#shortseries

Mr. X stood up from his seat, which was positioned in the window directly parallel to the condo the boys were in.

“Well, since you asked, I suppose it would be rude of me to ignore your inquiry.”

They were all on the edge of their seat. Awaiting his answer.

Mr. X, exhaled deeply and said, “Loyalty.”

“Wait,” Charlie interrupted. “You want one of us to die to prove our loyalty? How would killing my brother or sister prove my loyalty?”

“It would prove your loyalty to us. Your extended family.”

“What kind of ‘family’ makes us choose between killing each other or letting our mom die?”

"Well, how do you think your mom got to join our family in the first place?" Mr. X responded with a smile. Silence spread over the room. They were left speechless. Their minds trying to come up with an answer for that dreadful question. "Never crossed your minds I see. Going from barely hanging on mom to 'self-made' millionaire seems like such an awesome story. When you leave out certain parts, of course." He chuckled.

"Who did she have to kill?" Stanley finally blurred out.

"Would you even believe me if I told you?“asked. “Besides, you really shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to, young man.”

Stanley cocked his arm back as if he wanted to throw the phone, but knew he couldn’t. They needed more answers. But, it seemed the more answers they got, the more confusing and unbelievable things became.

Stanley stared at the ground, “You don’t think she—“

Charlie cut him off, “That Mom killed somebody? I mean, can we put it past her now?

Terri head shot up and she glared at Charlie, “What does that even mean?”

Charlie got out of his seat, “Mom has had her hand in all of our successes. In ways that most of society would deem ille—“ Charlie paused for a second. “Wait a minute, we never really got around to you, Terri. How is Mom helping you these days?” He asked as he leaned up against the wall.

Terri chuckled, “You find that more important than what’s going on right now? Seriously?”

Starting to pace, Charlie answered, “Cause last I heard you were in prison. Solitary confinement. Got out, and just a few years later, you’re pullin’ up in new Mercedes GT. Seems kind of odd doesn’t it?”

“We don’t have time for this Charlie, we need to—“

“We need to what?” Stanley blurted. “What is so secretive about what you and Mom do that you can’t even tell us?”

“Listen, it’s not what y’all think it is,—“

“Not trying to budge on those secrets, huh Terri?” Mr. X said with a chuckle. “Getting a bit tense over there, I see.”

“What were you saying before? Who was it that our mom didn’t tell us about?”

“Your father of course.” He answered quickly. “Just how do you think he died? It was your mother’s doing.”

“Bullshit!” Charlie screamed.

“I say Charlie. You talk to God with that mouth?” Mr. X asked as he chuckled. “But, Why is this so hard to believe? This is the same woman that got a person injured so Stanley could play on a team? Why wouldn’t she take your father’s life to better her own?”

“Don’t you dare insult our Mom like that, She loved our father!”

“Oh Charlie, money can’t buy love, but love has sure as hell never paid a bill.”

Stanley finally broke his silence and blurted out, “Terri, what aren’t you telling us?”

Levi shot a look at Stanley, not knowing what to say. Caught off guard by the timing of it. “Stan I—“

Stanley picked up the gun and pointed it at Terri. “What are you hiding from us?”

Terri raised her hands slowly, “Little brother, put the gun down. I know it sounds—“

“Sounds like you have a secret agenda?” Stanley responded, “Yeah, it kinda does.”

Terri didn’t know what to say in this situation, she was left in shock. she tried to open her mouth, but she couldn’t say anything that would make sense.

“I want answersTerri, stop stalling, and give us the truth.” Stanley demanded, with the gun still shaking in his hand.

“Trouble in Raynes paradise I hear.” Mr. X teased.

Stanley glared at the phone and shouted, “You shut your damn mouth!”

And not a second later, a bullet flew through the window and grazed Stanley’s cheek.

The room went silent, as if the bullet snatched the sound from the room. They could not move, they could not talk, they didn’t know what to do besides breathe.

“Now that I have your attention again, I have just a slight word of caution: Don’t ever tell me to shut my mouth again. Are we clear?"

Stanley felt his cheek and looked at his hand smeared with blood and said, “No”. Then shot the phone.

The aroma from the burned out Golden Sands incense along with Buxton’s failed intentions plague his waking moments as he tries to figure out what he’s going to say Charlie. He awoke from a mere nap of sorts on the sofa as Charlie laid in their bed following the night that didn’t materialize. Buxton planned to do the things he always has after being enticed all evening by just how amazing Charlie looked but last night he wasn’t able to. Both Buxton and Charlie were blind sided by the unfortunate circumstance so much that she felt a heavy heart tell her that they needed some time to themselves, separately, to sort out the evening of unrealized aspirations.

Charlie and Buxton are each other’s and no one else’s. They have been committed to one another ever since their connection in the DR. The simplicity of their magnetic attraction and effortless bonding made for a seamless relationship. The fact that Buxton has never been challenged by a woman like Charlie left a little room for doubt about his ability to keep such a woman. Charlie can have any man that she desires. The same isn’t exactly true for Buxton. His appeal beyond his writing abilities fails miserably in comparison to Charlie’s. Buxton didn’t like to compare his appeal or pluses and minuses to Charlie’s but what would surface from time to time is his inability to separate his inferiority complex with regards to the woman he’s loved far more than any other woman.

Buxton has had his troubles with love in the past, most notably with Joan who did a number on his heart, but with Charlie there is a real psychological deficiency that exists. Charlie is the quintessential woman that can exist without a counterpart; she’s doesn’t define herself by the man she chooses to be with. Many of the women Buxton was romantically involved with prior to Charlie, in some way or another, affixed themselves to Buxton in an unhealthy way. He became a crutch that supported these women emotionally. Part of Buxton felt gratitude in feeling and knowing that these women were dependent upon him because it allowed his low self-esteem to be hidden beneath theirs, but his inability to love them enough to rid them of their self-deprecating ways placed an enormous amount of stress on Buxton and how he views himself. Buxton has been a slave to love ever since he was a young man. He’s loved from afar and tried his hand a few times by asking ladies out without having any prior connection. Doing so was risky for his low self-esteem but the few positives that manifested allowed him to be a bit more confident. His confidence however has historically been shaky.

With all of the glaring, seemingly amazing aspects on the surface, Buxton doesn’t present as someone that battles with anxiety and self-esteem issues. Upon first glance he’s the man that any woman would desire, but underneath the layers of tailored clothing and exquisite taste, Buxton struggles daily with his self perception.

Joan scarred Buxton severely during their tumultuous time together. She was never physically abusive towards Buxton but the level of emotional trauma he experienced made him a shell of who he desired to be. Joan was more beautiful than he could have imagined any woman that was interested in him could ever be. They shared similar interests and had a great time together though their sexual compatibility was never in sync. Joan was rarely left satisfied sexually by Buxton though she loved him or at least that’s how Buxton perceived their relationship. Joan wasn’t as sexually experienced as Buxton, he was Joan’s first, but what she desired and his capacity to perform never connected. Joan was so set on only certain sexual positions she would engage in because she said it “hurt” when he put it in while in specific positions. To most men that would be an ego boost to know that his penis was big enough to cause her pleasurable pain during sex, but for Buxton it was anything but. They rarely had sex that didn’t end up in her stopping him or him cumming as a way to discontinue the madness of her drill sargent like instructions. Though he had a deep emotional attachment to Joan, Buxton was mentally drained and in the prime of his life defeated sexually.

A man’s dick is only one source of pride that when given recognition can undoubtedly, with immense influence, supremely stroke his ego. Many women take for granted, however, the emotional connection a man can have to sex because historically men have proven time and time again to be impervious to emotional attachments through the evidence of repetitive actions that suggest so. This is furthest from the truth once a man has invested his emotions into a woman. Once she is his reflection and he invests his everything into her, there is nothing more precious to him than this goddess. In committing himself to her he is submitting unto her unconditionally which in turn commits his emotions as well. Meaningful interactions, both physically and emotionally, are what he seeks when he is committed to his Queen. The reciprocation of those emotions and physical affirmations is what keeps a man coming back without seeking another. He is confirmed by his lover and thus solidified as well as satisfied. Buxton missed this aspect; he submitted unconditionally but never felt the reciprocation from Joan. The validation from his lover keeps a man emotionally sustained throughout his relationship. Knowing he is all she desires and that she craves him and isn’t afraid to show those emotions sexually is all a man would ever ask for. That is what Buxton never received until Charlie.

Now that Charlie and Buxton have been together for a few years, the initial luster of their relationship has worn off. The real work to maintain their relationship has begun and it’s taking its toll on Buxton. Charlie is successful. She has earned everything she has and has done so without any assistance. The fact that she has the ability to do for herself without the help of anyone is new for Buxton. Even after two years of a relationship, Buxton still struggles to define just where he fits into Charlie’s life. Yes they are together but being what Charlie wants and balancing that with what she needs is a load that gets difficult to manage at times. Buxton is completely in Love with Charlie without any shred of doubt about it, however, his sense of uselessness and inferiority convolute just how meaningful he is to Charlie.