FLASHBACK (CONT.): THE BLACK VIPER

Ivy's and 3rd POV

Len realized my mood had instantly shifted and followed my gaze. He turned his body slowly and looked out of the driver side window. I noticed his body slightly stiffened as he kept his eyes on the Viper's passenger side window that was slowly coming down. Then suddenly, I hear this high-pitched, eardrum bursting squeal and it startled me.

"Hey Baby!!!"

What? What the hell! I said to myself. My mind could not comprehend what I had just heard. I was confused, in a daze. Then I heard Len's voice.

"Hey my Princess, my Nubian Queen, love of my life. You miss me?"

My mind began to instantly race, still confused. Did he just say, 'love of my life?' Who is she? Is this his girlfriend? Why didn't I know that he had a girlfriend? Why didn't he ever mention her? It can't be! We were just having fun and enjoying each other. He whispered in my ear and said those words to me. Did he not mean any of it? I thought he was joking when he called me a kid. I thought he liked me…I thought….

"Babe, it has been six whole hours since we last fucked. And I am in heat. You know how I get when I am like this? You need to hurry and come home and tighten your wifey up. I need you in me for at least three hours for the first round. You know this."

Oh my goodness, she said fucked, six hours, in heat….. is she a damn dog? Yeah, she's a BITCH, I can tell. Agreeing with my own personal assessment of this female.

I am so embarrassed, it's like Len has forgotten all about me sitting here. As I lowered my head and my gaze, my eyes became fixated. I noticed Len had been rubbing his inner thigh in a slow circular motion. His hands began rubbing closer to the inner crease of his pants to his mid-thigh. The more they talked, the further he rubbed down his inner thigh, extending his massage almost to his knee. I began to see this rising bulge in his pants, that spanned from the upper crease of his jeans all the way down to his kneecap…. and it was still getting larger and larger, longer and longer.

I felt a little pain in my heart, a little sadness, a little envy, a little jealousy and then I heard Len's voice become very sultry, smooth, sexy with a hint of lust.

"Love, you know you're the only one that my solider stands at attention for! You know what I like don't you? I'm dying to taste you right now. Hmmmm…Baby, I promise you won't be able to get out of the bed for the next two days…are you sure that you can handle this for the rest of the night? Did you forget what happened last time? So if you are sure; I want you to go home, get the bed ready, run us some bath water and make sure it is neat. I got you all night long; with your fine sexy ass."

I turned my head towards the passenger window and closed my eyes, trying to fight back the tears that were welling up in my eyes. I couldn't believe that he was saying all of that to her; it seems as though he has forgotten all about me. It appears; he really does see me as a kid. Well, no matter what I will never let him find out how hurt I am.

Ivy, relax, count to ten and open your eyes. In the mist of my counting and talking to myself, I hear several cars honking their horns. I began looking behind us and I noticed that the light had turned green; we need to go. Then suddenly the girl yelled out of the car window; and all I heard was…..

"Alright DADDY, make sure you come home to MOMMA soon! Text me when you are on your way home and get rid of the little girl before you catch a case. Love You!"

Len nodded his head and then smiled. Looking at the expression on my face, it seemed as though he finally realized that I was there and cleared his throat a couple of times.

"Sorry Ivy, I did not mean to be disrespectful. She's my..."

I turned my head quickly to face Len, my eye brows raised, with a look of confusion as though I was asking the question….What?

"Len, you don't have to explain anything to me. Besides, I was listening to the music and thinking about the outfit that I am going to wear tomorrow at the Court (basketball court). I promise you I didn't hear a thing. Besides, you know how I tune people out. No worries."

Len still tried to apologize, so I turned the music up in the car and began to sing-along with the music. I gave him a slight smile and focused my gaze out of the passenger window. I was dying inside, but I couldn't afford to let him see even a hint of sadness in my body language, my energy nor my eyes. If I were to slip up even once, he would know, and he would never let it go and then things would become awkward between us.

I could feel Len's eyes staring at me, watching me. Through my peripheral vision and the reflection from my window, I could see that he was hurt, embarrassed and regretting the entire scene that had just played out in front of my eyes and my ears. He wanted to say something but couldn't. He wanted me to say something, anything, acknowledge him in some way; but I wouldn't.

This day, this very hour, I will learn how to wear a mask even if it kills me. I would chant this mantra to myself, in between songs, until we arrive at the orphanage.

Len pulls into the parking slot slowly, then turns off the car. He leans back into his seat, sighs deeply, closes his eyes and sits there.

I chant to myself, wear the mask. So, I began to unbuckle my seat belt, open the door and proceed to get out of the car.

I felt Len grab the back of my shirt and pulled me back down into the seat. I looked at him, curiously.

"Ivy I…"

Not allowing him to say another word, I quickly said, "Oh, my bad, sure I'll help you carry the food; no problem."

I quickly grabbed a couple of bags, got out of the car and closed the door. It took him a minute, but he finally got out of the car; put on his sunglasses, picked up the drinks in the carrier and closed the door. Neither one of us saying a word.