JUST A SIDE CHICK

　　"Hey. Hey, baby, wake up." The 6'2" man shakes the sleeping dinosaur beside him. His head is foggy and messy and the events of last night were blurry but he knew it was long. Very long.

　　Charlie moans as she rolls herself awake. Her eyes stay shut for some seconds but almost immediately, she opens them and grins sluggishly, "Hey, Marrie,"

　　'Marrie' cringes and shoots Charlie a playful glare to which the latter giggles and leans upward to place a chaste kiss on his lips. Mario Denison moves his head so fast to avert the kiss.

　　"Morning breath." He simply states.

　　Charlie nods and places a peck on his cheek instead. She jumps from the bed to the floor which was probably a bad idea because she came tumbling face-first to the floor.

　　"Ow. You definitely tore me a new one, Mario."

　　A smirk appears on Mario's face at the power boost to his ego and... Down there. He moves from the nightstand to help Charlie up to her feet. She limps to the en-suite bathroom that was just beside the huge walk-in closet.

　　A loud gasp echoes from the bathroom, "Oh my God! Baby, it's snowing!"

　　Charlie attempts to run out but when she feels a stab of pain down below, she chooses not to and decides to gush from the bathroom instead.

　　While waiting for the bathtub to get full, the 23-year old replays last night in her memory. Last night was like a walk on clouds for her. It was like getting lost in nirvana with a particular chocolate-skinned demigod.

　　Her fingers graze against her neck that is splattered with *loads* of hickies. Different sizes. Different locations. If her mind couldn't, her body could recall how Mario gripped her shoulders and attacked her neck while he pistons deep insi-

　　"The tub is full babe," Mario's raspy voice says from where he was leaning against the door frame.

　　Charlie's cheeks dusted red and she flashes him a small yet seductive smile.

　　"It's also big enough for two people." She suggests and turns back to wiggle her ass as she walks to the tub.

　　Mario grunts and shakes his head, "If you don't want to wake up in the hospital with a torn ass, I suggest you take your bath right now so we can go eat."

　　Charlie giggles as he walks away. Her boyfriend is so sweet and sexy.

　　She settles in the tub, not bothering to put her pull her ginger shoulder-length hair into a bun.

　　She lets out a satisfied sigh when the lukewarm water engulfs her. After soaking in for some minutes, she pours her coconut scented shampoo and begins to wash.

　　Grooming and doing the needful took her twenty-five minutes and finally, she meets Mario in the living room.

　　"Sexy." Mario winks at her while tucking his phone into his back pocket.

　　Charlie leans up and places a kiss on his cheek and Mario tries to hide his grimace.

　　"Let's go, babe." They both walk towards the car.

　　Throughout the ride, Mario's phone keeps going off and this doesn't go unnoticed by Charlie. She chooses to ignore it and continues to look out the tinted window.

　　A loud ding resounds in the car and Charlie groans.

　　"Baby, office?"

　　"Huh?" Mario glances at her, "Oh? Yes... Yeah, Dora has been blowing up my phone cos I haven't been to work in like, a week."

　　"I thought you told her you're on partial leave," Charlie raises a brow.

　　Mario grunts as he pulls into the driveway of the restaurant.

　　Charlie eyes Mario as she alights from the car. She watches as Mario's phone rings out again and he sputters a round of curses.

　　He's probably stressed, she thinks.

　　They both walk into the restaurant and place their order immediately. They eat and dabble in small talk before finally leaving.

　　"Babe, go on ahead, let me check the car real quick 'cos I see the way that valet be checking out my baby." He pats his white Camaro with a smirk.

　　"Sure. Don't waste time!"

　　Charlie runs up the patio and starts pulling off her four-inch stiletto. She intends today to be a whole day of fuckery and cuddles, even if she knows the last part is close to impossible because she knows how Mario detests cuddling.

　　She couldn't wait to reveal the purple lace thong that she had underneath the burgundy knee-length gown she had on.

　　A giddy smile appears on her face when she pictures the look Mario will have on when she flashes him.

　　"Marrie, what's that shit you be talking about not coming straight home? Is she he-" the voice trails off when her eyes land on Charlie.

　　"Um..." Charlie raises a brow. Did Mario employ a cook? Cleaner, maybe?

　　From what she said, she is no cook.

　　"How'd you get in my house?" Charlie asks as she moves closer to the door. Safety precautions! She might be a crazed fangirl.

　　The lady scoffs and places her right hand on her hip, "Your house? Bitch, this my husband's house! Where Mario at?"

　　Charlie does a double-take as she stares at the lady from head to toe.

　　The woman standing in front of her was a beautiful black woman. Her hair was pitch black and it curled right at the end and fell below her D-cup breasts.

　　Her eyes were dark brown and it held scorn deep in them.

　　What was more piercing was what she was wearing. The army camouflage screamed respect and glory.

　　A woman in uniform.

　　"Hey, babe! You left the front door open!" Mario turns back to jam the door behind him, when he looks forward, he gasps.

　　"Jasmine! You're home? I thought I told your ass I'm gonna pick you from the airport?" Mario engulfs this woman—Jasmine—in a tight and long hug.

　　Charlie suddenly felt uncomfortable.

　　She felt as if she was the one intruding them and not the other way round.

　　When the hug was stretching to two minutes, Charlie clears her throat and adjusts the shoulder strap of her gown.

　　"Um... Mario? Who's this? Is this your sister?"

　　Jasmine huffs and drops the heavy duffle bag on the couch. Mario places a hand on the small of Jasmine's back and faces Charlie...

　　"Charlie, this is Jasmine, my wife." He smiled down at Jasmine, "The one I told you about that got recruited into the army,"

　　Mario lost Charlie at "my wife".

　　The ginger-head was stiff as aboard. Her shoulders tensed up and her mind went blank.

　　What does Mario mean by *My wife*? Is this a prank? When is Deedah going to pop out from behind the couch and yell 'surprise bitch!'?

　　Mario's lips smacking Jasmine's cheek pulls her out of her reverie. Those lips were eating her honeycomb four hours ago. Those lips were caressing her back and whispering sweet nothings to her...

　　Those lips, now, were on another woman.

　　"Wha...what? Is this a joke?" Charlie shakily let out. Her dress was suddenly tight on her. She felt choked up and squeezed by the garrote of betrayal.

　　"Look, white girl, my man and I are in an open relationship. I swear I told Mario to tell you but I guess he forgot," Jasmine shrugs, "I'm back now." She didn't expect it to come out demeaning, but it did.

　　Charlie didn't know when she moved, but she did. She takes two steps backward while wrapping her hand around the neckline of her dress like she's about to rip it off.

　　She desperately didn't want to believe it. She didn't think Mario would live up to the Black stereotype. At all. But the proof is standing right in front of her.

　　She lets out a shaky breath, "I... I'll go pack my thin...things," She shakes her head and runs upstairs.

　　It is there that she let out the loudest scream she could muster. She pours out her anger and feeling of betrayal in just one scream.

　　Mario walks into their room, well it isn't their room anymore.

　　It didn't sit well with Charlie knowing that they had sex on Jasmine's matrimonial bed.

　　Bile rose her throat but she forces it down immediately.

　　She begins to pack up her bags. She didn't want to spend another minute in this house anymore.

　　"Baby I'm sorry... I thought you knew,"

　　Charlie scoffs, the urge to slap the man standing in front of her with a porcupine is more overbearing by the growing seconds.

　　"You thought I knew?" Through the silent tears she let out something between a sob and a chuckle, "You thought I knew I was the side piece?"

　　"Bab-"

　　She raises her hand to shut him up. "So," she sniffs, "Your wife, huh?"

　　Mario nods and places both hands behind him, "Yeah man, 5 years now."

　　Charlie nods and zips up the last bag.

　　"It was nice meeting you, Mario. Jasmine." She nods at the woman leaning on the door frame with a cup of hot cocoa in her grip.

　　"I can drop you off..." Mario trails off.

　　She gives them a watery smile, "It's okay Mario, stay with your wife."

　　With that, she walks out, leaving her woman dignity and heart behind.