When we had both finished, we continued to hold one another closely as our bodies quaked with the revelation of our natural ascension into unbridled euphoria.
However, when the feeling of leaving this world started to wear thin and our breath and heartrates eased back to a normal level, I sighed and pulled myself away from him.
“Where are you going?” Anthony asked, narrowing his eyes with genuine confusion, “Didn’t you enjoy yourself?” As his eyes glistened with the memory, he snickered, “I mean, that’s a stupid question…but what’s wrong?”
I cleared my throat as I slipped my dress back up, over my shoulders, which were still hot from his touch and threw my tossed hair up into a bun before answering, “I did have fun but it’s over now and we both have lives to live.” I turned to him now, my eyes softening as my gaze slid down his taut chest, hoping to catch just one more glimpse of his manhood before leaving, “Now, don’t overstay your welcome, yankee. Ya hear?”
As I chuckled, he narrowed his eyes as though he didn’t quite understand what I had said. Nonetheless, he reached for his shirt, which was covered with dirt and leaves from the surrounding vegetation, being that it was discarded thoughtlessly.
“Okay,” he mumbled, “So much for southern hospitality.”
“God, Anthony,” I hissed, overdramatizing my disgust, “We just had a friendly fuck. What do you want? Homemade sweet tea and a place for you to put your boots?”
“Well, normally, women aren’t busting down the door after…” he stopped speaking, allowing the sly grin and the provocative trail of his gaze to finish his statement for him.
“Your first mistake was assuming that I’m a normal woman.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Yes, Sir,” I answered, sauntering out of the barn without looking back, leaving Anthony with his shirt still in his hands, staring after me in disbelief.
Chapter 3
Walking away from him was difficult but it was something that needed to be done. While I wasn’t used to one-night stands, or whatever that was, I knew that it simply couldn’t be anything more. I was certain that it wouldn’t happen again. It couldn’t and since Mr. Shields was only in town for the week, I was certain I could survive long enough for him to ride off into the sunset.
The next morning, I found myself helping my mother with some household chores and conversation was slow, so I asked her if everything was all right.
When I only received a strained, one-word response, I was certain that I needed to pry a little in order to ensure that I hadn’t been caught sneaking out the night before.
“I suppose Daddy’s still upset about what happened?” I inquired, keeping my voice low, unsure of where my father had gone.
“You could say that,” my mother replied, “He’s been pouting around all night.”
“Why won’t Daddy just talk to him? I mean, it isn’t like he said for certain things were going to change. Isn’t business about give and take?”
“Yes, but your father has given his entire life to clients like the Shields and now that this…child is coming in place of his father and the first thing he wants to do is make his profit margin bigger, it’s infuriating.”
“But Momma, A-I mean Mr. Shields didn’t say anything other than they had to talk.”
“And when is that sentence ever lead to something good? He wasn’t selling anything to your father, he was dictating it. He thinks that he can just come in here and change the game so that he doesn’t have to work as hard. I don’t know if he thinks we’re stupid, or if he’s just stupid but either way, he’s not going to come here and push us around.”
“I don’t want him to push us around either but…”
“But what? Sahara, why are you defending him?” My mother demanded, and I felt my stomach drop with fear.
I swallowed hard, hoping my mother wouldn’t notice and tried to ignore the faint taste of Anthony still lingering on my lips.
“Umm, I’m not defending him, Momma but from the way I under
stand it, you and Daddy don’t have much of a choice. You need this deal. Daddy needs to sign this new agreement.”
“Your Daddy doesn’t need to do anything. If he decides to tell this northern prick to go to Hell, we’ll find some other way to make up the difference.”
“Why start a brand-new business arrangement when you can just work with what you’ve got?”
“Because if he gives into anything this year, then the next year, he’s just going to want more and more until we’re paying him to stay with us.”
My mother and I held one another’s stare for a long time, but in the end, I let out a deep breath and shook my head, “Well, I sure hope Daddy knows what he’s doing.”