Eric drove along, pointing out buildings he considered below standard.
“Are you OK? You seem upset,” he said as he reached a red light and looked over at her contemplative face.
“I’m so sorry. I know things were going well this evening, but I saw something and…” Candy hesitated.
Eric grinned. “OK, what’d I do? It was the cake, wasn’t it? Too presumptuous?” he teased.
Candy laughed. “No. Let me ask you something. What would you do if you saw your best friend’s wife out with another man?”
“Whoa!” Eric said as she shook his head. “Is that what you just saw? No wonder you’re shaken up. Well, it’s important to not assume the worst. It could’ve been a business meeting, an old friend, a relative, or something purely innocent,” he explained.
“But he held her hand and kissed her,” Candy added, turning towards the window to look out.
“Oh, I see,” Eric said, his voice lowering. “From what I’ve heard, the woman rarely believes her friend anyway, or she may already know how he is but prefers no one talks about it to her.”
“That’s not how my friend is at all, though. I’ve known her since we were in the eighth grade. She’d be really hurt. She’s very much in love with her husband and made a lot of sacrifices to be with him,” Candy added defensively.
“Well,” Eric responded calmly, gently taking Candy’s hand into his. “You could call her and tell her or you could say nothing. If you think she’d be hurt, she may be more hurt by the revelation, and not be grateful that you told her. On the other hand, since you two are so close, she may really want you to let her know. It’s a hard call, but if you think about her personality and how you two relate, that will help you make your decision.”
Candy nodded in agreement.
“That kinda put a damper on the evening, huh?” Eric asked as he squeezed her hand.
“Yeah, kinda,” Candy responded softly. “Why do men cheat on good women? I don’t understand it. Dallas is nice, caring, and…”
“It’s not about that, Candy. It’s not always about the woman we’re with and what she does or doesn’t have. It’s about us wanting some excitement, something new to get our blood flowing. Sometimes we can have a main squeeze but still need other women. Some men just aren’t good at being with one woman, and it does not matter how wonderful our wife or girlfriend is, it’s just a man thing. It may seem wrong, but it is what it is,” Eric explained as he pulled into her driveway.
“I’m sorry about how the mood turned depressing. I have a lot to think about. I did enjoy our date though,” she said, smiling weakly.
“It’s perfectly fine. I had a good time, too. I really hope to see you again.” He leaned over close to her. “Can I kiss you goodbye?” he asked softly as his rubbed the tip of his nose against hers playfully.
“I usually don’t kiss on a first date, Eric.” Candy smiled, his beauty tempting her to throw her rules out of the window.
“Well, then, I’ll respect that, and earn my way up the ladder,” he said seductively as he pulled away from her face and readjusted his pants before opening his car door. He walked over to her side and let her out, walking her up to her front door.
“I had a really good time,” Candy reiterated as she retrieved her keys from the bottom of her purse.
“So did I,” Eric said. “Is it OK if I call you later tonight, to make sure you’re OK?”
“Yes, of course. Thank you, Eric. You’re really a sweetheart.” Candy leaned over and kissed his cheek. He smiled appreciatively as he watched her walk into her house.
“Goodbye, Beautiful,” he said, waving as she closed the door and waved back. He looked at the closed door for a couple of seconds, raised his eyebrow, and grinned before walking back to his car and driving away.
* * *
Candy continued to read her diary, bracing herself for the next pages she had written so long ago. She then stopped, closed her eyes, and decided she needed something to drink before she continued. Stirring under the inviting sheets, she pulled herself up and headed down to her kitchen. She surveyed her beverages and decided upon milk. She filled a glass with cubed ice, pouring the milk over the frozen chunks. Taking a sip immediately, she shut her eyes then placed the milk back into the refrigerator and closed the stainless steel door. She got back into her bed and picked up the black, leather-bound book and shook her head as she turned the page and continued.
FIRST-DATE PARMESAN SPINACH DIP
10-ounce box chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tomato, diced (optional)
1 chopped green onion
Add some garlic in there, and you surely won’t be asked for a kiss!
* * *
CHAPTER 5
Candy enjoyed her long, warm bath as Najee played softly in the background. Her vanilla and lavender scented candles filled the bathroom with softened ambiance as she sipped on a glass of sparkling white wine. The foamy, white suds tickled her flesh. She reminisced over the date with Eric and smiled. His scent, his smile, and his voice sent chills up and down her spine. Although her grin widened, it soon disappeared as she stood up to dry off, listening to the water make its way down the drain. ‘Dallas,’ she thought as she slid her silk burgundy and gold robe over her freshly lotioned body. She made her way into her bedroom and rubbed her temples, then looked at her phone and turned away.
Finally she picked up the phone and dialed Dallas’s number. She almost hung up on the third ring when she heard Andre answer the phone.
“Hello,” he answered. The sound of cars driving past could be heard.
Candy stood frozen, holding the phone tightly in her hand.
“Hello?” Andre repeated, this time with annoyance.
“Uh, hi, Andre. It’s Candy,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Hi, Candy,” Andre said dryly. “Dallas is a little busy right now,” he offered before asked.
“Oh, OK. Would you please let her know that I called?” Candy’s thoughts raced frantically. ‘Did he see me there?’ she wondered.
“I will.” Andre hung up the phone abruptly. Candy exhaled deeply and sat on the edge of her bed as she hung up the phone. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head as she took hold of her remote control and turned on the television. The phone rang, interrupting her runaway train of thoughts. She grabbed it and sighed.
“Yes,” she said as she channel surfed.
“Wow, it went that well, huh?” Eric asked as he pulled at the top of his boxer shorts. He looked down at his feet then closed the shower door.
“I finally got the nerve to call, and he answered the phone,” Candy said, disgruntled.
“I bet that was awkward. Did you get to talk to her?” Eric asked as he sat down on the top of his toilet lid.
“I didn’t even get a chance. He told me she was busy and that was the end of the call. Maybe he saw me.”
“It’s possible, I s’pose. Look, I want you to try to put this out of your mind. I know it’s easier said than done, but there’s nothin’ you can do about this, at least not right now.”
“I know. I just feel so bad about the whole thing. Thanks for callin’ me, though. I appreciate it,” Candy yawned.
“No problem. Not to sound uncaring, but I wanted to know if we could go out again in a few days? I know your mind may not really be there right this second, but I have to kinda get my schedule together in advance.”
“I understand. I have quite a busy work week ahead. What day were you thinkin’ about?”
“How about a quick lunch? You work downtown. My assignment is downtown right now. I can take you to lunch on Wednesday?” Eric stood up and looked at himself in the mirror from various angles.
“I don’t see why not,” Candy smiled. “Again, Eric, you’re a real sweetheart, and I had a great t
ime with you tonight.”
“Good. Now eat that cake up and go to bed,” he laughed. “I’ll talk to you soon. Sweet dreams,” he said before hanging up.
Candy continued to smile as she laid her head back on her pillow and watched the news. Her phone rang again. She looked at the caller-ID, and her heartbeat increased three-fold.
“Hey, Dallas,” Candy said between controlled breaths. “How are you, girl?”
“Pissed the hell off. Andre and I were supposed to go out to the movies tonight like I told you, and he had some last-minute meeting to run off to. We never get to spend time together anymore. Enough about me though, how was your date, Girl?”
Candy paused then said dryly, “Oh, it was very nice.”
“Well, don’t sound so excited!” Dallas teased. “What happened?”
“He actually seems great. We went out to dinner and had a really nice time. I just…” Candy looked down into her lap.
“You just what?” Dallas inquired with concern. “What’s wrong, Candy?”
“Dallas, is Andre near you right now? I need to tell you something.” Candy gulped.
“No, he left out to the store. You know you can tell me anything. Did somethin’ happen?” Dallas asked again.
Candy sighed and breathed deeply into the phone. “I saw Andre out with another woman tonight, at the restaurant that Eric and I were at. It took me by surprise because I knew you two were s’posed to be out together and they looked…comfortable.”
Candy was dying through the thick silence that lay between her and Dallas on the phone. It continued on until Dallas finally responded after taking a deep breath.
“What exactly did you see?” she asked coolly.
“They were sittin’ there holdin’ hands. The woman kissed him, and he smiled. They were talkin’ over drinks. I’m not sure what was going on, but…”
“What did the woman look like?” Dallas asked in almost a whisper.
“She was about your complexion, short black hair – I’m not sure what else. Oh, she had on a blue dress and long nails.”
Dallas pursed her lips together, “I see.” She sat down, almost losing her balance. “He told me it was Stanley…that he had a meeting with Stanley.” Dallas’s voice cracked.
“Dallas, let me come by or you come here.” Candy jumped up from her bed.
“No, Candy, that won’t be necessary. Thank you for tellin’ me. I’m sure that was hard for you to do.”
Candy could hear the strong determination Dallas mustered as she held a slippery grip on her composure.
“I didn’t want to tell you. I just want to be wrong about this. I knew, though, that if I was in the same situation, I’d want you to tell me. It was hard, but I did it because I love you and value our friendship. I think he may have seen me. Andre is usually very nice to me but was abrupt on the phone when I called you this evening.”
“You did the right thing,” Dallas said, her thoughts drifting in a million directions. “You called me earlier tonight?” Dallas asked, surprised. “He didn’t tell me. Interesting,” she added. “Candy, I don’t know if he saw you or not, but when he walked in the door tonight, we argued almost immediately. That’s probably why he had an attitude. He was probably so far up her ass he wouldn’t have noticed if Santa Claus and the Three Wise Men were there,” Dallas teased, her heart ripping into shreds.
“What are you gonna do?” Candy asked, worry coating each syllable she spoke.
“I’m not gonna address it tonight. I need to get my head together. I need to find out some information first. I have no proof, so I can’t be emotional about it. By the way, the woman you described sounds like a coworker of his that is always callin’. Damn liar,” Dallas blurted.
“Just know that I’m here for you. I’m so sorry about this, Dallas. Andre seems so in love with you. I’m still hoping for some sort of plausible explanation.”
“It all makes sense, Candy. The sudden meetings – on a Saturday, at that – and his nonchalant attitude as of late – this answers my questions. His verbal disrespect and repeatedly breakin’ dates – and the bedroom. Please, don’t even get me started. I had to go out and buy a toy. It’s barely happenin’, and when it does, it’s downright awful,” Dallas confessed.
Candy sat back down on her bed, fears welling up inside of her.
‘If Andre could do this to Dallas, there’s no tellin’ what other guys are capable of,’ she thought.
Dallas suddenly said, “He’s back home. Let me call you tomorrow.” The line went dead.
Candy stewed in her own thoughts until she fell asleep, awakening every hour or so and turning to and fro violently under the sheets, shrouded in nonsensical nightmares and loneliness.
* * *
“It’s not that simple,” Eric explained as he waved the waitress over for a refill on his Coke. “It’s not necessarily that he doesn’t love her anymore. I have to confess I wasn’t always a saint, but when I told a woman I loved her, I meant it, even if I was messin’ around on her.” He took a bite of his sandwich as he looked candidly into her eyes while Candy toyed with the croutons on her salad.
“It just really bugs me because I’m at the point of tryin’ to get serious, or allow myself to commit with someone, and to be honest, Eric, Andre was, or is, a good man. To me, if you love someone, you can’t cheat on ’em. It wouldn’t be in you to do it. You’d be incapable. It’ be like hittin’ your own mama.” Candy picked up her iced tea and took a few small sips before placing it back in its puddle of condensation.
“That’s because you’re thinkin’ about this like a woman, not a man,” Eric explained.
“Well, enough of that. We’re supposed to be on a date, and here I am monopolizin’ the conversation once again with scary love stories that don’t even belong to me. I apologize.”
“It’s cool. I know you need bounce these things off someone. Anyway, how’s work been this week?” Eric brandished the gorgeous smile that Candy saw in her dreams as of late.
“Pretty good, actually. There’s a lot of work to be done. The previous employees in the Finance office made a lot of errors, and I’m basically trying to correct years of craziness. I’m getting through it, though. My supervisor is very supportive. He and I meet all the time, even though he’s really busy. He always makes time for me when I need to discuss a report or whatever. I’m lucky I’ve got such a great boss. This is a new challenge for me. It’s a big company, and they seem to put a lot of faith in me. I appreciate that.”
“They obviously saw a lot of potential in you, and you’re someone that they trust. I think you’re someone that can be trusted, too.” Eric looked at her and winked. “I like that. You seem honest.” He reached across the table and touched her hand. “I want to gain your trust, Candy. I know after what happened with your friend and her husband, you probably can’t help but look at me sideways, and like I said, I’m no saint, but not all of us are the same. Eventually, some of us do grow up and become real men.” He picked up her hand and twirled it with his fingers.
“That’s good to know,” Candy said with a sly grin. “I s’pose time will tell, but I’m willin’ to watch and learn.”
“Good, because the proof’s in the pudding. I’m bein’ straight with you. I find you to be incredibly sexy and smart. I’m finally ready to date again and be in a committed relationship, and I’m done playing games. I’m done with just being out here, having fun. I want a happily-ever-after, too.”
“Well, you sure know what to say, Eric. It’s almost too good to be true,” Candy smiled.
“Yeah, but like I said, the proof’s in the pudding. Just watch me closely, very closely.” He focused on her lips and licked his own as he imagined kissing her.
“I better get back to the office,” Candy said, breaking the sexual tension building between the two of them. “Eric, thank you so much for lunch. It was really good, and it was nice of you.” Candy stood up and pushed her chair in while taking a final sip of her drink.
/> “The pleasure was all mine.” Eric picked up the check and walked to the front of the restaurant with her. As he paid, he stole looks at Candy’s physique while she turned away looking at the decorations in the lobby. He smiled, pushing the mischievous thoughts aside.
They walked out of the restaurant, and Candy made her way to her car parked at a meter. Suddenly, Eric swung her around towards him.
“I expect a ‘good-bye,’ and I want to see you this weekend – my place.” He held her close, looking down into her surprised face that turned crimson before his eyes.
“Well, goodbye to you, too,” Candy giggled. “It’s too early for me to come to your house. Bad things might happen,” she flirted.
“We’re both adults,” Eric said intensely. “Nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen. And if it did happen – trust me, it would be anything but bad.” He looked at her lips and resisted the urge.
“Oh, really?” Candy smiled widely. “Well, let me think about it,” she said as she slowly broke free from his passionate grip.
“You do that. I’m thinkin’ Friday night. Let me know if that works for you.” He waved, then turned and walked away. Candy watched his behind in his semi-tight work jeans.
“Even his ass is cute,” she said aloud before turning and walking to her car. “I’m gonna have to keep my eye on you,” Candy smiled.
* * *
“Your condo’s really cute,” Candy said as she walked inside, sliding her yellow windbreaker off and handing it to Eric as he closed the door behind her. She looked around, admiring the mini-bar in his kitchen. Wine glasses and beer mugs neatly lined one granite countertop while an ebony bowl of realistic looking dark-red Bing cherries sat on another. Across the way in the living room was a large, russet brown sofa with matching love seat and ottoman. Ivory pillows accented each one as they surrounded a glass coffee table. A 52” plasma television hung above the fireplace completed the room.
I Want Candy Page 5