Intimate Friends

By Fiifi Aidoo

Ty wasn't supposed to be the one. But was Eric the one for Brea? Tall, light-skinned, and handsome suited her just fine. This was what was meant to be. He wasn't supposed to be gone. Her heart wasn't supposed to pound or neither was her head supposed to spin in so many wild ways. They were supposed to spend the night together—the best and most romantic night of her life. One night turns into years of despair, confusion, and what could possibly have been. And throughout the silent years, there were others. The one who inspired me and secretly I couldn't get enough—of his smile, of his body, of the way he made me feel. Or the one who was gentle charming and melted my heart with every word, look, and touch. Eric had put a crater in my heart with his sudden disappearance. All I had were dreams that kept begging him to stay. The more I waited the more I felt everyone else's story echo into mine. Would feelings betray what was meant to be? Or as much as we all tried, our lives are still filled wiht chronicles of things that were never meant to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Philip Aidoo
• Release date: Jun 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201607715

Book preview

INTIMATE Friends

Que Sera Sera

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... Wind, Water, and Fire; ...

Chapter 1

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Seven years had passed since Brea landed her dream job. This week had brought so much excitement to her – the book release, the promotion, and her own counseling gig.  Her book had received worldwide appraisal. She had massive followings from West Africa, parts of Europe, Canada and north-east parts of the US. She was worn out from the party last night. Her book promoter and her mentors had done a great job of pushing her talents to the fore. Oftentimes, they had to give her an earful when she was reluctant to work or when she was so pessimistic about the  future that awaited her. Her mother, Clara often stood by her – encouraging her as often as she needed.

Brea took after her mother. As a little girl, she clung to her mother’s virtues. Having been trained with cultural ethics and standards from the hot African sun, Brea had developed into a fine young woman. At an early age, Clara thought it wise to move to the US for greener pastures, as times were getting hard and the rumors of war during the national elections made times uneasy. Finally, she had a breakthrough as she won a United States visa from a lottery application and settled in downtown Houston. There, a young Brea studied the art of life.

She grew into an enviable lady – men and boys loved to stare, girls liked to converse about her. She had a glow on her dark-coffee complexion as though it was covered in shea from Lebanon. Dark flowing hair grew to her shoulder. Her body had a mystery to it. With every step she took, it seemed the earth danced to it. It was wonderful. Her strides had a tune, or a rhythm, or a dance only the heavens knew about. Her curves were a delight. Her large breasts were the dream pillows for a teenage boy and the protruding rear end carved up a voluptuous figure. Simply put, she was sexy!

She didn’t like to stand out in public. She wasn’t one of the academically bright students, but she could always make her point in class. She had oratory skills. She was ambitious and thoughtful; never perturbed by sometimes being slightly above average. Before making it to Howard University for her psychology and counseling degree, not many of her high school teachers and mates were hopeful for her. She was discounted; but for some reason, she knew that the odds of success were in her favor. With a full-ride scholarship to Howard, she finally got to work under Dr. Gallinelli.

Rosario Gallinelli was a renowned Mexican Italian psychotherapist who was considered an expert in the fields of eastern and western medicine, cultures and philosophies. She had a way with words. Her skills in hypnotherapy, counseling and rehabilitation support had received wide acclaim in the medical field. She was always booked – thousands of customers, heavy travel hours every year. She had a failed marriage earlier in life, after two years of saying I-do, and many blamed it on her love for her career. Some speculated that her fastidious ego bruised any man that drew near. She hadn’t even looked at a man since. When it was time to have an apprentice, she interviewed a handful of women. Brea was the lucky one! Not because she had excellent grades; she was special!

Brea’s career blossomed really quickly. Under the shadows of Dr. Gallinelli, she learned well. She read for days and studied her mentor’s crafts. The two of them got really close – intimidatingly close. After a few years, they traveled a lot together for conferences and work. People often insinuated that they slept in the same hotel rooms on their journeys. It could have been true! Rosario was fond of Brea in a desirable way; whilst Brea adored her wits and skills. Rosario was also impressed with her apprentice’s progress, as well. Brea had specialized in counseling younger adults who suffered from depression, suicidal ideation, addiction...and those from broken homes. Experts in her field used to remark that Brea Abban could counsel a dead soul out of depression. It took her 4 years whilst working with Rosario to get her PhD. She wrote a book called The Secrets of Life’s Beauty right after.

This book fell into the hands of Mo Sinclair. Mo was from the Islands – Trinidadian! He swaggered in his movements. He was a man’s man. He stood six feet tall, broad shoulders and big round muscles. He had a smile that softened his masculine figure – always appearing friendly and having an inviting eye. The ladies loved it though. He could also pick out a mean outfit. He was always nicely dressed; even at the gym. He had a way with words. He worked for a New York fashion design company. Within a year after he was hired, the company’s sales skyrocketed. He resigned after three years and became a brand promotion consultant. His popularity grew in the north east and the south of the nation as a top consultant in marketing and advertising.

Mo and Brea met on a flight to Brussels. In the first class section, they exchanged pleasantries and talked about their occupations. Mo suddenly became interested in Dr. Abban’s book and asked to promote it for her free of charge. Mo openly admitted two reasons why he wanted to do that: he had a young teenage neighbor in New York who was battling alcohol addiction, and would often go to cuddle a crying, distraught girl to sleep almost every night...and would love Brea to work on her; and he wanted the opportunity to see Brea again.  Brea accepted!

Chapter 2

Sales rose! The night was spectacular. San Francisco always had a nice air about it. Brea had a good reason to move to such beautiful scenery. Her first self-made home! The building was huge! The view was great for meditation and relaxation. Oftentimes, she would sit at the porch and turn on her favorite Whitney Houston and Celine Dion collections while lying semi-nude on her antique chaise lounge. Inside the building was a grand hall. In recent times, the hall had been used to host hundreds of people from all over for formal dinner events which were job-related.  Mo thought it was a good idea to celebrate the huge success of this book. Initially, Brea wasn’t in favor. She wanted to keep a low-profile. But, she had helped many in recovery programs with her expertise and had been a role model to many youths who needed to see what success looks like. And Dr. Abban had embodied that image.

Mo had been given the honor to throw the party and make the plans for the night. He had planned the perfect party – good music, nice wine, exquisite décor, buffet of exotic culinary display...famous guests. This was supposed to last till midnight. Unbeknownst to Brea, Mo had also planned a moonlight getaway for just the two of them in a small lakeside location five miles down the hill from Brea’s house. Mo wanted to express his interest in Brea. He had been longing for this moment. He had been professional in his work with her – gentle, careful, inspirational and a faithful listener. He deserved a shot with her, and felt that it was time for him to shoot his shot.

Mo graduated from University of Pennsylvania. He had a rough life. He was orphaned during his teenage years; both parents dying from illnesses at different stages of his formative years. The pain disturbed his soul; but it fueled his ambitions. He wanted to become a doctor. He was smart and witty. The tall, lanky kid excelled at a lot of things – music, science and sports, especially. With the guidance of his uncle, he managed excellent grades to attract most of the Ivy League schools. UPenn was closer to home; and Mo also had a crush on a neighborhood girl in downtown Philadelphia. Although she was a year older and seemed interested in another boy, Mo was still optimistic that she could be his. This other boy was older, more athletic and muscular. When Mo chose to stay in Philadelphia, he would often try to convince her to go on a date with him. She finally gave in. The two of them had a great time on their first date during the Fall when he had just entered college. The date included a short dinner stop and a night at a dance club. Two months after that, she found out that she was pregnant. However, it was not Mo’s baby. She admitted that it was for the other guy. Mo was dumbfounded. She was the one who gave him his very first kiss...The way they danced at the club that night...The feelings!, he reminisced. On the inside he felt betrayed...hurt...and bitter.

Did feelings even matter anymore? During the Spring semester the following year, Mo spent a lot of time at the campus gymnasium. It eased his frustration and pains harbored over the years. By the second year, he had gained 40 pounds of muscle. The biology student started getting looks. He loved the attention. When he started taking liberal courses, he met finer ladies who could not be found in his science classes. That year, he did not only break his virginity and have a dozen more in his bed; he switched his field to the Wharton MBA program and majored in Marketing. He excelled! But, he had also become a ‘player’.

Mo had met two engineering students in his first year, who became his buddies – Walker and Ty, who studied mechanical engineering and chemical engineering respectively. The first time they got acquainted with one another was a Spring semester during their freshman year when they all took Physics and Calculus together. They formed a formidable team. They worked on projects together, studied together and spent a lot of time at a rented beach house together. They genuinely cherished the friendship, company and conversations they had. They shared stories about their social lives and personal lives and often clowned one another.

Walker was the funny one. He commanded presence in a room. His fair-skinned complexion coupled with his killer smile, and his oratorical skills produced a magnetic personality. He always had jokes to tell and could lighten up the most tense atmosphere in any event. Among the three, he was ‘the inspirer’. He knew how to cheer them up under any rough circumstances. He was slightly taller than Mo – slender and fit. He loved to dress in classy suits, designer glasses and a bow-tie when he was going out for a conference, a party or a boy’s night out. On campus, his choice of outfits was usually slim-fitted Levi jeans with polo tees. He knew how to approach ladies and engage in a conversation for hours. He flattered his ladies. They liked to listen to him; and he was a great listener too. He was careful not