“Like you said, it’s shameless,” I laughed. “Sometimes you have to sit back and allow people to embarrass themselves. She’ll get the message sooner or later.”
“You’re right!” she pointed, then high-fived me.
Every time Angel flirted with Darren; I watch closely to catch onto his mannerisms. I watched for signs that showed the same poker face he gave when dealing with me. However, he was too busy making sports bets with Michael to pay her any attention. The girl made it painfully obvious that she wanted him, and he didn’t catch the clue.
Back at the office, I started on a new project when a text from Darren came through.
Teddy Bear Eyes: I still think you should have let me pay for your lunch.
Jenn: Nope, can’t risk it.
Teddy Bear Eyes: I know. It was hard sitting across from you...
Jenn: We’ll have our time soon.
Jenn: Anyway, Angel has a crush on you. You may want to keep your distance.
Teddy Bear Eyes: Wow! All this time I thought she came around just to transfer to my department. I heard she isn’t measuring up with the web projects.
Jenn: She isn’t!
Teddy Bear Eyes: Lol. I don’t want her. You have occupied my mind, Ms. Steele.
Jenn: That’s good to know. Can’t wait for you to cook for me tomorrow.
“Hey, Jenn. Can I ask you something?” Angel interrupted my text session with the secret beau.
I turned and gave her a blasé expression. “Yes.”
“I’ve seen you and Darren going out to lunch a few times,” she inched closer, with a look of stupidity, “Are you two related?”
I chuckled, wrinkling my eyebrows. “No. Why do you ask?”
“Just asking,” she almost walked away, then curiosity got the best of her, “Old college friends?”
“We aren’t in the same age group, Angel,” I replied, moving my eyes back to the phone. “So, that would be impossible.”
“Oh,” Angel turned to walk away again, then turned back, “Just good friends, huh?”
“You could say that,” I scoffed, re-reading messages from Darren.
I looked up and saw her hovering even more. She opened her mouth but the words wouldn’t come out.
I softened my tone, so she wouldn’t think I was on the defense. “What’s with the questions, Angel?”
“I want to get to know him,” she replied, embarrassed by the words that bluntly came out.
“Get to know him!?” I harshly whispered, placing my phone down on the desk.
“Yea. You know?” she replied raising her eyebrows. “I’m interested in him.”
“Oh. I see what you mean,” I sighed, preparing my lips to break the news, “Angel, he’s married.”
“I’ve seen the ring. But he doesn’t bring his wife around like the other married men who work here. Maybe there’s trouble in paradise.” Angel said with hopeful eyes.
“You can’t be serious,” I laughed.
“I am!” Her demeanor changed from timid to shamelessly confident. “I don’t mind waiting until the divorce is final.”
“Girl, let it go. His wife doesn’t parade around the office because she has a career of her own. There’s nothing wrong with their marriage,” I lied.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. He talks about her all the time,” I lied again.
Yes, I was being a true hypocrite in deterring Angel. But “Mr. Teddy Bear Eyes” was mine. She needed to find her own married boyfriend.
“Damn! All the good ones are married,” she said, bummed about the news.
“Not all of them,” I antagonized. “Just gotta know where to look.”
“Where? It’s so hard dating in Atlanta,” she groaned. “Maybe we should hang out sometime.”
I thought for a split second. Was I single?
Semi-dating a married man wouldn’t count as being “off the market” in the real world. But, I was happy with Darren. What we had was real yet unconventional. I had forgotten all about my plan to date around.
“I don’t get out much. Too busy with school.” I said before getting back to work.
The next night, Darren made good on his promise and cooked for me. He was right about knowing his way around the kitchen. Another item to add to the list of reasons why I was so smitten.
I sat on the counter, watching him prepare the meal with such devotion.
“Looking good behind the stove babe,” I teased. “Didn’t think you had it in you.”
Darren turned to me and winked, throwing a dish towel over his shoulder. “I told you.”
I repositioned myself on the counter to look more fetching for him. “Who taught you how to cook?”
“My mom.” He opened the stove to check on the fish. “She said, any child of hers is going to know their way around the kitchen.”
“Mother-son bonding time. That’s sweet. You two had your best memories cooking?”
“Yea, we did. Every time I go to Memphis, we are cooking and catching up. Our best conversations happen around the stove.”
Darren smiled thinking about quality time with his mother. Unfortunately, that made me sad. I wished mine was still around to create more memories.
“Me and my mom would go shopping for our quality time together.” I bleakly added.
My mom would have been the only one I could have told about Darren. Mauve Steele knew first-hand about being a mistress. She was my dad’s for years until his first wife died. Let’s just say, Marie and I were in the wedding unknowingly listening to the gossip about their nuptials. My mother would have set me straight in a loving and understanding way, but she wouldn’t have judged nor abandoned me because of my choice. I missed that maternal unconditional love.
Darren saw my hurt and walked over to kiss me. “I’m really sorry, Jenn.”
“It’s okay. Time heals.” I let out a small laugh to combat the soft tears rolling down my cheek. “You’re never the same, but I’m at peace with her upgrading to be my guardian angel.”
He wiped away my tears, cheering me up with his dimples. “You think she would have liked me?”
I grabbed his face, giving a sincere look. Darren placed his hands over mine, anxiously waiting for the answer. I could tell he cared about what my mother would have thought of him.
“She would have ADORED you. However, you would have dealt with A LOT of grilling.”
His eyes lit up, then swiftly moved back to the stove. “I know your mom wouldn’t have approved of our friendship.”
“Probably not, because of her personal experience with dating a married man,” I leaned my head to the side. “But eventually I think she would understand.”
He nodded. “Dinner’s almost ready.”
The aroma of his meal changed the mood. We were ready for a romantic, home-cooked meal.
“I guess we can eat on the sofa, don’t have a dining room.” I shrugged before hopping off the countertop. “At home, you can enjoy dinner at a family table.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he reassured. “I’m happy having dinner on the sofa with you.”
Moving on to our usual spot, Darren held my hand and prayed with me over the food. I’d never prayed with a man before. I felt guilty. Praying for God to bless a romantic dinner with a married man. I’m sure HE rolled his eyes at that one. Sweet sentiment, but very strange.
“What are we doing in Puerto Rico?” I asked after finishing my second plate.
“There are a few places I want to show you.” Darren then flashed an innocent smile. “It’s a surprise though.”
“Will I like the surprise?”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see.” He sat back, rubbing his full stomach. “So, do you have your excuse ready for not coming in next Friday?”
“Yea. I’ll just tell her I have a stomach bug or something,” I replied, rubbing his stomach. “I don’t have enough PTO yet.”
Darren removed his hand, allowing me to take over. “Do you mind missin
g a day of work for me?”
I stared at him with a teasing attitude. “What do you think?”
“Just making sure.” His expression turned into concern. “I hope you don’t change your mind and cancel on me.”
“I want to go. I just wonder what you’re going to tell her.” I referred to his wife.
He breathed deeply with his eyes straight ahead, then responded. “I told her that I’m going to Puerto Rico.”
“Stop lying!” I bellowed. “No wife in her right mind would allow her husband to say ‘Hey, I’m going to Puerto Rico next weekend’, and be okay with it.”
“She asked why and with whom,” he replied, keeping his cool.
I grew upset with his demeanor and responses. I stopped rubbing his stomach and demanded more from him.
“And...”
“And...I told her that I’m going with an old college roommate. She had a few concerns, but didn’t make too much of a fuss.”
“Concerns about what?” I huffed.
“The usual parenting stuff. Getting our daughter to and from school. Nothing I couldn’t work out.”
Darren’s eyes remained forward, on the TV. I knew he wasn’t into the show. I felt like he was lying his way out, all because he couldn’t look at me. Well, I wasn’t having it. It was bad enough we had to sneak around. He wasn’t going to start lying to me at that point.
“That’s it. She didn’t question why the sudden need for a trip to Puerto Rico with a college friend?! Darren! Look at me!”
He slowly turned his head. Stone-faced, eyes bright as the day I saw him sitting in the Porsche offering me a ride. “Nope.”
“And that doesn’t concern you?”
“Why should it?”
I pushed my plate to the side and scooted closer to him. The smell of his cologne almost got me off track, but I had to warn him. I placed my hand on his cheek, rubbing his short beard with my thumb.
“When a woman is calm, she’s either cooking up something, already knows the truth, or ready for you to get out of the way so she can do her own thing,” I explained.
“Damn.” Darren sat up and rubbed his chin. “I didn’t think of it like that. At this point, I wouldn’t blame her. I wouldn’t like it if she had another man in my house, but what the hell can I say?”
His response should have bothered me. It gave me a reason to cancel. But frankly, I didn’t care. He had the right to be a little jealous if his wife were to creep around. Just as long as I got my time with him.
“If you don’t mind, I’ll have to skip coming over tomorrow night.” He looked down. “I need to spend time with my daughter.”
“That’s fine. I have assignments to finish before the weekend anyway.”
Darren must have thought I was going to be disappointed. I wanted him to see his daughter, especially since we were going away together. And, I needed the time alone to concentrate on school work before flying out.
“I’m looking forward to getting away with you, Jenn,” he said, finally smiling at me.
“Me too. Darren, I don’t know where this thing with us is headed but... I like it.”
“I like it too,” he replied, softly pinching my cheek.
That night, he left a little earlier than usual. I didn’t mind because I was going to have him all to myself.
Chapter 9: “I Deserve Him”
Heading to San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Darren blew me away with how he planned everything. The guilt of what Cheryl was going through casually faded, but a small piece remained. However, I needed that vacation with her husband. A beautiful place with the man I admired since the day I saw him. What could be better?
He showed up at my door, dressed casually in a black fitted t-shirt and jeans. He looked so sexy with a pair of designer shades covering those dark brown eyes. I wanted to see them, but the shades with the outfit turned me on so much. Mr. Teddy Bear Eyes was officially out of business/husband/father mode.
“Are you ready?” he asked in an excited mood, slightly jiggling keys.
The smell of him almost sent me into a fantasy. Then I realized, there was no longer a reason to dream of him. Darren was right there, in front of me. Ready to take me on a romantic trip including sweet surprises.
“Yes babe, I’m ready! Come in.”
Before getting my bags, he grabbed me, planting lips on mine. They blended effortlessly, moving in sync like a rehearsed dance. How could he belong to another woman when our kisses were a fusion of lust, passion, sensuality, and peace?
I lifted his shades to see the dark eyes. He squinted them slowly before kissing me again. I was a little nervous about our lips touching on the regular. They were becoming too natural. If it were easy for us to fall into kissing, it would only be a matter of time before our bodies did the same.
Riding the elevator, we kept it cool. The tension in the air spoke words like touch me, kiss me all over the tiny space.
“When was your last vacation?” I asked.
“Eh,” he stopped to think, looking for his phone, “Maybe a year ago. Took the family to the Bahamas.”
Darren’s search stopped when the door opened on a random floor. He moved himself and our bags closer to make room. As soon as the ride began again, there was another stop. It could have been karma or God telling us to cancel the whole thing.
“Family vacations are much different from a vacation with a friend,” I added.
“Very true. I need this time away...with you.” He looked over and smiled.
“I need it too,” I winked, then quickly looked away.
Darren arranged a car service to take us to the airport. Champagne, upscale snacks, and soft seats, kept us busy while making our way to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
I was his woman. Or at least, I felt like it. His phone didn’t ring. Cheryl didn’t call at all. Guess she bought the excuse he gave her. I wouldn’t have. Either he married a naïve woman or a woman who had a plane ticket ready to meet us there. A dangerous game we played by leaving together on an exotic trip, but neither one of us could resist.
The flight there was nothing short of amazing. We sat in first class and sipped cocktails. Darren gave me the window seat so I could see the beautiful ocean from a bird’s-eye view. The geeky laughter and cool stories from his younger years, made time go by quickly. As we landed, I was too ready to get off that plane to see what my “man” had in store.
“We’re going shopping first. The driver will take our things to the hotel for us.” Darren informed, collecting our things from the baggage claim. “Where do you want to go?”
“I don’t know,” I replied before planting a big kiss on his lips. “A place where I can find cute bikinis.”
“I won’t complain about that,” he said with a big grin. “Let’s go, baby!”
Baby...Darren called me Baby. That word lingered in my mind.
At the store, unapologetic PDA ensued looking through the intimate apparel and swimwear together. I thought he was going to take a seat in the corner while I browsed. Darren was different, he enjoyed watching me shop and telling me what he liked. Not in a controlling way. I wanted to look good for him, so I was glad that he gave his opinion.
Along with swimsuits, I picked a few lingerie pieces for the weekend. He called me baby one time and I was already looking for lingerie to wear for the man. Damn shame.
Darren took a break from his “fashion consulting” to look at sunglasses. I held up a burgundy lace teddy and imagined modeling for him. I’d never worn nor bought stuff like that before. There was never a need to, in my past relationships.
“Are you going to wear that for me?” he grabbed me from behind, kissing on my neck.
“I’ll be wearing this for ME,” I teased, turning my head to peck him on the cheek.
“Oh yes, the demands. Well you know that’ll be kind of hard being that we’re staying in the same room,” he laughed, releasing me from his grasp.
“Huh?” I whipped my body around to face him
.
I didn’t consider the temptation that would come with us sharing a room. After all that time Darren still hadn’t been in my bedroom, unless he was fixing something. I couldn’t imagine getting through an entire weekend laying next to him.
“What?” He let out a geeky chuckle. “You thought I would have us in two separate rooms?”
“I can abstain,” I tried to stay cool. “Can you?”
“I guess we’ll find out,” he sighed, checking the time. “You got everything you need?”
“Yep,” I replied, leading the way to the register.
I set the items on the counter and shuffled through my purse to find my wallet. He pulled out the black card and placed it into the cashier’s hand. I looked up in surprise as I wasn’t expecting him to pay for EVERYTHING on the trip.
“You don’t have to do that,” I whined.
“Shh. Yes, I do,” he replied, with his index finger up to my mouth.
We then headed to the next store where he could find a pair of swim shoes. The more we shopped, I started to feel sad for Cheryl. There I was, with her husband spending money that should’ve been for their family. I was being too selfish. But I deserved someone who wanted to spend time with me, and money on me.
After shopping, we settled into the hotel suite. The place was nothing like I’d ever seen. Spacious rooms, so many amenities, and topped off with an amazing view of the beautiful water.
To my surprise, there were two bedrooms. It bummed me a little because I was looking forward to cuddling with Darren at night. I was prepared to resist the temptation of breaking the big rule.
“You said we were sharing a room,” I softly hit him on the shoulder.
“Oh, did I say that? Hmmm,” Darren laughed. “I have a surprise for you later. So get ready.”
“What am I getting ready for Mr. McCray?”
“A surprise,” he said in a smart-ass tone. “Isn’t that what I just told you?”
I tossed my shopping bags on the lounge chair. “Look here Darren, I need to know what to wear.”
He went into my bag and held up my new swimsuit. “Bring this, aaaaaannnd that’s about it.”
“Alright, sir. I’m going to hop into the shower, I smell like an airplane.”
The Perfect Sin Page 13