by Rosemary Rey
I must’ve giggled because Stella asked, “What’s so funny?” With a giggle of her own.
“I love your interactions. You’re the bossy baby sister. It reminds me of me and my brother.”
“Oh, what’s his name.”
“His name was Tomas. We called him Tommy.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Oh. Thank you. It was a while ago. I’ve made peace with his passing a long time ago. I’ll just live vicariously through you bossing Matt around.” She laughed, and I joined her. Once she finished plating the food, I helped her set them on the table. Dinner with Stella and Craig was comfortable. They talked about a variety of subjects: work, Leona, Matt and Stella’s parents whom I’ve yet to meet, and their childhood. Craig was as animated and as good of a storyteller. He shared his stories of growing up in Maine where they met one summer. They’ve been together since they were seventeen-years-old and even enjoy working together, which I found really special. I never had that experience, and I reveled in their story.
As we talked throughout dinner, Matt was affectionate with me; holding my hand, stroking my back, squeezing my thigh and knee. It was a very intimate expression. I took a moment to silently pray that we would have many more occasions to spend with Stella and Craig. Leona was such a good baby, eating diced food from Stella’s plate. She’d laugh when we’d laugh. She’d scream when we were silent, encouraging us to talk and laugh, which we obliged. I could see why Matt was in love with this little girl. Somewhere in my mind, I wondered what it would be like to have Matt’s baby; a little girl like Leona. Leona would smile at me, point and laugh, looking between me and Stella, encouraging her to get in on the joke. She appeared to have a nonverbal conversation with Stella. I was impressed that Leona knew some sign language to express her emotions and needs.
When everyone was done with dinner, Stella rose from her seat and removed Leona from the highchair. “I have to get Leona to bed, so it’s time for a bath. Matt, give Perla a tour of the house.”
Craig rose from the table. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a couple of things to do in my office for a project that’s rolling within a couple of months. I have one tough boss.” He winked and smiled. “I shouldn’t be more than twenty minutes.” With that statement, I presumed Stella was a supervisor. Matt’s look was impassive.
“Are you ready for the tour?” He extended his hand to mine.
“Yes, but first let’s get these dishes to the kitchen and clean up a bit for Stella.”
“Oh. Sure. Yeah. Great idea.” We collected all the dishes and flatware and brought them to the kitchen. I told Matt to wipe down the table and high chair and sweep up because he knew where to find everything.
I loaded the dishes in the dishwasher, soaked the pans with caked on food, and cleaned the things that couldn’t fit or go in the dishwasher. I wiped down the counters and the range. When Matt was done, I took the sweeper and swept the floor. Matt put away all the cleaning materials. I loved working together. I had a vision of us in a large, open concept home like this, cooking and cleaning beside each other. I dismissed the thought. It was too soon for me to think about a domestic future between us.
“Why don’t we go outside and walk the grounds. They have a spectacular piece of land and they’ve brought in some friends who are landscape architects, who made it really beautiful.”
He opened the French doors in the kitchen and we walked out to see a completely lit up backyard. Everything twinkled from strategically placed lights. To the left was a pool enclosed by black wrought iron fencing, which was ensconced with lights. Straight down and to the right was a large white Gazebo. Matt walked us to the Gazebo.
“In the Summer, this is the best spot to sit and relax.”
“Doesn’t it get buggy out here with all the landscaping? I’d be eaten alive by mosquitos.”
“They have a machine that attracts and traps the mosquitos. They’ve thought of every creature comfort for outdoor living.”
“It’s beautiful.” I remarked as I looked around. He had me take a seat on the bench.
“If you like this property, I should take you to see mine. I live about five minutes from here.”
“Did you live there with your ex-wife?”
“Yep. I kept the house . . . I haven’t been back for several weeks. We’ll stop over. I want to switch cars. The weather is better, so it’ll be good to drive something different.” I smiled up at him.
“I’ve had a great night with your sister and her family. Thank you for bringing me.” I leaned into his body and held his bicep as we looked out at the lights surrounding the property.
“I’m curious. You didn’t tell your sister that we met in your office. Why?”
“Well, you’re my patient. I can’t even confirm with anyone else that you’re a patient . . . to protect your privacy.”
“Well, I’d rather you tell people we met at your office, or better yet, the gym. It sounds a bit cliché to have met at the club. Those relationships are predestined to fail.”
“I’d rather not tell people that I met my girl in the examining room. It doesn’t make me look professional.” He stroked my arms, keeping the night chill from reaching my bones.
“Then we met at the gym on the day you actually met me in the office, and you didn’t ask me out until after you saw me at the club. Acuerdo?” I extend my hand in a handshake.
He shook my hand in agreement and responded, “Acuerdo.” He pulled me in for a kiss. I breathed in his amazing scent. His arms snaked around my arms, covering me with his body and bringing me close. I pulled away.
“We aren’t going to make out in your sister’s gazebo. That’s just wrong.”
“Yes, we can.” He leaned in for another kiss. “I think my sister likes you. She’s a pretty tough cookie, but she seems to be cutting you some slack tonight.”
“Well, she isn’t cutting you any slack and I gotta say, I like it.”
“That’s because you like bossing me around.” My eyes widened.
“That’s not true. I resent that.” I blushed.
“You know you do. You like to control me in bed.” I gasped, my cheeks burned with embarrassment. “I like controlling my pleasure. My needs come first, but I don’t boss you.” I explained.
“Well, I like it.” He kissed me. “I like you. I knew I’d like you when my nurse, Annie, said that you were great. When she spent about ten minutes with you, asking questions about your history, you made her laugh. She came out of the room smiling when she’d been having an awful time during that period. The first thing she said to me before I walked into the room, ‘She’s a keeper’. I didn’t know what she meant by that, but when I entered the room and saw you and your smile. I instantly understood. Because you’re my patient, I didn’t think anything of it at first. But then I couldn’t get you out of my mind. I couldn’t get Annie’s statement out of my mind.” He sighed. I touched his forearm and snaked my other arm under his, reaching for his fingers. He opened up his fingers, allowing me to interlock mine with his. I gave his hand a little squeeze.
“I’ve been wondering, were all our encounters happenstance, or did you actively pursue me?”
“See what I said about inquisitive?
“Seriously!”
“All of our encounters weren’t coincidence. I returned to the gym just because I found out you work there. An appointment was cancelled by a patient, so I had a free afternoon to go to the club and I hoped to see you again. I wanted to see if we could make a connection, but I was too nervous to approach you, having just examined your hip.” I smiled at his revelation. He liked me, and actively pursued me.
He continued, “I don’t even like working out on machines. I found you at Lumiere because I heard you tell your friend the day, time and location of your night out. I asked Paul, and he told me you would be there with some of the girls from the gym. I asked a few of my buddies to go out. Brady’s an investor of Lumiere, so it was easy to get on the list and get a lounge. Wher
e we were seated is his table, which is always reserved for his use. I wanted to run into you. However, I didn’t think you would give me a show.” I bumped my shoulder into his and smiled.
“I saw you on the dreadmill.” He laughed at my little joke. “I didn’t think you were paying attention. You were wearing ear buds. It’s such a loud machine and the background noises and music. How could you possibly have heard me?”
“I turned it down so I could hear your voice. I have great hearing. I didn’t have the courage to talk to you. I couldn’t find a reason to talk to you since I’d seen you that morning. I haven’t actively pursued a woman in years.” My heart melted at his candor.
“Even after your divorce, you didn’t pick up women?”
“No. I wasn’t ready to date for a long time. My friends and family would try to set me up on dates. It never progressed beyond dinner. Don’t get me wrong, I had plenty of relationships and dates before I got married, but I just wasn’t ready to start over when it was over.”
“I know what you mean. I didn’t really date before Ben. I was too insecure.”
“What? But your beautiful.” He interrupted.
I smiled, “Thank you.” I gave him a peck on the cheek. “I married him when I was twenty-two-years-old. He was my one and only. Once our marriage was over, I didn’t think I’d ever date again. I built this impenetrable fort around myself. I was done with love. I was done relying on a man. I’ve been single for two years, and you are the only man that I’ve had an interest in dating. And if this doesn’t work out between us, I’m joining a convent, ‘cause I’m done with men. You’re all pains in the asses.”
He released a guttural laugh, “Another thing I like about you, your honesty. You don’t hold back.” He lifted my hand and kissed it.
“I don’t like games. Dating would be a lot easier if couples were honest. I’d rather a guy say, ‘No, I just want to fuck you and don’t have an interest in seeing you past the three minutes it takes for me to come.’
“I’m definitely not that guy. I last a lot longer than three minutes.” He joked.
“I know you do, baby.” I took his jaw in my hand and kissed him. “I know you’re not that guy. I got that from the beginning. My friends always have to excuse the guy and the games that are played—‘he’s busy with work’, ‘he’s tired’, ‘he’ll call me on Wednesday because the rules say that he can’t call me sooner’. You’ve not done that at all. You’ve made this easy.” I squeezed his strong hand. “I just hate the game-play so much that I’d rather not date. And if we, me and you-not hypothetically speaking, can’t speak truthfully to each other, then we shouldn’t waste each other’s time.”
He bowed his head for a few seconds in thought, and looked away. I bumped his side trying to elicit a response. I took a deep breath and summoned the courage to speak again.
“I’m going to ask the question that women are taught to never ask a man for months and years on end. Where do you see this going? I know a man needs the chase to keep him interested, but if you say, let’s have fun and see how it unfolds, I’m fine with that. However, I want to know if you’re in and that you’ll be honest with me. I don’t want to get hurt because I’ve been burned before If you can’t be real and tell me how you feel about me and about us, then that’s a deal breaker.” My heart fluttered hoping he would agree to my offer. He was silent for much longer than I’d hoped.
“I’m in. I’ve been in since I took you home with me. I was in when you stayed. When I found you sleeping on the couch, looking so beautiful and at home, in my home, I was in.” He smiled and continued, “I wanted to take you home and do unspeakable things to you. It was the first time in a long time that I felt like that. But you got hurt and passed out. I couldn’t do anything to you until you were conscious. It was nice to just lie next to you, hearing you breath, feeling the warmth of your body. I didn’t dare touch you because I didn’t think I could have controlled myself.”
“Well, you certainly made up for it the next day.” I kissed his arm. He looked at me and leaned in, kissing my lips, magnetically pulling me closer to him. His hand released mine, stretched its way toward my lower back, and gripped me on my backside. His right hand snaked under my knees and in one fell swoop he pulled my body to his lap.
“You’ve got to stop picking me up, you’re going to hurt yourself.” I admonished.
“Shut up.” He silenced my mouth with his fervent tongue. I moaned at his command and his deep kiss. He’s so gorgeous and sexy that I couldn’t help but demonstrate my passion for him. Despite all my scolding about picking me up, I am most drawn to him because he is strong enough to physically pick me up. Part of me hopes that he can also pick me up emotionally. I’m so afraid of getting hurt again. With each kiss, lick and nibble, my doubts about his feelings faded away.
I pulled away and said, “We should get back. They’ll wonder where we are.” He cupped my chin again and gave me one last peck. That kiss melted my insides. I put my legs down and he pushed me up by the hips. Once he stood, he took my hand in his, and gave it another kiss. In my life, I’ve never had so much affection given to me. He was usually so serious that the ease in which he kissed me made me think that this was real.
As we walked toward the house, I decided to invite him to Chelsea’s wedding. “Matt, I’m wondering if you would like to escort me to my friend Chelsea’s wedding. It may be short notice with your schedule, but if you’re free and up to attending, I’d really like you there.” I asked, hoping he would accept. Meeting families and attending weddings in such a quick span of time could prove to be too much.
“When is it?” He seemed to be calculating his plans for the foreseeable future.
“In two weeks from today. The wedding is in the South Shore.”
He pulled out his phone, and retrieved his calendar. He frowned and sighed. I could tell that he was having an internal debate.
“If you can’t, that’s fine.” I felt deflated, but didn’t want him to be conflicted.
“No. I mean, yes. I’d love to, but I have to travel that week and I wasn’t due to return until Sunday after the wedding. I have to change my schedule around.”
“Are you going to Spain that week?”
“Actually, I’m traveling to France. Another team wants to retain our practice for medical treatment. It would bring a lot more business. This team has more money and they will transport their athletes to the US. I can also visit them when I’m out in Spain. They’ll even transport me on their private jet and fly me back and forth from Spain to meet with the other team.” He sighed, conflicted with what to do.
“Listen, your trip is important because it not only affects your career, but that of the practice. It’s okay. I’ll just have to share my Dad with my sister. He’s invited too. I won’t be able to dance with him for too long because he has two bum knees, but I’ll manage to still boogie.” I smiled, hoping it could convince him that all is fine.
“I’m not saying ‘no’, but I’ll need some time to reconfigure stuff, if possible. When do you have to RSVP?”
“I already did a month ago, before we met. Remember, I had no intention of dating, hence I didn’t use my plus one. Chelsea already extended an invite when I asked her.”
“I’ll figure it out.” He cupped my jaw and leaned in for a kiss.” Let’s go inside. You’re cold.”
I held onto hope that he would be able to attend. I knew for a fact that Ben would be there, and I really wanted to show him that I’d moved on with a very desirable man. Was it selfish? Absolutely! However, I deserved some retribution for what he put me through in the last years of our marriage.
***
After we spent another half hour with Stella and Craig, we said our ‘goodbyes’ and set off to Matt’s home. I was nervous. I didn’t know what to expect. Would there be pictures of his ex-wife around the house? Would there be things of hers still in closets and drawers? Did he keep their marital bed? Would being there remind him of her and forget abou
t me? Those were questions I wouldn’t dare ask him. It isn’t any of my business. However, I felt uncomfortable doing anything sexual at the house. More specifically, on their bed.
Matt pressed the buttons on the visor of his car and a black gate opened up. He drove us through, pressed the button again to close it after we drove forward.
We drove up a long winding driveway, and ultimately arrived at a house. It wasn’t a house. It was a mansion. And for some strange reason, I felt gutted. I had never expected to see this amazing sprawling estate in Massachusetts, and the owner just so happened to be the man I’ve been sleeping with for exactly a week. I felt ashamed and humbled because he’s seen the state of my meager apartment. He knew how many jobs I work to make ends meet. Despite my knowing that he owned several homes, not seeing them kept me somewhat in the dark as to his financial status and power. I tried to calm myself from the panic attack that was rising as we neared the stone lined driveway. He had a four car garage offset from the house. He pressed another button and one of the garage doors opened up and he drove in.
The lights unveiled the finished garage that housed two other vehicles and a motorcycle. “I didn’t know you rode a motorcycle.” I couldn’t contain myself. I used to ride with Tommy all the time before he died.
“I haven’t done so yet this season, but yeah, I ride. I’ve ridden to Maine. Zipper and Lark ride with me. The other two don’t care for it as much. We’ll take it out for a spin when the weather gets warmer. I’ll just have to buy you some gear.”
“Some gear?”
“Helmet, leather jacket, pants. Better to be safe than sorry.”
“Sure, of course. My brother Tommy would take me out on his motorcycle, but there wasn’t a jacket or pants. He would give me his helmet. Then again, he was a major risk taker.” My smile faded as my thoughts went to more sorrowful memories.
“I’ll show you inside and we’ll switch cars to the Mercedes.” I spotted a sleek, black convertible Mercedes Benz. It was only big enough for two people. Matt unlocked the door leading to the house. From the outside, I thought it was a detached garage, but it happens to be attached to the house and there was a wide passageway leading to the main section of the house.