by Ju Ephraime
After the night they’d had, he thought he would be satiated, but evidently, he was insatiable when it came to Therèse. It was necessary to pull back because he didn’t want to start anything now since he had a business appointment in the city.
“Are you ready to leave?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Give me a minute to grab a shirt, and we can go.”
He walked away in the direction of the bedroom, and she couldn’t help staring at his butt. The muscles played under his skin as he walked, and the jeans hung on his hips without any belt, kept in place only by the muscles there.
She could see the two cute dimples he had at the top of his butt winking back at her as he walked away. Therèse couldn’t help thinking how she’d love to lick some honey from those dimples. But she had to leave that for another time. She honestly didn’t think her body could take any more right now. She was still feeling the burn just standing there.
Last night had been different from anything she had done with Foxx before. This was sex on a new level. She couldn’t explain it, but it was somehow deeper, more intense. She felt they'd connected not only physically but emotionally as well. She didn’t know how Foxx felt about it, but she knew she was in bigger shit than she had been when she’d first met him.
In the time she’d been away from Foxx, she had never felt the need to indulge herself. Sex for her was a very emotional thing, and she didn’t want to be intimate with any Tom, Dick, or Harry simply to get some empty pleasure. She knew it would have been empty because her emotions wouldn’t have been engaged. Like all her other times with Foxx, this felt so right, so perfect, and so good that she wanted to shout it at the top of her lungs.
Foxx hadn’t been the easiest man to have a relationship with. He was a perfectionist, very strong-willed, and extremely possessive. But she loved all those qualities about him. And she was more than willing to take him exactly as he was, if he gave her a second chance at it.
They’d been committed to each other once; she just had to make him realize she was fully ready to commit again. There was no running away for her now; she was here to stay.
She didn’t know how long it would take to convince him, but this was it. This was what she’d been born for. This was the life she had envisioned for herself. Therèse was now fully committed to being Mrs. Therèse LaCasse. She liked the sound of the name on her tongue. It sounded as if it had belonged to her all along.
Just then, Foxx walked back into the kitchen. He was dressed in loose-fitting jeans and a cool, crisp cotton shirt, open to the third button, giving her a peek at his neck and upper chest. Then and there, she wanted to rip off his clothes and have a go at him. This man made jeans and a cotton shirt look sinful. She opened her arms and embraced him as he came to her, offering up her mouth for a kiss, which he took with passionate enthusiasm.
What was supposed to be just a brief kiss got heated and had them struggling to keep it just that. This was the kind of situation they were very familiar with. Many times before when they’d been dressed to go out, a kiss would turn into something more heated. They’d ended up in bed, and the plans to leave got canceled.
“Come on; otherwise, we’ll never leave this house.”
Grabbing his keys and his signature mirrored sunglasses, he took her hand, and they walked to the garage.
The sun was not yet hot, and the cool breeze coming in from the ocean felt wonderful. Soon they were racing into the city. They took the more scenic route, deciding by unspoken agreement to prolong their time together. As they headed down the last stretch of road with a view of the Atlantic Ocean in the distance, her phone rang.
Glancing at it, she saw it was Earline. She ignored it and continued talking with Foxx. Her phone rang again, this time using the urgency notation she had programmed into her phone in the ring. Glancing across at Foxx, she saw the question on his face and answered before he could voice it.
“It’s Earline. I don’t know what she wants, but it’s hard to ignore her. I’ll have to answer it if she calls again.”
She was about to put the phone away when it beeped, signaling she had just received a text message. Foxx raised his brow in a way that only he could. She hated it when he did that, especially when she couldn’t see his eyes hidden behind those sunglasses.
“Why don’t you see what she wants? It could be something to do with your business in England.”
“She gives me the creeps sometimes. She is so bossy. I can’t begin to think why she would be calling me. This is the third time.”
“Well, why don’t you want to talk with her?”
“I just don’t want to be bothered, and I can’t forget she was one of the more vocal ones in our group who thought I should leave the island without discussing things with you. Looking back, I don’t think that was the best thing to do.”
“No kidding!”
“I’ve already said I’m sorry, Foxx, please don’t take that tone with me.”
“Oh, you know how to tell me what tone I should or shouldn’t take with you, but you seem to have a problem talking to Earline. Hmm.”
“Hmm what? Stop it, Foxx. I just don’t want to talk with Earline now.”
“Why not?”
“Okay, to prove to you I’m not intimidated by Earline, I’ll read her text.”
“You don’t have to now. We’re at the hotel, and your Earline has effectively ruined my mood. I’ll call you later.” And with that, he pulled up in front of the hotel and walked around to open her door.
The slight peck he gave her on her cheeks was evidence of the mood he was in. She understood his anger because he blamed her friends for her leaving before. Nonetheless, the entire thing had put her in a foul mood also.
Walking into the hotel’s lobby, she thought she heard her name being called, but she was furious with herself and with Earline for intruding on her time with Foxx. Her repeated calls only served to remind Foxx that she had chosen them over him.
Walking quickly to her room, she thought she heard her name being called again, but knowing Foxx had driven off, she knew it couldn’t possibly be him. Anyway, the voice had a feminine tone to it. When she felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned with a scathing put-down on the tip of her tongue. She had a strong aversion to being touched by strangers. She was stunned to find herself face to face with none other than Earline.
“Earline, girl, you gave me quite a scare. What are you doing in Martinique?”
“You weren't returning my calls, so I came to take you home.”
“Forgive me if I appear to be a bit slow-witted, but would you please repeat what you just said?”
“I said I came to take you home. You know what happened the last time you were here, Therèse.”
“That still doesn’t explain your presence here. How long have you been here?”
“I arrived on the island last night, but it took me a while calling all the hotels before I was able to locate the one where you were staying.”
“But why would you go to such lengths to find me? Who else is here with you?”
“No one; I came alone.”
“Did it ever occur to you that I was just where I wanted to be? That I’m an adult and don’t need you meddling in my affairs?”
“Therèse, I know that seeing me this way was a surprise for you. Is there somewhere we could go to discuss this in private?”
Therèse hesitated because, for some unknown reason, she didn’t want Earline in her room.
“Do you have a room here?” Therèse asked.
“Yes.”
“Okay, let’s go to your room, but I’m pressed for time because I have to put in a call to my mom. How did you know I was on the island anyway? Did my mom tell you?”
“No, no one told me. I just put two and two together and took a chance in coming here because I haven’t seen you for almost three months now.”
“I’d no idea you kept such close tabs on me, Earline. I don’t even talk with you that often when I’m
home, so why the obsessive concern?”
“You may not talk with me, but I know everything you do because I make it my business to know.”
“Why?” she asked in bewilderment.
“I’ll explain when we get up to the room.”
“This I’ve got to hear, and it’d better be good.”
“I hope you’ll think so after I’ve had an opportunity to explain. I only ask for you to hear me out.”
The entire situation was so bizarre Therèse could only follow Earline into the elevator and watch as Earline selected the fourth floor. That was the same floor her room was on. And not surprising, Earline had the room right next to hers. This was getting stranger and stranger.
Therèse followed Earline into the room and did not miss the fact that she had not taken the time to unpack. She wondered, not for the first time, whether or not Earline had lost her mind, but she was willing to hear her out.
Closing the door behind her, Earline appeared to be behaving normally by being hospitable. “Would you like a bit of tea?”
“No, I’m good. What’s going on?”
“Therèse, I don’t know how to begin to explain my actions in coming here uninvited to you, but I’ll try.”
“Please, I’m all ears.”
“I was very upset about your involvement with this man, whom you had only just met. It didn’t take you long to become obsessed with him. I tried to talk some sense into you, but you were having none of it. I didn’t think you were that kind of girl.”
“Wait one minute, Earline. You didn’t think I was that kind of girl. Exactly what kind of girl are you implying I am?”
“The kind of girl who would take up with the first man who made googly eyes at you.”
“Googly eyes? Is that what you think this was? You’re so full of yourself, Earline, you leave me speechless.”
“When I found out you were seriously considering marrying this man, a man you had not known for any length of time and who lived in a foreign country…But more than that, when I saw you were prepared to abandon the business you’d worked so hard to open just to be with this man, I was convinced you’d lost your mind. I knew I had to do something.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“But I was powerless in light of your infatuation with him.”
“Wait one minute. Infatuation? Who the hell do you think you are calling my feelings for Foxx infatuation? Who gave you the right to appoint yourself my keeper? This is just too much.”
“I did it out of love, Therèse. I was concerned about you.”
“Earline, I’m not a child. I’m a grown woman who has been living on her own for more than five years. I make all decisions to do with my life and wellbeing. I have my parents if I need someone to nurture me. I never asked for this. Where do you get off trying to control me?”
“Therèse, when you put it that way, it does seem sort of weird, but that was not my intent, believe me.”
“Puh-lease!”
“Anyway, I was very relieved when one of Foxx’s women began threatening you. That was the perfect opportunity to make you see reason and bring you to your senses. We were all breathing a sigh of relief, even Marcie, when we made it back home.”
“Are you telling me that while I was suffering, scared out of my wits, you all were rejoicing? This is too much for me to take in now, and as I told you, I’ve got to call my mom. I’ll talk with you later.”
“Can we have dinner together if you’re here?”
“Earline, let’s get one thing straight. I’ll not be spending time with you. I came here for a purpose, and it’s definitely not to be with you. If I were you, I would be on the next flight home. But I’ll treat you like the adult you are and let you come to that decision on your own.”
“I don’t need you to entertain me, Therèse. I’m only asking you to have dinner with me if you’re here tonight.”
“I’ll let you know later.”
Walking into her room, she was still fuming. She knew she had to calm down before she called home because her mom would immediately sense that something had upset her. Therèse spent a good deal of time on her laptop. Reading her emails took the better part of an hour because she hadn’t checked them in two days.
There was a lot of the usual junk mail, but several were from Earline. It appeared she’d been trying to contact her for at least two days. Some of the emails sounded almost desperate in their tone. She kept feeling there was something she was missing in all this, but for now, she had to call her mom.
Picking up her phone, she dialed the number to her store, which was where her mom was supposed to be at this time of day. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard her familiar voice on the other end. After exchanging pleasantries, her mom asked about Foxx.
“How are things going with Foxx?”
“It’s going. I’m making some progress, but Foxx is very noncommittal, and I don’t want to pressure him. After all, I was the one who rejected him before.”
“Have you heard from your friend Earline? She’d been inquiring about you almost every day. It had become a nuisance, but I haven’t heard from her for a couple of days now.”
“You haven’t heard from her because she’s now on the island and staying at the same hotel I am!”
“How’s that possible?”
“I don’t know, and I’ve been trying to figure it out. I was taken by surprise when I walked into the hotel and found that she’d been hanging around the lobby waiting for me to appear. She seems to think I’m her responsibility. Just thinking about it is upsetting me.”
“Don’t let her upset you and ruin your time on the island.”
“I’m trying very hard. She asked me to meet her for dinner this evening. I’ve not committed to it because I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about this, but knowing her, she won’t take no for an answer. So, I’m thinking I should take the bull by the horns and get it over with quickly.”
“Does Foxx know she’s there? Is she having dinner with the two of you?”
“No, Foxx doesn’t know. I saw her after he dropped me off this morning. I don’t know what Foxx’s plans are for this evening. We almost got into it because of those numerous phone calls from Earline. At the time, I thought Foxx was just being too bossy. Now I’ll have to apologize to him because it turned out none of my friends liked the fact that I was going out with him. So he had reason to be concerned.
“How’s the sale of the business going?”
“I wanted to talk with you about that. Your father and I thought we’d keep the store going until you have a firm commitment with Foxx. We’ll send you a monthly income from whatever we take in. How’s that?”
“Mom, I don’t want you to do that. I might be here for a while. Whose idea was this, yours or Dad’s?”
“It was both of us. We didn’t want to see the place sell at a loss. This way, we’ll keep it until the market recovers, and that will give you the time that you need.”
“You think of everything, Mom. I don’t know what I’d do without you and Dad. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about sending me any money for a while. I’m going to freshen up and work a bit on the Internet, and then I’ll make my way over to Earline. I’ll call you again tomorrow.”
“Take care, love, bye.”
chapter
TWENTY-ONE
She spent a couple of hours on her computer, as she told her mom she needed to do. She emailed Marcie, one of her alumnae sisters, to inquire about the decision that prompted Earline to make the trip to Martinique after her.
It surprised Therèse to learn that neither Marcie nor any of the other members knew anything about Earline being in Martinique. That threw her off for a moment because somehow she’d thought it was at their instigation that Earline had come after her. Now this information changed everything.
She picked up the phone and called Foxx to tell him about Earline. After several rings, the call went into voice mail, so she had to leave him
a message. She hoped he wouldn’t take long to return her call because she could remain in her room only so long. Undressing, she lay down on the bed, and before she knew it, she was asleep.
She’d evidently been more tired than she thought because she slept for the better part of five hours. When she finally awoke, it was three thirty in the afternoon, and she had missed Foxx’s call and two calls from Earline.
She hurriedly called Foxx back and was happy when he picked up the call on the first ring.
“How are you, sweetheart? I tried returning your call before, but I got your voice mail. Where are you?”
“I’m in bed asleep.”
“I’m sorry. Are you asleep now because I’m wondering if I’m having this conversation with someone else?”
“No, you aren't, silly. I’ve something to tell you. Are you done with your business?
“I’ll be finished in an hour or so. Why?”
“Can you come over here when you’re done?”
“I thought you’d had enough of me and wanted me to stay away, or did I misinterpret your signals?”
“You most certainly did. I can’t wait to see you, so are you coming?” she replied, laughing as she blew kisses into the phone.
“It must be something very important. Should I come up to your room, or are we meeting in the lobby?”
“I’ll expect you in my room. You do remember the number?”
“Yes, of course I do. But you can give it to me again, if it’ll make you happy.”
“Oh, I’m in 402, on the fourth floor.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in a couple of hours. Put your mouth to the phone. I am sending you a kiss until I see you to take it from your lips.”
“You are indeed a very silly, silly man.”
“D’accord. I agree; I adore you.”
Therèse remained lying on the bed, too lazy to move. She must have dozed off again because she was awakened by the ringing of the hotel phone. By the time she scrambled to get it, it had gone into the hotel’s voice system.