A couple of weeks after my fateful encounter with Adelaide in the laundry room on Thanksgiving, I finally got that long-awaited invitation. I was to come over for a movie night, and we were watching X, some slasher film about people in Texas making an adult film.
Upon arrival, I am greeted by a scantily-clad Adelaide in nothing but a scarlet Modal and Lace Mini Slip from Victoria's Secret. She guided me into her living room, where I sat with Sara and Laurel.
Adelaide does her best Vanna White impression to show off the luxurious home studio display, "I already put Henri to bed, so it's just you, me, and the TV."
"You have the complete setup."
"Sure do. Now, why don't ya get nice and comfy while I get the popcorn."
I perched myself on the luxurious couch, awaiting the arrival of Adelaide, who had disappeared into the kitchen for a brief moment. As I sat there, the tantalizing aroma of freshly popped popcorn began to fill the air, tickling my nostrils with its salty, buttery scent.
Before long, Adelaide returned with a large bowl of the delectable snack, filled to the brim with its golden, crispy goodness. With a smile, she hit the play button on the remote and snuggled beside me on the couch, placing the bowl of popcorn neatly between us.
As the movie unfolded before us, we lost ourselves in the moment, the salty crunch of the popcorn filling our mouths with each passing moment. And in that simple, perfect moment, with the warm glow of the television casting its light upon us, I knew that there was nowhere else in the world that I would rather be than right there, with Adelaide, enjoying the simple pleasures of life.
"Well, ain't she just a sight for sore eyes! That there, Brittney Snow is just sex on legs, I tell you what. Lord have mercy, that gal is plumb gorgeous. I reckon I could stare at her all day and never get tired of it."
"You like girls, then?"
"I guess ya could say I'm bi-curious in that sense. Never been with a lady, and I have no plans to change that, but I can appreciate a fine-lookin' woman just like any man can. Game recognizes game, darlin'."
"She does look great in this film. I can agree with that."
"Now, sugar, let me ask you a question?" Adelaide's tone gets increasingly playful.
"I can sense this is going somewhere, but yes," I sigh.
"You ever thought about makin' a film like the one they doin' in this movie?"
"You mean a sex tape? No, never."
"That's too bad. I was hopin' you might be a bit keener. What can I do to convince ya?"
"I do not know. What are you offering?"
Adelaide pauses and taps her finger against her chin to fein deep thought, "Well now, why don't you go ahead and tell me which mattress actresses you fancy watchin', and we can take it from there?"
"I would like to take a moment to plead the fifth here," I laugh on the outside, but I am not joking on the inside.
"Don't play the prude with me now. I thought we were gettin' somewhere, really breakin' down those walls and being vulnerable with each other. Lord knows we've been through enough together," Adelaide purrs, her hands sliding up my thigh and resting just over my crotch.
I can feel the weight of her gaze on me, the intensity of her desire making me squirm. There's no escaping this conversation now, and I know it. Even though talking about my attraction to other women with the person I'm sleeping with is far from my comfort zone, it's clear that choice has been taken away from me.
At that moment, I realize that Adelaide holds all the cards. She's the one in control, the one making the rules. And I can't help but wonder what else she has in store for me.
"If I tell you, can I ask you a question?"
"I reckon that sounds like a mighty fair trade to me."
"Well, there are a few I prefer," I pause to muster up the courage to keep going. "I like Aidra Fox, Avery Cristy, Lana Smalls, Naomi Blue, and Kenzie Madison. Do you want me to keep going?"
"You got a thang fer fit brunettes, don't ya? Lucky fer ya, looks like I fit the bill just fine."
"That was never in doubt."
"I must admit, I do bare a certain resemblance to that Aidra Fox gal. As for that Avery Cristy, well, she's just downright gorgeous, ain't she? And let me tell ya, I wouldn't mind havin' an ass like that Kenzie Madison, no ma'am. So, I can see why you'd be drawn to them, ladies. You've got a keen eye fer beauty, that's fer sure."
"Yeah, I do," that whole conversation threw me for a loop. "I think it is time for my question now."
"Well now, ain't you a feisty one, sugah? But I reckon I might just be persuaded to let ya continue on one small condition. And that is, you gotta let me film us gettin' hot and heavy right after the movie. How's that sound, darlin'?"
"I am still uncomfortable with that, but sure, I guess."
"What if I offer ya anal if ya do it on camera with me?"
My eyes widened at that offer, "I think I can overcome any lingering doubt."
"Glad to hear it. Now, what question did ya wanna ask?"
I knew this next part would be tense, but as she said earlier, we needed to be vulnerable with each other, "who is Henri?"
"Ya mean my son, my pride and joy?"
"No, the man he is named after."
"That gentleman is a dear friend of mine from back in the day when I was livin' in Marseille. We met at university, back when my French was still a little rough around the edges, and he spoke English so well that we got to talkin' and formed a bond that lasted a lifetime."
Adelaide took a deep breath before continuing, "I was goin' through a tough time then, feelin' alone and isolated in a strange land without no family or friends. But he took me under his wing, introducing me to the wonders of Humanism that I hold dear. And for the first time, I felt like a man wanted me for who I was, not just 'cause of my looks or kin."
I could see a lone tear run down her cheek as she began again, "that's the kind of relationship I aim to have with my son, ya know? One that's pure and innocent, one where we love each other fer who we are, without all the complications that life throws our way. Ultimately, it's just two people, bonded by love and the simple joy of being together."
"Thank you for sharing that," I was starting to uncover what made Adelaide who she was. Perhaps I was only scratching the surface, but Adelaide, despite her bigger-than-life persona, was a deeply lonely person. She was in a marriage where her husband cared about work more than her, her family was states away, and her only friend was me, someone who was drawn to her primarily for what she looked like. It was a shallow existence for someone with depth.
While I could not help but feel attracted to the body next to me, I could learn to cherish the soul inhabiting it. However, that would require me to become more than what I was, to transcend my fear, and to be a different person. I was not sure if I was capable of all that change, but I did know I would regret not finding out. So, in that moment, as we watched the flick unfold on the illuminated screen before us, I resolved to be Adelaide's friend.
"And in case ya were wunderin', Henri died because of the virus. Right at the start of the pandemic. It seemed all those pastries and fine dinin' caught up with him."
"That is terrible. It was right around the time when you got pregnant, right?"
"Not quite. I'd been carryin' lil Henri inside me for a while before anyone else knew. And wouldn't ya know it, Henri was the first person I told. He and I kept in touch over the years, ya see. I ain't one to make friends too easily, but our bond was somethin' special, lifelong even. I've known him longer than Jed, and longer than my best friend Lucia, come to think of it."
I could appreciate a strong connection, but it left me wondering, "why not marry Henri instead of Jed, then?"
"Besides the fact that Henri was of a different persuasion, our relationship wasn't like that. We could go for months, sometimes even a whole year, without so much as a word, but when somethin' major happened, we knew we could reach out to each other. It was a sorta unconditional bond, based on pure understandin' if not exactly love."
There was silence for the rest of the film. As we watched gruesome murder after gruesome murder transpires, it was clear, to me at least, that there was a numbing feeling, like we had been injected with emotional anesthesia. But, as the credits rolled, Adelaide put her head on my shoulder.
"Thanks fer watchin' with me, sugah."
I patted my hand on her thigh, "thanks for inviting me."
Adelaide seemingly snapped out of the malaise we both succumbed to during our conversation and jumped to her feet. She grabbed me by the hand and dragged me upstairs to her bedroom. Lo and behold, the sex tape had been a plan since before I even got there because there was already a camera on a tripod in front of Adelaide's king-sized bed. The woman even had LED Panels on either side of the room to illuminate it that much more.
This woman was calculating, and while I was glad she was using her power for my benefit, it was scary to know just how much she had me under her thumb. Perhaps I should point the finger at myself more than anyone, but the blame game was the furthest thing from my mind as she threw herself on the bed, bouncing on impact.
Adelaide crawled over to the nightstand, still on the bed, and grabbed a bottle of lube. She started to rub it between her ass cheeks as I took my cue and removed my clothing. This arrangement was still on. Once my clothes were in a puddle on the floor, Adelaide tossed me the lube. It was my turn to use it on my member.
"Hit the record button, sweetheart."
With the hand that did not have liquid all over it, I hit the button, and the red dot lit up on the monitor. Adelaide positioned her lovely face directly in front of the camera and her backside toward the wall. She got up on all fours so I could climb in behind her.