“It does concern me. I didn’t think you were the kind of woman to put yourself out there like that and open up your legs to anyone. Particularly, a good friend of mine who has had numerous sex partners. Not that it matters, but he didn’t call me. I reached out to him about a case I was working on. Your name happened to come up. I was shocked by what he’d told me; and was it necessary for you to go down on him?”
I almost choked on the water I was drinking to stay chill. If anything, I wanted to get up and run. I couldn’t believe Jaylin gave Jonathan specific details, and I was disgusted that they had been discussing me.
“To be honest, Jonathan, I don’t care what Jaylin told you. I didn’t come here to talk about him. I’m here to talk about us. You do remember what happened between us, don’t you? If not, I can always refresh your memory about our loving relationship that, unfortunately, fell apart. We both made mistakes, and I forgive you, only if you can forgive me too.”
He was blunt. “All is forgotten, and there is no need to refresh my memory because there is no us anymore. Even though you didn’t come here to talk about Jaylin, I can’t help but to wonder how many items you served him from your menu. I’m not happy about you having sex with him, Sylvia, and I’m not going to sit here and pretend that it’s all good. I think you did it out of spite. How petty is that?”
This fool done fell and bumped his head. Or maybe Lesa had his mind twisted. How dare he get all snippy about this, especially when he was the one who had hurt me in the past? Not to mention that he had moved on and was now getting married.
With a screwed face, I crossed my legs and let him have it. “Spiteful and petty? No. I had sex with Jaylin because I needed a good lay and he has a stellar reputation when it comes to satisfying women. I figured that he would deliver, and, bravo, he did. Now, I’ll repeat myself. I’m not here to talk about who I’ve been giving my goodies to. And while you’ve made it clear that there is no more us, I don’t know if I believe you. The look in your eyes doesn’t imply that, and you seem real jealous about what transpired between me and your friend. Is that why you brought your fiancée in here tonight? To make me jealous? If so, you failed miserably. Quite frankly, my dear, she wasn’t all that.”
Jonathan shrugged and remained calm. “I brought her here because I wanted you to meet her. I’m not jealous about what happened between you and Jaylin. I’m just disappointed, as well as disgusted. That’s what you see in my eyes. Nothing more.”
“So disappointed and disgusted that you prefer we sit here all night to discuss it? If that’s the case, maybe we should wrap this up and go our separate ways. I’m sure you have other things to do with your time. I must say that I do too.”
He was never the kind of man to keep up a bunch of nonsense, so I wasn’t caught off guard when he stood and laid twenty dollars on the table.
“You’re right. I do have better things to do with my time tonight. I don’t know why I came here, especially after knowing what you did with my friend. That was low, Sylvia. I never would have done anything like that to you. I guess this was a little reminder about the kind of woman you really are.”
My mouth dropped open as he walked away. No, he didn’t just go there. I was so mad that I shot up from my chair and trailed behind him.
“It puzzles me that you still care about who I spend my time with,” I softly hissed so people inside of the restaurant wouldn’t suspect an argument brewing between us. Jonathan ignored me and walked so fast that I could barely keep up. By the time I did catch up to him, we were outside. I was almost out of breath, but I continued to make my point.
“Our relationship has been over with for a while. I’m not the one getting married. You are, right?”
He pivoted to face me. “Yeah, I am. And thank God the woman I’m marrying is nothing like you.”
Ouch. That hurt. Regardless, I let him know that he couldn’t back up his words with his hideous-looking fiancée. He needed to come again.
“By looking at your woman, I can tell she’s nothing like me. What a shame that is, because I know what kind of woman excites you. I know what a woman must bring to the table to keep you happy. She didn’t appear to fit the bill, and I feel sorry for you if you’re settling for someone who has nothing in common with me.”
He stopped next to his black BMW and placed his hand on the handle. While I appeared totally flustered, he remained calm as ever.
“I don’t do this anymore, Sylvia. Enough is enough. There’s no need for us to have these kinds of confrontations, so do me a favor: don’t reach out to me again, okay? You have my word that I’m going to leave this conversation right here. I’ve said all that I’m going to say, and I hope you’ve gotten some things off your chest. If not, you won’t be given another opportunity to behave like this.”
That was his way of calling me childish, but I refused to keep my mouth shut. “Hell, no, I haven’t gotten anything off my chest, considering all you wanted to talk about was Jaylin. But have it your way, Jonathan. I have no problem not reaching out to you again. Good-bye and good luck.”
Taking the high road, he got in his car and sped off. My car was nearby, so I stomped to it with disgust written all over my face. All week, I visualized us having a decent dinner, laughing and talking about old times. Then, sealing our date with a kiss. I locked in my head what I wanted to say to him about my lingering feelings. I was so wishful that he would spill his guts and tell me that he was still in love with me too. Boy was I wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
My high-rise apartment was only a few blocks away. I parked in the parking garage, and since my feet were killing me, I removed my high heels, carrying them in my hand. With a frown on my face, I waited for the elevator to open. When it did, I stepped inside. My head hung low, but the moment I lifted it, I saw a man’s hand grab the elevator as it began to close. Within a second, Jonathan appeared. I sucked in a deep breath and held it. There was no smile on his face when he stepped forward. The elevator closed behind him and proceeded to go up.
“I was wrong,” he said in a whisper. “So were you, Sylvia. Nonetheless, I didn’t meet with you tonight to argue. I wanted to meet with you so I could look you in the eyes and do this.”
He inched forward then reached out to hold my face. His thumbs brushed against my cheeks and our eyes locked together. The moment his lips touched mine, my heart rate increased. I sucked in another deep breath, causing my firm breasts to rise against his chest. There were no words to describe how I felt as our tongues danced together. There were no words to utter as I felt my pussy throbbing. I couldn’t say one word as his hands roamed my body, squeezing me in all the right places. But the one thing that I could say was Jonathan’s marriage would never happen if things were left up to me. This night belonged to us. I was hot, bothered, and ready to make every single moment count.
CHAPTER 2
LESA
I drove frantically to my destination, while gazing straight ahead. It took a lot for me to pretend as if Jonathan’s meeting with Sylvia didn’t worry me. It did. I wrestled with keeping my mouth shut, ever since he mentioned her phone call and her dire need to see him. He stressed, over and over again, that their relationship was a wrap. Said there was nothing wrong with a man meeting up with his ex, and he asked me if I trusted him. I did. With all of my heart I truly did, but the problem was, I didn’t trust her. And after seeing her at the restaurant, I knew why. The way she looked at Jonathan said it all. She couldn’t wait to dig her claws into him and was ready to eat him alive. She undressed him right in front of me, and fucked his brains out on the dining table while I witnessed it. I could sense how badly she wanted him, and it was obvious that she’d gotten dolled up just for him.
Also, the way she looked at me was alarming. She wanted me out of the picture. Her devilish gaze said so. Not to mention the slight roll of her eyes and her fake smile that made me want to puke. I wondered if Jonathan noticed her demeanor, and if he had, would he call her out on it?
He
told me about her coming to his office a few weeks ago to let him know she had moved back to St. Louis. That’s when he announced that we were getting married. I was thankful to him for immediately shutting things down. I was sure she had high hopes for them; she most likely assumed they would be getting back together. When he told me she left his office in tears, I wanted to laugh. Did she really think that she could just pop back into his life and he would drop everything for her? I didn’t think so, and I was glad that she’d gotten her face cracked. She had no business going there to see him. A phone call would’ve been more appropriate. She didn’t know what the hell she would walk into, and, thankfully, I wasn’t there that day. She would’ve really gotten her feelings hurt, like they were hurt tonight.
I swear I wanted to laugh again after seeing that dumb smile on her face vanish when she saw me. Pure jealousy was in her eyes as she attempted to pick me apart. I knew I looked good, but I couldn’t say the same for her. On a scale of one to ten, I gave her a six. Only because she looked as if she needed to shed a few pounds. While some men liked all those curves, I was surprised that Jonathan didn’t have a problem with them. Her big breasts looked as if they were about to pop out of her dress, and when she stood, her round ass was quite noticeable. Her waist seemed fit, and that was all she really had going for her. To me, she looked as if she wanted to break down right then and there and cry. That’s what was so funny. I was pleased that Jonathan had invited me to go inside with him. It let me know that he wasn’t trying to keep our relationship a secret, and that he was proud to have me as his fiancée. As far as I was concerned, everything was good with him. With her, not so much.
My speeding vehicle skidded into the parking spot, almost jumping the curb. I pressed my foot on the brake then hurried to put the car in park. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, and then snatched up my cell phone that was on the seat. I checked my text messages, hoping that Jonathan had sent me something to let me know how the night was going. His last message was from the night before. I huffed then decided to send him a quick message to see if he would respond.
Hey, handsome. Just wanted to let u know that I got here safely. After we leave here, we’re going somewhere to have a few drinks. Hope you’re having a good time. But be careful cause Sylvia looks as if she wants to hurt u. BAD, if you know what I mean. LOL
I sat in the car for five minutes, waiting for a response. There was no reply, so I dropped the phone in my purse then went inside of the Japanese restaurant where several of the close people I worked with awaited me. From a distance, I spotted Morgan, Sheila, Vince, Christopher, Anna, and Lance sitting on the floor in a circle with numerous silk pillows surrounding them. A chef with a tall baker’s cap on was in the center, preparing a meal that sizzled from the high flames. The delicious, spicy smell went up my nostrils and signaled to my belly how hungry I was. Everyone smiled as they saw me heading their way, and when Lance patted the cushion next to him, I squatted to take a seat.
“We’re so glad you finally made it,” Morgan said. “You’re going to love this place, and you must bring Jonathan here so he can taste the food too.”
Speaking of Jonathan, I quickly opened my purse to check my phone and see if he had responded to my text. He hadn’t, so I texted him again:
The food in this place looks delicious. I want u to come here with me. When do u think you’ll have time?
This time, I directed a question to him so that he could reply. All it took was seconds to respond, but as the night went on, I didn’t receive one text. I wasn’t sure if anyone had noticed my somber mood, until Lance stopped me as I was coming out of the restroom. He reached for my hand, holding it with his.
“Tell me,” he said, moving my hair away from my sad eyes. “What’s wrong? Normally, you’re upbeat and a true delight to be around. Tonight is different. Are you okay?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat while looking down at the ground. The last thing I wanted to do was spill my guts to Lance. I knew how much he liked me; he had always liked me. But it wasn’t in my best interest to get caught up in a love triangle with me, him, and Jonathan. I loved Jonathan, and, thus far, I had no reason whatsoever to seek attention from another man.
Lance lifted my chin, making me look into his sexy brown eyes that were slightly slanted. His full lips resembled Tyson Beckford’s, and so did his nicely cut frame that was stacked with bulging muscles.
“Speak,” he said. “I’m here as a friend, and you can always tell me what you’re going through. I said it before and I’ll say it again. If things don’t work out between you and your man, I’m always here.”
I released my hand from his. “Things are working out just fine. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but stop assuming that something is wrong with my relationship when there isn’t.”
“Sure. If you say so. But if there ain’t nothing wrong, why do you keep looking at your phone? Why do you keep staring off into space, and why haven’t you eaten anything tonight? You can say what you wish, but I can tell that something is bothering you. I won’t press, but you already know that what one man won’t do, another one certainly will.”
Lance was trying to confuse the situation. I had no reason to run to him. Jonathan would never betray me, and that I was sure of. Sure of for at least another hour or so. He still hadn’t replied to my text, and this had never happened before.
By the time I left the restaurant, I was livid. I sat in the car with my head pressed against the steering wheel. My throat ached and my heart was heavy. I couldn’t stop visualizing what was going on tonight where he couldn’t return my call or simply reply to my text. Did Sylvia get what she wanted from him? Did he now have a change of heart about us? My thoughts were all over the place, but they were interrupted by Lance as he pulled on the handle to open the door. He squatted beside me.
“You say nothing is wrong, but you declined to go have drinks with us. That’s not like you. You look as if you’re in a daze, and all I’m asking is for you to tell me what’s going on with you. It feels good to get things off your chest. I’m only here to help you, not hurt you.”
That was good to know. I turned toward Lance and started to spill my guts and tell him how I felt about Jonathan meeting up with Sylvia. My lips quivered as I spoke about their past relationship. I could only recall what Jonathan had told me, and it was enough to let me know that they had been deeply in love with each other. After speaking about it, it wasn’t long before my emotions took over. Lance leaned in to give me a squeezing hug.
“Don’t assume anything about the two of them,” he said. “Let the chips fall where they may, but please know that if you fall, I will catch you. Now, wipe those tears from that pretty face and let’s get out of here.”
With that kind of support, how could I resist?
CHAPTER 3
JONATHAN
Sylvia was definitely back. I didn’t quite know how to handle it, but I was sure of one thing. My love for her had dissipated, partially because of what she had done with Jaylin, but mainly because I was in love with someone else. Lesa meant everything to me. We’d been together for the past two years. I hadn’t cheated on her, until last night. I wasn’t sure why I had gone there with Sylvia, but a big part of me wanted to go there again, just to see if my love for her rekindled. It didn’t. The sex was spectacular, but it wasn’t enough to move me. I needed more from a woman, and Sylvia wasn’t where I needed her to be. She still seemed confrontational, and, during dinner, I could tell she hadn’t changed much.
According to her, she was going to start working as Crissy Duncan’s assistant on Monday. Crissy was the daughter of one of my deceased partners. She had done a good job filling his shoes at the law firm. Thus far, she had done rather well for herself. She and Sylvia had gotten close over the years, and Crissy seemed to have her back. There was a time when they hated each other, couldn’t get along for nothing in the world, but Crissy came through for Sylvia when she needed someone to lean on.
I did
n’t think that Sylvia working at the firm again would be a problem, especially since Crissy’s office was way on the other side of the building. Besides, I spent less time in the office, more time at home. Lesa preferred to have it that way. She was the one who had hired several interior decorators to hook up my home office, and she seriously took care of me, with few complaints. Dinner was always on the table, the house stayed sparkling clean, and, on top of that, she continued to pursue her career as a fashion designer. I appreciated an ambitious woman, one who could take care of herself and her man at the same time. There was no question that I was lucky to have her, and I was sure to keep what had happened between me and Sylvia on lock. If Lesa ever found out, that would surely be the end of us.
The last time the cat got out of the bag was because of my daughter, Britney. She was the one who told Dana I’d been with Sylvia, simply because she wanted Sylvia and me together. Thankfully, Britney was away at college now, pursuing a law degree. I barely heard from her these days. Whenever we spoke, our conversations were very brief. I believed that her boyfriend had something to do with that as well. The one thing I had learned over the years was not to push. As long as she was happy, so was I.
While thinking about Britney, I sat in my home office with my chair leaned back and my feet propped on the desk. I was still in my pajamas, and had taken a quick shower when I arrived home at three in the morning. Lesa had gone out with her friends. She didn’t get home until almost four, but had texted me several times throughout the evening. I hadn’t replied because my phone was turned off. I was glad that I had made it home before she had. I wasn’t expecting her to question me, but when I looked up and saw her coming into my office, the first question she asked was what time did I get home.
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