The Viper and his Majesty by Tiana Laveen

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

The LIFE of the party

“Stop it, Dominic! Oh my God! See? You play too much!” Majesty giggled and swatted at the crazy man. Viper reached for her arm to yank her back to him in his backyard, but she evaded him and went to claim a lawn chair, a beer in hand and her belly full and hurting from laughter. Viper had moments of silliness, which were amplified when he was in his element, around friends and family. She took a swig of her beer and looked around. She rarely drank beer but had grabbed the first cold thing she’d seen to quench her thirst. Viper’s friends were making a ruckus inside and outside the house with their partying and drinking.

The space was filled with an abundance of guns on hips, yellow, gold, and black bandanas, bold black eyeliner on many of the women’s faces, and tapestries of tattoos on most of them, telling stories she was certain she’d never fully understand.

“Majesty! Did Viper tell you the time he got locked in a closet with the Bogeyman?” one of Viper’s drunk friends, King Javier, slurred.

“Shut up, Javier.” Viper chortled from across the lawn and tried to shoo the guy away with a wave of his fingers. “Don’t tell her about that shit!”

Majesty shook her head. “No, tell me!”

“All right. Check it. The Bogeyman was this old guy from our neighborhood who was always high. Loaded. Viper was about, I dunno, seventeen or so, and I was probably around thirteen. So, there was a party goin’ on, and the Bogeyman coasts through. He asked to speak to Viper alone, so they went into this big ass closet, right? Like a pantry. He told Viper to get him some weed ’cause his dealer wouldn’t give him anymore for some reason I don’t remember. So…” Javier came to stand right before her, a cigar in one hand and beer in the other. His light brown eyes lit up and he was animated, getting into the story. “They were in the closet of this house, right?”

“Yeah… yeah,” she said, anxiously waiting for the punchline as more people gathered around Javier.

“We’d go to this abandoned house for meetings and shit. Nothing strange with us all being there; we partied there all the time. The music was loud. We had a boom box.” He took a toke of his cigar and continued, “So, he gave Viper the money to get the weed, right, and of course extra to take care of it. But when Viper went to open the closet door after their little talk, the door was locked. Viper starts bangin’ on the door for help, but none of us can hear him. He’s in there goin’ crazy! See, he’s a little claustrophobic and doesn’t like being in tight spaces.” Hmmm… I didn’t know that. “So, he starts panicking ’cause he’s also in there with Bogeyman, of all people. The old guy was talking shit, going crazy, screaming about they needed to get the fuck out of there. At one point, Viper got tired of Bogeyman’s mouth, so he picked this fucker up, turned the guy sideways, and used the dude’s entire fuckin’ body like a police battering ram, the kind they use to fuckin’ kick doors in. He broke through the damn door using Bogeyman’s head!”

Everyone in the backyard erupted in laughter, including Majesty and Viper.

“Bogeyman had to get a few stitches, but he was okay. The fucked-up part is that he still wanted Viper to get him the weed, bloody head and all, and we all partied afterwards like didn’t shit happen. Even Bogeyman.”

Viper stuck out his tongue, showed him both middle fingers, then continued to talk to another guy standing beside him. Majesty was taking it all in. She’d never seen a party like this in her life.

Even though most of Viper’s LK brothers and sisters were speaking Spanish during the party, and she could only understand a little here and there, the women were friendly and welcoming, and spoke in English when addressing her. She did notice that when some of the men said something to her, they seemed a bit flirtatious, yet remained respectful. Majesty figured some of this may have been cultural. She’d never dated a Hispanic man before Viper, but she’d been around enough of them to know that many came across that way, even if they were only being friendly and meant nothing by it. Nevertheless, she more than once would catch Viper glaring if one of the Kings kept a conversation going with her that lasted more than a minute or two. It was always innocent banter, but his potential for jealousy was stark clear.

He never told her to keep away or chastised his Reyes for engaging in sociable conversation, but she couldn’t deny he was a control freak. One wrong look from Viper, and those guys wrapped that conversation up fast. She smiled inwardly at the notion. No one is to flirt with his girl…

It was getting late, but she had to admit, she’d been having a fun time with the boisterous crowd. Marie was the only one in attendance who seemed quieter and wasn’t partying quite as hard, but most notably, damn could that woman cook. Viper had been right. Majesty was a bit embarrassed at how much food she’d wolfed down, many dishes she couldn’t even pronounce the name of, but she just couldn’t help being such a glutton. It was too delicious to let it go to waste.

“…I know, right?!” One of Viper’s friends, King OP spoke in a booming voice, drawing attention. “Motherfucker was in there for being caught with a biscuit while he was on parole. His White ass got locked up with us, called Deuces a jalapeño. They were battlin’ it out. So that night, Deuces got him some shit from the Juice Man as a peace offering, pretending he didn’t want no beef, but the shit was spiked. White boy got fucked up! Officers saw him the next morning talking about he was Spiderman, drooling, and tryna climb up the walls and spin a web from his wrists! They took his ass out of there and he said, ‘Let go of me, villains. Do you know who I am, motherfucker?! I’m Spiderman! Don’t make me call Batman and the Hulk in here, too! We’ll take you all down!” These words were followed by an outburst of laughter from the crowd. The man had been entertaining the masses most of the day.

Jalapeño? Juiceman? Biscuit? What are they talking about?

She shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of her beer.

“Gotcha!”

She screamed when Viper snuck up from behind and put her in a bear squeeze, then kissed her cheek and lips. She longed for him. Every fiber of her being desired his touch. As if picking up on her excitement, he kissed her again, then whispered in her ear. “As soon as they leave, I’m going to fuck you… tear your beautiful ass to pieces…”

“Make sure that you do.” She winked at him and he winked back. “You know, your friend, King OP, seems to be quite the comedian. I wish I could understand what he was talking about though.” She’d noticed that every time the stocky Cuban LK told a story, the entire place would laugh their heads off.

“He’s hilarious. A clown. But don’t get it twisted. He’s sharp. Smart as hell.” Viper knelt beside her. “I don’t really think about it, you know, the words he uses. We just understand it. It’s prison slang.” She nodded in understanding. “Like, that last story was about a White guy who was in prison with us for drug possession and gun charges. He got in there tryna act big and bad, ya know, called our boy Deuces a racial slur when they’d gotten into it. A jalapeño is what the guy called him, so Deuces went and got some prison wine with drugs mixed in, gave it to the White boy, and the guy was hallucinating ’nd shit all night and morning long.”

“Ohhh! So, a biscuit is a gun? The Juice Man is the guy who makes the illegal wine in jail, I mean, prison?”

“Yeah, now you’ve got it. Should I make you like a little prison pamphlet or something so you can understand the lingo and follow along?” he teased. She rolled her eyes at the man. “I mean, I can. You’ve never been inside a prison, but a little bit of prison, via me, has been inside of you.”

She swatted at him and the fucker backed up just in time, laughing. Getting to his feet, he kissed the top of her head then disappeared inside the house.

The music blared all night long, song after song and she was certain she had a second-hand high from occasional whiffs of marijuana smoke. Troy was with his friends for a playdate, which also included him spending the night at his friend’s house. She glanced at her watch. He’d be at a restaurant at that moment, then head to a ball game. She had the entire day and night to herself.

“Majesty, do you want something else to drink, cariña?” one of the Latin Queens offered.

“No, I’ve got a beer, Tia. Thank you though.”

She was impressed by how nice everyone was to her. Every time she tried to go and do something herself, like serving her own plate, someone would jump in and help. The hospitality was over the top, but she wasn’t a fool. Viper had it like that. People would be damned if they’d pissed him off, and as one King stated, any friend of Viper’s was a friend of theirs, too. When Viper approached, people would move out of the way. They offered him things, wanted his opinions, and showed the utmost respect to him, all while having a good time. It was evident who was running shit and in charge.

A new song thumped from the speakers. Another Latin rap tune with a catchy beat and ample curse words in Spanish. The sliding patio door opened once more, and out came Viper’s three Pit Bulls. The three furry amigos. They raced right toward her, practically tackling her in excitement.

“Hey! No! Leave Majesty alone,” Viper yelled, then whistled, following the dogs into the backyard.

“They’re okay, Viper!” She smiled at them as they tried to lick her face. Placing her beer under the seat of the lawn chair, she began to shower them with affection. She loved them all, each one with its unique, special personality. Especially Sarge who was a big, overgrown baby and demanded nonstop belly and head rubs. Viper and three other men now stood close to the grill, some holding cigars or cigarettes while they all spoke in Spanish, sometimes in hushed tones. Suddenly, the vibe seemed to change. She could tell from Viper’s facial expression; he wasn’t happy with whatever was going down. Moments later, the small crowd dispersed, and Viper came on the hammock close to her. As he typed texts on his phone, his brows furrowed, and he looked mad as hell.

“Is everything okay?” she asked after a while.

“Wild is dead.”

Then just like that, he got off the hammock and stormed into the house, slamming the patio door behind him.

Majesty took a deep breath, rubbed Sarge’s head one last time, and went inside the packed house with a forced smile stamped on her face. She searched for Viper, but he was nowhere to be found.

Upstairs. I bet that’s where he went.

She made her way up the steps, then knocked on his bedroom door.

“Who is it?” Viper barked.

“Me.”

After a few seconds of silence, the door swung open. She walked in, and he locked it behind her. The man was pacing back and forth, looking down at his phone every now and again. Preoccupied. Angry. Hurt.

“If I remember this correctly, Wild was your friend, right? He’d gotten locked up recently. You told me he’d been a lookout, but the police had set him up. Same guy, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Viper.” She approached him and wrapped her arms around him. He was so stiff. Icy. Distant.

He avoided eye contact.

“Do you know how it happened?”

“It was planned. Our own killed our own. You can’t have a better friend than a Latin King. You can’t have a worse enemy than a Latin King… I asked Jag not to do this. I told him not to do this shit!” He closed his eyes, shook his head, and then, as if a light switch had been flicked, he opened his eyes, and all she saw was death in his face. Emotionlessness. Aloofness. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Shaking loose from her grip, he hurried into the bathroom, leaving her standing there, alone. Majesty fought the urge to bang on the bathroom door and make the man talk.

He just needs some time…

She got ready to leave the bedroom and head back downstairs, then paused. Something stopped her from walking away. Walking to the bathroom door, she placed her hand against it. She stood silent for a spell, then cleared her throat.

“Viper… you don’t need to respond. Just listen. I know how you feel. I’ve lost so many people I’ve cared about over the years, and it never gets easier. Some people, I haven’t lost physically, but emotionally. For example, my father. He’s here, but I don’t fuck with him like that. Back to the point, though. I know it hurts. Losing a friend… Honestly, that’s another reason why I moved away. I just didn’t tell anyone that. Too many bad memories.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “I know you don’t want to be upset in front of me, or anyone for that matter. It’s just not your style. But it’s okay to be sad about it, to even feel a sense of responsibility. You told me that you can’t leave your brothers. You told me, once a Latin King, always a Latin King, but you’ve grown over the years, and there are some things that just don’t entice or excite you anymore. Nevertheless, your heart is with them, and that’s all right. Viper, you can’t save everyone, but I applaud you for trying.”

The door slowly opened, and he stood there, staring down at her. He crossed his arms, pissed off at the world. She reached up and stroked the man’s cheek, feeling the rough stubble. His hazel eyes were hooded, as if he were fighting something. Trying to shut her out from seeing just how dark he could go. Something so disconcerting, he wouldn’t even show it to himself.

He sucked his teeth, then lowered his gaze to the floor.

“Baby, talk to me. It’s just me and you here, Dominic.” She tugged at his elbow, making one of his arms drop, then took his big hand into hers.

“Something else went down.”

“What?”

“Something happened. Something unrelated to Wild. There was a plan to get some money. Now, I’m waiting to see if my cousin, King Sting, is dead.”

Two horrible announcements all within one day. God, Viper…

“Oh shit. I’m sorry… Hopefully you’ll hear something soon. This is a lot to deal with.”

He shrugged. “I’m a gangbanger, baby. Doesn’t matter if I’m on active duty or not. This is our life. It’s what happens.”

“Why do you think your cousin might be dead, Viper? Maybe he just—”

“I found out that a plan they had backfired big time. They got ambushed. That’s all I can say. I don’t want you to know more about this than you already do. Come on. Let’s go back to the party.”

He maneuvered around her, then made his way out. They went down the steps together.

Viper put on an award-winning smile and began to chop it up with his friends. It was all a show, or perhaps it wasn’t. Maybe he was able to morph like that, shed the skin of pain and appear brand new because he’d had a lifetime of practice. Luis Fonsi’s, ‘Despacito,’ featuring Daddy Yankee, was playing as they both re-entered the living room, which was alive with dancing and chatter, the place now even more crowded than before. She spent the rest of the evening dancing her head off with Viper’s female friends. One of them, Aymee, had been especially nice to her, but authentically so.

Aymee had straight, shoulder length, dark brown hair, slanted green eyes with thick lashes, and skin the color of vanilla wafers. She was short, no more than five-one, sassy, and just as pretty as she wanted to be. Aymee’s nickname was Queen Tarot, and she had a tattoo of a spiderweb on the side of her face.

“Now you’ve got it, Majesty! Come on, girl! Work those hips!” she encouraged, showing her how to dance the Rumba.

The women in the room were beautiful, even with their overdone black eyeliner. They were all different heights, weight, and shapes. Full of life, feisty, and their stunning smiles lit up the room. One wouldn’t even guess by a mere glance that they were gang affiliated if it weren’t for their tattoos. This was one of those times when Majesty had to go inward and reevaluate her own stereotypes about people. It was hard not to. She used to even be annoyed, when she was younger, at illegals supposedly taking jobs from Americans, and didn’t understand until she got older that many Americans she knew didn’t want those damn jobs anyway. It was hard labor and didn’t pay enough, but to someone coming over to the country trying to escape true atrocities, those jobs were nothing short of a blessing.

But gangbanging was different. She was fully aware of what these people did behind closed doors when others were not looking. They did unspeakable things to make money, honor their LK colors, and take care of their families. Regardless, not every book matched its cover, and not everyone could be put in a box. Not agreeing with someone’s choices didn’t mean that they were a bad person, or predictable. In fact, some of these women were married or gainfully employed.

Some had attended college, and some had graduated. Some of them just focused on their families, or enjoyed their singlehood, but one thing was certain: they were still a tough bunch of ladies who didn’t give two shits about who didn’t approve of them. They were strapped just like the Kings, and she’d overheard enough conversations throughout the evening to prove they’d curse someone out just as badly as their male counterpart, too. Majesty didn’t feel in danger, threatened, or alienated, regardless. There was no racial tension, and in fact, they kept drawing her in, asking if she needed anything or if she wanted to play dominoes. A couple of the ladies even asked for her number so they could all go out together sometime. Despite being aware they were trying to walk the straight and narrow for Viper, she could sense that if they weren’t digging her, none of that would’ve happened. They’d be cordial, but not go out of their way to be so friendly.

She made her way into the kitchen where Marie was sitting at the island, checking her social media. A few Kings and Queens were in there, too, talking and enjoying themselves.

“Hello, Majesty. Are you hungry?” The woman greeted her with a big, beautiful smile. Her Latin dialect wrapped around the syllables like a shawl.

“Marie, if I eat one more thing from you, my stomach is going to explode. You know you are wrong for cookin’ all of this tasty food.” The woman’s face turned red, but she was undeniably pleased with the compliment. “I won’t be able to fit into my clothes after tonight and I have the nerve to contemplate packing up a to-go plate. Well, there’s no contemplating it: I am. Viper needs to ask you to move in so you can do this all the time.”

The woman burst out laughing and slapped the table.

“You liked it, huh? Good! I’m so glad I got a chance to finally meet you. Viper has told me so much about you.” Their eyes locked. Then, silence. “Sit down, sit down!” The older woman pointed at a chair across from her. Majesty grabbed a bottle of iced water and sat down. “You’re so pretty! Qué mujer tan bonita.”

“Thank you. So are you.”

Marie stroked her own arm, her dark eyes full of life, love, and pain.

“You’ve got a great man, Majesty.”

“I think so, too.”

“I’m serious.” The woman’s expression turned grave. “He’s rare. Hard worker. So, so smart. I knew when he told me he had a new novia, that he was in love. Viper isn’t exactly the type to talk about his love life.”

A newnovia. I know that word. It means ‘girlfriend’…

The woman clasped her hands and offered a careful smile. “He brought it up to me… discussed you with me.” The woman seemed to look through her, as if dissecting her. It was a bit unnerving, but there was something so motherly about Marie that it didn’t ruffle Majesty too badly.

“So, what was said exactly in these discussions?”

“Oh, the usual… What you looked like, how you two met. What you do for a living. That you had a son.” Majesty nodded in understanding. “Viper likes children. He said your son is bright.”

“He is very smart. And a smart ass, too!”

They both burst out laughing, then Marie drew serious again.

“Majesty, Viper loves you. Do you know that? He loves you very much.”

“Yeah, I know. I love him, too.”

“We’re protective of him. We’re family and he’s like another son to me. He’s been good to me. Generous. Helpful. He scares people, not always intentionally, but inside, he’s loving. He has a big heart. Only the people he trusts get to see that, though.”

“I agree with you completely.” Majesty broke the seal of her water and took a big gulp.

“¿Puedo ofrecerte un consejo?”

“I’m sorry, my Spanish is limited, Marie.”

“Oh, okay. I said, I’d like to give you some advice, if that’s okay?”

“Of course.”

“Accept him for who he is.” The woman’s eyes grew darker. “He’s a King. He will always be a King. It’s not a word or title; it’s what is in his heart. He was born this way. If you don’t accept him for the man that he is, you will hurt him deeply. When men like Viper get hurt in love, they move on as if nothing has happened, but inside, they are never the same. He trusts you. That’s a big deal. He trusts very few…” The woman’s gaze bore into her. “If you take my advice, you two will be just fine. He will give you the world on a platter. He’s come a long way. Now, he’s ready.” The woman sighed, stood and walked around the island to her. After patting Majesty’s hand, she walked out of the kitchen.

Majesty sat there for a while, mulling Marie’s words.

Later in the evening, the house began to clear out. People said their goodbyes, kissing and hugging, some holding to-go plates of delicious Cuban food. The Queens kissed and hugged her on the way out, and the Kings were ever so cordial. Polite gangsters… Wow. She chuckled on the inside.

Majesty, Viper, and a few others cleaned up the house, and then, at last, it was just the two of them.

Viper turned off the music, poured himself some tequila, then plopped down on the big living room couch. Turning on his remote-controlled fireplace, he rested his head on the sofa, looking every bit exhausted. Majesty sat beside him.

“I hate to tell you this, but we haven’t cleaned up the backyard yet.”

“Awww, fuck!”

She burst out laughing, then got back up and left out the patio door. It was so quiet and particularly light that evening with the moon and stars shining bright. She began to clear some of the backyard tables of empty cups, used napkins, and so forth. She wasn’t out there for more than a couple of minutes before Viper joined her, a trash bag in hand. They steadily got the job done, working as a team.

“Thank you for helping with this. You were my guest, though, like I told you. Go back inside and relax,” he said.

“No, I’ve been relaxing all night already. Your friends were waiting on me hand and foot.” She chuckled, then looked at her watch. It was three in the morning.

After a few more minutes, they had everything put away.

“All right. We did it!” she squealed. “Since I’m spending the night, I figure we can go inside and—”

“You ever fucked on a hammock?” He didn’t wait for an answer. Viper was suddenly undressing, tossing his clothing down on the grass.

“You bet not get naked out here! What if someone sees you?!”

He laughed lazily, then crawled onto the hammock, clutching his shirt. Draping it over his big, erect dick, he waved her over.

“Come here, sexy.”

She went over and tugged at his arm.

“Come on, get your ass off there. You must be drunk.”

“I’m not drunk.” He reached for her and caressed her face. “Ride me, baby. I want some of that good cha-cha.”

She abhorred how her pussy palpitated at his words.

“I’m not fucking you outside, Dominic.”

“Get on this dick and ride it.” He yanked her to him, making her scream so loud, he quickly covered her mouth to muffle the sound. The hammock swung wildly back and forth as he pulled her up, then steadied her against his chest. She kept squealing.

“I’m going to move my hand. If you scream again, someone might hear you and the police will be over here. If that’s not what you want, don’t do it.” They glared at one another. “Nod if you understand me.”

She nodded, then he slowly moved his big palm away from her face.

“You asshole.”

“Fine. I’m an asshole. Now, suck and fuck your man,” he said with mock-sternness.

He discarded the shirt and she gingerly scooted down his body, afraid she’d fall as the hammock rocked to and fro.

“Keep going… I’ve got you.”

She moved past his waist and came face to face with his big, juicy dick. Her heart pounded and her pussy swelled with excitement, nipples growing taut. The starlit sky twinkled above them, as if giving them its approval. He groaned when she enveloped his cock in her mouth. Sucking it with fervor, going as deep as she could go, she closed her eyes, loving the way the smooth, velvety skin felt against her tongue. Up and down she went, trying to take more and more of him in, but she went too far and ended up gagging, forced to pull back.

“Easy now… You can do it. Try again.”

Her eyes watering, she then returned to the task grabbing the base with both hands and massaging him as she delivered bottomless sucks with gusto.

“Shit, baby… Feels so fucking good. Damn, Majesty… Keep suckin’ it just like that!” He groaned.

Working her head up and down, the slurping noises from her mouth seemed to emit in stereo, along with her heartbeats. The risk of being seen or caught, as well as the way she risked falling off the hammock and the pleasure he expressed, excited her in ways she hadn’t imagined. Soon, her thighs grew sticky with moisture. He ran his fingers through her hair as he rocked his hips up and down, delivering more of himself inside her mouth.

“Mmmm! Baby… Come on!” He grabbed the base of his dick and pulled her off him. “Get on my dick.”

She removed her capris and panties, grabbed his dick, then slowly… gradually… carefully inched down. The girth spread her pussy open, and she took her time guiding herself down the monster cock. They moaned in unison when she took him all in, then started to move, her palms pressed against his chest. He wrapped his shirt around her ass and hips to shield her body from prying eyes, giving her a sense of protection, and held onto her waist as she jostled up and down his shaft. His lips parted and a look of longing danced in his eyes that took her breath away.

When he started to move with her, it was pure magic. Her clit swelled with exhilaration; an orgasm imminent as he bumped his pelvis against her clit.

“Shit, Dominic! You feel so good inside me!”

He rocked back and forth, his teeth sinking into his lower lip as he took full control. She suppressed a scream when he pushed himself upward in rapid speed, the slapping noise of his balls beating against her sensitive flesh driving her crazy. The hammock rocked wildly, but somehow, he managed to keep them on it. It was like fucking on a rollercoaster, a precarious seesaw, and the dull pain and pleasure that radiated between her legs from the pounding of his dick was too much to take. She came hard and he quickly pulled her flat against him, squelching her euphoric screams when her mouth collided with his hard chest. He kept fucking her, never stopping, long after her orgasm had come and gone.

“Get up, get up, get up. I’m about to nut.”

She quickly lifted her body and he snatched himself out of her. White streams of cum shot from his dick, and she could see he struggled to not let go with his usual loud moans of pleasure. He threw his head back, his eyes rolling, neck veins popping, Adam’s apple bobbing, and his complexion darkening. Harsh breaths exited his mouth, and he looked positively drained. He slowly sat up, kissed her lips, then cleaned the cum from her stomach with his shirt. Helping her off the hammock, she quickly redressed. He picked up his clothing from the grass and they walked back inside, hand in hand, with the bright moonlight and stars guiding the way.

They took a shower together in calm silence, the warm water streaming down their bodies so soothing. After they rinsed the soap away, he embraced her, holding her tight and resting his chin on the top of her head. They stayed that way for a long while.

Once they’d dried off and changed into comfortable clothing, they crawled into the huge bed together. She fell almost instantly asleep against his chest.

When she came to, she felt his weight on top of her. She groggily held on, wrapping her thighs around his waist as he entered her in shallow thrusts. He made love to her slow and easy, then she felt the locking of his muscles followed by a slight tremble, and the warmth of his cum flooding the condom. After a quick clean-up in the bathroom, he fell back to sleep on her breasts. She ran her fingers through his hair, stroking him until she heard him lightly snoring.

After a while, his cellphone began to glow and vibrate. He remained asleep, but she glanced over and saw a message:

Sting:Hey, Cousin. It’s me. I had to lie low today. The block is hot. Obviously, you see I’m alive if you’re reading this. I didn’t go. I backed out at the last minute because I thought about what you’d said to me. They went without me. Now all of them are dead, Viper. I’m fucked up about this. You saved my life.

Mr. Earl angrilytossed his binoculars on the porch floor.

I can’t see a damn thang!

He often had insomnia and would be up early in the wee hours of the morning. This time, at a little after 3:00 A.M., he heard the faint sound of moaning drifting from across the street. Some sounded deep and masculine, others feminine and high pitched. That’s when he realized someone was fuckin’, and it was coming from that big Cuban man’s house – Dominic.

The night before, he’d seen Majesty hightailing it over there wearing tight pink capris that hugged that nice ass of hers, along with a white tank top and sparkly sandals. He hadn’t seen her leave Dominic’s house though, and it had gotten to be past midnight. All the cars on the street had vanished, so unless those dogs of his were getting it on, and he highly doubted they’d sound that way, that only left two suspects…

Retrieving his binoculars once more, he tried spying again, but the damn things wouldn’t focus, and he couldn’t see over the fence no how. He’d have to walk up to the man’s home to get a full view, and he refused to do such a thing though for a split second, he found the idea tempting. After a few minutes more fumbling with the binoculars that did nothing but cause a blur, he gave up on the notion of catching a sneak peak of the action.

Still, he cracked a smile anyway.

NOW HOLD ON JUST A DAMN MINUTE! I know you sittin’ over there reading this, judging me, thinking I’m some dirty old man. AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

I AM! SO WHAT?!

I ain’t got no wife no more, no girlfriend either, and even if I did, I doubt my thang is working the way it used to. I can’t remember the last time I was hard. Probably when Reagan was in office… I’m just kidding. It wasn’t that long ago, but I haven’t used it in years, since right after my wife got sick, and I never cheated on that woman a day in my life. Just ’cause I’m old and the pecker don’t salute no more don’t mean that I don’t get titillated and excited every now and again. Mmm mmm mmm! The two of them are an item, that’s for sure, and I’d like to think I had something to do with it. They courtin’. Back there on that there swing, or whatever the hell those tree nets are called, boilin’ each other’s cabbage.

He burst out laughing, tickled so.

Ain’t love beautiful?

And then he clasped his hands together, completely satisfied with himself…