Chapter 14
Jackson
I probably shouldn’t have been so hard on Maia. She was only trying to help. Still, something about the way she just assumed that she should handle it pissed me off. The hurt in her eyes immediately made me regret my anger. She didn’t have to come with me. And Lord knows I replayed in my mind a hundred times whether this was a good idea or not. My folks would love her. But what was I dragging her into, with Jade and Shana? She’s not built for drama. That’s obvious. She’s already experienced enough of it in her life at home.
Our flight is the red eye, which means it’s empty, and late. Maia and I are the only two passengers in Business class, along with a handful of people in economy. After serving us drinks, the flight attendants all exit to their seats midway through the airplane, to presumably take a nap. Maia changed into a black skirt and almost knee high wedge-heeled boots at the dorm, and they’ve been driving me crazy ever since I saw her walk out the building.
She seems really into the rom com playing on the screen in front of her, but there is no way in hell I’m letting this pass. Hell, I’ll rent her the f-ucking DVD when we get to Atlanta! Trying to be slick, I casually place a hand on her thigh. She observes me cheekily, with a mischievous glint in her eye. Guess she wasn’t so into that movie after all.
Without warning, she places her hand over mine and guides it up her skirt, straight towards the Promised Land. I twist into Maia, and her lips crash into mine as my hand finds its mark. Last night we took our time, free from interruption. Tonight, this is urgent. Maybe it’s the idea that at any moment someone would walk down the aisle and catch us? Her right hand unbuttons my jeans and her fingers wrap firmly around my shaft. Her hand glides up and down, to the same frequency of my fingers sliding in and out. My lips latch onto her neck, and she stifles a moan, arching her back in response. We’re both so close. Then suddenly she yanks her hand away and stands up motioning for me to follow her. I know what she’s thinking. I don’t even bother to button up my jeans.
Maia closes us in the airplane cubicle and turns her back to me, resting her palms on the sink in front. Her ass juts out invitingly, and for a split second I really can’t think straight enough to remember what to do next. Then it hits me, and I hitch her skirt up over her waist, pulling her G-string to the side. Within seconds, I slide into her. Jesus, she feels even tighter than she did yesterday in this position. Is that even possible? Thank god this is meant to be a quickie. She backs her ass into me, harder with each thrust. The mirror in front provides me with a full view of her face, and I see her in all her glory, eyes closed, trying to stifle back cries. Her back arches in response to me. I wish I could tell her to scream; just scream, baby. I lean my chest into her back. My eyes are glued to the mirror. Seeing her reaction to me is so f-ucking hot.
“f-uck, Maia.” The words escape my lips in barely a whisper as she leans back to grip my thighs and pulls me deeper into her, just as I feel her come. And as I join that party, I could swear that my whole f-ucking body has just imploded.
The mirror in the small cubicle is now completely fogged up, and the humidity in here is at an all-time high. Maia and I dress breathlessly and quickly and exit the stall. Thankfully, no one has ventured through the cabin; at least none that we can see.
Maia’s face is flushed. “You are truly a gift from God,” I whisper as we settle back into our seats.
“I aim to please,” she replies coyly.
“You do realize that we are now officially members of the mile high club?” I joke.
“What, you weren’t one before?” she asks innocently, trying to make light of it, but her eyes tell me that my man whore reputation concern her a little.
“Nope, you’re my first,” I reply reassuringly. And last, I want to add, but I think it’s a bit too soon for declarations like that one. Maia curls into the crook of my arm and falls asleep for the rest of the flight.
I stay awake, trying to prepare myself mentally for what I am about to deal with. My mind plays through so many stupid scenarios; ranging from me, upon seeing Daniella, channeling Star Wars and blurting out ‘I am your father’, to turning and running in the opposite direction. Maia’s steady breathing is like a metronome, consistent and calming. I’ll be fine, we’ll be fine, and everything will be fine. Then why the f-uck could I not shake the uneasy feeling in my stomach?
I asked my friend Emmanuel to pick us up from the airport, which I suspect might be a bad idea for two reasons. First, because Emmanuel is rough as hell, and secondly, he was my partner in crime while I was whoring my way through the state of Georgia. Still, he’s a good guy. I’m not sure how Maia will react when she meets him though.
As we walk out of the gate into the main terminal, Maia’s fingers intertwine through mine. The airport is deserted, given the early morning hour. That’s why when I see Emmanuel, leaning against the wall alone, he looks even more terrifying than he usually does. He is six foot five, built like a Mack truck, with ebony skin and an army-style crew cut. His tendency to wear his shirts a little too tight accentuates his huge biceps, and unless he was around friends, Emmanuel wore a scowl that promised to cut a person if he looked at him wrong. I’m not even gonna try and say he’s a gentle giant. I would be lying; he is really street as shit.
“Jay!” Emmanuel walks over to us with his usual swag.
Shit. I realize too late that I hadn’t debriefed Maia on him yet. Well, let’s just pray for the best. Emmanuel locks me in a quick hug after a fist bump. His eyes fall down to Maia’s and my linked hands. Oh hell, here we go.
“And who might this be? Honestly Jay, only you could manage to find a piece on a nearly empty plane in the middle of the night. And she’s quite fine.”
Emmanuel eyed her up and down and as he rubbed his chin. I feel Maia’s finger close around mine and she moves behind me ever so slightly. We’ve been friends for a short while but my anger sparks, and I want to knock him out. I won’t, because I know he’s packing. I’m also not stupid. “This is Maia, my girlfriend,” I say, not bothering to hide my irritation.
Emmanuel raises his arms in surrender. “My bad, no disrespect intended Maia. Nice to meet you.” Emmanuel’s pupils are so dilated that I doubt he’ll even remember this in the morning. I know he’s always high, but I’m more than a little pissed that that’s how he drove here to pick us up.
“Hey,” Maia smiles sweetly. Always a lady.
Emmanuel’s modified black Range with its twenty inch spinners is hard to miss in the parking lot. It appears clean on the outside, but the inside tells a different story. The floor is barely visible with all the empty Gatorade and beer bottles, various items of clothing, some of which belong to women, and condom wrappers. I pray to god that the actual condoms themselves have been discarded. The smell of sex blended with weed has permanently become absorbed into the seats. Maia looks green, as though she may vomit in her mouth.
“Where are my manners?” Emmanuel says, before pushing the button on the remote to activate the hydraulics and lower the SUV lower to the ground. Maia climbs in the back, careful not to touch a single thing. I throw the bags in the trunk and climb in next to Emmanuel. I’m sure next time Maia will insist on paying for a cab, and who could blame her? That is, providing there will be a next time, after this trip.