The Other Woman

The sun's UV rays beamed down upon us, with all of its glorious heat and cancerous rays. Blue skies filled with cotton like clouds bounced in the air, and there was no humidity. A perfect day, well nearly perfect.

"Did you call and ask why?" she asks annoyingly chewing on her fingernails, which might I add I had paid for.
"Jen, I just fucking treated you to a manicure last week. Stop chewing on your damn nails" I bit.

Sighing she complies and picks up her glass of ice cold lemonade, taking a sip. Today was a beautiful day, the type that you see in cheesy romance novels, ones that you see in the commercials. Rick, Jennifer, and I were currently having lunch at a chic little café in downtown Miami.

The white umbrella attached to the glass table hid the waves of heat that the Miami sun produced. The food was exquisite, I had ordered a grand olive burger with a side of chili cheese fries and lemonade, filling my stomach past the point of saturation. And after Tre's little debacle last night, I was least to say happy. But at least I had my friends with me to rant with on this blessed day.

"Well? Did you?" asks Rick, now finishing up the mouthful of calamari he had previously had in his mouth.
"Did I what?" I ask, pausing with a forkful of fries halfway to my mouth.
"Tre! Did you call him to see why he didn't show up?"
"Nope, and I'm not going to call him ever again, so you can stop aggravating me about it right now".

From the corner of my eyes, I can see them both rolling their eyes at me, it's a shame that I could care less though. Tre was my problem, not theirs. And its not as if we were best buds or in a relationship. I had only met him twice in my entire life, once at a bar in D.C, and the other meeting was here in Miami for lunch as he sped away to a concert he had at the Arena.

"What if his plane crashed or something. Or maybe he got lost, I think you should give him a call" states Jen, wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"Ok" is my simple and blunt reply, apparently they didn't know what the word NO meant. "So anyways, how's work in New York Rick?"
"Pretty good actually, but I miss Miami so much" he whimpers.

Tilting my sunglasses just a bit more above my head, I fix my eyes on a bystander, who is wearing the most ridiculous clothing I have ever seen. Complete with black, skinny, and unbreathably tight leather pants. A bright yellow shirt, with a sunflower on the back, that was so tight I swore the sunflower was begging to peel itself off. And lets not mention the guy's weight, lets just say he wasn't very thin, and that he should stay the hell away from any type of leather. Only in Miami...

"Please wear that outfit" snickers Jen from the table.
"After you" I smirk.
"You guys should see New York nowadays, that's the norm, especially at gay bars and stuff" suggests Rick, shaking his head in disappointment.
"And what exactly are you doing at gay clubs?" asks Jen with a killer smirk playing upon her lips.
"Shut up Jennifer. I'm not gay, I just went to a karaoke bar with a buddy of mine. And he left out a tiny little detail, which was that the club was gay" .
"Chill out Rick. What are you homophobic?"
"Yes Serenity I'm terribly afraid of gay people. I fear them and quiver before their feet" he says with seething sarcasm. "I'm not homophobic you idiots. I just don't like when my friends accuse me of being a fag"
"Well sorrrrrrry" Jen and I say in unison.

After lunch we all decided to head back to our apartment and relax for the remainder of the evening, then tomorrow we would drink ourselves into oblivion before Rick returned home to New York. As usual I hoped and wished that Rick and Jen would hook up or at least acknowledge the fact that they both had feelings for one another, but every time I did it came to no avail. Maybe this time would be different. Or not

That evening just before night, we all decided to chat up with our dealer and dear friend Mark.
"Why are you raising prices?" I gasp. "Is there a new competitor in our building complex?"
He laughs and shakes his dark head. "No, but my rent is due and I'm completely broke. So the prices are just going to be a little higher than usual for this week" he sighs.

I watch as Mark digs into his 'Barney bag' for the necessary items that I had requested. Six thick and potent joints for Jennifer, Rick, and myself to incinerate.
"I had better be reimbursed for this" I grumble underneath the my breath, referring to the money that I was taking out of my OWN pockets to bring happiness to my friends' lives.

"Can't find what you're looking for Mark?" I ask after noticing him rummaging around profusely inside of his large black bag.
"Shit!" he blurts. "I forgot to restock Serenity, I had some rich little kids come to me yesterday, wiped me out clean" he laughs. "I'll be back in like 20 minutes, let me get you some stuff, and the heightened price doesn't apply to you" he smiles.
"Alright I'll be waiting and be careful" I smile and shout back as he retreats downstairs.

Moments later I sit by myself under the dull light of the hallway stretch on the 4th floor, the tiny little bugs flying to their death from the light. I can also make out the red and yellow lights of cars whizzing by the streets like rays of light.

The sunshine state.
I wondered how and why Rick had decided to move away from his two best compadres. I knew his personality; he loved the hustle and bustle life, the never ending and exciting nightlife, the warm sunny days and breezes. But he also was a very accomplishing and determined fellow, and Miami didn't really offer the type of work ethic that he craved for.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" asks Rick interrupting me from my previous thoughts.
"Mark had to restock for a few minutes, but he'll be back. And if you must know, I was just thinking about you"

He seats himself beside me on the warm stony step, and begins poking me in the head as he always used to do to Jen and I.
"And what thoughts did you get from thinking of me?" he smiles with conceit.
"Actually I was asking myself why you left Miami to go to New York, but I couldn't come up with any exemplary ideas"

He sighs for a minute and silence consumes us. I feel his arm wrap around my shoulder, squeezing me into a friendly short hug.
"You miss me that much huh? Is Jennifer really that bad?"
"No, you jackass" I respond trying to desperately suppress a laugh. "Its just that I miss us all being together and hanging out, arguing and stuff"
"Yeah, me too. And I wouldn't mind meeting your punk rock boyfriend"
"He is not my boyfriend. He's BARELY a friend, just an acquaintance" I assure him.

"Sure" he mumbles playfully. "But really, I do miss you guys, it gets lonely, but you know that my work is up there, not in crazy Miami"
"I know" I mumble like a grade school child, but I just could not hide my disappointment. "And what about you and Jennifer? And please don't feed me any bullshit".

"Don't feed her any bullshit, or I'll cut your throat" says a hobbling Mark as he ascends up the steps.
"How ya doin' Mark" shouts Rick, his light brown hair unusually shiny tonight.
"Hey man" responds Mark, giving a special little handshake to Rick when finally on the steps next to Rick and I.

Mark breathes out an unsteady breath and finally hands me the six joints that I had requested, and they looked as fresh as cocaine from Columbia.
"Answer the question or no joint" I tease.

He lets out a shaky sigh and for a moment, I'm almost sure that he won't be answering my question. "Look. You and Jennifer are my best friends, and that's all I have to say, and anyway she has a boyfriend. Whathisname" he smirks and winks.

Rolling my eyes, I hand over the joint to Rick as Mark takes one out himself. Ten minutes later Jennifer, curious about the disappearance of her friends comes outside and begins smoking and puffing with us. We smoked until our very lungs were high, talked about the most random of subjects, and teased and pestered each other until it was time for bed.

And when I slipped into the sheets of my comforting bed, I didn't even realize that my cellular phone was ringing.

"Did you start packing you shit yet?" I mumbled in a groggy state to Rick, rubbing my ruby red eyes.
"Almost done. I'm so fucking tired though" he yarns.

I walk past him in the morning and look inside of the fridge for some breakfast food. Its amazing how it was my turn to purchase groceries for the week, and magically, most of the food that I had brought was finished. Well, maybe the munchies from smoking so much pot this weekend was to blame.

"I must quit" I mutter to myself and lightly rub my temples.

When I walked back into my bedroom after a plentiful breakfast, consisting of fruit loops, pancakes, tea, a hard boiled egg, and an orange, I thought it would be best if I changed my clothes which were stained with the scent of Mary Jane. If a small child had walked passed me in a closed room, they would've probably gotten high.

I insist on wearing a pair of low-rise jeans and a wife beater for today's sunny weather. Another routine was checking my cell phone for any missing calls, and for once, I had not one but two missed calls, and one voice message.

"Today is going to be a good day", I thought to myself.

When I notice that all three messages are from Tre, I reminisce about him promising me that he was coming over, and then never showed up. I roll my eyes before deleting the missed calls and listening to the voice message he left on my phone.

'Hey there Serenity. I know you're probably pissed at me right now, or maybe you're not. Either way I was supposed to come to Miami this weekend, but I was busy with stuff so I had to cancel at the last minute" he blabbers. "Anyway I'm sorry and call me to let me know when's the best time to visit, and to take advantage of you" he snickers for a few moments before I the ending 'beep' resounds, and the message is finished.

Should I call him or not?
Should I care or not?

How bout NOT... What an asshole!

Later that night after going out to eat with Jennifer and Rick, it was time for us to drop Rick off at the airport and say our goodbyes once again. Miami International Airport was exceptionally packed today, just great.
"Do you know when's the next time you can come back?" I ask Rick.
"Probably in a month or two, I'm not sure"
"When is she coming back from the fucking bathroom?" I mumble referring to the missing Jennifer who had wondered off to the restroom. Maybe she was tearing up because of Rick's departure, or it was possible that she was being mauled and attacked in the stall.

"There she is" sighs Rick, hovering over me with his eyes focused on Jennifer's movement.
"You should tell her how you feel" I whisper in his ear right before Jen comes over to us.

"This shitty airport is packed today. I had to push, skip, and shove to use the fucking bathroom" she grumbles.
"Maybe there's some Jewish holiday or something" answers Rick.

We both give Rick ample hugs and kisses on his cheeks before his flight is announced and he leaves us at the terminal to return to his precious NYC.

"God I'm tired" I shout to the roof as we enter back into our lovely apartment.
"Me too" Jen mutters, stalking off to the couch and relieving her feet of her tight shoes.

It was late into the night at around 11pm, and while Jen and I were eating bowls of vanilla and chocolate ice cream and watching TV in the living room, when the doorbell rang.
"Who the fuck is that?" Jen says in an aggravated tone, that I couldn't blame her for. Who the hell comes knocking on your door so late?

"I'm not getting it" I mumble when another knock resounds at the door.
"Bitch" she mutters as she places her bowl down on the cushions and sits up in her tiny pajamas to answer the door.

I continue laughing at the episode of 'Dharma and Greg' that I am watching as Dharma makes a loud gratuitous speech about Greg's family stealing something, when they actually did not. The awkwardness of her face was a humorous classic.

"Uh, Serenity its someone for you" Jen yarns as she collapses back onto the couch.
"What?"
"The door is for you" she reiterates in a mumble.
"Did you let them in?"
"Uh, no. I don't even know them" she continues consuming her ice cream and resumes watching television as I give her a less than pleased look while getting up to answer the door.

I gasp as I see an unruly hair of ginger standing tall in the middle of my doorway. A large bag latched onto his right arm as he smirks at me from the doorway. He's wearing a pair of faded blue jeans with an Offspring t-shirt that fit so snuggly around his form, that I want to simply cuddle up to him.

"Tre?" I ask in an awkward tone.
"Serenity!" he play screeches, throwing his arms playfully around me.
I'm coerced to hug him back as he pummels me inside of my home, fake crying onto my shoulder. He kicks the door closed with his free leg, his arms still suffocating me.

"You fucking liar Jen" I sneer at her as I see her walk into the area that Tre and I occupied, smirking at us with her arms folded across her chest.
"Ey! He's the one who told me to play dumb, it's not my fault" she whines, jutting out her bottom lip to an ineffective pout.

"That true?" I ask Tre, as we both let go of each other and he holds up his, what seems to be an overnight bag, to his shoulder.
"Yeah, I wanted to surprise you" he responds coolly.
"I see. So are you supposed to spending the night here or something?"
"Yeah, I have no source of money to stay at a hotel" he smirks.

I only shake my head and lead him toward the spare bedroom, which Rick had just occupied. The sheets needed to be changed, and from the looks of it, Rick as usual, had left something behind.

"Idiot" I mutter picking up a newly packaged pair of socks that Rick had purchased.

"Nice room" says Tre, throwing his dark blue duffel bag on the bed, and taking off his shoes and socks.
"Thanks" I smile, watching as he begins peeling off his t-shirt over his head.

Peeling off shirt!?

"Uhh, let me get out of here so you can change and stuff" I say awkwardly walking quickly to the door.
"You can stay and look at my sexy body if you want" he wags his eyebrows at me, before standing up shirtless and putting his hand to his jeans to unbutton it.

I close my eyes, trying to urgently suppress a giggle, before exiting the room. All the while, smiling.

"Why is your celebrity boyfriend here?" screeches Jen, her damp hands from washing out her ice cream bowl on my bare shoulder.
"I dunno" I shrug, eyeing her as if she's insane.
"He is too cute, what is he doing in there?"
"Hell if I know" I mutter casually, walking back to the couch to continue watching Dharma and Greg, but I see the finishing credits appear, and sigh as I sulk into the couch.

"Well, I'm going to bed. And don't you two worry about being too loud" she laughs and saunters away towards her bedroom. And I'm almost sure I heard the dialing noise of her cell phone and the low whispers of her talking, to most likely Rick. I can now expected a harassing call from him in the morning whining and complaining about his absence when there was a celebrity in the midst.

"Oww" I yelp as Tre crashes against me on the couch.
"Silly me" he smirks and grabs the remote from the grips of my hands.

"Did I give you permission to take my remote?"
"No, and you'll just have to live with that" he shrugs.

Appalled, I flick his ear which produces a jitter from his body, which is now dressed in a pair of black and red striped boxers, and a plain white t-shirt. His hair is unruly, yet sexy, and his blue eyes are as calm as a cat.

"How did you did you find my house?" I yarn, getting rather comfortable on the couch. I place my legs on his lap and lay my head on the armrest of the blue pinstriped couch. The same couch that was stained with Billie Joe on it, the same couch where we kissed, watched movies, talked for hours, and had ample amounts of sex.

"It took me forever actually. I would have gotten here at what" he looks at the clock hanging above the wall before continuing. "at 9, the least". "I had to call the operator and ask for your name and all that other shit" he mumbles, reminiscing his lost time.
"You truly are an idiot" I laugh.

He smacks me gently on the arm, aghast at my blunt comment.
"How the hell am I an idiot?"
"Because you could have just called me, or even Jennifer" I nod, throwing my head back in the direction of her bedroom.

"Do you not know the definition of a surprise? You would have known I was coming, therefore NOT surprising you"
"I bet I could have surprised you and gathered your information simultaneously" I challenge.

"Are you gonna do a little one or a big one?" he asks calmly, eyeing me carefully with my legs on top of his lap.
"A little or big what?" I ask curiously.
"I think you should do a big one" he answers.
"A BIG WHAT?"

"A big SHHHHHHHHH" he shushes me.

I giggle at his stupidity before switching positions and instead laying my head abroad his shoulder. He feels warm and I can faintly smell a hint of sun ripen oranges on him, Eu de Toilette, it must have been his cologne.

An hour later as The Chappelle show that were viewing finishes, Tre lets out a yarn, signaling his exhaust.
"Getting sleepy?" I ask, moving my legs from off of him and putting them back onto the floor.
"Nope, I'm in the mood for some late night chatting" he smiles.
"I'm afraid your going to be chatting with yourself, I'm heading to bed"

He looks shocked for a moment before making the cutest little pout that I've ever seen, not even my ex-fiancee could have pulled that one off.

"This is how you treat your guest?" he says in a sad whisper.

I only nod, before standing up and stretching, my pajama shorts a little shorter than usual from my position on the couch, and my tank top riding up my petite waist, giving a tiny peep show to Tre, who is now licking his lips.

And before I know it, he's pulling me back on the couch and gives me an evil smile before he wages a tickling war against my body. His calloused hands go underneath my arms, tickling the soft skin underneath. They crawl toward my neck, playfully pricking me there before going down deep South to my feet.

My hot spot

"Stop... ... ..please... " I beg, panting from laughing so much. My skin is finally relieved of those hands, and I begin the task of catching my breath.
"I HATE being tickled you prick" I whine as he lays there, with my head now on top of his lap.

He doesn't answer, but continues staring at me as I catch my breath. I lift my head from his comfortable lap, feeling a bit awkward in such a romantic position, and I somehow feel annoyed and vengeful. He was going to get it.

I raise my hands in the air as if yarning, and then suddenly begin my tickling assault on his chiseled body. He chuckles, giggles, and gasps as I tickle him nonstop. When my hands venture to his sides he falls over the couch onto the floor, with me crashing down with him or rather on top of him, causing a loud stir in the room.

I stop tickling him, and only smile. My legs open, him between them as he lay there against the tiled living room floor, my body hovering over him.
"Did you like that?" I taunt him.

His chest is heaving up and down from the effects of such laughter, and I cannot help but smile at his vulnerable figure.
"You're going to pay for that" he smirks, now tucking his arms underneath his head as if at the beach. "But for right now, just sit there".

I roll my eyes before attempting to stand up, even though I didn't really want to. But in my pathetic attempt, Tre violently pulls on my hands, and flips me over onto the ground, so that now my body is the innocent one, while he is the aggressor laying on top of me, pushing his weight seductively on top of my body. He leans his head close to my shocked expressioned face and smiles one of those 24-watt smiles that I thought only Billie Joe was capable of producing.

"I think I might just have to kiss you" he whispers.
"Why's that?" I breathe, now taking hold of his shoulders and preparing myself for the kiss.
"Because you bruised my lip when I tumbled to the floor" he pouts.

I take a glimpse at his lips, and the only thing I can see is desire in them. And not ONE fucking bruise. I roll my eyes playfully, before ensuing a remark.
"I see no bruises on your lips. And even if I did, you total... ... "

My brief statement is knocked away as his lips cascade upon my own, gently kissing me with his hands pressed against the tiling on my sides. I pull at his shoulders beckoning for him to come closer and deepen the kiss, which he complies without a second thought. Crushing my lips against his, I open my eyes for a quick second to look at the figure above me. His eyes are closed and he has so much focus on his kissing, that I accidentally giggle into his mouth. He ignores it though, and only smiles back as I close my eyes yet again. When I feel his tongue skim my teeth, a shock goes through my body, Billie Joe.

What was I doing?

I couldn't very well hook up or be in a relationship with my lover's best friend. That would NEVER work.

I jerk back after thinking of Billie, and open my eyes as Tre smirks at me from above. I conceitful male smirk that can only fuel a foulmouthed remark from my lips.
"Did you enjoy that?" I ask, raising one eyebrow in such a mysterious and seductive way.
"Very much" he responds, his body still pressed against mine.

"Good, because it'll never happen again"