Put A Ring On It (20 page)

“Yeah, I’m waiting for him to get off work.” Nivea was becoming a skilled liar. She shot another furious glance at Knox. Wordlessly, he handed her the vodka. Eyes cast downward; he refused to meet her gaze.

Courtney pulled off her coat. “Make yourself comfortable, honey,” she said to Knox. “We might as well keep Niv company until Eric gets home.”

“No, no. You don’t have to stay. I’m fine,” Nivea said in protest.

“We have a lot to talk about,” Courtney said, practically singing the words as she held up her ring finger and held it in front of Nivea’s face. “You ran out of the house yesterday without getting a good look.”

At the sight of Courtney’s rock, Nivea flinched and recoiled like a vampire being tortured with a crucifix. “Um, yeah. It’s really… um…beautiful, Courtney,” Nivea stammered. She cut an eye at Knox. He averted her gaze.

“Look how clear it is,” Courtney bragged, holding her hand out at arm’s length as she admired her diamond.

“Where’s your ring?” Courtney asked, noticing Nivea’s bare finger.

“I’m cleaning it. It’s soaking,” Nivea quickly responded.

“Oh! How often do you have to clean it? Like once a week or something?”

“Depends.”

“On what?”

What a dolt!
“It’s up to you, Courtney. I clean my ring whenever it looks dull.”

“Good to know,” Courtney said with a firm head nod. “What time is Eric getting home? I wanted us engaged couples to make a toast together. We should all celebrate love!”

Ugh! My sister is stupid and revolting.
“Why don’t we make this
toast another time? I really have to finish getting ready,” Nivea said, hoping Courtney would take a hint, and realize that she wasn’t welcome.

“Oh, we’ll toast without Eric. I’ll get the glasses,” Courtney said and dashed to Nivea’s kitchen.

Alone with Knox, Nivea narrowed her eyes and folded her arms firmly in front of her. “What the fuck?”

“I tried to slip out without her, but she insisted on coming.”

“Why didn’t you warn me? How could you spring her on me like this?”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I tried to text you, but she was sticking to me like she had some sort of sixth sense.”

“Bullshit! You’ve been sending me texts all day. It’s hard to believe that you couldn’t have slipped to the bathroom or some-where private to let me know that my sister was coming with you.”

Before Knox could respond, Courtney was back in the living room, carrying three tumblers that clinked together. She set them down. Knox twisted the cap off the vodka he’d brought and filled each glass.

Courtney downed her drink. “Ah!” she said and smacked her lips together. “Mother told me that you and Eric decided to push your date up. That’s great because Knox and I have decided that we want a June wedding. Guess where?”

“Where?” Nivea said dryly.

“OMG! Are you ready this?” Courtney said excitedly.

“Not really,” Nivea muttered.

“On the freakin’ beach! I’m having a beach wedding!”

Needing something for her nerves, Nivea threw back her drink and grimaced. “The beach?” She questioned Knox with her eyes.

Knox cleared his throat. “I love snorkelling; it’s a hobby of mine. Courtney thinks a beach wedding and a snorkelling party afterward would be a great idea.”

Courtney sat next to Knox. “We’re getting married in the Bahamas!”

Nivea couldn’t remove the grimace off her face. “What does Mother think about your beach wedding idea?”

“She doesn’t like it. That’s why I need you to back me up.”

“I’m not getting involved.” Nivea had heard quite enough of Courtney’s stupid wedding plans. “Courtney, you can’t even swim. It’s a ridiculous idea and I’m backing up Mother.”

“Aw, Niv!” Courtney whined.

“Listen, I have to finish getting ready—”

Courtney refilled the glasses. “Come on, party pooper. Have another one. You look great. Besides, we downed the first drink without making our toast.” Courtney held her glass in the air. “Here’s to Nivea and Eric’s little civil ceremony.” She swallowed her drink with one large gulp and refilled her glass. “And here’s a giant toast to my big, friggin’ beach wedding!” Courtney laughed uproariously.

Courtney was getting as sarcastic as their mother. Nivea turned her second drink up to her lips and threw it back.

Courtney smiled at Nivea. “See, all it took was some booze to loosen you up.” She looked at Knox. “Take your jacket off, sweetheart. We’re going to do shots until Eric gets home.”

Pulling his arms out of his jacket sleeves, Knox gave Nivea a sneaky wink. Nivea wanted to bitch slap him.

“At the beginning of my ceremony, I’m going to be wearing my gown. I’ve been looking at an awesome Vera Wang gown.”

“You have Vera Wang money?”

“Yup! Daddy is going to let me spend all of my college fund on the wedding. Who needs college when you’re married to a doctor?” She elbowed Knox and beamed. He smiled back.

Nivea was ready to physically toss her gloating sister out of her house. If it weren’t for the fact that Knox had revealed that Nivea’s
pussy was addictive and he could no longer go through with marrying her sister, Nivea wouldn’t have been able to stomach Courtney’s bragging.

“My gown is going to have some secret snaps and right after the preacher marries us, I’m going to rip it off. I’ll be stripped down to a bikini. My body is going to be ripped. I had a feeling that Knox was going to pop the question soon, so about a month ago, I started working out at the gym twice a day.”

Behaving as if she were a hyperactive adult who needed a strong dose of Ritalin, Courtney jumped up from the couch, and moved around the coffee table. Taking center stage, she stood in the middle of the living room and pulled up her top, showing off her abs. “I’m looking good already!” Courtney turned from side to side. “Check out those side abs, Niv! I’m going to look so freakin’ amazing by June. OMG, my wedding is going to be so awesome. I want the entire wedding party to strip as soon as the ceremony is over. No one can be in my wedding if they’re not in shape. Everybody is going to look super hot. People are going to be talking about this wedding for…for like, forever!”

While Courtney was preoccupied with herself, Knox snuck a feel. When his hand snaked its way to Nivea’s hip, her immediate reaction was to swat his hand away in indignation, but she didn’t. Instead, she moved closer, allowing his hand to sneakily roam.

“Your ass looks good in those pants,” he whispered.

“I put them on for you,” she said softly.

“You look delicious.” He licked his lips.

Nivea turned her attention to her sister. “Courtney, your beach wedding idea might work. I want to hear all about it, but I can’t keep drinking this vodka straight. Here, take this bottle and go whip up some cocktails.”

“We’re gonna have cocktails? Oh, goodie! What do you want me to make?” Courtney was really so cute, it was sickening.

“Surprise me,” Nivea said. “There’s orange juice in the fridge. Peach Schnapps and grenadine on the counter. Be imaginative.”

“Okay!” Courtney dashed from the room, happy to oblige as long as she could have her sister’s undivided attention.

“And while you’re at it, fill up the ice bucket with some ice cubes!” Nivea yelled.

“Will do!” Courtney called happily from the kitchen.

Nivea turned to Knox, cupped his face and kissed him on the lips. Gave him tongue. He gave it back. A warm glow began to spread through her body. Her heart pounded in her chest. It was extremely thrilling to share a stolen moment with her sister’s fiancé.

Keeping an ear out for Courtney, Nivea broke the kiss. “I want you to get Courtney out of here,” she said with quiet menace.

“I will. Meantime, can I make it up to you?”

“How?”

“Let me suck your pussy…Courtney’s in the kitchen.”

It was an absurd suggestion. But the way her pussy began to tighten up, Nivea realized that she was aroused by the freakiness of Knox’s proposition. Nivea released a soft moan. The sexual tension between them overwhelmed her. Made her feel light-headed, caused her body to go weak.

Knox was bringing out a kinky side that she’d never known she possessed.

She tried to process how she could get her pants down and receive a tonguing with her sister in the next room. The thoughts that were skittering around her mind halted when Knox suddenly dropped to his knees. Sitting on his haunches with his back against the coffee table, he grabbed Nivea’s ass, pulling her legs apart and aiming her crotch toward his face.

Nivea made a small, wordless exclamation when Knox’s tongue touched the damp patch of her arousal. His tongue slid up and
down the seam of her crotch. Pleasure fluttered in her stomach. She moaned softly, her body writhing to the rhythm of his tongue stroke.

His wet tongue slid up and down the copious flow of her juices that dampened the crotch of her pants.

Holding onto the swell of her hips, Knox cupped his mouth over her pussy and alternated sucking and nibbling on her pussy lips. His low groans vibrated against her pussy, and Nivea couldn’t stifle tiny whimpers of pleasure that escaped her throat.

Still in the kitchen, Courtney rambled on, having a one-sided conversation about her wedding.

As Knox brought her to feverish heights, she could only comprehend snatches of Courtney’s monologue. Nivea heard her sister say something about all of her friends being so jealous. She heard the words, snorkelling, musicians, sand, and tight abs. The sound of Courtney’s voice was terribly annoying.

I can’t concentrate! I wish my sister would shut the fuck up.
But Nivea was being unreasonable and she knew it. She needed to hear Courtney’s running dialogue to know her sister’s position.

Somehow Knox’s lips found their way to her clit. He got a grip and managed to suck the swollen nub through the fabric. The sucking sensation was unbearably intense. Nivea went rigid. The beginning of a powerful orgasm rocked her as it travelled through her body. Pleasure throbbed down her neck and through her chest. There was tingling in her that went from her fingertips and down to her toes. Nivea groped for a throw pillow. Finding one, she used it to cover her face, muffling her moans.

“OMG! You guys are gonna love this!” Courtney gushed as she returned to the living room, carrying a tray of some greenish concoction. “It tastes like melon and—” Courtney gasped. “What’s wrong with you, Niv? Are you sick?”

Recovering from a powerful orgasm, Nivea was collapsed on the sofa, her eyes closed dreamily. Nivea cracked an eye open. “No, I’m good,” Nivea said. She straightened up, brushed her hair from her face. “I must have dozed off. What did you make, Courtney?”

“I made Jolly Ranchers.” Courtney stared at Nivea. “Why are you breathing funny? Are you sure that you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Nivea said, her eyelids fluttering, a pleasant smile on her lips.

Sitting next to Nivea, Knox arranged his hands in his lap. Wearing a poker face, he sat perfectly erect. The only telltale sign that he’d been involved in hanky panky was the light sheen from Nivea’s juices that covered his lips.

Courtney frowned. “What’s that on your mouth, Knox?”

Knox licked his lips. “Too much ChapStick.”

1995

H
arlow’s pregnancy stubbornly refused to terminate. Though Jody estimated that Harlow was in her fourth month of pregnancy, she still held on to the hope that the baby would soon abort. Refusing to return Jody’s payment, Miss Cakie had told Jody to be patient and wait for Harlow to experience severe cramping.

Harlow had been kept out of school for over sixty days, and the truancy officers had been making routine visits, leaving citations with court dates circled in red.

Hiding out from the truancy officers, Jody and Harlow moved out of the apartment, and were hiding out at Ronica’s house. After a couple of days, Jody got antsy. “I gotta go find us a new place to live. You stay put right here; don’t be mouthing off at Ronica. You hear me?”

Ronica was a functioning addict. She usually waited until the weekend to light up her pipe. She went to work, paid her bills, and even kept food in the fridge and snacks on hand. She didn’t have a working telephone, but she had cable channels, so staying at Ronica’s was kind of nice for Harlow, like being on a mini-vacation.

Another good thing about being at Ronica’s place was that Harlow didn’t have to respond to Jody’s constant questions about cramping. “You cramping yet?” Jody asked her a million times a day. Harlow would shake her head no. “Pass any blood clots?” her mother would ask next. The words “blood clots” would make
Harlow grimace and vigorously shake her head. At that point, Jody would start firing off rounds of cuss words, some directed at Miss Cakie for beating her out of her money, and others directed at Harlow for getting knocked up in the first place.

Harlow was scared to tell Jody about the little kicks she’d been experiencing—real light and fluttery sensations, like butterfly wings spreading inside her tummy. The fetus that Jody was hoping would pass through Harlow in the form of blood clots was growing and making its presence known to Harlow with kicks and the unmistakable swelling in her lower abdomen.

Her hand inside a bag of Cheetos, eyes glued to
The Jerry Springer Show
, Harlow was so deeply engrossed that she hardly noticed the tightening in the pit of her stomach. The next time it happened, the pain was sharper, causing her facial muscles to tense. She closed up the Cheetos bag, thinking the cheese snack might be upsetting her stomach.

The cramps grew worse, and Harlow paced the living room. When the cramping turned into unrelenting, vicious spikes of pain that shot from her stomach to her shoulders and then cruelly twisting down to her toes, Harlow thought she might be dying of food poisoning.

Wincing in agony, she checked out the expiration date on the Cheetos, and then she checked the date on the milk she’d had with her cereal. Nothing had expired.
What’s wrong with me?
she wondered, hunched over and gripping the back of a kitchen chair, as unbearable pain ripped through her young body.