After Class (Janet and Aaliyah)

Chapter 36

Acacia

"What...?" She sat up in bed, but I was already getting out and removing my clothes right in front of her to change into my robe. Though I was turned around, I could feel her eyes on me. I left the room just for a moment to turn the shower on, but came back to her bedside. She hadn't moved.

"Please?"

Slowly, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She seemed in a daze. I took her hand and led her to my bathroom where it was already getting steamy.

"Is it okay if your hair gets wet?" I asked as she started to undress.

"Yeah, it's okay."

"Good."

I came up behind her and pulled her sweatshirt off of her shoulders. She froze.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" I asked.

Aaliyah turned around and grabbed me, kissing me passionately without warning. It threw me off guard, but I matched her intensity as I tugged at her hair. I backed us up against my bathroom counter so that I could take her pants off next. All of a sudden, none of this could wait. Everything was too urgent, taking too long. I tried to slow down, but that just wasn't the energy. She kicked her pants off of one leg, and then it was just her bra and underwear left.

Aaliyah paused. "Hold on," she said. I stopped.

"What?"

"This is too much."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean... just—you and me. I don't want any more bullshit. Tell me what you want from me." She was panting as she leaned against the counter, staring me dead in my eyes. "Right now." I watched her chest heave violently, the charm on her necklace rising and falling each time I felt her cool breath hit my skin. It electrified me.

"Aaliyah..." I began, slowly undoing the bow tie on my robe. She watched carefully as the whole thing fell softly to the floor. "This is all yours. And yours only," I announced quietly. "And from you, I want the same. I want all of you. Everything you got." I leaned forward and trapped her body with my arms, placing one small peck on the corner of her mouth. "Will you have me?" I whispered.

"Yes."

"And can I have you?"

She nodded.

"I'm gonna let you in," I began, kissing her neck as I undid her bra. "I promise I'm going to."

"Talk is cheap," she responded. "Show me."

I threw the rest of her clothes on the floor and now we were both bare. I could barely see her anymore because of the fog. She stood up straight and held my hand as I led her into the steamy, hot shower. The first thing I did was press her flush against the tile wall. She stared at my lips hungrily, but I did not oblige.

"From this point forward, I want to start over with you," I began. "I want to get it right. Tonight was... too close."

Aaliyah nodded, but her eyes were shut.

"Real close," she warned.

"In that split moment that I thought I was gonna lose you, I realized how much I need you here with me."

"Yeah?"

"God, yes."

"Well I'm gonna need you to be straight up. Tell me what's on your mind the way I tell you what's on mine."