To The Woman He Loves

by Theresa Hodge

  Chapter 16

  Ruby

  I sat in front of my vanity and put the finishing touches on my hair that was in an upswept curly do with spirals of curls hanging loose to encase my face. My hair had started to grow thicker and was looking fuller, and I was wearing wigs less and less. My red ballroom gown billowed out from below my waistline and adorned me as if I were an eighteenth century queen. It had been a while since I felt gorgeous, but that’s how I felt as I stood up and wrapped my shawl around my arms. I was accompanying Ronan to Turner Enterprises’ annual masquerade ball.

  He was standing in the doorway watching me, when I turned around.

  “You look absolutely stunning, Ruby,” he said as he walked over to take my hand.

  “Thanks. You don’t look too shabby yourself, Ronan.” Dressed in a black tux with long coattail and an old-fashioned red, silk ruffled shirt designed with ancient times in mind, Ronan looked like divine royalty.

  “The sitter is here and we have to get going,” he said.

  “I’m all ready to go, just let me grab my clutch and mask,” I said picking up the items on my way to the door.

  “How are you feeling tonight?” he asked as we walked downstairs.

  “I feel good. Ready to have a good time,” I said.

  “Great, we’re going to go mingle a little and be back home by ten or eleven,” he said as he picked up his gold mask with an intricate red design surrounding it.

  “Sounds good to me,” I said, adjusting my shawl.

  “Come here,” he led me to our full mirror in the hallway. “Do you see how your pretty brown cheeks are perked up? Do you see how perfect we look together as a couple?”

  I looked in the mirror. I looked and felt vibrant for a change, and for all outward appearances we did portray the perfect couple. Us standing in the mirror would’ve made a Kodak moment for sure.

  I peered up into the mirror again and looked into his eyes, wanting to find the man I loved and kiss him, long and hard. His neck eased down slowly bringing his lips close to mine. I closed my eyes and felt his lips cover mine. My guard slipped when his tongue slithered into my mouth as he attempted to deepen our kiss. But I pulled away. I didn’t want his passion to rise and the kiss to get out of hand so I ended it abruptly.

  “We don’t want to be late,” I said, clutching the items in my hand. I walked to the door and waited for him to join me.

  The ride over to the Miami Marriott Marquis was mostly quiet. I figured Ronan was thinking about the way I cut him off in the middle of our heated kiss. Either that, or he was thinking about sneaking away on another date with Serenity.

  Last week, when I’d been calling his phone and leaving messages, I went to JTC Kitchen & Bar to get his favorite dessert to go with our dinner. But when I pulled up to the building, what did I see? Ronan’s hand on the small of Serenity’s back ushering her into the bar. Her dress was clinging to her like a second skin on her thick apple booty, and jealousy ignited and burned through me like a wildfire as I continued to watch them.

  They looked like the perfect couple, too. Both so young, healthy and vibrant. Ronan bent to whisper something close to Serenity’s ear. The intimacy of their behavior struck me deep like the steel blade of a cold knife, a knife twisting itself deep within my guts. They were smiling and stepping out in public as if he didn’t have a wife. Just like the love he declared he had for me was all one big, fat, gigantic lie.

  I remember thinking, no wonder he didn’t answer my calls, as I sat in my car and fell apart watching them together. Approaching them with tears in my eyes wasn’t an option, so I drove home contemplating my next move, which I still haven’t quite figured out.

  Ronan thought I was sound asleep when he entered our bedroom at one o’clock in the morning later on that night, but I wasn’t. I watched him between the slits of my eyelids as he tiptoed through the room to the shower.

  The next morning, I woke up and fixed a hearty breakfast for him and the kids and acted as if nothing had been wrong and his deceit was hidden from me. I’d always been a person to allow people to show me who they were through their actions, and I wasn’t liking the conclusion I was coming to about Ronan.

  I pulled myself from my musings as Ronan handed the keys over to the valet to park our SUV. I stood on the other side of the vehicle waiting for him to join me as we walked through the doors of the Marriot arm and arm on the red carpet.

  We entered the contemporary and elegant ballroom that hosted exquisite arched floor to ceiling windows that invited one to notice the beauty of the full moon with a sky full of twinkling stars to behold. I knew in daylight those same windows would give off a view to the array of beautiful flower gardens that surrounded the landscape.

  Waiters and waitresses worked the room with champagne in crystal glasses on trays. Ronan grabbed two flutes off a tray and handed one over to me.

  I didn’t accept it. “I’m not drinking anything tonight,” I said, knowing I couldn’t mix alcohol with my prescribed medications.

  “I thought you loved champagne. Is this another change?” he asked, as he looked around the elegantly decorated ballroom.

  “Nothing has changed,” I said pursing my lips tight.

  “Yeah, suit yourself,” Ronan said as he turned up the contents of both glasses and guzzled them down. I could see his Adam’s apple bob up and down as he swallowed. He set the champagne glasses aside on a nearby table when he finished. “I know you will suit yourself anyway. You’ve been doing a lot of that lately.”

  “Excuse me? What did you just say?” I asked, ready to confront him on his bullshit right in the middle of that cheese-eating party, but Carl interrupted.

  “Ronan and Mrs. Michaels,” said Carl Stevens, a long-time friend and employee at Turner Enterprises. He extended his hand in greeting to Ronan then reached out to embrace me. His disturbance came right in time to deflect a public argument with Ronan.

  “Hello, Carl, long time no see.” I greeted with a bright plastered smile. “Did Lisa come with you?”

  “I couldn’t go anywhere without my beautiful wife. She had to use the little girl’s room,” he said with a chuckle. “And, it has been a long time. We still miss seeing you at Turner Enterprises every day. Your beautiful smile used to light up the place,” he added as he put his arms around my neck like an old friend would.

  “I’m sure you do miss her,” Ronan said, easing his arm around my waist and gently pulling me to his side.

  I quietly studied the wariness in Ronan’s gaze. This was new for him, acting jealous because a former co-worker and friend said he missed me. Carl calling my name drew me out of my thoughts.

  “What did you say?” I asked.

  “I was just saying that while we miss and love you, the new secretary knows her way around the office and she has excellent people skills. She says that you saved her life by giving her this job, Ronan,” he said turning to Ronan.

  “How did you save this woman’s life, Ronan?” I asked with a puzzled look in my eyes. I was surprised to hear he selected a new secretary to work in Jessica’s place, since he had not mentioned it.

  He shrugged his shoulders and fidgeted with his tux, as if he were uncomfortable. “Saying I ‘saved her life’ is strong language, when all I did was fill a temporary position. She just lost her job and I offered her one. It’s that simple,” he said suddenly avoiding all physical contact with me.

  “There is my Lisa now,” said Carl waving Lisa over as he gained her attention.

  I was glad to see Lisa but I didn’t want our conversation interrupted. It gave Ronan a chance to escape the subject.

  I caught up with Lisa for a few minutes. Then, it was time for everyone to be seated for dinner.

  “Seeing Carl must’ve been the highlight of your week. That’s the biggest glow I’ve seen you have in weeks,” Ronan said through the set tight line of his lips as we walked to our seat. He grabbed another flute of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter and threw it back in on
e swallow. “Is that what it takes to see you smile? Another man’s attention?” he added, for only my ears.

  Mark, Shauntay, Carl, and Lisa were at our table, so I just tilted my head to the side and whispered, “You have some damn nerve coming at me like that after you went on a date at the JTC bar with Serenity, of all people.”

  “I did not,” he said, looking at me like I was the one crazy.

  “You’re a damn liar,” I hissed out, “but we will talk about it when we get home,” I said through a forced smile.

  “Suit yourself, but it sounds like you’re cooking up some kind of story to make up for your own cheating and short comings,” he said.

  I tilted my head to the side and gave him a look that let him know I was on my last fucking straw. If he said one more word to me our personal business was about to be popular knowledge. He gestured as if he didn’t care to talk anymore and then turned to Mark and struck up a conversation. Dinner was served shortly afterwards and everyone dug in, except me.

  “Is something wrong with your food, too?” Ronan asked, as I picked at the food on my plate.

  “It’s fine…” my voice trailed as my eyes followed Ronan’s eyes that were slowly moving across the room.

  His eyes collided instantly with a stunning woman who had just entered the room. His breath caught in his chest as he took in her curvy body encased in a fitted mermaid evening ball gown with sequined beading and a tulle train attached to her shimmering silver gown. Her breasts were barely encased in the tight fitting bodice. As much as I watched her, I watched Ronan’s reaction to her. He only looked away from the woman, when she turned and walked in a different direction.

  “Ruby, you look flustered,” Lisa interrupted by leaning over to peer at me.

  “Are you okay, sis?” Shauntay asked with great concern in her voice.

  “I’m not feeling too well. I really hate to do this, but Ronan will you take me home?”

  Ronan jumped to his feet as if a match had been lit to his ass. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  “Is there anything we can do for you, Ruby?” Mark and Shauntay inquired looking worried as I stood and said goodbye to everyone around the table.

  “I feel a migraine coming on and before it gets too out of hand, I just want to go home, pop a pain pill and lie down,” I said in a strained voice.

  Headache wasn’t the only thing I felt. A strong piercing in my heart caused me to nearly double over in pain, from seeing Ronan react to that woman like that. I had no doubt that she was his new secretary.

  “Poor dear, we really do hope you feel better,” said Lisa, speaking on behalf of Carl as well.

  “Take care of that beautiful wife of yours,” called out Carl to our backs. “Our Ruby is too precious for you to allow anything to happen to her,” he added with fondness.

  “Will do,” Ronan gave a quick reply over his shoulder, before leading me out the door. We stood outside in the balmy air waiting on the valet to bring the SUV around. Ronan put his hand on the small of my back to help me inside the car.

  “Don’t touch me!” I jumped away from him. “Keep your hands off.”

  He raised his hands in the air and went around and got in the driver’s seat. The ride home was just as subdued as the ride before. This time, I knew my heart was breaking because I’d seen Ronan look at another woman the way he used to look at me.

  Entering our home, I left Ronan to dismiss the babysitter while I walked upstairs. It wasn’t long before he came into the bedroom while I slipped out of my heels. He got a Tylenol from the medicine cabinet and handed it to me.

  “Here’s some water and a Tylenol,” he said and handed me a nightgown. I took the medicine and placed the glass on the nightstand. I turned my back to him and he unzipped my dress.

  As he began loosening his bowtie, I asked, “Ronan, who was that woman wearing the silver dress?”

  “Ruby, there were many women wearing different variances of silver and gray tonight. You expect me to tell you the names of each one?”

  “I’m talking about the one who you couldn’t take your eyes off.”

  “I don’t recall staring at anyone in particular,” he said. “Wait, first you accuse me of dating Serenity and now I’m supposedly stalking someone with my eyes at the ball? What are you trying to say? Damn, I wish you would make up your mind. Being paranoid doesn’t look good on you,” he said with impatience.

  “I know for a fact I saw you with Serenity.”

  “Yes, you did. We were both entering the bar at the same time, so I talked to her. She had a to-go order and went right home after she picked it up. I had planned to go in for a few drinks before coming home,” he said. “But I ended up watching the game and having one too many shots.”

  “Why didn’t you answer my calls though? At first your phone was ringing and then it started going straight to voicemail,” I questioned further. The part of his story about him miraculously walking into the bar at the same split second that Serenity did was plausible. However, him sending my calls to voicemail didn’t add up.

  “At the time that you called, I was in a meeting about Turner business,” he said.

  Was it possible that our lack of intimacy was causing me to see something that wasn’t there? Maybe there was validity in his accusations, after all. Maybe I was becoming a bitchy, insecure, paranoid wife.

  “Well, I’m sorry for accusing you of being with Serenity. But that’s still no excuse for you to act the way you did with Carl. We’ve known him for years and he’s a good friend of ours. There was absolutely no need for you to be jealous.”

  “I apologize for that. You are right. It just does something to me to see another man touch you.”

  “Then you know how I felt when I saw you touching Serenity.”

  “Point taken,” Ronan said as he helped me into my gown. “It won’t happen again.” His hand lingered on my shoulders burning through layers of skin.

  “Good, now I want you to go back to the ball and enjoy yourself,” I said, pushing him away. I was completely drained of energy. I lied down on the bed, rested my head against my pillow, and immediate relief overtook my body. I was tired of arguing and just wanted to rest peacefully.

  “No, I wouldn’t feel right leaving you. How would it look to others for me to leave you alone when you’re feeling ill?”

  “No one will think badly of you. It’s only a migraine anyway. Once these pain pills take effect, all will be good in my world. All I’m going to do is sleep anyway,” I said as I slid between the sheets.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “I’m positive,” I said closing my eyes and drifting into a deep sleep, before Ronan even closed our front door.

  Chapter 17

  Ronan

  I arrived back at the hotel and the party was in full swing. People had taken to the ballroom dance floor. Music from the live entertainment filled the room with an upbeat number that had the dancers shaking their hips and gyrating to the rhythm of the beat.

  “I thought you had left,” a soft voice said coming from behind me.

  I turned around to confront the elegantly and sexily dressed Misty Crewe. “I did leave but now I am back,” I said feeling a smile beginning to form on my lips.

  “Did your wife come back with you?”

  “No, she’s the reason I had to leave in the first place. She wasn’t feeling well,” I replied.

  “I’m sorry she’s sick, but I am glad you came back. I can have you to myself for a while,” she said.

  My eyes widened at her admittance. Misty didn’t beat around the bush. Her outspoken truth was my hidden desire, as well.

  “In that case, I am glad I came back,” I finally admitted as I looked into her seductive brown eyes.

  As her warm gaze held mines, I wondered for a moment how it would feel to be inside of her. I could feel an uncomfortable tightening in my dress slacks as the images of Misty Crewe’s naked body writhing beneath my own in wanton pleasure assailed my mind.


  “Ronan, what are you thinking?” she asked stepping closer to me, so close that I could see the lighter specks of color surrounding the irises of her eyes. Her sexy perfume filled my nostrils, when she invaded my space. I inhaled her scent like it was my last breath.

  “I am thinking things I have no business thinking,” I muttered.

  “Tell me,” she whispered as her tongue swept across her plump lips wetting them.

  I inhaled her scent again deeply and wanted to capture her tongue inside my mouth. I shook myself from the trance she’d caught me in and took a much needed step back. I put extra space between us as I tried to reclaim my senses.

  “This can’t be happening I told her. Especially here,” I said looking around to see whether we gained anyone’s attention. I especially wanted to make sure Shauntay and Mark weren’t observing the mystifying connection I shared with Misty. If Shauntay witnessed my demeanor, she would know exactly what was going on. But, everyone was either dancing the night away or in deep conversation as the unlimited supply of alcohol, food, and good music circulated through the room.

  “I could use a drink,” Misty finally said.

  “Now that’s doable,” I said as we walked over to the bar area.

  We each ordered our drinks and found a quiet corner to enjoy them as we watched people dancing on the dance floor. We talked and laughed and talked some more before Misty said she better not drink anymore because she had to be coherent enough to drive home. I agreed with her and offered to walk her to her car. She had parked across the street since she didn’t want to pay the hefty fee for valet parking. I walked with her across the street to her 2009 blue Toyota Camry that was in the free parking area.

  She popped the locks with her automatic key.

  I opened the door for her to get in. “Good night, Misty,” I said stepping away from the car.

  “Good night, Ronan,” she said gazing up at me longingly as if she wanted to say something more but decided against it.