by
Lisa Mamou


_____I'm standing around wondering why am I here? My friend Kylyn, who loves this type of stuff, has invited me and now she's disappeared somewhere. I appreciate art, but I don't really understand it. Spending a couple of hours listening to a panel on contemporary art is not how I'd normally spend a Saturday evening. That one professor from Howard was gorgeous, but by the time she spoke my mind was floating. She looked sort of familiar...
_____Why did I let Kylyn convince me to stay for the reception? And where the heck is she? Probably on the museum tour. The tour guide caught her eye on the way in. If she's off touring somewhere...
_____"I wouldn't think you'd be interested in something like this." That voice. It sounds familiar. I turn and its the HU professor.
_____"Pardon me?"
_____She looks at me wryly. "Charley, I didn't think I was that forgettable."
_____Charley? Only people from home called me by that name. I looked at her closer. "Inga? Inga Perot? Wow." We hugged. "I'm sorry I didn't know who you were at first. You've ummm.. filled out quite a bit since high school." I grinned foolishly.
_____"I see more than your looks haven't changed over the years", she scoffed. Ouch. Inga and I grew up together in New Orleans. Her parents were these bohemian types who moved into our upwardly mobile Black middle class neighborhood. Her father was an English professor at Xavier and her mother worked at an art gallery. It was rumoured they smoked pot and had wild orgies. Most of the kids on the block weren't allowed over there.
_____My Mom came from Chicago and she never could stand the eliticism of New Orleans. Both she and my Dad were doctors so people pretty much accepted her odd ways. Plus she was a Northerner. My brother, who was handsome, popular and a snob (still is) was always embarrassed by Mom's cultural faux pas. My sister was like Mom, always fighting the establishment. I could've cared less. The only thing I cared about was science; especially astronomy. Dad liked to tease me that I always had my head in the clouds. My family called me Little Charley because they said when I was born, I looked just like my Dad when he was a baby. The "Little" disappeared the older I got, but the Charley stuck.
_____Anyway... Mom decided to be a good neighbor to the Perots. Which meant we had to be friends with their kids. Since Inga was an only child and since she was my age, it meant I had to be friends. One day, my parents had a cookout and invited the Perots. Mr and Mrs Perot didn't seem so weird to me. But I figured that was grown up stuff. Mom had warned me I better be nice to Inga so I was doing my best. Inga however didn't want to play any of the goofy games my sister and brother owned. (At Xmas, I preferred telescopes and books to Operation and Don't Break the Ice). I decided to take her to my room to show her my equipment. Inga was fascinated. Most other ten year olds weren't really interested. We looked through my books. Then when the sun went down, we watched through the telescopes until her parents called her to leave. The next day, Inga brought me over a picture she'd drawn of the universe. I knew then we'd be friends for life.
_____We stayed friends all through elementary school and most of high school. Senior year came and my hormones started to surge. Suddenly I found myself interested in every womon who walked. My first gurlfriend was my sister's college roommate. She was 18, two years older than me, and I thought she was all womon. Well, I quickly moved from her to the clerk at the university library. I found out college gurls were more experienced than high schoolers. Plus they usually didn't have parents who would call my Mom and have a fit like Joyce River's Mom did my friend Bernie.
_____While I was running around, I didn't have much time for anything other than school. Inga would still come over sometime and we would sit and talk about the universe, but not that often. Actually, I guess I wasn't home enough for her to come over. By the time summer came, I was out most of the time and my parents now knew I wasn't just hanging with those bright college students. They just sort of let me go. I think they were hoping I would burn myself out or something.
_____The day before I was scheduled to leave for college, my parents threw a big bbq for me. Inga and her parents came. All of my college friends had gone home or out of town for the last few weeks of summer. Inga and I sat around talking and then we went to my room like we always did. When the evening ended, her parents called for her. Inga looked at me and yelled from the balcony, "I'm staying the night with Charley."
_____"You don't mind?" she asked me after they'd given their approval.
_____"Naw. I'd rather spend my last night in town with you than anybody, Inga."
_____"Really? Then why have you been avoiding me all this year?"
_____"I haven't been avoiding you. I've just been sort of busy. Come on Ing, let's not fight."
_____"We're not fighting." She looked at me and poked her lip out. "Did you spend the night with those college gurls?"
_____"Yeah, but that was different."
_____"Different, how?"
_____"Well, ummm..." I stumbled over my words. I figured everyone knew what I was doing with those collegiates, but I'd never actually said it before. Now here was Inga giving me one of her intense, I'm waiting on you looks. "Well, ummm. We were sleeping together."
_____Inga smiled, "I was wondering if you were finally going to tell me." She had been leading me on.
_____I huffed, "Well if you already knew then why'd you ask?"
_____She looked at me and grinned wider. I never could stay mad at Inga. I gave her a pair of my pajamas and we got ready for bed. We sat up a few hours longer discussing our new lives at college, our goals and dreams. Sometime during the night, I felt Inga rubbing her body against me. I thought maybe she was moving in her sleep so I shifted over. When I shifted, so did she. Suddenly, she was on top of me kissing. "Inga," I moaned.
_____Then, I took control like all my lovers had taught me. The way Inga moved, I knew she probably wasn't experienced or not much if she was. But I didn't care. She was hot and wet and that was all that mattered. The next day, we sheepishly said our goodbyes. She was going to school out east. I was headed west. We promised to write. I did get a couple of letters from her, but I only wrote back brief little snippets of campus life; nothing personal. I felt bad about what happened, but in my young mind I couldn't figure why. So, I just tried to block out the bad feeling. Which meant blocking out Inga.
_____That was over fifteen years ago. She'd changed quite a bit physically sense then. Inga was small and petite in school. Even by the time we graduated, she looked more like a little boy than a young womon. Now she was standing in front of me looking very much like a womon. She probably wasn't much larger than she'd been in the old days, but she'd definitely filled out. Her breast were small and round. Her hips and behind were full and curvy. She still wore her hair short, but the style was feminine and very becoming.
_____I decided to let her comment slide. "Inga, your presentation was very intriguing."
_____"Thank you. Did you get anything I was saying," she grinned.
_____"No," I chuckled. My agreed upon ignorance seemed to break the ice, becuase she laughed as well. "I did get that you're doing what you always dreamed - working on your art." "Well, not as much as I like, but working at the university affords me time to work."
_____"And you? Are you still chasing stars?"
_____"No, I own and operate a small telecommunications company."
_____"Too bad, you really loved astonomy. What about your sister. What's she doing?"
_____"She's an internist. She's on a year long volunteer project to Rwanda. There's alots for us to catch up on. Maybe we could..."
_____Just then Kylyn came up behind me. Now Kylyn and I are strictly friends, but she can act real jealous sometime. This was one of those times. "Charnise where were you? I've been looking all over for you. Whose your friend?" Kylyn pouted and looked at Inga with dagger eyes. Inga kind of snickered and looked at me.
_____"I've been right here, so you couldn't have looked too hard. Kylyn this is an old friend of mine - Inga Perot. Inga this is my buddy Kylyn Carver." Inga smiled politely and held out her hand. Kylyn took it and held on. So, now she'd decided she wanted Inga for herself. Kylyn started chatting Inga up. She turned to me and said, "Charnise, I'm going to steal the good professor away from you for a minute. Do you mind?" Which meant get lost buddy.
_____Well, whatever. I didn't feel like playing Kylyn's game and Inga was still tripping over something that happened fifteen years ago. Let them have one another. "No, not all. I think I'm going to stay for a few minutes more and then I'm catching a cab home. Nice seeing you again Inga."
_____"And you, Charley."
_____"Okay, Charnise/Charley we'll see you later." Kylynn replies over her shoulder as she leads Inga away.
_____I stay for a few minutes more, hoping to catch Inga's eye, but she seems engrossed in conversation with Kylyn. As I'm waiting for the coat check womon to return with my jacket, I feel a light touch on my arm. I turn and there is Inga. "I drove my car, would you like a ride?"
_____"Ummm, sure. Do you have a coat?"
_____"Yes, I do." Inga hands the womon her ticket and when she recieves her coat we leave. We're driving along to my place; chit chatting about our families when I just blurt out "I'm sorry."
_____ "What are you sorry for?"
_____"For being such a jerk. I should've called you, but I felt like I'd taken advantage of you and I didn't know how to handle that."
_____"You were young Charley. We both were young. You didn't take advantage. I came onto you remember?"
_____"Yeah, but I was experienced. Well, experienced for a 17 year old. And you were curious..."
_____"I wasn't curious. I was in love."
_____I feel my heart stop for a minute. Is Inga saying she was in love with me? "Inga... I don't know what to say."
_____ "Char, you don't have to say anything. Here's your apartment."
_____"Come inside, Inga."
_____"I can't. I'm heading back to DC early tomorrow."
_____"Head back later. Please, come inside." Inga looks at me. Its been years so I can't read her face as easily as before, but I can tell she wants to.
_____"Why, Charley? Why not just say, 'Nice to have seen you again,' and go on our seperate ways?"
_____"Because sometimes second chances are given to us for a reason. Come with me Inga." I grab her hand and kiss the palm. I'm crying. Inga grabs my face and gently pulls me towards her. We sit in her car kissing softly and crying. I know she will not come with me.
_____"I can't Charley", she whispers so softly I barely hear. I kiss her one last time and get out of the car. She sits until I open my door then drives away.
_____ The next morning, I rise early and go to the gym for a workout. My mind is not in it so I leave after a few reps with the free weights. When I get back home, I check my voice mail. No calls. I take a long shower. I decide to cook breakfast. I'm in the kitchen trying to figure what to have, when my doorbell rings. Its Inga. I buzz her in.
_____"I'm sorry I didn't call first. I was on my way out when I dunno..."
_____"That's okay. Here let me take your coat." Inga hands me her coat, takes off her shoes and follows me into the living room. "I was just about to fix breakfast. You hungry?"
_____"You cook, now?" She said it in a way that lets me know she remembers my efforts to get out of my mother's kitchen lessons.
_____I laugh. "I'm strictly my father's daughter. I make a mean breakfast and I'm the grill queen." She laughs. "I guess that means yes?" She smiles and shakes her head.
_____We head into the kitchen. Inga asks if there's anything she can help me with. I say no and sit her down with a glass of juice at the table. We talk as I cook. It feels comfortable and right, but also new. "Its too cool to sit outside, but I have a little sitting area in the bedroom..." I'm hesitant to suggest it. I don't want her to think I'm trying to seduce her. She doesn't take it that way. I place our plates on trays and we head into the bedroom.
_____The patio runs across the entire length of the bedroom and is facing the river. Its the primary reason I bought the condo. At night, I sit out with my telescopes and watch the universe. When the weather doesn't allow, I still can pull back the blinds and enjoy the view. "Its breathtaking", Inga replys.
_____"Its really beautiful at sunset," Ismile. We eat our breakfast talking in pieces but mostly enjoying the view. We sit for a few minutes in silence after we finish. Finally, I rise to go put the dishes away. "Let me help you."
_____"No, sit here and relax. I'll be right back." I put the dishes in the washer and return to the bedroom. Inga is still looking out the patio, but she's moved to a little loveseat I have in the room. I sit next to her. I take her hand in mine. We sit looking out the window for a few minutes. I stand; still holding her hand. She looks up at me and rises. I guide her to the bed. I slowly undress her. I lightly touch her skin as I unbutton her blouse; very lightly tracing my fingers around her breast and nipples. I undo her bra and place a light kiss on her breasts. I lie her on the bed and gently pull her skirt off. I pull down her hose and kiss her ankles. She is making soft noises. I pull her panties down around her hips. I kiss her navel and run my tongue along her pubic hair. I pull the panties lower and kiss her inner thigh. Inga is still murmuring softly.
_____When I have her panties off, I remove my clothes. I stand for a minute looking at her. I see a womon looking back at me. I know she sees Charnise not little Charley. I go to Inga and lay atop her. Her skin feels both cool and hot. We kiss; deep. She starts to move under me. I get into her rythym. We kiss and grind for what seems like hours. I need to taste her. I start running my tongue along her frame. Kissing and sucking every each of skin. Inga's moans are getting louder. I take her in my mouth. Tasting her womoness. Inga gyrates her hips and moans even loader. I savor her. Moving my mouth, tongue and fingers to her rythym. She screams and starts to come.
_____I want to prolong her pleasure. I turn her over and start running my tongue along her back. I kiss and nip her ass while squeezing her with my hands. I gently pull her cheeks apart and place my tongue inside her. Inga screams out. I gently fuck her ass with my tongue. She starts moving in a way that lets me know her orgasm is rising. I become more forceful licking from ass to pussy. Using mouth and fingers.
_____Inga is loud now. She is coming and I know I can't pleasurably slow her down. She turns over and I continue licking, sucking, finger fucking. I feel her nails dig into my ass. She bucks and bucks. Then she screams out one last time and is spent.
_____I rise to go to her. She says "No". Then Inga sits and pulls me backwards towards her. She skillfully runs her fingers along my body. She rubs and pulls my breasts. Lightly squeezing the nipples. Now it is I who is moaning softly. She runs her hand down to my pussy and starts to finger fuck me. I move her fingers deeper into me. I move my head back against her and murmer, "Fuck me."
_____Inga moves around to the front of me. She places two, three fingers in me gently until she's able to get her hand in. She gently starts the fist fucking I only allow a few lovers. She kisses my belly and rubs my breasts as she continues. I start to come hard. Thrashing and screaming. Inga moans out also. She can feel me tightening around her. My orgasm moves through me.
_____Inga gently pulls out of me. She starts eating me. I feel as if I am going to faint. As Inga moves along my body kissing and sucking , I feel another orgasm rising. I grab Inga's legs and she straddles me. We are a perfect 69. I start massaging and sucking her pussy. I feel my getting closer to the edge, but I continue loving Inga. I can't hold on any longer and I come.
_____I pull Inga full on my, licking, sucking, and nipping until she comes. Inga lays beside me. We are both soaking wet. I pull the cover over us and wrap her in my arms. We lay looking out the window until we fall alseep. I will be glad when the night comes, so we can make love amongst the stars.

THE END

Copyright © 2000. Used by permission of author. All Rights Reserved.