Bent not Broken

by Lisa De Jong

“Well, I’ll get to my desk. Mr. Di Angele will be here in about twenty minutes. I’ll bring him back once he arrives.”

  “That would be great, Stef, thanks.” She waved at me and then walked away.

  “So, babe,” he playfully said, slouching down so that we were at eye level, “you look beautiful as always. Mmmh, and those red lips.” He leaned in to kiss me, but I pulled back. “She’s the one you slept with.” His brows pulled in.

  “H-how did you know?”

  “I’m a girl, Marcus. We know.” I shook my head and began to walk away.

  “Wait, babe. Come here. You’re mad?” Hearing the desperation in his voice, I turned to face him. I had no right to be mad. The feeling I had was probably the same exact feeling he felt about Jeremy and me. But I’d just seen the hurt in Stephanie’s eyes: she was devastated. She loved him.

  “No, I just wish I was warned. I knew she still worked for you, but as your assistant? That’s, I don’t know, going to be hard for me to get used to.”

  “The same way it’s going to be hard for me to know that Jeremy sleeps in the same apartment as you every single night.” I sighed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t throw Jeremy in your face.”

  “No you’re right. How about we just leave our past sexual relationships in the past and just focus on us? We have to trust each other, right?”

  “Agreed,” he said while bringing that gorgeous dimple back to life. His large strong hands wrapped around my face as he lowered his head and pressed his soft lips against mine. After a few seconds, he leaned back from the kiss and smiled. “Oh, I almost forgot. Come over to my house next Sunday for dinner with my family.”

  That caught me off guard. It was so random. “What? Your family?”

  “Yeah, we all have dinner every Sunday. We usually take turns in each of our homes. Next week is my house. I’d like to introduce you to them.” He seemed ecstatic about the idea.

  “Oh, I don’t know, Marcus, what about your brother?” I would love to meet his family, but if they were anything like his brother, I’d rather not. He leaned in and ran his fingers through my hair, and the tension immediately evaporated.

  “I spoke to my brother this morning, and my family will love you. I promise.”

  “How did your brother take it?” I bit the corner of my lip, anticipating the rejection.

  “He’ll get over it.” His hands trailed down my lower back, and he pulled me closer to him.

  “Why doesn’t he like me?” It hurt to think that his brother thought so little of me.

  He shook his head. “It’s not you per se. He just thinks you’ll be a distraction.”

  “A distraction from what?”

  He shut his eyes and heavily sighed. “Mia, I can’t tell you that.” And that was the moment when I realized he was in something deeper than I thought. Marcus had just admitted to me that there was another part of his life he couldn’t tell me about. The question was whether I was willing to live that way. Then I thought of Jeremy and our talk this morning when he said that you could be with someone for ten years and not fully know them.

  I gave him an understanding smile. “Okay Marcus, but you’ll have to tell me one day. I’m not saying tomorrow, but one day, even if it’s a year from now, promise?” He nodded.

  ****

  The rest of the morning went well. We met with Mr. Di Angele, and he loved me. He was impressed with all the case law I found relevant to his case; he even went so far as to ask me to be present at his trial. Marcus, of course, said it was fine. I was thrilled.

  After the meeting, we went around the office, and he further introduced me to a few attorneys, the partners of the firm, and some of the paralegals, all who learned that we were dating. At first it was awkward, but after the third person, it started to sound nice being introduced as an item.

  I was a little disappointed that Marcus couldn’t have lunch with me. He already had plans, and Jeremy asked Stacy out for lunch, so I was left to fend for myself. I decided to grab something from the deli up the block and hide in my office.

  Halfway through my sandwich, I was getting ready to send a “thinking of you” text message to Marcus when I heard his office door open and close. Two sets of footsteps stomped across the floor. Then there were low voices. I couldn’t hear what was going on, so I dragged my chair closer to the wall to have a better listen.

  A man’s voice began speaking first. “So Marky, are you going to finish what you started with this job, or are you going to bail on me like you did Saturday?” The man’s strong Boston accent and similar raspy tone allowed me to place the voice as Uncle Louie.

  “When do you need me?” Marcus made sure his tone was lower. I’m guessing since he knew I heard his last conversation, he was trying to be safe. I thanked myself that I didn’t tell him I could hear everything.

  “Next Friday night, meet at the warehouse, usual time.”

  Marcus loudly sighed before answering. “Fine.”

  “What are you so beat up about, huh?” The loud sound of a chair squeaked which allowed me to believe that one of them took a seat.

  “Nothing. Is there anything else I can do for you, Lou?”

  “Nope, just make sure your ass is at the warehouse next week. If you’re a minute late, your ass will be deep down the Charles river, if yah know what I mean.”

  “Sure, sure, whatever you say, Lou.”

  “Sunday dinner this week?”

  “Nope, you know we don’t do those anymore.”

  “That’s just a damn shame. I still ask your brother every week just in case. I always look forward to your mom’s cooking, especially her famous lasagna.”

  “Yeah, me too. Anything else, Lou?” Marcus asked clearly irritated.

  “Why do I have the feeling that you want to get rid of me? And all through lunch you referred to me as Lou. What are we not family anymore, Marky?”

  “Sorry, I’ve been a little distracted.”

  “Forgiven for now, well I’ll let you get back to work. I know you’re a busy young man. See you next week, Marky.”

  “Yep, see you then L- uh, Uncle Lou.” The sound of the door closing was the last sound that emanated through the walls. I rushed back behind the desk and popped the earphones into my ears. Did he cancel the Sunday dinner, or was that just something he said to Lou to keep him from coming? I was getting the feeling that Uncle Lou wasn’t really family, but if he’s not related to him, then who is he?

  Marcus walked through the door, breaking my thoughts. He smiled at me, and I pulled the earphones out of my ears.

  “You didn’t go out to lunch with Jeremy?” He asked, making his way to me.

  “Nope, he had a lunch date with Stacy.” I frowned.

  “Aw babe, I’m sorry. If I could’ve gotten out of this lunch appointment, I would have, but I canceled on this guy last week.” He reached my desk and shook his head when he saw the half-eaten sandwich on top of its wrapper. “Look at you eating by yourself; I feel terrible now.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Seriously I’m fine. It was kind of relaxing sitting here, surfing the web, listening to music. It was okay. I promise.” He eyed me suspiciously then grabbed my hand. With one swift movement I was lifted from the chair, turned, and placed on his lap after he took my position on the seat.

  The entire exchange happened so quickly I couldn’t help but giggle. It was funny. He laughed at my gasping reaction. I love his laugh; it sounded so carefree and young. He was so adorable like this, so I hugged him. Smiling at me, he ran his fingers through my hair. He looked so happy. I had a feeling it had something to do with me.

  A few moments ago, he sounded annoyed and dismissive with Lou, but here he was smiling, and his eyes seemed to fill with peace and contentment. Searching his face, I tried to find a flaw, and I couldn’t find a single one. His olive skin, straight white teeth, perfect long nose, and his beautiful eyes, oh those eyes. They were dark brown, no special color of blue, green or hazel: large dark brown eyes filled with so many
secrets, pain, and suffering. Though at that moment all of that seemed to be hidden behind his pupils, and only happiness was gleaming through.

  “What are you thinking?” He asked, rubbing his hand along my arm.

  “I’m thinking that if we keep this up, we’ll never get any work done in here.”

  He laughed once. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get to work.”

  “Marcus?” I asked before stepping off his lap. He froze and looked up at me. “Will you sleep over again tonight?” I almost regretted asking when he hesitated.

  “I have something to do after work. I don’t know how late I’ll be. You’ll probably be asleep already.”

  I nodded. “Okay, no problem.”

  “Hey.” He lifted my chin to meet my gaze. “How about next Friday I sleep over, and then you spend the rest of the weekend at my place before the family dinner? How does that sound?”

  I held back my smile, so he couldn’t see how excited I was. “Okay, that sounds nice.” I really wanted to jump up and down with joy but managed to hold on to my composure.

  The rest of the afternoon we actually managed to get work done. We sneaked in a few kisses, touches, and flirting, but that was bound to happen. The more time I spent with Marcus, the more I liked him—really liked him.

  A week ago when we met at the nightclub, I thought he was an arrogant asshole. Now that I was actually getting to know him, he was the total opposite. He was sweet, funny, and caring. He talked a lot about his family. You could tell he cared for them deeply. At first I felt a pinch of envy: he has this huge family that looks out for him and would do anything for him. I have no one. Then I felt stupid for feeling that way; I was happy for him—happy that he had a family to love and care for.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I can’t believe Stacy and I have so much in common. Can you believe that?” Jeremy couldn’t shut up about Stacy the whole ride home. We were in my car, so I was driving. He went on and on about how funny she is, her taste in music, hobbies, video games, the whole nine yards. He seemed excited about her; it’d been awhile since he was overly excited about a girl, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “So someone is falling hard, huh?” I teased.

  “Uh, falling hard? No, I don’t fall hard. She’s pretty cool. I never met a hot chick that actually likes to play video games and loves sports! Do you know one?”

  “I don’t know any girls, Jeremy.”

  “Right, anyway, well she does. I just think it’s cool that’s all.” He shrugged. Rolling my eyes at him, I fixed my gaze back onto the road.

  “Anyway, well she invited me to her parents’ vacation home down the shore next weekend. I told her I was in.”

  “You’re going to meet her parents?” This was a major shock to me.

  “Hell no! Her parents are away for an anniversary trip to London or France, whatever. She has the place to herself. So you know what that means!” He clapped his hands together and began rubbing his palms. I knew exactly what he meant. He was going to get laid.

  “You’re a pig!”

  “Hey, you love this pig.” I saw his huge smile in my peripheral vision.

  “Yeah, yeah, you know I do.” I still think he’s a dirtbag regardless.

  Seeing a spot on the corner, I perfectly parallel parked my car. We exited the vehicle and made our way to the apartment. Jeremy, of course, was still talking about his weekend plans. I was sidetracked when I noticed a black SUV parked directly across from the apartment building. It sat underneath a tree. The shadow from the leaves did not allow me to pinpoint who was sitting in the driver’s seat, but there was definitely someone in there.

  An unmarked vehicle was not unusual in our neighborhood because we live near a park, but I remembered a similar SUV the night Marcus dropped me off after our trip. All the windows were tinted except for the windshield. Whoever was sitting up front was wearing a black shirt and sunglasses. The arms were muscular, so I knew it was a man, but I couldn’t make out the face.

  Getting a better look without allowing the driver to know I spotted them was going to be hard. It was probably nothing, but what if someone were spying on Marcus. Spying on Marcus? What the hell am I thinking? Who would spy on him? My imagination sometimes gets the best of me. Deciding to let it go, I entered the building with the mind-set that if I saw the vehicle again tomorrow, I would definitely keep a closer eye on it. It was Jeremy’s turn to cook, so I went into the shower to begin my nightly ritual.

  Twenty minutes into my shower Jeremy yelled out. “Mia! Can you get that? I’m taking a shit!” Seriously? What the hell! Why are guys so blunt about crap like that? He could have just simply said he’s in the bathroom? The doorbell rang again, so I quickly wrapped the towel around my chest.

  Running as quickly as possible without slipping on the hardwood surface, I lifted the heels of my feet to look through the peephole. It was Marcus. Excited, I rushed to unlock the door and swung it open.

  “You came!” I threw my arms around his neck. His fast reflexes grabbed the towel that was beginning to slip off.

  “Do you usually walk around the entire place in a tiny towel?” He seemed annoyed. I pulled my head back to look at him.

  “No, I was in the shower. Jeremy was using the bathroom, and he asked me to see who it was.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “He was using the bathroom while you were taking a shower?” The question was low but stern.

  “Marcus, we have two bathrooms. What’s your problem? I’m excited to see you, but you don’t seem so thrilled to see me.” The implication behind his questioning began to steam my blood vessels.

  His face relaxed. “I’m happy to see you, baby. Can I come in?” When I moved aside, he entered, and I locked the door behind him. Not saying a word, I lightly jogged on my tiptoes back into my bedroom. He followed me, and I could hear my bedroom door closing.

  “Who was it, Mia!” Jeremy shouted.

  “It’s Marcus!” I shouted back with an annoyed tone. I took it back immediately; it wasn’t Jeremy’s fault. Then I felt guilty for taking my anger out on him. When I turned around, Marcus had an apologetic smile. When I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, he lowered his head.

  “I’m sorry.” He whispered while remaining by the door.

  “Yeah, well, don’t do that again. I’m not fond of accusatory remarks, especially when I didn’t do anything to deserve it.” Clearly annoyed I stomped into my closet and threw on a long t-shirt. When I walked back out, he hadn’t moved.

  “Do you still want me to stay?” He slightly lifted his arm, and I looked down at his hand. He was holding a small duffle bag. Not noticing the bag before, I felt guilty for giving him attitude. He was making the time to be with me like he said he would.

  Walking over to him, I grabbed the bag and placed it on top of the dresser. Gliding my hands through the sleeves of his jacket, I slid it off, placing it on top of the bag. After locking my door, I reached up and placed my hands behind his neck. He looked down at me, searching my face to see if we were okay. It made me want to kiss all of his worries away. So I leaned up to kiss the wrinkle between his eyebrows. The moment my lips touched him, his skin smoothed and his shoulders relaxed.

  “Of course I want you to stay.” Gripping the collar of his button-down shirt, I began walking backwards, leading him towards my bed. We didn’t take our eyes off each other. My legs met the edge of the plush surface. As I lay on top of the bed, he stood at the edge staring down at me. I smiled at him playfully, throwing my arms behind my head. “Well? Give me a show.”

  Raising his eyebrows with amusement, he licked and bit the edge of his bottom lip. My eyes traced his hands as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt revealing a white t-shirt underneath. The light blue button down hit the ground. He looked at me. I raised an eyebrow. “That’s all you got?” He laughed once before he grabbed the back of the collar and pulled the t-shirt over his head, throwing it on the floor beside the button down. Not hesitating, he began to un-hook hi
s belt. He bent slightly to drop his pants, and his abs flexed when he stood back up.

  Now he was only in his boxer briefs, and my eyes traced every inch of his defined muscles until they met his eyes again. He began to lean over me, but I protested. “Ah uh, you’re missing one more piece of fabric.” I sang, pointing my toe at his boxers. He looked down at them and then back up at me.

  Shaking his head, he flashed me a full smile. He was not following directions; instead, his hands landed on my thighs under the seam of my shirt. The soft cotton fabric wrinkled as he traced his hands beside my hips and up the side of my belly. Throwing my arms up so he could take the shirt off, I laughed when his hand lightly touched the side of my ribs near my underarms. He sat back, his dimple deeper than I’ve ever seen, excited to discover this new reaction to his touch. “So someone’s ticklish, huh?” He teased.

  “No! Marcus, don’t even think about it.” He brought both of his hands over my arms with a wicked smile. I yelled, “No! Marcus, don’t!” He did anyway, digging his hands under my arms. I squirmed underneath him, pleading with him to stop while laughing as he continued to torture me. “Marcus, stop, please!” Tears were streaming down from my eyes. “Oh my God, I’m going to pee on myself. Please stop!” He threw himself beside me, bursting into laughter.

  Annoyed I jumped on top of him. “Oh yeah, you think that’s funny?” I brought my hands over his arms, and he snorted.

  “Babe, I’m not ticklish.”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Nowhere?”

  “Nope, sorry, but I’m so happy to know you are.”

  “Ha, I don’t believe you. Everyone is ticklish.”

  Plopping his hands behind his head, he flashed a crooked smile. “Give it your best shot.” Skeptical but curious, I wiggled my fingers under his arms: no squirming, no movement, nothing. He just had a smart-ass grin across his face, and his eyebrows rose indicating that he told me so.

  “Okay.” Tossing my hair to the right side of my shoulder, I leaned down towards him. “How ‘bout here?” Pressing my lips against his ear, I gently sucked on his earlobe and planted a small kiss.