UNACCEPTABLE
"Ben. I hope I don't have to tell you to be careful, man. Think about your career. Think about your family's name. She is a... black girl, for crying out loud. You know that would never be acceptable in our circle. Her age is an issue, but she is legal. Not one person would give a damn about you fucking around with some piece of young untapped poon. The main problem with this situation is the fact that she's a nigger." Tad stared his friend square in the eyes as he shared his assessment of the confession.
"Tad, you are my oldest and best friend in the world. But if you call her that again, I will kick your ass so hard; you'll wake up in the new millennium." He warned without so much as a blink.
"Oh, so I guess you're one of those nig... lovers now?" His fair-haired friend glanced over at him as if he half expected the man to fly across the table.
Of course, everyone knew Ben to be a mild-mannered stand-up kind of guy, but a promise of getting popped would leave him with no reservations about smacking someone real good.
"I don't know what I am right now. I know I don't appreciate you calling her that. She is a sweet, respectful girl, and she doesn't deserve to be called that by anyone, least of all you. A black woman never turned my head before, but Jolie is different." He leaned himself back against the couch and closed his eyes to allow his mind time to conjure up a vision of her laughing.
Even as his friend monitored his unusual behavior, Ben hid himself in the clouds.
"I swear she is just like a ray of sunshine. She is so beautiful, intelligent, well-spoken, and extremely talented. Take a look at what she can do for yourself." Ben insisted as he pointed to a painting of the grandiose Magnolia tree sitting in his front yard.
The tree appeared to be isolated on a hill. Still, Jolie managed to capture a sense of magic in each flower, expressing details in every fold, curve, and bend of the petals as they were drawn carefully nestled on a bed of glorious dark green leaves with the tree standing majestically tall on a hill.
Next, he pointed to a picture she drew of him. Colored pencils were utilized to craft and capture every detail of his fiery green eyes and the Grecian aesthetics of his face. Even the details of his beard and mustache were captured to allude to his perfectly sketched five o'clock shadow. His hair hung in waves on that particular day and she managed to immortalize the depth and character of its dark hue and the way it flowed to perfection.
As they examined the picture, both men discussed the likeness and that they resembled professional paintings.
Often, Ben had watched her work. The movements of her hands and fingers always left him thoroughly hypnotized by her talent.
When she handed the picture over to him, he found himself praying to God for the strength to refrain from kissing her. Thankfully, he reigned in his imagination and merely gave her a half hug. Once he'd extended his appreciation for the gift, Ben raced to find anything powerful enough to busy his mind.
With just a touch, he placed her and himself in danger because of the delirium that continuously haunted him.
"I can only stress that you need to be careful. You are thirty-five, and she is seventeen. Think of the negative publicity you would receive if you pursued a relationship with her. But, on the other hand, maybe if she became a renowned artist, then and only then would her skin color not make a difference one way or the other." Tad rambled on as he refreshed his drink.
Ben considered his options. If he assisted her with her education and career path, she would be indebted to him. He also knew he could train her before anyone else touched her, and in effect, she would belong to him. No matter where she was in the world, he could fly out to be with her in no time at all.
If he didn't claim her while she was still pure, someone else most certainly would take that opportunity away from him. Of this, he was very sure.
He decided to conduct a little test. Its purpose was to determine how others would react to her even knowing that she's still a minor. Ben decided he would host a party, and Jolie would be the guest of honor. He wanted to see just how firmly his friend would hold onto his convictions once he met her for himself.
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TISH
"Hey, stranger. I feel so important since you finally decided to grace me with your presence." Tish made one of her many sarcastic comments to her lifelong friend.
Jolie and Tish met in pre-school. The girls had become inseparable from the first time they played on the merry-go-round. Until lately, of course, wherever you found one young lady, you found the other as well.
Being prepared for graduation was of the utmost importance. Like many of her classmates, she understood it was a necessity to find work and get paid. However, unlike the other teens who toiled for many of the different local companies, Jolie chose the life of a freelancer. On her own, she made more money and was in complete control of her busy schedule. Every side job she took on left her little time to hang out with her friends or do much else.
Jolie knew Tish was mad at her for dropping out of sight for so long, but she had a feeling her play-sister would eventually understand.
Tish needed to fuss about everything, and since that was her way, it was easier to accept the fact that she must somehow orchestrate a sort of peace treaty with her buddy. Also, since she had just finished cleaning one of the local churches with a neighbor, Jolie was in the position to treat her best friend to a nice lunch with the hundred dollars cash she hadn't yet deposited.
"I'm sorry I've neglected you. Please forgive me."
Tish gave Jolie the stank eye. Then, finally, she laughed while her antagonist laid far too many kisses on her cheek.
"Girl, if you weren't like my sister, I would have to beat you today. All those nasty fake kisses are unnecessary." Tish grumped as usual, and Jolie gave her another kiss on the cheek as an answer to her complaints.
Tish's response to Jolie's foolishness was a hard smack across the rear. Because her friend believed she was terribly spoiled, she gave her a few more smacks across her buttocks.
"Let me make it up to you." She proposed.
"And how do you plan on doing that." Miss Grumpy inquired.
"I want to take you to lunch. Anywhere you'd like to go, it's on me." Jolie offered as she waited patiently for a response.
Tish turned her head without a word.
"Also... one of the people I work for is throwing me a pre-graduation party. He's an attorney who wants to help me raise money for college. With the fundraiser, he's already started for me and this party, I should have enough money to attend the university of my choice. I am so grateful for all his help, but I don't want to be the only person my age there alone with many old fuddy duds. Will you please go with me? Please?" Jolie hoped her pouty face would break through Trish's wall of defense.
"Your little puppy dog eyes do not move me, so just stop wasting your time." Her friend insisted on being firm. Jolie wasn't deterred from her goal.
"I'll ask Leon and Darcy if they want to come along too since our joint awards placed us in the presence of the business community," Jolie explained, hoping her friend would accept the invitation.
Even though Tish wasn't happy with her at the moment, Jolie was sure she would come around eventually. Since wasn't currently distracted by Ben, she would put all of her energy into soothing Tish's ire.
Jolie was by no means a fool. She chose to avoid her friend for legitimate reasons.
For much of their life, Jolie and Tish had been joined at the hip wherever they went and whatever they chose to do.
When it came to Jolie, Tish knew everything about her.
Jolie never lived outside the margins. She was a typical quiet teen who always followed the rules. She never got in trouble at home or school. Honestly, she was completely predictable until she began to work.
Tish knew everything about her and could practically read her mind.
Lately, Jolie's mind had been bewitched by a muse and she would never allow her best friend to see how desperately she had fallen for him. Even though she promised herself to focus on graduating and building a fantastic future, things began to change after spending so much time with Ben.
He kept her on as a laborer to complete several home improvement projects. At first, she was just grateful that he continued to give her little jobs here and there. Each project was a blessing because every dime she made went into the savings account she opened on her sixteenth birthday, and she was amassing a nice stash.
As time went on, they seemed to develop a sort of friendship. They listened to music together, and he was highly inciteful when it came to her art projects. The feedback she received from him helped her create art that astounded many others.
Jolie shared with him the importance of Ben's input. His positive and negative corrections added to the development of depth and maturity in her creations.
"From now on, you, sir, will be my muse." She laughed at the thought of a man being a muse.
In all of Greek mythology and tragedy, she never heard of a man who was a muse. But, of course, she told Ben she was kind of joking. Nonetheless, the look on his face sent lightning bolts throughout her restless body. He smiled as if the notions were sweet, but Jolie felt a warmth radiate from him that became even more evident as a rosy hue flushed his neck and cheeks.
Whatever it was that was transpiring between the two of them seemed to grow with every encounter.
Jolie had such limited life experience, that she had no reason to question the tingling sensations coursing through her flesh each time she interacted with Ben.
Since he had never crossed any lines with her, she had no reason to suspect that she might be in danger.
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