Coming Back Home

JUST A SIDE CHICK

"Hey. Hey, baby, wake up." The 6'2" man shakes the sleeping dinosaur beside him. His head is foggy and messy and the events of last night were blurry but he knew it was long. Very long.

Charlie moans as she rolls herself awake. Her eyes stay shut for some seconds but almost immediately, she opens them and grins sluggishly, "Hey, Marrie, "

'Marrie' cringes and shoots Charlie a playful glare to which the latter giggles and leans upward to place a chaste kiss on his lips. Mario Denison moves his head so fast to avert the kiss.

"Morning breath." He simply states.

Charlie nods and places a peck on his cheek instead. She jumps from the bed to the floor which was probably a bad idea because she came tumbling face-first to the floor.

"Ow. You definitely tore me a new one, Mario."

A smirk appears on Mario's face at the power boost to his ego and... Down there. He moves from the nightstand to help Charlie up to her feet. She limps to the en-suite bathroom that was just beside the huge walk-in closet.

A loud gasp echoes from the bathroom, "Oh my God! Baby, it's snowing!"

Charlie attempts to run out but when she feels a stab of pain down below, she chooses not to and decides to gush from the bathroom instead.

While waiting for the bathtub to get full, the 23-year old replays last night in her memory. Last night was like a walk on clouds for her. It was like getting lost in nirvana with a particular chocolate-skinned demigod.

Her fingers graze against her neck that is splattered with loads of hickies. Different sizes. Different locations. If her mind couldn't, her body could recall how Mario gripped her shoulders and attacked her neck while he pistons deep insi-

"The tub is full babe, " Mario's raspy voice says from where he was leaning against the door frame.

Charlie's cheeks dusted red and she flashes him a small yet seductive smile.

"It's also big enough for two people." She suggests and turns back to wiggle her ass as she walks to the tub.

Mario grunts and shakes his head, "If you don't want to wake up in the hospital with a torn ass, I suggest you take your bath right now so we can go eat."

Charlie giggles as he walks away. Her boyfriend is so sweet and sexy.

She settles in the tub, not bothering to put her pull her ginger shoulder-length hair into a bun.

She lets out a satisfied sigh when the lukewarm water engulfs her. After soaking in for some minutes, she pours her coconut scented shampoo and begins to wash.

Grooming and doing the needful took her twenty-five minutes and finally, she meets Mario in the living room.

"Sexy." Mario winks at her while tucking his phone into his back pocket.

Charlie leans up and places a kiss on his cheek and Mario tries to hide his grimace.

"Let's go, babe." They both walk towards the car.

Throughout the ride, Mario's phone keeps going off and this doesn't go unnoticed by Charlie. She chooses to ignore it and continues to look out the tinted window.

A loud ding resounds in the car and Charlie groans.

"Baby, office?"

"Huh?" Mario glances at her, "Oh? Yes... Yeah, Dora has been blowing up my phone cos I haven't been to work in like, a week."

"I thought you told her you're on partial leave, " Charlie raises a brow.

Mario grunts as he pulls into the driveway of the restaurant.

Charlie eyes Mario as she alights from the car. She watches as Mario's phone rings out again and he sputters a round of curses.

He's probably stressed, she thinks.

They both walk into the restaurant and place their order immediately. They eat and dabble in small talk before finally leaving.

"Babe, go on ahead, let me check the car real quick 'cos I see the way that valet be checking out my baby." He pats his white Camaro with a smirk.

"Sure. Don't waste time!"

Charlie runs up the patio and starts pulling off her four-inch stiletto. She intends today to be a whole day of fuckery and cuddles, even if she knows the last part is close to impossible because she knows how Mario detests cuddling.

She couldn't wait to reveal the purple lace thong that she had underneath the burgundy knee-length gown she had on.

A giddy smile appears on her face when she pictures the look Mario will have on when she flashes him.

"Marrie, what's that shit you be talking about not coming straight home? Is she he-" the voice trails off when her eyes land on Charlie.

"Um..." Charlie raises a brow. Did Mario employ a cook? Cleaner, maybe?

From what she said, she is no cook.

"How'd you get in my house?" Charlie asks as she moves closer to the door. Safety precautions! She might be a crazed fangirl.

The lady scoffs and places her right hand on her hip, "Your house? Bitch, this my husband's house! Where Mario at?"

Charlie does a double-take as she stares at the lady from head to toe.

The woman standing in front of her was a beautiful black woman. Her hair was pitch black and it curled right at the end and fell below her D-cup breasts.

Her eyes were dark brown and it held scorn deep in them.

What was more piercing was what she was wearing. The army camouflage screamed respect and glory.

A woman in uniform.

"Hey, babe! You left the front door open!" Mario turns back to jam the door behind him, when he looks forward, he gasps.

"Jasmine! You're home? I thought I told your ass I'm gonna pick you from the airport?" Mario engulfs this woman-Jasmine-in a tight and long hug.

Charlie suddenly felt uncomfortable. She felt as if she was the one intruding them and not the other way round.

When the hug was stretching to two minutes, Charlie clears her throat and adjusts the shoulder strap of her gown.

"Um... Mario? Who's this? Is this your sister?"

Jasmine huffs and drops the heavy duffle bag on the couch. Mario places a hand on the small of Jasmine's back and faces Charlie...

"Charlie, this is Jasmine, my wife." He smiled down at Jasmine, "The one I told you about that got recruited into the army, "

Mario lost Charlie at "my wife".

The ginger-head was stiff as aboard. Her shoulders tensed up and her mind went blank.

What does Mario mean by My wife? Is this a prank? When is Deedah going to pop out from behind the couch and yell 'surprise bitch!'?

Mario's lips smacking Jasmine's cheek pulls her out of her reverie. Those lips were eating her honeycomb four hours ago. Those lips were caressing her back and whispering sweet nothings to her...

Those lips, now, were on another woman.

"Wha...what? Is this a joke?" Charlie shakily let out. Her dress was suddenly tight on her. She felt choked up and squeezed by the garrote of betrayal.

"Look, white girl, my man and I are in an open relationship. I swear I told Mario to tell you but I guess he forgot, " Jasmine shrugs, "I'm back now." She didn't expect it to come out demeaning, but it did.

Charlie didn't know when she moved, but she did. She takes two steps backward while wrapping her hand around the neckline of her dress like she's about to rip it off.

She desperately didn't want to believe it. She didn't think Mario would live up to the Black stereotype. At all. But the proof is standing right in front of her.

She lets out a shaky breath, "I... I'll go pack my thin...things, " She shakes her head and runs upstairs.

It is there that she let out the loudest scream she could muster. She pours out her anger and feeling of betrayal in just one scream.

Mario walks into their room, well it isn't their room anymore.

It didn't sit well with Charlie knowing that they had sex on Jasmine's matrimonial bed.

Bile rose her throat but she forces it down immediately.

She begins to pack up her bags. She didn't want to spend another minute in this house anymore.

"Baby I'm sorry... I thought you knew, "

Charlie scoffs, the urge to slap the man standing in front of her with a porcupine is more overbearing by the growing seconds.

"You thought I knew?" Through the silent tears she let out something between a sob and a chuckle, "You thought I knew I was the side piece?"

"Bab-"

She raises her hand to shut him up. "So, " she sniffs, "Your wife, huh?"

Mario nods and places both hands behind him, "Yeah man, 5 years now."

Charlie nods and zips up the last bag.

"It was nice meeting you, Mario. Jasmine." She nods at the woman leaning on the door frame with a cup of hot cocoa in her grip.

"I can drop you off..." Mario trails off.

She gives them a watery smile, "It's okay Mario, stay with your wife."

With that, she walks out, leaving her woman dignity and heart behind.

BEST FRIEND LIKE DEEDAH

"I'm not buying any sweets honey!" Deedah McKenna yells from her kitchen. Those kids are at it again. Deedah always warns them not to stop at her apartment door with a bucket of expired sweets and awfully packaged chocolates. It isn't a surprise that the kids make the chocolates themselves.

The person knocks again and Deedah groans before stomping to the door and yanking it open.

"LOOK- Charlie? What are you-" She finally notices Charlie's swollen red eyes, "Oh, hell no!" She immediately pulls her best friend into her bachelorette apparent. It was actually ironic how Deedah owns a bachelorette apartment when she's two years into her marriage.

Black women's independence can not be measured.

"I'm fine Dee, " The thirteenth lie Charlie has muttered this month.

If she is anything right now it's definitely not fine. Angry, yes. But not fine.

"Bitch, Imma slap the truth outta you, " Deedah snaps as she pulls her best friend into a tight hug.

This gesture seems to unlock her dam and streaks of tears fell at a fast rate. Disoriented sobs escapes her as she clutches the purple blouse that her best friend had on.

Deedah's stomach is fluffy and soft under Charlie's cheek. It is unlike Mario's hard rock abs that flexed wantonly under her thighs or torso.

Charlie shakes her head as the wails pour louder. She feels so helpless and used. She knows this wouldn't have hurt much if she'd just followed Dee's advice to ditch Mario a long time ago. Charlie just took it as one of Dee's bluff. It's Deedah. She doesn't like any man for her Char-poo.

Deedah grimaces as she pats her girlfriend on her back. She's seated on her expensive leather couch while Charlie laid sprawled on the floor with her head on the former's lap.

"It's okay, baby. Mario is a dead asshole, I know." Dee coos at her best friend.

Deedah already knows this would happen. Honestly, she expected this more sooner than later. She'd known the moment she set her feet in that restaurant that Mario was a slimy womanizer.

It was the first month Charlie had met Mario and the former had invited Dee for the usual break-my-best-friend's-heart-and-I'll-skin-your-balls talk. Dee immediately noticed how Mario's eyes sampled the tacky waitress' boobs as she served them their tequila.

Even with that, word has been going round that Mario's been dealing with some mafia shit.

Deedah doesn't even know whether to feel sad or happy that she left that dog in the expense of her happiness.

Charlie's sobs has now mellowed down to soft sniffles and occasional whines. Her head aches and her throat feels sore and scratchy.

She raises her head from Dee's lap-which was now numb-and her eyes catch a wink of the customized wall clock beside the mini bar, 3:15pm.

Her schedule has totally been scattered. This almost brings tears back to her eyes but she wills herself not to let them drop. She can't possibly waste her tears on just Mario.

She has to reserve some for next time and other heartbreaks.

"Char, you okay now?"

Charlie winces as she sits beside Dee. She nods and leans her head on the head of the couch.

"Good, 'cos I've been waiting for you to finish crying so we can discuss what position we're gonna bury his fucking body!"

Charlie chuckles. She raises her head and sits straight, "We're not going to kill or bury Mario, Dee."

"Who you be fronting for?" Dee gives her a nasty look, "I know deep down you wanna freeze his balls and peel off his skin from his skeleton, "

"No. No. Deedah, we're not doing any of that. I just want to sleep, I'm so tired."

"You can sleep..." Charlie gives an appreciative nod, "...after we plan Mario's death."

Charlie groans. Her eye-roll follows suit. She stands up and walks to the wide modern kitchen where she pours herself a cup of apple juice. She would have drank it directly from the jug but she knows how nasty Dee thinks that is and she is in no mood for annoying anyone.

Knowing she won't get out of this, Charlie decides to feed into Dee's crazy fantasy, "Okay, what do you have in mind?"

Deedah whoops as she flies off the couch. She runs and perches herself on the kitchen counter so that she's leaning directly opposite Charlie.

"Ha! Okay, first..." Deedah puts on a serious face.

"Acid, " she says later on.

This has apple juice spraying out of Charlie's mouth back into the cup and on the counter.

"Acid? Are you insane?!"

"What? It's just acid, " Dee rolls her eyes dramatically, "Okay, what about injecting nitric acid into his nasty asshole? That shit's gonna hit good."

Charlie looks at her best friend in bewilderment. She's been living with a potential psycho for the better part of her life.

"Oh? Not good? Okay, how about mixing itching powder and weed with his cereal and dumping his body in front of the White House, I'm sure paparazzi would wanna see nasty shit like that."

"How are you even going to get to the White House?"

"I know a guy."

Charlie shakes her head with a shadow smile. Deedah made her temporarily forget at Mario for sometime; more reason why Charlie can't trade Dee for anything in the whole world.

Deedah stares at her best friend, "Baby, come here, " she opens her arms wide enough for Charlie to come barrelling in.

"Do you know what you need now?"

"A bag of sour patch kids?"

"Nah! Whatcha need now, girlfriend, is a 14-inch rod deep-dicking you to hell and back!" Deedah replies with a smug smile.

You'd think being best friends with Deedah for five years would make Charlie get used to Deedah's filter-or lack of.

Charlie gasps before she slaps Dee's arm. "Dee, you can't be saying vulgar words like that... Sambi is in the room, " she points at the black tabby cat that lounged lazily on the cat bed along the foyer.

Deedah waves her hand dismissively. She plants a firm kiss on her best friend's forehead before they both settling in her master's bedroom where they cuddled and sulked.

THE MAN OUTSIDE MY DOOR

"Greta, dear? Is that you?" A frail voice queries as Charlie passes by an old looking bungalow.

It's Mama Freya; the 72-year old Canadian woman who lived just beside Char's apartment. The old lady had a case of Alzheimer's disease and mild diabetes.

Charlie smiles sadly, "No, Mama Freya. It's me, Charlie."

Mama Freya pauses in her chair rocking and smiles brightly, "That's what I said!"

Charlie shakes her head with a giggle. She walks over to the shaky woman and kisses her pasty forehead. Shue grins as Mama Freya coos sluggishly at Charlie.

"I think you look beautiful this morning!"

Apart from chicken broth, the only thing that can hit home, for Mama Freya, is compliments. This'll make her gush like a teenager and reminisce on the good ol' days.

Surely, Charlie does not want to sit around and listen to how men wooed Mama Freya or how she poured cat piss into her ex-best friend's birthday cake. But it feels nice to make another person feel nice in the morning. Even if it's an aging woman who might not even remember this conversation.

"I'm gonna go inside now. I have work in a few hours,"

Mama Freya nods and waves her arm dismissively. Charlie smiles and picks her hand bag she'd dropped on the small picnic table beside the old woman.

Charlie had employed a cab to move her belongings-that had been in Mario's house-down to her house from Dee's place. She places her hand on the dark blue bag on her patio. She sighs.

As she was about to turn the doorknob of her door, Mama Freya's frail and scratchy voice yells, "Greta! My dear!"

Not having the strength to keep correcting her, Charlie smiles, "Yes, Mama Freya?"

"A man was standing outside your apartment few hours ago. He is really huge and looks like an assassin!"

A man?

Charlie frowns.

Maybe Mama Freya mistook her house for Nora's; the emo college girl across the street, that throws insanely loud parties in the night and mid-days.

Charlie knows this can't possibly be true. Mama Freya may be an Alzheimer but she's not dumb and Charlie knows this. But it doesn't make sense though!

Charlie isn't the type that men comes to visit. Even, the only man that visits her is Miguel; the Mexican pizza delivery guy that loves to stay back and talk about his 6-year old son.

"Really? What did he look like?"

"He wore black clothes and black boots! His chest is so wide and bulky! It makes me remember my Joe-Joe, that hunky fellow back in the days, always grin-"

"Okay, Mama Freya! I'll be going in now!"

"Go in and rest now, dear." Mama Freya grins as she resumes rocking herself on the chair. She coughs a fit before hitting her chest slowly.

Charlie pushes her door open, "Are you okay, Mama Freya?"

"Yes. Yes. Go in now! Deal with the assassin!"

"Are you sure?"

"Sure about what?"

Yep. She's fine!

Charlie gives a short wave before she walks into her apartment. Mama Freya is just in her head, as always. Still, her eyes scans her living room and walk-in kitchen. You can never be too safe.

After making sure the house is assassin-proof, Charlie begins cleaning.

Two hours of dancing to 'High Hopes by Panic! At the disco'-on repeat-Charlie was able to clean the house to her satisfaction. The microwave no longer have tiny cobwebs connecting it to the kitchen wall, the bathroom now looked like a human being uses it and her closet no longer looked like a lumberjacked lion's mane.

Charlie groans as she falls on her bed, "Ugh! My arms are about to fall off!"

She can feel the water from her hair soaking the cream colored duvet underneath her. This makes her jump off and into her closet where she pulls off her bath robe and change into her bear-themed pyjamas set.

"Hmm," she hums when she finally settles in her bed. She sighs once again.

She reaches to her nightstand to switch off the light but gasps.

It's snowing.

Tiny flakes of children's giddiness and excited giggles falls at a fast rate, resting on Charlie's vegetable bed. An excited smile appears on her face. But as soon as it comes, it goes.

Charlie would have been sleeping beside Mario, though not cuddling, but the presence of another person would've put her mind at rest immediately. Staying with Dee isn't an option even though she loves it. The black woman has a life to live too.

"Mario isn't worth it." Charlie chants when she feels tears prickling her eyes.

Before leaving Dee's place, the black prodigy had pulled Charlie aside and whispered to her: "Whenever you feel like crying because of that slimy dick bag, just remembered that he's not worth it."

She shuts off the switch and the blue night-light illuminates her room. Tiny stars plasters around the walls of her room. She might be 23 but the night-light stays!

As she was in the journey of sleeping, a loud thump resounds around the house. Charlie jerks up immediately while clutching her duvet close to her chin.

'It's just Nora.'

Charlie shakes her head and places it back slowly on her pillow. As she is about to shut her eyes, she hears another thump. This time, louder.

Charlie whimpers and sits up. She wraps her arm around her knee and rocks herself in hysteria.

'Mama Freya was right! There's an assassin in my house! I'm going to die soon!'

She stands from her bed and opens the door slowly. She makes sure she grabs her phone from the dresser on her way out.

She immediately puts the police on speed dial. If she's eventually smothered to death by this assassin, she needs to make sure that her body will be found.

She tiptoes and lets out shaky breaths once in awhile. Another thump makes Charlie jump five feet in the air. It came from the backyard patio... And she is standing few feet away from the patio door.

A gasp of realization escapes her when she sees a silhouette moving outside. It is like the shape of a moving mountain.

Clutching her phone tightly, she moves closer and twists the door slowly.

'Please, don't make the death hurt!'

Yanking the door open, her mouth drops.

Standing outside her backyard patio is an incredibly tall man covered in a heap of snow.

She screams.