Sunday
Jackson
6/18/47
Paislee
"Good morning, sissy!"
I smiled and turned to the twins who were skipping into the kitchen. "Morning, babes."
"What're making?" Pamela asked, peeking from behind me.
"Well, I know you like strawberry pancakes and Penny likes blueberry so I made both. Y'all sit at the table and I'll be done in a minute," I said.
They obliged and waited until I came with their breakfast. This was always their favorite part of the day. When they first wake up, I make breakfast, and we get to stay in our pajamas for hours. Nothing like the way it was at home.
"So how's school, girls?" I asked.
Penny shrugged. "It's alright I guess. Too much work for me."
"What about your friend? Um, El. . . Elton?"
She shook her head. "It's Ernest, and me and him are still friends. I like him a lot actually, but daddy said it's bad because Ernest smiles at me too much."
"Ernest is really nice to Penny, I see it. He sits with us at lunch too and since I don't have a lot of friends that's good," Pamela spoke up.
"I was the same way. I didn't have many friends and I was really awkward too. But I managed pretty good," I said, empathizing with Pammy. "Anyway, what do y'all feel like getting into today?"
"I wanna' go to the park," the twins said.
"So the park it is."
° ° °
I released a sigh as I lowered myself onto a bench in front of the playground. The twins had run off and were now going going back and forth between on the slide. Silently, I watched them all play, following their every move in case one of them go hurt. I had motherly instincts, I swear.
Pursing my lips together, I leaned back against the bench and closed my eyes slightly. Relishing in the fresh air and freedom of silence.
"Excuse me, ma'am?"
I looked up to the man that approached me. "Yes?"
"Well, I'm not too good with these things, but I had to say that you are one beautiful doll," he said smoothly. "My name's Charles."
My cheeks heated and my heart rate increased dramatically. He lifted my hand and brought it to his lips to my hand, to which I received his kiss, and then smiled softly. I gulped the lump in my throat and tried to muster up a smile. I hadn't experienced this feeling in months.
He was wearing what seemed to be business attire. With dress pants and a colorful shirt that matched the weather, and also complimented his skin that resembled warm cinnamon. I liked his eyes the most. They brightened when he gazed at me and it made me felt like I was the one and only vision in front of his eyes.
"Well, thank you, Charles. I'm Lee," I said, turning my head quickly to check on the twins.
"May I sit here?" He gestured to the bench and I nodded quickly to him. "Those your sisters? Cousins perhaps?"
"Yes, those are my twin sisters."
He laughed and turned his me. "Whew! I was glad because if those were your daughters I would have been out of luck, pretty lady."
I giggled softly, trying not to seem swooned. "No, nothing to worry about. Why are you here though? I don't see any kids in sight," I said.
"Just taking a walk. Trying to get out to see nature and clean air. The kids are happy and the weather isn't too bad under the shade," he replied. "Something must've led me here to see you though. Boy, I'm glad it did."
"You're too kind, honestly. You're just trying to butter me up."
"By your actions, I'm guessing someone isn't telling you how beautiful you are everyday. Am I right?" He asked with a smirking expression.
I rubbed my hands over my dress in nervousness. "Oh um—"
"Paislee!"
I turned my head abruptly to the twins who were now sitting on the mulch of the playground. Penny carefully hugged Pamela and wiped her face as best as she could. Standing and jogging over to them, I frowned at the cut that adorned Pamela's arm. I bent down , inspecting her all over before returning to look at her face.
"What happened, Penny?" I asked.
"She tried to swing on the money bars but she missed and slipped. She fell on the ground and that cut her real bad," Penny explained, still holding onto Pamela tightly.
"Well it looks like the day at the park is over now. That cut looks a little deep. C'mon let's get Pammy home and cleaned up," I said.
When I had safely got the twins to walk back to where my purse was sitting on the bench, there was Charles still there. He stood and frowned at the twins and I.
"Well is everything alright?" Charles asked.
"Yeah, just a little mishap, but what's new?" I said.
I started to grab my purse from off the bench grabbed both of the twins' hands to get ready and head home for the day. I turned to Charles to wish the man a farewell but he surprisingly beat me to it.
"Hey, I know a drugstore just down the block here that you could get some stuff for to clean her cut with. It'll be easier—" he started.
"No, it's fine. Really," I interrupted.
"Yeah but after you get her cleaned up, I could get this sweet girl some ice cream since for one, it's hot outside and two, it would make her feel a lot better, right?"
"Oh, sissy!" The twins begged. Pamela looked up hopefully and I sighed, nodding slowly.
"Fine, let's just get to that drugstore quickly because she seems to be in a little bit of pain," I said.
And so after we had walked, all together I may add, to the drugstore and then to the ice cream parlor that was conveniently down the street, we hopped a squat outside. The sun now beamed on us mercilessly and the twins' quickly ate their liquefying ice cream.
"Girls say thank you to Mr. Charles, please," I said.
"Thank you," they cooed.
They started talking as they went into their own world of conversation. Charles and I rested quietly, partly because I was nervous to say anything. When he wasn't looking, I cut my eyes to him.
"I would assume you don't have all day," Charles started, looking at me for confirmation of his statement. I nodded. "So I'll make this quick really. I believe that you are gorgeous and from the time we have spent together today, I also believe that something inside of you is wonderful. Basically, my point is, I would love to take you out tonight. Maybe out dancing or for drinking, I don't know. It's your choice, so yes or no?"
I hesitated and I hoped it didn't show on my face. It wasn't like I hadn't been asked on a date before but every time the anxiety is the same. Charles waited patiently for me to answer, giving a teasing smile.
"Sure."
° ° °
"Lee!"
I looked ahead to where Charles was waving his arms at me. Just down the sidewalk and I couldn't see him well due to some typical summer showers. The rain fell down a bit harshly giving off a mellow sound. With my umbrella over my head, I made my way to Charles as he did the same to me.
"Hi," I breathed out, biting my lip to keep from grinning.
"Hello, beautiful," Charles responded. "Rainy night huh?"
"Yeah, most definitely. I don't mind though because it's refreshing."
He nodded and just as sly as could be, he wrapped his arms around my waist to pull me under his umbrella. I closed my own and shyly stood in close proximity with Charles and his lovely scent of a cologne. His arm was still tickling the small of my back when we eventually decided to start walking.
The walk started off only being filled up with small talk because I was still too nervous around him. Being intimately close with someone wasn't really my thing but I survived mildly.
"I love your dress by the way. It brings just a little brightness out tonight," Charles stated, glancing down at me for seconds.
I looked down and felt the light blue-colored material between my fingers. I frowned before I returned to meet Charles' eyes. I didn't want him to see the look of distaste.
"Thank you," I said softly. "You look nice as well."
"Well we are most certainly here, my lady. This is one of my favorite places to go when there's an occasion," Charles said excitedly.
He opened the door for me and we both walked into a restaurant that I knew I didn't belong in. It was so fancy—too fancy for me—that I had to wonder how much money did Charles possess along with the people around him. Pushing those thoughts aside, I continued to follow behind Charles as he lead me to the bar.
"I figured we could get some drinks and then head over to our table."
"Oh that's fine with me," I said.
The bartender boy came out way asking for orders, to which I simply asked for a sparkling water while Charles ordered a Side Car.
His right hand reached into his pocket to pull out his I.D and rested it on the bar counter. Simply, with nothing to look at, I glanced at his card just to maybe giggle of what his picture looked like or tease him a bit. But when I ended up looking at his card, it wasn't the picture that frightened me, but the fact that Charles was six years older than me. I had recently turned twenty-one and he could possibly be on his way to twenty-eight. I stopped myself from that idea, as if it made anything better, and said that the man was twenty-seven and only six years older.
"Not much a drinker, huh?" Charles asked.
"Oh, um no I'm not." I debated on telling him my age. "I. . . I just turned twenty-one."
"Is that so? You're still pretty young, honey. I'm something of six years ahead of you, but don't worry. I can see that look on your face, babydoll."
"What look?" I asked, trying to fix my face.
Charles grabbed his drink that was sat in front of us earlier and stood from the barstool. "You tell me, Lee. This is a date after all."
He helped me down from my seat and I took a sip of my sparkling water. "Nothing, nothing. It's just something new."
I zipped my mouth shut and let Charles guide me to our table. We sat down and there wasn't any talking still. Just me peering at the menu in order to shield my face and sipping on water to cool my heated face.
"You should stop hiding that face so much, honey. It's like I can see through that menu and there's no hiding," Charles said. I lowered it slowly and revealed my face to him without making eye contact. "You're a shy thing aren't you? Innocent too?"
"I guess you'd have to be around me enough to know truly."
"So is that an invitation? I would like to."
"I guess." I shrugged with an innocent smile on my lips.
"You guess? C'mon, I like affirmative answers so I know what I'm dealing with. Leave me little to imagine and not just half answers to please me. We've talked before and I plan to get to know you better by the end of the night. So I say it's an invitation to be around you more, what do you say?"
I tried my best not to be passive but when an authoritative voice like Charles' spoke it made me clam up and want to say 'I guess' all over again. His Yes didn't waver, he was so confident in his dominance and I was the opposite.
"Yes," I said quietly.
"Hm?" Charles hummed teasingly. I could see him flag down a waiter from behind me.
"Yes, I would like that."
When the waiter arrived to our table a breath of tension was released. Charles made me nervous in a good way. The kind where you don't exactly know how the person squeezed their way under your skin and now your just stuck being submissive.
Throughout the course of dinner, Charles just made himself look more and more amazing than he had already proved. He was a hard worker but he took time for his family, and he was definitely a sweet-talker.
"Well, are you ready to head out?" Charles asked.
"Sure. The food was really good so thank you."
"You are most welcome." He leaned down to fix the laces of his shoes when he asked, "Could you check my coat pocket for my wallet? I think something fell."
"I gotcha'."
Reaching inside his wallet, my fingertips felt the leather of his wallet and also something that was cool to touch. Like metal almost. Soon enough I realized I was touching a ring and when I pulled my hand from the coat pocket, I saw what looked like a wedding band. It was a plain band, gold, shiny, and screaming to me 'marriage.' I dropped the ring on the table just as Charles was straightening up.
"A wedding band? Oh my goodness," I said, letting out an exasperated breath. I started to gather myself, reaching for my clutch that was in my lap and standing. "Actually disgusting."
"Lee! No, please don't leave," Charles pleaded.
"You are married! What else is there to say? You take me on a date when you know that you have a wife waiting for you at home. What kind of pig does that?"
My eyes developed a sheer coat of tears from anger and exhaust. I had tried seeing other men and tried to get over a dead guy that I dated in high school, and just as I get to the point where I don't think of him in every dream of mine, this happens. Using me with the intent of warming his bed tonight and coming to me whenever his wife does the slightest thing to not please him.
"I just. . . I just wanted you. You're young and beautiful—"
"No, it doesn't work like that. Go home to you wife or better yet be truthful with her." I rolled my eyes and walked out of the restaurant that seemed to be watching Charles and I. "I'm so stupid! I should've just left when I knew he was six years older than me. Why wouldn't he be married at twenty-seven? That was so stupid."
I kept speed-walking as rain poured above my head and onto the umbrella that protected me. Simply fuming about the turn that the night had took and how angry I was at myself. It always ended up this way. I didn't understand what made Charles so special that I thought that giving him a chance was a good option. When in the back of my head I knew the reason why.
I was busy filling a void with countless men that had forced my hand in a relationship they knew wasn't going to stay afloat.
And I let them because just like in those sixty minutes with Charles, the pleasure was so much better than the rejection.
—
Hello my loves, how do you all think of this chapter? How do you feel about Charles and Paislee situation? How Paislee handled it?
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Happy reading,
~Rc xoxo🦋