She challenged, rubbing his ears. He nodded with that smirk. "I'd beg to differ." Her hands ran down his neck, over his hairy chest to his belly button.
His eyes closed and his mouth fell ajar as her hand wrapped around his shaft. "I think he does too."
Jamie leaned her head against his. Her hand slowly running along his length, until she abruptly stopped. "I'm so right, that I won't ask anymore."
She kissed his forehead, before pushing him back. "We should get dressed and get breakfast. I'm really hungry." She hopped down from the counter, grabbing one of the robes that hung from the door before prancing into the bedroom. She headed straight towards his walk-in closet.
"I'm gonna need to borrow some clothes, P."
He entered right behind her, wrapped in a robe himself. He leaned against the wall, watching her ramble through his clothing.
"Anything off limits?" She quizzed, peering over her shoulder.
"No," he obliged. "Have at it."
Jamie removed the white blouse and he immediately began to laugh.
"I swear I thought that was at Paisley." He stepped beside her, toying with this sleeve of the shirt. "Okay...this is off limits."
She playfully rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I understand why." She placed the shirt where she found it. "How about you pick something for me."
"I'm gonna need you to start bringing your own clothes over."
After finally settling on something for her to wear, the two decided to order in for breakfast.
"I could have cooked, you know?" She reminded as he massaged her feet.
"Yeah, maybe," he shrugged. "I need to go grocery shopping though. My kitchen is looking pretty bare these days."
"We can go later," she offered. "If you want."
"And have to drive waaaaaayyyy outta town to go?" He scoffed. "Nope." He grew quiet thinking of how it would be to walk the aisles with her as they bickered over what to get. "Well, maybe."
"No pressure, P," she reassured him. "It's not that deep."
"Right..." he mumbled, as the doorbell rang. "That must be the food." Jamie removed her feet from his lap, allowing him to stand. "Be right back."
Prince rambled through his wallet that lay on the kitchen counter. He quickly withdrew $50 bucks, before continuing the journey to the front door. "Coming," he hollered, as the person rang the doorbell for a second time.
He yanked open the door, finding his childhood friend, whom he hadn't known was still in town. "Morris, I thought you left Thursday?"
"Well, hello to you too, motherfucka." He brushed passed his short friend, welcoming himself a few feet inside. "I would've been gone, but something told me to stay. And after the call I got from Kandice this morning, I'm glad I did."
"I just wasn't feeling her, man," he shrugged, hoping that would be enough to squash the possible interrogation.
"Brother, please. You've been eyeing Kandice for years and when I finally set you up with her, you just brush her off." Morris wasn't having it. Not one bit. "It'd be different if it was a random chick, but that's my cousin, man."
Prince definitely forgot that part. He mentally scold himself. Note to self, don't go out with friend's relatives.
"You ain't think she was gonna let me know how everything with down or something?"
Prince shook his head. "Nah, man. Like I said, it's not like that." As he prepared to close the door, the deliver boy ran up.
"Delivery from Perkins Restaurant and Bakery?"
"Yeah, you're at the right house." Prince grabbed the bags of food from the teenage boy, before handing him the money. "Keep the change."
"Thanks, Prince," he smiled, before heading off to his car. Prince shut the door and turned to his friend.
"So what's up, man? Why the change of heart with Kandice?"
Jamie emerged from the sunroom, "Is that the food. I'm starving--"
Noticing the other occupant in the home she froze in place. "Uh, hello."
Morris glanced between his friend and the young lady that stood by the kitchen, just a few feet away. "Hi..." he replied.
Jamie slowly made her way toward the two gentlemen. She grabbed the bags from Prince's hold. "I'll take these, P."
As the young woman entered the kitchen, Morris' eyes dancing over her figure.
Feeling his friend slap his arm, he snapped his head towards Prince. "That's all you had to say man."
"It's not like that."
"It's not like that," he mocked. "Is that your new catch phrase or something?"
"I mean," he scratched his head. "It's complicated, man."
Morris brows furrowed. "Ain't a damn thing complicated about that girl. Pretty face. Nice body. Got manners. Seems just fine to me," he shrugged. "But since I see that you're occupied, we'll talk about this later."
Prince held the door open for his company. "No, we won't."
Morris stopped in the threshold, "Oh, yes, we will and I'm telling the guys." With his howling laugh, he made his exit.
Hearing the door shut, Jamie peered into the living room from the kitchen. "Hey, everything okay?"
"Yeah," he replied. "Yeah, everything's fine."