The Ties That Bind (3 page)

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Authors: Electa Rome Parks

BOOK: The Ties That Bind
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I still didn’t react or move or even indicate that I had heard anything that he had said to me. As he exited the room, I heard him say, “Christian, I’m not going to give up on you.”
I lay there and closed my eyes as silent, hot tears slowly slid down my cheeks. That was the beginning of a new life and the ending to an old one.
5
 
Mia
 
O
kay, it has almost been a year. God, time flies by so quickly. Has it really almost been a year that I have been Mrs. Brice Matthew? Brice promised my mother, Uncle Larry and me that he would help me enroll in college after our first year together. I have only a few more credits to go before I can receive my bachelor’s degree. Hopefully, one day soon, I’ll be somebody’s elementary-school teacher.
When I married Brice, I had to drop out of college in order to move to North Carolina, where he is stationed. The sacrifices love will make us take. Mama and Uncle Larry made him promise them that he would encourage me to finish school, though. With or without Brice’s encouragement, I know that I will receive that piece of paper. Having a college degree and teaching has always been a dream that I intend to make reality.
Brice didn’t want me to work or go to school or do anything our first year together except be his wife and lover. That was cool because it was a huge adjustment for me to make. I came straight from my mama’s house and college into this new role. It’s like I went from being a little girl to an adult by just crossing state lines. Sometimes I feel like I’m playing house with a grown man. Not only did I get a husband, but also I had to relocate to a new state, and to a military community at that. A military community is so close-knit, it’s like a town within a town.
I left behind all my family and friends to start a new life. I had to get used to Brice’s likes and dislikes, and there are many. To say the very least, it hasn’t been smooth sailing from day one, but I love my man so much.
Sometimes, hell, a lot of times, Brice treats me like a child and I have to remind him that I’m not one. Take last night for example. He was actually home for a change, which is rare. I am alone a lot because Brice travels for the military as a recruiter, and I haven’t made any friends yet. Sometimes Christian will come over and keep me company.
Anyway, we were sitting on this tacky green sofa that Brice owned before we got married—I couldn’t convince him to get rid of it—watching some show on TV.
As I snuggled closer under him and his warm embrace, he caressed my breasts and I asked, “Brice, when are you going to get the paperwork so that I can register for fall classes at State?”
“Mia, I wish you would quit bugging me about those damn papers. I’m going to get them for you. Okay?”
“Baby, you have been saying that for the last week. I need to look at the catalogue and decide what I need to take.”
“Why do you have to rush back to school, anyway? We barely spend anytime together as it is. Staying out another quarter isn’t going to kill you.”
By now I have broken away from his embrace, and I’m staring at him. “I knew that you would try this shit, Brice! I’m ready to go back.You promised my mama, Uncle Larry and me. It’s not my fault that you are away all the time.” I pouted. “I promise that my studying won’t interfere with us.”
“It had better not,” he said as he pulled me back into his strong arms and continued to stroke my nipples and breasts as he unbuttoned my shirt.
I pulled away from him abruptly, which startled him. I was determined to get a definite answer before things went any farther.
“Oh, come on, baby,” he said in a husky, sexy voice. “You can’t stop now. I want you.”
I asked, “When are you bringing me the papers?” as I started to button up my open shirt.
“Oh, it’s like that? You won’t give me any until I promise to bring you the info?”
Before I could even open my mouth to respond, Brice was all over me. He grabbed me by the arm and pushed me down on the sofa and managed to get my shirt and bra off in record time. He had his full weight on me and was looking down at me with lust-filled eyes.
“Mia, I’ve told you that I am the man in this house and I don’t play these little games that you like to play so much. Do you hear me?”
By now I was screaming for him to get off of me. I weigh roughly 120 and Brice is a solid 230. He’s a big man.
“Do you hear me? Answer me, Mia.”
I nodded my head, and Brice released some of his weight. He glanced at me for a few moments and then started caressing my cheek with his right hand while his left hand touched me between the thighs and gently rubbed.
“Did I hurt you?”
I shook my head without looking at him. He rose on one elbow and told me, “Get up and pull off your panties and jeans, baby.”
“Brice, I don’t want to. Leave me alone.”
“Mia, don’t let me tell you again to pull them off and get over here.”
I did, he proceeded to screw me, and the next day he handed over the paperwork.
6
 
Brice
 
W
hat was up with that shit from last night? Mia is always causing more drama than is necessary. I was going to get the damn info she needed to register for her classes. I thought that she would love to have another quarter off; hell, I know I would love to lay around the house all day, go shopping almost every day with someone else’s money and just take it easy. But I don’t have that luxury; someone has to be the breadwinner in this household.
Mia can be so stubborn at times. I know that I scared her slightly last night, but she has to learn that she can’t play her games with me. Sometimes she acts just like a child, and children have to be disciplined once in a while. I wear the pants in my household, and what I say goes. My daddy once told me that the secret to his and Moms’s long-lasting marriage is that Moms knew who was the boss.
Daddy said, “Son, from the get-go, let her know who’s the man. It’s good for them to be just a little afraid of you. That way you don’t have to tap that ass so often to get your point across.”
I looked at him standing there trying to tell me how to be a real man and boasting about the times he had slapped Moms around. Well, he didn’t exactly tell me that part, but I still remembered those incidents from when I was younger. Once I got older, once they got older, it didn’t happen as much. But I still remember those heated arguments over money, the house, whatever. They never fought in front of me. It was always upstairs in their bedroom, behind closed doors.
Daddy would start screaming at Moms about something, and then Moms, with her meek and mild-mannered ways, would start crying. Daddy couldn’t stand that. He couldn’t stand to see her cry. I would hear his muffled, deep voice asking her how she could be so stupid. Then there would be more crying and loud slaps; the sound of a hand making contact with flesh. Moms would be pleading with him to stop hitting her and promising him that it, whatever it was, wouldn’t happen again.
Later that night I would hear sounds of ecstasy, moaning and screeching bedsprings going to town late into the night. I don’t know if Moms had sex with him willingly, but daddy got his. My daddy is a big man. He stands over six-four, and Moms is five-one—a petite, classy lady. The next morning Moms would serve breakfast with long sleeves on or make up some excuse about her swollen face as if nothing had happened. Daddy would sip his coffee and read the morning paper.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I would never hit or physically hurt Mia. I love her too much to harm her. Even last night, yeah, I was pissed, and I wanted her to quit riding me about school, but I didn’t hit her. Anyway, what I laid on her had her thinking of nothing else. By the time we were finished making love, Mia was moaning, crooning and begging me to stick her some more.
Let me tell you how I met Mia and made her my wife. Like I said earlier, my wife is a beautiful lady. She’s petite, kind of like my Moms. She’s not skinny; I mean she has a shape, an ass and breasts. She’s about five-six to my six-three. I got my daddy’s height. Mia has pretty almond-shaped brown eyes and shoulder-length hair, which she wears pulled back in a ponytail the majority of the time. When she walks into a room you can’t help but notice her. Mia projects confidence, warmth and beauty. She has a kind word and a smile for everyone.
I was on a thirty-day military leave. I hadn’t had any time off in quite a while. I decided to go home and visit the folks for a month and just chill. My first week back in Georgia I met Mia at a cookout that one of my cousins threw at his house. My cousin Reggie and his wife, Gloria, threw down. They had the chicken, ribs and steaks slamming. And Gloria outdid herself with the potato salad, beans, desserts . . . You get the picture.
I had already made my first round with the food and was working on my second or third beer. Meanwhile, the fellows and me joked around and played some serious cards out back. When I glanced up, I saw Gloria walking our way with this beautiful woman who was dressed casually in denim shorts that showed off her sexy brown legs and a red halter top that exposed her flat, silky stomach. Through the flimsy material of her halter I got the distinct outline of her perfect, ample round breasts. She had on brown sandals, and her toenails were painted bright red. When she threw back her head to laugh at something Gloria said, that smile was dazzling. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail; this helped to highlight her beautiful, high cheekbones and her eyes. Mia was simply breathtaking, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I didn’t even realize that I was holding my breath in awe until they arrived at our table.
Gloria stared in my direction with a slight smile of amusement on her face and said,“Brice, I wanted to introduce you to our neighbor Mia. She’s home on summer break from college.”
“Mia, this is Brice, who is also home on leave from the military.”
We both smiled and said our hellos. Mia held out her hand, and when our hands touched . . . I swear I felt a volt of electricity surge through me.
Mia smiled her electrifying smile and asked, “Brice, what have you been up to?”
“Not too much. Mostly chillin’ and doing some painting around my parents’ house.”
“You mean there isn’t a girlfriend somewhere that you came back to visit?” she asked, boldly flirting.
“Noooo. What about you? You didn’t bring your little boyfriend with you today?”
“No, I’m currently available, and I’m not a little girl, by the way.”
“No, how old are you?”
By now everyone at the table was looking and grinning at this encounter taking place.
“How old are
you
?” Mia asked.
“I’m old enough to show you some things.”
“I bet you are,” she stated as she and Gloria walked off.
I saw her glance back my way a couple of times as they talked to another group of people. As for me, I was hooked. I couldn’t even finish the card game. I had to find out more about Mia with her sexy self.
My cousin Reggie filled me in on all the details. He said that Mia was their next-door neighbor. She was about twenty-two years old and was a good girl, from what he had seen. You know, she didn’t mess around with a lot of men. She kept pretty much to herself when she was home. Her mother was a recovering alcoholic, and he didn’t know where the father was. Mia was going to school to be a teacher and was outgoing, outspoken and caring.
His last comment to me was, “Man, don’t dog that girl.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Brice, you haven’t changed, man. You know what I mean. Regardless of that flirting, Mia is really sweet. She’s a good girl. Don’t charm her to get some ass and end up hurting her.You can get free pussy anywhere.”
“You have my intentions all wrong, my man. She seems like a nice girl. I just want to get to know her. I’m cool.”
“Okay, man, if you say so.”
I glanced around to see where Mia had disappeared to. I saw her over by the swing set playing with the children. I decided to get another beer, and join her. As I made my way over, I found myself getting nervous. This was new for me. I was usually confident around women. I knew then that Mia was different. I finally made my way across the lawn. I could see Mia was watching me approach out of the corner of her eye.
I had brought over two beers. “Hey, pretty lady,” I said in my best Jamaican accent, “would you like a cold beer or aren’t you old enough to drink?”
Mia smiled and said, “I’m old enough, but I don’t drink. Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s rare to see that in this day and age.”
We stood there for a few seconds.
“You know, you look like one of those little kids yourself,” I joked as I looked into her pretty brown eyes.
“But I’m not, am I? Look, I’m twenty-two years old. Okay? Why are you so hung up on my age? How old are you?”
“Wait a minute, this conversation is not going the way I planned it. I am thirty years old and I don’t have a problem with your age. I simply came over to ask a beautiful lady out. Do you have plans for later this evening?”

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