Fear

“What’s your greatest fear?” A beautiful woman asks as she takes the seat next to me. I sputter, almost wasting the beer in my mouth down my shirt. I am actually trying to take a break from school and studying. I’m just trying to reconnect with the kid in me, before the inevitable truth of adult life shoulders its way completely in.

Sitting in Barb’s Bar was a new thing for me. I’d heard from classmates that Barb’s is a great place to wind down, make some new friends, and relieve the problems associated with our world today. Now I’m sitting in THE Barb’s bar being asked to think about what scares me.

The economy right now scares me more than any other thing we could comprehend, but I couldn’t say that to a woman this fine, she would look at me as if I told her I have COVID then turn to one of the other guys in the bar. I wouldn’t blame her for it, but I haven’t been laid in weeks and just watching her lips move makes me readjust the seam on my pants.

“I’m sorry, I have a lot of things I am currently dealing with, school being one of them. What were you talking about?” I ask hoping that she wouldn’t be easily upset, thinking that I’m unable to pay attention, but there is something about her that is setting off several of my warning bells. She flips her hair then smiles. She then takes a sip of her beer.

“That’s ok sweetie, I understand completely.” She says, turning to look at a guy sitting at a table near us.

The guy dripped cool, lounging in his chair with his legs extended out past the table, his leather coat sat easily on his long frame while a beer lazily hung from between two fingers on his left hand. The woman stares for a moment longer before turning to look at the bartender.

“Aye do you have any music in this place?” She smiles at the bartender then takes another sip of beer. “It’s so quiet in here I can hear my skin wrinkle.” She jokes, placing a hand high up on my thigh.

“Radio’s busted, but I got a box I keep in the back." The bartender says, returning her smile.

I could see that this woman got what she wanted, when she wanted it. I tried to keep my eyes on her face but when she turned to the bartender, her mini skirt slid up her thigh, exposing creamy brown skin that looks like it doesn’t tolerate hair.

“MmmHmm.” It was the only thing she said, causing me to pull my eyes away from her legs. I didn’t know what to say. If my skin was brighter, I’m sure I would be blushing, as it was, I could feel my neck getting as warm as the beer I’d been babysitting for the last forty minutes.

“I thought you were blind or something, the way you were acting.” She says. She bounces off of her barstool and walks over to the bartender, who comes out of the backroom carrying a boom box I had when I was eight. She takes the box and plops it down on the bar. The beautiful stranger quickly manipulates the boombox and switches the radio to 97.5 KLUC. She then sashays back towards me, the beat of the music a metronome, hypnotizing. I couldn’t help watching the way her hips moved. She stops in front of me and raise her hands above her head, causing her large breast to scrunch together.

I take a gulping breath then a swig of warm beer. She is a beautiful woman with an incredible body and I am having a hard time keeping the saliva in my mouth. What would you do with a five-foot eight-inch woman with incredible round green eyes, pouty plump lips, high dimpled cheeks and a body with more curves than a racetrack. Precisely, you just watch her be beautiful then hope she will go home with you at the end of the night.

“Dance with me.” She says, bumping me with a shapely hip. I’m not a dancer, I don’t know the first thing about dancing and I don’t feel like embarrassing myself, I shake my head when she grabs my hand, trying to pull me off the barstool. “No?” She says, sounding like a child that didn’t get what they want. "Why not, I wanna dance with you.” She says tugging on my arm again.

“I can’t. I don’t know how to dance.” I say as I shake my head to her repeated attempt. She drops my hand like a dead weight then starts to dance alone. She twirls around the room, shirt rising again, and then dances towards the guy at the table. He doesn’t even wait for her to get closer to him; he jumps up, grabs her hand and spins her around like a cha-cha dancer. I don’t want to feel jealous, but I had her first.

The guy wasn’t a small person, unlike me he towered over her. He had to be six-foot-nine but I didn’t feel like asking him, so I turned away from beauty and the beast. Try focusing instead on the sporadic bubbles that rise from this warm ass beer. I was upset when I first entered Barb’s bar because of some things from school but I was totally pissed now.

The song ends. My mystery woman steps away from the giant, whoops and claps her hands then gives the dancing Shaquille O’Neil a peck on the cheek. It was a small thing really, she wasn’t even my girl, but the kiss upset me. I wanted to be the one who got those soft lips first. I don’t feel like sharing anything tonight, not after my day, I want something that I can have to myself. I walk over to them and grab the woman by her hand.

“Hey, what the hell!?” They both say as the woman snatches her hand out of mine. I look at her, then at the tall guy, then the bartender. They are looking at me like I’m running through the bar naked. I sure feel like it, raw and exposed.

“I’m sorry, I had no right to do that.” I say dropping my head.

I apologize to the giant c-blocker and walk out of Barb’s. I don’t want to feel any more disappointment tonight, so I head towards the dorms stationed across the street. I was halfway through the crosswalk on Maryland and Karen, when a hand halts me.

“Why did you leave?” The woman asks turning me around. I have to admit, I am shocked that she came out here, after me. I thought the giant was going to get lucky tonight, instead I might get lucky.

“Well, I never told you my name and I thought you were cute, though that guy Simon sure did look big.” She says looking back towards Barb’s.

“Right.” I say turning to walk away, but she grabs my arm again.

“My god I was just joking, you have to lighten up if we’re going to be friends.” She says putting her arm through mine. She starts walking with me toward my dorm room.

“My name is Kai by the way and you’re Michael, right?” She smiles. I don’t know if this was a joke or not, but how the hell did she know my name?

“How...”

“Do I know your name, right?” She says finishing my question. I nod at her, unsure if I could speak. “Michael, I’m in your finance class. I sit in the row behind you, two seats to your left…. Oh my god; I cannot believe you don’t remember me.” She says dropping my arm. She stops in the middle of the alum parking lot, cocks her hip and places both hands on the ample expanse. “You don’t remember me, seriously?” She asks.

I look straight into that woman’s eyes and tell her a ball faced lie. I may be dorky but I am not stupid. “Yes, I remember you, Kai. Kai…” I say letting the sentence hang. I was hoping to get a last name but Kai just smiles at me. It’s almost midnight, the street in front of UNLV has few streetlights, but I swear to you I could see Kai’s green eyes light up like a cat’s when I said her name.

I couldn’t help it; I took a step back. I’ll be the first to admit that I am a coward. I don’t run into falling buildings like the heroes of September 11th, I don’t run toward gunshots like the heroes of October 1. I took a cowardly step back hoping it wouldn’t happen again. Kai smiles at me as her eyes now appear normal. Thinking I look silly, I take her arm and start walking towards my dorm room.

“Uh…Where are we going?” Kai asks. She takes her arm out of mine, stops and stares at me.

“I thought we were going to my dorm room. I guess I should have asked you first, huh?” I say feeling embarrassed. She taps the toe of one shoe against the ground with her index finger stuck in her mouth.

“A ’your place or mine,’ kind of thing, right, Mike?” she says a knowing smile on her face.

’Shit, did I say something wrong?’ I think over what I said. “Look, I don’t know how these things go, but I thought if a woman left a bar with you, then you were promised a good time back at your place. Am I wrong there?” I ask trying to understand.

“I’m just fucking with you Mike, but why don’t we go to my place? It would be a lot quieter and more private, that sound good?” She licks her full lips then adjusts the strap of her purse.

I am not very intuitive, but warning bells start ringing all over the place. I try to tell myself that there is nothing to fear, but something doesn’t want me going to her place. She stands there watching me make this decision with that smile on her face. A smile that is so contagious that I can’t help but smile back.

“Wow Mike, don’t hurt yourself making the decision.” She says. “Am I so disgusting that it takes you this long to decide if you want to go home with me?” she asks, placing her hands back on her curvaceous hips.

Damnit, why can’t I get this right? Is there anyone who can help me figure out what to do? I try to respond but I sputter, I try again and almost choke on the saliva in my mouth. I take a deep calming breath and try again.

“No, it’s nothing like that Kai, I would love to go to your house. I just don’t want to screw up my studies. I didn’t know how you would deal with the fact that I have to leave early.” I say, hoping I repaired some of the mess that I was getting myself into.

“I know what you mean; I have things I have to do tomorrow myself. So, you’re just going to have to make do with a one-night stand.” She says, causing me to sputter again. She places her arm back in mine and leads me toward her place.

We didn’t talk much while walking toward her place and after fifteen minutes of walking Kai asked if we could stop for a few beers from 7-11.

“I noticed you didn’t finish yours in Barbs, so I feel like I owe you one.” She says walking into the convenience store. I can’t help but feel touched by her consideration and I offer to pay for the beers, but she declines. A few minutes later, she leaves the store with a six-pack of MGD.

“Hope you like Miller.” she says handing me the case of beer.

She puts her arm in mine and we continue on our way to her place. I’m starting to get a little tired and don’t really feel like going to her place anymore, when she stops in front of a stucco apartment building.

“This is it. This is my place.” She says raising one hand, as she leads me to the front door. She digs into her purse while I take a better look at the building. I have been down this street several times and I have never seen this building. I don’t know if it was me not paying attention to my surroundings, but I know they didn’t build this place over night; hell in Vegas it takes them two weeks to build a fire.

Kai was right, the neighborhood is quiet. No cars careening down the street, no music blasting from an open window; as a matter of fact, the only sound I can hear is the contents of Kai’s purse as she digs through it for her keys. She looks up at me with shame written on her face.

“I’m sorry, I had them right here, just give me a minute.” She takes her purse and upends it right here on the sidewalk. She hunkers down on her knees and starts to search through the contents of her purse with a small penlight in her hand.

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” I say while walking over to her. I lift her hand to her face. The penlight was on a loop attached to her keychain. Her eyes bulge with shock.

“Oh shit, I’m such a damn idiot.” She says slamming all of her things back in her purse. She stands with a cautious smile on her face. “You still want to come in or did I just blow it?” she asks as she places her hands behind her back. Her modesty makes me feel worse than I already feel for showing her the damn keys. I was going to tell her that I’m going home, but she looks so embarrassed and too damn sexy to just leave.

“No, I want to see your place. You got me here and now I want to see where this goes.” I respond taking her hand. She opens the door to her apartment.

“After you.” She says moving to allow me to enter first.

I may be a coward, but I will always be a gentleman; my momma taught me right. “OH, no. I can’t do that, it’s supposed to be ladies first.” I say stopping in front of her and allowing her to enter first.

“How thoughtful.” She says walking into the apartment. I walk in behind her and close the door as quietly as possible, in case someone was in the apartment sleeping.

**************

“’Now I want to see where this goes.’”

That’s what I said. Stupid fucking idiot. I should have known that a woman looking like Kai that wanted me wasn’t right. I thought my luck was changing; thought things were finally going my way. At least that’s the excuse I keep telling myself when I ask, ′how the hell did you get yourself into this one Mikey boy?′

Things were going well in the beginning. Her apartment was pretty nice; she’d taken her time to make the place look feminine and classy. There were paintings everywhere, many by artists that I’ve never known. She had black leather furniture that almost swallowed me whole when I sat on one of the two couches and hardwood floors that were perfect for lovemaking. I was starting to calm down, my alarms were cooling now that we were in the house and she was all over me like lotion.

I didn’t know what my next move would be, but Kai worked like she’d done this before; she unbuttoned my shirt with long fingers that were made for a piano. The dimly lit living room caused her eyes to shine that curious shade of green. It reminded me of the crazy green glow you see in supernatural horror movies, but instead of bothering me like before, her eyes just excited me. I began to imagine entering her, while she stared up at me with those strange eyes.

“I’m going to go change into something more comfortable.” She said flicking her tongue on the tip of my ear. My reaction was instantaneous. My joint got hard and I grabbed her by the arm trying to put her hand on my throbbing penis. “Just relax Mike.” Kai said pulling her hand away and walking toward her bedroom. “Why don’t you pop open one of those beers while I slip out of these heavy clothes.” she said, closing the door quietly.

I didn’t want a beer, I wanted to be in the room helping Kai slip into or out of something more comfortable. I decided instead to check out some of the paintings she had, hoping to calm myself and distract my curious and perverted imagination.

I walked around the quaint living room, studying the strange and interesting paintings. Kai had some wonderful art; all of it illustrated a woman as its central figure. The artists took time to create the image of power, grace, and beauty known solely as woman. I didn’t know if the same artist did each but with the way the styles differed, I don’t think they were by one person. I stood staring at a picture, of a large bat-like creature that clearly had female appendages, slaughtering a large group of people with her tail. The muscles rippled as she eviscerated her prey. I was trying to get a better look at the creature, there was something quite strange and familiar about it, when the door behind me opened.

“I wanted to ask you about some of these pictures, who is the….?” Was as far as I got, because I think my jaw dropped to the ground; that was the best way to explain how good the woman looked in her ‘get comfortable’ outfit. She stood there naked as the day she was born, her large nipples reminded me of Hershey’s kisses, large brown areolas that sat perky on beautiful flawless breast. She had a well-toned body and I couldn’t help but lick my lips in anticipation. I walked over to her and tried to kiss her like Denzel would, putting a hand in her hair and grabbing the back of her head, but I’m not a debonair lover, and my hand tangled in her hair. We worked my fingers out of her hair then she escorted me to her room, explaining a little bit about the pictures that held places on the walls even in her room.

“I try to keep a show of feminine strength around me at all times. I got pieces from every artist I could find that do the feminine form.” She said pushing me toward a comfy looking king size bed, that took up half of her large bedroom. The quilt on the bed was made of material so soft it felt like velvet. The room wasn’t too big, but it had enough space for two nightstands that flanked the bed, a large brown oak dresser, a small desk with a sweet looking laptop sat situated in one corner, while a door led to a huge bathroom that could be seen from the bedroom.

I sat down on the bed while Kai turned from me swinging her hips. She moved toward a small Bose radio that sat on the dresser and switched to a jazz satellite channel. The music poured out smoothly engulfing me in a heart wrenching and remarkable instrumental score.

Kai danced back over to me and straddled my right leg, pressing her shaved crotch into the denim. I tried to keep my cool, but her moisture seeped through the denim. It has been a long time for me and already I could feel condensation soaking my underwear. I rubbed my hand along her back while she worked the buttons of my pants.

“Oh, somebody’s happy to see me.” She said cupping me when she got her hand in my pants.

I tried to focus but what Kai was doing to me was pushing out any rational thought I could muster. She’d just placed her mouth on my right nipple when the sound of something smashing came from the living room. I stopped to look toward the door, but couldn’t see anything. I looked down at kai but she was exploring my body with her tongue. I had to put both of my hands on either side of her face to make Kai stop.

“Did you hear that?” I asked looking into her magical eyes.

She shook her head as best she could then smiled at me. I told her I would go check out the sound but she told me that it was probably one of her neighbors,

’but it sounded like it was just in the other room’ I thought but she continued her earlier ministrations and all thoughts were forgotten. Placing her hands on my thighs Kai dropped her head and took me in her mouth.

My breath rushed out of me in a whoosh. I was having a hard time concentrating on anything even Kai. The only thing I could think about was the overwhelming satisfaction that engulfed me. I tried to look down at her, look into the eyes of the woman; admire the work she was doing on me, but my eyes wouldn’t focus. I placed a hand in her hair, wanting to force her to take more when her hair hissed like it was teeming with snakes. The braids moved, whispery tentacles rubbing against my skin, trying to wrap around my wrist as they massaged me.

I snatched my hand back and looked down into the dark mass of hair, Kai raised her head and her emerald eyes locked on mine, Kai flicked her tongue from her thick lips causing a shiver to crawl down my spine. I looked at her hair, it looked normal to me, she smiled around my member then continued her attempt at driving me crazy. It was taking all the willpower I had to not throw her down and shove myself deep, but I wanted to take my time.

Kai slid my penis out of her mouth then licked her way back up to my neck. She worked her way over to my earlobes and I swear I saw stars. I could feel my toes crinkle and my ass cheeks tighten. I was about to detach myself from her and take control of the situation when Kai sunk her teeth into my neck causing me to pull away from her screaming.

Blood surged from the wound covering her hand and half of her face in my thick crimson fluid. She flicked her tongue out trying to catch the arch of blood, then shoved her face into my neck whipping it back and forth.

The only thing I could hear was the sound of my own heart beating and the wheeze of my laboring lungs. I tried to shove the wench off of me, but she seemed to get stronger with every drop of blood she sucked out of me. The room started to fog up and I could feel my legs weakening. Something told me that if I fell in this room, I would be dead. I punched her with one hand while trying to wrench her head away from the damn gash she’d put in my neck. I tried to move away, but every move caused the pain to triple, the damn leech was still attached to me and the throb in my ears was starting to slow down.

I looked around the room for something strong enough to knock this crazy bitch off of me when my eyes fell on a lamp that sat on one of the nightstands. I snatched the lamp up and smashed it against the side of her head. Kai brought her head up and flashed her fangs at me. I think women beaters are the lowest form of garbage in the world, I can never see a reason for hitting a woman. Today I found one; I smashed my fist into the side of Kai’s head several times before she fell over laughing at me. She stood up slowly, laughing harder as she wiped my blood from her mouth. I took the remains of my shirt and pressed it hard against my neck, hoping this crazy ass bitch didn’t hit my jugular, I guess if she had I wouldn’t have to worry. Kai licked all of the blood off her fingers.

“Umm you taste good Mike. I think we′re going to get to know each other really well.” she said sauntering toward me.

I screamed and ran out of the room headed for the front door. I just wanted to get out of this building alive. I had my hand on the knob and freedom when something large hit me from behind, smashing my face into the wood while it pinned me there. I tried to see what held me down, but the only thing I saw was teeth. The thing grabbed me by the hair, tearing out a good portion as it turned me back toward the way I came.

Kai sauntered out of the room with her hands behind her back; she looked like an innocent young woman, instead of the monster that she’d become. “What’s wrong Mikey you don’t want to play with me anymore?” ’Dear god I’m going to die’ I thought as she got closer. "I thought you wanted to ’see where this leads.’" She said placing a finger in her mouth. She took the finger out and ran it down her body.

Even though I knew I would die, Kai touching herself caused me excitement. The thing behind me chuckled, then I was flung toward Kai, who held her arms out to me like a mother welcoming a child home. I stumbled into her; causing us to tumble into the side of her sofa. I was a bit dazed, but I got to my feet and lurched into Kai’s room, slammed the door and locked it.

Now I’m standing here trying to keep a few pieces of wood between two crazies and myself. I looked around the room for something to use as a weapon but there was nothing in this room that could help me. I quickly run through my options and come back with zilch. I’m going to die in this peace of crap apartment. I could feel the blood oozing down my neck and all at once it was too much. I couldn’t believe the one time that I tried to have fun this happens. I bang on the door with both of my fists.

“Why?” I yell angry at the unfairness. “Why me?” I scream kicking the door. There was no response from the other side.

The energy I used to rage at the door caused the world to grey over. I am losing blood faster because of my pointless exertions. I must figure out a way to get to the hospital, but with the things still in the other room I was stuck. ’Why haven’t they tried to get in?’ I think while putting my ear to the cool wood. I couldn’t hear anything but that didn’t mean squat. They were probably waiting for me to think things are safe, then attack me when I step out the door. Screw that, whatever they are doing on the other side of the door means nothing to me. I used up some energy pushing one of the dressers in front of the door, then shuffle weakly toward one of the windows. The drop wouldn’t be far but with my neck hanging open, I could make things a lot worse if I fell the wrong way. I laughed at the irony of it, I’m worried about breaking my neck or something, while trying to get away from people who want to kill me. Sounds like a case of damned if I do.

My laughter must have upset someone, because something slammed into the door so hard that the building shook. I didn’t need any further encouragement, I launched myself through the glass like a wide receiver diving for a pass.

The drop seemed longer than it actually was, I landed seconds after lunching myself through the window; if it wasn’t for the bushes in the yard of a neighbor this tale would have ended; me the new hopscotch on the sidewalk. I tumbled out of the bushes and limped toward the street. The noise inside hadn’t roused anyone. I got my bearings and hobbled toward the direction of the 7-11 we’d visited earlier. I had to cross in front of Kai’s door to get to the convenience store, and as I placed my foot on the concrete the door to Kai’s apartment building burst open. The biggest freaking white boy I have ever seen charged toward me.

I didn’t even think, I turned and hobbled down the street screaming my ass off. I could hear the breathing of the guy right near my ear, feel each burst of breath on the back of my neck. I don’t know why he doesn’t just jump on me and be done with it. A car rounds the corner at the exact moment the guy takes a hold of my collar. I fall to the ground screaming as the lights of the car lit us up. The white guy let out a high-pitched squeal then his weight is lifted off of me.

I raise my head, looking for Andre the giant, but he’s gone. The driver of the car runs over to me, barely able to talk.”H-H..” he sputters. I can see the shine on the top of his head as he tries to get himself together. “Hey kid, kid are you ok?” the driver asks in a deep voice. “Why did that dude attack you? What the hell was his problem?” He went on like that as he tried to get me to my feet, throwing in a “What the hell got a hold to you?” when he finally took a good look at my neck, but the guy was a godsend. He got me to the hospital in time and called the cops about my crazed attacker.

The cops said the driver disappeared after he left his name, they didn’t have an address or phone number.

"Now, let’s try this again, tell us what happened.” Officer Jordan asks, one of the two police officers who’d been questioning me for the last two hours. I look at him then his partner, trying to figure out what else to say. It all seemed so crazy now that I was out of danger. How could I get these two officers to believe a word of this story?

“Officer Jordan.” I say, moving the pillows underneath me to get a better position.” What’s your greatest fear?”