Ramon Veldez gazed at his watch. It was nine-thirty p.m. He looked down at his little Honda Accord, scowling. It had died here on Bramhall Avenue, just a block from Martin Luther King Drive. It wasn’t exactly one of the nicest parts in Jersey City to break down in. It had been a long Saturday. He had gone with his parents to Paterson, New Jersey to visit some relatives, and then he dropped them off in Hoboken. Ramon had just gotten back from the Burger King at the Route 440 shopping strip, and was headed home to his apartment on Ocean Avenue and Warner Street. On the way up Bramhall Avenue, all the current in the car died. Ramon knew it wasn’t the battery, so he figured it had to be the alternator. Ramon shook his head and began to walk towards Martin Luther King Drive.
The old beast was trying his patience. Last month, he had to replace the clutch. Now, this. It wasn’t a good feeling. Ramon had begun to toy around with the idea of getting another used car. He figured on asking his supervisor at the Museum of Natural History to squeeze him in for some more guard duty. With any luck, Ramon would get his wish.
He had hoped to go out on a drive tomorrow with his girlfriend, Alexa. She wanted to head out to Paramus. Ramon chuckled at the thought. In a way, he was lucky. If the car had broken down there, that would really have been a headache.
It was a warm, humid August evening. Ramon gazed up into the hazy sky. The full moon glowed softly through the haze. Ramon knew that the 87 bus wasn’t running at this hour, so he figured on walking back home. It was a good twenty-minute walk back. People were sitting out on the steps, some with boom-boxes. Hip-hop music thread through the air. A few children played in front of their apartment buildings, their watchful parents sitting close by.
Ramon thought about his father. He had to set up a meeting with his cardiologist. Given his father’s health, Ramon had to stay on top of things. His father was a diabetic, and had high blood pressure. He had recently begun dialysis, which was a rough experience for the whole family. Ramon did his best to be there for his parents when they needed it.
Ramon had been working at the Museum Of Natural History in New York City for more than three months. While it was rather dull, this job was better than some of the other places he did security duty. A few of the co-workers at those other places made him shake his head in disbelief. Ramon couldn’t believe the morons who got hired in this line of work. It was even more frightening that some of these folks were licensed to carry weapons.
He remembered one job at an office building that belonged to some local television station. The guys who did security there had some interesting…extra-curricular activities. Ramon remembered one evening well. He was sauntering down a long hallway. It was dark, except for a light coming from a door at the left end of the hall. As he got closer, he thought he heard the crack of a whip. Filled with curiosity, Ramon took a peek. He was sorry he did.
The head of security that night, a fat, sweaty white fellow, was bent over a large desk, his pants and underwear down around his thighs. Standing behind him was a short, very curvaceous, very hot Chinese hooker. Her jet-black hair was made up as bangs; she wore fishnet stockings and a black leather bathing suit, which accentuated her large, creamy breasts. She held a whip, and proceeded to crack it across the man’s enormous buttocks with relish. The bruised flesh jiggled, and he yelped in pain and pleasure.
Ramon’s eyes widened in shock. He quickly hurried past, not wanting to be spotted looking in on the captain’s fun.
Then, there were those nutcases that were a little too trigger-happy, the type that felt like they were Clint Eastwood or something. Having that gun gave them power. Oh, never mind the training videos that showed what a bullet could do to human flesh. That kind of graphic reality was wasted on these dimwits. All they knew was that they had a gun, goddammit. It made them feel like something…something other than the useless wastes of human excrement Ramon saw them as. Nothing scared him more than his last job, where he was at the construction site of an office building in downtown Jersey City. He was wandering through the hallways, and suddenly, he heard gunshots above him. Drawing his weapon, Ramon immediately radioed his partner upstairs, asking what was happening. His partner laughed raucously and told him to chill-that he was just shooting at some rats. Then a wild howl and some more shots echoed through the radio and the room upstairs. Ramon had him reported to his supervisor.
So, yeah…things were boring now. But it could be worse. It could always be worse.
Ramon crossed Martin Luther King Drive, and continued on towards Ocean Avenue. This block was a bit more quiet, with fewer people. As he continued on, he saw two figures emerge from an alley near one apartment building, a few houses down from him. They appeared to be men. One was tall and lanky, the other one short and stocky. Their manner of walking displayed an arrogance that set off alarms in Ramon. He looked across the street. It was clear. He decided to head across the street and continue on from there. Ramon crossed Bramhall Avenue and stepped onto the sidewalk.
As he turned towards the direction of Ocean Avenue, Ramon saw that the taller of the two men had crossed over, and was walking steadily towards him. Ramon quickly glanced across the street. The other man walked on, looking his way. He put his fingers to his mouth and let out two short, sharp whistles. Ramon tensed himself. The tall man kept coming. Ramon moved off to the left, and the man moved with him. Ramon stopped. The other man slowed down, but drew steadily closer.
“Yo, white boy.” he called out.
Ramon’s eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around. Two more men approached. Their gait increased as they drew closer. Ramon looked across the street. The shorter, stocky man looked at him, a knowing smile on his face.
“Yo, white boy.” the tall one said again. “Give me your shit.”
Ramon made a run for it.
He rushed across the street. The tall man bounded up on the hood of a nearby car and leapt down onto the street. He ran after Ramon with blinding speed. Ramon did his best to outrun him, but he was no match. A long arm reached out and grabbed Ramon by the back of the shirt. Ramon twisted to the right, throwing his left fist into the tall man’s stomach. He let out a loud grunt and released him. Ramon followed it up with a hard right. It connected, and the tall man stumbled back, falling into a seated position on the sidewalk. Ramon looked up, and saw the rest of his friends approach. They were upon him.
One of them threw a fist into his jaw. Ramon’s head snapped to the right. He felt a tooth loosen in his lower jaw. An arm wrapped around his neck. He felt something sharp thrust up into his left side, just under his arm.
Pain blasted through his side, into his chest. The arm released him. Ramon dropped to the ground like a rag doll. He felt hands reach into his pockets, one of them snatching out his wallet. Then he felt a foot smash into the left side of his face. Ramon felt the tooth pop loose. A white flash of searing pain blasted through his skull. Ramon’s head throbbed. He heard laughter and the sounds of many footsteps rushing off into the night. But Ramon was paying closer attention to the roaring, burning agony in his side, and the fact that he was finding it harder and harder to breathe. He began coughing, and the pain increased a hundred-fold.
Tears ran down his cheeks. He felt himself getting colder and colder…
Ay Dios Mio…I’m going to die…God…no!!
Then Ramon sensed a presence. He couldn’t make out who it was, just that someone was there. He tried to look past his eyelids, which were growing heavier and heavier every passing moment. He made out a form, and a light scent of perfume…
A hand rested on his chest. A hand that suddenly grew much warmer. He felt the warmth radiate into his body. Then Ramon felt a hot, moist breath in his left ear.
“The wound is bad.” said a soft female voice. “You’re not going to make it.”
The voice was casual, matter-of-fact. Terror whirled through Ramon like a violent storm. He slowly shook his head, not wanting to accept the inevitable.
“However,” continued the voice, “I might be able to save you.”
Ramon moaned slightly, nodding once. He tried to speak, but couldn’t.
“There’s a condition, though. If I save you, I’ll need a favor in return.”
Ramon nodded a bit more vigorously. His body grew numb. He felt colder and colder.
“You sure?”
Ramon moaned, nodding again. His eyelids grew too heavy. Darkness crossed his vision.
“All right then.” said the voice. “We’ll meet again.”
The woman’s hot breath drew away from Ramon’s ear. He then heard shouts, and the sound of people running towards him. Ramon finally slipped into blissful unconsciousness.
A flash of hot white pain ripped through the darkness….
The darkness churned slightly, settling a bit, and then churned a bit more…
Distant sounds began to filter their way into the darkness. Bits of light began to thread their way into the void. The sounds grew closer and closer…
…and Ramon slowly felt himself coming back into consciousness again. He felt a plastic mask on his nose and mouth. Ramon heard a slight hissing sound, and a steady beeping noise. He slowly opened his eyes.
A hospital room, obviously. The hissing sound must have been oxygen. He felt a dull, throbbing pain where he had been stabbed. Ramon titled his head to the right. An elderly woman was grasping his hand, her head laying on the edge of the bed. Ramon studied her reddish-gray hair. He looked beyond her and saw a thin, bald-headed man, about the woman’s age, sitting nearby and reading a newspaper. Ramon smiled slightly. He squeezed the woman’s hand. Her head popped up with a start, her brown eyes wide with shock and joy.
“Hijo!!”
The old man instantly looked up at hearing her exclamation. His face was filled with elation.
“Ramon!!”
He got up and went over to the woman’s side, grasping Ramon’s hand.
“Thank God…”
“Hi Ma. Hi Pop.” Ramon responded. His voice was dry and weak.
“Take it easy hijito.” said his mother. “Don’t strain yourself.”
The old man looked at his wife.
“Let me get Doctor Knight.”
He hurried outside. The woman leaned in and kissed her son on the forehead. She placed her hand on Ramon’s head and tenderly stroked it.
“How do you feel, hijito?”
Ramon nodded once.
“A…little better, ma.”
The woman’s lower lip trembled. Tears came to her eyes.
“I-I-I thought I lost you…!!”
She placed her head on her son’s chest and wept. Ramon placed his left hand on his mother’s head and tenderly stroked it. At that moment his father and a doctor, a tall African-American, came into the room. The old man walked over to his wife and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently pulling her away from her son.
“Rosie, don’t cry. He’s going to be all right.”
The doctor put on his stethoscope, and pulled back Ramon’s blanket. He then checked Ramon’s heartbeat and breathing. After a moment, he looked at his patient and raised an eyebrow.
“You must have had a guardian angel looking over your shoulder, my friend.” he said with a smile. “The fact that you’re still among us is a miracle. How do you feel?”
“A little better.”
“Good. You’re going to be here for a bit, so make yourself as comfortable as you can. My name’s Doctor Elliot Knight. I was the one who operated on you.”
“I-It was that bad…?”
The doctor raised his eyebrows and nodded twice.
“The operation took 6 hours. You were very lucky.”
“W-What hospital is this?”
“Jersey City Medical Center.”
There was a pause. Ramon licked his lips.
“I-I’m hungry.”
“Not for a while, yet. You’ll be on an IV for the time being. Let’s see how things progress, Ramon. Okay?”
Ramon nodded. The doctor smiled.
“You’re strong. With some adequate rest, you’ll pull through. I’ll check up on you later.”
“Thank you so much doctor.” said the old man with emotion in his voice. “Thank you for saving our son’s life.”
“The pleasure was all mine, Mister Veldez.”
With that, the doctor smiled once more and left the room. Ramon turned to his parents.
“H-How long have I been here…?”
“About three days.” said his father.
The old woman turned towards her husband.
“Patricio, I’ve never been more scared in my entire life.”
She turned back towards her son.
“You need to find another place to live, hijo!!”
“Rosie, this is not the time to discuss this!!” her husband admonished. “Leave the boy alone. Let him rest.”
Tears welled in her eyes again.
“B-But he’s my baby!!” she whimpered. “He’s all I’ve got!! Wh-why couldn’t we win the lottery, so he didn’t have to live in bad areas like that?? Why?!”
She placed her head against Ramon’s chest again and wept. The old man sighed and placed his hands on his wife’s shoulders.
“Rosie, c’mon. You can’t let Ramon see you like this!!”
She quickly lifted her head, and glared at her husband.
“How am I supposed to react?! How?!”
“Rosie, he’s alive. He’ll be all right.”
She lowered her head once more and wept again. Ramon bit his lip. His head throbbed with a painful dizziness. His mother was right. It was time to try and find another place to live, as well as get another car. But he couldn’t think about any of that now. Ramon had just escaped certain death.
And then there was that…voice. The one he heard while he lay there, dying. Some woman…he remembered a woman’s voice speaking to him, just before he passed out. He was certain a woman spoke to him…or was he?
It was hard for him to remember. He tried to think, but his tired, traumatized mind rebelled in sharp stabs of pain. It didn’t want to think now. It just wanted to be left alone. Ramon groaned slightly. He gave in to the pain, and let his mind rest…
“Hijo??”
Ramon turned towards his mother. She looked at him with great concern.
“Hmmm?”
“What’s wrong??”
“N-No…nothing’s…nothing’s wrong. I’m ok.”
“You were groaning!”
“Just…just a little headache. T…That’s all…”
“Maybe we should get the doctor-“
Ramon squeezed his mother’s hand more firmly.
“N-No.” he replied, sounding a bit stronger. “I don’t…need him. I’m ok.”
He looked at his father.
“Alexa?”
“She should be here later, Ramon. She was here the last two nights, and she should be here any moment now. She gets out of work at 5:30.”
“W-What time is it now?”
“Six.”
Ramon rolled his eyes.
“I-I’m hungry…”
His father raised an eyebrow.
“You heard what the doctor said. No food yet.”
Ramon sighed. Rosa turned towards her husband.
“I-I’m going to the bathroom.”
She got up and walked over to a small door that was off to Ramon’s right. She opened it and went inside. Patricio drew close to his son. He placed a hand on Ramon’s right shoulder.
“Don’t worry. Everything will work out somehow.”
Ramon looked at his father.
“I hope so.”
At that moment, an attractive young woman entered the room. She had shoulder-length dark-brown hair, wearing a pink T-shirt and blue jeans. She rushed over to Patricio’s side. Her brown eyes widened in joy.
“Ramon!!”
The young man let out a weak smile.
“Hey.”
She leaned in and kissed him on the side of the head.
“Thank God…” she whispered.
The woman turned to Patricio.
“When did he come out of it?”
“About fifteen minutes ago, Alexa.”
The woman turned towards Ramon.
“How do you feel, honey?”
Ramon closed his eyes and sighed.
“Sore. Tired.”
Alexa turned towards his father.
“Where’s Mrs. Veldez?”
“In the bathroom.”
Alexa got up, walking over to a chair near the foot of the bed. She sat down.
“Did the doctor say anything?”
“He just came in and took a look at him. Everyone’s been saying more or less the same thing-that it’s a miracle he made it.”
At that moment, the side door opened. Rosa entered the room and closed the door behind her. She spotted Alexa. Rosa walked over. Alexa got up and hugged her. She pulled back from the old woman.
“You okay?”
Rosa nodded.
“Yes.”
“You were pretty shaken up last night.”
“I-I’m better. Especially now, now that my baby’s regained consciousness.”
“Did you eat?”
Rosa shook her head.
“I’m too worried to think about food.”
“Mama, you have to eat.”
Patricio turned to the two women.
“I agree. Rosa, you haven’t had any lunch, either. You can’t go on without food!”
“How about I take Rosa down to the diner?”
“That sounds like a good idea.” said Patricio. “I’ll stay here with Ramon, and maybe you can bring me back something!”
Rosa shook her head.
“I-I want to stay with Ramon.”
“Rosa, everything is going to be all right.” said her husband. “Besides, you’ve been here in this room since nine this morning. You need to get up and walk around!!”
Alexa put her arm around Rosa’s shoulder.
“Now, now, Momma. You have to eat. I’m not going to leave you alone until you do. And you need to get out of this room for a little while. How do you think Ramon will feel if he sees you’re not eating?”
Rosa sighed.
“Alexa…”
“Alexa nothing. You’re coming with me downstairs to get some food, and that’s the end of it.”
Rosa lowered her head for a moment.
“All right.” she responded. “But I don’t want to take too long.”
“You’ll take as long as you need to nourish yourself properly, Momma. Your husband’s here, keeping an eye on Ramon. Stop protesting and let’s go.”
Patricio chuckled.
“She’s a willful one, Rosa. You’d better listen to her.”
“All right, all right! Both of you win. I’ll head on downstairs.”
Alexa looked at Patricio.
“What would you like?”
“A tuna sandwich on rye, with an orange juice.”
Alexa nodded.
“That’s fine.”
The young woman grasped Rosa’s hand.
“C’mon.”
Rosa looked at her husband, raising an eyebrow.
“Keep a close eye on Ramon.”
“Don’t worry. I will.”
The two women left the room. Patricio shook his head and walked over to his son.
“She...must have been a wreck, Pop.”
Patricio sighed.
“It was rough for both of us.”
He lowered his head, scratching the back of it. Ramon studied his father for a moment.
“You look tired, Pop.”
“Yup.”
“Maybe you should take a nap.”
Patricio looked up at his son.
“It’s not a bad idea. Maybe I’ll just sit down and catch a brief nap.”
He walked over to the foot of the bed and sat down in the chair. Patricio folded his hands across his lap, closing his eyes. In moments, he began snoring. Ramon looked up at the light fixture, studying the ghostly white neon.
My God… he thought. My poor parents. What have they been through??
Ramon had never come so close to death in his life. The only other time he could recall was when he was small, in a swimming pool in Puerto Rico. He was around eleven at the time, and had made the mistake of wading into the deeper part of the pool. Ramon had gone under, and began swallowing water. He struggled to stay afloat, and had difficulty breathing. Terror began to take hold, but Ramon knew he had to focus and somehow get himself to the pool’s edge. He finally did so, with some effort. And none of his family had noticed. They were at the other end of the pool, laughing and talking. He couldn’t blame them; it was his own fault. Ramon couldn’t swim well, and it was a stupid chance to have taken. Luckily, he managed to make it.
But that was the only time Ramon faced death. He had been pretty lucky, up until this point in time.
He looked at his father, sound asleep, snoring softly. Ramon felt terrible. He had to make it up to them somehow….
At that moment, a tall nurse walked into the room. Ramon’s eyes widened in shock.
She had long, jet-black hair with high cheekbones. Her eyes were an emerald green. The woman’s skin was a light brown color. Her lips were coated in a mauve lipstick. Ramon was taken aback at her beauty. She picked up the chart from the foot of the bed, and looked at it. Then she put it back on its hook. The nurse then looked over the various instruments as well as the IV. The woman finally turned to Ramon, smiling.
“How are you feeling? That was a nasty stab wound you had.”
Ramon instantly recognized the voice. His eyes widened.
“I know you!” he rasped. “I know your voice!”
The woman raised her hand.
“Take it easy. Don’t strain your vocal cords.”
She moved closer. Her smile grew wider.
“You have a good memory.”
“W-Who are you?!”
“I’m the one who saved your life on Bramhall Avenue.”
Ramon stared at her. He licked his lips.
“T-Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The nurse straightened up, studying Ramon for a couple of moments. She raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t forget. You owe me a favor.”
Ramon gazed at her quizzically. Then he remembered what she had said to him earlier.
“F-Favor?” he responded. “W-What kind of favor??”
The nurse waved her hand in dismissal.
“Don’t worry about it now, Ramon. Just rest. We’ll meet up again and talk some more.”
Ramon’s confused expression grew more pronounced. The nurse smiled. She turned around and walked to the doorway.
“W-What’s your name?”
The nurse didn’t respond. She left the room. Ramon’s eyes narrowed.
What the hell was that all about? Who is this?
Ramon’s mind swam. What was this woman doing here? Was she really a nurse? And what was this about owing her a favor? Darker thoughts crept into his mind…did she have something to do with the attack?
It was all a jumbled mess of thoughts. Ramon couldn’t figure it out. But one thing was for sure-the woman was striking. She had a commanding presence. Ramon bit his lower lip, gazing at the doorway. His father remained sound asleep.
They would meet up again, eh? Interesting. Very interesting indeed. Ramon’s curiosity was piqued.
It was a cool, sunny afternoon at Yankee Stadium. The Yanks were facing off against the Oakland A’s. It was the top of the third, and the Yanks had already scored two runs. Oakland had yet to score. The Yanks were at bat again. Ramon watched the first batter walk towards home plate. He, Alexa, and his parents sat at the beginning of Row F, Section 41-the bleachers out by center field. It had been two weeks since he got out of the hospital, and he was feeling much better. The stab wound occasionally gave out dull throbs of pain, but nothing as bad as he experienced before.
Ramon gazed into the partly cloudy sky. A large Fuji blimp floated overhead.
“Get yer Crackerjacks here!! Get yer Crackerjacks here!!”
Ramon looked to his right. A young, skinny black youth was walking up the tar steps, holding up bags of Crackerjacks. He turned towards the crowds on his left, then towards Ramon and his group.
“Get yer Crackerjacks here!! Get yer Crackerjacks here!!”
“Hey Ramon!”
He turned to Alexa.
“Hmm?”
“You want Crackerjacks?”
Ramon shook his head.
“Nah, I don’t know-they’re kind of pricey.”
“Your dad wants some.”
Ramon looked at the young vendor.
“Hey, what’s the price on the Crackerjacks?”
“Four seventy-five.”
Ramon whistled in disbelief. He turned towards his father.
“Hey Pop-are you sure you want Crackerjacks?”
“Yeah!”
“He asking four seventy-five.”
Patricio’s eyebrows shot up.
“Whaaaaa…??”
He leaned towards the young vendor.
“You gotta be kidding!! That’s too much!!”
“Hey, I don’t make the prices. I’m just trying to make money.”
Patricio rapidly shook his head.
“Forget it.”
The vendor looked at Ramon and Alexa. They both shook their heads. The young vendor shrugged, and walked past them.
“Get yer Crackerjacks here!! Get yer Crackerjacks here!!”
Ramon turned towards his father.
“Save the money until later. There’s a good Spanish restaurant near here that we can hit afterwards.”
Rosa looked at her husband.
“It’s a good thing we had some empanadas before we came into the stadium.”
Patricio shrugged.
“I suppose…but these games last at least three hours. I only had one empanada.”
“Those little meat pies don’t add up to much.” said Alexa.
“Whatever…I’ll get by somehow.”
The crowd cheered wildly. The batter had hit a hard drive into left field, and the outfielder just missed it. It was a double. Alexa spoke again.
“So-it’ll be back to the Museum of Natural History, Ramon?”
He nodded.
“Yup. Back to guarding dinosaur bones and meteorites.”
“Well, it’s better than a warehouse in the middle of Newark. And look at it this way-you’ll get a view of the Thanksgiving Day parade when it starts. You might get to see them construct all those floats. Remember that?”
Ramon nodded. He smiled at the memory.
“Yeah. That was pretty cool, us walking around there the night before. Lots of people though. But it was a nice time.”
He turned to Alexa.
“I just hope I have that night off, so we can hang again.”
Alexa frowned.
“Shit…I didn’t think of that.”
Ramon shrugged.
“Well, what’s the saying? Hope springs eternal?”
Alexa smirked, nodding.
“Yep. That’s the one.”
Ramon rose to his feet. Alexa raised an eyebrow.
“Where ya headed, Ramon?”
“Bathroom. Be back in a bit.”
He walked down the tar steps, past a cop standing by the guardrail, and turned right, entering the alley underneath the bleachers. Reaching the end, Ramon made another right, walked down a few feet and spotted the men’s room to his left, across from a hot dog stand. He went inside, found an empty urinal, and pulled down his zipper.
Ramon looked up at the ceiling and sighed. It was good to be away from his job and the every day machinations of his stressful life. It was nice to be out with his family and girlfriend.
He finished up, and walked over to a row of sinks. Ramon washed his hands vigorously, wiping his face with the fresh, cold water. He got a paper towel, dried his hands, and left the bathroom…
She stood there, across from him. Ramon stopped in his tracks. It was the nurse.
The woman wore a pink T-shirt and denim shorts, with pink sneakers. Her curvaceous figure filled them nicely. The woman smiled. Ramon felt himself get aroused. She walked up to him.
“Hi Ramon.”
“It’s you! You’re-“
“Brianna.”
“B-Brianna?”
“Yep. That’s my name.”
“Wh-What are you doing here??”
“Just catching the game.”
She looked over her left shoulder, raising an eyebrow.
“I don’t think the A’s have a chance. They’ve been doing pretty badly.”
“Well, it’s only the top of the third. We’ll see what happens.”
Brianna turned towards Ramon, smiling.
“Why do you say that? You’re an Oakland fan?”
Ramon chuckled.
“Not really.”
Brianna came closer. Ramon swallowed hard. He found himself getting more aroused every moment. She spoke again.
“You alone?”
“N-No. I’m with my parents and girlfriend.”
Brianna nodded slowly.
“Hmmmm. How are you feeling? You seem to be doing much better.”
“I’m still a little sore where I got stabbed. But it’s getting better.”
“What about the person who stabbed you?”
“They’re still looking for the bastard. Nothing yet.”
The brunette frowned.
“Oh, that’s terrible. I hope they find that lowlife before he hurts anyone else.”
Brianna looked around. A few people milled about. A cop stood by the hot dog stand, eating a frankfurter. He watched the game on the monitor behind the counter. She turned to Ramon again.
“I’d like to get together with you Friday night, in the Village. There’s a place on 4th Street, near 6th Avenue, called the Blue Swan. I’d like to talk to you about a few things. What do you say?”
Ramon’s eyes widened.
“A-A date??”
Brianna smiled again.
“You could say that. I’d like you to be there at eight o’clock. Trust me…it would be in your best interests to come.”
She drew closer, and lightly passed her right hand along Ramon’s groin. In that instant, Ramon became ferociously aroused. He gasped in shock. The sensations came out of the blue, like a violent, raging storm. They surged through his body like an avalanche, singing every nerve in his body. Ramon became more aroused every passing second. His head instantly grew light. His member throbbed painfully, engorged to the point where it was about to burst out of his pants. He tried to control himself, but couldn’t. He was about to have a full-blown orgasm right there, and he couldn’t stop it. His eyes widened in alarm. Sweat trickled down his brow. Brianna drew closer, a seductive smirk crossing her face.
“I know you won’t miss this date. See you Friday night at eight.”
She turned, brushing her hand against his crotch again. The intense sensations increased a hundred-fold. Brianna walked off. Ramon scrambled back into the bathroom, and into a toilet stall. He pulled down his pants and sat down.
Ramon came violently into the toilet. It was the most intense orgasm he had ever experienced. It seemed to go on forever. He bit his lower lip and let out a low, strangled moan. After a few moments, it was over. Ramon gasped heavily. His member ached. Ramon took some toilet paper and cleaned himself. His eyes darted left and right.
What the hell happened here?!
There was no reason for this. None whatsoever. As beautiful as Brianna was, and as aroused as he was initially, there was nothing that could justify him getting to this point.
Nothing.
He shivered, thinking about it. It felt as if it wasn't his body. The sensations came out of the blue, and hammered him with the force of a bomb.
It frightened the living hell out of Ramon.
And something else too…it also excited Ramon to no end.
Who was this woman?!
Ramon breathed heavily, licking his lips, trying to bring himself under control. He had never experienced an orgasm like this in his life. Ramon had made love to Alexa a couple of times, and the sex was fantastic. He couldn’t complain.
But this…this was on a level that Ramon simply couldn’t begin to comprehend.
Ramon and Alexa had been boyfriend and girlfriend since junior year in college, and were close. She was a beautiful woman, and cared for him deeply. His parents liked her. Ramon had no reason to want to cheat on her…
Until now.
Ramon bit his tongue. He found himself wanting to cheat on Alexa. The first time he saw Brianna, her beauty struck him. And now, this. She touched him, and did this to him. Visions of Brianna filled his mind. Ramon licked his lips, and swallowed hard. He slowly rose to his feet. His legs were shaking. He pulled up his underwear and pants, buckling them. Ramon flushed the toilet and left the stall. He walked over to a sink, standing near a teenaged Jewish boy who combed his hair in front of the mirror. The boy adjusted the yarmulke on his head. Ramon gazed at his own reflection. His face was flushed. He placed his hands on the sink, leaning on it, staring into his own face.
Alexa…he actually wanted to cheat on Alexa…
Ramon felt himself being watched. He looked to his right. The boy was staring at him. Ramon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“What?”
The boy quickly turned and hurried out of the bathroom. Ramon sighed. He looked at the mirror again. His face was beet-red. He still felt weak from the orgasm, but he was slowly regaining his strength. Ramon looked disheveled. He turned on the water and washed his face vigorously. He then straightened up and yanked a paper towel from the dispenser, drying off his face. Ramon then fixed his shirt and adjusted his pants. He took out a comb from his shirt pocket and combed his dark hair. After looking himself over one last time, Ramon slipped the comb back into his pocket and left the bathroom.
He walked past the hot dog vendor, into the alley that led back to the bleachers. The crowds were cheering. Ramon didn’t pay much attention to them. He slowly climbed the steps, until he reached his seat, at the end of the row. He sat down. Alexa turned towards him, and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Ramon! Ramon, what happened to you??”
Ramon turned towards her, his face a mixture of incredulity and irritation.
“Huh?” was his terse reply.
Alexa leaned closer to him. Her eyes narrowed.
“Something happened to you. You look as red as a tomato.”
Ramon dismissed her concern with a wave of his hand.
“I-I’m okay. I just had a tough time taking a shit.”
“What do you mean?”
Ramon snorted.
“What?? You want details?!”
“Ramon, don’t play with me. What happened??”
“Alexa, I’m fine. It was just a nasty bowel movement. Look, I’m not going to discuss this here. I’m okay. Stop worrying.”
Alexa cocked her head to one side, studying him for a few moments. Then she spoke again.
“Why don’t I believe you Ramon?”
Ramon’s jaw dropped in shock and anger.
“Why the hell would I lie about something like that?!”
“I’ve never seen anyone get that red from taking a shit.”
Ramon bit his tongue.
“Alexa, trust me. I’m okay. I feel fine. Hand on my heart. I swear.”
“Hmmm.”
She smirked in disapproval, slowly sitting back in her chair. Alexa gazed at Ramon for a long moment. The she turned her attention back to the game. Ramon sat back and gazed heavenward, letting out a sigh. He knew Alexa well enough to know she was good at picking up lies. But he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. Deny, deny, deny. That’s what he was going to do.
Ramon looked out into the field. The Yanks had men at first and second. Derek Jeter was coming to bat. He thought about Brianna, and her offer of a dinner date.
The temptation was strong. And he was slowly giving into it.
Part 2