Midtown: Chapter 4

Ed stood in the arrival area of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport with about twenty to thirty others awaiting the arrival of their loved one. It had been a few years since she’d seen Ash. She hoped she’d recognize her. She couldn’t have grown though. Ash had always been the shortest of them all at an even 5 feet tall. She leaned up against a column with a big smile highlighting her memories. Someone tapped her on the shoulder.

“Who are we waiting for?” Ed looked down in the direction the voice was coming from. All she saw was the top of a fitted cap.

“Excuse me?” The cap came off and there stood Ash, with a huge, devious smile on her face.

“Oh, you don’t recognize me now?” Ed grabbed her lifting her up off the ground.

“Damn, girl, when did you go and do all of this?” She stuck her hands through Ash’s locs. “Your hair is longer than mine!” Ed stood in amazement. This was her friend, her best friend, but there was something different about her. Something more mature. Something incredibly sexy.

“Are you gonna make me camp out in the airport? Or can we get the hell outta here?”

The ride home was filled with them recounting old stories. Every so often, Ed would glance over at Ash in amazement. She was just a shade or two lighter than herself. Her locs were lightened to a light brown and hung loosely around her heart shaped face. She looked like a lion. Wild, free and completely in control.

“I’m going to put you up on the third floor with me. There isn’t a bed in the other room yet, so you’ll have to bunk with me.” They made their way up to the top level.

“I’m not sleeping in the bed with you. You might want to rub on my booty or something…” Ash complained with a smile.

“Girl, you ain’t got no damn booty to rub on. Bony ass.” Ed pointed out where everything was. “You might want to start getting ready to go. We have to be out of here in about an hour and I know how long it takes you to get dressed, so go ahead in the shower.”

Ed turned on some music and cranked the volume as high as she thought her speakers could handle. She flipped through her closet, not realizing she had started to sing along. Soon Ash was standing next to her, wrapped in a teal towel, singing with her. She flung her hair behind her back and started to dance.  Hypnotized, Ed watched Ash’s hips sway for twenty seconds before she could respond.

“Still haven’t found that rhythm, huh?” Ash stuck her tongue out at her as she rummaged through her suitcase.  “You done in here?” Ed gestured towards the bathroom. Ash nodded.

Ed exited the bathroom fifteen minutes later. Her eyes widened in surprise. Ash lay on her side on the edge of the bed, with her silver sandaled feet hanging off the side. All Ed saw were curves. Not dangerous, over exaggerated curves like Taylor, but gentle waves worth exploring. Stop it, Ed though to herself, she’s your friend and she’s straight.

Ash watched Ed’s reaction to her. It caused warmth to spread throughout her body. She had always been in love with Ed, but let her inexperience with women stop her from telling her.  What was stopping her now? No longer inexperienced, what reason should she keep this information a secret? She had to remember, Ed was freshly single and she didn’t want to be her rebound. She’d have to lay back now and slowly let Ed get comfortable with her being gay while making herself an integral part of her life.

Ash watched Ed button a lime green shirt, and slide on dark brown cargo shorts. Everything fit as though it had been tailored to her body. She went to slide on a dark brown fitted cap. She slid her feet into a pair of men’s sandals. Ed checked herself in the mirror. She added a long silver chain. Then scrunched her face up at her own reflection.

“Something’s not right…” She turned around and faced Ash. Ash stood and looked at her.

“I got it!” Ash bent down to look through her suitcases. She re-emerged with a brown tweed cab hat. “Come here, and bend down.” Ed lowered her head allowing Ash to position the hat on her head.  Ed felt herself getting seduced by Ash’s scent. “There.”

“Hell, yeah.” Ed admired herself in the mirror.

Ed, Brie, Ki and Ash all entered the spot together. The other 2 had been waiting in the living room when they finally finished dressing. They grabbed the last empty booth. Brie and Ash went to the bar to get drinks while Ed and Ki guarded the booth.

“Dude, she fine, right?”

“As hell. Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Maan, I mean, when I saw her last year she was lookin’ good, but something has changed about her. I don’t know what it is.”

“Me, either, but she’s sexy to me.” They watched the girls up at the bar. They seemed to be having their own intense conversation.

“But Brie is sexy. There’s something else. I dunno, man. But remember that’s our friend. Our straight friend.”

“I know, I know!”

“Why don’t you just tell her?” Brie asked Ash as they waited for their drinks. “Tell her you’re a les and that she’s the love of your life?”

“For real, Brie? Don’t you think that’s a bit much? Her and Taylor have been broken up for what? Two seconds?”

“Maybe you’re right. Just don’t let that bitch back into her life.” Brie pointed at Taylor’s approach to the booth.

“No, I won’t let that happen.” Ash grabbed her glass of wine and Ed’s beer before making her way through the crowd to the booth.  She stepped around Taylor and slid into the booth next to Ed.  Brie slid in next to Ki. “Babe, I got your beer…” Taylor walked away from the table in a huff.

“Yall with all this baby stuff. One day someone is going to think yall are together,” Brie warned.

“So?” Ash asked.

“So?” Ed agreed.

“You don’t care if someone thinks you like girls?” Ki asked. Ash looked at Brie.

“I do like girls. Yall didn’t get the memo?” Ash and Brie started laughing. Ed choked on her beer.

“Since when?”

“Since the first time I saw you in your boxers. I just knew I had to have me some of that,” Ash directed her comment at Ki who started blushing.

“Whatev, bitch!” The entire table started laughing. The lights dimmed as Dae took her place on stage in front of the mic. Music started to pour from the speakers and Dae began to bounce to the beat. The audience started dancing in their seats as soon as they recognized the melody for Jazmine Sullivan’s “I Need You Bad.” Dae opened her mouth allowing soulful notes to fill the small venue.

The applause was thundering when the last note was bellowed. The DJ started playing reggae. Brie pulled Ash to the dance floor.

“Can you believe both of those women live with us?” Ki watched Brie and Ash. They were busy entangling themselves together, gyrating and grinding their way into a giant pretzel.

“And one of them will be in my bed,” Ed took her hat off and ran her hands through her hair.

A love of beautiful things: words, art and women, led Alix B. Golden to create, I Bleed Ink. Read her blog or contact her on twitter.