Sway has been itching to get his hands on my thick, long mahogany hair. He was shocked the first time he styled it, when I told him I didn’t touch color products. I have always been blessed with perfect hair. Dark brown with so many different shades of auburn that when the sun hit it you could almost see it set fire.
Exhausted from my shopping mission with Dee, I sat down and told him to go for it, whatever he wanted.
“Sweet baby Jesus in a manger…sweet child, oh Lord have mercy, please tell Sway that I am not hearing things?” He turns his excited eyes on me with a look of elation, pure elation.
“Go for it, Sway, just please don’t make me regret this.” Smiling at him through the mirror, I let myself drift off.
The first time I met Sway was when Dee and I arrived in town two years before. He was our second stop after unloading all of her stuff and my few boxes at our new house. Dee had explained to me on the drive that this was our new chapter in life. A chance to start from scratch and become new people. I knew what she was giving up to run with me. She had a very successful insurance company in Bakersville, North Carolina. Luckily she was your typical trust fund baby, so it wasn’t hard for her to up and leave. She left her second in command in charge with plans on expanding wherever we landed. We took everything we owned and drove South. The one and only saving grace I had was an account Dee had helped me set up with the money my grandfather had left me when he passed away five years ago.
Her money had bought us the house, but mine had insured I had time to heal before I needed to make any plans.
The one plan I did make immediately was to get rid of the Stepford wife look Brandon had pressed upon me. Sway had tried but it took time, and finally my hair was long and lush again, falling almost to my ass in thick waves. I didn’t look a lot like that scared housewife anymore, thank Christ for that.
Sway is muttering off and on about the newest purses he just picked up at the Coach store, the earrings he planned on matching with each new purse, and which heels he would wear with what. I swear that this man was done a great injustice when he came out with a dick.
“Oh honey, did I tell you about the new man that just bought up the space next door? Oh sweet love of all the Gods above, he is huge, darling, just huge. I bet he is huge everywhere, if you know what I mean?” He looks down at me with such seriousness that it takes me a minute to follow the flow from purses to man candy.
“What? Oh, right…good looking, huh?” I respond, hoping I am following.
“Girl, you have no idea. What Sway wouldn’t do to catch the eye of that walking wet dream. He was at least seven feet tall, at least. Huge, I am talking muscles on his muscles. I do not know how his shirt stayed together it was stretched so tight against that sexy chest and those fine arms. Makes me want to just fall at his feet and pray he swings my way. But, I tell you this, there is no way a man as man as him swings for the rainbow. No way. Shame for Sway, but girlfriend, as beautiful as you are, this is good news. Best news. We should set something up. You would love him. Thick black hair, now I would love to get my hands on that thick mop of lusciousness…yes I would.” Did I mention Sway could exaggerate slightly when he got excited?
I’m starting to get a little concerned about the orgasm Sway seems to be having about this man while he is holding scissors to my head. This could be bad.
I smile hesitantly up at Sway and his dreamy eyes, “Sway, babe you know I love you, but I have no interest in you fixing me up. None, so get it out of your head right now.”
“Oh girl, one of these days you will meet a man and he is going to knock you right on your ass! Mark my words girlfriend. Knock you straight on that perfect little ass!” He replies with a naughty grin.
“Doubtful, Sway, I am done with the male gender. I might even take a page out of your book and start batting for my own team.” I laugh and sit back, allowing myself to relax now that the scissor wielding man has calmed down.
Dee and I finish up with Sway, and his minions of beauty, right around five, with just enough time to rush home and get dressed before Greg comes to take us to dinner.
Pulling up to the house I notice a package on the step. Calling out to Dee, I step out of the car and grab a few bags, stopping to pick up the package and unlock the door. Dropping the bags in my hand, I quickly disarm the security system and make my way into the kitchen. Dee comes in right when I drop the package on the island and turn for a knife.
“What’s that?” she asks.
“Not sure, no return address, probably something from a client for my birthday.” I reply, distracted by my mission to cut away the tape.
Dee goes about her own business, walking down the hall to her room, surely to start her getting ready process.
Cutting the rest of the packaging tape away, I peel open the flaps and start moving around the packaging popcorn.
I move a folded piece of paper out of the way, placing it on the counter and remove what appears to be a frame. Carefully turning it over, I gasp and drop the picture to the ground, shattering the glass all around my feet.
Dee comes running down the hall at my noise, trying to figure out what has me so spooked. She bends down and picks up the frame, turning it over to reveal the picture.
“That motherfucker,” she says under her breath. “What a fucking motherfucker!” She screams.
Through the tears streaming down from my eyes, I look down at the frame of Brandon and myself. He’s taken something sharp and scraped away the belly part of my body. He is looking at me through the picture with that handsome, perfect smile on his face, arm around my back holding me close to his body. I look sad but still smiling. I think this was taken our last Christmas together, at one of his company parties. The arm not behind my back was resting on the portion of my stomach he had so harshly scraped and dug off the picture.
Dee picks up the paper I had laid out on the counter. Giving a quick peek, she slams it back down looking like she could spout steam at any second.