#thread: israel bronx

[xtruss]

In New York, The Democratic Establishment Strikes Back

But The Defeat of One Progressive Congressman Shows How Deep The Party’s Divisions Run

— June 26th 2024 | The Economist

Illustration of a donkey split in half and sewing itself back together with thread using its teeth, the spool has a label saying Biden 2024 on it. Photograph: Kal

You might expect a party’s leaders to inspire its activists about an upcoming election by invoking the vision of their standard-bearer. But on a recent sweltering Saturday afternoon, in a park in the Democratic stronghold of the South Bronx, in New York, Democrat after Democrat, including three congressmen and a senator, spent 75 minutes addressing a crowd of more than a thousand without mentioning President Joe Biden.

For all the enthusiasm, there was, in retrospect, a touching quality to the scene, and not only because the congressman who was the focus of the rally, Jamaal Bowman, would go on to lose his primary three days later, on June 25th. It captured the predicament Mr Biden has presented to his party’s leftists, and that they are presenting him in return. Can they praise Mr Biden, and he them, without alienating key supporters? Can they criticise one another to court such supporters without helping Donald Trump?

The war in Gaza has so sharpened such questions about where Democrats stand that it is splitting the anti-war left itself. Mr Bowman’s criticism of Israel prompted the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (aipac), a pro-Israel group, to spend a record amount of money to defeat him. Yet during the rally, scores of protesters, blocked off by steel barricades and watched by police, chanted for a “free Palestine” and against Mr Bowman and the other Democrats on stage, who included such stars of the left as Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders. “aoc, Bowman, Sanders: Shills for ‘Genocide Joe’ Biden!” read one sign. Even from inside the barricades, Mr Sanders drew some boos when he said Israel “had the right to defend itself against a terrorist attack” before adding, “It does not have the right to go to war against the entire Palestinian people.”

Mr Biden beat Donald Trump in New York in 2020 by 23 points, but a Siena College poll this month found Mr Biden leading by just eight. He and Democrats generally have lost favour with independent voters and others who do not affiliate with either major party, the state’s second-biggest bloc after Democrats. With six congressional seats in New York believed to be up for grabs—including five picked up by Republicans in 2022—Democrats are trying to reclaim the political centre. Mondaire Jones, a former congressman running in a district adjoining Mr Bowman’s, once advocated defunding the police, but recently told the Washington Post that was “one of the dumbest phrases ever to exist in American politics”. Mr Jones alienated former allies on the left by endorsing Mr Bowman’s opponent, George Latimer.

Though Democrats’ lurch towards the centre in New York is unmistakable, Mr Bowman’s race is better understood as an indicator of the tensions building within the party than of how they will be resolved. Mr Bowman, a 48-year-old former school principal given to joyfully rapping in social-media posts, is the first member of the “Squad” of progressive legislators to lose a primary. He is black, and his defeat by a 70-year-old white moderate endorsed by the likes of Hillary Clinton might be read as a sign that the establishment is back in control. But Mr Latimer was a formidable candidate with a long record of service as a local elected official, and Mr Bowman, who first won his congressional seat in 2020, was particularly vulnerable.

Mr Bowman went well beyond criticising Israel’s war in Gaza—a mainstream Democratic position—to dismiss reports of rape by Hamas as “propaganda”. He apologised for that, but as recently as the final debate of the primary he accused Israel of “75 years of military occupation”, a view questioning the legitimacy of the state itself. He had other troubles. It emerged in the campaign that in years past he indulged in conspiracy theories about the attacks of September 11th 2001 and other subjects. He was caught on video last year pulling a fire alarm in a House office building, prompting an evacuation before a vote on a funding bill, and he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour. He could be tone deaf to the politics of his district, mostly composed of suburbs of New York City. “We’re gonna show fuckin’ aipac the power of the motherfuckin’ South Bronx!” he roared on Saturday—a vow that might have vexed his constituents not merely for its profanity but also because the South Bronx is not in their district.

The role of aipac in the race also complicates its lessons. The group’s political arm spent more than $14.5m helping Mr Latimer, the most ever spent by an interest group on a House race, but not by emphasising Mr Bowman’s views on Israel. Instead, its ads portrayed him as undermining Mr Biden by, for example, voting against his infrastructure bill.

Donald Trump, Unifier

Because aipac’s donors include Republican billionaires, Mr Bowman charged that “Republican racist maga Trump money” was trying to buy the district for Mr Latimer. Indeed, to some on the left, how Mr Bowman lost is a sign they are winning the larger struggle. As Usamah Andrabi, the communications director for Justice Democrats, a political action committee, argues, “It shows how weak the establishment and aipac are that they have to resort to breaking records alongside Republican billionaires to advance their interests.” For its part aipac is already boosting the primary opponent of another vulnerable member of the Squad, Congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri, whose contest is in August.

Far more than admiration for Mr Biden, antipathy to Mr Trump is holding the Democratic Party together. That may prove enough to turn out progressives to vote again for the president this autumn. But whoever wins, any polite silence within the party will end after November, and a great, noisy struggle will begin over whether the likes of Mr Bowman, or of Mr Latimer, should represent its future. ■

[cagedbirdmaya]

All For Us

INVOLVED: Maya Morgan and Israel West TIME FRAME: Flashback LOCATION: Elk Trail Lodge; Denver, Colorado SUMMARY: Maya and Israel both explore things they hadn’t since their divorces.

“Taking it all for us, oh. Doing it all for love“ - All For Us; Labrinth & Zendaya

Israel stepped out into the hallway from one of the bathrooms, with his towel hung low on his hips. He held his bathroom kit in hand, idly shuffling through it, looking for his Chapstick as he walked slowly down the hall. 

 Maya tied her robe off and she licked her full lips, sliding her feet into her slippers before she picked up the teacup she had been drinking from. It was time for her to discard it for the night, it was cold now and she’d drunk the majority of it. Picking it up she moved for the door walking out of the room she assigned herself and she looked down, making sure she had a steady hand. She didn’t want to waste anything, and she looked up to see Israel and her face flushed quickly. “I am so sorry” she said not knowing why as she covered her eyes with her hands, backing up against the wall gently. A complete and clumsy mess right now at the sight of his glistening body. 

 Israel’s fingers moved through the bag easily, pushing things out of the way and off to the side of it as he searched and searched, his feet dragging against the rug that ran the length of the hallway as he walked slowly. He only looked up when he heard Maya excusing herself and he tilted his head to the side a bit as she covered her eyes. “You alright, Maya?” he asked her curiously, moving his kit to his side now, holding it to his hip with his hand as he gazed at her curiously. 

 Maya didn’t move her hand from her face before she nodded her head “yeah, yeah” she stammered. “I-” she said before she slid against the wall trying to move past him. “Just trying to get to the kitchen to place this there” she said holding up the cup as she moved her hand, blushing as he continued to stand there half naked. “I didn’t know you were, you know,” she said, gesturing to him with the cup as she kept her eyes low. 

 As Maya stuttered and stammered, Israel grew worried until she held up the cup, still hiding behind her hand and he chuckled now. “What are you hiding from?” he asked her with a small smirk on his lips. “I was what?” he asked her with a hum as he shifted some, his muscles flexing a bit. 

 Maya's head was still down, and her eyes were fixed on the ground, lord Jesus please just move. “Half naked” she let fall from her mouth before she could stop it and she covered her mouth with her hand gently. “I, I, I” she said flushed now as she tried to move around his frame to get to the kitchen. 

 Israel gazed at Maya and he looked down at himself at her words and he said, “oh…” He guessed he was half naked. “I didn’t realize…” he folded his arms over his chest now, “sorry, I didn’t know you were bothered by it,” he admitted. “I’ll cover up,” he said with a chuckle, his muscular arms, bunching at his chest as he held his kit under his arm. 

 Maya looked up at him now, her efforts to move around him foiled “I didn’t say I was bothered” she said dropping her head again before she slid past him, holding her robe closed. “It’s okay” she called back out to him as she held her robe down in the back moving for the steps as she headed towards the kitchen. 

 Israel nodded at Maya, watching as she slid past him and he turned his body, following her with his eyes as he nodded at her. “I’ll still try and be more conscious,” he told her before he said, “used to living alone.” Watching Maya move down the steps, he hummed to himself before he finally continued to his room. He entered and closed the door behind him.

 Maya nodded her head at him, though words had left her a while ago. The man was so damn fine, she couldn’t believe a woman would be dumb enough to give him up. With a shake of her head she dumped the tea out and washed the cup quickly before placing it on the rack to dry. She wanted his company in the home, so she wouldn’t be alone. But damn, him being here just reminded her how long she hadn’t been held, touched, kissed, and wanted by anyone. He made her yearn for something she knew she couldn’t have; she shook her head again. Drying her hands with a towel before she placed it back and moved back upstairs turning the lights off when she did. 

 Israel put on some clothes, slipping into a pair of boxer briefs, sweatpants, and a tank top easily. He hung his towel up on the back of his door easily before he stuffed his feet into his slippers. Walking out of the room, he moved back into the hallway, catching Maya once more. “I know it’s kind of late, but I was thinking about making breakfast for dinner, did you want some?” he asked her thoughtfully. 

 Maya moved down the hallway, seeing Israel again and she took him in now all clothed, only wishing we weren’t, again. She licked her lips and said “uh…” she had planned on going to sleep but she guessed she could eat? Or maybe keep him company? “I.. uh” she said again “sure” she said to him nodding her head as she held her robe closed discreetly. 

 Israel nodded at her and he smiled a bit, his dimples creasing behind his beard. He moved for her and placed his hand on her shoulder kindly, leading her back down the steps in the darkness. As they reached the landing, he released her, flipping on the hallway light before he moved his way to the kitchen. Entering he turned on that light as well, “so how are you settling?” he asked her as he moved to wash his hands in the sink. 

 As he led her away from her room, she bit her lip, she had nothing on beneath the robe, but a thong and she had all intentions of going into her room to put something more presentable on. She licked her lips slowly as he moved her into the kitchen. She looked at him and said “great” she breathed to him softly. “No complaints” Maya told him as she continued to hold her robe close, she stood beside the countertop watching him wash his hands. 

 Turning off the water, Israel shook his hands out in the sink a bit before he reached for the paper towel, ripping off a piece as he looked back at Maya over his shoulder as he dried his hands. Tossing the paper towel in the trash now, he said, “I’m glad you’re adjusting well,” he told her easily, licking his lips slowly as he gazed upon her. Since the kiss they stared at lunch a few days ago, he honestly couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. Not that it had been easy before, but the kiss, definitely put things into perspective for him. Turning from her now, he opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a carton of eggs and a package of bacon, sitting both on the island. 

 Maya dropped her hands now, resting them against the countertop as she watched him, and she nodded her head. “Thanks for… you know, coming by and staying around here with me so that I won’t be alone” she told him looking down at her ringless finger. “You didn’t have to, yet you did,” she said to him as she stood in the slightly cool air. 

 Turning back to the fridge, Israel leaned down and opened the fruit/vegetable compartment, pulling out a fresh tomato, an onion, and a green bell pepper, along with a small package of spinach. He placed those items on the counter as well before he looked at Maya. “It’s no problem,” he told her. “This is a pretty big place to stay in all by yourself, especially as a woman,” he said, “I wanted you to feel safe and comfortable,” he told her as he looked at her for a moment, just taking her in before he nodded, “I kind of know how hard it is to start over, so, I wanted to be here for you,” he said, licking his lips; he never did find his Chapstick. 

 Maya nodded her head at his words, tucking some hair behind her ear as he spoke. “Yeah, true” she said, she was a woman who didn’t know anything about where she was, or the type of danger she could be in at all times. “You never… really told me what happened…” she said to him her eyes on him now. “With your… divorce” she said. He basically knew all of her business so he could care to share. 

 Israel closed the fridge now before he reached on top of it for the bread. He placed that on the counter as well, fulfilling everything that he needed to make their dinner. He shifted now, moving to another part of the kitchen as he opened up a cabinet, grabbing two skillets and a cutting board. “Well,” he said looking at her as he walked back over, “there’s not much to tell,” he admitted, placing the skillets on the stove and the cutting board on the counter. “My wife actually just didn’t want to be married anymore,” he told her. “She felt tied down and indebted,” he explained, these were the words his ex-wife said to him, “and she wanted out,” he admitted. “I think in the end, we were young when we married, just out of high school,” he told Maya, “and we just grew apart,” he said with a bit of a shrug as he grabbed a knife and began to cut the tomato. 

 Maya listened to his story and she nodded her head, her eyes focused on him giving him her undivided attention which was something she was used to having to do with Levi. She frowned a bit at the comment and said “her loss” before she could think about it clearly. “I’m sorry” she said behind that comment “I just… you are a great man, from what I see. Hard worker. Very big heart…” she said to him quietly. “I don’t know how someone could give that all up… well, I guess now I do” she sighed heavily at that as she shook her head. 

 Israel cut up the tomato in medium to small pieces as he looked at her, a chuckle escaping him. “You know… sometimes… people are just happier elsewhere,” he said, “and I’m happy for her if she’s happy,” he told Maya easily before she went on and he smirked a bit at her compliments and he said, playfully, “my head is already a bit big now, don’t inflate it anymore.” At her ending statement, he looked at Maya and said, “maybe you were meant for something or someone better.” He gazed into her eyes for a moment before he turned on one of the skillets and let it warm up a bit, pushing the tomatoes to the side as he began to peel the onion. 

 At his response she shook her head “no one is looking at me, not when I look like this” she said as she shifted on her feet. Maya moved her hands at her side now, trying not to fidget too much around him, she was also so nervous but really, he made her that way. 

 Stopping mid-peel, Israel looked at Maya, a bit shocked by her words now. Did he need to remind her of the kiss they shared at the diner? “What are you talking about?” he asked her as he sat the knife down and turned to the sink to rinse his hands. He wiped them off on his sweats as he rounded the counter, moving for her. Standing in front of her, he placed his finger under her chin, tilting her head up. “You’re beautiful Maya.” 

 Maya looked back over at him, his words confusing her she’d spoken plainly for him to hear. When he moved for her, finger landing beneath her chin, her heart began to race at their closeness. She didn’t know how to take his words; she didn’t even say thank you. She didn’t feel beautiful, Levi didn’t think she was. He hated the way she looked; her ugliness drove him away. So instead she shifted her eyes away from him, keeping her emotions at bay. She shook her head slowly at his words “I don’t feel beautiful” she confessed as she looked back at him. 

 Israel gazed down into Maya’s eyes as he stood there. Their bodies were so close that they were sharing body heat and he could feel her fine hairs standing at attention from his touch. “Well, I am telling you, you’re beautiful, gorgeous, Maya,” he stressed. He had no idea just how much vile hatred Levi had spew upon her, but it sickened him to think someone as lovely as Maya didn’t see just how amazing she was. He stroked her chin with his thumb, his bottom lip pulling into his mouth, getting caught between his teeth. “I wish you could see what I see…” 

 Maya looked at him as he stressed to her that she was beautiful, gorgeous in fact and she closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them. He went on to speak and she tilted her head at him “why are you telling me these things?” she asked curiously. “Do you have pity on me?” she asked. “Is it just to make me feel good? In the moment… Do you even believe your words?” she asked him. 

 “Because they’re true,” Israel told her in a soft tone, his fingers moving from her chin to place his hand on her cheek, caressing her there as he listened to her, his heartbreaking for her. “The real question is, why don’t you believe my words?” he asked her gently, his other hand moving to rest on her hip, gripping the thin fabric of the silk rope there. 

 Maya looked into his eyes trying to find a lie in them and when he posed a question to her, she looked off again, not wanting to cry anymore other this. She felt his hand on her hip and that made her body shiver slightly. “I don’t know” she said to him honestly “I-I just don’t feel it…” she said shaking her head. “He told me I disgusted him,” she said quietly. “If you can disgust your husband well… you have to disgust everyone else around you. Rather they admit it or not” she said. 

 Israel stared at her and his neck jerked back a bit at her words. “I already told you, I ain’t Levi,” he said licking his lips now, “and he was a damn fool,” he told her. He had already expressed to her how he felt and here she was still speaking from that broken place and all the damage Levi had caused within her. He sighed deeply and said, “I don’t want to rush you into anything Maya but God, I wish I could truly show you, just how amazing I think you are,” he said, giving her hip a squeeze now, already having felt her shiver when he first placed his hand there. Tentatively, he began to bunch up the thin material in his hand there, until he was able to brush the soft tips of his fingers against the bare skin of her warm thigh. 

 Maya looked at him as he expressed how he was not her ex-husband and how the man was actually dumb. As he continued to express himself to her, she closed her eyes for a moment, her heart still racing in her chest rapidly as he tugged on the thin silk robe that wasn’t containing much to begin with. She exhaled a shaky breath as she looked at him, opening her eyes again. “Do it” she found herself saying before she clamped her mouth shut, shocked at her own self. Part of her meant it and other parts felt like maybe she should not have said it. 

 Gazing at her, Israel blinked slowly, his lips parting at her words. He let out a breath, his chest puffing out a bit as he continued to stare at her. He just took her in, his eyes searching hers before he pulled away from her slowly, letting the material of her robe go. He walked over to the stove and turned off the eye, the most important thing he needed to do before he left the kitchen. With that done, he returned to her quickly, pulling her close by his arm wrapped around her waist. He held her thick frame flush against his muscular one and he dipped his head, pressing a kiss to her lips. His other hand slid down her thigh before he was hoisting her up, forcing her legs to wrap around his waist as he held her. 

 Maya watched him as he pulled away, turning the stove off before he moved back to her. She watched him closely, not sure what he was going to do next. When he moved closer to her again and pulled her body to his she melted into him. The feel of how hard his body was against hers, just set something right off into her in the moment. Levi talked a lot of shit for a man who wasn’t fit at all, she just realized. He hoisted her up after capturing her lips and she kissed him deeply, her legs wrapping around him and a moan left her softly at the thought of him holding her up. 

 Israel kissed Maya’s lips, tenderly but wantingly. He was aggressive but still soft and mindful as she held her. His arm was strong around her waist, holding her steady against him as he walked out of the kitchen. He navigated the cabin with his eyes closed, as he knew it like the back of his hand. Taking the stairs up, his hand against Maya’s thigh stroked and caressed her there tenderly. Reaching the top of the steps, Israel walked down the hallway to the bedroom that he had claimed as his own. He pushed the door open with his foot and entered before he sat down on the bed with Maya in his lap. 

 As he began to walk with her in his grasp she moaned again softly, how was this possible? She was big as a house, yet he carried her effortlessly up the stairs and into his room. As he sat down on the bed with her, she opened her eyes to look at him, pulling her lips from his, a bit of shock behind her eyes. “I’m light?” Maya asked him curiously. 

 Israel rested comfortably against the mattress, letting out a breath as Maya broke their lip lock. He gazed at her, his hand tenderly stroking up and down the length of her thick thigh. “I just carried you effortlessly up the steps didn’t I,” he said, answering her question easily, his hands staying in safe areas against her body. His arm around her waist gripped her closer as he licked his lips slowly. Just having her in his lap like this made his body warm with lust and want for her, but he didn’t want to move too quickly. He had told her to, but he still wasn’t 100% sure. She was newly divorced, and he didn’t want to ruin things between them by rushing. He was a very patient man, he could wait. 

 Maya smirked, dropping her head to his shoulder for a moment before she leaned back up looking at him. “I know what I said… but we don’t have to if you don’t want to, it's fine” she told him softly. “It’s just been so long since… I’ve really done… that” she told him honestly. 

 Israel inhaled sharply at her words and he said, “I want to,” he told her, his strong hand gripping the meat on her thigh, “God do I want to,” he breathed, his forehead resting against hers as he closed his eyes, “but I want you to be comfortable and ready for this,” he told her, much more worried about her well-being then his own lustful needs. “Do you want this Maya?” he asked her, lifting his head, gazing into her eyes intensely. “Are you ready for me to love you?” he asked her. “To feel all of the emotions that I keep at bay for you?” he questioned. 

 Maya looked at him, her hands resting at his side now as he spoke to her so tenderly and with so much care. He posed a question to her and then another, then an even deeper one than the last. She licked her lips all she could do was nod her head at the man, she was falling for him. Well she had been for a while; he had a way about him she couldn’t shake. She pushed the robe down off her shoulders and she nodded her head a little faster as she pulled her arms from the robe and untied it. “Mhm” she said to him softly as she crashed her lips against his once more closing her eyes, God did she want to feel. Something. Anything. Whatever he had to offer and more if he had it. 

 Israel stared into Maya’s eyes, waiting with bated breaths for her to respond to him and when she nodded, he let out a gruttinal noise from the back of her throat. His tongue rolled over his lips, his eyes following to her bare breasts as she pulled her robe off of her shoulders. He had known that she wasn’t wearing a bra, or much of anything, under her robe when he first saw her standing there in the hallway covering her eyes, but he tried not to make it obvious that he was looking. Now, however, he took her in freely until she captured his lips and he kissed her back hungrily, his jaw slackening as he did. He took his tongue, his soft lips and tongue molding against hers as he explored her mouth. His large hands moved to rest against the globes of her ass, and he held her there, his fingers gathering the fat there, gripping strongly. 

 Maya moaned again into the man’s kiss as his hands roamed her plush body with his large rough hands. This felt amazing to her, just this right here. Being in a man’s arms that found you attractive enough to love on all your folds and curves. Her tongue toyed with his for a very long time before she pulled it away from him and pushed him back against the bed now. She looked down into his eyes for a moment before she tugged her robe off and tossed it aside. “I want to feel you, all of you” she breathed quietly to him as she sat upright on him. She pushed his shirt up revealing his chiseled body “God” she breathed. 

 Israel’s hands just held her by her ass, loving the fullness of it and the buoyancy of it. He didn’t want to do it, but he did it anyway, almost instinctively; his hand left her ass just for a moment to smack it, feeling it ripple against his palm before he was gripping once more. As she broke their kiss, he gazed into her eyes, his chest rising and falling as she breathed deeply. As she pushed him back against the bed, he watched her remove the robe completely, revealing every centimeter of skin to him. “God,” he breathed from the sight of her and her words. His hands left her ass and he lifted his arms for her as she pushed his shirt up. He didn’t want to be too overzealous but now he was so glad that he had gone ahead and grabbed that box of condoms from the store.

 Maya watched him take her in and she was flushed with nervousness, excitement, and disbelief of the way he was admiring her. She had felt him smack her ass earlier which was something she hadn’t experienced in many moons. She tugged his shirt up over his head and tossed it off to the side and she moved to roll off of his hips so that he could remove his bottoms. She laid herself down on the bed gently for him to move about as he needed to. “Um.. do you have” she said implying the obvious wanting to know, because maybe they didn’t need to indulge until they picked up some. 

 Israel let her pull his shirt off and he continued to take her in, just admiring her dips and curves until she moved off of him. He was thinking maybe she was having second thoughts, and if she was that was okay, until she implied having protection and he nodded. “I do,” he told her. “I grabbed some from the store a few weeks ago,” he breathed, “I didn’t want to be too wishful, but I also wanted to be prepared if…” he licked his lips slowly as he stood up from the bed and walked over to his nightstand. He leaned down and pulled the box from the opening under the drawer. It was still unopened and sealed. He sat it on top of the nightstand now. Pushing his sweatpants down, he stepped out of them, along with his slippers, before he moved for Maya once more. He lifted her and moved her further back on the bed, laying her head against the pillows. Resting on his knees, he whispered to her, “just relax and let me take care of you,” as he hovered over her. He pressed a kiss to her lips, then her jawline as his and rested against her knee before sliding down to her inner thigh, his soft but callus fingertips just teasing her there. 

 Maya looked at him and she nodded gently at his words, she hid her smirk, he’d really wanted her, and she hadn’t realized it. So much so that he’d prepared himself for them to take the next step if they wanted to, long before she knew there was a next step to be taken. Was she that blind thanks to Levi? He moved to the nightstand and pulled out the box of condoms that was still sealed closed and she looked over at him as he moved again. This time he removed his sweatpants and then moved over to her, she continued to watch him like a hawk. He picked her up and moved her into the bed further and she looked into his eyes as he told her he wanted to take care of her and that she needed to relax. So, she did and allowed him to do whatever it was he wanted to do to her. 

 Israel kissed along her jawline tenderly, nipping here and there softly as his fingers continued to tease her inner thigh. Spreading her legs a bit wider, he rested his body between them, letting her feel the weight of his body against her own as his lips slid down to her neck and he bit her there gently, his teeth teasing her warm skin before he set his lips in place and sucked softly, pulsating his mouth a bit as he did. His hand slid to her hip and he gently placed with the material of her thong. Moving his lips lower, he began to kiss down her chest, sliding his body lower as he did, until he was face to face with her perky, round, breasts. He pulled his bottom lip into his mouth letting out a groan as he looked at her, gazing into her eyes. Holding her gaze, he opened his mouth and let his tongue lave against her left nipple before he swirled it around her areola. He then took the entire area into his mouth, widening his jaw as he did, sucking her fully as his tongue swirled around the erect bud, his eyes still watching her the entire time. 

 Maya laid there looking up at the ceiling in wonder, she’d never slept with any man outside of her husband. One man her whole life, could you even imagine that? And now here she was about to sleep with a man Levi did not even match up to. He was sucking and nipping on her skin now and it made her feel all warm and tingly on the inside. Like a little schoolgirl she was aroused from the slightest touches her happened to be giving her. He managed to start kissing his way down further, moving for her large breast. Those used to be Levi’s favorite, she thought before she washed the idea away. Levi was no more, and she needed to embrace that now, so she chose to do just that. She looked down at him now as he toyed with her, his tongue gliding over her nipple before he took it into his mouth, and she moaned softly at the feel. “Mm” she said tenderly to him as her legs parted a little more for him, her thong moist from her want for him. 

 Feeling her legs open more for him, Israel settled closer to her as his eyes finally shut and he suckled her nipple like a baby, feeding for the first time. Sliding his hand up, he flicked her right nipple with his fingers, just teasing her there gently until his mouth released her nipple with a pop. He moved to the right now, sucking it into his mouth effortlessly, showing it the exact same treatment and attention that he had done to the left. His hand moved to her side and he gripped her there, his hand gripping her love handles lovingly. Brushing his fingers there, he felt the slight difference in skin texture, and he lifted his mouth from her nipple to look at the tattoo that she had there. “Still beautiful,” he read huskily before he caught sight of the other tattoo. “I hope you dance,” he breathed, immediately recognizing the song lyrics, which caused him to smile at her, his teeth white and bright as his fingers gently stroked across the words. “Mmm,” he hummed out before he returned to the task at hand. He slid his tongue down the valley of her breasts, stopping just a moment to nuzzle his face there, before he slid down further, his tongue licking at the skin of her stomach. He sucked on love handles and rolls with tenderness and care as his hands caressed her body, sweetly. His fingers the waistline of her thong once more and he gripped it, lifting the material under his fingertips. 

 Maya hummed softly at the feel of him turning her on little by little with his tongue, switching from one nipple to the next caused her eyes to roll shut. As his hands moved down her side, gripping their lightly, she licked her lips gently basking in the feel of being appreciated for once. He released her nipple and she opened her eyes again looking down at him as she rubbed his fingers against her tattoo’s, she often forgot about them most days, as he read them aloud, they made her heart skip a beat a bit in her chest. He moved back towards her skin and she watched him as he kissed down the valley of her breast, nuzzling himself there and she smirked a bit, biting her lip at the action. As he moved even further down, kissing rolls and giving them much needed attention, she didn’t know they needed she moved her hand to her mouth, this was so new to her. She’d had the weight on for a while and Levi didn’t touch, however even when he did it was never showered in appreciation like this. She was hiding again, even now, cowering away from him with a smirk on her face. 

 As Maya cowered away from him slightly, Israel lifted his head and looked at her as he gripped her hip. “Stop it,” he told her sternly, his voice deep with authority and lust. He licked his lips slowly, watching her closely before he continued on. He sucked one of her rolls, his teeth sinking into her skin tenderly before he released, and he let out a breath. The closer he drew between her legs the more he could smell the scent of her. “Mmm,” he groaned at the smell, “God, you smell good,” he told her now as he slid down further, burying his nose in her cloth covered pussy, just inhaling her now.  

 Maya dropped her hand and straightened up like he told her to, the authority laced in his voice causing her to quiver from the inside out. He moved closer and closer to her heat, causing her eyes to close again. She opened them when he spoke and she licked her lips, squirming when he stuck his nose in it. She tried not to chuckle, but it left her anyhow and she placed her hands against his shoulders, just holding him there as he teased her a bit more. 

 Looking up at Israel smiled as she laughed causing him to chuckle, he pulled back some and pulled her thong down. He took them off her feet and tossed them aside, before he inhaled her fully now. “Mmm,” he groaned as he kissed the inside of her thigh, sucking her there. He rubbed her other thigh gently before he kissed the curls of her mound, he nuzzled his nose against the hair there. He looked up at her before he spread her legs wider and he moved his head lower, licking at her slit now, his tongue gentle. 

 Maya looked down at Israel as he worked to remove her thong and her eyes grew, she had totally forgotten about the lack of self-care. Levi would have been repulsed by her not having gotten waxed but here he was catering to her body all the while. “I am so sorry, usually I am groomed” she rushed out, her hand moving to her mouth as she dropped her head back. Her cheeks turned red even as he licked up her folds, she embarrassed slightly. Had she known she would have taken care of it so that he didn’t have to, well, search for it in this way. 

 Israel looked up at Maya as she apologized and he said, “shh,” he whispered. “It’s fine,” he told her lovingly before he licked at her once more. He took used tongue swiping back and forth slowly as he dug into her gradually. He opened her up with his tongue, letting the tip flick back and forth against her clit softly. He sucked her gently, rolling his tongue over her slowly. He groaned at the taste of her, closing his eyes as he spread her legs wider, his palms resting on her thighs as he held her open for him. He let his tongue slid down now, sliding up and down the length of her slit before he was wiggling his tongue inside of her slowly, wanting to taste and explore all of her. 

 Maya stayed quiet like he told her to, and she kept her hand over her mouth out of shock and horror. He didn’t care but she did, she would have presented herself a little better for him however she let all of the melt away as he began eating her out. She groaned softly at him as she dropped her hands to her stomach resting him there. He spread her open even wider with the palm of his hands and she arched her back a gasp leaving her at the feel. “God” she said it was so simple, but she hadn’t had this done to her in so very long. She sucked Levi’s dick fairly often because she loved it, but he didn’t return the favor, asshole. However, Israel was a real man he took whatever you gave him and God did she love that about him. 

 Israel moaned softly at the taste of her, her eyes rolling behind his closed lids before he opened them and he looked at Maya, taking her in as his tongue rolled in and out of her. He watched her closely, taking in the expression on her face and the reaction of her body as he did so. With each thrust of his tongue inside of her, the strength grew stronger and stronger. He thrusted his tongue in and out of her sweet hole, slurping at her a bit before he pulled back and returned to her clit. He lapped at her sensitive bud, his entire tongue rubbing against it before he clicked with the tip. Sucking her clit into his mouth, he let his mouth pulsate around her bundle of nerves as his hands rubbed her thighs softly, his finger trailing up and down her inner thigh tenderly, stimulating various areas of her body. 

 Maya groaned softly at Israel as he continued to work his tongue in her hole, she opened her eyes again and looked down at him gently. He felt amazing, she didn’t know if she should tell him that or not. She was vocal with Levi, but she didn’t know if she should be with him. She bit her lip however as he moved back towards her clit, giving it attention once more and she moaned out at the fell. “Oh God that feels good” she told him in a quiet whimper as she moved her hands to his shoulders again gripping him there as she basked in the feel of her body vibrating due to his antics. 

 Hearing her moan of pleasure, Israel groaned right back, and he suckled at her clit with a bit more force. Releasing, he slid his tongue up and down her length once more before he tongues was thrusting back inside of her. Moving his left hand from her thigh, he placed it on her stomach, just above her mound as he held her there gently, gripping her stomach a bit. He hummed against her before he moaned once more, “you taste so sweet,” he told her softly as his tongue thrust. He pulled back just enough to wrap his entire mouth around her pussy, his jaw widening as he sucked the entirety of her while his tongue thrusted in and out of her core. 

 Maya whimpered again at his actions, damn, he felt so good she started to grip him with her natural nails. “Mm, God” she breathed out as she looked up at the ceiling once more completely taken over by ecstasy. At his words her body shivered for him, his words causing her pussy to throb longing for him to fill her up and take her to another worldly place. “Jesus” she breathed again as he became more forceful with his actions and his tongue moving in and out of her before he engulfed her completely and she looked down at him again watching with pleasure written across her face. 

 Hearing her moans of pleasure, turned him on even more and Israel groaned around his mouthful of her. He sucked, his hand holding her stomach until he slid it upward to her breasts. Opening his eyes, he looked up at her as he gripped her left breast in his hand, squeezing gently before he began to tease her nipple with his fingers. He stared into her eyes intensely as he continued his actions. He released her with a pop before he found her clit once more, slurping and lapping at her before his eyes closed. Only for a moment through as his other hand moved from her thigh to her slit and he gently stroked her there. Opening his eyes, he looked at her once more and he pressed a finger inside of her, feeling how tight she was. “God,” he groaned out, stroking her with that finger as his lips sucked at her clit. 

 Maya watched him as he opened his eyes to look back at her and she dropped her head back against the pillow once more. as he gripped her breast teasing her nipple and she gripped his hand against her breast. “Shit” she groaned loudly into the room as he released her finally only to suck her clit back into his mouth. He held his hand tightly in hers before she whimpered, feeling him stick a finger into her tight hole and her toes curled at the feel of that. “Mm” she said her body twisting a little as she turned her head away from him and she closed her eyes shut as she shivered again, if he kept up his antics, she was sure to cum soon from them. 

 Israel stroked his finger in and out of her slowly but surely, getting a feel of her as his tongue flicked her bud back and forth. He carefully added a second finger, curling them gently inside of her as he continued to tease her clit with tongue. He twisted and teased her nipple more, even as her hand covered his before he whispered, “let go,” against her. He stroked his fingers more, he was gentle but still strong with her, each thrust gently stroking against what he knew for fact to be her spot the moment he felt it against his fingertips. Wrapping his lips around her clit again, he worked her diligently, his eyes watching her closely, knowing that she was close to her peak and he wanted to watch as she tumbled over it and into his mouth. 

 Maya felt him as he slid another finger into her stretching her open a little more and she moaned loudly into the air once more. Her toes curled and her eyes squeezed tightly as he told her to let go of his hand and she did, submissively doing as he told and she moved it to his arm instead, scratching up it unintentionally. He worked his fingers in and out of her, working her over more as she continued to suck her clit. “Shit” she groaned out again as she turned her head once more, her back arching off the bed as she rolled hips. Her body began to shiver, and tremble now as she came biting down on her lip hard as she gasped, her chest rising and falling as her heart raced. 

 Feeling Maya’s body arch and shiver, Israel groaned around her as her walls began to expand and contract around his fingers as she came for him. He moaned, releasing her clit as his fingers continued their assault, stroking her nice and slow as he did. He lifted his head, looking at her with a smirk on his face as he licked his lips. Finally, he pulled his fingers from her, bringing them to his mouth to suck clean before he dropped his head and he lapped at her, cleaning up the mess that he helped create with a groan of appreciation. He hummed softly before he rose up her body, slowly, licking up her now. He let his tongue trail all the way to the valley of her breasts before he began peppering kissed against the tops of them. “Are you okay?” he asked her softly, kissing her jawline now. 

 Maya moaned softly as she came for him, her body shaking only slightly as he slowed his thrust and pulled his fingers from her. “Mm” she said again as she licked her somewhat dry lips and opened her eyes again. He licked her clean before he kissed his way up her body. He kissed the tops of her breast, over and over and she bit down on her bottom lip again. When he asked her if she was okay, she nodded her head and looked into his eyes gently. She moved her hands to him back caressing him there “yes” she nodded her head. “You felt so good” she complimented as she moved one hand to run down his chest and abs, her eyes filled with want for more. 

 Israel nodded gently as she confirmed that she was okay, and he kissed her lips gently as he settled his hips between her legs. “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he whispered softly, nuzzling her tenderly, with his face in the crook of her neck. “Do you want to keep going?” he asked her softly, pressing his covered rock-hard dick against her pussy, as he rested between her legs. He was so hard that he could cut diamonds but if she wanted to stop, he would stop and go take the coldest shower he’d ever taken in his life. Lifting his head, he looked down at her once more, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. 

 Maya smirked at him and she nodded her head at his question “yes I want to feel you, all of you” she said to him seriously, looking into his eyes as he moved to look at her now. She pecked his lips back and said “please” she begged him, one hand on his back gripping him close the other scratching down his chest lightly. “Please” she said again as she pecked him sweetly. She moved her hand from his chest, to the thick dick she felt between her legs and she groped him there tenderly as she gazed into his eyes. 

 Israel took her in, staring into her eyes as she answered his question, begging for him to give her more and he nodded slowly, her nails down his chest causing him a moan and as he groped his dick through the cotton of his briefs, his eyes rolled back slowly. “Fuck,” he whispered. “God, Maya,” he breathed as he looked down at her. He sat up slowly, pulling away from her as he did. He hated to do it but he had to get situated properly. Climbing off the bed, he pushed the boxer briefs down his hips, stepping out of them easily. His dick sprung up immediately, standing at attention and pointing right at Maya, even with his slight curve. Licking his lips, he smiled at her as he stood there in his birthday suit. Looking at the box on the nightstand, he opened it and pulled out a single condom. He ripped the foil and let it fall to the floor as he rolled the prophylactic onto his thick length, pinching the tip as he rolled it all the way down to his base. With the condom on, he looked at Maya and smirked crookedly at her as he climbed back into the bed. 

 Maya watched him as she continued to stroke him through his boxer, she licked her lips slowly. He pulled away from her and moved to push his boxers down and she eyed his manhood, trying to hide her shock and skepticism, would he even fit? She watched the way it stood at attention for her, her eyes never leaving it as he too added a condom onto his dick. He was big, not that her ex-husband was not, but Israel was definitely thicker than Levi. Her heart raced a bit as she watched him climb back into the bed, Lord Jesus. 

 Israel licked his lips slowly, prowling upon Maya as he did. He smirked softly at her, watching her facial expression closely. Fitting himself between her legs, he pressed a kiss to her lips before he whispered, “I’ll go slow.” Settling his muscular frame on her gently, he reached back and grabbed her thigh, hooking his arm around it gently, holding it back as he pressed both hands into the mattress. Inhaling deeply, he gazed into her eyes, their noses mere inches apart as he rubbed his dick against her softly, letting the condom gather her wetness to make slipping into her easier. He dropped his head, just for a moment, looking down between their bodies before he, without using his hands, began to enter her slowly. He lifted his head once more, catching her eyes again as he inched into her, a deep and strangled moan escaping from the back of his throat as he did. 

 Maya watched as Israel slowly moved his way back up to her again and she swallowed down, she was never afraid of dick. Never had been, never would be. But he was nothing short of a monster in her honest opinion. At his words she tilted her head a smirk “I can handle it” she told him in a baby soft voice, it probably didn’t come out believable at all, but she was telling the truth. He grabbed her thigh and positioned her the way he wanted her; the quick move caused her to gush for him instantly. Damn. She licked her lips slowly, her top row of teeth pressing into her bottom lip gently as he slid into her, guiding his dick handlessly into her and she rolled her eyes shut at the feel. “Damn” she breathed without much thought as he inched into her depths and she opened her eyes looking into his as she rested her hand against his broad back. 

 Israel’s mouth fell open slowly and he exhaled slowly as he slid deeper and deeper into Maya’s depths. “Uh,” he groaned, his eyes closing on their own accord as he gradually filled her up, stretching her slowly to accommodate his girth. He pressed a kiss to her lips as he filled her completely, balls deep inside of her. His eyes rolled behind his closed lids before he opened them, gazing down into Maya’s eyes and he smiled at her gently as he stayed just like that, completely sheathed inside of her, as he rocked his hips slowly. 

 Maya continued to stare at Israel as he filled her up completely, he was hard as a brick inside of her. She kissed him back gently on the lips and smirked as he finally rolled his eyes open to her. She felt him rock and she began to match his motions, rocking her hips in time with his, a smile on her face as she pecked his cheek sweetly. “You feel so good inside of me” she said in a soft tone as she moved her other hand to his back as well. She held him there, deep inside of her depths as she kissed him again longingly, her teeth capturing his bottom lip sweetly as she did, closing her eyes. 

 Feeling Maya’s hips rock against his, Israel inhaled a sharp breath and he groaned softly at her words. “You feel amazing,” he whispered, almost breathlessly. This was his first time with a woman in two, almost three years, since he and his ex-wife got divorced, and God, he wasn’t sure if he could last. His stamina wasn’t what it used to be. As she held him there, he kissed her lips back softly before he gathered her other leg, hooking his arm around her thigh, holding both back now. He settled his knees beside her hips as he captured her lips fully, kissing her deeply as he pulled his hips back slowly, until just the head of his dick was left inside of her, only to thrust back into her just as slowly. His fingers gripped the covers as he held her folded up, setting his pace slow and steady, not wanting to bust too quickly and disappoint her. 

 Maya smirked again at the man’s words, she groaned softly at him as he grabbed her other thigh. He switched up the position again and pushed her legs back now, getting himself situated one more. She matched each kiss he offered her with her own, being very sweet and delicate with him. She moaned softly as he retracted his hips from her depths only to push back into her nice and slow and she closed her eyes at the feel of that. 

 Moaning into their tender kisses, Israel rolled in and out of Maya deeply, stroking her long and slow. He gradually broke their kiss, resting his forehead against Maya’s, eyes closed as he kept his pace. Lifting his head slowly, he opened his eyes and gazed at her pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. He inhaled sharply before he said, “damn,” mimicking her a bit, just lost in the feel of her. “You’re so tight,” he groaned as he shifted slightly, giving her a few hard strokes, testing the waters a bit. 

 Maya kept her eyes closed hearing the man and she started to match his thrust again, as he moved nice and slow inside of her. She gripped his lower back gently under her nails, saying “oh” softly when he added a few hard strokes and she continued to move her hips along with his. She opened her eyes looking up at him as she moved her hands from his back to her large breast cupping them gently. 

 Hearing her reaction to the hard thrusts he offered her, Israel groaned. “You like it hard,” he whispered, more or less to himself as he began to stroke her deep and hard, still keeping each thrust nice and slow. Looking down at her breasts as she cupped them, he dropped his head, capturing a nipple, sucking gently. He groaned around the sweet erect bud in his mouth as he began to stroke her a bit harder, shaking the bed slightly as their skin began to slap with each slow thrust, he offered.

 Maya nodded her head up and down against the pillow “I do” she told him “I can take it” she reminded him gently. As he switched up the tempo a bit, offering her hard and deep thrust she moaned out gratefully. She continued to cup her breast in her hand even as the man leaned down to suck one of her sensitive nipples into his mouth. “Mm yes” she told him in a soft whisper as he began to thrust into her a bit harder now, causing her eyes to roll shut again. 

 Listening to her words and moans of pleasure, Israel took her word for it and he began to pick up his pace, stroking her a bit faster, his thick dick plunging in and out of her each and every single time. “Shit,” he groaned around her nipple before he moved to the other side, sucking and nipping at it roughly. Releasing, he lifted up some shifting one of her legs, placing it over his shoulder swiftly as he continued to stroke her. “I, damn, Maya,” he whispered at her flexibility and he leaned in once more, capturing her lips again as their skin sounded off for each rough stroke, he provided her, his eyes rolling back behind his closed lips as they kissed. 

 “Oh God” Maya moaned out as the man picked up his pace now, she moved her hand back to his lower back holding him close. That was until he switched up their position and placed her leg over his shoulder and moaned at the feel of that. “Goodness” she breathed softly as he leaned down to capture her lips, she groaned into their kiss. “You feel so good” she whimpered under his chiseled body “don’t stop” she said to him sweetly. 

 Israel rolled his hips, whimpering softly against her lips at her words. Her telling him not to stop made him groan and he did just as she asked, the bed shaking with each thrust he gave her. He swirled his hips, settling his body against her, letting her leg go as he slid his arms under her body, his hands on her shoulders. He hugged her body to his as he released her lips fully and dropped his head into the crook of her neck. He groaned out; his eyes closed as he fucked her hard. “You’re so wet,” he moaned out. She was so wet, so hot, so tight, he was losing it. “God,” he groaned out, rocking her hard and steady. 

 Maya clung to the man, digging her shorts nails into his flesh as he continued to throw forceful thrust after another at her, causing the bed to rock and her breast to bounce. She moaned softly into his ear as he shifted himself, wrapping her up in his strong arms the feeling of that causing her to gush. He nestled his face into the crook of her neck, she slid her hand his back to his shoulder gripping him tightly “God” she gasped loudly into the air at the feel of how deep the man was. “God you’re so deep” she moaned knowing she wouldn’t last long in this case, her other hand moved to his firm ass holding him there. “Don’t stop,” she said in a strangled groan “God, don’t stop,” she told him, her eyes rolling back. 

 Israel held Maya tightly as he tried his best to keep his composure. However, she just felt so damn good. As she gripped him back, he moaned into her ear, never having been afraid to let a woman know that he felt just as good as she. He turned his head a bit, nuzzling his face in her neck as he began nipping and licking at her warm skin. “I can go deeper,” he groaned out, sliding into her a tad deeper, for one thrust and one thrust only, not wanting to ruin his rhythm. Feeling her hands on his ass, he angled his hips slightly, the curve in his dick causing him to tap her spot with each hard thrust he gave her. “God, you feel amazing,” he huffed out, panting softly against her skin. 

 As the man pushed deeper inside of her Maya lost it, and her legs shook slightly as she reached her peak. She moaned out loud calling the man’s name as she came hard for him, each tap to her sweet spot driving her wild. She was at a loss for words, babbling nonsense as her body shook beneath his. “Oh God” she said as wave after wave hit her, “Israel” she cried out for him as her body convulsed lightly. 

 Israel felt her body shaking and trembling under his and he lifted his head to gaze at her as she came for him. She was babbling about absolutely nothing and she looked beautiful. “Maya,” he groaned, his eyes rolling back slightly at the feel of her shaking and her walls clamping down around him. “Fuck,” he said in a strangled voice as he stroked her still, picking up his pace a bit more as his orgasm swirled in the pit of his balls. He exhaled a harsh breath through his nose, laying his head on her shoulder as his balls jumped with each shot of cum, he spilled into the condom. He growled softly, his hips settling to a stop as he panted hard. 

 Maya rested there wordlessly she couldn’t speak from all the fireworks dancing around behind her closed eyes. He was good and in a lot of instances better than her husband. She finally exhaled a small breath and her pussy creamed for him oozing from his thrust. She looked at him with blissful eyes as he called her name, brain finally catching up with her own body. As he came shooting his load into the condom, he had on she inhaled and exhaled a few times calming herself down beneath him. 

 Israel huffed and puffed, licking his lips as he tried to catch his breath from the pleasure. He groaned softly as he lifted his head slowly and he gazed at her, pecking her lips softly. “Mmm,” he groaned out as he slowly pulled out of her, his hips hovering above hers, dick still hard. He kissed her tenderly whispering, “that was amazing,” against her lips. He let out a content sigh before he slowly lifted further, sitting back on his knees. “Gimme a second,” he told her gently as he climbed off the bed. He moved into the bathroom and pulled the condom off carefully, tying it off and dropping it into the trash can. He cleaned himself up a bit before he washed his hands and moved back into the bedroom, climbing back into the bed with Maya.

 Maya looked at Israel as he leaned down pecking her lips and she pecked his back. “It was” she replied to him nodding her head at him gently before he dismissed himself from her. She watched him, just as her sorry ass ex-husband had done, he vanished for a moment. She shifted onto her side a bit adjusting a pillow beneath her head for a moment. Before she sat upright in the bed slowly watching him return, she wondered if this were the moment when they parted ways and she went back to her room or not. 

 Israel gazed at Maya as she sat upright in the bed and he smirked at her. “Think you can handle a round two?” he asked her with a chuckle as he pulled her close to him, kissing her lips once more, his hand gripping her hip before he slid it to her ass, giving it a squeeze. 

 Maya watched him smirk and she smiled back at him sweetly, at his question she chuckled a little. “Sure” she breathed, kissing him back gently on his lips, one of her hands moving to his dick as she stroked it gently. She pulled back and asked him “can I taste it?” she asked him sweetly. 

 Israel smiled at her answer and he nodded slowly as she stroked him. At her question, his eyes grew dark with lust and his jaw slackened. “Y-Yeah,” he groaned out and she hadn’t even put her mouth on him yet. He adjusted slightly, moving to lay back on the bed. “Then I want you to ride me,” he told her with a husky growl. 

 Maya watched as he agreed and moved to lay back against the bed and she smirked nodding her head. “Okay” she said to him softly as she moved to place herself between his legs, she rested on her knees lowering herself on the back of her legs. She stroked him up and down gently with her hand before she moved to lick at his head playfully. “Mm” she said to herself before she took the man into her mouth, her hand resting on the base of his dick as she slid him down her throat gently. 

 Watching her closely, Israel caught his lip between his teeth as she licked him. “Mmm,” he moaned softly, laying his head back as he closed his eyes. As she slid her mouth down on him, he let out a whimper and placed his against her cheek softly, his fingertips caressing her there tenderly. 

 Maya moaned softly as she tried to see how much of him, she could deepthroat before she bobbed her head up and down gently, breathing through her nose. She gagged slightly and pulled him out with a loud pop. “Mm” she said as she moved to shift against the bed, she laid on her stomach and took him back into her mouth, her hand still at the base of his long member. Her other hand rested against his stomach gently as she began to bob her head up and down once more, her eyes closed as she basked in it. She liked sucking dick, always had when it came to Levi. It was the moment when you could get men to melt like putty. 

 Israel exhaled through his nose, huffing softly as she gagged on him. He opened his eyes, looking at her as he moved his hand from her cheek to her hair. He gathered her hair up into his hands, holding it up and out of her face as she bobbed. “S-shit,” he groaned, his head rolling against the pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, biting his lip hard as he gently thrust his hips.

 Maya shifted against the bed again, she rested against one of her legs the other outstretched as she released him again with a pop. “I could suck your dick all day” she told him as she used her hand to stroke up and down his full length. She licked her lips before she began to twist her wrist, she wrapped her mouth around him again sucking against his dick as if it were a lollipop, her tongue swirled and wrapped around it as she sucked her cheeks inwardly teasing him. 

 At her words, Israel looked down at Maya and he groaned before his eyes crossed. “That feels amazing,” he huffed softly as she stroked him and sucked simultaneously. “M-Maya,” he panted softly, his chest rising and falling as he groaned, his hand releasing her hair to grip the sheets. Closing his eyes, he resisted the urge and he said, “if you keep that up, won’t be no round two,” as he squeezed his eyes shut, his toes curling slightly. Huffing, he gently pulled her up as he exhaled hard. “I can’t take it,” he told her truthfully, biting his lip as he reached over and grabbed another condom out of the box. 

 Maya looked at the man as he called her name, however she continued to tease him and sink down further, pushing more of him into her mouth. She smirked around her mouth full before he pulled her up and she released him. “But” she said cutely as she watched him reach for a condom and she said “at least let me put it on you” in her baby soft voice, grabbing the condom from him and ripping it open. 

 Israel gazed at her as she spoke so sweetly to him and he groaned. This woman would be the death of him. She was so beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous and was such a formidable woman, only to apparently be a minx in the bedroom. As she took the condom from him, he watched her, his chest still rising and falling, almost in anticipation now for whatever she was going to do. 

 Maya released the condom from its wrapper, tossing the wrapper aside as she placed the rubber between her lips trying to will herself not to smirk. She bent her head down and held his dick with her small hand as she slid the condom done against the man with his mouth. Halfway down she smirked to herself despite, letting her teeth light graze him as she pushed the down all the way down to the base of his shaft. Once she did that, sliding him out of her mouth she looked at him and she moved to hover over the long man. She looked at him, grabbing his manhood and aligning it with her heat as she sunk back down against him from their newest position. She closed her eyes gently as she sunk all the way down to his base, she rested her ass on the man adjusting herself on her knees before she rocked back and forth gently, her hips rolling as she did. 

 Watching Maya place the condom between her lips, Israel dropped his head back groaning. She was a tease. God. As her mouth sunk down on him, rolling the condom down his thick shaft, he whimpered. His eyes fluttered before he looked at her as she got herself situated above him. He placed his hands on her hips, holding her there as she sunk down against him. “Mmm,” he moaned out, squeezing her hips. He closed his eyes, his hands sliding to her round ass. Gripping her there as she rolled against him. 

 Maya licked her full lips feeling his hands on her ass, gripping her there as she continued to ride him slowly. She rocked and rolled her hips gently as she moved her hand to his chest pressing them both down flat against his pecs. She sped up just a tiny bit as she closed her eyes and rolled her head back “mm” she moaned softly to him as she picked up and lowered herself up and down his pole. 

 Eyes closed, Israel’s lips parted, and he rolled his head slightly as his strong grip held her ass firmly. “Maya,” he moaned out in pleasure, his voice a bit strangled. “You feel so good,” he whispered as his eyes fluttered open and he gazed at her. He moved his hand from her ass, collecting her left hand into his. He lifted it and brought her wrist to his lips, kissing the tattoo that she had there as he shifted slightly, bending his legs at the knee and widening his hips a bit as he let Maya move in his lap, his bent knees giving her more support. He kissed her tattoo again before he began kissing her fingertips. 

 Maya looked down at Israel opening her eyes and dropping her head as he expressed how good she felt. She raised her hips and dropped them back down against her, over and over as she continued to grip her by her ass firmly. He grabbed her hand and kissed her tattoo. She watched him picking up her pace a bit “mm” she moaned again, he shifted himself a bit and she sunk down on him further. He kissed her fingertips and she flipped their hands, she clutched onto his as he brought it up to her neck. The one thing her husband could never deny was the fact that she was a nasty freak in the bedroom, she felt like it was the one place she could come outside of her shell and box. She groaned out loudly as she ushered him to tighten his hand around her throat as she picked up her pace, fucking his against the bed now. 

 Israel groaned softly as she picked up her pace, bouncing against him effortlessly. As she readjusted their grip and brought his hand to her neck, his eyes widened. His large hand wrapped around her neck, holding her there as he gazed at her, a deep groan escaping from the back of his throat. Oh, she was nasty, nasty. As she encouraged him to squeeze her there, he did just that, tightening his grip. He increased the strength of his grip slowly but surely, not wanting to truly hurt her as he began to thrust up against her. His other hand slid from her ass to her hip and he gripped her steady as he began to drive into her, thrusting hard and fast, bouncing her in his lap. His butt lifted off the bed and his feet dug into the mattress as he thrusted, watching her breast bounce as did, his hand steadily gripping her throat. “Fuck,” he breathed, panting softly. 

 Maya looked down at him, gazing into his eyes as he wrapped his hand around her throat, gripping it like she asked. She held his wrist with her hand, her other hand still resting on his chest as she continued to ride him. “Uh” she said loudly against the restraint of his tight grip around her throat and she rolled her eyes shut tightly as she moaned out “don’t stop, don’t stop” she panted out to him loudly. She moved her hand from his chest to her clit stroking it gently “I’m gonna cum” she whimpered as she opened her eyes looking at him again. “Uh” she said as she kept her hand wrapped around his wrist as he began to fuck her “don’t stop” she whimpered to him again moving her hand from her clit to his shoulder as she leaned down gently. “Oh God” she said in a soft voice and she rolled her eyes closed again. 

 Growling softly, Israel gazed up at Maya as he fucked her hard, their skin slapping, sweat dripping. Closing his eyes, he moaned out as she begged him not to stop and stopping was the furthest thing from his mind. Opening his eyes as she moved her hand from his chest, he watched her stroke her clit, licking his lips at the sight. Rolling his hips forcefully, he gave her his full length with each thrust of his hips. Squeezed her throat a bit harder, he grunted, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “M-Maya,” he moaned out as he slapped her ass as she leaned down. He adjusted his grip on her neck slightly, still holding her there as he pounded her, his hand moving from her ass to her side once more, holding her steady as the bed shook from their passion. 

 Maya groaned again, his curved dick hitting at the right angle and she withered from the feel of that. “Jesus” she said aloud as he squeezed her throat a little tighter causing her to gasp, panting slightly for air. She came hard above him as the man rammed into her repeatedly, her hips rocking still even if she wasn’t sure if she was controlling herself now or if he was. She whimpered, her body convulsing as and shaking gently, she drooled slightly, crying his name as she began to squirt from the overwhelming pleasure she felt. Her essences trickling down between both of their legs soiling the bed with each bounce she offered and thrust he countered. 

 Israel fucked her hard, even as her body trembled above him. He moaned out, his eyes closing briefly as she cried his name until he felt liquid. He opened his eyes, looking between their bodies, watching as she gushed and spewed for him. “Ugh,” he groaned at the sight, “Maya, damn,” he whimpered, watching as each thrust, he gave her still offered more from her. He growled out, his hand slowly but surely loosening around her neck, giving her more air to breath. Huffing out, Israel let his head roll back as he slowed his thrusts down, settling back down against the bed. He panted hard, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he stilled all his movements. He moved his hand from her throat to the back of her neck, holding her there as he brought her down for a kiss. He devoured her mouth, his tongue caressing and tangling with hers hungrily. Pulling back, he inhaled a deep breath as he said, “damn,” to her before he shifted their bodies. He lifted Maya off of his lap and said, “on your knees,” as he helped her get adjusted. 

 Maya moaned his name again as he continued to pump deep into her depths even as she tried to contain herself. He loosened his grip around her neck, and she took a deep breath in after that. He stopped his movement resting back against the bed and she leaned down, spent lazily kissing him as he consumed her mouth. She inhaled and exhaled roughly as the man pulled back, he told her to get on her knees and she moaned softly at that. She moved with his assistant getting on her knees like he asked her to, and she licked her lips slowly.]

 As Maya shifted into her knees as he asked, Israel adjusted himself as well, rising up on his knees behind her. His hands rubbed over her round, bountiful ass just admiring its glory. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to the side of her ass cheek, sucking a little and licking there even before he leaned in more, letting his tongue rub up and down her slit from the back. He swirled his tongue around her clit, flicking teasingly before he leaned up fully. He pressed his hand into the small of her back, making her arch further. With his hand resting there in the small of her back, he slid into her slowly, groaning at the feel of her in this position. “Mmmm, Mayaaaa,” he groaned out, rolling his head back. He was not going to last long like this and maybe that was a good thing because he knew Maya was tired. He rolled his hips back slowly, only to thrust back into her roughly. 

 Maya pressed her hands into the bed, and she arched her back for him, pushing her ass up in the air as she rested on her chest against the bed. She felt the man peck her ass and then lean in to lick her clean and she moaned at the feel of that. He pushed back inside of her this angle causing her to moan out loudly in time with him, as she gripped the bedding in her hands. She eyes closed as she pressed the side of her face against the bed, pushing back against the man as he fucked her from behind. 

 Israel dropped his head, his eyes watching Maya’s ass as she pushed back against him. “Mmm,” he groaned out, his hand sliding from her back to her hips, gripping her there. He rolled his hips forward forcefully, letting her ass ripple back against his pelvis and abs. He swirled his hips slightly, shifting his knees, to widen his legs a bit as he dipped his hips a bit, angling his dick inside of her. “Just like that,” he panted softly as his hands slid from her hips to her sides and he gripped her love handles. Holding her there, he groaned out as he fucked her deep and hard. “So close,” he groaned, closing his eyes. 

 Maya continued to push back against Israel, throwing it back to match each thrust he had to offer. As he dug deeper, sinking his dick further into her depths she moaned loudly for him. This happened to be a position she cherished and craved the most and he was going to cause her to explode again. He was taping her spot head on and he swirled and rocked his hips. “Cum for me” she vocalized softly to him as she opened her eyes looking back at him a bit. “Oh fuck” she said letting slip, it was rare if ever did she curse, rather it was the bedroom or not. She pushed back, her hips moving a little faster “I’m gonna cum again” she said her hand moving between her legs as she strummed her clit, feeling her orgasm building in her stomach as she buried her face into the mattress crying out his name again. 

 Israel panted roughly, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he pounded into Maya, each thrust stronger than the last as his pleasure built up inside of him. He exhaled harshly through his eyes, his eyes closing, head rolling back as Maya met him thrust for thrust with perfect timing. She was so slick and wet around him that his mouth watered with his impending orgasm. “Mmm,” he groaned before he heard her words and he opened his eyes looking down at her as she begged for him to cum. He hissed out, groaning at her curse as she moved faster with him. He joined her hand between her legs, lacing their fingers as he worked her clit with her. “Maya,” he groaned out, his eyes fluttering from the pleasure as his balls swirled with his orgasm. He groaned out loudly, moaning her name once more as he came hard, shooting into the condom, his hips thrusting erratically. 

 Maya groaned out loudly again as he pounded into her hard and rough, she closed her eyes again as he worked to get himself off again. She clutched the sheets with her freehand still and babbled as he met hers between her legs. “Shit” she said as he pushed her over the edge and she came for him again, her pussy once again creaming for him as he shot a load within her. “God” she said again as she panted like a thirsty dog against the bed. 

 Huffing hard, Israel thrusted to their collective pleasure and he groaned out as he rolled to a slow stop. He gripped her sides, holding her lovingly as he just rested there on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He licked his dry lips slowly, his fingers caressing her hips and sides now until he slowly gathered the strength to pull out of her. He held the base of the condom, keeping it in place as he climbed off the bed. Leaning down, he kissed her cheek softly before he scurried off to the bathroom. He slid the soiled prophylactic off and tied it, dropping it into the trash with the previous one. Grabbing a cloth, he cleaned himself off before he rinsed the towel thoroughly before he exited the bathroom and moved for Maya on the bed. He sat down on the edge, offering her the towel with a small tired smirk on his lips. His other hand caressed and stroked her arm gently as he asked her, “how are you feeling?” 

 Maya felt the man roll out of her and she licked her lips, shifting in the bed now. She rested on her side, her legs closed, and eyes shut before he returned. Maya looked up at him and she grabbed the cloth from him saying “tired” with a small chuckle and she pulled herself up on her elbows as she moved to sit upright slowly. “I’ll be back” she told him as she climbed out of the bed and she moved into the bathroom, cleaning herself up gently and handling her business before she washed her hands. She looked herself over in the mirror with a small smirk before she left the bathroom. She looked at Israel and she picked up her robe, placing it on and tying it off. She sat down beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder gently as she said “so” to him softly. 

 Watching Maya, Israel chuckled at her words and he nodded slowly. He agreed, he was spent himself. He hadn’t exerted this much energy in a long time. He worked out regularly and stayed fairly active but sex whole a whole different calorie burning beast. As she excused herself, he nodded and he watch as she moved into the bathroom before he moved to his drawer, sliding on a fresh pair of boxers. As Maya was in the bathroom, Israel made his way downstairs and he quickly cleaned up the mess of uncooked food, placing the cutting board and skillet in the sink to be cleaned later before he got them a glass of water. Returning up the steps, he sat back down on the bed, sipping the cool liquid down thirstily. He looked at Maya as she exited the bathroom, tying her robe back on. As she rested beside him, he offered her the glass and he said, “so…” back to her with a smile as his arm coiled around her thick body, pulling her closer. 

 Maya accepted the glass of water and she took a sip of it before she looked up at him. “Thank you” she said bashfully, he’d managed to make her feel loved and appreciated and wanted in the moment. She knew that was his plan however, you can never be too sure. He however, managed to do just that and she rested her head against his shoulder again. 

 Hugging her close, Israel smiled at her and he whispered, “you’re welcome Maya,” sweetly to her. At this point, he had no idea if she was thanking him for the sex or not, their kitchen conversation the furthest thing from his mind right now. His heart raced with love and adoration for her and he let out a content sigh as he said, “I’ll clean this room up in the morning,” with a chuckle as he gave her hip a squeeze. “Let’s go lay down in yours,” he whispered with his lips pressed against her temple. 

 Maya looked at him with a smirk on her lips and she took another sip of the water in her hand. She licked her lips as he squeezed her to him, and she nodded her head at his comment “okay” she said to him tenderly as she pulled away from him and moved to walk out of the room towards her bedroom now. She smiled a little to herself as she opened the door and walked into neatly clean space and she sat the cup down on the nightstand. 

 Israel chuckled softly as he stood with Maya. He followed her into her bedroom, looking at how she had made it her own with her own personal touches and items. It was the first time he had really been inside the room since she had moved into the cabin and he had moved in with her. He closed the door behind them, smiling softly as he watched her set the glass on the nightstand. He climbed into the bed, taking her hand and gently tugging her into the bed with him. He laid her down and crawled between her legs, resting his body down against hers as he wrapped her up, his head on her chest. Letting out a content sigh, he said, “thank you,” to her in a whisper. 

 Maya watched Israel as he moved to lay down on the bed and she allowed him to bring her into the bed as well. She laid on her back in the bed, pushing the cover to the side a bit as she laid her head on a pillow. He moved between her legs and rested his head on her chest, having wrapped her up and she smiled. He was cuddling her, boy did she long for nights like this. She hadn’t experienced something like this in so long. At his words she said “for?” quietly to him as she pulled the covers over them both, she liked to sleep with something draped on her most nights. 

 Israel shifted slightly as Maya pulled the cover over their bodies and he snuggled further into her plush body and warmth. “For letting me love you,” he whispered to her, tilting his head back to look at her a bit, “and for being my first in a very, very long time,” he admitted with a cheeky smile. “I wouldn’t have wanted to share this experience with anyone but you,” he told her gently, giving her a squeeze as he cuddled her close. 

 Maya looked down at him and she nodded her head, smirking a bit before he went on to explain further. She raised her eyebrows to her hairline; she would not have thought that to be true until he just told her. She could only imagine women having thrown themselves at the man, how could they not? She licked her lips and said “you’re welcome” softly to him a smile on her lips as she gently ran her hand up and down his back. “I think we both needed to be loved on a little” she said with a sweet chuckle. 

 Israel smiled at her and he nodded a bit, his head resting back on her chest gently as he nuzzled her a bit. He let out another content sigh before he allowed his eyes to close tiredly as he said, “I think so too,” with a hum before he grew quiet. He laid against her comfortable, his strong arms holding her tight as his breath evened out and he began to fall asleep to the sound of her heartbeat and the soothing rhythm of her chest rising and falling. 

[admirablealex]

Arrival

INVOLVED: Israel West, Alexander Marshall, Isabelle Marshall, Victoria Perry, and Dominic Perry LOCATION: Elk Trail Lodge; Denver, Colorado TIME FRAME: Saturday, December 21st, 2019 NOTES: Alexander and his wife arrive to the cabin, as well as Victoria and Dominic. 

Isabelle hopped out the rental as it came to a stop and she looked around at all the lush snow and the beautiful cabin before them. “Wow…” she breathed. “This is beautiful,” she said to herself before she looked to the sheriff that was overseeing their stay at the cabin. “Hello,” she said sending him a curt wave.

Alexander climbed out of the car and he shut the door behind himself taking a moment to take it all in. “It is” he agreed with his wife, he locked the doors and moved towards the sheriff extending his hand “beautiful cabin man, my name is Alexander, and this is my wife Isabelle” he told the man.

Israel got out of his sheriff vehicle and moved for the couple with a smile as he held out his hand to Alexander, shaking the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you, I’m Sheriff Israel,” he told the couple before he reached into his pocket for the keys to the cabin. “Thank you,” he said as an afterthought to their compliments. “She’s all stocked up. Plenty of firewood out back but you might want to chop some more, heard a storm might blow through,” he told them both.

“Oh, you don’t say” Alexander told the man accepting the keys “thank you, I’ll get right on that” he replied to him.

Isabelle smiled at the man, nodding as he explained everything to them. “Sounds wonderful,” she said looking to the cabin once more, leaning into her husband slightly. “A storm?” she questioned. “Will it be safe?” she asked Israel curiously.

Israel smiled at the two once more. “Should be,” he said. “Storms blow through often around this time of year, but she can handle anything,” he said referring to the cabin with pride. “Might want to light some candles though sometimes the power kicks out if trees come down,” he told the couple as he looked around the area before saying. “I thought more of you were coming...”

Alexander hugged his wife close to him instinctively as she spoke, and he looked to the man awaiting his response. He nodded his head at him and chuckled slightly “there is, they should show up very soon,” he told him truthfully.

Isabelle nodded along with her husband, her hand on his chest as he held her close.

Israel looked around once more before he said, “good, they should beat the storm.” Backing away towards his vehicle he said, “gotta get back down the hill, only sheriff on duty,” he said with a chuckle. “Y’all have fun now.”

Isabelle sat on the bed with her iPad and phone, going over more notes. However, the bed was just so comfortable that she couldn’t resist as sleep lured her.

Alexander walked up stairs two glasses of wine in his hand as he did, he had made up in his mind a little apology wouldn’t hurt if it meant starting the trip off with a hit. He moved into their room to see his wife, resting peacefully and he all but cursed the air. He sat the glasses down with a sad sigh and looked her over. He couldn’t deny that he was disappointed, but she looked so beautiful as she rested, as her phone began to buzz, he looked to it narrowing his eyes. He picked it up quickly so as not to wake his wife before he made a bold move answering her assistant and telling her discreetly not to call again as they were on their trip. After doing so he sat the phone back down on the bed and sat in a chair watching her as he took a sip from a glass sighing again.

Victoria came through the door with a bright smile on her face. “We’re here!” she said happily as she moved into the cabin looking for signs of life as she slowly pulled her coat off and hung it on the rack beside the door before glancing back at her husband.

Dominic trotted behind his wife, their bag in his hands as he lugged them in. looking around, he sat them by the door for a moment before he smiled and said, “maybe we beat everyone else?” he suggested to her. “The place looks great,” he told her, he was looking forward to the excitement that awaited them on this trip.

[amorisabelle]

Boom!

INVOLVED: Maya Morgan, Levi Morgan, Isabelle Marshall, Alexander Marshall, Naomi King, Calvin King, Victoria Perry, Dominic Perry, Israel West, and Melaine Ashton TIME FRAME: Monday, December 23, 2019 LOCATION: Elk Trail Lodge; Denver, Colorado SUMMARY: The group of friends, plus Israel and Melaine sit down at the table to enjoy dinner. However, things turn sour as Levi gets jealous of Melaine’s interaction with Israel and Naomi calls Levi out on it. Then the bombs drop. 

Maya held her hands up and said, “wait, wait, wait,” easily to the large group of people as they all sat around a large table for dinner. “Israel was telling me that his parents lived in this house for 30 years and were married for 45,” she emphasized.

Alexander looked at Maya and said, “what was he saying?” gently as he forked some food up and into his mouth.

“Israel was telling me that his parents lived in this house for 30 years and were married for 45,” Maya emphasized loudly.

Melaine nodded her head, impressed by what Maya had just said at the table. She dipped her fork into her plate and sheepishly smiled at Israel who was nestled beside her.

Isabelle looked at Maya, nodding along with a small smirk on her face. “Wow,” she breathed out as she ate a bit of her food before she looked across the table at her husband.

“People do not stay married that long no more,” Naomi said shaking her head as she held her fork up ready to take a bite.

“Oh, I think Victoria and Dominic will,” Maya tossed out lovingly.

“I hope so,” Victoria said with a hum and a bit of a shrug.

Isabelle looked at Victoria a bit shocked. “You’re not sure?”

Naomi looked at Victoria and said, “sounds like trouble in paradise?” she asked her, jokingly, but very curious at the same time.

“Ain’t no trouble in paradise,” Dominic said dismissively almost instantly behind Naomi’s comment. People didn’t need to judge the marriage he had based off his wife’s backhanded compliment. He stuck some food into his mouth chewing lightly as he looked over at Victoria.

“You know… you never know what happens, you know.” Victoria began as she cut into her food a bit before she paused, looking up, across at Naomi before she looked to her husband at her side, “um, but you got to be willing to do the work.” She looked back at Naomi, a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Dominic looked at Victoria again and said, “yeah,” trying to hide his disapproval of the way she handled the compliment to them. “We aren’t perfect, you know, and we have our days,” he shrugged lightly. “But, you know, we remember that the bottom line is, we love each other,” he offered, eyes moving from his plate to Victoria again.

Listening to her husband, Victoria sat back nodding slightly. “And it’s the love that gets us through those tough days.” She looked at Naomi and Calvin before she looked back at her husband, “right, sweetie?”

“Mhm,” Dominic says in response to Victoria as he stuck another piece of steak into his mouth.

Maya lifts her wine glass from the table and she raises it saying, “to love,” with a smile on her face. As everyone joins in with her, raising their glasses and saluting love as well.

After they all sipped, Israel noticed the fallen napkin on the floor and he leaned down, picking it up as he said, “oh Melaine, you dropped your napkin.” Lifting up, he handed it to her easily.

“Oh,” Melaine replied looking at him with a smirk. “Thank you,” she said to him kindly as she grabbed the napkin back from him and placed it back on her lap.

Naomi looked over at the only two single people at the table and she smirked, her hand still clutching the glass unlike everyone else as she basked in another glorious sip.

“So, um you’re the big-time sheriff in this town, huh?” Levi asked Israel now as he gestured across the table a bit, interjecting in between him and Melaine.

Israel chuckled a bit dryly. “Eh, I wouldn’t exactly say big time,” he responded easily.  

“Well this place is beautiful,” Melaine said to Israel as she grabbed her glass and took a sip.

“Thank you. I think so, too,” Israel said easily. “I’d love to show you guys around before you leave,” he was speaking to all of them but looking directly at Melaine.

“Mm,” Melaine said to the man quickly, “thanks, but I can’t do that,” she replied to him without thinking.

Naomi picked her glass back up and took the longest sip she ever had as she overheard the conversation playing out next to her.

“We’d be up for that, yeah,” Victoria said looking around the table a bit at her friends.

“I’d love to honey,” Dominic said in response to his wife. “What time is good?” he asked Israel from across the table.

“Anytime…” Israel said looking around the table before he added, “how about tomorrow? Early?”

“Sounds good to me,” Alexander said to the group as she wiped his hands clean with his napkin. He cleared his throat a bit. “I don’t know if my wife will be able to make it though,” he said looking at his wife before he looked down at his plate. “She probably has to check her iPhone to see if she’ll be available,” he said as he cut a piece of his steak against his plate.

Maya licked her lips slowly and looked at Alexander before she looked off. What in the hell was that? Looking directly at her friend for only a moment before she looked at her husband.

Victoria looked at Alexander, her eyes a bit wide with shock at his comment. She had no idea where the comment had come from or why he felt the need to say it.

Dominic looked at Alexander as he spoke and his brows rose before he stuck some mashed potatoes into his mouth looking down at the other guest sitting at the table, avoiding Isabelle’s face.

Isabelle stuck her fork into her mouth, looking at her husband, her head cocked to the side slightly as she adjusted herself in her chair. Her eyes bored holes into him as she cleared her throat slightly, eating her food in silence.

Bouncing right off the back of Alexander’s comment, completely unphased, Levi leaned in slightly asking Israel, “so, tell me, how much does a gig like that pay, huh?”

“Oh my God, Levi,” Maya said in response to his words, she looked at Israel and lifted her napkin to cover her food filled mouth. “Forgive my husband, please,” she said pleadingly.

Melaine looked at Levi and her eyes then bounced on Maya before she discreetly eyed Israel next to her, taking a sip of her wine.

“No. I’m just saying it can’t be too much, that’s all…” Levi said, easily picking up his glass and taking a sip of his wine without a care.

Maya looked at her husband, jerking her neck a bit and leaning her chair disgustedly. He was being so damn rude for no reason at all.

Israel slowly looked up from his plate, gazing at Levi, looking into the man's eyes a bit challengingly as he said casually, “well, Levi, I don’t do it for the money.”

Hearing Israel, Isabelle took the time to look up at her husband and say, “some people do it for the enjoyment…” she made a face at him, letting him know that she was irritated by his comment, “hmph, how about that?” she said before she added, “Alexander,” making sure he heard her.

Melaine looked at Levi and she took another sip from her wine glass looking at him over it.

Alexander looked up at his wife, gazing at her with deadly glares.

Naomi smirked at the open window and she said, “Levi does it for the enjoyment,” cutely, adding her two cents in.

Levi looked over at Naomi, a bit amused by her comment. “Oh, you must need another drink, don’t you?”

Maya looked at Naomi and then at Levi as they bantered back and forth across the table.

“And you need some condoms, don’t you?” Naomi said back to him just as quickly and without thought. Sneering slightly at the man, raising her top lip.

Maya looked at her friend confused by Naomi’s comment, why would her husband need condoms? She looked to her husband before she bit her lip, they must have heard them several nights ago in the act. She was somewhat embarrassed now.

As the words left his wife’s lips, Calvin’s eyes went a bit wide and he looked over at Levi immediately, shaking his head at the man, his face pleading.

Levi snorted. “Heh, believe me…” he smirked at her, ignoring Calvin. “You don’t want to go down that road with me.” He lifted his fork and popped some food into his mouth as he stared at Naomi.

Dominic sat his fork down and he said, “how about we go down the ski slope,” chewing slightly. “Skiing,” he added, trying so very hard to change the subject for both parties right now. There was so much being implied here and none of it was good. “Snowboarding?”

Naomi eyes Levi for a very long time, if he said one more word she was going to reach across the table and slap the piss out of him.

Levi gazed right back at Naomi, watching her closely with a challenging look on his face as he chewed his food.

“Yes,” Victoria said nodding along to her husband’s suggestion. It was perfect timing because things were sure to get out of hand between Levi and Naomi and nobody needed that. “Snowboarding.”

“You two?” Alexander said with a head shake. “Snowboarding?” he asked with a chuckle. “Whatever,” he said easily. “Nah,” he told them playfully, “snowmobiles,” he countered, “I can’t do that race stuff,” he told them.

As everyone else went on and on, Israel was leaned over whispering to Melaine quietly.

Melaine chuckled at Israel brushing him off playfully.

Levi looked over at Israel and Melaine and asked, “what’s so funny?” growing a bit irritated with the antics. “You want two share with the table?” he asked, gesturing between the two of them.

Sighing heavily Naomi said, “Levi. Can you please let these single people have a private moment?” she asked him gesturing the man and woman next to her.

“I agree,” Maya said happily, a smirk on her face as she watched Israel and Melaine. She picked her wine glass up and took a sip from the glass.

“Maybe after dinner, you two could go for a ride or something,” Naomi said to both Israel and Melaine, stirring the pot even more now.

Levi looked at Naomi, gazing the woman up and down with irritation as he took his napkin, wiping his mouth some, licking his lips some. He slowly looked back down at his plate, shaking his head slightly, grumbling to himself.

“Oh, that sounds great,” Maya said leaning in with her glass still in her hand. “So nice,” she whispered to her friend across the table.

Melaine looked at Naomi and then to Maya, she tucked her lips in dimples creasing as she sighed internally over the dinner table antics.

“That sounds nice,” Naomi said mimicking her friend as she gazed at Levi from across the table. “Fun,” she smiled, her pearly white teeth shining for all to see as she got her rocks off over this.

Levi leaned forward, his elbows resting against the table as he picked up his wine glass, swirling the contents around a bit. “Melaine ain’t going nowhere with him,” he said aloud for the entire table to hear before taking a sip from his glass.

Maya looked her husband up and down, she sat the wine glass back down against the table and said “why not?” curiously.

“Why can’t this single woman go out with this single man?” Naomi asked confused, looking around the table with a shrug. “I mean…” she said looking back at Levi.

Melaine shook her head slightly at Naomi, she was barking up the wrong tree she might as well stop, truthfully.

Israel looked down at his plate, pushing his food around a bit, his eyes wide. This was about to get messy; he could feel it. He had already picked up on the fact that Levi and Melaine were sleeping together, that was obvious but clearly Maya had no idea. It was actually quite unfortunate; she was too much of a lovely woman to be treated this way.

Leaning against the table, Isabelle held her head up in her hand as she looked down. “Can we, uh, just drop this,” she said. Things did not need to get ugly. Secrets did not need to be shared. Not like this.

“I so agree with Isabelle right now,” Victoria jumped in, looking around at everyone knowingly before her eyes flickered right over to Naomi, needing the woman to stop taunting Levi.

“L-let him answer,” Naomi said pointing to Levi across from her. He acted as if he were supreme in this situation and she had no problem showing him exactly who ran the show when she was around.

“Calvin, get your wife,” Levi said without even looking up as he brought his fork to his mouth. He was over the games now.

Calvin reached across Naomi, trying to grab her glass. “C’mon baby, give me that drink,” he said trying to help defuse the situation that was arising.

Naomi instantly pushed Calvin’s hand aside. “No,” she said to him easily as she took another sip from her glass. “As a matter of fact, let me get another drink,” she said to them all. “So, Levi’s ass can tell us why Melaine can’t go out with Israel,” she emphasized each word looking over at the man.

Levi looked at Naomi before he palmed his face with agitation. He drug his hand down slowly before he rested his elbow against the table, holding his hand to his mouth as he tried to stop himself from saying anything else to the woman. He shook his head with a deep breath before returning to his food.

“Naomi, look… it’s no big deal,” Israel said softly, leaning over to her a bit, trying to stop the blow up. It was clear to him now, very clear. Everyone at the table knew but Maya.

Maya looked at Naomi and tilted her head mouthing to her to stop. “Calm down,” she breathed easily trying to make peace with her friend from across the table. She could see that Levi was getting increasingly pissed off.

Alexander looked between Levi, Maya, Naomi, and Melaine before he looked at Dominic. He sat back in his chair shaking his head before he said, “yeah, calm down Naomi…” reaching out a cautious hand.

Fed up, Levi dropped his fork, throwing his hand up as he looked to Naomi. “Okay… let’s do it.” He said back in his chair, a very unamused smirk on his face as he rubbed his hands together. “Let’s do it,” he repeated himself a bit more enthusiastically this time as he got adjusted in his chair, prepared for the verbal battle. “C’mon,” he said to Naomi.

“Levi,” Maya said as she rested her hand on her husband’s thigh. “Calm down,” she told him seriously not wanting things to escalate. She didn’t know why he and Naomi were at each other’s throat so much this trip, but they could resolve it as adults she knew. “Eat your food,” she said sweetly as she looked into his eyes. “Okay,” she breathed softly.

“No, no. Come on, talk to me,” Levi said speaking over Maya as she tried to calm him down.

“No, let him talk,” Naomi snapped back at Maya easily, firing off everything she had to say after her two other dumb friends made her hold her tongue for the jackass. “Let him talk, Maya,” she said, lifting up her hand to the woman.

“She’s just a little drunk,” Calvin said, still trying to reach for Naomi’s glass.

“You know what Calvin; I might be a little drunk,” Naomi measured with her fingers as she turned to him. “But somebody at this table got some damn secrets,” Naomi said as she turned her head towards Levi again, bitterly.

“Really?” Levi asked Naomi with an expression of try me.

“You guys that’s enough,” Isabelle said as she sat up some, looking towards Naomi.

“No, no, no, no….” Levi said quickly. “Isabelle… somebody got some secrets?” he questioned before he turned his head to look at Naomi with a shrug, “what are they?”

“You know I am so sick of this shit,” Naomi said as she raised her hands up at the table, her face scrunching as she did. “I am sick of it,” she said again. “The reason she can’t go with this man or any other man,” she said pointing to Melaine, “is it because she’s sleeping with yours, Maya…” she said looking over at the plus-sized woman now.

Maya had watched the two argue back and forth, though she thought it was a drag and so very unnecessary, she hadn’t said another word to either. However, at Naomi’s words she looked up, across the table at her. “What?” she said with a raised brow as she looked at Melaine shaking her head. A chuckle actually left her lips and she said, “no,” easily before she looked at Levi.

“Yeah, Maya,” Naomi said confirming it for her, the woman should have known as soon as they did, but they decided to hold the secret this long and for what?

Melaine swapped glances with Maya, she dropped her head for a moment before she looked back up averting her gaze elsewhere.

Maya looked at Naomi and she then looked back over at Melaine.

Alexander shifted in his seat, exhaling softly. This had to be the most fucked up situation ever, on top of it embarrassing and as usual it was at the hands of Naomi and her big mouth. Though he did feel like the woman should have been told the truth. This wasn’t the place or time for it. “Damn,” he said under his breath.

Isabelle looked down quickly, shifting very uncomfortably in her seat. It shouldn’t have come out like this.

Dominic looked at his wife and then over to Maya, he looked at Melaine as well. He couldn’t imagine the hurt Maya felt, but he also couldn’t really shake the guilty feeling he had knowing they all knew and she hadn’t.

Victoria tucked her lips in slightly, her expression very unreadable as she swapped glances with her husband before she looked around the table, unsure of what to say.

Maya looked at the many faces at the table, she felt her blood boil a little. Did everyone know except for her? Here she sat among them with egg on her face, a cheating husband, one backstabbing friend, and countless others who clearly cared nothing about her.

Israel looked around the table very slowly. This was some drama but it was not his drama. He very much felt like he was intruding on a private situation. “Well… uh… thanks for dinner…” he pushed his chair back some, “... but uh, I should be going…” he trailed off as he moved to stand.

Alexander looked at Israel and said, “you may need to hang tight, in case… you know… law enforcement should happen to need to enforced…” he stammered out.

“I’m sorry,” Naomi said shaking her head as she looked at Maya, “but you don’t need that sorry motherfucker,” she added, bitterly. It was the last thing she had to say. “I should beat his ass,” she sneered.

Maya looked at Naomi before she asked Levi. “Is it true?” as she turned to him looking into his eyes.

Levi stared at Naomi, his eyes squinted before he slowly turned to look at his wife. “Yeah… it’s true…” he nodded a bit, “that’s my secret… I am the bad guy,” he announced looking around the table very nonchalantly. “But I’m not the only married person with a secret at this damn table,” he sneered back towards Naomi. He squinted at her once more before he looked at his friends.

Maya shook her head slowly at her husband, God why was this happening to her, Lord. She inhaled sharply, her chin quivering slightly as she leaned forwards, her hands were pressed together and her forehead rested against them. She was here to save her marriage and now it was broken. He cheated on her with her friend. What did she do to deserve that shit?

“Alexander…” Levi shifted in his chair a bit, “have you told your wife about how you got a DNA test on Kenya ‘cause you weren’t sure she was yours?” he asked.  

Alexander looked up at his friend upon hearing his name. When he heard the secret that was told he swallowed hard, biting down on his bottom lip. He didn’t bother looking at his wife, he knew what hell this would bring.

Isabelle sat back slowly, looking across the table at her husband with disbelief and shock written across her face.

“Hey now Levi, don’t go telling secrets man,” Calvin interjected nervously, looking over at Levi.

“Oh, no, no, no, c’mon Calvin,” Levi said, shaking his head. “Y’all want to talk about me, hmm?” He pursed his lips slightly. “You threw my secret out there. Let’s lay everyone's secrets across this big ass table. Shall we?” he questioned before he whipped his head over to Isabelle. “Isabelle, have you told your husband about how you got an IUD after you had Kenya and didn’t tell him?” He looked at her expectantly, “hmm? That’s what Maya told me.”

Alexander looked at Levi again as he called his wife, the man needed to shut his damn mouth at the point of time. But no, he insisted on continuing. The news he dropped shocked him; his wife had been lying to him. He looked up at her heat brokenly, he gave her everything and all he wanted in return was a son but she’d already screwed him out of the long before he started his fight for it.

Isabelle looked over at Levi as he spoke her name, her jaw slackening slightly before she looked down, folding her arms over her chest slightly, avoiding her husband's gaze. She looked up at him for half a second before she dropped her eyes once more at his stare.

“I’m so sorry Alexander, so sorry, but your chances of having a boy? A bit slim right about now,” Levi said easily.

Alexander looked at Levi, his words couldn’t cut deeper if he wanted them to. He rested back against the chair defeatedly; Levi had won.

“Levi, now wait a minute. This has gone too far,” Victoria said sitting up in her seat, leaning forward a bit as she began to point with her finger, speaking with her hands. “You are going too far; you’re getting really dangerous now. You need to stop this,” she pressed. She had no idea what other secrets the man knew, but things were getting way too out of control.

Levi took a breath, letting Victoria, the perfectionist of the group say her little piece before he interjected, “Dominic…” he smirked slightly. “Since you guys walk around here like the perfect couple,” he lifted his hands using air-quotes, “will you please inform your wife about how you came literally crying to my house asking, ’how could she be so stupid and not strap your son in his car seat’,” he licked his lips before he hummed.

Dominic looked up as Levi called his name, this situation was not good at all right now. He needed to be stopped like his wife said. He didn’t know what dirt he was about to pull up on him but seeing as he loved his wife and didn’t do much of anything. It could only be one damn thing. He gazed at the man, daring him almost yet he did it anyway. Fuck. He turned his head not wanting to look at his wife, he almost did but he continued to look forward, ashamed. He felt that then, now he was trying to get passed it, and he knew his wife was hurting more than he.

Victoria turned her head very slowly now, looking at her husband with smoldering eyes. How could she be so stupid. She stared at the side of his face. She was so upset and felt so disrespected that she didn’t know what to do.

“You are fucking low down, you got damn bastard,” Naomi said as the man continued to dish out everyone’s dirt like he wasn’t the one to fuck himself over in all of this.

“Shut up!” Levi barked across the table at Naomi.

“No, you, shut the fuck up,” Naomi barked as she slammed her hand down against the table. “Bitch ass,” she said gazing at him. “You airing all of this shit because of some foul fucking move you chose to make,” she said.

“Calvin please!” Levi said pointing between the two.

Looking away, Calvin mumbled to himself. “Oh fuck…”

“Please tell this woman the truth!” Levi grunted out, “and I fucking pray that it sets you free. I pray, man.”  He said pointing his hand at them.

Looking dead at Levi, Calvin shook his head dramatically, pleading with the man through his eyes. “Levi…” he rushed out.

Ignoring it all, Levi went on. “But I’m telling you, tell this woman how Alexander had to give you a shot because you had VD.”

Calvin shook his head up until the very moment Levi dropped the bomb before he looked away quickly, staring at the table.

“Let’s talk about condoms now, shall we, Naomi?” Levi questioned.

Naomi looked between both Levi and Calvin before the secret was told for all to hear. She looked at Alexander before she said, “oh,” with shock and sarcasm laced in her voice. “So, you got VD?” she asked, turning to her husband fully.

“Checkmate,” Levi said as he picked up his glass, sipping some of his wine.

“Who have you,” she emphasized, “been with?” Naomi asked him as she looked him up and down. She just had to hear this one.

Leaning over to Naomi a bit, Calvin whispered, “Naomi… let’s discuss this in private.”

“No. You know what,” Naomi said looking away from her husband, “you motherfuckers have been talking in private e-fucking-nough,” she told him. “How long has your dirty ass had it?” she asked him.

“A week…” Calvin whispered, looking at Naomi out the corner of his eyes.

“Was it Aleeyah?” Naomi asked him next, not giving him much time to answer her as she fired off one thing after the next.

Looking at her out of the corner of his eyes more, Calvin’s eyes darted from her to the table then back and forth again as he nodded slightly.

“Hmph,” left Naomi’s mouth and she turned slightly. “Nah,” she said, shaking her head pettily. “You didn’t get it from her,” she told him smoothly, a lie from the pits of hell. “You got it from Daniel,” she told him smugly as she looked over at him again.

Looking at her crazily now, Calvin said, “what the fuck are you talking about? I ain’t gay.”

“No, you dumb fucking fool. I slept with his ass,” Naomi said pointing to herself. “I got a shot,” she said cutely as she raised her hands up looking around at everyone. “I was just waiting for you to say something,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “BOOM!” she said, raising two fake guns in the air as she got comfortable sitting back in her chair without a care.

Calvin stared at her as she admitted that she slept with whoever this Daniel person was before he nodded slowly, looking away from her. That made sense. He typically wrapped it up with Aleeyah. He only slipped up and didn’t use a condom every now and again. Sitting there, he let it all sink in before he turned and launched himself at Naomi, wrapping his large hands around her neck, squeezing tightly.

As the man lunged at her, wrapping his hands around her throat she fought against him. Grabbing his hands, Naomi dug her nails into his flesh as she yanked pushing her chair back and fighting against him.

“Don’t!” Victoria screamed out in shock as Calvin physically attacked Naomi.

Alexander hopped up and he moved for Calvin, grabbing the large man from behind; he tried to break up the physical altercation before him, in disbelief. He pulled the man off roughly as he told him, “stop,” angrily. “Come on man,” he said, “man, come on,” he added.

Isabelle, who had been sitting there mute, looked up quickly, her mouth dropping as Calvin choked Naomi.

Levi sat there, watching the entire thing and he took another sip from his glass. “I hope he breaks your fucking throat. TOUCHDOWN!” He spat out bitterly.

“Get off me,” Naomi yelled as she struck Calvin in the face, another individual's body wrapped around her pulling them apart. “Don’t be putting your hands on me motherfucker!” she yelled at him. “Arrest his ass,” she said angrily as she stood up from the chair trying to reach through Israel to get to her husband once more.

Calvin grimaced as he gripped Naomi by her beck, choking her as hard as he could as Alexander and Israel tried to pull him off, even as Naomi hit him in the face. He gripped her until Alexander managed to pull him away and he huffed hard.

“Get his ass. You see he trying to fucking kill me,” Naomi said to the officer. “Arrest him, Troy,” she said to her.

“Let me go!” Calvin growled, shoving Alexander off of him. “That’s why I slept with her! You so fucking evil!”

“You know what, you put your hands on the wrong fucking one Calvin!” Naomi said to the him her veins protruding from her neck.

Staring at Naomi, Calvin’s face scrunched with so much anger. “You know what, I’m out of here.” He grunted, shoving Alexander out of his way as he stormed off.

“Get your stupid ass out of here!” Naomi said in agreement to her husband.

Standing up now, Levi nodded. “Now, that’s the best idea I heard since we got up here. Let’s cut this trip short,” he said, turning to look at Melaine. “Baby, go pack our stuff. We outta here.” He sat down once more, looking at Maya.

Melaine looked up at Levi, a little shaken by what just played out. When he spoke to her directly, she did as she was told, getting up quickly and rushing away from the table as she moved upstairs.

Adjusting himself in his seat, Levi angled his body towards his wife, leaning against the table a bit. “Look, I’m sorry that you had to find out this way.” He sighed softly. “You could thank your friend over there but… it’s over.”

Maya continued to sit there, rocking slightly in the chair as she shook her head at all of this. She wanted a baby, she wanted them to work, she was trying to be what he wanted her to be and this is how he repaid her. For all the abuse both verbal and physical, for all the nights she spent alone and all the times he embarrassed her. He’d managed to finally break her, all of her.

At his remark Naomi rolled her eyes huffing from her now seated position and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Now, I’ll be more than fair, but I want a divorce,” Levi told her straight up. He grew quiet for a moment before a thought occurred to him. “Hey, you can have the rental property.” He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, as if he was being thoughtful. “I’ll have Ramirez put bars on there for you… don’t thank me or nothing. It’s a rough neighborhood.” He thought some more. “You can have your car and I’ll figure everything else out.” He stared at the side of Maya’s face, looking at her expectantly. “Huh?” he snapped by her ear. “Hello…” he said before he turned away from her moving to stand up, “whatever…”

Maya looked at Levi as he spoke every other word reaching her ear as he did. All she could do was watch his lips as they flapped and she swallowed hard. He snapped at her and then she snapped, he said whatever and it brought her out of her own subconscious. She back handed him across his face as hard as she could muster as she stood up, gazing down at him. She gripped his face in her hand, her nails digging into his flesh and she asked, “how could you?” before she grabbed a steak knife with her other hand. “I gave you everything” she said as she looked into his eyes, sliding the knife across the table.

Naomi looked across the table at her friend as she slapped the man across his face which was less than he deserved. She should kill his ass. However, when the woman picked the knife up, she gasped slightly, “Maya,” she called out.

Dominic sat there next to his wife trying to understand how this all came about. It was the most unnecessary thing they experienced as friends. Looking at Maya he stood up slowly, “Maya,” he said in unison with Naomi.

Alexander stood resting against the back of the chair he once was sitting in and he gazed at Levi. The man truly disgusted him. He had done more than enough yet that was not enough for him at all. As Maya slapped the man, he bit his lips, he deserved it. However, when she grabbed the knife he shifted on his feet prepared to stop her.

Levi fell to the floor as Maya smacked him and he looked up at her shocked as she gripped him by his face. “Maya,” he said as he gazed up at her, his eyes wide as his eyes moved to her other hand holding the knife.

“Oh. My. God.” Isabelle said quickly as she sat there.

Victoria looked back at Levi as he rested against the floor, watching in silence.

Maya watched as he laid there, he had the nerve to call her name. She hated his ass so much right now but she couldn’t bring herself to do anything further. She couldn’t kill him because love wouldn’t let her. So instead she stabbed the table and moved to leave the dining room. She walked towards the door bitterly snatching her coat down and walking out the front door slamming it shut behind her.

“Should've killed his ass,” Naomi said under her breath as she watched Maya leave.

[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

Meet Timothée Chalamet: 9 Things to Know About the 'Call Me by Your Name' Star

If you're not familiar with Timothée Chalamet, get to it! The actor is taking Hollywood by storm and he's not stopping anytime soon. Ahead of Sunday's Golden Globes, ET's rounded up everything you need to know about the young New York City native. 1. He's only 22 years old. When the nominations for the 75th Golden Globe Awards were announced at the end of last year, everyone was buzzing about Chalamet, who's the youngest star nominated for the Best Actor, Drama film accolade for his role as Elio in director Luca Guadagnino's Call Me by Your Name. He's up against Gary Oldman, 59 (Darkest Hour), Daniel-Day Lewis, 60 (Phantom Thread), Tom Hanks, 61 (The Post) and Denzel Washington, 63 (Roman J. Israel, Esq.). 2. Call Me by Your Name isn't the only Globe-nominated movie he's starred in this year.

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Palm Springs International Film Festival

Chalamet also played Kyle Scheible in Greta Gerwig's directorial debut, Lady Bird, with another young, standout star you need to know this awards season, 23-year-old Saoirse Ronan. Call Me by Your Name received three nominations, while Lady Bird has four. "[Timothée's] a young Christian Bale crossed with a young Daniel Day-Lewis with a sprinkle of young Leonardo DiCaprio," Gerwig told GQ last November. "And then raised speaking French in Manhattan and given a Mensa-level IQ." 3. A-listers are already predicting Chalamet to have an incredibly successful future. When Matthew McConaughey interviewed Chalamet for Interview magazine last June, he had nothing but amazing things to say about him, while offering up some advice. "Let's recognize that there are no 'Help Wanted' signs in this business," said McConaughey, who played Chalamet's onscreen father in Interstellar in 2014. "And you're in now." "You've got to be attacking stuff, man -- going after it and getting better," he suggested. "It's not like being a professional athlete where your peak years are your late-20s. You’ve got an opportunity to get better and better and better. The work will start to mean more and more and more to you." 4. You may have seen him in some of your favorite movies and TV shows.   Before landing Interstellar, Chalamet completed a few short films, like Men, Women & Children and Trooper, and a role on Homeland. Prior to that, the breakout actor also made appearances on shows like Royal Pains and Law & Order. 5. He's a man of many talents...

Back when he was in high school, Chalamet had a passion for creating rap music and videos under the name "Timmy T," some which were recently exposed when he was a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. "He's got all kinds of skills," his co-star, Armie Hammer, revealed. "I mean, all kinds. This makes me so happy!" "The backstory behind that [video] is, that was a school project that he had to actually turn in for a statistics class," Hammer added. "So, everyone else wrote out all these sort of big statistics papers and all that, and he turned in this awesome rap. And the teacher only gave him, like, a D+ or something. Shame on you, whoever you are!" Additionally, Chalamet had to learn Italian and how to play the piano and guitar for his role in Call Me by Your Name. Oh, and did we mention he's fluent in French? 6. ...but school isn't really his thing. In the aforementioned interview with McConaughey, Chalamet revealed that after filming Interstellar, he spent a year studying at Columbia University in NYC before dropping out. "I just kind of floundered," he admitted. "Maybe it wasn’t the right place for me." "Columbia takes a wholehearted academic commitment that I think I have in me, but it was just not where my mind was at the time," he continued. "I'd just left working a month and a half in Canada with my favorite director and you, one of my favorite actors, and had to go back into a structured environment. It was just hard." Instead, he moved into an apartment in the Bronx and has "been getting a nice steady stream of work" ever since. "I couldn’t be more grateful," he exclaimed. 7. He's kissed Selena Gomez.

Pacific Coast News

The two are currently working together on Woody Allen's latest project, A Rainy Day in New York, and were spotted sharing a smooch in the rain in New York City’s Central Park back in September. "I'd seen Spring Breakers, because Harmony Korine’s one of my favorite directors," Chalamet said, when GQ asked if he was familiar with Gomez's previous acting work. "But also, you know, I went to high school from 2009 to 2013." The film also stars Jude Law, Diego Luna, Liev Schreiber and Elle Fanning. 8. And was once linked to Madonna's daughter, Lourdes Leon! The two both attended the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in NYC, and sparked romance rumors in 2013. During a chat with Andy Cohen on SiriusXM last November, Chalamet recalled "a really fun night" with the 21-year-old singer. "I usually don't talk about this stuff," he said, blushing, and alluding to the fact that they're still friends. "She hasn't seen [Call Me by Your Name] yet, but she's excited to." "She keeps teasing me about it," he continued. "The movie itself she's very excited about, and the reception it's been getting is only a great thing, it's like the public appearance stuff around it, some of the late-night things I've done. I'll get made fun of." 9. You can catch him in another big film this month.  

“Through his process, Christian Bale creates a character you could of only hoped and dreamed of.” #Hostiles is now playing in select theaters and nationwide January 19th. Purchase your tickets in the #linkinbio]]>👆

[cagedbirdmaya]

Needy Bees

INVOLVED: Maya Morgan and Israel West TIME FRAME: Flashback LOCATION: General Store; Denver, Colorado SUMMARY: Israel and Maya make future plans.

“Swallow me. Swallow me. And open up. Let me inside of your mind. I'll live inside of you to find what you're looking for. Tell me about it. Tell me about it. Tell me about it. Needy bee. Whispers softly. Tell me what you need. I'll come inside of you. I'll live inside of you to find what you're looking for. Tell me about it. Tell me about it. Tell me about it“ - Needy Bees; Nick Hakim

Israel climbed out of his sheriff truck, moving for the back seat. He opened the door and pulled out a box before he shut the door with his hip easily. Rounding the vehicle, he moved for the store. Entering, he looked at Maya behind the counter with a hum.

“Hey,” Maya said, seeing Israel as he walked into the store and she tried to hide the small smile forming on her lips at just the sight of him.

“Hey,” Israel said back to Maya with a smile as he walked further, the place was up and running now, as people shopped around a bit. He moved over to the side and sat the box down before he pulled his jacket off, revealing a bit of sweat on his t-shirt and arms a bit as he did.

Maya moved over to him, she had the pricing gun in her hand for the store knowing what needed to be done next. She watched him sit the box down and said “thanks for this… job” sweetly to him. She walked over to the box and opened it up slowly to see what merchandise they had inside.

“Ha!” Israel chuckled, “you kidding me?” he asked her. “If it wasn’t for you and all of your help this place wouldn’t be open again,” he told her, laying his jacket over a rack of clothes easily, before he joined her at her side, helping her open the box. Stepping up into the stool, to give him the added height that he needed, he said, “my dad loved this store.” He grabbed a vest, handing it up. “It’s his lifelong dream, this place,” he told her.

Maya listened to his words and she added prices to the items that they were working to put up as she looked up at him on the ladder. Taking him in her eyes rolled over every inch of his chocolate skin in the tight tank top, it was dripping with sweat but that didn’t make it any less attractive. Her lips rolled over her tongue as she rolled her eyes over his chiseled arms and strong back. She was engrossed with him now, eyes rolling over the waves in his head before she said “y-you work out e-everyday…” in a baby soft voice.

Hanging up item after item, Israel paused looking at Maya at her question with a bit of a smile on his face. “Not every day,” he told her easily before he reached for another item.

Maya smirked at his comment before she said “I should go with you sometime” making a light joke about her situation to him like she often did with him. She chuckled a little at herself knowing that she wasn’t getting in a gym and nor did he want to go to a gym with her.

Looking back at Maya over his shoulder, Israel said, “you know you laugh, but you might actually enjoy it.” He smiled at her before he turned back to his task, making sure everything he just hung up was straight and looked appealing to the eye. “Keeps the stress down,” he added.

At his comment her smile fell as she glared at him again “I couldn’t run from here to that door” Maya said talking about herself without really knowing it. She was so used to doing it. She licked her lips slowly as she pulled her eyes from him, dropping her head as she continued to price items.

Turning to her at her comment, Israel tried not to scold her. He absolutely hated when she talked down about herself. “Maybe we can…” he shrugged a bit as he stepped off the small stool and stood behind her, looking down at her. “Maybe we can start walking first,” he suggested. “If you want to.”

Maya looked at him and chuckled, her head shaking before she said “no” to him, turning him down sweetly.

At her denial of maybe working out with him, Israel nodded before changing the subject, not wanting to push her. “Well, you know Maya, you’ve been putting in a lot of time into this place.” he said with a hum, “you know getting it reopened and all. Do you want to go to the movies later, to relax and unwind a bit?”

Maya looked up as he spoke directly to her again and her eyes slowly traveled up his broad chest, his body was perfect, got damn. Her eyes slowly moved up to his face, the perfect smile could drive anyone wild. She heard nothing he said in the moment to be overtaken by his pearly white teeth smiling back at her. “What’d you say?” she asked him, confusion in her eyes.

“Maya?” Israel said her name, chuckling a bit and as she finally responded to him, he repeated himself. “Movies? Have some fun. Laugh, smile,” he smirked at her, an amused noise escaping from the back of his throat, “want to go?”

Maya looked at him, taking in what he was saying to her now and she chuckled a bit. Her eyes rolled playfully and said “okay” quietly to him, a smirk on her face. She licked her lips as she picked up a few items out of the box eyeing his body so more. 

Smiling brightly at Maya, Israel said, “okay,” back to her, feeling a bit accomplished as he picked up another item and moved to hang it up. 

[cagedbirdmaya]

Helping Hand

INVOLVED: Maya Morgan and Israel West TIME FRAME: Flashback LOCATION: General Store; Denver, Colorado SUMMARY: Israel takes Maya to the project he needs her help with.

Israel pulled up to the store front in the Chevy truck and he turned the car off, looking over at Maya with a hum. “This is it,” he told her easily as he unbuckled his seatbelt and slid from the car, his boots crunching in the snow a bit. Closing the door behind him, he walked around to the passenger side carefully, mindful of the ice on the ground. Opening Maya's door, he offered her his gloved hand with a smile. 

 Maya licked her lips and looked out the window a bit as the man drove, he drove up to the store, she looked over at him gently. He stopped the car and turned it off, she watched him climb out before she unfastened her seatbelt as well. She looked to his hand and grabbed it, climbing out of the truck with his help. She grabbed her purse and licked her lips, zipping up her jacket a bit. 

 Israel helped Maya out of the car carefully. “Watch your step there,” he told her gently before he closed the car door behind her. “This was my father’s store,” he informed her as he placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her to the door easily, watching for ice patches. Pulling away from her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys. He flipped through them before he found the right one and he stuck it into the lock, turning it slowly before he opened the door, letting Maya enter first. “Ladies first,” he said easily. 

 Maya walked along with the man quietly and she made sure she walked carefully against the ice. She didn’t know if she’d ever get used to Colorado, but she assumed she would have to at some point. She licked her lips gently and nodded her head. “I see” she said softly to him and she looked around the store front gently taking it in. She looked up at him and nodded her head at him as she moved into the store looking around it, she made sure she dusted her feet off as she walked in further. 

 Israel walked in behind Maya, closing the door behind them, shutting out the cold. “Give me one second,” he said to her gently as he locked the door behind them and moved through the dark store, only lit by the daylight outside. He moved to the back, opening up the box and flipping the switch for the breaker before he flipped the power switch and turned on all of the circuit. The buzz of electricity running began humming through the building and he moved back towards the front as he flipped the light switch on the wall near the counter, illuminating the room for Maya, revealing various clothing racks, shelves, and area for various goods. 

 Maya nodded and said “okay” to him softly as he locked the door and ran off, disappearing in the dark. She shifted on her feet and shook a bit trying to shake the cold off of her and she moved to pull her gloves off slowly. She tucked the gloves into her purse and watched as Israel returned. He turned the lights on lighting up the place and she looked around it, taking it in “it’s spacious” she told him, nodding her head as she stepped in further looking at the racks.��

 Israel nodded at Maya’s words. “Yeah, it used to be filled with things, now this is all that’s left,” he said with a small sigh. “At a certain point, my dad just got too tired to keep the store up and he closed it down,” he explained. “Had an everything must go sale,” he told her as he walked over to the thermostat and turned it on, he pressed the heat up and up and up with a hum. Setting the temperature, he looked back at Maya and said, “so what do you think? Think we can turn this store around?” 

 Maya nodded her head at his words as she looked around a bit more, picking up an item and putting it back down idly. She licked her lips again “oh” she said to him gently “I can understand that” she said understandingly. At his question she looked back at him “huh?” she said softly and very confused. “You want us to reopen this?” she asked him softly. 

 Nodding at Maya, Israel confirmed her suspicions. “Yeah,” he said easily. “This is the project I was talking about,” he hummed out. “I’ve been wanting to re-open for a while but… I can’t do it alone,” he explained. “I would really appreciate your help,” he told her with a soft smile as he pulled his gloves off, sticking them into his pockets as the heat kicked in and began to warm the store for them. 

 Maya looked at the man in his eyes as he confirmed what she figured he were. She shifted on her feet and placed her hands in the pockets of her coat looking around them again. “I understand you are trying to help me, but you don’t have to do this,” she told him. “To trust me with this” she said her brows furrowing together “this once was your father’s thing” she said unwilling to accept that this man cared and wanted to help her. 

 Israel walked through the partly empty store and he leaned against an empty rack as he listened to her. His tongue drug over his lips slowly and he said, “I don’t,” easily with a small shrug, his shoulders touching his ears, “but I suggested that you stay and in doing so it’s my responsibility to help you find your footing and assist you in any way that I can,” he told her with a hum. “As far as trusting you,” he let out a sigh, “I know that you’re a good woman,” he said truthfully. “I see the light in you, and I know that you have a pure heart and spirit,” he breathed. “I know that I can trust you and I believe that you can help me with this,” he said. 

 Maya watched him as he replied back to her, coolly leaned against a rack. He did suggest she stay and on a damn whim she did, to this day she had no clue why. She didn’t know the man and couldn’t say for sure he’d even help her. Though on the other end of the stick he had been, and she’d been trying to coward and hide from it for some odd reason. At his compliment she looked down, her eyes slowly moving to look at something else altogether. “Okay” she said softly as she shifted on her feet and finally looked back at him. 

 Nodding slowly, Israel leaned up from the rack and he smiled his pearly whites at her. “Thank you,” he said with a hum as he patted the rack with his hand idly before he moved away from it. He walked into the center of the room, looking around the space with a sigh. He turned in a full circle, just taking it all in with his hands on his hips before he said, “first thing first, we have to dust,” chuckling before a sneeze escaped him and he quickly brought his arm up, letting it out into the crook of his arm. He sniffled softly before he began to shrug off his coat, growing a bit warm as the heat rose in the building. Moving over to the counter, he laid his coat over it easily before he began rolling his sleeves up a bit. “How’s the cabin treating you?” he asked her curiously. 

 Maya watched him examine it all and she said “bless you” to him after he sneezed into his arm. He took his coat off and set it aside, rolling up his sleeves and she continued to stand there idly. “Great” she said nodding her head “you know it’s beautiful…. and quiet” she told him. “Peaceful” she added as well trying to mask the comment of it being quiet. 

 “Thank you,” Israel said as he rolled up the other sleeve, nodding as she spoke about the cabin. At the mention of it being quiet, he let out a sigh. “It is a pretty big place for just one person to stay,” he said thoughtfully, even as she tried to mask it. With his sleeves rolled up, Israel walked over to the side and he picked up an old t-shirt that had fallen off of a rack. Shaking it out a bit, he walked over to a shelf and used it to dust it off a bit. “I could stay there with you a couple nights a week,” he suggested with a shrug. “Just to keep you company,” he hummed out thoughtfully before he looked back at her. 

 Maya continued to watch him before she moved towards the counter, she placed her purse down and removed her jacket. She placed her jacket against his and turned to watch him as he idly dusted off the shelf. “You are too busy for that,” she said, shaking her head at him. She was fine with raiding the wine and liquor cabinets late at night when she felt too lonely to sleep. 

 “I can make do,” Israel said easily as he turned to look back at her, taking note that she had taken off her coat as well. He turned to her fully and said, “I’m going to see what I can find in the cleaning closet,” he told her. “Actually, let me show you around the back,” he said thinking it over as he sat the shirt on the shelf and dusted his hands off a bit. “C’mon,” he said nodding his head in the direction as he walked to the back. 

 Maya tucked her lips in at his words and she sighed, she didn’t fight with him on it she’d fought one man for several years already. She rested her hand against her chest, before she adjusted the v-neck top a bit. “Okay” she said to him as he prepared to leave only for him to state that he wanted her to come with him and she nodded her head moving to follow him and she stuck her hands into her jean pockets quietly. 

 Walking to the back, Israel flicked on a light switch and he said, “this is the back room,” with a hum. “It doubles as the break room and the storage room,” he told her, pointing to the small kitchenette area in the corner and then to some boxes off to the side before he gestured to the small round table and four chairs, “that door is the bathroom,” he pointed to it before he walked over and turned the knob, opening the door to show her. Closing the door back he said, “and this door is the cleaning closet,” he said as he opened the door and stepped inside. He reached up and turned on the light from the chain hanging from the ceiling and illuminated the room filled with boxes, cleaning products, and etcetera. “Still pretty stocked,” he said observing out loud. 

 Maya followed behind the man and she nodded her head as he showed her the backroom. He pointed out the various spots in the space including the bathroom and she nodded her head again. He opened a door to the cleaning closet, and she nodded her head at him a third time looking at the space and what was inside of it. “Okay” she told him. 

 Israel looked at Maya as she stood there just outside the room, so hesitant and quiet. Taking her in, he let out a hum and he said, “I don’t bite,” with a chuckle, wanting her to relax, just a bit. Turning from her, he grabbed some cleaner and an actual rag, holding them in his hand easily before he snatched up the broom with a hum. “Let’s just do a bit of dusting and sweeping today,” he said, “then if you’re comfortable, we can map out sometimes to come and really whip this place back into shape,” he hummed out thoughtfully. “When we leave here later, do you want to grab a bite to eat?” he asked her now as he turned off the light and stepped out of the room with the items in his hand. 

 Maya nibbled her lip at his words, she didn’t move however instead she kept put until he grabbed the items they needed. “Sounds good” she told him, nodding her head at his words. “Okay” she added with a shrug “not like I have anything to do these days” she told him. “Of course… does it look like I’d pass up a meal?” she asked him as she moved out of the doorway. 

 Israel closed the door behind him as he managed to grip all of the items in his large hand as he nodded at Maya before his face scrunched. He gazed at her, blinking slowly. “I wish you wouldn’t do that,” he sighed out softly as he looked into her eyes. 

 At his words she raised her brows to her hairline “wish I didn’t do what?” Maya asked him curiously. She wasn’t trying to upset him or bother him in any way. Hence why she kept herself so quiet to begin with. She licked her lips and moved out of his way, as she looked down at the floor. 

 “Talk down about yourself and to yourself,” Israel said gently as he took her in, letting his eyes roll over her curves for a moment before he looked back into her eyes. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the way that you look,” he explained to her softly as he handed her the broom, with the dustpan hooked onto it. 

 Maya looked at him and she didn’t say anything, he like everyone else was just pretending she wasn’t huge and disgusting to look at. She grabbed the broom in her hand and moved to walk back towards the door slowly. 

 As she said nothing, Israel pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and he followed behind her with a hum. Damn, her husband had really messed her up bad. It was a shame. Maya was so beautiful. Shaking his head, he moved into the main space and began to dust off the shelves, spraying a bit of the cleaner to help. 

[amorisabelle]

Breakfast Debacle

INVOLVED: Levi Morgan, Maya Morgan, Naomi King, Calvin King, Victoria Perry, Dominic Perry, Isabelle Marshall, Alexander Marshall, Israel West, and Melaine Ashton TIME FRAME: Saturday, December 21, 2019 and Sunday, December 22, 2019 LOCATION: Elk Trail Lodge; Denver, Colorado SUMMARY: After Naomi saw Levi speak into Melaine’s room the night before, she and the girls make breakfast for the house resulting in conflict, of course; Maya finally arrives and greets her friends and husband, with Israel in tow.

Levi tip-toed out of his room, gently closing his room door behind him, and into the hallway carefully, looking around vigilantly. He was trying to be as quiet as possible, as to not wake any of his friends or their wives. Licking his lips, he continued his watch as he moved down the hallway, trying to step lightly as he did.

Having been denied sex by her husband, Naomi laid in bed reading a book quietly to herself as she festered over Calvin. Hearing a creak in the night, she raised up a little noticing the shadow as it passed by their assigned room door. Squinting she got up, sitting the book aside and she opened her door very slow and still, as she peered out to see Levi creeping down the hall and into their friends room.

Feeling that the coast was clear, Levi hurried the rest of the way to Melaine’s room. He reached for her handle, smirking to himself as he gently and carefully opened her door and made his way inside, closing it behind him swiftly.

Naomi watched Levi closely before she turned closing her door with her mouth gaped wide open, she couldn’t believe the no-good son of a bitch. “That motherfucker,” she sneered to herself, Maya was the sweetest and most humble friend they had. She didn’t deserve this shit one bit, not from him, not from anybody.

“I saw that low-down dirty dog,” Naomi exclaimed to her friends as she scrambled some eggs in a pan. “He was in there up until about two hours ago,” she said looking at them both as she ratted out Levi for the piece of shit he was.

Victoria’s whole face contorted as she pushed the lever on the toaster down and looked to Naomi. “What?!” She grunted out disgusted.

Isabelle poured orange juice into the glasses before she looked at Naomi, shaking her head, a scowl on her face. “I knew it,” she grunted bitterly.

“Yeah,” Naomi said as she looked to Victoria. “I am telling Maya as soon as she gets here,” she promised as she continued to whip up the eggs in the skillet.

“Uh-uh, Naomi, wait a minute,” Victoria said waving her hand in front of Naomi.

“Wait for what?” Naomi asked the woman her neck jerking back, ever so slightly as she looked to her crazily.

“You don’t know what kind of state-of-mind she’s going to be in,” Victoria said, turning to look at Naomi, expectantly.

“Oh, come on Vicky,” Naomi said to the woman beside her as she sat the spatula down for a moment. “Let’s forget it with all that psych mess right now,” she waved off. “I am telling her,” she said sternly.

“No, Vic’s right,” Isabelle chimed in. “You know she’s been really depressed lately. Let’s just wait,” she said thoughtfully as she began to pour some of the orange juice into more glasses.

“Why?” Naomi asked the two of them whipping her head back and forth. “If it was one of us, we would want to know right?” she asked them seriously her hand on her hip.

Victoria scoffed, shaking her head, adding more fruit to the plate that she was holding.

“Uh,” Isabelle shook her head at Naomi. “You don’t know that. Sometimes people get angry at you for telling them,” she said matter-of-factly.

“Exactly,” Victoria added, “and she’s been so unhappy, the least we could do as her friends is take make sure that she’s gonna be okay.”

“Still, the fact that we are her friends–” Naomi said coming back with a counter argument before some of the gang walked into the kitchen with them. She fell quiet, moving back to her original duty.

Levi moved through the door first saying, “good morning,” as he moved for the fridge.

“Good morning gang,” Alexander said cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen to reconnect with his wife and their two friends. He sat down in a stool in front of the women that were preparing breakfast.

“So, just where the hell have y’all been?” Naomi asked as the troop came trotting in.

“We hiked a trail,” Alexander said to her easily, innocence laced in his voice as he sat down looking at her oddly. It was far too early in the morning for Naomi to be cranky, or was it?

Dominic looked to their friends and said, “there were a lot of animals; foxes and things,” he told them having picked up a biscuit.

Melaine stood before the bar area and she smirked at everyone, toying with her Louis Vuitton scarf around her neck before she said, “it smells so good Naomi.” She popped a piece of biscuit into her mouth as well and said, “you belong in a kitchen” to her slyly as she leaned against the counter.

“Bitch,” Naomi said looking to Melaine, “don’t get me to where you belong, hoe ass. Ass belong on a corner… you already have your pimp,” she said slyly as she rolled her eyes at her.

Melaine looked to Naomi disgustedly as she called her not only out of her name but a prostitute all in one. The bitch didn’t really know her.

Levi sat the apple juice from the fridge onto the counter and sat down beside Melaine at the breakfast bar, his eyes going wide slightly at Naomi’s words, but he said nothing.

“Hey, good morning everybody,” Calvin said feeling bright and refreshed after a wonderful night's sleep. He sat down at the bar beside Alexander with a bright smile.

“Morning Calvin,” Alexander said to his friend looking at him and then looking down.

“Morning brother,” Dominic replied as he still chomped on a biscuit standing next to his wife.

“How did you sleep Calvin?” Melaine asked, still leaning against the counter.

“I slept great!” Calvin said, turning in his seat a little to look at Melaine. “I was out like--”

“Did you?” Melaine said with a grin on her face before it fell watching Naomi.

Naomi didn’t bother to look at her husband as she took the plate, she made for him and plopped it down before him. She didn’t care what happened to the content on the plate as she did so. She turned her back to everyone.

Looking down at the plate as Naomi dropped it in front of him, Calvin’s toast flying into the air before falling back down onto the counter, he frowned muttering, “I slept okay.”

Isabelle wasn’t even phased as Naomi dropped the plate before Calvin and she took a sip of her orange juice, looking at her husband.

Eyes growing wide as Naomi slammed Calvin’s plate down, Victoria picked up another plate and prepared it for someone without another word.

Alexander looked to the side of his friends face with eyes large as saucers as the woman literally threw his breakfast over to him. He looked from his face, to his disheveled plate, to his own wife with the same wide eyes he started with.

Calvin looked at Alexander out the corner of his eye slightly, then down at his plate, making a face at his friend. Didn’t he know his wife was crazy. This is why he couldn’t tell her about his VD.

“Uhm,” Victoria began, trying to ignore what Naomi had just done. “Levi, have you called Maya to see if she was okay?”

“No,” Levi replied quickly, shaking his head as he ate his biscuit. “Can I get some coffee?” he asked.

Naomi looked to Levi, her face hardening as she shook her head and turned her back to the group again moving for the sink to wash the dishes.

“I am sure she’s fine,” Melaine said as she licked her lips looking at everyone.

“Was anyone talking to you trick?” Naomi asked Melaine upfront, turning back around from the sink. Of course, she’d have two cents to add to this after, all she didn’t care as long as she had the opportunity to keep fucking Maya’s man.

“Trick?” Melaine repeated, at the point by now she’d had enough of Naomi and all of her disrespectful comments.  

“Yes trick,” Naomi said to her very quickly, “as in slut, whore, tramp,” she listed gesturing with her hand. “Are you unaware of your name?” she asked resting her hand on her hip as she gazed at her.

“Look Naomi,” Melaine said in a harsh accent, before she went on, “you don’t know me, I have tolerated you long enough,” she said pointing her finger at her as she did.

“I will beat your ass bitch,” Naomi said to Melaine in response, each word that left her lips came out forcefully and drew her closer and closer to the woman.

“Then do it bitch!” Melaine said as she hopped up from her position leaned over on the counter. Never mind Levi trying to get in between her and Naomi.

Levi stood quickly with Melaine, “Whoa, wait a minute,” he said wrapping his arm around her petite frame before he reached over holding his hand out to Naomi.

Calvin sat quietly, eating his food hungrily as if nothing was happening around him.

Victoria squealed as Naomi pulled her out of the way and she spun around, moving closer to Isabelle out of shock.

Dominic watched as the woman threw things at each other and he said, “hey, hey, hey, hey,” loudly, voice booming around the space as he tried to hold Naomi back. His head moved back and forth as more food continued to be thrown.

Alexander lifted his hands up, a fork in one of them as he too added that the woman needed to stop and calm down. “Wait a minute,” he called out as he watched on.

Maya climbed out of Israel’s truck as they arrived at the cabin, she took it in all of its glory as she stuck one hand in her fur coat and the other held her purse moving towards the entrance.

Israel climbed out of the truck, moving to the backseat to grab Maya’s bags for her. As well as the package that came for Alexander.

“Hey,” Alexander said as he looked towards Levi, “handle that,” he said to him as he sat his fork back down in his plate. “Hey, she cooked grits and I am just going to move the hell out of the way,” he said dipping his fork in his food and then into his mouth.

Levi looked to Alexander and said, “she ghetto,” throwing his hands into the air.

“Someone better get here before I do,” Naomi said in response as she backed up slowly.

Maya moved throughout the house and she headed for the kitchen, having smelt some food cooking in the house. They must have been eating breakfast. She began to pull her fur coat off when she reached the opening and said “hey!” happily “Divas!” she called out to her best friends. She leaned in for a hug from Dominic happily accepting the kiss to her temple from him as she chuckled infectiously. She moved toward her husband her hand now gripping her heavy coat and purse, she moved to give him a kiss despite his disposition. “Hey, what’s going on everybody?” she asked.

Levi leaned towards his wife out of courtesy as she reached for him. He allowed her to kiss his cheek, but he didn’t show her much affection back.

Israel moved into the cabin behind Maya, sitting her things down as he stepped in fully, assessing everyone quickly.

Maya moved towards Victoria and she smiled at her friend leaning in for a hug.

“Thank God you’re okay,” Victoria said, hugging Maya tight, rubbing her back lovingly before she pulled away.

“Yes, I made it finally,” Maya replied to Victoria before she moved over to Isabelle and hugged the woman to her as well.

Isabelle stepped forward; arms open to her friend. “We were worried sick about you, you know.” She said hugging her friend tight.

“I know, I am fine,” Maya said to Isabelle, “this man took really good care of me,” she said gesturing Israel off to the side.

Dominic looked to Israel and he smiled thoughtfully, he was glad the man had managed to assist their friend some way. He knew how much she was on his mind and the mind of their other friends.

Levi turned to the sheriff, shaking the man’s hand firmly as he looked him up and down.

“At least some man did,” Naomi she smartly back to her friend, a sneer on her lips as she looked to her friends shitty husband. Never mind that, she hugged the woman tightly wrapping her arms around her thick frame.

Pulling away from her friend, Maya moved over to Israel and said, “everybody, this is Israel,” she emphasized placing her hand on his arm as she looked to them. “I invited him for breakfast, is that alright?” she asked them.

Levi squinted at Naomi, holding his hand out to her with a huff before he moved to sit back down.

As Maya introduced him to the group, Israel smiled. “Good morning everybody,” he said with a slight wave before he gazed at Maya intently as she spoke, giving her his full undivided attention before he looked at the group to see their reactions and hear their thoughts on the idea of him staying to eat with them.

“Fine with me,” Calvin called out from his spot at the end of the breakfast bar.

“Good to see you man,” Alexander said to the guy kindly.

Dominic held up the plate offering the man a warm biscuit if he’d like it politely. Though honestly, he’d thrown back two and, in his mind, he owned the plate of biscuits now.

“Same here,” Israel said back to Alexander before he remembered the package tucked under his arm and added, “oh, here you are Dr. Marshall,” as he walked over. “A package came for you. When the postal service can’t make it up the hill, they leave it with me,” he informed the man.

Alexander looked to Israel as he approached, and he nodded his head grabbing the package that contained the shot he needed to give his best friend. “Thank you,” he told the guy, glad it had made to them in a quick and fast paced manner.

Isabelle looked directly at her husband, asking, “what is that?” He had some nerve telling her to put the work away for the week and he was getting doctor packages?

Alexander swallowed down some food and avoided his wife’s eye contact as he said, “something I needed.” Picking his glass of orange juice up and taking a long sip as she looked over at Calvin.

Calvin ate his food, slowly looking over at Alexander out the corner of his eye before he dropped his head quickly.

Maya looked around hand on her hips and she smiled again. “It’s so good to see you guys,” she said looking at her friend lovingly. God, did she miss them, her friends were always a good pick-me-up and she was sure she would get some peace of mind out of this trip. It would ease her and hopefully help her, and her husband rekindle their flame.

“It’s good to see you too,” Victoria said sweetly from her spot off to the side.

“Melaine,” Maya said smiling at the girl as she licked her lips slowly, the wheels had been turning in her head since she learned of Israel having been divorced.

Melaine looked to her friend and said, “hm,” sweetly back having gone back to her biscuit.

“That is Israel,” Maya said sweetly, “I talked about you all last night,” she told her thoughtfully. “Girl,” she started, “he is single,” she told her with a knowing look.

Melaine looked to her friend and then Israel, taking him in. “Is that so?” she asked her. “Mm,” she hummed out. “That’s great,” she told her as she shifted on her stool now before she cleared her throat.

Naomi looked to the three in an unknown love triangle and she pursed her lips slyly.

Levi looked at Melaine, a scowl on his face as he placed his hand on her thigh under the counter discreetly, squeezing tightly.

Isabelle pursed her lips, looking between Levi and Melaine and she brought her glass of orange juice to her mouth as she looked off mumbling. “I saw that,” to Naomi and Victoria.

“I did too,” Victoria added quickly, her face scrunching slightly as she shifted on her feet.

“Mm-hm,” Naomi said with her glass up to her mouth as she nodded her head discreetly.

“So Melaine,” Maya said pressing forward, “why don’t you move over,” she smiled cutely, “and let the man sit down,” she asked her with a smirk.

Levi rolled his eyes, sitting his coffee cup down as his head rolled to the side slightly, irritated as he bit his lip to hold his tongue.

“Oh, alright,” Melaine said playing along as she shift stools, moving one over to Alexander and giving the man space to sit in between her and Levi now.

“Yeah,” Alexander said as he gestured with his hand, “You’re single, he’s single,” he said to the woman as she moved next to him. “So,” he stuttered getting a look from his friend, “sit, there,” he said hiding his somewhat amusement as he looked down now.

Maya grabbed a strawberry and placed it into her mouth, chewing lightly as she asked her friend. “Victoria what are you doing?” curiously. The woman couldn’t cook, they all knew that. If you asked her, she was the best cook out of all four of them.

Victoria scooped eggs onto a plate, and she looked over at Maya saying, “what? I’m helping out.”

“You don’t know anything about cooking,” Maya said to her as she licked her fingertips gently. “Move over,” she told her with a grin.

Naomi looked to Maya and Victoria and she actually giggled to herself. It was indeed a known fact that the woman was not a good cook.

Isabelle looked over at Victoria and Maya and she smiled, a laugh escaping her as she looked to Naomi, chuckling with her friend.

“I got it,” Maya told the woman as she moved to wash her hands and dry them to assist with breakfast.

“Ain’t no secret… you know all about cooking and eating don’t you, baby…” Levi said to his wife harshly as he forked some eggs into his mouth.

“This motherfucker,” Naomi said lifting her finger up to Levi, he had some damn nerve. How dare he speak to Maya in that way and in front of all of them like that. His desire to embarrass her at every turn was starting to get under her skin considering they all knew at this point he was a cheater. “You got one more fucking time,” she warned the man seriously as she glared at him.

Levi looked at Naomi disgusted. “What is wrong with you?” he asked her. “Alex, please prescribe her some valium.”

“You’re just such a-” Naomi said trying to contain herself, but she really couldn’t at this point. “Asshole,” she told him. “Let me go and just-” she breathed, “get my ass out of here,” she told them all as she walked out of the kitchen.

Maya looked between her husband and her friend as she asked everyone. “What’s wrong with her?” very curious to know what she missed and why everyone was so hostile with each other right now.

“PMS,” Levi responded to Maya quickly with a shrug of his shoulders and as Naomi walked out, he turned in his chair his eyes following her as he said, “take a valium.”

“What is wrong with your wife?” Alexander asked Calvin as he turned to look at him. He picked his fork backup and began to eat some more.

Calvin looked at Alexander, his mouth full of food and he took a minute to swallow before he said, “what do you mean?” He looked around at all of his friends. “It’s Sunday.”

Alexander’s head snapped back up at his friend's words and he turned to look at everyone wide-eyed. It’s Sunday? Was his friend that bad, was she that much of a fighter and aggressor that her own husband didn’t notice how violent she could be.

Melaine watched the woman walk out and then looked between Alexander and Calvin. As the man spoke of his wife, she looked to him crazily before she looked over to Levi who had begun chuckling from the ridiculousness that was Naomi.

Levi looked at Calvin with a chuckle, unable to believe that his friend just sat there unbothered through all of that.

Israel sat in between Melaine and Levi shaking his head at the group of friends as a smirk tugged on his lips, his eyes watching Maya before him as she prepped plates.

Maya scooped a helping of grits onto her husband’s plate as she prepared him one, if she didn’t do it who would? She was his wife and it was her job to cater to his every need and she always would.

“You are so immune to her behavior, that you don’t even realize,” Alexander said turning to his friend still a bit shocked and amused right now. “What the hell?” he said chuckling at that.

Dominic looked to Alexander and he chuckled out shaking his head as he leaned against the counter. His friends were truly something else, none of them had the slightest idea of that.

Melaine chuckled herself, what a sad life to live, she thought to herself a she looked to Levi. She pulled her sleeves up to her turtleneck. “God!” she breathed.

Levi laughed out at Alexander’s words as he held his cup of coffee.

Isabelle stood there, not finding it amusing in the slightest as she shifted on her feet and as the phone rang, she turned and moved for it since she was the closest.

“Excuse me,” Maya breathed to her friend as she reached across her. “Here baby,” she said sweetly to her husband as she handed him over a plate she made, with everything she knew he liked with the proportions that she knew he’d appreciate.

“Thank you,” Levi said easily as he grabbed the plate from his wife and dug in.

“Hello?” Isabelle said answering the phone quickly as she leaned against the counter facing everyone. “Oh, hey Monica,” she said before she grew quiet, listening to Monica on the line. “No, it’s okay,” she said shocked, her eyes moving to her husband. “He said what now?” she asked, staring him down before she began to shake her head, pulling her gaze away from him. “No, it’s fine. Thank you,” she said. “Just tell him I’ll get back to him a little later,” she said as she turned back towards the base of the phone. “Alright, bye,” she said before placing it back on the dock. She stared at the phone for a moment before she turned and looked to her husband once more, moving towards him. “Alexander… Alexander…”

Alexander ignored his wife at first, having heard only part of his wife’s conversation. Once he heard Monica’s name, he knew. He asked the woman in kindness to let them enjoy their trip and she failed him. “Yeah,” he finally said looking to Isabelle as she approached the counter again.

As he answered her, Isabelle arched an eyebrow. “Did you tell Monica not to call me?” She asked him, her voice laced with a slight attitude.

“It’s our vacation,” Alexander said to the woman with a bit of an attitude himself as he forked some more grits into his mouth.

Nodding slowly, Isabelle dropped her eyes before she looked back up at him. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked him, nodding towards the doorway that led into the living room.

“No” Alexander told his wife sternly as he moved away from the topic at hand. “So, Israel,” he said changing the subject, “we saw like snow mobiles, where do we get those?” he asked him.

Isabelle looked at her husband incredulously, her neck jerking back slightly, her eyes rolling as he told her no. She let out a harsh breath as she pursed her lips and turned her back to him.

Looking over at Alexander, Israel chuckling saying, “Ah that’s easy--”

“I’m not worried about snowboarding,” Melaine said to Israel, “I want to shop,” she emphasized. It was her favorite past time and she loved spending Levi’s money.

Levi began choking on his food at Melaine’s words and he looked at her wildly before dropping his head as he coughed into his fist.

“You okay?” Melaine asked Levi as everyone looked over at the man as he coughed roughly.

“Sorry,” Levi muttered holding his finger out to everyone to excuse himself as he choked.

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