This book is dedicated to Pumpkin.
Rest in peace baby. I really miss you.
Shelly Yvette Nuckols
July 19, 1966 - December 19, 2006
Euftis’ Video Review
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHbSIG_tXEw
Also by Euftis Emery
Off the Chain
http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=offthechain01-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=097771120X
Off the Chain Volume 2
http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=offthechain01-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0977711226
So you want me to do what???
http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=offthechain01-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0977711285
Revenge – Between my lover’s legs…
http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=offthechain01-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a= B0030T1CSM
Keisha
Published by Dominion Publishing
Smashwords Edition
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. All characters in this work are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without written permission from the publisher and or authors, except by reviewers who may quote brief passages.
Review passages may not exceed one column inch or forty-five words excluding articles, whichever is greater.
ISBN 0-9800324-3-1
Copyright © 2009, Euftis Emery
Cover design by Euftis Emery; cover models Euftis and Lynette
Interior models: Cocoa, Sensuality, Persian
Editing by Euftis.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
It’s on again…
I can’t believe that I’m on book number four and I’d like to thank everyone who has received me well thus far. If you’re not familiar with my work, go to Amazon.com and read my reviews and search inside my books or just Google me to find out about my other books:
Off the Chain - 0-9777112-0-X
Off the Chain Volume 2 - 0-9777112-2-6
So you want me to do what??? - 0-9777112-6-9
I love getting feedback, so if you got something to say about my work get @ me at euftis_emery@yahoo.com.
Peace.
Contents
Prelude
Introduction
The Voices
CSI
The Attempt
Cocoa
Not to be fucked with…
A ho is…as a ho does…
The seduction of Michelle
Whispers behind my back
MLK Day
Invisible Walls
I’m out!
God’s got something better for ya…
Road Trip
I don’t want this house!
The paint can incident…
Will you be my man?
Messin’ Up my Money
Abundant Ministries
Do you know your wife?
You’re a ho!
Isn’t this what you wanted…
Leata Attacks
Ohhhh well cuz…
A few last words…
Prelude
Her
breath comes slow and easy.
Her wrists bound by silk
rope,
stretched towards the ceiling
as though she where
reaching for her God.
Her eyes, covered in silk and leather,
her
body draped in lose white satin
and nothing more.
He moves
about her slowly, softly.
She can hear the light sound of his
movement.
His quiet breath,
the deep whispers of his
intent,
his commands
and she trembles
in anticipation.
For
he is her God, in this moment.
Nothing but HE exists.
and as he
moves about her
touching lightly, gently
her nipples
harden,
skin glistens
breaths come shorter.
and she becomes
wet,
in anticipation.
Her body, like a flower
opens in
full bloom
turning, twisting
seeking her sun,
the light that
gives her life.
With the soft touch of his lips to hers
she
arches to meet him,
as he stealthily moves away.
She tries to
anticipate
but she cannot,
for he is the master of this
play.
All is touched, licked
kissed, tasted
all made
HIS
from brow to toes and back.
She whimpers as he bites
then
kisses, then cools with breath
as he pushes her bounds, her
thresholds
so slow, so painfully so
walking that fine
line
where pain and pleasure become one
and she moans in
anticipation.
He touches her shoulder,
white satin
slithers to the floor,
a soft rustle
and in the long silence
a
sound is heard
by sensitive ears.
A kind of soft whistle
that
her body knows
and her mind exalts
her heart beats
faster.
The
soft leather cat,
lies across breasts so
precisely,
that only the slightest of stings is felt
and no
mark mars its passing.
...Again...
And then again.
she moans
in pleasure
and her body quivers
as he moves about her
laying
on the cat.
Breasts.
Stomach.
Back.
Buttocks.
And
after each strike,
he kisses
where he once struck.
and she
moans,
In anticipation.
She feels his
teeth
...gnawing...
at her tender thighs
...relishing...
his
lips as they envelope slick skin
...delighting...
in his
tongue
as he savors warm pungent juices
disjointing legs
in
search of succulent morsels.
..Here...in the dark
she becomes
his banquet
the liquid of his species.
He feels her
muscles
begin to quiver
and pulls back
to her audible
moan.
'Not just yet kitten' he whispers
Stepping back he
surveys
ALL that she is
her skin gleaming gold,
a molten
display of flesh
and female.
She hears him gasp
as his
eyes touch upon
the sight of her.
WHO has the power?
For its
now his anticipation
Her lips red, ripe
with the color of
their passion.
His mouth lingers
sucking the flavor
of
spiced rum and her love
from her pliant lips,
their tongues
dancing
the dance of ages.
Her body liquid to his words,
a
mass of swirling thickened life
changing form at his touch
as
his hands trace a path
along her body
searching for the road
home.
His words burning
trails of desire through her soul,
heat
rising from her depths
the wetness allowing it to simmer.
Her
heart thrumming itself feral
gives him complete control
as his
lips softly caress her flesh
burning, branding his love into
her.
His mind lost in her breathy whispers
touching, milking
her flesh
of its resistance.
His body aches as it feeds
his
soul demanding
...needing
to devour hers...
For he is
her savior tonight
as he crawls into her soul
turns her flesh
inside out.
Sucking erect nipples
...caressing ..
china
white breast
her soft whimpers
escape parted lips
audible
nourishment for his soul.
He removes her darkness, her
bonds,
leads her to the waiting bed.
For tonight he is the
master,
she the sacrificial lamb
upon cotton sheet.
He
fills her completely;
she is soaked
with the forbidden pleasure
of it.
Hips held firmly, he pulls
and thrusts
simultaneously.
Stretched beyond full,
guttural panting escapes
him
'Mine' he growls
Withdrawing slightly
he buries
himself to the hilt once more
staying deep,
...grinding...
...stretching...
she feels his power
with
each stroke.
Raising shoulders
he grabs and pushes
down,
.... holding....
Heat builds,
Strokes
lengthen
desperate movements
pounding
as words turn to deep
guttural sounds
thrusting deeply over
and over.
Suddenly,
from within her depths
she explodes
a zenith of pleasure
a
mind-blowing detonation
squeezing spasms
she screams,
a
l o n g deep wail
as everything goes black.
Copyright © 2007 by PerfectSince1970
Introduction
“I take you to be my lawfully wedded spouse, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.”
This very second, thousands of couples around the world are making a similar vow to each other. But how many people truly realize the depth of the words that they pledge to each other? Not many in my opinion.
How does it affect you? How do you feel about the world and yourself? How are you changed? When you live, breathe, and believe in the vows that you make to your spouse and they are sadly lacking in their commitment to you. What would you do? Would you continue to love unconditionally…or would you do…something …else?
This is my story. I was not loved unconditionally. I was not supported in my goals. I was not honored and respected. I was not cherished for as long as I lived and when this book ends, you will see an alternate reality of my life that could have been.
This novel is a precursor to the Off the Chain series and like all my books can be read independently, but it reads with more depth when you put it in the proper sequence with my other novels and read them in order.
Now for those of you making a face right now because you’re irritated that yet again I have placed myself as the main character in another one of my books I am going to make a short statement.
Remember the two-word comment that I made in the conclusion of Off the Chain Volume 2 to all the people who didn‘t care for that book? (Let me give you a hint…the first word starts with an F and the second word starts with a Y!) Well that same two-word comment applies to you! Get over it! I love writing about me! Haven’t you figured that out by now?
So if you don’t want your eyes to explode, just close this book right now and go and get your money back. But for everyone else as always…. Enjoy the read.
Euftis
Contact Euftis at:
The Voices
“I can hear your heart…and it is foul”, a disembodied voice yelled in Leata’s left ear. She looked like a trapped animal as her eyes rolled around in her head erratically as she searched the darkness of her bedroom for the owner of the voice that shouted in her ear.
“You’re transgressions have manifested in your spirit”, a second voice boomed in her opposite ear causing Leata to jerk her body to the right in terror. Euftis groaned and stirred in his sleep as her horrified movements disturbed him.
“I can hear your heart! It is foul”, Leata’s invisible tormentor yelled in her ear yet again.
“The voices! The voices”, Leata screamed bringing Euftis up from the depths of his slumber.
A deep frown formed on Euftis’ face, as he smelled Leata’s fear. It permeated his nostrils. It was a wet, damp, subtle muskiness that filled the confines of his bedroom and he moved away from the section of bedding that was soaked with her sweat detested.
“I can hear your…”
“Make it stop! Lord please make it stop! The voices! I can’t take it anymore”, Leata shrieked at the top of her lungs as Euftis rolled over and looked up at her with contempt.
“You…need…to go to a psychiatrist”, Euftis snapped groggily. Go get some…help…Leata”, he growled.
“I want to be…healed…of this E”, Leata pleaded wild eyed with fully dilated pupils. She wanted a miraculous overnight recovery versus being treated by a doctor. Euftis looked at his wife as if she was insane and he would have bet money that she was. He shook his head silently as her ministrations woke him up in the middle of the night yet again. Leata’s schizophrenia had gotten progressively worse in the last four years and illogically Leata refused to seek medical help for her problem.
Euftis had watched Leata as she went to multiple churches, pastors, ministers, deacons, and missionaries, seeking a lying of hands that could heal her by faith. Leata had played Euftis in the beginning of their marriage making him feel inadequate as a husband and a man because of her opinion that Euftis was not saved and did not have a relationship with God and she thus questioned or disagreed with almost every decision he made. It was a deliberate and continued attack on his psyche and spirit to make it easier for her to control him.
Nine years later, after making changes in his life out of love and growing in his knowledge of himself and his faith in God, Euftis now saw his wife for the lying, manipulative bitch that she was.
Euftis shook his head again as he felt cheated that he had let love so completely blind him to Leata’s true motivations. He glanced up at her again and disdain distorted his face. “Wisdom is to high to reach for a fool”, he thought quoting Proverbs 24:7. He believed that a person could be healed by God if they had the faith to feed a spiritual healing process. But after four years of praying and lying on of hands, Leata obviously lacked that faith. “People that lack faith, should see a doctor”, Euftis thought to himself.
“Go get some help Leata.”, Euftis said softening his tone as he began to feel a little sorry for her. “You need to see a psychiatrist.”
“This is your fault”, Leata shrieked.
“Awwwwww…yeaaaa…here it comes...“, Euftis thought as he regretted his slip in feeling a little compassion for his trifling wife. Leata never took responsibility for her actions and always tried to find a way to blame Euftis for the problems she put herself in.
“If you were still going to church! If you were leading this house like you should be…I’d be healed by now”, Leata yelled at him accusingly.
“Your ass was crazy when I met you…”, Euftis thought as he rolled over on his side putting his back to Leata and moving to the far side of the bed so that he could go back to sleep. “And if you weren’t such a ho I would still be going to church with you...”
Euftis had stopped going to church with Leata because over time he had found out that she was a ChurchGroupie. A woman who PushedUp on every pastor or minister that visited the church. He had grown tired of her hypocrisy. Her bullshit that he wasn’t holy. That he wasn’t saved. Of her constantly telling him that he didn’t have a relationship with God while she attempted to get the attention of every male in the church that she felt had some authority while in his presence. She was a hypocrite and Euftis had begun to lose all respect for her. “Somebody should kick my ass for not just fuckin‘ your ass a few times and then being done with you!
“You’re supposed to be my head! You’re supposed to cover me”, Leata continued to shriek attempting to put the blame for her insanity on Euftis so that she could feel better about herself at his expense.
“A large crowd followed and pressed around Him”, Euftis begin to intone in a soft voice that made Leata mute and chilled her to the bone. “And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had; yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you”, His disciples answered, ‘and yet you can ask, “Who touched me?”’ But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and knelt at His feet, and trembling with fear, told Him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Mark 5:25-34.”
“Your…faith…has healed you”, Euftis said with his voice now rising in anger. “Your failure in not being healed has…nothing…to do with me. You are besieged day in and day out. You spread nothing but chaos and anarchy in my home and…you…have the…complete…and…utter…audacity…to try to sit your…sick, sanctimonious ass up and tell me that…I…don’t have a relationship with God! Once upon a time Leata! Once upon a time…your vile words would have brought me down. But no more! I know God. I know the word. And I know them both more…than…you!”
“You called me vile! See how you talk to me! I can’t come to you for…”
“Shut…up”, Euftis boomed and Leata reared back in fear as if Euftis was going to give her a backhanded slap to the face. “You don’t have the faith to be healed Leata. And your problem is getting worse. You are going to drive the girls’ and I crazy ‘cause you refuse to get some help. Go see a psychiatrist. Or I’m gonna have you committed”, Euftis said in a surprisingly soft voice as he closed his eyes and went back to sleep leaving Leata alone in the dark room to once again face her demons alone.
CSI
Euftis slid down into the depths of his claw foot tub until he was totally submerged in hot water. He loved the huge iron tub that he had restored and the five-story brownstone that he was rehabbing that it sat within. He momentarily frowned as negative thoughts intruded on his private time of how his wife neither understood nor supported him in his efforts to renovate the old apartment building that they lived in. Euftis had no desire to be a slave to a 9-5 job for the bulk of his life and renovating an apartment building while living in it at the same time was a stepping-stone towards his goal of self-sufficiency.
He pushed his arms away from his body as if he was pushing something away from him as he cleared his mind of his wife’s negativity. He slid up slowly out of the water and took a deep breath as he watched curls of steam rise from the tub and his body.
His early morning bath before he went to work was his quiet time. His moment to bring his mind, body, and spirit into a state of calm and complete rest. The veneer of peace that he covered himself with each day was his personal shield. A barrier of protection against the many verbal barbs and subtle insults that he would be faced with at his job and even the sanctorum of his home.
Euftis glanced at the wall clock hanging in front of the tub and saw that he still had time to lounge in his hot bath before he had to get ready for work. He took a deep breath and submerged himself under the water again.
**********
After a forty-five minute drive, Euftis finally made it to the simple one story office building that housed the 100+ member project team that he worked on for the Department of Defense in Beaver Creek, Ohio.
As he walked towards the glass front doors of the building, he stared at his refection to gauge how dapper he was looking. Although he didn’t let his facial expression show it, he was very pleased with how his black Adolfo suit hung on his body. Reaching for the door handle, he satisfactorily noticed that his purple silk tie was tied into the tightest of knots. Few men could get the fly GQ look that he did with his silk ties.
With his work face in tact, Euftis confidently strode to his office in the rear of the office building. After taking off his suit jacket and hanging it on the back of his door, he turned on his workstation, picked up his coffee cup and headed to the kitchen for his first cup of hot java.
He walked past the large office where his team sat without bothering to stop to speak them. “I’d like to get rid of all of those sorry fuckers…”, Euftis thought idly as he walked by. Unfortunately, he was hired as the manager of the Data Modeling and Data Base Administrator teams after his team. So he did not have the opportunity to hand pick his employees. Thus he was stuck with people that he didn’t like and never would have hired if it were up to him.
He turned the corner and walked into the huge room where the majority of the developers sat in tightly packed cubicles. Euftis shook his head slightly as he took in the room of programmers. Everyone in the building, including Euftis, was nothing more than a white-collar welfare recipient.
Euftis was very excited when he was offered the job of being a section manager for the Department of Defense. However, his excitement soon turned into cynicism when he discovered that the general that sponsored the project did so because he needed to spend eight million dollars of excess money that was in his budget before the fiscal year was over. Because if he didn’t spend it, Congress would reduce his budget the following year.
In all likelihood, the application that Euftis’ project team was building would never be used and it didn’t sit well with him. Although, many of the people working on the project had performed government contracts the bulk of their careers and they were fat and happy as a result of it. Euftis found it very hard to feel any satisfaction or value in his job.
He arrived in the kitchen and got in line to get a cup of coffee after first checking that there would be enough coffee for him after the three people ahead of him got theirs.
“There are other people back here“, Euftis boomed to the Anderson Consulting associate who was filling his cup. “Don’t get all the coffee now!“
Euftis was one of those people who would never make a pot of coffee. He would drain the pot of its last drop and walk off to let someone else make a fresh batch but he dared anyone to do it to him. He snickered to himself as he thought about how he had pissed off more than a few people by emptying the last pot and walking off for the person behind him to make a fresh one.
“Mr. Emery.”, a professional voice said behind him that Euftis immediately recognized.
“Good morning Harry.”, Euftis replied as he turned around to see the dark skinned features of his friend smirking at him.
“Stop by my office after you get your coffee.”, Harry said as he spun on his heel and grabbed his dick with his left hand for several seconds. Euftis chuckled. Harry was the epitome of professionalism but he had the unconscious habit of touching his dick every ten minutes.
Euftis got his coffee and had inane chatter with several people whose names he didn’t bother to remember and then proceeded to the front of the office building where Harry’s office was located. On the way there he ran into one of his managers.
“Good morning Curt”, Euftis said tilting his head.
“Good morning Euftis”, Curt replied staring at Euftis’ crisp Perry Ellis shirt and silk tie.
Euftis noticed how Curt jealously eyed his gear. “You can take white trash out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the white trash out of the person” , Euftis thought. Curt was born and raised in a coal miner’s town in the depths of Kentucky. The heart of darkness. Although the man was educated and politically polished, Euftis didn’t trust him any further than he could spit at him.
“Steve and I found an excellent candidate to head up the DB2 side of your database administration team”, Curt said smoothly as he finally looked up and spoke to Euftis directly displaying a fake smile. Euftis returned the smile, hoping that his manager couldn’t tell that his smile was just as fake.
“We think that she is just what we need and she will be coming in today at 2pm for an interview. I’d like you to meet with her at 2:45pm to answer any questions that she may have about the project”, Curt continued.
“Well isn’t that wonderful”, Euftis replied toning down the sarcasm that resonated in his voice. “Thanks for letting me know…Curt. See you at 2:45pm”, Euftis said as he placed his left hand on Curt’s left arm while side stepping around him. The maneuver was a subtle dismissal of his manager as he fought to keep his expression blank.
“Ohhhh…Euftis…”, Curt said casually to Euftis’ back.
Euftis turned around…slowly…and stared Curt down with a blank expression on his face. Euftis noted that Curt’s face and neck were flushed red. Curt had noted Euftis’ subtle displeasure and disrespect and didn’t like it.
“You need to look at her resume before she gets here. It’s on my desk”, Curt said pointing at his office with his thumb. “Go get it…and make a copy.”
“Fuck you fat little white man”, Euftis thought. “What time is it now”, Euftis asked Curt idly.
“What”, Curt replied confused.
Euftis smiled. It’s a little after 8am. Correct? And I don’t have to talk to her until…2:45pm? Correct? I will be sure to look at her resume before then. Thanks. For letting me know about the interview…and the location of her resume”, Euftis replied and then spun around on his heel and left Curt staring at his back.
Slightly irritated, Euftis walked to Harry’s office and closed his door behind him. Lvette and Harry turned around in their respective chairs and looked at Euftis curiously.
“Hey Euftis”, Lvette chirped playfully.
Euftis raked Lvette’s shapely form with his eyes before speaking. “Hey yourself Lvette. You look good enough to eat…”
“You ate me once already”, Lvette replied. “And you promised me you wouldn’t do it again.”, Lvette said raising her left eyebrow for emphasis (Read the story Bad Boys in Off the Chain.)
“Damn I wish we wouldn’t have made that promise”, Harry replied.
“I…know…what…you mean”, Euftis replied shaking his head slowly.
“What’s goin’ on E”, Harry asked amused. “Have you met Michelle yet?”
“Ohhh my God”, Lvette exclaimed. “Is women the only thing you two think about?”
“You jealous”, Euftis asked.
“She wants us to get some more of that E”, Larry said slyly. “Lock the door E. C’mere girl and give me some more of that.”
“You two…”, Lvette said exasperated and she stood up abruptly and stomped out of her office switching her hips hard.
“Daaaaaamn”, Euftis exclaimed as he watched her hips out the door until she blocked his vision by closing the door behind her.
“We need to fuck her again E”, Harry said staring at Euftis with unblinking eyes.
“No dawg”, Euftis replied with a sour expression on his face. “We promised her that we wouldn’t. You pushin’ things close to rape. Leave her alone man. Now who is this Michelle chick that you‘re talkin‘ ‘bout?”
“She thick. Damn thick. Works over on the infrastructure team.”
“Nope. I haven’t checked her out yet. But get this. Those fuckers Curt and Steve are bringing in a candidate for my team today and they let me know after the fact. They want me to…interview…her, but as far as they are concerned she‘s already got the job.”
“That Steve is a slimy Anderson Consulting bastard. But that Curt is the one you…really…have to look out for even though he’s CSI. Because he don’t know what the fuck he’s doing so he just does everything Steve tells him to.”
“Only the government would sponsor a project with multiple consulting companies and dual managers for every department”, Euftis said with his face still looking sour.
“You should have known that Steve would want to control who gets hired for your team. Your area is the only one where they don’t have a co-manager from Anderson. “
“I am really not feelin’ these people or this gig. I may have to bounce soon dawg.”
“Well you do what you have to E. It’s all you can eat perch day at Sally’s today. You wanna go and laugh at the old heads”, Harry asked.
“All you can eat perch sounds good. I’m there.”
*************
A little after noon, Harry and Euftis went to Sally’s restaurant just outside of Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The Wednesday fish fry’s at Sally’s was an informal offsite meeting session for the black managers that worked for CSI.
Euftis and Harry eyed each other smirking as Joe Johnson dominated the conversation with his booming, boisterous voice. Joe had worked for the federal government all of his life, with most of his career being a manager in the mailroom of the base. Euftis could not understand how Joe’s experience with blue-collar workers landed him a job as a manager of management information systems consultants. Euftis and Harry were embarrassed to work for the same company as Joe. He was straight up ignorant.
“You know one a dem white boys on my team had da nerves ta try me taday”, Joe boomed out over the table. He always yelled everything he had to say and always sounded like he was drunk. Harry looked down at his plate while Euftis lifted his left hand up to his mouth to cover up his expression of embarrassment.
“What happened Joe”, Keith the manager of the Cobol developers yelled back at him smiling. Everyone at the table chuckled a bit and Joe continued oblivious to the fact that people were laughing at his expense.
“One of dem Anderson boys gone try ta tell me how ta run my staff meetin’! I been a supervisor for thirty five years and he gone try me! Can you believe that?”
“Supervisor…”, Euftis thought frowning and shaking his head. “We don’t work in a factory fool.”
“So what did you do”, Keith asked smiling broadly as everyone around the table continued to snicker at Joe as he told his story.
“Well…I just looks him in the eye and I says… Boy! I been a supervisor for thirty five years! You betta not try me! I knows what I’m doin’!”
“I…knows…what I’m doin? Ohhh my Jesus”, Euftis whispered exasperated to Harry. “How did that fool become a manager on this project? How?”
“His dumb ass knows a lot of people on the base. And you can get a job consulting for the government based on…who…you know. Not…what…you know”, Harry whispered back.
“He’s an embarrassment! He makes me ashamed to be black! Damn”, Euftis whispered while Harry laughed.
Just then the waitress brought two trays to the table. One filled with fried perch and the other with French fries, which forced the blowhard Joe to choose between talking and eating since he couldn’t do two things at the same time. To Euftis’ relief, Joe chose to eat.
All that could be heard was chewing and satisfied grunts and moans for the next fifteen minutes as the men crushed the platter of perch. “Want me to bring you another order”, a smiling waitress asked everyone at the table.
“Yea! We want some mo fiiiish! Gone ‘head and bring some mo fiiiish”, Joe replied in his booming voice acting as the tables spokesperson.
Euftis cringed in his seat and silently prayed that Joe would go back to stuffing his face with food so that he would shut up.
“Hey… Have any of you met the new sista on the project… Michelle”, Patrick, one of the development team leads asked.
“Awwwwwwwwwww…yeaaaaaaaaaa”, Keith responded smiling.
Euftis glanced over at Harry who nodded his head slowly as if to say…“See…I told you…”
“Yo! She’s…hot”, Patrick continued as others around the table shook their heads eagerly in agreement.
“I need to check this woman out”, Euftis thought.
****************
The first thing that Euftis did after he returned from lunch was to stop at his dual manager’s office and pick up the resume of the new person that would be added to his team. Luckily, neither Curt nor Steve was in so he didn’t have to be concerned with talking to either of them.
Euftis scooped up the resume and returned to his office closing the door behind him. He hung the jacket to his suit on the back of the door and then leaned back in his office chair and read the resume that Curt had hassled him about.
“Nadine Shofner”, Euftis read out loud. “What a nice…Aryan…name”, Euftis thought. “She’s probably a racist.”
Euftis scanned the first page of her resume and agreed with his management that at least on paper, Nadine was very technical. However, something at the back of his mind bothered him about her resume. Euftis then read the second and third pages of her resume and realization burst upon him in regards to what his subconscious mind was trying to tell him.
Nadine had worked as a consultant the majority of her career and each of her assignments lasted no longer than four months. In fact, she had assignments that had only lasted two months. That signaled to Euftis that Nadine was potentially a management problem since the average contract lasted at least six months.
Euftis browsed through the pages of her resume again and calculated that Nadine had worked for nine years. Two of those years were for a software company out of college. However, the last seven years of her professional career she had worked as a consultant. And every project was not longer than four months or shorter. Euftis filed away his observations in his mind and then decided to find the mysterious Michelle to see what all the fuss was about.
***********
After getting another cup of coffee, Euftis casually walked over to the side of the building where the software developers sat. His plan was to walk around the floor and chat with different people while he searched for Michelle. However, he was pleasantly shocked when he almost ran into the back of her as he rounded the corner.
His mouth dropped open as he took in the enormity of Michelle’s backside. “She’s got junk on top of junk”, Euftis thought as he stopped dead in his tracks so that he could watch her walk to the other end of the building.
Euftis determined that Michelle had between 45” to 48” inches of ass. It was ghetto shaped, with a nice, round hump at the bottom of it, which gave her derriere crystal clear definition between her butt cheeks and legs. “Uggghhhhh...”, Euftis moaned softly licking his lips as he watched Michelle’s huge ass jiggle in her sweater dress that ended just above her knees. She had the type of ass that looked like she was throwing it even when she was walking casually.
Euftis realized that he was leering at Michelle and he fixed his face by putting a blank expression on it. When she got halfway across the room, Keith cut Michelle off and chatted with her while smiling broadly. Euftis decided to make his move and quickly walked up to the pair.
“Hey Keith, thanks for inviting me and Harry to lunch with you guys today”, Euftis said nonchalantly as he walked up beside Keith.
“No problem. Remember…every Wednesday is the all you can eat fish. I told you it was good”, Keith replied.
“You must be Mr. Emery”, Michelle said in a sultry voice.
Euftis slowly turned his head to look at Michelle’s face and acted surprised. “I’ve never seen you before. You must be new. And you are…”, Euftis replied extending his hand.
“That’s Michelle. Michelle…Euftis”, Keith butted in as Michelle extended her manicured hand into Euftis’ and shook it slowly.
“Shut up Keith”, Euftis thought as he held Michelle’s hand and stared into her large, dark brown eyes. “Goodness! She’s gorgeous”, he thought as he took Michelle in from the waist up while appearing to stare only at her face. Her stomach was flat and small giving her an immense waist to ass ratio and visions of gripping her waist tightly as he hit it from the back danced through Euftis’ mind. Her perky breasts, which Euftis estimated to be between a 34-36 C-cup, were topped off with large nipples that strained against the material of her bra and dress. Her hair was shoulder length, bone straight, and dark brown. Her face was gentle and sweet and punctuated with a small mouth and full thick lips.
“You have me at a disadvantage…Michelle. How do you know my name? Have we met”, Euftis said while continuing to hold her hand to gauge how she would react. “I would have remembered your fine ass if we had met before”, Euftis thought.
“No we haven’t. Steve pointed you out to me last week. I’m working on the Infrastructure team and they don’t have a CSI manager. I told him that I wanted a CSI manager that I could talk to if I had any problems and for mentoring. He suggested that it be you since you are the only CSI manager reporting to him. I don’t trust Curt. Curt didn’t say anything to you about it?”
“I’ll mentor you alright”, Euftis thought sarcastically. “I’ve got a bunch of things I’d like to teach you. And you’re a smart girl to peep that you can’t trust Curt’s ass. I like you already.”
“No Curt didn’t say anything to me Michelle”, Euftis replied. “I’ll talk to him. I don’t have a problem with acting as your mentor.”
“Not a problem at all…damn”, Euftis thought.
“Are you available for lunch sometime this week”, Euftis asked.
Michelle’s demeanor hardened a bit as she slowly withdrew her hand from Euftis’ and rested it on her chest. “Mr. Emery. I’m a married woman. I don’t make a habit of going to lunch with men. Single or married.”
“Lost cause man”, Keith blurted out. “I’ve tried to get her to go out with me three times already and she always says no. Why can’t you do a little lunch with a compatriot”, Keith asked grinning broadly.
“I’m married”, was Michelle’s simple reply. “I don’t go to lunch with men unless it’s in a group.”
“That’s fine Michelle”, Euftis said. “I just wanted to meet with you so that I could get a feel for your background and what you might need”, Euftis lied. “I’ll just schedule a meeting with you.”
“That will be fine. Where do you sit”, Michelle asked.
“If you walk to the end of the corridor and make a left, I’m in the second office on the right.”
“Stop by anytime”, Euftis thought.
*****************
Euftis went back to his office and surfed the Internet until his meeting with Nadine. With her resume in hand, Euftis bounced into his manager’s large office. Curt and Steve sat in their respective chairs with fake smiles that were gleaming. As he looked at each of them, Euftis realized that he had never met a slimier pair. They were made for each other.
Glancing at the small, round conference table in the rear corner of the office, Euftis saw who he assumed was Nadine. She had a pasty complexion, with sharp Nordic features. Her bleach blond hair was pulled up on the sides and back with Shirley Temple curls piled up high on her head and spilling over onto her forehead. From her last name, Euftis thought that she was German, but she looked Swedish.
“Nadine”, Curt said smoothly, his fake smile never leaving his face. “This is your new manager. Euftis Emery.”
“Well ain’t this about a bitch”, Euftis thought. “I don’t even get to put my two cents in let alone interview her. These fuckers already gave her an offer!”
Without saying a word, Nadine stood up and extended her hand stiffly. Her face was blank and her blue eyes wide as her cheeks and neck flushed red.
“I’m pleased to meet you Nadine”, Euftis said as he forced Nadine’s arm to move up and down as if she were a rag doll. She looked as if she were in shock and put no effort into shaking his hand. Euftis had to squint up at Nadine as he read her because she was at least 6’4” in height without heels on.
“She looks like a poodle”, Euftis thought. He released her hand abruptly and sat down at the conference table next to Nadine. Still appearing in shock, Nadine looked down at Euftis for several moments and then sat down next to him stiffly.
“Yeeeeeeeeep! She’s a racist alright”, Euftis thought.
“So”, Euftis exclaimed while slapping his thighs for emphasis. “Nadine is going to be joining us and her start date is…when”, he asked looking around the room fighting to minimize the sarcasm in his voice.
“Tomorrow”, Steve replied from the side of his mouth. He didn’t like Euftis’ attitude since he felt he should just do as he was told.
“Well…isn’t…that…just…wonderful”, Euftis said as he began to loose his cool. There was a ton of things that he had to do prior to Nadine’s start date and he had no plans staying late since he was informed at the last minute about her being hired. As far as Euftis was concerned, he didn’t care if she twiddled her thumbs for two weeks.
“And…where is she going to sit”, Euftis continued.
“Since space is at a premium here we thought we would just move her in with you”, Curt replied with a slight smile on his face.
“Ohhhh you have got to be fuckin’ kiddin’ me”, Euftis thought as Nadine turned even redder.
“Well Nadine”, Curt continued in his Kentucky accent. “We’re glad that you are coming on board. There is a lot of work waiting for you. But I think you will find it quite a challenge.”
Curt stood which let Nadine know that the interview was over and she followed suit. “I’m looking forward to working with you Curt”, she replied as she reached to shake Curt’s hand. “I’m looking forward to working with you as well Steve”, she continued as she shook his hand as well. “I’ve…worked with Anderson Consulting before”, she said sarcastically as she made a sour face.
As Curt escorted her to the front door, Euftis noted her blatant sarcasm to Steve in addition to the fact that she neither shook his hand nor said goodbye. Euftis hung around until Curt returned.
“Well…what do you think”, Curt asked Euftis as he plopped his dumpy form heavily into his chair.
Euftis shrugged. “All I have to go on is her resume. She appears fairly technical, however, I do have a concern... But the two of you interviewed her and feel she’s a good fit so I’ll just push my concern to the side”, Euftis said cannily.
“No…no…no…voice you’re concern Euftis”, Curt said insincerely.
“Well… Did either of you…notice. That most of her assignments have not been more than four months? I’m concerned that she may be a problem”, Euftis replied innocently.
Curt turned red as a beet and looked shocked. “You stupid mother fucker…”, Euftis thought.
Steve frowned. “I saw that. And I thought that to. But after interviewing her I don‘t think she will be a problem and we need her skill set.”
“I bet you did you slimy bastard”, Euftis thought. Although they all worked on the project together, Anderson Consulting’s associates looked out for themselves first and foremost. To meet that objective, if they couldn’t run an area of the project they attempted to make CSI look bad. If Steve could get a ringer on Euftis’ team to make him and Curt look incompetent he would do it. Unfortunately, Curt was to stupid to see when Steve was setting him up and to jealous of Euftis‘ varied skills to lean on him when needed.
“Yes. We saw that, but she interviewed so well we don’t think that she will be an issue Euftis”, Curt said mirroring Steve’s response after getting some of his color back.
“You didn’t see shit”, Euftis thought angrily. “We’ll see how she acts in a couple of weeks. I’m covered. I didn’t interview the bitch. It’ll be all on you and Steve if she’s a problem. Believe that!“
The Attempt
Leata sat at the foot of her bed and cried. She wasn’t happy. She had almost everything she wanted and she still wasn’t happy. She didn’t want to work and Euftis made the way for her so that she didn’t have to. She didn’t want to cook often and Euftis took her out to dinner twice a week and cooked dinner on the weekends. She didn’t want to do housework and Euftis hired a maid for her. She no longer wanted to home school the children and Euftis had enrolled them into a private school. She didn’t want the responsibility of doing the bills and Euftis did them. She didn’t want to do the grocery shopping so Euftis did it.
Leata thought about all the things her husband had done for her and sobbed. She cried because she didn’t understand why he wouldn’t meet her new demands. She wanted a new house. She wanted to live in the ‘burbs and smell new carpet. She wanted a new car. She wanted to give away everything in her closet and go out and buy a new wardrobe. Leata had suggested all of these things to Euftis and he had not moved to give her what she wanted.
Leata could not comprehend that she had hardened her husband’s heart with her selfishness. All she knew was that she wasn’t getting what she wanted when she wanted it so she wasn’t happy.
None of her tricks no longer worked to get her way. She belittled him about his relationship with God. Euftis no longer went to church with her. She never appeared to be content or happy around Euftis. He no longer appeared to care. She made a point to be at church every time the doors opened and leaving town to visit her mother two weekends every month. Euftis encouraged her to leave. She flirted with other men. Euftis was indifferent. She withheld sex. Euftis no longer asked her for it.
She sobbed. She heaved and moaned her pain from the bottom of her gut and prayed to God via her weeping. She no longer wanted to be married. The Word of God was crystal clear as to the causes for divorce and Leata suffered because as far as she knew she did not have a valid reason to get one. So she prayed to God to grant…her…a…exception. To change his rules…just for her…so that she could have what she desired.
Leata felt as if a black curtain of despair enveloped her as she continued to cry until her stomach ached and her eyes became crimson. A small portion of her mind was still rational and attempted to push the thought forward to her conscious mind that her thought process was unreasonable. That something was terribly wrong with her. However, her depression captured the thought as it traveled across her neurons and warped the message.
“I hear your heart and it is foul! The transgressions of the weak must be purged! You are weak! Purge yourself”, a deep, disembodied voice yelled at her clearly.
“Get out of my head”, Leata screamed. “I rebuke you in the name of…Jesus …demon! Get out of my head!”
“I hear your heart! It is foul!”
“Jesus! Jesus why won’t you help me! Help…me”, Leata pleaded with her arms lifted to the heavens.
“Purge yourself!”
Leata screamed. She ran out of her bedroom into the hallway. She stood in the middle of the hallway confused not knowing what to do. All she new was that she had to flee the voice that was assaulting her psyche.
“I hear your heart!”
“Arrrrrrrghhhhhhhhh…”, Leata screamed again grabbing two handfuls of her locks as she attempted to rip them from her scalp in an effort to discard the disembodied voice with them.
“Purge yourself!”
Screaming, Leata ran into the bathroom and ripped the medicine cabinet off the wall spilling everything in it unto the floor. Dropping to her knees she frantically searched for the bottle of sleeping pills and emptied the entire container into her hand. She wanted the constant depression and hounding voices to end and her hand filled with sleeping pills hovered in front of her mouth as she contemplated suicide.
“Purge yourself!”
“I rebuke you”, Leata screamed as she flung the pills out of her hand. “Leave… me…alone…”, she pleaded and she beat her fists on the floor.
“I hear your heart!”
“Lord…forgive me…”, Leata whimpered as she picked up some of the sleeping pills from the floor and washed them down with an entire bottle of Nyquil night time cold medicine.
****************
Euftis mind was on cruise control as he made his one-hour commute home. His phone rang and he became concerned when the caller id showed that it was from his daughter’s school.
“Hello…”, Euftis answered his phone somewhat puzzled.
“Hello. Mr. Emery?”
“Yes.”
“This is Henrietta Dunken…at Marva Collins…”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Emery…are you picking up the girls today? Nicole said that her mother was supposed to pick them up but she hasn’t shown up and the after school program closes at 6:30”
“She hasn’t picked them up”, Euftis asked getting angry.
“No she hasn’t. We tried calling her. But no one is answering your home phone.”
“I’m in route and I just passed Middletown. I can be there in fifteen minutes.”
“That’s fine. Our after school program does not close until 6:30pm. We’ll be here. However, we will have to charge you the $25 late fee for each of the girls as if they were enrolled in the after school program.”
Euftis seethed at Leata for her lack of responsibility, wasting his time, his money, and more importantly potentially putting his daughters in harms way. “I understand. And…no…problem. I really appreciate you looking after the girls with their mother missing in action”, Euftis replied not caring if he made his wife look bad.
“Ohhhh…okay…”, the administrator replied nervously. Well…we’ll be here. See you shortly.”
*******************
Euftis pulled into the driveway of the school and as soon as he did, the front door burst open and his daughters stepped out in single file with adolescent smiles missing teeth. Euftis smiled back at them. He loved his babies. They looked so cute in their blue and white uniforms. White blouse with a dark blue skirt. Their long locks were tied neatly around their heads with a white scarf.
Euftis pushed the trunk release button and the girls went to the back of his vehicle and tossed their book bags in it. Euftis winced as each of his children literally hurled their bags into the trunk with resounding thuds. Gentle…was a word that had not made it into their vocabularies yet.
He watched in his rear view mirror as Nicole and Elise made their way to the doors on opposite sides of the car. He braced himself because that left Sade to close the trunk and he knew she would do it with every ounce of muscle in her petite body.
“Whaaaaam”, as Euftis expected, Sade slammed the trunk so hard that the car bounced a bit. Euftis just shook his head. The passenger side door opened and Nicole jumped in the front and then Elise opened his door and jumped in the back. Sade soon followed happily.
“Hey bratlings”, Euftis said mischievously.
“We’re…not…bratlings”, Nicole said defiantly as she fastened her seat belt.
Euftis snickered. “So did you have a wonderful educational experience today”, Euftis asked playfully.
The girls laughed. “Yes”, Sade replied smirking. “And did you have a wonderful work experience today?”
Euftis made a face. “No. I don’t like the people I work with. C’mere you. Gimme some face”, Euftis said to Sade turning around to face her. She immediately started to pout because she knew she was in trouble. Euftis had to use a very light hand in disciplining his middle child because she was as sensitive as her mother.
“What did I tell you about slamming the trunk”, Euftis asked looking into Sade’s eyes as they pressed their foreheads together.
“Don’t slam it”, Sade replied looking sad.
“Riiiiiiight. The trunk closes automatically. All you have to do is close it gently. You keep slamming it and you’re going to break it sweetie. Do you have the money to fix it?”
“No”, Sade replied looking like she was going to cry.
“Then…stop…slamming…my shit. Okay?”
“Okay. I’m sorry Daddy.”
“Good”, Euftis said as he turned around and pulled out of the driveway of the school.
“Daddy. Why didn’t Mommy pick us up”, Elise asked concerned.
“I don’t know sweetie.”
“Is she depressed”, Nicole asked. Leata’s bouts of depression had gotten so bad that she totally shut down and couldn’t do a thing so Euftis and the girls were not too surprised that she wouldn’t answer the phone.
“She didn’t say she was going anywhere today so I assume so sweetie.”
*****************
When Euftis and his children made it home, the girls ran upstairs headed for the master bedroom in search of their mother. Euftis paused in the hallway to thumb through his mail. He had become unconcerned with Leata’s mental illness. Unconcerned because he could not help her if she did not help herself. He had to become detached and unconcerned. If he didn’t, she would have driven him insane with her insanity.
“Daddy”, Nicole said concerned as she walked back downstairs.
“What’s up Nikki?”
“Mommy is not here?”
“Where did you look?”
“Your bedroom, office and bathroom.”
“Did you look in the kitchen?”
“We looked there to”, Nicole replied looking as if she was going to cry. Where do you think she is Daddy? Her car is here. Do you think she’s okay?”
“I’m sure she is sweetie”, Euftis replied trying to keep his daughter calm.
“Daddy”, an alarmed Elise yelled from upstairs.
Euftis noted the fear in Elise’s voice and he ran upstairs with Nicole following him. He found Sade and Elise staring into their bathroom with their hands over their mouths. Wondering what was going on, Euftis stepped between his daughters and looked into his bathroom. It was a shambles.
“Ohhhhhhh….no…”, Nicole said in a trembling voice. “What happened to my Mommy?”
“Mommy…Mommy…”, Elise began to whine. The girls where getting ready to lose it.
“Come here sweetie”, Euftis said as he hugged Elise. “Calm down. Nikki… Sade. Go find the phone.”
Euftis continued to comfort a whimpering Elise by hugging her while his two oldest daughters went in two separate directions in search of the cordless phone. Euftis studied the chaos of the ransacked bathroom and noticed that the sleeping pills and a bottle of Nyquil were the only things that were opened and a chill ran down his spine.
“Mommy”, Sade screamed. “Mooooommy!”
Everyone followed the sounds of Sade’s screams emanating from Nicole’s bedroom. Euftis burst into the room to find his wife on her back lying on Nicole’s bed. From the conditions in the bathroom he had surmised that Leata had attempted to take her life in her depression. Her mouth was open and her eyes were rolled back in her head half lidded. His daughters became hysterical and Euftis stared at her for several moments and noticed that she was breathing.
Ignoring his daughters, he took the phone out of Nicole’s hand and called 911. He explained the situation and followed the emergency operators’ recommendation to wake his wife up and get her walking. The girls began to calm down a bit when they saw their mother up and walking and Euftis told Nicole to go to the front door and let the paramedics in when they arrived.
“How many sleeping pills did you take”, Euftis asked a groggy Leata.
“Two. I…took…two pills…and drank the Nyquil”, Leata replied in a mouth that sounded like it was filled with cotton.
“If you were really trying to kill yourself you would have taken the entire bottle. But what‘s really trifling…is that you would do it then lay in Nicole‘s bed for the girls to find you”, Euftis thought angrily. He was angry because Leata had yet again pulled not only him but also his daughters into her drama. He prayed that they would not be scarred in any way by her actions.
“You’ve got to go”, Euftis thought. “But I need to be patient. Get rid of you on terms that are best…for me! Not you!”
The paramedics arrived and they rushed Leata to the hospital so that she could get her stomach pumped. Euftis made sure that the incident was filed as a suicide attempt and talked to the hospital authorities about getting Leata the therapy that she needed.
After her condition was stabilized, the hospital moved Leata to an observation room where she was on a suicide watch. It was a little after 9pm and a weary Euftis went to Leata’s room with the girls in tow.
“I talked to some people here at the hospital and they have you scheduled to see a psychiatrist”, an irritated Euftis told Leata. He was irritated because as usual everything was on his shoulders. He would have to feed the girls, get them ready for bed, up and to school the next day, get himself to work and back, pick up the girls from school and fix them dinner. He was sure that Leata would milk her new bout of depression for at least three days being no earthly good in the interim.
“I’m not crazy”, a weary Leata replied. “I don’t want to see a psychiatrist. I’m going to be healed of this. I know it!”
“Look”, Euftis said sharply. “You need to do this. Not for me. Not even for you. You need to get some help because of these kids. Look at them. Can’t you see the effects of your behavior on them? Stop thinking about yourself. You’re going to see this psychiatrist. Since you tried to kill yourself as your husband I have the right to have you committed if I think you are a danger to yourself or these kids. I…requested…for a record to be filed. You messed up by giving me the opportunity to put your shit in the street. So there is nothing that you can do if I tell them to put you away for your own good. So what is it gonna be?”
Anger flashed in Leata’s eyes. “I’ll go to the therapy…”, Leata replied in a soft voice.
Cocoa
As Euftis expected, Leata used her suicide episode as an excuse to do nothing but lay around the house for the rest of the week. Her non-activity squarely placed all responsibility for the family on his broad shoulders. Leata wasn’t even capable of taking the children to and from school, which put a great deal of stress on Euftis who worked an hour away from home.
Although Euftis’ job was not the best of working environments, at least he could get a break from the outside world by closing himself within the comfortable confines of his office. However, even his remote refuge was violated with the presence of Nadine Shofner.
She stuffed her face all day with chips and candy as she chatted incessantly about trivial, boring subjects and her dog that she trained for dog shows. Euftis had no interest in anything that she talked about. It was obvious to Euftis that Ms. Shofner was indeed a management problem and he knew it was just a matter of time before it became apparent to everyone.