Beneath the Surface

By Christiana Harrell

All your favorite characters are back with a few more new faces to thicken the plot.

Fabian feels like he’s living the dream, finally getting the woman he loves over the broom with no secrets, but the honeymoon will soon be over. The mother of the bride still has her suspicions and she will not quit until she figures out what it is about Fabian that rubs her the wrong way.
Marcus and Mercedes moved out of the fast lane and are trying hard to blend in with other normal couples, but it seems almost impossible to escape their past, especially when questions of what really happened to Cinnamon start to surface and the money starts to run out.

Patrick is scarred for life, literally and still has not learned his lesson, starting over with a new set of women to womanize, forgetting all about Nicole and hoping she has forgotten all about him. Find out what happens when these three best friends find themselves right back where they started and wondering will it ever end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781300954385

Book preview

Beneath the Surface

Beneath the Surface

Christiana Harrell

Copyright

Third Edition

Copyright © 2013 Christiana Harrell

All rights reserved

ISBN

This work is licensed under the Creative

Common Noncommercial-NoDerivs 2.0

License. To view a copy of this license, visit

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/

or send a letter to:

Creative Commons

171 Second Street, Suite 300

San Francisco, California 94105

USA

Dedication:

To the nonjudgmental and open-minded

What’s going on?

Untie me, you crazy bitch, Patrick spat as Nicole sat on top of him with a knife in her hand.

Nicole laughed loudly, throwing her head back then easing it forward, letting her hair fall around her face as her smile disappeared, Don’t you think you’re in a compromising position to be name calling? Nicole’s smile reappeared as she twirled the knife in her hand.

Fuck you, Patrick said, lowering his tone and clenching his jaw.

Patrick, Patrick, Patrick… Nicole leaned down to give Patrick a kiss that she knew wouldn’t be returned. You might as well kiss me back lover, it’ll be the last one you’ll ever get. No one will save you this time. Nicole spoke with her face so close to Patrick that he could feel her breathe.

Do it already, you miserable bitch! Patrick said tensing his body to prepare for Nicole’s wrath. Do I….

Nicole stabbed Patrick before he could finish his sentence, causing him to choke on his own words.

Patrick’s eyes shot open and he sat up in his bed to catch his breath. Sweat dripped down his face. He looked over at his clock and it read 3:17am. He closed his eyes to try to calm his breathing and get his heart back to a steady pace.

It had been an entire year since the nightmare with Nicole, but he still remembered it like it happened yesterday. He thought that the final days of the trial being only a few weeks away would help ease his mind and stop the bad dreams, but it didn’t. His only hope now would be hearing a unanimous decision from the jury making Nicole guilty and imprisoned for life.

Patrick grabbed his cell phone from his nightstand and scrolled to Marcus’ number. There was no way he was going back to sleep.

The phone rang several times then Marcus picked up. Nigga somebody better be dead. It’s three in the morning.

I had another nightmare man.

Marcus sat up in his bed, pushing Mercedes off of him. Damn again?

Yeah, seems like I have one every night.

Why? You worried?

Kind of. What if they let her off on insanity?

Son, we all testified against Nutty Nancy. If she gets off I’ll kill that bitch myself.

Patrick took a deep breath and ran his hand across his freshly faded head. He laughed at his own fear. I’m buggin’.

You really are, now get off my damn phone at booty call hours, Marcus joked. He hoped that his words provided some form of comfort for his boy, but he knew Patrick had every right to worry with today’s justice system. He couldn’t imagine what Patrick was going through, especially after hearing what Nicole did to torture him.

Bye nigga, Patrick said, hanging up the phone.

Patrick looked around his room and thought to himself that he needed to move. As Patrick sat wondering where else he would want to live, his cell phone rang. He turned up his nose as he read Monique across his screen. He answered. How did you manage to call me this time of night?

My husband just left for a long drive out of town for business, Monique responded.

Must be nice, Patrick said.

It is, Monique said seductively into the phone. I’m on my way to your place.

Patrick was about to protest, but then he had a flash of his nightmare and decided some company wouldn’t kill him. I’ll see you when you get here. Patrick hung up the phone without saying goodbye.

Monique didn’t know Patrick’s secret. She knew that there was something different about him, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She figured whatever it was it made her crave him any moment that she had to herself.

Patrick and Monique met at a dermatologist. He was seeing someone for the scar on his face and she was there for a burn from boiling water. Patrick slouched in his chair reading an article on Tyler Perry when Monique walked into the partially full waiting room looking for a place to sit. Patrick looked up from his magazine and noticed her shape right away. He watched as her hips swayed side to side in his direction.

Is someone sitting here? she asked, pointing at the only empty seat beside him.

Nah, have a seat ma, he said, straightening his posture as she sat down beside him.

He attempted to focus back on the article, but he couldn’t help but look out of the corner of his eye at her. He noticed the burns on her arm.

Damn what happened? he asked as if they were old friends.

Monique placed her right hand over the ugly scars. I was doing too many things at once and spilled a pot of hot water on myself.

I hope your arm was the only thing injured.

It was, thank God, Monique said embarrassed, still covering the scar. The worst part is over though. It was swollen and the doctor had to drain several abscesses.

Patrick hissed at the gruesome details. He noticed her insecure posture as she hid the scar. Well, it could have been worse. It could be in your face. He turned to show his scar and pointed.

Oh wow, how did that happen? she asked.

A woman, he responded.

Monique didn’t pry. Well, it doesn’t take away from your looks, she complimented him indirectly.

Yours either, he said pushing her hand from over her scar making her blush.

Monique extended her hand to Patrick, I’m Monique.

He took her hand, pulling her arm toward him and kissing it, Patrick.

Monique looked around the waiting area to see if anyone was staring at them. She couldn’t believe a strange man had kissed her scarred arm. She couldn’t even get her husband to wipe cream on it. Monique was aroused and from that moment, her love affair with Patrick began.

Patrick loved the fact that Monique was married. He even encouraged her to try and make it work with her husband because he had no intentions on ever being anything other than a bed buddy to her. Everyone thought that Nicole would push Patrick into monogamy, but instead she made him worse. He was convinced that the only reason Nicole was obsessed with him and learned his secret was because she was single and had too much time on her hands. He vowed not to mess with another single woman. He wanted women with husbands and boyfriends. They didn’t require much and rarely asked questions.

Patrick still had no intention on telling anyone that he was born a woman. He didn’t care how close they were. Marcus and Fabian didn’t understand why he wouldn’t just find one woman to open up to. They figured Patrick just loved the thrill. He just wouldn’t learn.

♂♀♂♀

Leslie moaned into Fabian’s ear as her hands grabbed the iron headboard of his bed. He sucked hard on her neck and pushed deep inside of her just wanting to please her. Making love post secret and marriage was different now. He felt he had something to prove each time. Sweat dripped down his face as she called his name over and over and intimately announced the ways she wanted to be fucked faster and harder. Leslie was not a proper woman in bed at all, no matter how much money she came from.

Leslie was on her third orgasm as her toes curled and she bit down on her bottom lip to handle the release. One more hard push and she was done for.

Fabian eased out of her, then rolled onto his back to catch his breath. Leslie rolled onto her side. She stared at Fabian wanting to ask so many questions, but not wanting to offend him. She loved him very much, but there was still so much she didn’t know when it came to his transition.

Fabian was exceptionally good in bed, but she couldn’t help but wonder if the reason behind that was due to the fact that he was born a woman and knew what she needed due to his own need. She still had not seen his private area and he never asked her to touch him. She wondered how he got off.

Why are you staring? Fabian asked.

You just made me cum three times. I can stare if I want.

You should be tired, shit you wore my ass out.

We’re still newlyweds.

You better give me this much pussy after ten years, Fabian joked and Leslie slapped his chest.

Don’t say pussy.

Fabian smiled. my bad.

Leslie eased over and laid her head in Fabian’s chest. Can I ask you something?

You’re my wife. You can ask whatever you want.

Leslie knew that wasn’t really true. She had been contemplating an approach for a year and still felt limited on what she should or shouldn’t ask. She had to ask tonight since they would finally be moving in together. Why don’t you ever talk about your transition?

"Nothing to talk about.

We’ve been married a year. I have questions.

Fabian took a deep breath. He knew he’d have to answer her eventually. He wasn’t exactly sure how he avoided the subject this long.

Can we talk about this tomorrow? We really need to get some sleep.

Leslie was finally going to move all her things into Fabian’s place. She was still living in her home after they got married. She needed to wrap her head around everything she had learned about him. Her sister Kim asked her numerous times why she married him if she had doubts.  Her only defense was the situation with Nicole and almost losing him. She was caught up in the moment. She and Fabian had not even taken a honeymoon because of everything with Nicole. Fabian didn’t want to leave Patrick in the state he was in and then there was all the legal stuff.

Do you promise we will talk about it?

I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.

Leslie took his word and closed her eyes.

♂♀♂♀

Marcus couldn’t go back to sleep after Patrick called. He reached for the remote and switched on the television. He knew there was nothing on,