by Jude Ouvrard
“My bedroom it is.” I smiled and let her in. She had a portable massage table with her. She stopped in her tracks, astonished by the view of the city.
“Wow, not every day I have such a beautiful view.”
“It is a beautiful view. Sometimes, I just sit in bed and look outside. I’ll never get tired of this.” It was the truth. Even after months of living here, I almost daily took a pause and looked outside. It was nothing like the ranch, but it brought something reassuring to me. As long as I had that view, I had him. Right?
Sylvia wasn’t much older than me. I wondered if she knew him personally.
“So, I’ll put the table here, if it’s okay with you.” I nodded. “I helped Calvin a lot after his surgeries, when he was a football player.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “Yes. My career kind of skyrocketed after that. He recommended me to all his teammates, and then, next thing I knew, I had weeks booked in advance. I can’t thank him enough.”
“He likes helping people. He has a big heart.” Had she ever… or not? Iris, stop thinking like that. He wouldn’t have sent her here after all the drama we had been through with Candice.
“Okay, I’m all set. You can get comfortable if you wish. I’ll give you two minutes,” she said leaving the bedroom.
Because I couldn’t believe what he had done, I sent him a quick text.
She’s here. You didn’t have to do this, but I appreciate it. I love you xx
I removed my leggings and put on a pair of boy short panties. She left me a towel to cover myself. I had no idea how I was going to do this, so I just lay there on the table, flat on my tummy. This was going to be so good, I could almost feel it already.
She re-entered the bedroom and put on soft music, the type where waves and birds all formed a relaxing melody. The mix of sounds had whole body stress-free.
“I’ll start with your feet and I’ll finish with your head. Okay?” Her soft voice asked, but I didn’t care. At that point, she could do whatever she wanted. My body was hers.
Her warm, oiled hands pressed against the soles of my feet. I had always been a ticklish person, but not now. Her touches only sent my mind back to dreamland. Sometimes it hurt more than it soothed me, but I let her be the judge.
I lost count of the time. The vanilla scented oil she used appeased me, but made me hungry. I came back from dreamland when she was giving me a shoulder massage. The end of this peaceful massage came too soon. Every part of my body wanted more. I wasn’t ready to let her go. Soft hands caressed my whole body. I expected this to be her final touch. I mentally begged her not to stop.
“Iris, Ms. Clare wanted me to tell you that your bath is ready. I hope you enjoyed your massage. You have tension and knots in your shoulder. You might feel stiffness in the next couple of hours. Here, I brought you water, I suggest you drink it, it’ll help you feel better.”
I groaned and finally sat on the bed. At that moment, I was pretty sure my eyes were crossed.
“Thank you. It really relaxed me, Sylvia. You can be certain I’ll be asking for you again.” I admitted shyly.
“Anytime!” She smiled.
Next stop, I had to get into the bath. My whole body was covered in vanilla massage oil. I liked the smell, but I hated the greasy feeling. “Thanks again,” I said leaving her with Ms. Clare.
The water was at the perfect temperature. Every single one of my muscles relaxed. I had to thank Calvin for this. Our reconciliation had turned into an even better day. He wanted to make me feel cherished, and it worked. I sank my hair under the water, wishing he were here to wash it for me.
After getting out of the water, my fingers were all pruned, I wanted to be beautiful for him. He would be coming back home soon, and my desire to please him had never been this strong. I put on his favorite cologne, picked black sheer lingerie, and a tight black dress. I tried my best to add some natural looking curls to my new hairstyle. Thinking about the fact that I did miss my long hair only made me wish I could fast forward a few months for it to grow back. I sighed. I could still try to get my hair up. No, Calvin liked it down. I smiled at the sight of my face in the mirror. Who was I trying to impress? Since when did I become the girl who wanted to please a man? Since I met the one. Yes, my man. I applied some powder on my cheek, some colors on my eyelids. Crossing my fingers that he would like it, I got out of the room only to find Ms. Clare talking to some girl.
“She’s here! Iris, Sarah is here to do your nails.”
“Hi, Sarah!” Sarah worked at the gym once a week. They had a cosmetic area in the tanning room, and Sarah had a place to do nails.
“Looking good. I think I have the perfect color for you.”
“Okay.” Not often in my life had I gotten a manicure. Maybe once or twice.
“I have a perfect cherry red or a dark grey but I have at least twenty more to choose from if you don’t like them.”
“Definitely red.” I didn’t know why, but my face flushed. She knew my game. I wanted to seduce my boyfriend.
“Okay, sit. We’re running a little bit behind on schedule,” she said.
“What schedule?” She had caught my curiosity now. “Details, please.”
“Haven’t you figured it out yet? Calvin’s plan to spoil you all day.”
As if it could, my smile got even bigger. We sat at the kitchen table and she retrieved her manicure kit from her bag. My fingers trembled. I had gotten way too excited about my day, but I felt terrible about not being at work.
With my free hand, I took my phone and tried texting Calvin.
I don’t think it’s fair that I’m being pampered while you’re at work.
You’ll be able to pamper me later, in bed.
What’s next on my schedule?
It won’t be a surprise if I tell you.
Damn. Of course, he had a point. I didn’t text him back because it wasn’t polite to ignore Sarah. My body still ached from the massage in some places, and the other places felt light. My upper body, especially my back, had me feeling like I had lost twenty pounds. My movements were easier. I must have been in a really bad shape before she removed all the knots.
Sarah started cleaning, cutting, and filing my nails. I could tell she had been doing this for a while; she worked fast and with ease. I watched her with my heavy eyes, forcing them to stay open. I didn’t expect to be much of an entertainer during my date with Calvin. My heart, now light, had been in a roller coaster of emotions, and it was taking its toll on me.
“I never thought a manicure could make me sleepy, but it’s taking everything in me not to pass out.”
“Rough day?” she asked, clueless.
“I just got an hour massage and the past few days have been… tiring.”
“You can take a nap, as long as you leave me the control of your hands.” she tempted me.
“I’ll try to stay up, but thanks.” I chuckled.
The smell in the house had my stomach roaring. I had to eat something. Maybe it was one of the reasons why I was so tired. At the speed Sarah was going, I didn’t think it would take her long.
I yawned a couple of times before Sarah was done. As soon as she was out the door, I went to the kitchen to grab something. I found few strawberries and cheddar cheese. That would do. I ate fast, completely starved.
“Hungry, babe?”
“Baby… Baby, I’m so happy to see you.” I said, cleaning my fingers with the small towel by the sink. His arm waiting for me and the other one giving me a bouquet of flowers. I accepted the bouquet, there were so many colors, and a vast arrange of different flowers. “It’s beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as you. Come here, babe. I want my welcome home kiss.”
I chortled. “I’m surprised it’s just a kiss that you want.” My smile reached my eyes. “Thank you for today. It was beyond anything I could have ever expected. I should have been at work with you.
“Nah. I had a whole mess to take care of. I cleaned up Candice’s o
ffice and tried to catch up on our work. It should be okay, but I’m loaded.”
“I’ll help you, as much as I can.”
“Have you forgotten? Where’s my kiss?”
I pulled his shirt closer to me, slid both of my hands up until they touched his neck and rose on tiptoes to reach his lips. Starting with a single kiss, teasing him and then, giving in to the power of his intoxicating lips. His teeth bit my bottom lip and he sucked it into his mouth, leaving me winded.
“Mr. Banks, I’ll see you next week.” Ms. Clare eclipsed from the penthouse.
“Thank you and have a nice weekend.” The door closed without any more words.
“She almost caught me naked this morning.”
“Hmmm. I’m not done with that kiss.” His hand pressed on the small of my back and pulled me against him. “I’m sorry, Iris, for everything.”
“I know you are.”
“I found things at her desk,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. Maybe he was scared of my reaction, but I was over this. We were going to deal with it together.
“What things, Cal?”
“She had pictures of me. Not personal, but pictures she took when we were away for business and she had parts of our conversations saved in her computer. The ones about… you know… you and me.”
“That bitch.” I said through gritted teeth. “I should have let you make love to me only to make her hear us. How we are together.”
“Iris, babe… Don’t think like that. I understand your point, and it isn’t necessary.” His hands took possession of each side of my face. His eyes lustful, I saw for a fraction of a second the alpha male wanting to take control. “One day, I’ll take you in that office of yours.” A seducing smile appeared on his face, one that told me to dare him. “You’ll love it, just as much, if not more, as you liked it in mine.”
That mouth of his had the power of soaking my panties without warning. “Baby…”
He chuckled. “Not now, sweet babe, I’m taking you out.”
“Such a tease,” I murmured to myself.
I heard him laugh quietly as he walked toward the elevator doors. He took a small suitcase sitting by the door.
“What is it?”
“Clothes,” he answered nonchalantly.
Why? Where were we going? “Are you planning to tell me about your plans or is it part of the secret surprise?”
He turned around and looked at me. My hair, my dress, my nails, I had done all I could to please him. Calvin had spoiled me all day and I knew why. His intentions were to make me forget the mistakes he had made. I had forgiven him already, but I still enjoyed his lovely attention.
“Didn’t you realize by now that today is all about spoiling and surprising you?” I nodded. “Dinner will be in Boston, babe. Hurry up. I don’t like to be late.” He took a look at his watch. “We’re good for now, I came home early.” He gave me a million-dollar smile.
Boston? What the hell? It couldn’t be by car, it was too far.
“Come on, babe, we got a plane to catch.”
A plane? We’re going on a date in Boston?
Calvin knew no limits.
Justin drove us to the airport and everything seemed to happen way too fast from there. We were escorted to a small private plane; we had champagne and soon enough, we had landed in Boston. Just the two of us in a new city. I had never been to Boston, and I was beyond excited. A driver waited for our arrival and transported us to a restaurant in the city. I held Calvin’s hand with all my strength, the enthusiasm within me giving way to jitters.
When I moved out of my hometown to start a new life, Boston had been on my list of possibilities. I had heard so many good things about the city. The architecture, the vibe throughout the city. Driving around the town for the very first time of my life, I tried to memorize street names, stores, and museums. All things I hoped we would have time to visit tomorrow. I had no idea what Calvin had planned for us, but I hope it involved a few hours of walking and seeing the sights.
“Babe, you’re going to have to calm down now. I can feel your body shaking next to me.”
“I’m trying, but I can’t. Not every day I get flown in a private plane to have a dinner with my… unbelievably sexy and heartwarming boyfriend. I’m so thankful.”
He smiled shyly. “I’m glad you’re happy.”
“With you, I always am.”
He chuckled before kissing my forehead. “Cheesy.”
A tall man welcomed us into the restaurant, and led us to our table. A small bouquet of roses sat top. Everything looked old inside; antique and rich. It added a special cachet to the place. There was a lounge area with flat screens turned on to the sport channel, but where we were, the ambiance was warm and cozy.
“Hey, Banks.” A tall, built man approached out table.
“Hey, Smith. Thank you for doing this, man. It’s been too long.”
“So, who’s the lucky lady?”
“My girlfriend, Iris Hartwell. Iris, this is Vince Smith. We used to play football together.”
“Thank you… I mean hi!” He stood taller than Calvin, by at least two inches. He was a beast and it overwhelmed me. We shook hands, his hand had engulfed mine completely.
“The meal is on me. Order whatever you want. We should do this more often.” He tapped Calvin’s shoulder and they shared a man hug. Calvin was never very demonstrative with his guy friends. I guessed something special tied them.
Vince left us and Calvin was all smiles.
“What’s up between the two of you?” I asked him curiously.
He laughed timidly. “We went through some shit together. We were the newbies in the league, but we stayed together no matter what. He switched teams before my injuries happened, and after that, we didn’t get to spend much time together, but we kept in touch. We shared hotel rooms while we were away. Vince has a damaged childhood too, maybe it’s why we connected.”
“He seemed like a good guy. Does he ever come to New York?”
“Sometimes. Not in the past months, as you know.”
I nodded. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
His hand covered mine on the table, and our fingers entwined. “Babe, you’re going to have to stop thanking me. I’m yours. I’m your man. It’s my job to bring you to dates, and take care of you. I haven’t done it as much as I should have before.”
“You did it. You brought me to my parents’, we went on a trip in the Caribbean. It’s more than enough.”
He squeezed my hand. “If it wasn’t for the busy week coming, we would be on that beach now.” He kissed the top of my hand. “And we would probably be naked, too.” His tongue swept across his lips. “I can’t wait to be in our hotel room, babe and make love to you.”
His words aroused me, I wanted to be out of here. “I’m not hungry. We can go,” I added in a serious voice, and it made him laugh out loud.
“No, babe, we’re here now. Anticipation is the key.” Of course, he had to give me that smile, the one that made me weak in the knees.
“Aright, then, I guess it will wait,” I sighed and he chuckled. Calvin was in a great mood tonight.
The waitress arrived with our wine. I took a sip and it was a deliciously sweet wine. It got me thinking… A year ago, at that same time, I was still living at my parents’ house, but I had already made plans to move to New York. Never in a million years would I have guessed that today, I would be served the best wine ever. That I would have the best view from my bedroom or live in an entire penthouse. That I would be sitting in a manager’s chair – the dream of any graduate – or that I would be facing the most beautiful soul, the most loving man I had ever met. I was about to shed a tear when Calvin surprised me by standing up.
“Come here, babe,” he urged, standing next to my chair. I stood, and he wrapped his arms around me so strongly it took my breath away. “Why do I see sadness into your eyes?”
“It’s not sadness. It’s the opposite. I’m beyond happy. You do all this
to me.”
He kissed my forehead and held me some more.
“Calvin, what are we doing here; hugging in the middle of a restaurant?”
His lips met the tip of my nose before answering. “I will hug you, or touch you wherever or whenever I want. Don’t you forget that, babe.” He smirked.
“Okay.” I nodded, not sure of what else there was to say. “I love you.” I added, quietly holding on to the belt on his pants. This moment, so overwhelming with love, made me dizzy. Calvin never had a problem showing me how much he loved me, but this time, it felt different.
“I love you too. I hoped you never doubt my love for you, not even in the recent events.”
I shook my head, no. “I have to sit or else I will pass out. Today has been one crazy, beautiful ride, and right now, I’m overwhelmed with everything concerning you.”
“Sit.” He took his chair and placed it in angle with mine. “Iris, you never doubted my love before Candice. I want to go back to that time.” He took both of my hands and held them with his clammy hands. “Listen, I can’t and will not ask you to forget what happened; I was blind, a complete idiot. We both know that, but like I’ve been telling you for some time, moving forward with you is where my mind is at. I don’t want you to freak out and run for the hills. It isn’t happening because I fear I might lose you, it’s happening because of how much I love you, and I’m tired of waiting.” He caressed my cheek with his hand while my heart hammered. I really was about to pass out. Was it really happening, here in Boston? Vince stood not too far behind, and he could barely hold his smile.
“Iris Hartwell, I love you with everything I am. Will you be my wife? Shit, I was supposed to do that after dinner, but here I am.” He dropped a knee on the floor.
My vision got blurry, and I felt like my life had stopped for an instant. Iris Hartwell, I love you with everything that I am. Will you be my wife? Am I dreaming? Could I ever be enough for him? Iris Banks? Oh my God!
“Calvin…” In my mind, I had all these things I wanted to say before I do. “So many things, I want to say, here and now.” Seconds passed and he stayed knelt before me, holding a ring that would make Jennifer Lopez jealous. It couldn’t be for me. What had I done to deserve this life? Everything’s bigger than… “Really?” I whispered before meeting his eyes. “You want me as your wife?” I didn’t know if I was asking a question or simply stating the fact. Calvin nodded.