Use your love

“It’s me. Josie’s on vacation… far away. Come around and talk it over,” Mike muttered into the phone as he looked around the place. No, it wasn’t clean, but good enough for Vanessa.

“You know I like my girls a little bit older. I just wanna use your love tonight,” he said gruffly. In a softer tone he added, “I don’t wanna lose your love tonight.”

There were so many things he wanted to say, but he left it at that. She’d understand. She got him as no one else could, not even Josie.

He hung up and tossed the phone onto the unmade bed. He walked into the living room running his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. What the hell was that about? In his mind it didn’t make sense. Sure, he shouldn’t be doing this, but Josie would never know. She hadn’t known about the other couple of hundred times. Besides, they weren’t even married. This didn’t even count.

He heard the car door and nearly tripped in his rush to the front door. Yanking it open, he watching her talking to his neighbor, Mr. Dretcher, who was forever pruning his roses, even now with the sun setting. Mike wished she wouldn’t do that. He always got nasty looks from the old geezer and he suspected why. He didn’t approve of Mike’s shenanigans.

“I ain’t got many friends left to talk to. They be dropping like flies,” Mr. Dretcher said. “No one’s around when I’m in trouble.”

“Well, I’m your friend. Just call me anytime, okay?” Vanessa said, her lyrical, lilting voice carrying to the door.

“You be a sweet lass,” he said smiling. He caught sight of Mike at the door and frowned. “Go on, Nessie. He be waiting on ya…deserve better, you do,” he mumbled and turned back to his flowers.

She approached Mike slowly. Too slowly, Mike thought. He could barely contain himself. He wanted her bad.

“Hey,” she said.

He pulled her inside and kissed her roughly. “It’s been a while since we’ve been all alone,” he muttered, kissing her neck. “You know I’ll do anything for you.”

“Stay the night?” she asked needlessly. She knew the routine.

“Yeah, but don’t forget what I told ya.”

“Keep it under cover?” she said.

“Yeah,” he said, now pulling her shirt off her shoulders.

“No,” she said quietly.

“What?” he asked.

“I can’t hide the way I’m feeling and neither can you,” she replied.

“What?” he repeated.

“I want you all to myself.”

“Can’t happen.”

“Could if you cared to,” she countered. “You said you don’t wanna lose my love.”

“I…you heard wrong.”

“You’re lying.”

“You’re lying to yourself,” he snapped.

“Why, Mike? Why can’t you....” she pleaded.

“Find another shoulder to cry on,” he snarled, pushing her away.

“I know you love me,” she said.

“Just cuz you’re right…. doesn’t mean I’m wrong,” he replied turning his back on her.

“Then this goodbye is forever,” she said, quietly.

Her words pierced his heart, but he feigned indifference. “As you leave me, please, could you close the door?”

“When you die, Mike, they’ll do an autopsy and find dust where your heart ought to be.”

He clenched his fists, waiting. He punched the wall only after the door slammed.

THE WING GIRL

It was becoming painfully obvious to Nicole that she had been going to the wrong places all these years when she was looking for her Prince Charming. She had been sitting at her table for barely thirty minutes and she had already amassed six offers from decent-looking guys, three for drinks, two for dancing and one for something she would just as well not think about, thank you ever so much. Unfortunately for her she was in a relationship at present with Ralph.
Ralph was a seriously lackluster guy who made it quite clear to Nicole that it was not going to be exclusive, that he was going to do as he pleased and that she just better keep her trap shut about anything she didn’t like because he didn’t want to hear it. Yes, Nicole realized dejectedly, Ralph was a selfish, crass, inconsiderate and obnoxious boyfriend, but a boyfriend none the less and she didn’t really think she could do better. Of course, she was starting to rethink her position as she saw another guy approaching her.
“Oh, here comes lucky number seven now.” she mumbled to herself.
“Hello. I don’t remember seeing ....read more

Teenage Angst

"Oh, dear Lord, please just let me make it through the day" was the first thought that registered in Becky's head as she awoke two minutes before the alarm was set to go off on her first terrifying day of high school. She was a nervous wreck having not slept much. She tossed and turned half the night worrying about everything from would her hair look all right to will she be able to find her classes on time.

At least Jillian had helped her pick out a decent outfit which Becky was completely clueless about. What would she do without her very best friend and constant link to reality? Perhaps her only link to reality, really, if you knew her mother. Becky's mother was a high-powered editor for some fancy design magazine and to hear her talk you'd think that was all there was in life. She was already shoving Princeton and Harvard brochures under Becky's nose to "get her ready for the real world" which, of course, meant following in her very spiky shoe footsteps. As if Becky wanted to be a neurotic, narcissistic, anorexic Prima Donna. Not that Becky had any better ideas but her mother's life was so not for her.

Grateful that her mother had already gone to work, she dressed and headed for the kitchen. Becky was barely allowed in there. Her mother was constantly shooing her away for fear she might eat more than a run-way model. She was thrilled after dinner last night when Becky pushed back her plate with only half the tofu concoction eaten. Little did she know....read more

DETENTION.

It just could not be helped. It was handed to him as if on a silver platter and he could not easily pass up such an opportunity. Of course, it did land him in detention but then, Randy knew it would before he even did it. He was forever in detention, so much so that the friendly secretary at the main office added "Detention" as an extra subject at the bottom of his schedule before handing it to him with a sly wink on the first day of school.

Everyone simply loved Randy. That is, until they were unfortunate enough to get him in their class. Randy, a tall, handsome boy with a perpetual twinkle in the eyes and mischievous grin, had the uncanny knack of showing a teacher how very UN-smart they could be. PH D's were irrelevant when they made the mistake of thinking they could match wits with this boy only to fail miserably much to the amusement of the other students. The teachers' only recourse was detention for such things as 'sassing the teacher','causing classroom disturbance' or the classic standby 'he ticked me off!' .

Much to the dismay of his teachers, detention had no effect on Randy. He was an excellent .... ....read more