A Forbidden Love (The Forbidden Series)

by Niquel

  We were greeted by a young Asian lady standing behind a narrow podium. She lifted two red menus from a pile behind her and escorted us to a small booth inside the Tiki room. There was a beautiful Chinese stone statue mounted on top of a small pool, surrounded by boulders and a black sprinkler system that consistently shot water inside the pool. Red and blue lights enhanced the crystal clear water and hand painted zen lanterns dangled above each booth.

  We sat down on these plush red cushions that were covered in black and white Chinese calligraphy. The hostess poured us two cups of water and informed us that our waitress was on her way. I scanned the menu for something unique, that I’d never had before.

  “How about we order a Scorpion Bowl for two, a pu-pu platter with crab rangoon, and a large shrimp fried rice. Since shrimp is our thing now.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me!”

  The waitress came over and Lance gave her our order. She let us know it would be about twenty-minutes before our food was finished, but the drink would be right out.

  She came back with a huge round yellow bowl, hand painted with a hula girl sporting a Hawaiian Lei around her neck, packed with a multitude of rums, vodka, fresh cherries, pineapples, juice and two huge bendable straws.

  Her assistant was close behind her with a small tray of bread and butter for us to eat before our meal arrived. Lance thanked them both and we dug in.

  “So, what makes this place so ‘special’ to you Lance?”

  “I felt it was the perfect place to take you to dinner because there’s so much to see around here. The atmosphere is very welcoming, the food is amazing, and I figured if you hated it, there are lots of other places we could see on the Route 1 strip.”

  Two waitresses came back with our food. One was carrying a small wooden bowl with separate slots for the wings, teriyaki, crab rangoon and egg rolls, and there was a pretty blue flame resting in the center of it. The other waitress held a silver platter full of fried rice and jumbo shrimp.

  “Enjoy your meal, if there are any leftovers we will be more than happy to bag them up for you,” said the first waitress.

  “Thank you, now let’s eat!”

  While enjoying my meal, I looked around the room and watched other couples sitting together, taking pictures, laughing, and enjoying their meals. I even watched a guy bend down on one knee and propose to his girlfriend in front of a fake palm tree.

  This place was magical and I think that was the real reason Lance brought me here. I got goose bumps watching the lady burst into tears after accepting her new fiancé’s ring. I felt so happy for her and hoped that one day I’d be able to feel what she was at that moment. Her cheeks were flushed with rose, and she was absolutely beaming with joy.

  My eyes locked with Lance’s across the table after the proposal charade, and he grinned from ear to ear. The light reflected off his beautiful eyes, making them sparkle, I couldn’t help but lust for him.

  Our waitress dropped off the check and disappeared behind a black set of double doors. She quickly returned with a large stapled paper bag filled with our leftovers and a small plate of pineapples. Lance left a more than generous tip with the check on the table and we walked back to his car. Once inside, we both gazed at each other in complete silence while he rested his hand on my thigh. His touch was warm, but calming. I weaved my fingers in between his and enjoyed the lighted scenery as we drove through town.

  Two hours later, he drove us back to the front door of my complex. He bent over the center console and placed his hand between my legs onto the leather material beneath me. Lightly kissing behind my ear and sending tiny chills down my spine. His hand slowly traced the inside seam of my dress, before he slid it in between my enticing thighs. The windows quickly fogged up from the heat radiating off of our bodies.

  “Lance stop, we can’t do this.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry it just felt right.”

  “Don’t be sorry, I do want it but I want the moment to be perfect.” I kissed him on the cheek, and exited his car.

  “Come on Alecia, at least wait until he takes you on a third date,” I said to myself while opening the door to my apartment. Lacey was sitting at the kitchen table looking at me with a crazed expression on her face. She didn’t say anything to me, but I could feel her judgment. I just smiled and went into my room.

  I changed into a pair of gray sweatpants, a black camisole and turned on my laptop. I typed Lance Doherty into my search bar to see if I could dig up some dirt on ‘Mr. Perfect’ and a ton of pages showed up. I didn’t feel like searching through 15 pages of Lance Doherty’s so I decided to end my search. But before closing my laptop I saw an online dating site, I tried to click on the link but the profile was set to private.

  Moments later, as if it were on cue, a message from Lance popped up on my cell.

  Lance: Alecia, I felt something from you that I haven’t felt for anyone in a really long time tonight. I’d like to take you out again tomorrow and I won’t accept no for an answer.

  Me: We can’t, I have to work the closing shift tomorrow. Maybe we could try another time.

  Lance: How about after you get off work? I would really like to see you even if we just grab a burger and fries.

  Me: Sure, meet me at eleven o’clock at my apartment.

  After a long boring day at work the thirty minute stretch was finally upon us. We barely had a customer all day and I was hoping it stayed that way. Before the thought had even left my mind, a bunch of young high school teens came bursting through the door. They looked like a bunch of jocks, coming from football practice. Sporting their blue and white uniforms, matching cleat’s, and miraculously their shoulder and knee pads were still intact too.

  “We just came from practice and we’re starving,” said a cute, thin blonde haired boy. I could tell by his size he must have been the team’s quarterback.

  Alisha and I piled twelve subs full of assorted meats, cheeses, and veggies, wrapped them up and sent the boys on their way. As they were leaving one looked at his phone and said, “It’s ten already?” I quickly ran behind them and locked the door. Alisha and I thoroughly cleaned, wrapped, and restocked everything for the breakfast rush and left. Cindy locked up behind us and we all went our separate ways.

  I pulled into the parking lot of my complex and Lance was already there awaiting my arrival. I stuffed my visor inside my glove box and tossed my sweater over my uniform. I didn’t want him to know where I worked just yet. The door to his yellow car opened, and he stepped out holding two fast food bags in his hands.

  “How’d you know I loved Pizza Avenue’s food?”

  “It was a lucky guess.”

  “Would you like to come inside?”

  “Are you here alone? I’d hate to disturb anyone this late at night.”

  “Good point, my roommate Lacey is such a bitch if I’m ‘rowdy’ after ten.”

  “Come inside my car, it’s nice and warm, plus our drinks are still in there.” He opened the passenger side door for me; I sat down inside his car and devoured my meal.

  “Thank you so much Lance, that was perfect, I love bacon cheeseburgers they’re like my kryptonite.”

  “Good to know what it takes to win your heart, bacon.” Laughter immediately erupted from the both of us.

  “It’s so weird seeing you in normal people clothes.” He was wearing a black and navy blue striped Adidas track suit.

  “I enjoy letting my hair down every once in a while.”

  I looked at the clock on his radio and it was already 2:30 in the morning.

  “Damn the time went by so fast. I wish that happened at work today, it was so slow.”

  “Guess that’s what happens when you’re having a good time. What kind of work do you do?”

  “I work at a sub shop part time.”

  “That must be fun, making sandwiches for indecisive assholes,” he said with a laugh.

  “It can be, if I have the right crew with me. You sure you don’t want to come in?”


  “If you really want me too I will, but I can’t stay long, I have a very important case in the morning.”

  “Alright.”

  He locked his car door and followed me inside my complex.

  “Be quiet, I don’t want to wake Lacey.”

  It was our third date and I was ready to give myself to him, if he’d have me. We quietly walked through my apartment and into my room.

  “I’ll be right back, have a seat on the bed.”

  I went into the bathroom, stripped completely naked, covered my body with my pink bath robe, and met Lance back in my room. He had a puzzled look on his face at first, but it didn’t take him long to figure out what was about to happen. I sat on his lap and helped him remove his jacket and shirt. He ran his hand up my thigh exposing my naked body underneath the robe.

  Flipping me onto my back he asks, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “I’m sure.”

  He slowly peeled the robe from my shoulders and tossed it onto the floor, while passionately kissing in between my breasts, sending chills throughout my entire body. His touch was soft, almost subtle against my skin. Leaning over to kiss me, I held his scruffy jaw in my hands as he gently guided his dick inside of me.

  Clutching my hips with his hands, he thrust himself in and out of my body. His strokes made me feel like a lady and not a filthy whore. Lance was a very passionate lover and I enjoyed every moment we spent together as he made me climax.

  We laid in bed until his alarm went blaring through my room at five-thirty in the morning.

  “Shit! I’ve got to get out of here Alecia. I have to be at the courthouse at eight.” He planted a kiss on my forehead, grabbed his clothes and took off. I followed him shortly after to lock the doors.

  Chapter 11: The Decision

  I haven’t heard from or seen Lance since we had sex a couple weeks ago and I’m actually okay with it. I got what I wanted from him and had a great time while doing it. Nik was right when she said it would be different this time around.

  I had just got in from work, when my phone rang. A picture of Allan and me showed up on my screen and I froze where I stood. He had been gone for so long; I didn’t even know what to say. Before the final ring, I answered.

  “Hey Ice, are you there?” I couldn’t find the strength to respond. I just exhaled heavily into the phone.

  “I know it’s been a while since I called you.”

  “It’s been a lot longer than ‘a while’ Allan. Why didn’t you call me back or respond to any of my messages?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I just couldn’t, it was easier not to.”

  “Fuck you, Allan. That is the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard in my life. You lead me on to believe that I could at least come to visit you, yet I’ve been on school vacation twice and you couldn’t even take time out of your busy schedule to send me a text. Do you have any idea what that did to me? I fell into a deep depression for months because I couldn’t talk to you. And guess who was there to pick up the pieces, no one!”

  “What do you want me to say? I fucked up alright, but I do have good news if you’ll hear it.”

  “What?”

  “I’m coming back for good tomorrow and I want you to come see me.”

  “I’ll think about it,” I said while hanging up.

  I can’t believe he’d call me now, after all this time. I had finally buried him in the back of my mind and boom here he comes again toying with my heart. I called Nikki in hysterics and begged her to come over. She lived right down the street from me and arrived in less than five minutes.

  “What’s wrong Leci?” she said, while trying to console me in her arms.

  “Allan called.”

  “Seriously, what did he want?”

  “To torment me and tell me he’s coming back for good tomorrow.”

  “So, after a several month hiatus he finally decides to call you? Interesting.”

  “I know right? I went through hell for months waiting for this man and now he just ‘pops’ back up when it’s convenient for him.”

  “Well, what are you gonna do?”

  “What should I do? Part of me wants to strangle him, and the other part wants to fuck the shit out of him.”

  “Leci, I know you still love him, just go and see what he has to say. No sex, just adult conversation.”

  “What about Lance?”

  “What about him? When’s the last time you even heard from him? He eliminated himself from the equation already.”

  “Alright, I’ll give Al a chance and see where we go from there.”

  Nikki stayed with me all night. We decided to have a girl’s night, stuff our faces with junk food and watch sappy love stories until the sun came up.

  “Hey Leci, I have to go, my shift starts in an hour.” She worked at the local diner around the corner, as a waitress.

  “Alright, are you sure you have to go?”

  “Unfortunately, my boss will have my head if I call in today.”

  “I’ll let you out then, thanks for staying with me I really needed that.”

  “Anytime. You know I’m always here for you. Remember, don’t give in right away. Stand your ground, he needs to learn you’re not his doormat!”

  “I know. No promises, though.”

  If I was going to see Allan today, I had to try and not let my emotions get the best of me. He had to earn my trust back and he wasn’t going to get it handed over on a silver platter.

  Me: Hey, I’m on my way over.

  Lover: Alright, do you want to meet at the house?

  Me: That’s fine, I have nothing to be afraid of anymore.

  I obeyed every single posted speed limit, until I arrived at his house, trying to delay the inevitable as long as I could.

  It was a beautiful spring day and Al was already outside sitting on his semi broken front steps waiting for me. He reluctantly made his way over to the top of the paved driveway and patiently waited for me to get out of my car.

  This didn’t seem real. I felt like standing here in front of him was a cruel, sick, dream I’d awake from any second.

  “I know you hate me right now, and you have every right to be pissed at me, but I’m glad you showed up.” He extended his hand towards mine and I stepped back.

  “It’s not that easy Allan. I could deal with you leaving, but you completely ignoring me, that hurt. My heart ached for you.”

  “That wasn’t my plan Alecia.”

  “Then what was your ‘plan’ Al? Because it failed, you know what I’ve been through. After all the failed relationships and heartache, I gave myself to you! Everything I did was for you! What were you thinking? That I’d bow down and forgive you because you said ‘sorry’?”

  “No! Do you want the truth?”

  “Yes!”

  “The job in Cali wasn’t right for me. I couldn’t cope with the thought of you ending up in the arms of another man. The fact that I didn’t even have the balls to text you a ‘hello’ kills me. I honestly thought if I cut all ties with you, things would get better, but they didn’t. They got a fuck of a lot worse. I’ve never been that guy who feels ‘emotion’ and strong ‘love’ for someone. I just fucked and kept it moving. But, you changed all of that.”

  “I did?”

  “And I won’t lie to you. In San Diego I did fuck someone else. She didn’t mean anything to me but at the time, she filled the empty void I had in my pants. I got rid of her after a week though. Did you meet anyone?”

  I didn’t know how to tell him about Lance and part of me didn’t want too since I hadn’t heard from him in weeks.

  “I met a guy at the club a few weeks back with my friend Nikki.”

  “Did you fuck him?”

  A massive knot formed in my throat when he asked me that. He told me the truth so I had to do the same.

  “Yes, we fucked.”

  He turned around and punched the wooden light post that was right next to us.

  “I was hoping you
’d say no, I didn’t want to hear about another man touching what belongs to me.”

  “Excuse me? You just admitted to fucking someone else in Cali. And If I ‘belonged to you’, I wouldn’t have been depressed for fucking months waiting to hear from you!”

  I smacked him right across his face for the remark he just made. He looked me dead in my eyes and fell to one knee in front of me, with tears gathering in his eyes.

  “I promise that as long as you are in my life, and I’m still breathing, I am yours, you will always own my heart, Ice.”

  I fought long and hard to hold back the abundance of tears that wanted to escape from my eyes, until he held me in his arms again. Every emotion that I had ever felt for him suddenly came rushing back, as if he had never left.

  “Al, I promised myself I wouldn’t let my feelings get in the way, I can’t get hurt again.”

  “You won’t, I am never leaving again unless I have you by my side.” He placed my hand inside his, and walked me back to the passenger side door of my car.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Taking my girl out to eat.”

  “Al, I’m not your girl. You have to earn that privilege, a few pathetic apologies aren’t going to be enough.”

  “Fine, but I’m still taking you to the Breakfast Bar, though.”

  “I haven’t been there in ages.”

  “Good, hope you’re hungry.”

  I handed him the keys to my car-and let him lead the way. Once inside, we engorged ourselves full of pancakes, syrup, omelets, and home fries. I’m glad he was driving because I was ready to slip into a food coma.

  Once we got back to his place, we were both dead to the world. Neither of us had woken up again until long after night fall. I always slept better when he was around me and he did, too.

  “Talk about pure exhaustion, all those months of sleep deprivation finally caught up to me today,” he said.

  “Why couldn’t you sleep?”

  “Because you weren’t with me, I get my best sleep when you’re in my arms.”