HER GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT

Chapter 6: Self-control is an illusion

"Beb you want some juice", Anita asked coming in the living room.

James was seated on the coach watching Netflix. True to his word they had moved back close to their families. She was dressed in a jeans booty short showing off her thighs with a baggy T-shirt. No bra her n*****s were rubbing the thin fabric of the T-shirt threatening to poke two tiny holes on it. She was naturally beautiful. The man of God was justified to get sucked up in her beauty.

"Yeah", He said his eyes glued on his phone.

She noticed the TV was just a decoy. He was so engaged on his phone than the TV. She brought him a glass of mango juice placed it on the small table and sat on his lap. James quickly flipped his phone and faked a smile Plastered a soft kiss on her lips. The phone was ticking bomb. One glance through it and smiles could have turned into tears.

"What can I do without you", He said playing with her lustrous hair.

"Nothing", she said smiling. Her arms entangled around his neck.

"Fair enough, are you done with laundry I was hoping you could join me for a movie", He suggested poking her breasts.

He had a sweet tongue that could make a sensible bargain for a very bad idea. James could talk himself out of any situation. The guy could have escaped Egypt way before Moses arrived and without breaking a sweat-just talking.

"Almost done babe", she said her soft cold arms massaging his chest.

"Okay finish up, we grab a movie later go for a walk in the evening"

"Sounds better", she said happily walking away.

James s*****d her ass biting his lower lip. She turned around to look at him feigning anger that melted into one big smile. Her banana shaped lips separated presenting an army of milky white teeth. It made his knees weak. It questioned his choices. Why was he even cheating when he had a little heaven at his disposal? Why couldn't he make her happy at all times? He was to blame. As she walked back to the laundry room James let the guilt sink in a bit. He imagined someone else treating his sister the same way. Beating her up and then apologizing later so that she stayed. He didn't feel any guilt. His relationship with siblings was not that good since they were young. The only boy among two sisters he grew up seeing a lot of "injustice". His sisters were protected but he had to handle his woes "like a man". Apparently his parents had come up with an assumption that he didn't need much attention like his sisters. They had to interrupt him playing video games in his room to take them outside. While he had to go on his own because he was a man that's what men were supposed to do. He had to work twice as hard to get what they had. It was a long time then perhaps he was just being petty but the "Injustice" had demoralized him creating a rift between them that no amount of words could fill. And he was channeling the same anger to his girlfriend.

Anita was a troubled woman. She knew James was up to something. The flipping the phone thing joining him for a movie and evening walk were mitigation measures for something already in action. Was he cheating already? They had just moved back and they were settling in. If he was indeed cheating she had a hunch it must have been his friend Linda whom they grew up together. Something was always not right when the two were together. But they had not met. At least not in person. Still technology had turned the world into a small village. Thinking about it was not helping. On the bright side he was showing signs of romance. Anita had trained herself to always take the win no matter how small it was. She was not going to get consumed by darkness that her eyes couldn't see the light. The problem was, not thinking about it was as hard as thinking about it. Our brains never give a rats ass about lulls when we’re troubled .She stopped washing and walked stealthily to eavesdrop on him. Self-control is an illusion. It only exists in our head but the reality is way different. Paranoia is a sign of true love. James was there smiling on his phone like a mentally challenged person. And if you ask me he was. A handsome one. Her heart sank. It took him a minute to sense he was being watched.

"Beb!” He called out he was into tachycardia, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Just a minute or two tops", she said walking towards him.

"Don't be sneaking on me like that you scare the s**t out of me"

"Were you doing something out of the ordinary coz if you were not there's no point of being scared", She said.

She was right. She was always right but he was smart. There was no need of lying she needed some tangible evidence that she was right he was up to something. Women love to be right. That's why they'd go through a man's phone looking for some dirt and still get suspicious when they don't find any. And he was good at leaving dirt with less harm.

"Am sorry I was texting Linda she heard am in town..."

"She wants to see you", Anita said collapsing in the coach next to him.

"Yeah but I said no trust me babe ... You can even see it for yourself", He offered passing over his phone.

"No need I trust you", She responded affirmatively.

"Let me help with the laundry I can take the clothes out to dry on the clothe line", James offered getting up.

"You don’t have to", she said leading the way.

“Come on I want to’, James begged.

”Fine!”

*******

His head felt heavy from partying all night at his father's pent house. Nick had a hangover usual Saturdays. Lying between two strippers his friend Dave ordered from club chill. A big king sized bed, walls painted grey with a beautiful chandelier in the middle. Large windows letting in the cold morning breeze and yellowish tinge of the golden sun. Tiled floor with a 72 inch Samsung TV hanging on the wall right in front of him. His phone was on the bedside table with his wallet and car keys. He stretched to wake up the girl on his right before picking up his phone.

"Wake your ass up and your friend’s time to go", He ordered.

"Arrgh! One more minute", She groaned covering her head with the soft purple duvet.

He ignored them and scrolled through his phone. There were ten missed calls from Tania.

"Jesus f*****g Christ!" He cursed.

"What?" The girl on his left inquired without moving.

"Doesn't concern you b**ch enjoy your sleep" He said jumping off the bed bare chested in shorts.

Nick's masculine physique was something worth admiration. Medium height not too fat not too thin. A deep dominating voice dark skin and an authoritative walking style. He knocked on Dave's room. They needed a plan to take care of Tania. The brains were still sleeping. Dave opened on the third knock.

"Dude what's up?" He asked rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"She called ten times man, ten fuckin times!" He said pacing up and down.

"Relax we will figure something out", He promised

"We better do man, time to send this b**ches on their way my dad gon be here any time" He said walking away.

Dave made a thumbs up sign and shut the door with a bang. He was Nick's wingman and a bar tender in one of the bars nicks dad owned. One could have mistaken him for a lap dog who danced to his tunes. In return, Dave got to enjoy free liquor and drive his car around. He also acted as a therapist and legal advisor because unlike nick he was a bit educated up to college but he was sent off for assaulting a female lecturer. No one wanted to believe that he was innocent. Not even his family having a long history of harassing girls and women including his own sisters and their friends. So instead of fighting he chose to be useless. The lecturer insisted on not pressing any charges. She told the media.

"At my age I didn't know am still attractive. I should have known better than to tempt my own student. Expulsion from school is enough punishment for the young man. Once again am sorry it had to turn out this way"

Dave remembered sending a bottle of beer through the poor TV. Guards apprehend him that moment. He begged for his life claimed he had anger issues and stress but no one wanted to listen. They swarmed on him beat him until blacked out. When he came round he was lying in a smelling trench. It changed his life for the better. The beating made him realize he was weak. Preying on women might have gave him strong feeling which led to disrespect. But he had not met his match-fellow beasts on two legs. In the next several weeks he lived like a rat on the streets even his family disowned him until he met Nick when he offered to wash his car in exchange for a meal and some few coins. Till then Dave never understood what Nick saw in him when everyone else including himself was seeing a monster. Nick offered him a job in one of his father's night clubs. He even paid his rent five months upfront. With the second shot at life as bar tender Dave got to listen to many people. Drunkards miraculously trusted him with their stories probably under the influence of intoxication. One thing he had learnt was gender issues were slowly sucking morals and progress from the society. And for the first time Dave told his side of the story-to nick only.

*****Flashback****

That was the worst semester he had ever attended in school. He felt like the ground under his feet was sinking. The exam results were out and he had failed terribly. He needed money to retake the two papers. When he called home his dad was infuriated. According to him he didn't give birth to a fool. The only money he had was for his three sisters and last born brother. Dave was in a dilemma and at his lowest moment an opportunity presented itself. The lecturer was offering to pay for his retake. She was not that old. He could tell she was past menopause but still admirable. They began getting close to one another intimately. He opened up to her about his woes at home and she was there for him. Until she told him to stop seeing his girlfriend. That's when things started getting out of hand. To Dave Mrs. McAllen was like a mother and mentor but she had no business in his relationships. Poor Dave did not read between the lines instead he grew a couple of balls and said it to her face. After all he was not afraid of any woman. She apologized they were cool for a couple of weeks when one fateful evening she called him to her office to help her out with a computer that was jammed. Struggling to make it up to her Dave ran to the office. He found her half-naked in her bra and undies. Seated on the mahogany table looking sexy as a devil with a leather whip.

"Mrs. McAllen what is this?" Dave asked his eyes wide open.

His heartbeat was increased tenth fold. A giant who was used to diminishing women could not face it. A wide open gate to Pleasure Island no strings attached. All he needed to do was bolt the door and get his junk out. Mount on her and make her scream, curse and slap her like a lunatic. It was easy with his girlfriend whom he had trained or rather forced into rough s*x. Chocking and slapping, whipping and knocking off the bed. Sometimes it felt more of fighting than s*x.

"What does it look like to you Dave?"

"Wrong. This is so wrong I mean you're like a mom to me I respect you" Dave complained backing no the wall.