Enemies Even Closer

Enemies Even Closer

Enemies 

EvEn

Closer 2007-2021

Authored By: Ms. S. Brown - The Empress

Chapter 1. Stop, Look, & Listen   

Ms. Malaya Montgomery leaves her office breathing a sigh of relief as she finally begins to  release the weight of the world from her shoulders.  Lately she has been unusually stressed with meetings, presentations, deadlines, and her clients never ending requests.  She realizes she has overloaded herself with work to avoid facing the realities of her almost non existent by her choice personal life.  She exits the office not once looking back.  After locking up she pops open her trunk to depart ways with the profiles, contracts, and stresses of work at least for the weekend.  With her energy at an all time low she collapses into the drivers seat knowing she must recharge.  Preparing for her journey home she adjusts the temperature, buckles up, and drops her head back on the headrest and starts to drift off.  Envisioning herself doing nothing more than getting home to her ritualistic evening bubble bath, soul soothing music, and her two glasses of red wine.  She readjusts as she buckles up to avoid an impromptu nap and hits the gas.  She soon approaches the on ramp to the highway and sees that it's going to be another lengthy wait and adjusts accordingly to Virginia's frustrating and chaotic 5 o’clock  rush hour, drivers and traffic.  However the sultry voice of Summer Walker oozing from the speakers grabs her attention as the perfect distraction.  Just as Malaya begins to sing along, daydream about her past devious deeds, and envision glimpses of the moments her cell phone rings.  Frustrated by the disruption a bit she glances at the dashboard display and sees that it was her “Ace” her best friend of over 20 years Ms. Paris Gardener ( a 40 year old mans s****l fantasy come true and she knew it, and used it well ).  Paris yells out HEY Giiiiiirl hey!  What clubs are we hitting tonight?  Before you say no I know you don't go out much, but you need to get out and do something girl.  Get out of the house and put the work down at least for the weekend.  I know people need healing but It's been months since we've hung out.  I don't get you.  You're successful, beautiful, and those guys are tired of looking at me all the time.  Come on out and accent me tonight for a change.  Malaya found it hard to believe that guys were tired of her extremely aggressive, overly flirtatious, curvy friend and her endless attention craving antics.  Paris practically lived in the clubs, and wore clothes Malaya would never care to pull off.  At least not without some alcoholic induced cause or some heavily persuasive peer pressure.  Malaya has a nice natural body as well, but was not the kind to tastelessly flaunt it.  Malaya definitely wanted to change her energy and figured why not.  This weekend Malaya decided to let loose cause even good girls let go at times, and this weekend would be one of those times.  Malaya was ready to have a ball, be a little bad, and loosen up for a change.  Thinking maybe it would help her forget how she keeps refusing invitations and her self imposed minor man issues.  After going back and fourth within her thoughts as Paris continued to entice her she cuts her off and blurts out okay okay Paris I'll go.  I'll come get you at 9pm sharp, and Ms. Diva don’t have me waiting.  Paris says wait What!!?  Did you just say yes!? YESSSS!!  That's what's up!  Please come out an accent me tonight.  I have been waiting for this night for years.  It's going to be just like old times.  Malaya says what are you talking about it hasn’t been years since we have hung out?  What are you talking about PG?  Paris chuckles and says I don’t mean the cigar bar, the spy museum, or the art gallery.  Paris uncontrollably laughing says girl don’t pay me no mind.  Malaya says whats wrong with that.  You always tag along and I always have an exquisite time you need to elevate.  Paris says you just make sure you don’t change your mind this will be a night to remember.  Malaya says I guess.  I have no idea what you’re talking about but Ill call you later.  As Malaya attempts to end the call Paris yells oh by the way I met these very wealthy and handsome guys today.  They invited us to a private club tonight do you want to do a double date?  Malaya pauses to think as Paris continues to rave about these strangers and then cuts Paris off declaring an absolute No!  Nope Nope Not again Paris!  Every time we go out on these blind dates its a disaster.  Malaya thinks back to their last blind date.  The men were prime examples of what looked like potential mates. They were always  immaculately dressed, successful, gorgeous, pieces of eye candy, but looks and money was not what Malaya's heart was yearning for.  She acquired her own money and success leaving her in search of a true and profound love and soul to soul bond.  She was waiting for someone to intertwine her heart, mind, body, soul, and essence with for as long as time allowed.  She quickly reassures herself, and again adamantly refuses Paris's request.  Malaya says I will see you later, and no double date Paris I mean it as she hangs up.  Malaya eventually moves in the slower than molasses traffic getting just close enough to her exit to embrace the visions of home and begins to feel an instant calmness.  She decides to make the best of her wait by turning back up her music and embracing the beautiful voice of Jhene Aiko’s song B.S.  While also redirecting her thoughts to what she might wear tonight.  The sensual energy of the Neo Soul vibe always had a way of putting her in a sultry and extremely confident mood.  Replaying her best friend’s word to accent her she knew that really meant wear something jaw dropping, most revealing, and extremely sexy.  Malaya had several sexy outfits that didn’t usually get much use.  Unwarranted attention wasn’t of any interest to Malaya.  However she is always prepared.  Of course every woman has those forbidden outfits tucked away nicely in the closet like ammunition for a gun available at an arm’s reach when needed.

Chapter 2. Momentary Peace

Twenty minutes later Malaya finally moves up enough to barely make her exit and finally heads home.  She approaches her neighborhood and bends the corner as she notices a Midnight blue Porsche Cayenne with the personalized plates (#1 Lover) of her ex-boyfriend Mr. Houston Baxter sitting in front of her house.  He's a 44 year old buyer/designer for a very successful clothing company he started at age 18 in his mothers basement.  Malaya is steaming mad and can't believe he is sitting in front of her home as if they had planned to meet.  Saying he has some nerve!  Houston disappears for months without as much as a call.  Then out of the clear blue sky he shows up as if nothing is wrong!  Malaya continues to vibe to her music not caring if he notices that his very presence made her cringe.  Malaya pulls into her garage, and closes the garage door behind her.  She then gathers her items and makes her way in through the garage without once acknowledging his presence.  He begins to beep his horn (her #1 pet peeve that he is well aware of),  and calls her name.  Malaya slams and locks the garage door behind her cursing him out under her breath.  As she makes her way through the kitchen to check her front door she hears his failed attempt to try his key in the door.  When he is unsuccessful in gaining entry he rings the doorbell over and over.  Yelling oh you changed the locks on me!  You are always doing something stupid.  Malaya had the locks changed months ago so she’s not the least bit worried.  She engages her security  system, gets her gun out and then begins to undress and ignore him completely.  Then suddenly she remembers her cell phone and reaches in her purse to turn it off.  Avoiding the fourth coming pointless calls and drama filled conversation.  Looking out the peep hole she sees him still standing there talking on his cell phone for at least another five minutes.  Not once getting off the phone he turns and walks back to his truck cursing her out the whole way.  Malaya turns her cell phone back on and instantly six new notifications pop up.  All consisting of several lame reasons as to why he's been out of touch for so long.  After ingesting five cold, hurtful, messages full of excuses she reverts back to their horrific past and deletes them.  However for some reason she decides to listens to his voice message.  In this call he is crying and has changed his tone completely saying how much he misses her and he now realizes he was wrong and truly loves, wants , and needs her.  Ending the call with please call him back!  Malaya's heart almost breaks as she listens to his repetitive boyish lies declaring how doomed he is without her.  Malaya sits in confusion and wonders how she ever fell for him knowing all that she knows now.  Now fully recognizing the narcissistic behavior and insecurities she was used to from Houston whenever he didn’t get his way.   Understanding how deeply his mother and other women/men enabling him had essentially ruined him.  He fully embodied his narcissism unapologetically resulting in his own detriment.  Even though she knows he is toxic and lying she is nearly pulled in by his numerous attempts to tug on her confused and slowly healing heart.  She sits on her couch fighting with herself to refrain from the ever so strong urge to call him back.  For some reason this time he sounded serious, and possibly ready to talk.  She felt she owed him at least that much.  She picks up the phone to call him and instantly Spirit speaks by flashing images of their tattered and torn relationship from the beginning to the end in her mind.  Visions of the abuse, and the out right disrespect drove her to hang up immediately.  She went from hurting to angry.  Sitting in her pity she gets lost in their past and her thoughts of Houston Baxter once being the man of her dreams.  Let’s start from the beginning they met in their early teens.  He was always a complete gentleman, and the cutest thing this side of the water at least in her eyes.  In college they crossed paths again and she was puzzled as to why this beautiful specimen of a man still did not have a steady girlfriend.  Do to her own personal fears, immaturity, and well hidden insecurities she never cared to ask?  Malaya internally feared the truthful answer.  She was pleased he was showing interest in her and wanted to do nothing to change that.  They dated for almost a year entrenched in puppy love bliss.  About a year and a half into their relationship Malaya shortly found out why her dream man was not so dreamy.  Throughout their entire relationship in college s*x never became an issue or even a topic of general conversation.  Malaya figured since he wasn’t pressuring her about s*x but was very romantic in all other ways it worked out great for her.  Houston was polite, considerate, and very popular with the ladies.  He was tall, sporting carefully manicured waves, chiseled muscles, always smelled delicious and was very well dressed.  He had big brown puppy dog eyes, beautiful caramel skin (that looked as if he were kissed by the afternoon sun).  He was always interested in how Malaya was feeling and what she had done that day good and bad.  To Malaya it was like all her dreams were answered before she had even formulated the thought.  Until that one gloomy afternoon in late July when Malaya decided to surprise her beautiful man with Brunch.  They had just finished talking on Face Time and he was saying how hungry he was but he was exhausted.  So Malaya decided to cooked him a beautiful meal while he rested.  She wanted to surprise him with a warm meal as he wakes up.  An hour and half later Malaya finished cooking, packaged up his food, cleaned up and then got on the road.  Malaya called when she arrived but there was no answer so she knocked on the door and it swung open.  Malaya walked in and saw beer bottles everywhere but didn’t see anyone.  She heard music and what sounded like voices upstairs so she went up the steps as she called out to Houston.  She opens the bedroom door and doesn’t see him but hears sounds coming from the bathroom.  Her heart is pounding, her stomach is in knots, and her hands are shaking uncontrollably as she reaches to opens the slightly ajar bathroom door.  She walks in on the reason he had not pushed the issue of s*x with her.  Her heart fell to her feet and tears forcefully poured down her face.  Houston his good friends Mitch and Aimee were all in the shower together.  People Malaya hung out with along with Houston many times.  Aimee’s boyfriend lived right down the street.  Malaya was in shock and wanted to know was Houston gay, is that what people called threesomes, and how long has this been going on?  She was lost, broken but still very much in love.  Never once expecting them to be anymore than what they said they were friends.  Malaya battled with going five houses down to tell Aimee’s boyfriend everything.  She eventually decided against it due to Houston’s violent temper and extreme reactions to any adversity.  Malaya just stood there stuck on the porch in shock, devastated, and brokenhearted.  She finally lost it as she charged back in the house to kill them all.  Out of nowhere in mid stride she heard the words We love you STOP twice and decided to back down.  Thinking maybe it was her fault because if she had s*x with him he wouldn't have cheated on her.  She just ran out of the house crying.  She never uttered a word to Houston or anyone else.  Instead of facing reality she decided to break her virginity for the man she loved, and couldn’t bare to lose.  The next time they were together she did just that and for almost six months it seemed to be going great.  Needless to say it did not work.  He was weak for any and all interested in him.  He never really understood his value as a highly sought after mate of many both men and women.  Houston was simply one of those fun time guys that had to have many mates at all times.  He thought it was okay as long as he didn't get caught.  Never once realizing or caring about the pain he was inflicting.  Malaya was fighting within herself because she still loved him so very much.  It became too much to bare she loved and hated him at the same time and it was beginning to drive her crazy.  She conjured up the strength to walk away.  However under no circumstances would he hear of laya dating anyone else or even befriending any other males without interference.  Houston was famous for exhibiting erratic examples of his controlling, selfish, and self absorbed narcissist ways.  He always knew what to say to regain entry into her heart again and again.  Malaya breaks exhausted of his endless chaos she goes back hoping the best is yet to come.  Unfortunately no more than two months in she began to grew tired of sleepless lonely nights, endless lies , and even caught him cheating again.  That was it for her she decided to finally walk away for good against her hearts wants to maintain some type of sanity.  With her God fearing Tribe of loved ones assistance and guidance she made it through yet another broken heart at the hands of the only man she ever loved.  She went on to date other men and experienced one bad relationship after another always comparing her mates to a man that had purposefully damaged and broken her.  She was searching for that rush only he had given her, and was still very capable of giving if she allowed.  Needless to say college was turbulent for Malaya in the mate department she dove head first into work and school.  Then by chance approximately twelve years they bumped into one another again as adults.  Malaya refused to open up.  Houston reassured her he was a changed man and wanted to offer her a high paying contract with his now multi million dollar company for her consultations services, merchandise, apparel, and books.  He also said he is willing to accept and respect her wishes to just be friends this time around.  They began to build a phenomenal and very lucrative working relationship together creating countless reasons to celebrate.  The friendship, business, and everything began to feel good and things were running so smoothly.  That lasted for about eight months.  Then Houston made the newness they were experiencing his moment to strike.  He assured Malaya that he had been nothing but a gentlemen and had not crossed any lines.  Saying do you ever think we could try again one day?  Malaya knew it would come eventually but immediately moments of their reality nudged her against it.  Malaya says I think things are going just fine.  Maybe we shouldn’t hang out so much.  I don’t want to confuse things at all.  I love you Houston you know that but I don’t think that’s a good idea.  Especially since we do so much business together now.  I never mix business and personal you know that.  Landen was hot under the collar but couldn’t show it for fear of losing her again.  He felt he did more than enough to prove himself.  He didn’t know what else to do.  He decided to became her side kick and started new projects that spilled over after office hours.  To monopolized all of her free time he suggested working after they got off at her place.  That went on for about three months.  He eventually just started staying over on the couch.  Forcefully she ignores the discomfort in her body and nagging inner voice saying no please walk away.  Instead she ignores and quiets her intuition and let bygones be bygones.  Thinking they were just children trying to find their way in the past.  Houston came in swinging with charm and grace and knocked her right off her feet yet again.  They decided together as adults now that they could handle a real relationship.  They set ground rules and Houston promised his old ways were just that old.  He repeatedly apologized for all the hurt he had caused her in the past and promised to never hurt her again.  Saying he could never do anything like that again because he now realizes how precious she is to him.  She says lets take things slowly why not you are showing me a side of you I’ve never experienced.  Let’s just let things evolve.  Houston’s says no you are all mine and grabs her out of her seat and kisses her all over her face.  After seven months of relationship bliss she was lost is his essence all over again.  Malaya leaped head and heart first into a full fledged relationship.  The beginning of their reunion was mutually beautiful, organic (at least from her perspective).  They spent endless time together, full of laughter, trips all over, mind blowing s*x, and planning their wedding.  However a year into their relationship she continued to have to block out his reoccurring bad habits and minute inconsistencies that had began to rear their ugly heads again.  Internally feeling he was always her dream man, and she wasn’t ready to let him go.  Especially if it might be her own insecurities.  Approximately a week later Malaya notices how the nice gestures and conversations seemed few and far in between and at times even forced.  She blamed it on their schedules.  They were running several business and finding less and less time for one another.  A month before their two year anniversary Malaya realized his sneaky ways were increasingly creeping their way back into their lives more and more and beginning to drive her crazy.  Regardless of her pain she simply continued to ignore his unsettling behavior and antics again, and again.  Hoping she could help him by giving him forgiveness, endless and unconditional love.  Knowing the heart wrenching pain she faced she still couldn’t let go of the hold he and his charm had on her and her heart.  She just didn't know how to break away.  To her it felt so good, so perfect and so right.  She knew if he ever woke up, and truly saw her he would see how amazing their uniquely designed love and powers could be.  For whatever reason she continually blocked out the bad and forced herself to focus on his good attributes.  He had a sinister yet extremely funny sense of humor, a contagious personality, and his looks and charming ways were addictive.  Even with her go against the grain tactics (ignoring the constant tugs in her gut) shortly there after she found out he was recently unfaithful again.  Holding the proof once again of his lies and deceit the pain drains her, and she’s forced to confront Houston.  Even though she was angry and hurt rightfully so she knew a peaceful approach would be best.  He was spinning out of control, and Malaya refused to allow this man or any other man to drag her down and stop her flow.  Usually when he is wrong about something he causes a scene to avoid dealing with the issue at hand.  So she tells him they need to talk.  He never realized the impact of being weak to outside envy, jealousy, and hate of real love and it’s results until it was too late.  She begs him to come clean so they could try to start fresh again.  Never once revealing the evidence clearly misplaced on the bookshelf right behind him from pictures, to texts messages, to emails.  All Malaya was after was the God's honest truth knowing that would be a huge improvement.  Showing he was actually capable of being that humble, honest and trust worthy adult he said he had become.  The truth from the horses’ mouth would have made all the difference in the world to her.  Knowing it sounded strange, and crazy, but for him, and him only she would happily consider it.  She wanted and needed to know he was capable of truly regretting and admitting his actions before ever thinking of moving one more step forward.  She was definitely not about to continue a one sided relationship under any circumstances.  He of course refused to admit his wrong doings and tried to call her crazy for even considering it.  As a result of his lies she doesn’t fight back she painfully ends their relationship internally and physically.  She packs up and moves her things back to her place when he goes to work and leaves a copy of all the evidence and the house keys on the table.  His response was to vanish without a fight, he gets lost in the shuffle of money, drugs, gambling, exposure, and plenty of women.  Thinking Malaya wouldn't be made aware of his behavior never realizing how their circle of acquaintances overlapped.  People could not wait to run back and tell everything.  Of course Paris loved to feed her each and every detail until Malaya refused to listen anymore.  Malaya knew she had her own ways of getting the truth and clarity divinely.  She knew in her heart she made the right decision no matter how much it hurt.  She simply wished him great things in life just not with her in any shape, form or fashion.  It was something about that man that made her want to see the good in him.  No matter how much he had in the past and continued to hurt and deceive her.  She finally received the downloads that proved to her they couldn't be together at all.  He was the one that could not stop philandering even after getting caught he boldly and aggressively continued.  His games and lies had worked so many times before.  He felt as long as he could caress her fragile womanhood with a few sweet nothings, intense s*x, and a tear from time to time he would continue to do as he damn well pleased.  Malaya stopped that dead in its tracks.  Refusing his countless calls, returning his keys and gifts, and changing her phone number and locks at her home.  A months later she starts doing some internal work starting with questioning herself and attempting to understand how she allowed her self worth to nearly die for a man.  She knew she had wounds that needed to be healed.  It was time to sit still check in with God and go within to restore her own heart, self-worth, and confidence.  By feeling the pain, learning the lesson, forgiving herself and Houston, strengthening her relationship with self, and most importantly God.  She pushed herself to improve her self-worth, self talk, confidence, and not date until she was healed.  Knowing If you don’t already love thy self you could never love another properly.  Then she practiced showing her deepest appreciation and gratitude to God for the strength to survive another major emotional crisis and by giving back to others and moved on one step at a time.

To Be Continued