PluckingthePearl (9 page)

I bet Jimmy can’t make you feel this good.

But how long before the other man did this to her? A week? A
month?

Losing his grip on patience, he opened his mouth and ground
it against her pussy as if to swallow her and claim her whole. He sucked her
tender lips inside his, melding their flesh into one.

“Caleb!” The fabric may have muffled the loudness of her cry
but not the raw urgency of it.

With her rich juices coating his lips and moustache, he
looked up. “No one will ever make you feel this way.”

As if he stated it, it would be so.

“Yes.” She spoke between breaths that made her nipples
plunge up and down like buoys in rough tide. “Please don’t stop. I think I’m going
to have another climax.”

Anxious to feel her sweet-tasting flesh quiver and shake
under his mouth, he worked his tongue with purpose—licking, stabbing and
plunging. Her thighs trembled beneath his hands.

He felt drunk from her passion. What a rare find she was. If
only he could keep her. All he could do was give her pleasure in this moment.

As he sensed her time grow near, he plunged his finger
inside her while he sucked her clitoris. Despite the pressure of his hands on
her thighs, the slick bud gyrated out of range several times. Determined to
hold her still, he pressed his lips around it and nipped the edges with his
teeth.

A muffled scream and her pelvis both hit him at once.
Realizing his hands had lost their grip on her thighs, he staggered backward to
the opposite table, almost falling down.

Breathing hard, Pearl sat up and put her hand to her mouth.
“Did I injure you again?”

After recovering, he pulled her off the table and into his
arms. “I think I’ll survive.”

With her bare feet on the floor, she wrapped her arms around
his waist, bringing her pounding chest close to his.

“Goodness, Caleb. The way you make me feel. I wish you could
have a climax too.”

He kissed the side of her neck. “Trust me, I will later.”

“But I want to see you have one,” she added.

“We’ll have to do something about that next time.” He helped
her button the dress she still wore.

After they cleaned up, using one of the buckets of water,
Caleb sat with her on the makeshift bench.

“I can’t imagine doing this with Jimmy,” she said.

Good.

Her delicate eyebrows lifted with worry. “Do you think he’ll
expect it of me?”

“Not until after you’re married.” He clasped her hand in a
possessive grip. “Until then, you’re mine.”

He hoped Henry could find him a good poker game tomorrow
night because he’d need something to keep his mind off the fact she’d be
spending time with another man.

“Was it like this with your wife?”

Caleb frowned, not expecting such a question. “No, Pearl. My
marriage was not a passionate one.”

She smiled. “Good.”

“I have a feeling yours will be, though.”

Why couldn’t he be Jimmy? Why had their lives taken this
course? Who decided what color skin they would have when they were born? Why
the hell did it have to be different? For once, the king of Oyster Island had
no answers.

“Are you hungry for an oyster now?” he asked. “We can’t skip
our ritual. It might be bad luck.”

She smiled. “Yes, I’d love one.”

They exchanged the morsels of meat with their tongues as
they had before. For some reason, the simple act made him feel more bonded to
her than the passion did. Afterward, they ate cold crab with salad.

“Oh, I almost forgot something.” Caleb pulled out an
envelope from his trouser pocket and handed it to her.

“What’s this?” she asked as she took it and opened it.

“Your pay.”

“But I picked up my paycheck at the window Friday.”

“That’s your pay for this job, not shucking.”

“So much money,” she whispered.

He cocked his head as he watched her count through the
bills. She tucked it into her dress pocket and looked down at her hands.

“What’s the matter?” he asked. “Did I miscount the hours?”

“No. I just…I just feel like a…a whore.”

“Honey, no,” he said, grabbing her hand. “Don’t say that.
Don’t ever say that. Our time together is special.”

Her green eyes looked heavy and sad. “You know I only earned
a fraction of this doing cleaning. The rest—”

Caleb sighed. “You could always refuse it if it makes you
feel better but I wish you’d keep it.”

The front of her dress crackled as she smoothed over the
pocket containing the envelope. “No, I’ll take it. Wilma will be expecting it.”

“I want you to promise me you’ll keep part of it to buy
something special for yourself.”

She nodded. “I thought our time together was special too but
Leroy said some things the other night.”

Caleb’s hands tingled with worry. “Does he know?”

He’d meant to ask earlier but her anger about the yacht had
distracted him. Thank goodness Leroy was one of his employees and not a threat
like the mayor.

She nodded again. “He won’t say anything but he’s worried
about me.”

“I can imagine what he must think,” he said.

“I told him it wasn’t like that between us but he reminded
me what a disaster it would be if I had your child.”

Caleb’s jaw tightened. “And I gave you my word that wouldn’t
happen.” It frightened him, though, to realize he’d come closer than ever to
breaking his word this evening.

Maybe it was for the best she would be courted by another
man and well on her way to marriage. This madness couldn’t last without
possibly destroying them both.

He stood up and kissed her hand. “Until Wednesday?”

She looked into his eyes. “Until Wednesday.”

Hopefully she’d still want him after her evening with Jimmy.

* * * * *

It was still dark when the household woke up the next
morning for work. Pearl shivered from the cool, damp air in the cottage and
dressed quickly. Thankfully, they’d all been asleep when she and Leroy had
gotten home last night. The shorter days had their advantages, she thought.

At breakfast, Wilma slapped down chipped, mismatched bowls
of runny oatmeal on the table while two crickets in the cottage competed for a
solo. Then she laid down a platter of griddle cakes for them to share.

Hungrier than she expected, Pearl took several big bites of
her cake. Climaxes must use a lot of energy. Memories of the time she and Caleb
had spent together last evening wrapped around her, keeping her warm. Sitting
on the makeshift bench with him had reminded her of sitting with Jimmy but it
was so much better. Now she felt silly for ever doubting his affection for her.

She’d even dreamed of him last night, waking up with her
cunt aching and the sheet tangled around her sweaty calves. Her hairpins made
her scalp prickle this morning, making her want to pull them all out and wear
her hair loose.

And she couldn’t stop thinking about that strange packet
Caleb had showed her. A condom, he’d called it. At the time, the picture of the
harlot printed on the paper cover had disgusted her. Now she couldn’t help
wondering how his penis would look with it on. How it would feel rubbing
against her most sensitive flesh…

What was happening to her?

When Wilma sat down, Pearl slid the envelope containing her
pay across the table to her.

“Those are my extra earnings,” she explained.

As promised to Caleb, she’d kept out a dollar for herself
but she wouldn’t hesitate to spend it on the family if the need arose.

Her aunt snatched up the envelope and counted the bills with
rough, work-chapped fingers. Pearl realized this was the first time she’d ever
seen the woman really smile.

“We can buy us a nice ham with this and have a right smart
meal with all the trimmings. Sadie needs new shoes for the winter too.”

Pearl smiled. “I’m glad I could help.”

“You done real good, child,” Wilma added. “You know, I had
my doubts when you first come here but you’re obviously good for something.”

Sadie’s grin looked just as out of place as her mother’s.
“What did you do with Mr. Rockfield to earn all that money, Pearl?”

The blood in Pearl’s head threatened to drain to her feet.
Leroy already knew her secret. At this rate, it wouldn’t be much of a secret
for long.

“I cleaned.”

Leroy stared down at his oatmeal bowl, not saying a word.

Sadie’s smile grew smug. “Then how come you kept me awake
all night yelling
Caleb, Oh, yes, Caleb…
?”

Shame scalded Pearl’s cheeks as her spoon dropped and clattered
to the floor. Based on the dreams she had, she suspected Sadie was telling the
truth. Why did the spiteful girl have to tell the entire family? Thankfully
Charlie was still in his room.

She chose her words carefully. “I must have dreamt of Mr.
Rockfield because he’s a handsome man but there’s nothing going on between us.”

Her aunt waved her hand. “Don’t lie, child. White men don’t
pay colored girls this much money to clean.”

Leroy cleared his throat as he stood and put on his cap. “I
need to tend to the boat. It’s going to be a slow trip this morning ‘cause of
the wind.”

To Pearl’s surprise, her aunt looked more shrewd than angry.
“It won’t last. He’ll tire of you. Jimmy, on the other hand, can take care of
you for life.”

Pearl looked down at her bowl. “I know.”

Wilma leaned forward and pointed a long finger in her face.
“So don’t you mess that up, you hear? And don’t bring no high-yaller,
half-breed child into the world, expecting me to raise it.”

Sadie leaned back in her chair as she leered at Pearl. “I’m
going to tell.”

Wilma grabbed her daughter’s wrist and squeezed. “You do and
I’ll thrash your hide in front of the whole plant. We gettin’ us some money
now. The last thing we want is to stir up trouble.”

Sadie hung her head in submission and pushed away her food.
Although Pearl was fairly sure she’d obey her mother, there were no guarantees.
The food Pearl had eaten formed a cold ball in her stomach. How could Caleb
tell her their time together was so special while her family made it sound so
cheap? They both couldn’t be right.

She hoped marriage would bring calmness to her life. This
constant confusion, conflict and shame would soon tear her to pieces.

The day dragged so much for Caleb it was as if he were
neck-deep in marsh mud. Looking forward to his time with Pearl after work had
become more of a habit than he realized.

On his way to the unloading dock, Caleb tried not to look at
Pearl working next to Jimmy but couldn’t help it. Tonight she’d be with
him
.
They looked perfect together. They were close to the same age—and the same
color, of course. Eventually they would be a married couple, working side by
side. The thought of it brought acid to Caleb’s throat.

For once, he didn’t feel like joking with the men on the
dock. The sun was too bright and his head ached. Everything he looked at bored
him—the boats bobbing in the water, the mountains of discarded oyster shells
and the wire oyster baskets. He’d done this for so many years there was nothing
left to explore.

No sweet, dark flesh for him to explore tonight, either.

Everything he looked at reminded him of her, including the
bench where she’d been sitting the day he’d met her. He couldn’t even look at
an oyster without remembering the rich texture of her mouth as they exchanged
the delicacies with their tongues.

When Henry maneuvered
Easy Pickings
to the pier,
Caleb helped him tie the lines.

His brother looked toward the stern of the large work boat.
“Whoa, that boat’s coming too fast. Slow down, buddy!”

The boat just missed Henry’s stern and hit the pier instead,
breaking the edge of the boards with a sickening crack.

Caleb rushed forward to inspect the damage. “You fool!” he
yelled. “What were you thinking?”

“I’m awfully sorry,” the well-dressed other man said. “It
got away from me. I’ll pay for any repairs.”

Henry chuckled as he climbed onto the pier and adjusted his
overalls. “At least your boat doesn’t look too much worse for wear.”

Two workers went to the buy-boat, one to unload the oysters
into tubs and another to tally them.

“Didn’t you see the speed limit sign?” Caleb demanded of the
stranger. “I’m trying to run a business here and can’t have my property
destroyed this way.”

Henry grabbed his arm and pulled him out of earshot of the
other man. “Calm down. That fellow’s from out of town and didn’t mean any
harm.”

“He should have known better,” Caleb insisted as he yanked
off his hat and jammed it back on his head.

Now he was forced to decide whether to simply repair it or
get the mayor’s approval for the expansion.

“Normally you’d laugh at something like this,” Henry pointed
out. “Tell me what’s really wrong with you. It’s not just the dock, is it?”

Caleb rubbed his tight jaw. “I’m just having a bad day.”

A seagull perched on a nearby piling laughed as if to mock
him. Any day he couldn’t spend with Pearl would be a bad day, he realized. When
had he become addicted to her?

His brother folded his arms and looked at him with shrewd
eyes. “You’re in love, aren’t you?”

Dread weighted Caleb’s stomach as a fish jumped in the water
nearby. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Just be careful who you fall in love with or you’ll have a
lot more trouble than a broken pier.”

Caleb knew his brother recalled the day he’d stared at Pearl
in Crab Creek. Although he was curious how much he suspected, he didn’t dare
ask.

“Will you handle this?” Caleb asked as he pointed to the
stranger’s boat. “I have something else to attend to.”

Henry nodded. “Are you planning to expand or repair it?”

Caleb glared at the damage. “It’s not too extensive. Let’s
just repair it for now.”

Henry patted him on the back. “Sure thing. Now get that
frowning mug of yours off the dock before you scare away all the fish.”

Caleb smiled in spite of his bad day and headed toward the
hardware store to arrange having paint and wood sent to the Johnson place.
Hopefully he’d be able to think of a good excuse for it by the time he got
there.

He might not be able to be with Pearl much longer but she’d
never stop being part of his life.

* * * * *

Pearl felt strange riding home with the family after her shift.
It was still light out. She longed to be at the plant instead, spending time
with Caleb. Tonight belonged to Jimmy. Luckily he hadn’t said much to her today
except how much he looked forward to their date tonight.

She stared at the eddies of water stirred up by Leroy’s oar,
thinking she’d rather sit in this boat all night than go through with her date.

When they reached the cottage and got out of the boat,
Charlie showed them the stack of boards and cans of paint near the front door.

“What in heaven’s name is all this?” Wilma asked.

The older man shrugged. “A fellow from the hardware store
delivered it a couple of hours ago.”

Wilma bent down to inspect it more closely. “What a pretty
shade of blue. Well, who’s it from?”

“I asked him,” Charlie said. “Wouldn’t say.”

“I bet I know where it came from,” Sadie said. “I’m
surprised the paint’s not
white
.”

Aunt Wilma flicked her behind the ear. “And I told you to
hush with that talk. Come on inside. We got to get ready for Jimmy.”

Despite a hard day of work, Wilma acted as animated as a
bird in springtime as she straightened the cottage and heated up some
cabbage-and-pork soup. Pearl pushed up the sleeves of her sweater to the elbows
and helped the best she could. At least it got her mind off men. She wished the
weather was even colder so she and Jimmy would be forced to stay indoors under
the eyes of the family. Outside, anything could happen.

Half an hour later, Wilma ran to the window. “He’s here!
He’s tying up his boat. Now you all act proper or you’ll hear about it later.”

After exchanging greetings, they sat down to eat. Pearl
struggled to eat her soup but her appetite was gone. She wanted oysters with
Caleb, not this. Conversation flowed around her and she was glad there were
enough people there to keep it going.

Uncle Charlie cleared his throat and looked at Jimmy. “How
many gallons did you shuck today?”

“Thirty, sir.”

Aunt Wilma clasped her hands together. “I declare, Jimmy.
You must earn so much money you burn it like firewood.”

He smiled and bowed his head. “Well, it’s not quite like
that but I’m planning to build me a nice house close to the inlet. It’ll have a
big yard for children to play in.”

Wilma closed her eyes and shuddered as if imagining it. The
inlet, Pearl knew, had refreshing breezes in the summer and very few
mosquitoes. She felt like shuddering herself but not with happiness. This was
exactly what she used to want before Caleb had turned her life upside down.

“We thank you kindly for those extra building supplies,”
Wilma said.

Jimmy’s spoon paused in midair. “Building supplies?”

“The new paint and wood outside,” Wilma explained. “We sure
do need to fix this place up.”

“I wish I’d thought of it,” Jimmy said, “but it didn’t come
from me.”

Wilma flung her hand toward him. “Isn’t he something? Won’t
even take credit for his generosity.”

“I can help you fix up the place, though, after work every
evening.” He smiled at her. “It’ll give me a chance to spend more time with
Pearl.”

Every evening? Her throat constricted as she swallowed her
soup. She had no idea how she was going to get through tonight as it was.

Sadie toyed with her spoon. “I don’t think you’ll see much
of Pearl. She’s usually real busy at night.”

Pearl’s cheeks prickled with fear as she looked at her
cousin to see what she’d say next.

“Right,” Jimmy replied. “You have that extra job.”

“She really enjoys her job too.” Sadie paused to giggle into
her hand. “She likes it so much she dreams about it at night.”

Pearl gripped the edge of her soup bowl, one second away
from flinging it in her cousin’s face as her heart lodged in her throat.

Wilma slapped the table. “Sadie, you go start cuttin’ that
apple pie for dessert.”

“But, Mama, I’m not finished my soup yet.”

“Right now, Sadie.”

When her cousin left the table, Pearl’s heart returned to
its normal spot and she smiled apologetically to Jimmy. She probably had
nothing to worry about. Now that he’d seen how crazy her family was he wouldn’t
want anything more to do with her.

After they ate dessert, Wilma shooed the two of them out to
the porch where they could be alone. Pearl wished there were separate chairs
instead of the bench to sit on.

“You have quite a family,” Jimmy said after they sat down.

“They’re pretty frightening, aren’t they?”

He reached for her hand. “I don’t frighten easily.”

“So tell me about the house you plan to build.” She hoped
hearing some details about her perfect future would make her want it.

As she’d predicted, Jimmy talked about his plans with lots
of enthusiasm. His eyes glittered and his hands waved as he talked. She caught
a few words here and there but her mind was at the plant. What was Caleb doing
now? Did he miss her as much as she missed him?

“I asked what color you think I should paint the nursery,”
Jimmy said.

“The nursery?” she repeated.

“Pink or blue would limit it to girls or boys. Do you like
yellow?” he asked her.

Even though the air was cool, it was still thick with marsh
smell. For some reason, she couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

“Yellow is pretty,” she said.

“So are you.”

When he bent close to kiss her, Pearl fought the urge to
bolt off the bench and run toward the creek. This evening was turning out to be
ten times more difficult than she thought it would. Would it ever end?

She would never get a marriage proposal, she knew, if she
didn’t at least kiss the man. Clenching her fists at the sides of her thighs,
she kept her face still. Jimmy’s lips were dry and gentle, and they made her
feel absolutely nothing.

She longed to feel the scrape of Caleb’s moustache and the
demands of his lips and tongue—hot, hard and wet—instead.

Jimmy kissed her again, more firmly this time. Although he
closed his eyes, she kept hers open, staring toward the creek and seeing a
vision of Caleb on the yacht. Despite trying as hard as she could to feel
nothing, emotion pricked the backs of her eyes.

The breath of Jimmy’s sigh brushed her face as he pulled
back.

“Is something the matter, Pearl? I get the feeling you don’t
enjoy kissing me.”

She put her fingers to her lips, wishing she could wipe away
the kisses she hadn’t wanted.

“I’m just not used to such things.” She pointed to the
windows looking over the porch. “Besides, my family might be watching.”

He nodded, looking relieved. “You’re shy. That’s one of the
things I like about you. I guess I moved too fast.”

“It’s getting late,” she hinted.

He slapped a mosquito on his arm. “I’d better be getting
home. I’ll be back tomorrow to help with fixing up your place.”

“I’ll be at work,” she reminded him.

“I know but maybe I’ll still be here when you get home.”

She hoped not. Seeing him after being with Caleb? It was
unthinkable.

Pearl stood up. “You really don’t need to trouble yourself.
You should be working on your own house instead.”

“
Our
house,” he corrected. “Or at least it could be.”

The clammy air pressed around her as crickets sang. Why
couldn’t she breathe?

“Good night, Jimmy.”

Looking uncertain, he stood, squeezed her hand and left.
When she went inside the cottage, she found Wilma sitting at the kitchen table
with a hundred questions in her eyes.

“How did it go? Did he kiss you?”

Pearl decided to ignore the last question. “He’s going to
help with the repairs so he’ll probably come by tomorrow before I get home.”

Wilma beamed with approval. “Yes, indeed. He’ll make a fine
husband. Did he say anything about marriage, child?”

“Not really. I’m very tired, Aunt Wilma. Good night.”

Pearl practically ran toward her pallet. The only thing that
kept her from flinging herself on it and crying was looking forward to seeing
Caleb tomorrow night.

* * * * *

When Pearl’s shift ended the next night, she went upstairs
to Caleb’s office. He was out while the floor men worked but she knew he’d be
back. In the meantime, she followed the instructions on the note he left to
clean his window blinds.

Working beside Jimmy all day had been awkward after the
uncomfortable evening they’d spent together. Every now and then he’d smiled at
her and she’d smiled back because she felt she had to. Her facial muscles ached
from it.

When the building grew quiet except for one set of footsteps
on the stairs, Pearl’s heart sped up. What did he plan to do to her tonight?
Would she have the strength to say no? She’d have to. Another man was courting
her. Just spending time with Caleb was all she needed.

He closed the office door and locked it, which he’d never
done before.

“We’re not going downstairs?” she asked.

“Not tonight.”

A breath of relief washed through her. He was going to make
this easy for her but why was his face so sober and impossible to read?

“Did you have a bad day?” she asked.

He nodded. “Some fool from the city crashed his boat into my
unloading dock yesterday. Having a piece of my daddy’s company damaged took
something out of me too. I can’t even expand it without the mayor’s approval
now.”

The powerful plant owner had a vulnerable little boy inside
him, Pearl realized as she touched his cheek.

“Close the blinds, will you?”

She did as he asked while he sat in his desk chair mere
inches from her.

“Straighten them, please,” he said next as his gaze burned
through her clothes. “I love to watch the way your sweet little ass moves under
that flowered dress when you work.”