Chestnut Brown And Cinnamon Happiness

by E. B. Brinson

Always forever yours,

  Cinnamon Happiness.

  Robert looked at the date on the letter and that was a couple of days before he met Maria. He remembered why he went another way it was because he wanted a change. After marrying his late wife he left the picture of his dream girl at his parents’ house because he had pictures of his dream girl. Why in the world was he just now getting the letter? Something inside of him had hope, but he was angry. Why would she keep this from him? It was like the woman was down the street or anything?

  Chapter Twelve

  Loren was thinking about what to wear in the meeting when she remember that her mail wasn’t check in about two weeks. She went outside to open her mailbox when FEDEX truck pulls in front of her house. A short man steps out of the car and asked her if she lived in that house. She told him she did. He handed her a package the size of a poster. As soon as she was in her house she opened the package. Inside of the package was a painting of her when she was little. She looked at the painted it was dated fifteen years ago. At the right side of the painting it had the words Happiness. Instead of having a name of the painter it had the date. She knew it was the first letter that she sent him. She wished she would had remember the number that she used to call him with. She could track him down.

  She paused and thought it had been a whole day and Robert didn’t call her. She didn’t care about the picture. She just wanted to see how he was doing. The picture was beautiful. She began to look at the picture again and realize this was the reason why she was so good at her job because of this picture. She figure if she couldn’t paint or she know how to put things together, but later on in her life she took a couple of classes so when she married. Correction when she married the man who sent the letters they have something in common

  She didn’t realize how much her mind wondered until she heard her phone. She answered and discover it was Lance telling her not to start cooking because he bringing so takeout. He also told her that he is coming in about thirty minutes. She told him ok. She rushed in the bathroom and took a quick shower. She didn’t have time to put to do her hair so she put her hair in a ponytail. She put on the first thing she saw which was a mint color sundress. She was very thankful that her legs were already shaved. She didn’t want to wear her contacts so she put on her glasses.

  Lance couldn’t sleep the whole night for thinking about Loren. He had a meeting with another lawyer named Davis who would be helping Loren with her job at the Publishing Company, but he canceled the meeting. He picked up some chicken lo mien, egg rolls, sweet and sour chicken and pork and some wantons. He really didn’t know what she like to eat so he got some BBQ also. He got the ribs and brought some rolls. He arrived at her house at six o’clock. He rang the doorbell and saw that Loren was in a mint color sundress with a dark green edge. He saw the dress and image that she was in nothing but, her bra and panties. She opened the door to let him in. Her perfume was a sweet candy smell and wished he had gotten something sweet. She told him to follow her to the kitchen, but he watches her walk in front of him. He thought to himself man she had nice walk. When she opened the bags she started to smile.

  “What you didn’t know what to get?” Loren said in almost a laugh.

  “I don’t know if you like Chinese’s food so I got ribs. If I didn’t say I would be here in thirty minutes I would have bought two pizzas. Oh, I forgot to get something to drink.” Lance said not taking his eyes off of hers.

  She went into the kitchen partly to get them some plates, but also to get away from his green eyes from looking at her. She could feel him undressing her with his eyes. She could almost uncomfortable, but she didn’t because he was good looking. She put the plates and silverware on the table then went back in the kitchen for the glasses. She was so happy that she had some sparkling cider in the refrigerator. She opened the bottle and poured their glasses.

  “Are we going to talk about the company that Maria left while eat or do you want to do that when we finished eating.” Loren said.

  “When can discuss business after we eat because all I ate was breakfast. I probably would be stuffing my face and not talking anyway.”

  With that she started to fix their plates. She filled his plate so many ribs that she had to get a second plate to put the Chinese food on it. Then she fixes hers with three ribs and rest chicken lo mien and the sweet and sour chicken. She takes the sweet and sour sauce and pour over lo mien. Lance watch with approval that she wasn’t these women that fix their plates with hardly anything on their plates. He was about to dig into his plate when he notice that she started to pray silently over her food. So he prayed three second for his food and another prayer that he would try to get her in her bed or any place her house really.

  “I wished I would brought you this wonderful apple tart.” Lance said wanted something sweet to wash down his food with.

  “Let me see what I have.”

  “If you don’t have anything sweet in your kitchen then I will just eat you.” Lance said it and smiled at thought.

  “What did you say?” Loren turns to look at him knowing that she didn’t hear him right.

  “I said if you don’t have anything sweet in your kitchen then I will eat anything you have with you.” Lance thought to himself that was a nice safe.

  “Oh, good, but that’s not what I thought you said. I guess all I have is can fruit. Is that alright?” She said as she was looking in her cabinets.

  “Yes, that is alright and afterwards I can help you with the dishes.” He said as he moved right behind her.

  She turned and she could feel his body heat. She waited for a moment and when he did nothing, but stare at her. Her heart started beat a little faster. He moved his head towards her and he smelled her neck. Now it was her who was imaging she undressing him.

  “What are you wearing? Of course I mean your perfume. You look lovely.” He said moving away from her.

  “Sweet pea is the name of it. Can you clear off the table while I get the bowls of fruit?”

  “Your house, your rules. How long have you live in this house? Not very long I guess.”

  “Actually, I only stay here about week before going to England. So tell me why did you want to meet tonight? Or was it excuse to get me to eat something with me.” Loren said as she passes him with the fruit.

  “It was excuse to get you alone. I am not sorry for doing that.” He said from the kitchen.

  “You should be. One of my best friends dies and have you for a lawyer. Let me ask you this why you? What was so special about you?”

  “Do you want me to leave? Forgive me for not being subtle like you are use to. I knew I might have a little time or a small window of space to get to know you. Is that so wrong?” Lance said as he moves closer to her.

  “No, its not that bad, but you still didn’t answer my question.” Loren said to him not wanting his closeness to bother her.

  “I will tell you in six months, but for now lets eat some fruit.” He said to her womanly place and not her face.

  It had been a little over a year since she felt a man’s lips brushing up against hers except for the kiss with Robert. The fact that she was here with this beautiful looking lawyer she felt wrong. She didn’t want to feel anything for him. She knew that he wasn’t the kind of guy you marry. He was the kind of guy she would have wild passion sex with. She wasn’t that type of woman.

  Lance wanted to be real with her and tell her the truth. He wanted to tell the real reason why he was there. Maria was very controlling he saw that now. He was supposed to keep her busy with him until Robert discovers the truth. He signed a contract and it would be another lawyer who would see to it that he did actually that. It wasn’t like he was complaining Loren was surprisingly good looking. It wasn’t hard for him to try to get her in bed in fact it would be hard not to. He wanted to spread that cinnamon all over him.

  Lore
n knew that this wasn’t going to be easy to work with him because only in secret did she share with Maria that she had a things for blonds especially with green eyes. Loren knew that this is why Maria had chosen this lawyer. Something told her to be on her guard around this guy. He might be good-looking, but the person she really was falling for she was told not to move on it for six months to a year. She was planning on listening to what Robert’s mother had told her when she was at his parent’s house.

  “Are you really overseeing me getting the new company or not?” Loren said backing away from him.

  “Loren,” He said as if he was eating something good. “I am really overseeing if you decide to work there. There is another lawyer, James Mc Clay and also Thomas. I am not lying I do like you. At least I know this much I am sexually attractive to you.” He said with a sexy smile.

  Robert sat in his dream home and thought how he was starting to really love his wife in her few moments alive, but even in death she was still trying to control everything. She wanted to play this cat and mouse game. Robert refuses for Maria to control anything else in his life. He needed a couple of months to get himself together. He needed time to think about all the things he been in his marriage. He needed to work out his feelings not just for him, but for Loren. Loren deserves a man who could give himself completely to her, but it would be hard since he wasn’t that man yet. He needed to a little more time off of work.

  He needed to think. He had all this anger that was still there. Robert thought it would all go away when Maria died, but he guess that she couldn’t just rest in peace like she was supposed to instead her ghost of controlling is trying to hunt him down. He needed to talk to his mother. He had to admit he wanted to see a picture of the girl he was trying to find. Although he hadn’t see those paintings in years he wanted to know what Maria was trying to pull. So he call the airport once more to book him a fight. He needed a conversation with someone who could really help him. He left at 6:45 in the morning. Her was ready for his real adventure to begin.

  Loren gotten up at six in the morning she needed to make a decision about whether or not she should take the job or not. She puts on her clothes and gets in the car just five minutes later. She needed to see Robert and since he moved out. She knew where Robert was going to be. He was going to be at his dream cottage. She thought that she wouldn’t mind living in something like that in the summers. She could see herself with Robert and some children. She should feel bad about that especially because his wife died. She figure that since Maria stood in her way of meeting of Robert a couple times that it was time for her to set everything straight. She arrived at his cottage at 7:15 a.m. It wasn’t for the accident on the highway she would got there around 6:30 a.m. She took a deep breathe when she notice that Robert’s car wasn’t the driveway. She waited for another two hours just as the sun was starting to be high in the sky. She goes back home and she knows what to do. Loren thought to herself, that she hates her job. She doesn’t know why she does it anyway. She didn’t know where Robert is. He hadn’t talk to her after they got off the plane. She was going to take the company that Maria left her. Maybe he just need some more time to deal with the fact that Maria was dead and that she really loved him. Secretly in the back of her mind she knew that whatever Maria was up to that even death couldn’t stop controlling her will to control her husband’s life.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Robert arrived at his parent’s house the next day. He had so many question that he didn’t even realize that he had until he had time to think on the plane. He came to realize that he didn’t even know why it was that his parents’ didn’t give the address to the girl he was writing all these years. Why was the mystery about the girl he called Cinnamon Happiness.

  He rang the doorbell and his mother came to the door. She looks like she was happy about seeing him. She gave him a hug and told him to go into the house. He had only had a couple of things with him. He wasn’t going to stay. Robert could smell the fresh bake bread in the oven.

  “How are doing dear?” Mrs. Martin said to her son.

  “I am still working the emotion of a bad marriage. You want to know I thought that I would have children. And we go on family vacations. Mom, do you remember the cottage that I painted the year I started to write my pen pal, Cinnamon Happiness? Well guess what Maria did?”

  “Telling with her it could be anything. Sweetie, what did she do?” Ms. Martin said with a little fear in her eyes.

  “She build the cottage for me…” Robert said, but was interrupted by his mother.

  “Oh, good I was thinking that she owes money and the bad guys was after or something as dumb as that.”

  “Well, mom almost. You know Maria, she is a little bittersweet. She build the cottage the way it looked in the painting, but I also found out that she held the letter from my pen pal.”

  “That makes sense now. I always wonder why you married Maria when it was so clear that you was in love with DC’s daughter. Now, that Maria is dead I would like to tell you that I really never liked her. I thought she was a little to needed and controlling.” Ms. Martin said.

  “Well, she is still that. I been married to Maria long enough to see when she is trying to do something. She probably hired lawyers to part take on sending my on this wild goose chase. So I want start dating Loren or something like that. Mom, why didn’t tell me her name.”

  “Me and your father wanted to make an arrange marriage, but you know how me and your father is. We have a hard time keeping our mouth closed at time. A long time ago DC and your father promise after we all got married that we never tell each other what our children was named. Your father wanted to see if fate would do the trip. We didn’t tell you her name because we didn’t even know her name.”

  “Do you have the paintings that I did of her when I was little until twelve years ago?” Robert said with hast.

  “Yes, I do believe so.” She told with her hands to follow her and he did.

  She went to open a wooden box in the basement. She smiled and opened it and to her surprise nothing was in the box.

  “I don’t understand. I have always kept the small painting of her in this box. You had five big pictures and they seems to be missing too. I guess I never notice it being gone before.”

  Loren spent all night writing her two weeks notice. She was nervous and excited like the beginning of her life was about to start. The more she started to write the words quit the more she knew that she was making the right choice.

  So the next morning she cooked her the best breakfast she could. And she put on the best suit or outfit that she could and headed off for work. She knew that most people work their whole lives to go where she is going into her career. The first thing she went was to her HR department and then to her boss. Just in case her boss would try to talk her out of it HR wouldn’t.

  She called Lance and told him that she would take the company that Maria own. She told him that she would go over things in two weeks. Lance agreed.

  The next two weeks would have made her quit anyway. She was sometimes putting in sixteen hours days. She remembered before she went to London how when she worked late Robert cooked her food. Just when the thought had entered her head the elevator opened up and she heard footsteps. After first the sound of footsteps had frighten her but she got a wind of calm came over her. Robert stood in front of her with a basket full of food.

  “What are you doing here?” She said as a numerous emotions came over her.

  “The last week or so I been trying to get you on the phone. Then I talked to Jason and he told me that you sometimes work up to sixteen hours a day. So I thought you might be hungry. Was I right?” Robert said with a smile.

  Instead of saying anything to him she went to hug him. She held on so tight. She wanted to tell him how much she missed him. She wanted to say that she wanted him to move back into her house, but she didn’t s
ay anything.

  “So, I guess I was right. Loren, I missed you so much. You don’t have any idea how much.” Robert said as he held her.

  As if she came back to herself she remembered that his wife just died three weeks ago. She knew that she loved him. If you love someone you set them free. Right? She backed herself away from him only to go back into his arms.

  “I am sorry I just missed you. How are holding up?” Loren said as she looked at him with worry eyes.

  “I am better now that I saw you. Do you need any help like filing or coping something? You know I am really good at that.”

  “Ask me after we eat.”

  Robert watched Loren as she ate. He didn’t even know that he was moving closer and closer to her. He wanted to kiss her at that moment, but since before his wife died he made a promise his self to faithful or to be more faithful to God. He prayed every chance he got. Robert understood that dealing with things in his former marriage will take some time. He just left the airport and bought the food and went straight to Loren. Normally it would seem too much work just to do for somebody. Loren wasn’t just somebody she was the one. He wasn’t sure what this girl now woman looked like, but he didn’t care. It took him a whole week to get over that fact. The only one he really cared about was Loren. He misses the way she would walk into a room. He even misses way her smell left room smelling sweet. He just missed talking to his best friend. He was glad before she left that she finally talked to him about the problems in their relationships. He felt like he was really in a relationship.

  Loren was glad he came; she finished two hours ahead of time. So instead of leaving the office at nine she left at seven. All she wanted to do is go into her house and take a bubble bath. She was glad to see Robert, but just need sometime to herself.

  “Are you going to be working late tomorrow as well?” Robert said as he walked her to her car in the parking garage.