I had left the doctor’s office with good news. News I wanted to share with Monai, but she hadn’t been answering her cell phone or responding to my text messages. I figured she must’ve been busy. She was less than a week away from closing on another real estate deal, and I was so proud of her for the way she conducted business. Needless to say, I loved so much about her. She was intelligent, a good listener and her support meant more to me than anything. I didn’t necessarily need a woman to cater to my every need, but Monai had stepped up to the plate like no other woman I’d been with had ever done. She was the answer to my prayers for a decent woman. From day one, I knew she was someone special. I had been through so much with women, and the last woman I’d dated, Ariel, left me high and dry. We had dated for nearly six years. The only reason I hadn’t asked her to marry me was because I knew, deep in my heart, that shit wasn’t all good with her. She was too money hungry, spent too much time shopping and all she cared about was impressing other people. With me being overseas most of the time, our long-distance relationship didn’t survive. She demanded attention that I couldn’t always give her. She depleted our bank accounts, basically leaving me with nothing. And when I’d gotten injured in Afghanistan, by then, she’d already had one foot out the door. She didn’t even come see me in the hospital—that, in itself, spoke volumes. I knew I could do better, and at thirty-seven-years-old, I felt like I still had time to find a good woman whom I could marry and start a family with. Monai had stressed how much she wanted a family too. With her being thirty-three, her career on the right path, and with her being the wonderful woman she was, the timing seemed right for us to take things to the next level.
First, though, I wanted to tell her that my upcoming surgery would possibly eliminate the pain in my foot and I would no longer have to use a cane to walk. My doctor was almost positive that after one more surgery, I could be one hundred again. I was happy about the news because my injuries had left me stressed and feeling less than a man at times. People would immediately see me walking with a limp and assume I needed assistance. Many would open doors, hold me up and even give me looks like they felt sorry for me. There was no need to feel sorry for me, but it took a while for me to stop feeling sorry for myself. Monai had helped me get my courage back, which was another thing about her that I was thankful for. She made me feel like I could now take on the world; there was no doubt in my mind, now, that I could.
On the drive to her house, I kept calling her cell phone but she still hadn’t answered. Sent a few text messages, but got no reply. It seemed kind of strange that she hadn’t responded, nor did she call me last night, as she’d indicated she would. I pressed on the accelerator, trying to get to her house as soon as I could. Maybe something serious had happened; something where she needed me and couldn’t get to a phone.
Upon arrival at her house, I swerved in the curved driveway and parked my BMW right behind her car. I rushed out of the car, but as my foot hit the pavement, a sharp pain rushed up my leg. I paused to rub it. The doctor had given me a shot for the pain, but it was starting to wear off. Then again, my fast pace could have caused the sharp pain, so I slowed down as I proceeded to the door and knocked.
Nearly two minutes later, Monai opened the door. Puffy bags were underneath her eyes, her braids were wrapped in a bun, and the short silk robe she wore showed her blemish free, smooth legs. She looked tired—beat more like it. Maybe I had come at a bad time, especially since the smile on her face appeared forced for some reason.
“I didn’t know you were coming over today.” She opened the door for me to come inside. “I thought we were going to meet up later.”
I stepped inside, wearing a white Nike cap that covered my lined waves. My beard was trimmed and for many years I had sported a goatee. It was sprinkled with a few strands of gray, but the gray hair made me look a bit more mature for my age. A few buttons on my well-pressed shirt were undone; my shorts displayed my toned calves. I felt strong and healthy, but this damn cane and limp made me look, and, at times, feel otherwise.
“We were supposed to hook up later, but I’ve been trying to reach you all day. I came over here to make sure everything was good with you.”
There was something about the way Monai looked at me that gave me bad vibes. Or, should I say, the way she wasn’t looking me. She kept blinking to avoid eye contact, and the forced smile she presented while at the door had vanished. Her kiss, however, provided some comfort to me. She planted a juicy one on me, before explaining why she hadn’t answered her cell phone or responded to my texts.
“I haven’t charged my phone since last night so the battery died. I just remembered to plug it up while I was in the kitchen drinking my coffee. Would you like some?”
“Coffee sounds good, but I would prefer some orange juice and a little shot of Vodka, if you have it.”
Seeming to perk up, she laughed and headed toward the kitchen. As she walked in front of me, my eyes traveled to her sweet backside that jiggled underneath the robe. Seeing that she was naked underneath the robe, my mind journeyed into the gutter. We hadn’t had sex in nearly two weeks; it was time for me to satisfy my cravings.
“What do you think about all of the rain we’ve been getting?” Monai asked while standing in front of the sink, rinsing a glass. I eased up from behind and secured one arm around her petite waist. My lips touched the tip of her earlobe.
“I think the rain is perfect for making a whole lot of love. But before we do, I have some good news to tell you about my doctor’s visit today.”
She turned to face me, then placed her arms on my shoulders. “Good news? What did the doctor say?”
“He said after one more surgery, I should be all good. There is a chance that I will have no more pain, so you won’t ever have to massage my feet again.”
She smiled while rubbing the tip of her nose against mine. “Aww. That’s a shame because I love massaging your stinky feet. I enjoy tickling them too.”
I reached for her hand and placed it over my hard package that started to expand. “Well, instead of massaging my feet, feel free to rub something else more often. That would please me so much more, not to mention how much help it would be to me.”
Monai pecked my lips, but moved her hand away from my steel. She lifted the glass so I could see it.
“Let me get your orange juice and Vodka,” she said. “I’ll pour me a little something too and we’ll toast to the good news.”
That sounded like a plan to me, and as she fixed our drinks, I made my way to her bedroom so I could hide her surprise in a drawer. But the second I entered her room, something felt real strange to me. A funny feeling came over me, and whatever it was caused me to halt my steps and stand by the doorway. My eyes shifted from the messy bedsheets to pillows which were sprawled on the floor. There was an empty glass on the nightstand, on the opposite side she’d slept on, and the musky scent in the room alerted me that another man had been there. I wasn’t sure if it was just me or not, but something didn’t feel right at all. Even when I’d gone into her bathroom, the same feeling came over me. Three wet towels were on a towel rack, the same musky scent filled the air, and Monai’s silk panties were on the floor. The moist crotch section was visible; I could tell she must’ve been excited about something. As I was about to peek in the trashcan, I heard her call my name. My head snapped to the side, and as our eyes connected, I felt a hard punch in my gut.
“Are you done in here?” she asked.
Her eyes focused on her panties and then moved to the trashcan. “Sorry about the mess in here,” she said, walking further into the bathroom. “Had I known you were coming, I would have removed my panties from the floor and cleaned up a bit.”
She snatched her panties from the floor. Afterward, she tied the tiny trash bag that was inside of the trashcan, removing that as well. I didn’t know what was inside of the trashcan, but I’d had an idea. My thoughts were racing a mile a minute, but I kept my cool until I had all of the facts.
“You don’t have to apologize for the mess. I guess it’s something I’ll have to get used to, especially when we start living together.”
Appearing real nervous while biting her nail, all she responded was, “Right.” After that, she left the bathroom.
I took a leak, washed my hands, and then I returned to her bedroom again. I yanked the messy sheets back, and to no surprise, I noticed a few stains. The punch to my gut occurred again. This time, I staggered back a bit, fearing that I was on the brink of losing Monai to someone else. I couldn’t believe she had been cheating on me; I didn’t want to believe it. There had to be some kind of explanation for this. It just didn’t seem like a woman of her caliber would do something like this. Before I could even question her about my suspicions, she stood near the doorway gazing at me again. As if she had known what I was about to ask her, a response came quickly.
“I’m almost embarrassed to tell you how those stains got there.” She came into the room and opened a dresser drawer. A small bottle of something was in her hand, and when she lifted it, I could see it was KY warming jelly. “There are times when I have to please myself. Days when I wish you were here with me, and when you’re not, I let my imagination run wild. I hope you don’t mind having a woman who knows how to please herself, and when I say I do know how, trust me, I really do. The proof is on the sheets. I would have changed them had I known you were coming over.”
I removed my cap and scratched my head. I couldn’t let her off the hook that easily, so I hit her with another question.
“What about the smell in here? I smell masculine cologne. I know for a fact it’s not mine.”
She sniffed the air and frowned. “I’m not sure what that is, but I assure you that no other man has been here. The only man who has been in my bedroom, for the past two years, is you.”
Of course I didn’t believe her, but I was never the kind of man to put up a fight with a woman, unless I had all the facts. Some of the facts were, I trusted my gut more than anything. I was nobody’s fool, and while working with the interrogation unit during my time in the service, I could sense when people lied. Monai was lying about something. I would soon find out the truth, but until then, I decided to keep her little surprise in my pocket and save it for another day.
“Hey,” she said, interrupting my thoughts. “Are we still going to celebrate your good news or are you going to stand there and continue questioning me about a stinky little ole smell?”
I didn’t answer, until she untied her robe and dropped it on the floor behind her. Seeing her naked body caused my package to rise to the occasion and forget about the smell, for now. As I made sweet love to her, I could feel that someone else had tampered with her pussy. His scent was still there, and I had a duty to find out who he was.