While in the shower I mentally rolodexed my plans for the following day. I had planned to meet up with Chanell at the mall. She was trying to put together an outfit for Kid’s birthday party in Vegas next week and wanted to hang out, so I told her I’d tag along before my dance class that evening. I dried off in the mirror, taking note of my pink eyes. I really needed to get some rest. I could swear I looked at least ten years older from being so tired.
I saw a white undershirt that Azmir must have tossed onto the bench before his shower and I couldn’t resist. I grabbed it, held it up to my face and filled my lungs with the delicious fragrance of Azmir. Per usual, it was laced with his natural body oils, fabric softener and cologne—altogether a heady concoction. I had a not so hygienic inclination to wear Azmir’s worn undershirts. They were comfortable, sensual, and well fragrant. Whenever he was due to leave town, I found myself collecting enough for the duration of his time away to keep me feeling near to him in his absence. Tonight was one of those nights that he was home but I couldn’t resist.
When I walked out into the bedroom, I found Azmir sitting on the coffee table in the sitting room looking over papers and watching the plasma television that hung on the wall above the fireplace. He was shirtless in only his basketball shorts and black ankle socks, no doubt partly engaged in his sports channels. He ran several channels at a time on one screen. I didn’t understand how he could concentrate on more than one at a time. As I walked over to him, he smiled with knitted eyebrows.
“What are you wearing?”
I ran my hands over the front of the T-shirt, slightly embarrassed. “You.”
“I don’t get it,” he murmured when I reached down to peck his soft lips quickly and wetly.
“I have a nasty habit of wearing your used tees.” I smiled, mildly embarrassed.
“Habit? This is news to me.” He still looked confused. I plopped on the couch to the side of him stretching my legs on the coffee right behind him.
“That’s because I usually do it when you’re away.”
“Why tonight? And why the tees? What type of predilection is that?” he chuckled before diverting his eyes back to the television hearing something that beckoned his concentration.
I waited patiently for his attention to return to me. And when it did he said, “I’m sorry. I thought I’d just heard something that would defy all sports ethics,” he shook his head slightly, brushing off the thought and then turned his body to me. “Well…?”
“Well…it’s arousing for one.” I giggled pathetically. He chuckled in response. “And…I don’t know…it makes me feel closer to you.”
“Un-huhn…” He was bemused, but entertained me.
“It brings me peace…”
“Peace?” he squawked sarcastically with eyes wide and mouth opened.
“Yes, silly. It’s one of the nine fruits of the spirit. We’re learning them and tonight we discussed peace. God left us with the spirit of peace to comfort us in our times of need. We discussed that peace is a state of the mind and heart that you choose…something that has to be deliberate during hard times or inconvenient circumstances. Since the girls left I’ve been meditating on it trying to see ways that I can implement into my everyday life.”
“And wearing my T-shirt—deliciously by the way—brings about peace? I should sell them in a bottle,” he teased all throatily.
“It brings a bit of peace to me, yes, but there’s something else that I should decide on, too,” I added. He reached for the remote and muted the television giving me his full attention.
“Okay…?” he spoke nervously.
“No. No bad news. These are all positive changes that I am undergoing to repair myself, Azmir,” I tried to calm him.