Imagined Love

  “Hey,” Richard beamed when Jade opened the door. “Uh, I did tell you we were going to Sizzler, right?” he asked, admiring her form fitting little black dress. Even more alluring were the four-inch heels Jade wore with the diamond like straps coiling up her legs like a snake. “How come you’re so dressed up, baby? Don’t get me wrong, I ain’t complaining. You look sexy as hell!”

  “Well, I’ve been dying to wear these new shoes and they only look good with this dress,” she smiled, devilishly. “Oh, can you zip me up? Landon and Gabrielle are gone for the night so I didn’t have anyone to help me.”

  Richard said he’d be more than happy to do it then she turned her back towards him. He closed his eyes and hummed as he got a whiff of her other favorite perfume, Coty Wild Musk Oil.

  “So your roommates are out for the night, huh?” he asked, planting soft kisses on the back of her neck. “Ooh, you know something? I’ve never really seen your apartment before. Maybe you can take me on a little tour before we go to dinner. What do you think?”

  “Well, this is the living room.”

  “Umm huh,” Richard cooed, still kissing her neck.

  Jade took him by the hand and showed him the kitchen, bathroom, and Landon’s bedroom. “Oh, and what do we have here? I think this is my spot,” she smiled knowing full well that was the only room Richard was interested in seeing.

  “Wow! That’s a big, wonderful bed. I bet it’s nice in there.”

  “Yeah, it is. It’s lonely, though. I’m the only one who’s ever been in it. Poor, poor neglected bed,” Jade sighed.

  “I guess we need to do something about that,” Richard smiled, as he slid her dress off revealing the yellow teddy he’d given her. He just hummed and helped her out of that as well.

  Nearly two hours later when Richard awoke Jade was sitting on her bed next to him eating a sandwich and watching TV.

  “Please tell me I haven’t really been asleep for . . . two hours!” he yelped, looking at his watch. “Baby, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you wake me?”

  “You seemed so comfortable. And when you started snoring I figured you were really tired. Or maybe it’s just my big, wonderful bed. It is nice, huh?”

  “Yes it is. I don’t feel this good in my own bed!” Richard said, as he searched for his clothes. “But I’m sorry, Jade. Maybe we can still catch the movie at least. Just let me get cleaned up and we can go, okay? Man, I feel so bad.”

  “There’s no need to feel bad, Richard. We can still go if you want or we can just hang out here.”

  “Nah, I don’t trust this bed of yours. I’m scared I’ll pass out again if we stay so let me get myself together and we’ll go.

  An hour later, laughing over dinner at Sizzler, Richard told Jade that he’d like to sleep in her bed again. She smiled thinking he meant he wanted to make love to her again but he literally meant he wanted to sleep in it.

  “I’m serious, Jade. I haven’t slept that comfortably in I don’t know how long. Your mattress is just right. It’s not too hard or too soft but just perfect.”

  “Alright, Goldilocks,” she laughed. “I’ll try not to be too offended that you liked my mattress better than you liked me.”

  “Baby girl, please, you know that ain’t true. Your bed is comfortable and all but it was you that put me out like a light. You seduced me,” Richard whispered then covered his chest as though he’d been violated. “I was all set to be a good, wholesome boy and you lured me in.”

  “Yeah and it was so hard to do that.”

  “I know, huh?” Richard laughed. “I guess I was just excited for my turn to experience the big, wonderful bed.”

  “Your turn?” she frowned.

  The waitress came over to ask if they needed anything. Richard told her they were fine but Jade didn’t even look at her. She was waiting to hear his response.

  “Your turn?” she repeated.

  “Well, I thought maybe Landon had dozed off in it a time or two.”

  “Why in the world would you think something like that?” she snapped.

  “Look, Jade, I’m not trying to piss you off, okay? Just look at it from my point of view. Here you have two young, single, attractive people living in close quarters night after night, year after year and you’re trying to tell me that nothing ever happened?”

  “Nothing ever happened, Richard. I don’t know why that’s so difficult for you to believe but Landon and I never even thought about it.”

  “You may not have but I know he has! I’d bet my life’s savings on that. Okay, okay,” he said, seeing how annoyed Jade was becoming. “Maybe Landon’s just a better man than me because there’s no way on earth I could live in the same

  house and not make love to you. Hell, I couldn’t even make it through this platonic date without taking you to bed. And it’s obvious you and he love each other so why wouldn’t you have smacked bellies at some point? It could’ve turned out to be a mistake but how could you resist doing it at least once? I mean, did y’all ever come close?”

  “No, Richard. We don’t have those types of feelings for each other,” Jade said, growing more frustrated with him. “Haven’t you ever known a woman that was sexy and attractive but you just didn’t have romantic feelings towards her?”

  “Yeah, but I still would’ve screwed her at some point in a situation like yours and Landon’s.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to tell you, Richard. I haven’t slept with Landon. I’ve never come close or even fantasized about it. He’s my big brother. And Alonzo is his brother and that wouldn’t be cute to screw multiple members of the same family. So can we drop this because I’m really tired of talking about it? You obviously don’t believe me and there’s nothing I can do about that.”

  Richard was curious to know if her previous relationship with Alonzo was the reason Jade wouldn’t allow herself to be romantically involved with Landon. However, he knew it was best to let the whole thing drop. He apologized for upsetting her and promised not to ever bring it up again. Then Richard made a stupid joke to make Jade laugh before they raced to his truck to head to the cinema.

  During the month of May, Richard and Jade had plenty of fun times. He invited her for lunch at least once a week, sometimes more, and they were up on all the latest movies. Making love was still high on their list of priorities and they made time for it whenever possible. Landon had a fit every time Richard showed up at all hours of the night to pick Jade up for a few hours then bring her back like she was his hooker! He told him not to do it again but it was obviously Jade’s choice to go or not and she always chose to go. She was falling for Richard and believed Landon was wrong about him not being the one for her. It wasn’t love just yet, but they were getting close—or so she thought.

  By June things slowly began to change. At first it started off with a few unreturned calls. Jade had invited Richard to her apartment for dinner and he never responded. Then he came into Quik Stop the next week for his morning kiss as though nothing was wrong. He gave a lame excuse and promised it wouldn’t happen again. And then it did, the very next week. That time Richard was supposedly so busy with work that he couldn’t spare a few minutes to let Jade know he was unavailable. When she spotted him in a restaurant with another woman he swore it was just a business dinner and that there was absolutely nothing going on between him and his co-worker. Jade knew better but she chose to believe him anyway.

  Landon had made plans to propose to Gabrielle during her family’s July Fourth picnic and Jade left a message for Richard to join them. In fact, she’d left several messages the week leading up to it because she really wanted him to be there. And it had nothing to do with Landon since he and Richard could barely stand each other. Jade just wanted to feel like she was part of a couple. She wanted to do something other than hanging out at Richard’s townhouse or going to the movies. She wanted him to be a part of her life in a way he had managed to avoid since they’d been involved.

  Jade was upset and embarrassed when he didn’t
show up or call and figured it was time to call it quits. Richard was obviously done with her and didn’t have the decency to say it to her face. So in her fury, Jade left a message on his answering machine letting him know she was done with him.

  On Friday, the day after the picnic, Jade had just finished her shift and was heading home when Richard pulled into the parking lot. He jumped out of his truck with a huge smile and ran up to give her a hug. He lifted Jade off her feet and swung her around.

  “Ooh, I missed you,” he said, holding her tight. “I’ve been thinking about you all week. Did you miss me?”

  “Is this your idea of a joke?” Jade frowned, as she got out of his grasp.

  “What do you mean a joke? I just got back from Colorado and I drove straight here from the airport hoping I could see you.”

  Jade was dumbfounded. “Wow, so you’ve been out of town for a week and didn’t think that was worth mentioning?”

  “Well, I didn’t know I needed your permission to visit my daughter. I thought I was grown.”

  “Okay so you wanna act stupid, right? Whatever, Richard,” Jade said then began to walk away.

  “Wait, hold on, baby. I’m sorry,” he said, blocking her path. “That wasn’t necessary to say and I apologize. I just don’t get what the big deal is. I decided to go see Mya and now I’m back here with you,” he kissed her cheek. “I don’t see why that’s a problem.”

  “The problem is that I’ve left messages and even stopped by your place thinking something was wrong and the whole time you were off on vacation and didn’t think enough of me to let me know you’d be gone. But I guess you would’ve told me if I was something more than the little whore you screw when it suits you!” Jade snapped then pushed past him.

  “Whoa, wait a second, Jade, that was completely uncalled for!” Richard snapped, as he pulled her back to him. “You know damn well I don’t think of you as my whore! Don’t ever let me hear you say something like that again. You’re starting to sound like Landon.”

  “Maybe he has a point. Why else would you be so inconsiderate not to let me know you were going out of town? I wouldn’t have wasted my time inviting you to things or cussing you out on your answering machine for blowing me off.”

  “I’m sorry, baby. That was inconsiderate and I didn’t mean to make you worry or hurt your feelings. This is just how I am, Jade. I didn’t tell my mother I was going either. Mya said she missed me and wanted to see me so I called my boss to get the time off and I just left. I didn’t mean any harm and I apologize sincerely for upsetting you, okay? Let me make it up to you. What can I do to fix this? Come on, Jade,” he said when she continued to frown at him.

  “My birthday is in a week and a half. It would be nice to have a date.”

  “You got it,” Richard said then kissed her. “I don’t have to wait until then, though, do I? Can I see you tonight? I miss you so much, baby.”

  “I miss you too,” she admitted before agreeing to see him.

  When Jade got home and started gushing about Richard, Landon grew more frustrated with her. “What else does this dude have to do before you get it, Jade? If he can go on vacation for a week and not even bother to tell you, he doesn’t give a damn! What Richard wants is a sex buddy he can screw when he feels like it without the benefit of a relationship. And you keep agreeing to it every time you go running when he decides to see you. Have some respect for yourself, Jade. You’re not this dude’s call girl so quit acting like it. You had some good times with him but you need to find a way to let it go and move on.”

  Jade knew he was right but she still cared about Richard and wanted to believe he could change. Landon was clearly disgusted with her but she couldn’t help the way she felt.

  “Stupid,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes at her. He knew Jade well enough to know she wasn’t done with Richard yet. She was going to wait until he completely humiliated her first.

  “I got your stupid,” she snapped. “Apparently you’re having some kind of memory lapse, but I recall Cassandra quite clearly, you bastard! It’s not always easy to let go of a person just because someone else thinks you should. Is it?”

  “Dang, Jade, why I gotta be a bastard?” he chuckled, nudging her shoulder. “You got me. I was a fool for Cassandra. But look what it did to me. Do you really wanna feel like that?”

  “No,” she conceded. “I just hate when you talk to me like that . . . like you’re better or something.”

  “I’m sorry, baby girl. I definitely don’t think I’m better. I just hate seeing you hurt. Richard isn’t the one for you and I don’t want you to keep wasting your time with someone who’ll only keep disappointing you. He might straighten up for a few minutes but he’ll ultimately revert back to this same crap and have you all upset. And I know you always wanna understand people’s reasons for doing

  things, but what difference does it make why he’s hurting you? He’s hurting you and that should be enough to let him go. You deserve better than that, baby, and you don’t have to settle for less,” Landon said, as he embraced her. “But it’s your decision. You have to do what you think is best.”

  The following week Jade started planning Landon and Gabrielle’s wedding. They had gone to see a few wedding planners not having a clue how expensive they were. So Jade volunteered to plan the wedding once she realized she could do most of it at a fraction of the cost. She really enjoyed it and so did Landon. Gabrielle wasn’t the typical bride in that she didn’t really care about the details. She was more than happy to let her future husband and sister-in-law make all the arrangements.

  “Happy birthday, beautiful,” Richard said then gave Jade a warm hug. “You ready? I’ve got something really special planned for you.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked once they were in his truck.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Jade sat back and got comfortable preparing for the ride. She couldn’t hide her anger at having been promised something special just to be brought to Richard’s townhouse. She was fed up with it being the only place they spent time together. The scowl on Jade’s face turned into a smile when he opened the door revealing hundreds of lit candles. Next to grab her attention was the magnificent table he’d set. Richard led Jade by the hand to his bedroom to show her all the beautifully wrapped presents spread across his bed for her to open later. Whatever he had prepared for dinner smelled heavenly and Jade felt horrible for being angry with him. Richard had obviously taken a lot of time and care planning a wonderful birthday surprise for her and she was acting like a spoiled brat.

  He waited on Jade hand and foot and made her feel like a princess. He even carried her into his bedroom so she could open her presents. Jade was impressed with how well he knew her taste and how much effort he’d put into choosing the perfect gifts.

  “Thank you so much, Richard. This is wonderful! I’ve never felt more special in my life,” she smiled. “A girl could get used to this. I might have to marry you just for the gifts.”

  Richard didn’t find her comment amusing at all. Even after Jade explained that she was only kidding, his attitude didn’t change. He became serious and almost mean.

  “I was just playing, Richard. It was meant to make you laugh not piss you off. It was a stupid joke, geez.”

  “Yeah, you keep saying that but I don’t believe you. I think you really do believe we’re gonna get married and that worries me. I’ve always tried to be

  straight with you and I definitely never wanted to hurt or mislead you in any way. And I just feel like I’m gonna end up looking like the jerk who broke your heart when that was never my intention.”

  “I see,” Jade said, tossing one of the boxes back on his bed. “So how exactly will my heart get broken, Richard?” She hadn’t expected a silly joke to lead to something so serious.

  “Look, it’s your birthday. Let’s just finish celebrating and enjoying each other. We can talk about that later.”

  “Yeah right, like that’s gonna be possible. Just
say whatever it is you need to say to me. I’d rather know what’s up before I waste any more of your time.”

  “Don’t say that, baby girl. I haven’t wasted my time with you. I’ve really enjoyed you. It’s just that, well, I don’t see a future here . . . at least not like you do. What we’ve had this spring was great and I’m so happy I got to have you in my life. But truthfully, the woman I’d consider marrying would be more educated and have a career and not just . . .”

  “Oh I see! So the stupid little clerk from Quik Stop is good enough to bone but not to marry, right?”

  “No, baby, that’s not what I’m saying at all. You’re very intelligent and I know you’re gonna grow up to be a wonderful woman. It’s just that . . . wait, Jade, where are you going? Come on, don’t be like this,” Richard said, as he followed her out of the bedroom. “Please just sit down so we can finish talking.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about, Richard. You made yourself crystal clear. I get it. The ignorant clerk who apparently isn’t even a woman yet gets it,” she said then grabbed her purse and headed for the front door. “Thanks for giving me something to do for spring, though. I appreciate it.”

  “Come on, baby, don’t leave like this. Just let me explain, okay? I think you misunderstood what I was trying to say. Let’s just talk, alright? I don’t want you to leave, Jade. I wanna spend your birthday with you like we planned. Please, sit back down so we can talk this through.”

  Jade couldn’t believe her ears! “Look, I know you don’t think much of me, but I actually did well in English Comprehension class! There was no possible way in hell to misunderstand or misinterpret what you just said! And for the record, I haven’t had any thoughts of marrying you either, although I did consider you as more than something to do for spring. That’s cold. But I guess that’s what I get for thinking you’d be better because you’re older. I just wish you had told me this was the plan so I could have gotten my next lover lined up,” Jade sneered. “Why did you even bother accepting my invitation for a date if this was all you were gonna do? I wish you had left me the hell alone!”