Choices and Sacrifices Ch. 02

Keegan pulled into his spot at the park. It wasn't as hot as it was yesterday, and he was thankful. He closed his door and ventured down the steps that led to the concrete trails. As he walked a few more feet along, he could see Sabrina. She was sitting on a bench in the distance. Sabrina's natural kinks were braided on either side of her head. Some sort of product made it shine, and it brought out her reddish-brown highlights. She wore a pair of spandex capris that accented her shapely legs. Her top was slouchy and lazily resting off her shoulder. Her legs were cross and a sneaker was gently swaying in the air. Her cute, upturned nose was cast downward at her companion. Venice sat flush against Sabrina's calf. Keegan noted how her eyes nervously darted around, in search of anything to be afraid of. A biker whirled passed and she noticeably retreated from the nearby trail from which the startling contraption rode on.

Sabrina tried to calm her down with some cooing words and a more comforting rub atop her head. Keegan could see how Sabrina could fall so hard for the animal. Its innocence and complete ignorance to the world would make anyone want to protect it.

Sabrina's gaze rose when he approached them. Her mouth gapped the slightest bit when she took him in. He wore a Nike short sleeved shirt that led to defined forearms. The rips and cuts on his neck and collar were only taunting to what lied further below. His eyes were a beautifully lit grey and intently fixed on her. She had never been one to back away from a stare, but something about those eyes gave her no other option. His thin dreads were neat at the nape of his neck.

"Ready?" He asked quietly. Sabrina stood, the pink studded leash securely in her hand. Keegan's eyes ventured down toward Venice and he bent down to pet her. He slowly withdrew his hand right in her line of vision so she could see he was no threat.

Sabrina looked down on him and he made a kind act sexy as hell. His long fingers were extended for a tender touch against her dog's fur. But the muscles on this lean man held her attention. One had rested languidly on his knee. The white smile he broadcasted when Venice finally settled into his tender touch made her loins quiver.

"She's really sweet." Keegan said, looking up to catch Sabrina's eye for a fraction of the sentence. He then leveled up to his full height and the two began walking. Keegan made sure that Sabrina and Venice walked on the outside, out of a biker's way if they happened to want to surpass them. They decided to take the easiest trail to avoid the large hill they had to surmount the day before. After 5 minutes of silence, Keegan spoke.

"How do you feel?" The over-exerted sigh she preformed seemed to convey all her emotions.

"I feel sore." Keegan looked at her briefly with a smirk.

"That means you were doing it right." He replied, causing Sabrina to give him a hard eye roll.

"It also means I'll be doing it wrong for a long time—the rest of my life actually." Her comebacks always seemed to catch him off guard. They were so immediate and almost seemed instinctive. The only person he'd ever met in his lifetime to have this quality was her and his best friend Quincy. It never failed to put a smile on his lips.

"I'm tired of this trail." She said. Keegan gave her a weird look.

"What?" He asked incredulously. Did she want to go home already? His heart quickened as he thought of their small date being unpleasant. Had he done something?

"Let's walk the streets." She purposed, stopping dead in her tracks to face him head on. People angrily avoided their bodies by making a sharp turn around their small circle of three.

"I left my wallet in the car but I—" Keegan turned to overlook just how much they'd walked. He was estimating how much time it'd take him to sprint it and return with his wallet in hand.

"We don't need money to walk." She said with a smile. The sentence portrayed so much about her character. Optimism and carelessness being his weakness in anyone, she had suddenly become the most attractive thing he'd ever seen. Keegan's mind fought his body and the battle was close. But soon his body had won. Without even thinking about it, he'd lunged for her lips.

Sabrina's gasp was cut short as his hot mouth consumed hers. He gently fulfilled his desires and wrapped an arm about her waist. It took Sabrina a few seconds to respond. But when she did, Keegan could feel the difference. Her full flesh was moving enthusiastically against his and her hands even gripped the nape of his neck, beneath the curtain of locks. She embraced the warmth of his body and let herself physically express the attraction she had been keeping from him. Keegan's tongue entered her wet opening. He bumped against the light ridges of her braces and texture seemed to electrify him. His lips felt so good, she almost couldn't believe how brilliant of a kisser he was. The passion was just right, but he still transferred his lust without being sloppy. He wrapped his other arm against her upper half just as the leash in her grip scraped his neck.

Keegan's dreams were becoming an indescribable reality. He'd spent his entire night constantly thinking of her. The way her chest heaved after their run and the beads of sweat trailing down the valley of her breasts all kept him awake the night prior. Aside from her physical attributes, her personality left him wishing he was beside her, listening in on any amazingly told story she had to offer. Her joking, free-spirited demeanor was all a best friend could ask for. There would never be a dull moment when Sabrina's name was involved.

Venice, not pleased with the flesh to flesh action, began growling lowly in her throat. Keegan slowly departed her lips and gazed into her eyes, not even caring about the dog's warning. Sabrina melted under his gaze and couldn't believe how he made her feel. Her stomach was churning in the most delightful way.

"Let's go." He said with a smirk. Her eyes were glazed over from their kiss and she looked like walking wouldn't be easy. She seemed shaken up. As if to coax her on, Keegan put her dainty hand in his. Her long, healthy nails were pressed firmly against the outside of his palm.

In order to get out of the park area without leaving through the parking lot exit, you had to ascend a slightly steep hill. It was bordered with shrubs and trees to put up a blockade for invaders or trespassers. Keegan effortlessly strode to the top and didn't notice his arm was straining behind him. His shoulder would damn near about to pop out of his socket if he took one more step forward.

"I'm hurting, give me a second." Sabrina said with humored annoyance. She took the hill at a steady pace until they reached the top. Keegan didn't miss the wince as she did so.

They got to the top and it seemed like they entered a different world. A 3 lane road was right in front of them and they waited for their turn to cross. Cars zoomed by until a few got stopped by a red light. Still hand in hand, they strolled across the road at their own leisure.

This part of the city was a busy one. There were restaurants and boutiques on every other corner. Tall poles held yellow lit lights and people walked busily around them.

Sabrina glanced down on Venice just to check on her and she seemed fine. Keegan had once again made sure they were farthest away from the busy roads, and she seemed content with that. Sabrina stole a quick look at Keegan while they waited on the end of the sidewalk for the right-away. He attentively searched down the roads for an opportunity to walk across the one way street. His angular jaw was defined and masculine. A little stubble was growing in along it's curvature, but he still looked good. His dirty blonde hair added to his tanned skin and grey eyes.

She smiled to herself, falling in a deep pit of admiration for the man. He was so statuesque yet it was easy to tell he owned a heart of gold. He saw past all her visible flaws and somehow had come attached to who she was. Sabrina too was finding herself immersed with his being. The lean, half smile he'd do when she said something slightly humorous was intriguing. She wished he'd sport it more often but exclusively for her.

"You alright? Am I walking too fast?" Keegan asked when they'd finally crossed the road. Sabrina looked into his worried eyes and gave him a reassuring glance.

"No, I'm fine." She said firmly. He grimaced down on her, putting deep cut dimples along his cheeks that she hadn't realized were there. Sabrina gulped hard.

They passed a tattoo shop on their journey to nowhere and Sabrina took a stare inside while Keegan led the way with her hand. With her eyes not needed to see where she was going, she caught a glimpse of some of the beautiful designs the store had to offer. Once it was out of view, she looked Keegan over. He didn't seem to have any evident tattoos. But she wasn't sure.

"You have any tattoos?" She asked.

"No." His voice had a sighing quality. "I've always thought about getting a sleeve or something. But I want it to be extravagant." He finished. She looked him up and down; he'd look good with a sleeve. His muscled, lithe body adorned in some colorful art would definitely do him good. Especially with the neat dreads and artistic career path he was on.

"Extravagant costs money." She mumbled as if she was completing his sentence as to why he hadn't gotten them. She knew tattoos could be expensive, especially from great artists. She couldn't blame him for wanting it done right, or not at all.

"Exactly," He wasn't surprised she understood that.

After a few more minutes, Keegan broke their silence streak.

"What did you go to school for?" He remembered her talking about her college days in Rhode Island, but he couldn't quite peg what she might've gone for.

"Dental assisting." She replied. "I work there actually." Keegan caught her eyes and followed her gaze. A tall building peered over the others but was a little obscured by trees. It was just a few minutes away—15 while walking.

"I work a few blocks from there." Keegan announced. Sabrina nodded knowingly.

"I know. I used to go to that library a long time ago."

"You should come by and we can go to lunch." Sabrina tried her hardest to suppress the gleeful smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. But much to her disadvantage, it came full force. She stared straight ahead and attempted to remove the eagerness in her voice.

"That'd be nice." Keegan could feel her palms slicking under his.

"What are you writing about?" Sabrina changed the subject in effort to slow down her racing heart.

"I haven't had much more than a few pages down since I'd gotten here honestly." Keegan was beginning to get very behind in his schedule. If he kept up this pace, his book release would be set back more than two months. The library pay check could only support his end of the rent for so long. His plot was vague and no more than a few bland ideas. "But last night, I felt this strange urge to write about—" Keegan had cut himself off. He was losing himself in a daze as he realized the odds. After all these years of writing and outlining all of his thoughts for literary uses, he'd never once thought so much about the topic that had rushed him last night. After meeting Sabrina the day before, Keegan couldn't get the discomforting, mushy sentiments off his mind. The pulsating rhythm of his heart when his eyes aligned with hers, and how he always found himself paralyzed by her natural beauty; he felt like writing about it. He wanted to express his emotions through his fingers and he had. The first few pages of his story were centralized around a man meeting a woman.

"Myself." He concluded. If he were to really share his new topic, he'd be sure to scare her off.

"That's great. Every successful author should have an autobiography published at some point in their lives." She replied nonchalantly.

"My life isn't fascinating enough to pull that off." Keegan replied on a laugh.

"Tell me about it... on this bench because I'm tired." Sabrina dragged him toward a wooden bench perched on the sidewalk. Keegan sighed as he sat down. Venice panted lightly between her owner's legs. Sabrina rummaged in her cross over and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Did you bring something to drink?" She asked, looking him in his eyes. He shook his head minimally.

"I'm not thirsty."

"I brought two, you can have this one." Sabrina announced. She put the chilled water between their thighs and retreated back in her bag to find the other. She cracked it open and bent down to let a small stream flow from the bottle's opening. Venice lapped up the droplets of water for a few seconds and then diverted her attention elsewhere. Sabrina then brought the bottle up to her lips and took a modest sip from it. When she was finished, she replaced the cap and turned to Keegan. With her legs crossed and an arm attentively propping her head up using the back on the bench, her brown eyes were expectant.

"I'm ready." She announced with a tiny smile. Keegan slouched lower in his seat and spread his legs comfortably as he prepared to catch her up with his life.

"Well, I was born in Florida. It was okay up there, but I always wanted more. You know?" He asked, making sure she was keeping up so far.

"I get it." She verified.

"So I went to school—I was pretty laid back. I didn't really hang out with that many kids and kept to myself. But I loved to write." Sabrina could see his eyes glaze over when he brought up the subject. "I figured that out around 9th grade; I made hundreds of comics with elaborate plots and wrote 100 paged stories."

"But my dad," His voice darkened. Sabrina could tell his father was the reason for his bitter sweet mentality about his home. "He didn't want me to be a writer. He wasn't forceful but he was persuasive. He would make you feel like less if you didn't follow his orders. It was weird—I always felt guilty for not allowing him to control me." Keegan squinted his eyes as he psychoanalyzed his own childhood.

"What'd your mom have to say about it?"Sabrina was desperate to know if anyone was standing up for Keegan's interests during his younger years. But to her dismay, Keegan belted coldly.

"Not a thing. She stood behind him; always had." As if feeling like his words were too hard-hearted, he quickly followed up with "Although I think she wanted me to write. She wanted me to make my own choices and she knew it was the right thing for me."

"No girlfriend?" Sabrina asked with a slight grin pushing at her lips. Keegan however, turned his lips into an unconscious frown. His heart skipped a beat and seemed to be off-track for a second after. But he didn't miss the appropriate opportunity to respond without it being considered a hesitation.

"Nope." And that was how easy it was to lie. Keegan's decision about how he'd handle this situation was chosen just then, within a fraction of a second. He'd officially made his bed, but he hoped—prayed he'd never have to be anywhere near it, let alone lying in it. Keegan's could either finally find the courage to face those persuasive sobs of sadness, or continue this lie with a streak of others.

A small break of silence fell between them and Keegan pivoted to face her for the first time since they sat on the bench. The entire chat, she'd been looking at him but he was fixed forward. His deep brown eyes stared into hers and he drank up her beautiful face.

"Can I kiss you again?" He whispered almost inaudibly. Sabrina had a hard time hearing him but the fixation of his eyes on her parted flesh was all the translation she needed.

"I guess." She responded with faulty annoyance. Keegan smirked at her spunk and shook his head lightly as he leaned into his kryptonite.

*

Keegan and Sabrina were now back on their feet and heading toward the park again. The sun was setting and it was getting darker. They held one another's hand and quietly strolled down the sidewalk.

Sabrina could smell the sweet scent of melted butter and Old Bay seasoning wafting over everyone's head. As they approached a bright and loud restaurant, she could understand the aroma. An all-you-can-eat crab restaurant was at the corner of the street. She peered through the window, allowing Keegan to lead the way once again. She saw people sitting at large wooden tables and indulging in mountains of snow crab legs. A gigantic bowl of butter was permanently fastened onto the table. The happy customers had on a huge bib fit for capturing tiny pieces of meat. Sabrina didn't think anything could compare to her certain home up above, but this restaurant was close.

Keegan could see her gawking inside the seafood joint and tried not to blatantly laugh at her food infatuation. She looked as if she'd just seen the most fascinating thing in her life. He kept his hold on her hand, but maneuvered himself in her path instead of leading her body while her eyes wandered.

She managed to walk directly into his brick build and she curiously looked up.

"How about I pick you up in 3 hours, and bring you here." He proposed, nodding at the lit up place. Sabrina fought at the butterflies coursing through her stomach and somehow, she knew Keegan was doing the same.

*

"I can't believe you wore a t-shirt on our first date." Keegan joked. After going home and taking a hot shower, she managed to change into an outfit fit for getting messy. She wore flip flops instead of the sneakers he was used to seeing her in and her legs were dress in jean capris.

Keegan however, was wearing a solid brown sweater over dark jeans. His brown hair was fixed at the nape of his neck and his face looked particularly handsome. The lighting was catching the deep cuts in his cheekbones, despite Sabrina waved her hand as if to dismiss his complaint.

"That's what happens when you take me to a restaurant that doesn't require utensils." Keegan made a sour face at her.

"Please," He sighed. "You were practically drooling on the glass earlier; don't act like you didn't want to come." He scolded. Sabrina tried to give him a menacing look but her chortle was breaking through the tight line of her lips. After trying for a few more seconds, she finally exhaled and looked at him expectantly.

"You know it smelled good."

"I actually didn't notice; I think I was too focused on you." He said smoothly. Sabrina took in a shortened breath. She looked into his serious brown eyes and was surprised to see the calm expression there. He was leaning over the small table a little and gazing steadily at her beautiful face. As he expected, she looked away nervously. Keegan snorted at her sudden shyness.

As if to interrupt the awkward pause, the waitress brought over their crabs. The plate was at least a foot high and the mountain was steaming deliciously. Brown specs of seasoning topped the shell and Sabrina swallowed the abundant amount of saliva collecting in her mouth. The waitress poured their butter and placed a cracking utensil on the table.

"I'll be right back with your sides." She stated to them both.

"Okay, thanks." Sabrina called after her, not allowing her eyes to leave the food. Keegan too, was gawking at the massive clusters before him. Sabrina looked over the hill into his eyes and a devious, comical grin spread her full lips as she tilted her head down maliciously. Keegan leered at her silliness.

Sabrina said silent prayers for the food and made the first move. Their table was laced in a plastic cloth for easier clean up, so she laid her first cluster down. Ripping a leg off, she expertly cracked it open to reveal sweltering, pink flesh. She gave it an appreciative glance before devouring it whole and shutting her eyes afterwards.

Keegan decided to grab his next. Sabrina watched him curiously, smiling at him. He took off the claw and immediately, Sabrina stopped him.