by Xyla Turner
He turned back to Diamond and saw that her face was solid, as she had come to a decision.
“What’s is it?” Shane wanted clarification on what he knew would not be a decision that he would like.
Diamond pointed to Vivian’s room and said, “I won’t compete with her. I simply won’t do it. You don’t have to choose, but her problems have nothing to do with you right now. Her family is here and she needs help, but although it is noble that you stand by her side, I am telling you now, I will not compete with anyone.”
“Love, there is no competition. It’s just you.” Shane felt a ping in his chest.
“The fact that you’re here and we are not somewhere else discussing what we must, means there is a competition. I know, I know. She was on your doorstep, but Shane,” she shook her head, “I won’t do it.”
Diamond let him go and tried to back away.
“Fine, but let me be clear. You aren’t going anywhere. I won’t allow it, Diamond. I meant every word I said on that show. You still need to tell me what my actions have said to you.”
“Does this include your actions in the past hour?”
“Yes, even in the past hour.” Shane hoped he did not regret saying that.
“Fine,” she replied and attempted to leave again.
‘Tomorrow, just you and me. No disruptions. My place?”
“Okay.”
“Good.” he kissed her and she pulled away to leave.
Diamond could not help but believe history was repeating itself in her life. She thought that because she ran from her failure and left it in California, that she was now facing the same dilemma in DC. Cliff would always be out of the house, helping constituents in his district. When he wasn’t doing that, he was helping his campaign manager with her loans to start a business. The way Diamond was told the story by Cliff in his drunken rant, one thing had led to another and she was served divorce papers, while he was getting married to his campaign manager so they could be business moguls. She had a business-minded brain and was not weak, according to Cliff.
He was so caught up in her that as soon as they married, she popped up pregnant within four months of the marriage. Never mind that Diamond had a miscarriage after seven months of marriage, for it to end seven months later. Never mind that she was stressed beyond reason due to the cold climate in the house. In public, he doted on her and looked to be the honorable husband. In private, he barely touched her and there were no discussions. There were directions and after-thoughts.
Be here at 7:00 PM, I’m working late, and I’ll catch dinner on the way.
It was a complete failure and the only person she blamed was herself. She was not strong enough to handle a man with his demands, needs and even to carry a child. She was not strong enough to stand up to him and tell him his behavior was unacceptable. She also wasn’t strong enough to take heed of the warning signs that could even speak to how her life would turn out. Divorced in little over a year, childless, and forced to leave her home state because Senator Nevins was everywhere.
Billboards with his name and his wife’s new company were featured in a local magazine, they did an interview on the local news station and according to Weekly Magazine, they were California’s top power couple. That excerpt was the straw that broke the camel’s back in Diamond’s mind. She was living with her mom to get back on her feet. Cliff was lenient in his settlements, but Diamond did not want his money. His accusation that she existed because of him was enough for her to start all over, which she did. It was her failure and she would fix it. She just could not stay in Oakland, California to do it. They were kings and queens there and she was a mere peasant that either had to eventually bow down to them or leave.
Diamond chose to leave.
The next day, Shane called her to let her know what time to come over. The team had a late practice and he would not be home until nine o’clock. Under normal circumstances this would have been too late, but her lack of sleep and chest pains she knew was from the unease with her and him had her ready to talk. Diamond did not want to admit it, but she was falling for him hard and did not know how to stop. The words he said in his interview took more root than she wanted.
When she arrived, he had his dining room table set with plates, utensils, wine glasses and cloth napkins neatly folded on both plates. There were lit candles on the table, dimmed lights, a row of covered food and a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket that was sweating from the ice.
Before Diamond could sit down, Shane wrapped his arms around her center and exhaled.
“God, I missed you so much.”
“I missed you too,” she wasn’t afraid to admit.
Shane’s lips grazed over her neck until he kissed her spot. A shiver ran up her spine as he pulled her closer.
“Love, I don’t want to fight. I had hoped the interview would have cleared things up, but I need to make sure we are on the same page here,” Shane stated.
“Yes, I agree.”
“Good. Let’s eat and talk. I hope you like everything.”
Shane let her go and pulled out her chair, so she could sit. He picked up her plate and said, “On today's menu, we have baked Tilapia in a lemon sauce, Brussels sprouts, and homemade mashed potatoes. The red wine has been chilled, there is also a garden salad and tiramisu for dessert.”
“Did you make all of this yourself?” Diamond asked with a smile.
“Somewhat.” He cleared his throat. “I, uh, had some help.”
“How much help?” Diamond laughed.
“Weeellll, I bought the tiramisu.”
“But you made the rest of this?” She raised her eyebrows.
“I told you, Beatrice didn't play.” Shane laughed.
They laughed and he put the food on her plate and then his. Once they were settled and eating, Diamond sighed and said, “I guess we should get this started, huh?”
Shane put his fork down and nodded for her to go.
“Shane, I left the bar that night because I was embarrassed. I felt like I was a charity case and we are really too new to be doing things like that. I, uh, don't want to seem ungrateful, but I'm not comfortable with receiving your help when it comes to my career. This is something I've started and done and I want my work to speak for me, not the people I'm associated with.”
Shane nodded his head and replied, “Okay, that's fair. I get that. But here is the dilemma. When my woman’s livelihood is threatened because she needs something to the point that I can intervene and help, I need you to know I am going to do something about it. I tried the non-threatening route, so you wouldn't know. You found out and didn't like it. Okay. Then I had to go the route of eliminating the threat. Diamond, what you failed to realize is that your actions impact me now. You, not having a job, would have surely taken you away from me. I won't let that happen, so if given that scenario again, I'll just go to plan b, first.”
Diamond’s fork was in mid-air and her mouth was wide open. She was in utter disbelief at his words. She thought there might be an apology or at least some remorse. Diamond should have known, not with Shane Sinclair. He could be sweet and arrogant and in that moment, he was doing both.
“Shane, what?” She burst out laughing. “How can say you'll do it again and I just told you I don't feel comfortable with it. Have you no regard for my feelings or attitude about this?”
“I do. But in this case where the extreme is that I would lose you from either resentment, you moving back to California or it would cause a major strike in what we are building, I can't have that, love. I won't.”
“That's a problem. Shane. A serious one.”
“No, not really. Don't get stuck on the fact that you didn't want to infringe on the fact that you know me. You work with a decent boss. You have coworkers that respect you and even protect you. And you love your job. Diamond, I can't really explain how honored it makes me feel that you wouldn't even ask me or take any help from me. I love that. I also respect it, love. However, I couldn't have you losing yo
ur job. You know me. You know I can't stand the press, media or those damn reporters. However, I withstood them, because my bigger picture includes you. I’m not dumb and you were right. I also needed to get over it. I listened.”
Shane stood up and came over to Diamond’s chair and bent down on one knee.
“Love, can we be over this?” He took her left hand in his.
Diamond listened to his words and began to understand where he was coming from. Even though she hadn't explained the full situation about where she was coming from. He needed to know, but she didn't think that moment was the time to tell it.
She raised an eyebrow and asked, “Vivian?”
Shane sighed. “Yeah, she's my ex-fiancée and she hasn't been doing well with our breakup. It happened on the day my father died, right before I knew he died. She wasn't what I wanted. She also wasn't the person she presented initially and I was caught up in what she represented. We would have been divorced and that's just not okay. I want to be in a marriage for the long haul. My parents had been married for over thirty years. That's the sort of legacy I'm looking to leave. Longevity.”
Diamond nodded her head. “So? Why is she cornering my friends and me telling us that you are engaged, she doesn't mind side chicks, but that she and you would discuss me?”
“Honestly, I don't know. I think she is having or has had a nervous breakdown or something. I suggested to her mom and sister a few weeks ago that they should get her evaluated. They said they would, then said it wasn't necessary because she seemed to be doing better. I think she was getting further in her delusion. She was calling all the time, talking about plans we had made months prior to us breaking up. My concern for her is only that I hope she gets help, but I do feel bad that her family hasn't stepped up to do what’s necessary.”
“That's unfortunate, but I also don't have a lot of tolerance for things like this. I'm sorry she is having a horrible time right now, but that is not my problem and I don't see how it is yours. I've been in a situation like this before and I won't repeat it. You have your limits and lines in the sand and so do I.”
“Noted.” Shane nodded his head.
Diamond nodded her head and ate some more fish.
“So are we done with this? Can I get a proper hug, call you and you answer in your normal chipper voice, can I get your smile back? Will you help this unease go away?” Shane remained on one knee beside her.
Diamond looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “You're not the only one with unease Shane.”
“Is that so? That doesn't make me feel better. The last thing I want for you is to feel unease, especially when it comes to us. Have you come up with your final report from your findings on my behavior?”
She smirked at him and said, “I’m still gathering intel.”
“Smart woman.”
She raised her wine glass and gestured towards his across the table for a toast. Shane stood and returned to his side of the table, raised his glass and extended it towards hers.
“To us,” she said.
He repeated, “To us.”
After dinner was over, Shane cut one slice of tiramisu, then went to Diamond and held out his hand. She grabbed it and stood up to follow him. She didn't say anything because the knot in her chest was gone and only flutters remained because of what she could only expect he had in mind for the rest of the night.
Shane led her into his bedroom where he sat down on the love seat and pulled her on top of him, so that she was sitting in his lap. Diamond yelped at the movement, but settled as she became comfortable.
Shane didn't say a word, he just took the fork, sliced a piece of the sweet dessert and brought it up to her mouth. She was sitting sideways on his lap, but she felt him get excited when she opened for him. His eyes dilated right before her as she took the piece and inserted into her mouth. Then he slowly pulled the fork out of her mouth so the metal from the utensil scrapped her teeth, causing a surprisingly seductive sound of two hard objects rubbing together.
The dessert was delicious, but nothing beat Shane feeding her in this erotic way. He cut another piece with the fork and continued this until it was all gone. Once he sat the plate aside, Shane reached up and wrapped his fingers around her neck, pulling her head down to him. When her mouth was inches away from his, he whispered, “I missed you so bad, love.”
Diamond pulled both of her arms around his neck and said, “I missed you too.”
Shane closed the distance and kissed her hard. At first she couldn't breathe, but once she overcame the shock of his invasion, she kissed him back. He started pulling her shirt off and she did the same to him. Once they were naked, he picked her up and proceeded to the bed. Diamond turned the tables around on him and quickly topped him, only to slowly kiss her way down his body. She took him into her mouth and her fingers felt the vibration of the shivers that ran through him when she took him in.
It was slow and methodical, but Shane knew that with more of her wet mouth wrapped around him, he would be a goner. She had just come back and he did not want that to be how he released himself first. Shane pulled Diamond up and wrapped her bent legs around his waist.
“Ride me, love,” he whispered in her ear.
Diamond obeyed his soft command and as she rode them both to their big moments, it was confirmed through everything but words. It was love. They were intimate all night, but mostly it was Shane holding her in varied positions and whispering that he'd never let her go.
Diamond just hoped that was true.
The next day, Shane made breakfast and served it to Diamond in bed. He did not want Diamond to leave because he had an away game that evening. It was only in Philadelphia, a three-hour drive, but he wouldn't be able to see her until after his game on Sunday. He tried to get her to go, but she declined several times as her family was coming into town.
Her phone was still buzzing from everyone including her mother. She was due in town that evening for the Redskins vs. Broncos game on Sunday. They had planned the trip in advance, so everything was already arranged. She made it known that she and Shane would be having a conversation. Diamond did not have any intentions of letting that happen.
She also had no clothes to change into, so she waited for Shane to finish his workout. During that time, she called everybody back including her mom.
Bridget was speechless, Trudy was talkative and predicting kids and marriage. Eddie and Regina were ecstatic and kept quoting Shane's 'If she'll have me’.
Her mom asked, “When are we all going out to dinner?”
After stalling for a little, Diamond finally admitted to her mom that she would not be having dinner with Shane. They were seeing where things went, so there would be none of that. Her mom simply made noise over the phone, which sounded a lot like, ‘we’ll see about that’. Diamond knew enough about her mom to know that the woman could sell the moon if she wanted.
When Shane returned back from his run, he hopped in the shower and pulled Diamond in too, who was in his t-shirt inside with him. They played and made sweet love against the walls of the enormous bath, until they were both pruned and exhausted.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Shane asked. “You can bring them along.”
“I can’t. There is so much going on and I have to prepare. We are going to Six Flags tonight and tomorrow is the Amish farms.” Diamond shook her head. “Then Sunday is the big game that my mom will be there for come hell or high water.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He toweled off and put on his traveling clothes. “So, when will I see you?”
“Probably after the game. My mom will kill me if she doesn’t get your autograph.”
“Gonna miss you.” He buttoned up his shirt and stared at her profile, while she put the shirt back on from the night before. “You need to keep some clothes over here. Bring some on Sunday.”
Diamond smirked at the comment and kept buttoning.
“You hear me?”
“Yeah, but I’m not shacking up with you.” Sh
e smiled and pulled on her jeans.
“Who said anything about shacking up? I just don’t want you to have to wear clothes you just wore the night before.” He moved towards her, then wrapped his hand around her neck. “Don’t worry, love. I’m going to do this right. You’ll be an honest woman.”
Diamond stopped completely and looked at him in the eyes. His gaze did not falter, nor did he look like he was joking. She cleared her throat to break the spell, but she knew that he meant every word and that revelation made her nervous. She had to tell him about Cliff and her failure. The last thing she wanted to do was not share something so vital about her past, when he was talking about making her honest.
After work, she picked up her mom and Trudy from the airport since Bridget had to work. Once they settled in at her apartment, they went to Six Flags Great Adventures in Bowie, MD, mainly because her mom had been to every Six Flags except the one in Maryland. None of them rode the rides, but played games, ate huge turkey legs and funnel cake. The three of them had a ball, catching up on life, including her mom’s men and Trudy’s flavor of the month who had potential. Shane texted her before his game, telling her to wish him luck. She did and sent a picture of them eating turkey legs.
The next morning, they all packed in a rental and headed to Pennsylvania to tour the Amish farms and attend a wine tasting. At first, Diamond was not feeling the entire event, but after observing their simple lifestyle minus the technological distractions of life, she was intrigued. All of these things causing her to think about the excommunication of members that don’t line up or agree and how that impacts the family. How rare is it when people have been raised a certain way, then that is all they know, but once they are exposed, they can go back to their safety nets or explore the big great outdoors.
The wine tasting was very nice as well, but she could not drink much since she was the designated driver. This did not stop Trudy or her mom, because they gladly drank her portion. They arrived back to Diamond’s apartment around nine o’clock, where both of her guests quickly passed out for the evening. Diamond was grateful for the break since she had to catch up on her work, until she ran across an email that made her heart stop.