Loving Sweetness (Sweet #2)

by Jude Ouvrard

  He unlocked his door and pushed it open, expecting me to get in without any additional words. Talking seemed impossible when I only wanted to yell at him, or hurt him like he hurt me.

  “What were your plans for tonight, asshole?”

  He pushed me against the wall, my collarbone flat against it, he leaned inches away from my face. “This isn’t what you think, Iris. I would never ever do this to you.”

  “Why did it look like it then? Huh?” A sob escaped from my mouth. “Explain, because right now, it looks like you had a date with some model-like girls.”

  He shook his head in disagreement. “No, Iris.”

  “Funny thing is, Candice predicted it. She said you would probably find someone else, because I wasn’t giving you what you wanted.”

  “What do you mean? You give me what I want and much more.”

  “How did she know about me not wanting to have sex in my office? She loved throwing it in my face, making sure I ran after you in pure jealousy, or just because I’m scared of losing you. And here I come; one minute we need to talk… and the next minute, you’re walking with a girl by your side. How can you explain yourself, Calvin?”

  “Wow, hold on one second. I swear this is not what you think.”

  I tried listening to him. I waited for his words to come, but as I stood there watching him, he said nothing.

  “What is it then? Say something.” I pushed him away with both of my hands on his chest. “I hate you. You have no idea how much I hate you.”

  “Iris, I swear with everything that I am or own, I didn’t cheat on you or intend to cheat on you. I asked you to come to the fundraiser because I wanted you there. I want to show you this part of my life, make you a part of my damn world. When I got here, Marcus had already arrived. We used to play ball together and normally, in the past, we would call some of the cheerleaders to join us. Kids love meeting them as well. Candice arranged everything. I’m not trying to put her at fault here but it’s like a puzzle, Iris. I think she played us.”

  It made sense. Yes, it did. But I was still hurt. I couldn’t believe the mess we were in. “And yet, you’re still trying to defend her.”

  “Iris, please,” he said, closing in on me, but I kept my distance. “My life with you in the past couple of months has been better than I ever thought it would be. Everything was perfect. You, the gym, the Lounge and the agency were running perfectly. I’ve been working with Candice, we’ve been a rock solid team where everything seemed too good to be true. So good that I wanted you to join us and make everything better, as if it could possibly be, it all fell apart. I’m at lost.”

  I chuckled in between tears. I had no feelings for her. Her mind game had worked. “I see. I’m sorry I messed everything. I’ll see you back in New York, Calvin. It’s too fucked up for me now. I made you a priority in my life, I’ve been nothing but nice with you. You’re the man I saw in my dreams, but I thought you would be on my side, and you aren’t.”

  “Iris, don’t go.”

  “I’m not staying here. Clear you head. Think hard, because you’re about to lose me.” I turned around and left him behind. I heard some noises coming from his room. Calvin was angry, as he needed to be. I tried cleaning up the tears from my face while I ran down to the elevator. Marcus and the girls were sitting in the lounge, waiting for Calvin. Ignoring them, or at least hoping they wouldn’t see me, was all I had at that moment. I almost ran out of the hotel and hurried to the next taxi available. I had no idea where to go, but I didn’t see myself waiting here. I had no luggage, absolutely nothing. Maybe visiting my parents would be good for me, and I could pretend the airline lost my luggage. No that was a lame idea. I had to head back to New York and ask Krys if she minded having a temporary roommate.

  “Where can I drive you, miss?”

  “The airport, please.” I said for the second time today. Dallas seemed like a nice city. I wished I could have stayed longer, but distance was the key. Calvin had to figure out things and I believed we had to be apart for the moment.

  While sitting in the plane, I tried to think of different scenarios.

  What if he leaves me? I would have to find a place to live. Would I move back to my family? Probably. What if he finally realizes everything? Will it be too late for me to forgive him? I didn’t know because my feelings were terribly crushed, but my love for him knew no limit. Call me stupid, but he had given me a whole new meaning to life and I enjoyed life waking up next to him. There was something about him that I couldn’t live without, or so I thought.

  After landing in LaGuardia, I called Krys to ask if I could sleep over for a couple of days.

  “What’s happening, girl? Where have you been?” She questioned me.

  “It’s a long story and I’ll tell you all about it, if you don’t mind me staying with you for a few days.”

  “Oh no! Things are really that bad?”

  My bottom lip started trembling. I really wanted to cry. I had a feeling it would make me feel better, but not now.

  “I’m at work, I’m taking my laptop and notes so I can work without actually being here. Once I do that I’ll grab some clothes and I’ll be on my way.” I paused. “If you don’t mind.”

  “I really don’t mind and you know that. You’re my best friend, I’ll always be there for you.”

  “Okay.” I said, my voice breaking into a sob. “I’ll be there soon.”

  The office was quiet; everybody was gone. Of course, it was in the middle of the night. Poor Krys. I hadn’t even realized the time of the day when I called. Too many hours spent up in the air had completely lost me. My body had passed the exhaustion phase, and I could barely think.

  I hurried to Calvin’s penthouse and hopped into another taxi to Krys’ apartment. My eyes were heavy, I almost passed out on the back seat.

  Krys waited for me by the door. Her cousin was asleep, of course, so I walked inside silently to Krys’ room. As soon as we were in the privacy of her room, she hugged tightly and I broke down. I told her everything without holding back.

  “I hate that bitch. If I ever see her again, I’m going to rip her head off.” Krys added.

  “My only hope is that Calvin sees it too. I’m not imagining this. She’s playing with us as if we were puppets. She can’t have him, she’ll never appreciate the person he really is. This is just a game to her.”

  We were both under the covers of her bed, lying on our backs. Tears ran down my temples, every so often, Krys would wipe them away.

  “I’ve seen the two of you together, and how worried he was when you were attacked. He loves you, he’s just taking way too much time to see Candice’s true color. He trusted her and obviously, he never thought she could do such a thing. It’s probably a lot for him to take in.”

  “I know, but watching him, hearing him defend her is like being hit with a hammer directly to my heart. It’s hurting, not broken yet.” I ended up sobbing again.

  “Come here, Iris. We need to get some sleep.”

  She pulled me closer to her and I fell asleep with her holding me tightly in her arms. It didn’t take me long before I reached dreamland because every part of me screamed exhaustion.

  From afar, I heard the ringtone of my phone, and then, Krys’ voice.

  “Calvin, she told me everything. Get your shit together. Open your pretty blue eyes and smell the damn coffee.”

  “Candice... Yes… You need to make a decision, Banks and make the right one.”

  I heard Krys groan on the other side of the door.

  “She’s still sleeping because she cried all night, even in her sleep. You are hurting her and I’m protecting her. I won’t let you see her until you take action with that bitch, got it?”

  She sighed and opened the door slowly. I watched her as she came back to bed next to me.

  “He’s starting to get the pieces together. He’s coming back tonight, but he knows you’re here. You’ll have to talk to him.”

  “I know. We need to.”
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  Krys went to work not too long after I woke up, and I stayed at her place to work on my campaign. My mind kept wondering back to Calvin and the times he declared his love to me. He had the most beautiful voice. I didn’t expect my day to be very productive, but I tried my best to work, a little.

  Calvin tried to call me a few times, but I decided to ignore him until he flew back here. I hated talking to him with all the drama between us.

  Iris. I will fix this. I promise.

  His text sent a bit of hope to my heart. Maybe he had finally come to a conclusion with Candice. I couldn’t wait to see him.

  It’s all I can hope for.

  I decided not to respond to any more of his texts. A big part of me required a time out. A time out until he got back to me with his mind at the right place.

  After half an hour of begging, Krys convinced me to go out for dinner. I showered and put on sloppy clothes. Clothes I used to wear when I met Calvin. It felt like such a long time ago, but in fact, it had only been months.

  We walked slowly and talked about her new job. Distraction was good; we had talked about me enough. I knew she had a lot to say.

  “Now, tell me about that boss of yours.”

  She laughed shyly. “He’s sexy, but such an arrogant ass.” She hooked her arm through mine and pulled me close to her side. “If he wasn’t such an ass, I would give him a try. I swear, I watch him sometimes and I have dirty thoughts flowing my mind, but I’ll never allow myself to deal with his shitty attitude.”

  “Next time, try taking a picture of that asshole. You actually have me curious.”

  She chuckled. “I’ll try tomorrow.”

  “Maybe he’ll loosen up with time.”

  “No, he is too uptight. Do you feel like eating Italian?”

  “I’m not really hungry, so it doesn’t really matter.” A soup or a salad would be enough for me. And wine, yes, a lot of wine.

  After the second bottle of wine, I started feeling dizzy and I couldn’t stop laughing. I ended up eating half of Krys’ primavera pasta bowl. The alcohol had brought up my appetite and my good humor.

  “Why don’t we go dance? We could find a place. I can call my cousin and she’ll set us up.”

  I liked the idea, but no way, I wasn’t dressed for it. “Maybe another time, I’m not really club material tonight.”

  “Says who?” She looked around, making fun of me. “We don’t need to go to a top of the list nightclub. Something like the Lounge.”

  My heart skipped a beat. “Not the Lounge, I’m not going there tonight.” Or ever.

  “Not the Lounge, but there’s a place I know. It’s not too far from here. Just an hour, okay?”

  An hour of dancing could be exactly what I need to fall asleep faster. I was starting to believe Calvin might want more time to figure Candice out, and I had to give him that, even if it killed me.

  “An hour.”

  Krys gave me a big, proud smile. She got what she wanted after all. We finished our glasses of wine before heading out. The night was warm and a nice breeze made it comfortable. I could have walked about the city all night, but Krys had other plans.

  We finally reached the place she had in mind. It looked a lot like the Lounge and again, I didn’t think I would be allowed to get in dressed like this. Jeans and converse were definitely not appropriate, but Krys whispered something into the doorman’s ear and he let us in.

  “What did you tell him?” She had me curious.

  She laughed shyly. “I told him I was on a mission to save you from a heartbreak. I guess he had a soft spot for you.” Unbelievable! “Come on, girl. Let’s get something to drink.”

  I opted for water first. I had had enough wine, and I didn’t want to push my luck. The loud music was nearly giving me a headache. It definitely was louder than at Calvin’s. Krys pulled me through the small crowd to the dance floor and we danced for a song or two. Some guys joined us, but they quickly realized I wasn’t in the mood to flirt. I kept my distance as much as I could, and used the bathroom excuse to get some space.

  Upon my return, Krys’ eyes were glued to her cellphone, texting. As soon as she saw me, she got up and offered to order me a drink. I agreed, but I thought she was acting nervous.

  It had been almost an hour when we reached the dancefloor again. I danced and yawned all at once, and it made Krys laugh. I checked my phone and still had nothing. No call or text from him and it saddened me. Not wanting to ruin Krys’ fun, I pushed my sadness away and tried to have a good time.

  “Is it that boring?” she asked, probably because I couldn’t hide my true feelings all that well.

  “No, I’m just really tired. It’s been a rough couple of days,” I said loudly in the curve of her neck, under the pounding music. She nodded in agreement and kept on dancing. I copied her moves and pretended to have a good time, although all I could think about was giving in and calling.

  While I thought about it, a set of arms claimed my waist and, without having time to turn around, I was pulled into a strong embrace. My back rested against his front.

  “We need to talk now, babe. You can’t escape me.”

  Krys left, giving us a moment. I watched her go with a smile on her face. My heard pounded on my chest. His touch around my waist was soft. He knew how to touch me, how to make me need more. His cologne had faded, but it was still there. It made me feel at home, where I belonged.

  I turned around to see him better, needing that eye contact. He looked like hell, tired and not freshly shaved, which was exceptional on his part. My body and mind told me to enjoy this moment, his body moving against mine in sync, but I couldn’t. I rose on tiptoe as high as I could, my lips against the hollow of his neck, I breathed him in and registered how good it felt to touch and smell him again.

  “We’ll talk, Calvin.” I lifted my arms to his shoulders, gave him a quick squeeze. “But not tonight. We were leaving. Meet me tomorrow, at 10am. I’ll be at the lobby of the penthouse.”

  He stopped dancing, and watched dumbfounded as I stepped away. He leaned down to me and kissed the corner of my lips as I watched him carefully before turning around and leaving.

  He wanted me.

  After a sleepless night, I tried to gather my strength to face the man I loved. I knew this would be emotionally challenging, but I could no longer try to escape. We had to fix everything and go from there.

  I arrived in the lobby at 9:55am, and Calvin was already there. He looked worn, tired, but unlike last night, I could tell he had showered. His hair was let down, not styled, and he wore simple pale blue jeans with a white V-neck shirt. When he saw me coming, he hurried to my side and gave me one hell of a hug. One that took my breath away.

  “I’m not staying here in the lobby with you. Do you want to go somewhere? Are you hungry?” He released me and I could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He probably hadn’t had much more sleep than I has in the past couple of days. We had never been apart for that long before. This time, the circumstances were different, and I despised it.

  “Central Park, maybe. We could sit somewhere.”

  He looked at me, questioningly. We had never been there together, but I used to go often before meeting him, and I missed it.

  “Okay, sure.” He was about to hold my hand, but I pulled away. “Let me get my car, or why don’t you come with me.”

  “We can take a taxi and save ourselves from finding a parking space.”

  “Fine, whatever.” He sounded bitter. He hated this, and I knew it.

  We hopped into a cab and were there within ten minutes. Central Park would bring some kind of peace into this conversation. I was in a safe place and I felt comfortable.

  Slowly, we walked into the park, his hand was pressed to the small of my back, and he led the way to a bench under a tree. He waited for me to sit before joining me. Why so formal, Calvin?

  “Okay, so, there are so many things that I have to tell you.”

  I nodded in agreement. “Me too,” I whi
spered not trusting my voice. The emotions got stuck in my throat. I knew I was on the verge of breaking down again.

  “First, I fired Candice. She won’t be working for me, with us anymore. What she did is unacceptable.”

  “What did she do, Calvin?”

  “She listened to us, whenever we were together, through the phone intercom. I asked Justin to figure it out and that’s what he came up with.”

  “What made it suddenly click?”

  He chuckled, and seemed uncomfortable. “Let’s just say that when you left the hotel, I had some explaining to do to Marcus and the girls. I didn’t go into details, but I told them your version and mine. They called me stupid right away. They saw right through it. Candice played me well.”

  “That she did.” I could taste vomit into my mouth. What she did to me was unforgettable.

  “She did change our meetings so we couldn’t spend time together, she admitted it. When I got here last night, I asked her to meet me. I was so angry when I talked to her. I had all the proof shoved into her face. She was a mess, but I didn’t let it get to me. Candice tried her best to break us apart, and now, I’m scared she did. Did she, Iris?

  I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know where we’re at, Calvin. I thought I meant much more to you than that. I thought you would trust my judgement, my words and my feelings, but you protected her. You picked her side.”

  “I know and I hate myself for doing this to you.” He groaned angrily. “Before you started working with us, I had never had any trouble with her. I told you. We were like a dream team, everything done on time, we respected our delays, and she always went the extra mile. She asked a few questions when you and I started seeing each other, but nothing more. Was she like that to you when you met her?”

  “She was okay. It started when I got my office and title.”

  “I’m so sorry, Iris. Please, believe me, I feel terrible.”

  “What else did you discover about her?”

  He looked away and took a moment before answering. “Candice was in love with me. She never mentioned anything to me before yesterday, and I reprimanded her for acting the way she did. As you know, we... had… a few times, but to me, it didn’t mean anything. It wasn’t special or better. It was just plain sex.”