BOMAW Vol. 10-12 (191 page)

"I already like some of it."

"Yeah right."

"I do."

"Name just one artist!"

"If I do, what do I get?"

He laughed, "Me, giving you some good ol' all night long lovin'."

"Hmph, I get that already - I want something better than that!"

"Hell ain't nothin' better than that!"

Vivian laughed, "Okay, something other than, that."

"I tell you, ungrateful woman - takin' me for granted already." He mock complained.

"You got some nerve, you don't even bring me flowers!" She shot back.

"Can't afford'em, payin' for that damn ring! Now a wedding dress."

"You could back out! Otherwise, you've only just begun to pay!" She threatened.

"Oh and don' I know it! And I'm not backing out and neither are you! No wonder it took me so long to get here; and you best believe, I'll only be doing it once!"

"I feel the same way, so - I want it right."

"Alright, alright, let's not go back there but move on to our night out. Tell you what, you name just one country western artist, I'll sing a song for you tomorrow night, in front of everyone when they do karaoke. That's something I've never done." Jake volunteered. Doing so, because he needed to test himself out before a normal public audience; there was no time like the present.

"Oooh oooh oooh, you got it! Hmmm, let me see..." She paused for effect, and then, "...Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Tobi Keith, Garth Brooks and Lee Ann Womack. Want a song by each as well?"

Jake sat up laughing deep from the gut, "Well I'll be damn! Lil'girl, if you aren't full of surprises, I don't know who is! So you listen to country."

"I listen to all kinds of music, why limit my horizons? If it appeals to me, I give it a try. My favorite may be R & B, but I get a mood on now and then for something else, country is right in there."

"Know any others?"

"I've listened to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, and the Dixie Chicks - see."

"Wow."

"Yeah - so now, what you gonna sing tomorrow night when we go out?"

Smiling, Jake reached over and gently caressed her chin, "You really are something Vivian Cooke, and that is why, I'm gone marry you." He leaned towards her, she leaned towards him, their lips meeting in the middle. A moment later they came apart, with her pushing him for a commitment, "Come on, what you gonna sing?"

"I haven't a clue, can I play it by ear? Surprise you?"

"You sure can, so - can you line dance?"

"Of course, can you?" He asked laying back into his comfy spot.

"Probably better than you!"

"Are you serious?"

"I learned for a summer event we had at the bank two years ago, which is what started me listening to country music. One of the big country favorites was being endorsed by the bank and we had a big country music, barbecue thing, and all the executives had to learn to line dance, that of course included me. I loved it, and it made me start listening to the music and keeping up on the dance steps. I used to watch CMT all the time, dancing along in between cleaning one room to the next." She finished, proud to announce it.

"Imagine that, to look at you, that would be the last thing I would expect."

"So typical - we're forever being stereotyped."

A mischievous grin spread across his face, "I can just imagine the look on some of their faces when you jump in and not miss a beat."

"Emmm, the question is, will there be a look on their faces when I walk in anyway?"

"Brace yourself - it just so happens, the owner of the bar, is a Korean woman."

Vivian laughed, "They get in everywhere don't they? Restaurants, motels, corner stores, black beauty supplies and now country western bars, what's next?"

Jake laughed agreeing with her, "Who knows, point is - they shouldn't be surprised by you, what will surprise them is you coming in with me."

Vivian shifted to get a better look down at him, "I see, you a regular huh?"

"As it just so happens, I've been missing from the scene a while, they should be happy to see me."

"Em hm, I bet they will be, and uh, any chance those happy and most surprised by me, will be women?"

Jake smiled, thought about it a moment, "Hell - of course! More than likely."

"Oh really?!" She put her hands to her hips.

"Look at it this way, what better way for them to know that I'm no longer available - than seeing me with you, wearing the ring I put on your finger?"

"Do I need to arm myself?"

"Fuck no! They might be jealous, but not stupid." He paused a moment in thought, "You scared?"

"Hell no! You got anything to be worried about?"

"Hell no! If I did, think I'd be stupid enough to take you there?"

"So what you trying to say? Is there somewhere I might go and find out a bunch of dirty secrets?"

Jake pulled her down to him for a kiss, "No - smooth your heckles Ms Cooke - you're about to be the next Mrs McPherson - take pity on all the other women out there whose dream will now die of ever getting me." He chuckled in her mouth, pulling her down on top of him, kissing her neck, making munchin' noises and tickling her until she was a puddle of weak muscle from laughter. Just fleetingly Abby and Zonobe crossed his mind. More so Abby, than Zonobe. Abby hung out at the local bar only, she'd never gone to the one he would be taking Vivian too because the drinks were too high and the atmosphere was made up of a better class of people than she was used to - that would be the last place to encounter Abigail Cox.

It wasn't long before their play turned into something more serious. Jake leaned over, stretching to lock their bedroom door, and returned to her, pulling her into the center of the bed beneath him to make slow love to her; taking his time while getting into the habit of not penetrating with his entire length; he left off using the ring again, because he simply wouldn't break the mood to look for it, he just needed to be mindful of her limitations. It seemed, every time he went all the way, she was left sore and reluctant for the next time. He couldn't have that; besides he really didn't want to push it and cause her injury - he wanted her pregnant - hurting her wasn't the way to get the job done.

Vivian was in heaven when he made love to her slow; when his objective was to please her to insanity; when he restrained himself from fully entering her body, so that it was just enough for her to comfortably take him, and enough for him to find that pinnacle of pleasure. Pleasure so acute it made her rush to cover his mouth with her hand to keep in his grunts while climaxing, which barely helped, because the sound of him seemed to bounce off the walls around them. When he relaxed on his back beside her, he started laughing. "What is it with you covering my mouth?"

"You don't even try t'be quiet! Gruntin' all loud - I don't want them to know what we doing!" She whispered, regretting her words the moment they left her mouth.

"IF ANYBODIES LISTENING - WE JUST HAD SEX!"

"Oh my god Jake, you are wrong." Vivian cried and then to her humiliation.

"WE KNO-O-OW! WE HEAR-R-RD!!" Royce called back.

Jake cracked up laughing, Vivian buried herself beneath the covers, "I am never coming out of this room again!"

"What about from under those covers? I were you, I'd be out in the next 10 seconds!"

Vivian shot out from under, "Nasty dog!"

"Here baby, pull my finger."

"Hell with this, I changed my mind, I'm gettin' out of here!" She leapt from the bed, naked, grabbing her robe off the chair just as he blew one, loud and proud - laughing the whole time. "Thought you weren't leaving the room - again!"

"Jake that's disgusting! Don't make no sense! Like I wanna be smelling yo'ass!"

"Get used to it baby, more room out than in, hey - where you going?"

"Out for fresh air." She stomped from the room, doing the best she could not to make eye contact with Royce who was sitting at the kitchen table, still laughing.

"Poor Vivian - you'll get to used to him." Shanna called out in sympathy just as she closed the bathroom door.

A moment later, Jake came sauntering out of their room, in full strut, hand rubbing his hairy belly, his loungers on - hanging low on his hips, no shirt, bare foot, grinning at them, "If you will excuse me," He tried to open the bathroom door, it was locked, "Darlin' I'm standing out here butt naked, open the door."

"You lyin', you better not be!"

"Better let me in, Royce gettin' an eye full, feelin' cheated."

Shanna cracked up laughing as Royce turned to him making a face, "Hey!"

Vivian opened the door, scared it might be true; with him, one never knew, she fell for it; he forced his way in grinning, playful, "Made you look! Let me in here!"

"I knew you was lyin'! What you want?"

"Gotta wash big Willie, we just had se-..."

"Will you stop that!" Vivian hissed, her face burning, "You ain't got a bit o'sense!" She dragged him in, closing the door behind him.

He pulled her to him, kissing on her, "Can't wait until our house is done, I can do what the hell I want then."

"And you don't now?" Vivian asked, grinning, trying to get his hands off of her so she could start the shower.

"Can't walk around buck naked, my Jack hammer swingin'. When I'm in my own house, you better believe I will be."

Vivian shook her head, dropped her robe and stepped into the shower. Jake dropped his loungers and stepped in with her.

Outside the door, Shanna could only smile at the laughter, squeals and pleas from Vivian for him to stop it.

"Your brother is something else."

"Oh don't I know it." Shanna returned. Royce was on one of his breaks, which was about over. With all that had been going on, he had laid off of her concerning their many discussions, but he figured if he didn't bring it up, neither would she.

"Shanna, you doing all of this planning on their wedding, what's going on with our own?" He asked right out.

Shanna's smiled slid from her face, "You said you would give me some time."

"You've had some time Shanna, you've had time. I wanna marry you Shanna."

"I know! You've told me, you said that already." She turned to the sink, realizing he was not about to leave it alone. She heard him stand from the table, walk up behind her, until she felt him standing there, suddenly his hand appeared beside her, and watched it, place a small blue velvet round, ring box before her. The sight of it made her catch her breath. His thumb popped the lid open to reveal a beautiful, simple, brilliant cut, 1 carat solitaire diamond engagement ring - sparkling and glistening there before her.

"I know it's simple, and - uncomplicated - but that's me."

She was frozen in place. He backed away from her, leaving the ring before her; picked up his hat from the table placing it on his head and walked out, leaving all there for her to think about.

*

Meanwhile - earlier across the road...

The house, for the moment, was filled with noise and chaos due to the addition of just two more kids. Sasha and Joseph added temporary reason for things to get a bit more noisy and unruly, which Sylvia was willing to allow for just a period of time; she figured both needed to work off a bit of stress and energy from what was happening at home. The noise stemmed from Angela, playing her stereo loud - blaring into the rest of the house while she entertained Sasha the way that young girls do. The other noise came from Isaac and Darren - having Joseph there for their entertainment. They were high strung to have someone almost their age to play with. Joseph in his mature way tried to keep them under control, and in fact, came up to Sylvia as she prepped for the next days dinner, taking a deep breath and exhaling it, shook his head saying, "Auntie Sylvie, these babies bad - they ain't had no home training, have they?"

Sylvia exploded into laughter, hugging him, patting him on the shoulder, saying back, "They wearing you out, Joseph?"

"Yes ma'am, they got me tired, make me wanna go t'bed early. Can you calm them down now, please? I just wanna chill rest o'the night, watch a little TV."

Sylvia knew he was serious and fought to keep a straight face, "Yes I will, you go on let Crystal know what you wanna watch while I get them under control."

"Thank you, let'em know, tomorrow, I'll play with them some more, but that's enough for tonight." He finished dragging his feet as if he'd run there from Chicago and was worn out from the journey, heading for Crystal, who was on the phone.

Sylvia went and rounded up her two, telling them it was time for their bath and then bed, with Isaac saying right away, "Jo'phus too?"

"Joseph - not Jo'phus - and he'll get his bath later after you two."

"He can take it wit' us grandma." He informed her.

"Not tonight, he's tired now - but it's almost your bedtime, let's go." She marched them off to the bathroom upstairs.

Crystal had ended her conversation with Rochelle, who was coming by with Letté, Kayla and Omiyah.

Mundo had departed not long since, was off somewhere with his friends; Shawn was on the phone trying to get a hold of Derrick.

Across the road in the studio, Ben had brought some things of his and placed them in the office that would be his, working on his laptop enhancing and brushing up the photos he took of his friend and girlfriend.

Crystal knew that he was there, his car was parked on the mini parking lot that still had to be tarmacked and lined for customer parking. After seeing to Joseph, checking in with mother, letting her know where she was, and that she'd be back in a bit she headed his way after getting the nod and wave from her mom.

Ben had chosen to work there because it was peaceful, quiet - no distractions. When Crystal silently showed up in the doorway, he'd been working an hour and needed the break. He smiled looking up at her, "Hey you, your timing is perfect, I was about to take a stretch. Having this office is fantastic - we're not even connected yet - but the work atmosphere really lends itself to getting things done. Thought I'd give it a try."