Beginnings

by Yolanda Stokes

  “Mr. and Mrs. Coleman, I want to thank you both for having me and making me feel so welcomed.”

  Stephanie waved his thanks away, “You don’t have to thank us as you are welcomed here anytime and please don’t be a stranger.” She informed him giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

  Keith walked with them towards the front yard, “Baby girl why don’t you leave your car here and Reg and I will bring it to you tomorrow before it’s time for you to go to the center,” Keith offered.

  “I don’t have to be there until around one, but I do need to run over to Jeremy’s so that I can convince him to come in and take measurements for the shoes and then go see Roberta about coming in and measuring the kids for their leotards.”

  “You can use the truck and I’ll take the Porsche, because I have to go into the office for a few hours,” Ethan offered.

  After everything was decided on they left and headed home. He liked the sound of them going home together. He’d enjoyed her family more than he’d ever enjoyed spending time with his own family. He glanced over and noticed that Regina had fallen asleep, at the light he reached over and ran the back of his hand against her cheek and smiled when she whispered his name in her sleep. The honking of a horn forced him to pay attention and see that the light had changed. “Man, woman what a distraction you are.” He muttered pulling away from the light.

  Regina woke when he lifted her out of the car, “Ethan I can walk,” she said drowsily.

  “I’m sure you can, but I’d rather carry you in my arms,” he countered as he pushed the door closed with his hip and started up the walk to her front door. He paused long enough for her to slip the key in to unlock the door and then held her as she punched in the security code to disarm the alarm.

  “Are you hungry?” Ethan asked once they were seated on her cream sofa.

  “Not after all of that food you stuffed down my throat. I actually need to run a few laps to work it off.” She said jokingly.

  “Good, go up and change and I’ll meet you out front in about ten minutes and we’ll go for a run.” He laughed at the look she gave him at his suggestion, “Ah come on, you said that you needed to work off the food so I’m giving you a fun way to do it now so go on up and get changed.”

  Regina reluctantly did as he suggested and met him outside on the sidewalk ten minutes later. After a quick warm up they started off with a light jog and by the time they returned Regina felt revived and rejuvenated and she was starving. “How about you come over after you shower and we can prepare dinner together.”

  Liking her suggestion Ethan leaned down and captured her mouth with his, “See you in ten,” he said before heading inside. His answering machine light flashed red signaling messages, having a feeling that most would be from his family he decided to check them after he came back from Regina’s.

  *****

  Madeline replaced the receiver after leaving yet another message for her baby brother praying that he would accept her apology and forgive him.

  “Still no answer?” Chester asked as he came into the bedroom.

  “No. Either he’s out or he’s just not answering my calls, which I can’t blame him.”

  Chester pulled his wife into his arms comforting her knowing how hard it was for her not being able to contact her brother to ask his forgiveness. “Sweetheart I’m sure that if he was there he’d answer, now why don’t you just wait until he calls you back and then the two of you can talk.”

  “God I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much and I thank God for you every single day.” She confessed smiling up at him. “I can’t believe I let what I believed to have happened back in college to influence me for so long. And to allow it to come between me and my baby brother just amazes me.”

  “Well baby, everything that happens in our lives will have some kind of influence on our lives whether it is positive or negative, but it is up to us to determine how much of an influence that experience will be. Now I think I’ve been to long without my wife and since our brood is sleeping I think I’ll have some pie.”

  *****

  Regina opened the door wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts and her hair fell in curly waves down her back and around her lovely face. His mouth watered at the sight of her and he knew it was becoming more and more difficult to keep his hands to himself and not to beg her to allow him to make love to her.

  “Come on in, what would you like for dinner?” She asked turning and heading for the kitchen.

  His eyes were immediately drawn to her nice rounded ass and his cock grew a little thicker and harder.

  “Do you have any idea of what you want?” She asked again and it took everything in him to swallow his true desires. When she looked back he was still standing at the door with a hungry look on his face. “Are you okay?”

  Ethan took a deep breath and shook his head trying to get under control “Yes I’m fine just…” he trailed off not knowing what to say. “How about grilled shrimp and scallops with a Cesar salad?” He offered instead.

  “That sounds good and I’m sure I have everything we need in stock.”

  They worked well together in the kitchen with an ease that gave an outside observer that they had been working together for years. They shared a bottle of wine with the meal that they’d prepared together laughing and talking and enjoying each other’s company. After the kitchen was cleaned they made their way to the living room where they curled up on the sofa to watch a movie and to his utter amazement she loved gory horror films just as much as he did.

  The ringing of a phone drew him out of a deep and comfortable sleep. Reaching over his head he grabbed the phone and answered, but the person had hung up. He noticed the movie was over and the clock on the mantel showed it was after midnight. Regina lay stretched out on top of him sound asleep, he maneuvered his body in order to lift her and carry her up to bed. Once there he placed her underneath the rose colored comforter leaning down to give her a quick kiss. He checked the front door and set the alarm before he left by the back door and headed over to his own place.

  The messages were from his mother and the rest from his sister and one from Karen. He knew the last one he wouldn’t return, but he’d call his mother and sister first thing tomorrow morning.

  He was awakened by the sound of the doorbell ringing, which pissed him off because the dream he’d been having was filled with everything that he wanted to do to Regina. With a groan he looked over at the clock and noticed that it was just seven o’clock. Throwing off the covers he headed downstairs to answer the door and was totally surprised to see his sister standing on the front porch. “Hey Maddie, what are you doing here this early?” He asked stepping back to allow her to enter.

  “Did you get my messages?”

  “Yes, but I didn’t get home until late and had planned to call you this morning before I went into the office. What’s up? Is something wrong with Chester and the girls?” He asked concern replacing the sleep.

  “They are fine. I just wanted to come and talk to you…to apologize for the way I acted yesterday at mom and dads and for the way I acted when we came to pick the girls up.”

  He saw the sincerity and pain in his big sister’s eyes and it tore at his heart, he pulled her into his arms and held her as she cried.

  “I’m so sorry for being such a snooty bitch and it is all because of something that had nothing to do with you or Regina,” she confessed between sobs.

  “Come on I’ll prepare us some breakfast and you can tell me what happened.”

  While he cooked she made the coffee and told him about her relationship in college with her first love. While she talked he dished up the grits, eggs and bacon as she poured the coffee. “So to protect you from being dismissed by your friends and peers he left without saying anything making you think that he’d used you when in fact he loved you enough to walk away.”

  Madeline nodded, “Yes and apparently he went to see mom and explained everything to her. She kept it t
o herself thinking that I’d gotten over it, but when she saw what I was doing to you and how I was treating your relationship with Regina she knew it was still affecting me. I hope I haven’t done anything to hurt what was going on with you and Regina.”

  He rose and walked to her pulling her into his arms, “No sis you haven’t hurt anything between us as a matter of fact after I left you guys yesterday I called her and she knew something was wrong immediately. She demanded that I join her at her family’s cook out. I met her family and we had a wonderful time together.”

  Madeline saw the look in his eyes and knew that he was falling hard and fast, just as she had for Chester.

  “You really like her don’t you?” She inquired.

  “Yeah, I like her a lot and it scares the hell out of me. What I feel with her is nothing like I’ve felt for any other woman before in my life not even Karen. Hell we haven’t even slept together…well we have, but nothing ever happened intimately, but it still felt right to wake up in bed with her.” He stopped talking when he heard his sister laughing, “What in the hell is so damn funny?”

  “I’m sorry baby brother, but you are so in love and you don’t even know it. Oh, by the way why didn’t you tell me about that bitch Karen sleeping with Frank Jr.?” She demanded punching him in the shoulder.

  Ethan feigned pain, “I didn’t tell you because I knew that you would want to go over to her place and kick her ass and I don’t need Chester having to worry about bailing you out of jail.”

  They visited for another thirty minutes before she left and instead of going to her car she walked next door to Regina’s place and rang the doorbell. She wasn’t surprised by the cold greeting she was given when Regina opened the door. “I know you don’t have to, but I was hoping that you and I could talk for a moment.” Regina hesitated only a moment before she stepped back to allow Madeline to answer.

  “Would you like some coffee or something to eat?” Regina offered.

  “No, Ethan just stuffed a full breakfast and half a pot of coffee down me, but thanks anyway.”

  “He does have the tendency to force feed you even when you try and tell him that you aren’t hungry, but it is really hard to tell him no.”

  Madeline watched the way the woman’s eyes lit up when she spoke of Ethan and she saw the same thing that she saw with him. She was falling for him just as hard and fast as he was for her. “I wanted to come over and apologize for my behavior yesterday and when Chester and I came to pick up the girls. The way that I acted had nothing to do with you or Ethan, but with a relationship I had in the past.” Seeing that this woman would probably be her sister-in-law, she felt it was safe to tell her everything. And when she was done, Regina hugged her and comforted her until the tears dried up and accepted her apology.

  Chapter 10

  Regina hugged Jeremy when he agreed to providing the shoes for the kids at the center. She’d set up an appointment for him to come by the center for measurements for the following day. Done with him she made her way across town to Roberta’s to brow beat her. “Hey Berta how would you like to do me a huge favor.”

  Roberta rolled her eyes and smiled, “Jeremy just called me and warned me that you were on your way and yes I’d be happy to help out with the clothes for the kids and anything else you need.” Regina hugged her friend thanking her for being such a great friend.

  Thirty minutes later she made her way to the center in time to prepare for the afternoon tutoring session.

  Ethan looked up when his office door opened and his cousin Frank Jr. walked in, he kept his face blank not giving anything away. “What do you need Frank?” He inquired.

  “I came by to see if I could talk some sense into you. Selling this company is the worse thing that we could do at this point and time.”

  Ethan leaned back in his seat sighing deeply as this was the same crap his cousin had been spouting since the announcement of the sell had been released. “Frank, you have nothing to support what you are saying, where as I have documentation and facts to prove that with the way the economy is going selling now is the perfect time to do it. Besides the deal is done and there is no changing it now.”

  “That’s bullshit and you know it!” Frank Jr. exclaimed. “I’m going to find out the name of the company that you are making this deal with and I’m going to stop you if it’s the last thing I do. As a matter of fact I’m calling for an emergency board meeting to force you to give the name of the company.”

  Ethan rolled his eyes as his cousin was a bigger fool than he thought he was, but before he could respond his secretary knocked on the door and entered. “Mr. Thompson, this special delivery came for you, whatever it is smells wonderful.”

  Ethan sat up when Mrs. Wells placed the steaming package on his desk. He removed the envelope that was stapled to the side.

  “I figured you wouldn’t get a chance to grab lunch so I did it for you. Hope you enjoy. I’ve also included a meal for Mrs. Wells.

  Regina”

  The smile that crossed his face lit up the room, “Mrs. Wells, you have a meal in here also.” He stated as he removed the contents of the bag. There were two covered containers one with his name on it and the other with Mrs. Wells. After handing Mrs. Wells hers he removed the lid of his and groaned. She had prepared grilled salmon with steamed vegetables with a cream sauce. Sitting down he unwrapped the silverware and took his first bit. His eyes closed as a deep satisfying moan escaped his lips.

  Mrs. Wells notice a note attached to her container, opening it she smiled at the words written on it.

  “Mrs. Wells, I didn’t feel right sending him a home cooked meal without taking care of you like I’m sure that you take care of him. I hope you enjoy.

  Regina”

  The words and the gesture really touched her, “You be sure to tell her thank you for me.” She instructed Ethan before she walked out to enjoy her lunch.

  Ethan was half way through his meal when he remembered his cousin was still standing before him. “Look Frank, you can request an emergency board meeting all you want, but unless all of the board members agree to the meeting it won’t happen it has to be a unanimous agreement and I can promise you that the only members of the board that are willing to do this are your parents. So now if you’ll excuse me I’d like to finish my lunch in peace.”

  Frank Jr. turned and stormed out of the room slamming the door behind him while Ethan picked up the phone and dialed Regina’s number.

  “I take it that you received my special delivery?” Regina asked as soon as she answered.

  “Yes baby I did and it is delicious. How did you know that this is exactly what I needed?”

  “When you mentioned having to go in I knew that you didn’t really want to therefore you’d work straight through to keep from having to stop for lunch. So after I finished my running around this morning I returned home and threw a little something together and had a courier delivery it while it was still hot.”

  “Everything is delicious and it was piping hot when we got it.” He informed her taking his final bite and polishing off the meal. “Now how about I prepare dinner for us to night at my place?” He suggested.

  “You don’t have to prepare dinner for me just because I prepared lunch for you.”

  “I know I don’t and that isn’t the reason I want to do it. I’m doing it because I want to prepare dinner for you and spend time with you.”

  The deep sound of his voice sent chills racing down her spine and making heat pool between her legs and she knew that she loved hearing that he wanted to spend time with her and she wanted to spend time with him.

  “I’ll be there as soon as I’m done at the center.”

  Ethan finished at the office ahead of schedule as his incentive was the thought of spending a romantic evening with Regina and preparing dinner for her. She was the first and only woman that he’d ever wanted to cook for. He made a quick stop at the market to pick up the fresh seafood for homemade seafood Alfredo. He couldn’t wait for
Regina to arrive.

  With everything simmering he headed upstairs to shower and change when he saw the flashing light on the answering machine, and decided to ignore it. After his shower he placed scented candles around the bathroom, he would light them as soon as Roland called letting him know that Regina was leaving the center. Once the candles were in place he placed the bottle of bubble bath that he’d picked up at Victoria Secrets on the side of the tub. He smiled remembering the looks some the women gave him as he stood there sniffing dozens of bottles until he found her scent. The cashier had even commented that the woman must be special. His thoughts were interrupted when his cell chimed in his pocket.

  “Hey buddy, she’s on her way,” Roland informed him.

  “Thanks bro I really appreciate it.” He started the water setting the temperature control before adding the bubble bath he’d picked up earlier. He’d calculated that it should take her a little over ten minutes to make it home and he knew it would be hard to wait.

  *****

  Regina made her way home to Ethan with her heart beating fast in anticipation wondering what he had in store for her. This was the first time in her life that a man had prepared a full meal for her. She was excited and just a little afraid of what he was making her feel. She was falling for this man and she hadn’t known him more than a few weeks. Hell it had taken three months before she’d felt comfortable enough with Joe to sleep with him, but with Ethan she was hard pressed not to jump his bones. He was such a warm and giving person and he made her feel safe and protected whenever she was around him. She knew he was attracted to her by the kisses they’d shared, but he’d never shown any other sign that he desired more or even wanted more between them.

  Regina sighed, her thoughts were giving her a headache, she would just let what was going to happen, happen and she would not fight her feelings and enjoy being with him. If his feelings don’t match hers maybe they will in time. She parked in his driveway she was tempted to run over to her place to shower and change, but she’d promised him that she’d come right to his place. With a sigh she climbed out of the truck and headed up the stairs to the front door and before she could ring the doorbell the door opened.