Uncorked

by Rebecca Rohman

  Fuck, what have I done?

  He walked into the great room and stood silently watching Chella from a distance. She was making breakfast, but strangely, she did seem to have everything under control. Wearing headphones and singing Adele’s Rolling In The Deep at the top of her lungs, she looked adorable dressed in one of his oversized shirts.

  Very sexy. She looks better in that shirt than I do. God, please don’t make this hurt her…

  So caught up in her task, Chella did not notice Mitch standing there until she lifted the plates and started walking toward the patio.

  “Oh my goodness!” Two plates in her hand nearly went crashing to the floor. “You scared me to death.”

  Stepping quickly toward her, Mitch snatched the plates from her just in time and placed them on the nearby counter.

  She removed her headphones.

  “Nice song,” he said, grinning. “Your voice woke me. Probably the neighbors, too.”

  “Was I that loud?” Chella asked, covering her face with her hands, completely mortified.

  Laughing, he pulled her into his arms, “I’m just kidding. The smell of your coffee and your breakfast woke me.”

  “How long have you been standing there?”

  “Long enough to see that you’ve made breakfast, and you seem to have everything under control.”

  “I don’t necessarily like cooking, but if I do, dessert and breakfast are my specialty. Come on, let’s eat.”

  “Not before you kiss me good morning,” he responded, kissing her lightly on the lips.

  After breakfast, Chella and Mitch cleaned up the kitchen and went for a walk at the nearby harbor. They sat on the pier watching boats drift in and out of the bay, their brightly colored sails a beautiful contrast against the blue skies.

  “You know, I have a boat back in Santa Monica. I miss it sometimes,” Mitch said as a sport fishing boat went by and the anglers prepared their bait.

  “Really? What kind?”

  “A seventy-foot Bertram.”

  “Why didn’t you bring it to San Diego?”

  “I didn’t have time. When I moved here, I brought what was most important with me first. I’ll go up one of these weekends and get it. Of course, you’re welcome to join me.”

  “I can play captain while you organize the appetizers.”

  “You know how to drive a boat?”

  “I’m full of surprises, didn’t you know? Don’t forget I’m an island girl at heart. My best friend’s dad owned a boat and showed me a little.” She glanced at Mitch and realized he probably hadn’t heard her. He appeared to be in another world, and he had a very serious look on his face.

  “Mitch, is something wrong?” Chella asked with concern.

  “There is something I have to tell you...” He looked into her eyes as if expecting her to say something, but she simply waited, eager to hear what he was going to say.

  “Look, Chell, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this sooner, but I want you to please try and understand.”

  At the sound of his words, her heart sank into her stomach. She knew something bad—very bad—was coming.

  “What, Mitch? What is it?” she asked impatiently.

  “There’s something that you need to know about me…”

  Chapter Four

  “I was married eight years ago,” said Mitch. “I’m divorced now, but I have a five-year-old daughter.”

  “You what?” Chella’s heart dropped to her toes as his words penetrated. She couldn’t believe he lied to her. She rose from the bench and put some distance between them.

  “I didn’t want to tell you sooner for fear of hurting your feelings, and because I didn’t want to lose you. Don’t you understand? When you told me you had lost your baby, I almost told you then. Then I found out you couldn’t have kids, and I didn’t want to throw it in your face that I had a daughter—especially knowing how badly you want a child of your own someday.” Mitch said walking toward her.

  “You betrayed me,” she said softly, her voice shaky. “How could you? Even after I told you how much honesty meant to me? After I told you everything about me, things my closest friends don’t even know. You lied to me Mitch. I trusted you.”

  “Chella, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you, and it wasn’t my intention to keep secrets from you. Honestly, there’s also a big part of me that didn’t want to scare you away. Chella, I’m so sorry. Could you please try and understand?” he pleaded looking into her glassy eyes.

  “You think I didn’t have these fears too?” she asked angrily. “I’ll tell you what I do understand. What I understand is that I put my trust in you, and you lied to me. You lied to me because you didn’t have the guts to tell me the truth. You pity me. And to make matters worse, you sleep with me first then tell me.”

  “Chella, last night blindsided me. I never expected us to make love. Once I got up this morning, I knew I had to tell you straightaway. I’m so sorry.” He reached for her hand.

  “Don’t touch me.” Chella recoiled. “Is that all, or are there other details you’ve chosen to keep from me?”

  “There’s nothing else.”

  “You just made my decision about us a hell of a lot easier. I’ll be by later to pick up my things.” She walked away, ignoring Mitch’s calls from behind.

  She felt her world spinning around her. For the first time since the death of her parents, she had trusted someone. She now questioned her judgment and everything that had happened in the last few weeks. If he had lied to her about this, what else would he keep from her? Could she ever trust him again? This situation reminded her why she kept to herself all these years. She was surprised at how much it hurt and how much his lie bothered her. She wasn’t sure how she should handle it or what she should do next.

  Chella took a walk to a nearby café. She sat gazing at the water, thinking about what had happened, replaying Mitch’s words in her head. Her chest was tight, and she felt like her stomach was tied in a million knots.

  “Hey, what’s up with you?” a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

  She glanced up to see Vicky and Kacy towering over her. Their timing could not be worse, but there was no way to avoid them.

  “You looked depressed,” Kacy said.

  “I just have a lot on my mind. What are you two doing here?”

  “I get my car washed down the street. There’s a wait today, so we decided to get a snack.” Vicky replied as they sat at the table.

  “Oh, great. How are your husbands?”

  “Don’t avoid my question, Chella. What’s wrong?” Kacy asked after the waiter took their order.

  “What would make you think anything is wrong? Can’t I enjoy a cup of coffee by myself?”

  “Well, number one, it’s Saturday morning,” said Vicky, raising her brows. “You’re fifteen minutes away from home and five minutes away from your new boyfriend’s home, yet still you’re sitting here alone.”

  Home. Wow, Humphreys. So much has happened since then.

  “Mitch is not my boyfriend.”

  “It’s just a matter of time,” Vicky responded, laughing.

  “Don’t be so sure.”

  “Did you two have your first lovers spat?” Kacy asked, smiling.

  Chella closed her eyes, resting her head between her index finger and thumb circling the bridge of her nose. “It was a little bit more that a lovers spat. He lied to me about something pretty major.”

  “What?” Chella’s two friends chorused, the smiles on their faces disappearing.

  “Vicky, how come you didn’t tell me he was previously married and had a daughter?”

  “I assumed you knew. You know Chella, you’re not exactly forthcoming about the details of your past relationships—or anything in your life for that matter.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t understand, though,” Kacy continued. “You’re both just getting to know each other. You even admit that he’s not your boyfriend, so why are
you so upset?”

  “Let’s just say we took things to another level last night, and he decided to tell me about it this morning.”

  “I’m sorry,” said Vicky.

  “I don’t understand why he kept it a secret.”

  “He’s just insecure,” Kacy answered, taking a sip from her water.

  “Insecure? Insecure about what?”

  “Contrary to popular belief, especially early in relationships, men have just as much insecurity as women do.”

  “Why? Especially after I told him told him how much honesty meant to me?”

  “This is no excuse, but did it ever occur to you that he probably had fears about you not wanting to be in a relationship with a man who had been previously married and had a child?”

  “He sort of admitted to that, but you’re right, that’s no excuse. I shared very private and personal things about myself with him. I had those same fears, but I didn’t wait to tell him about it until after we slept together.”

  “That may be true, but these things happen, especially at this stage in your relationship. Don’t put him so high on a pedestal that when he screws up—and trust me he will—you can’t move beyond that. He’s going to make mistakes, and so are you. It’s normal. There are going to be misunderstandings and miscommunications and even the occasional lie.”

  “What if there’s more he hasn’t told me?”

  “That’s a conversation that the two of you need to have. Give him the opportunity to come clean. Create a safe environment so he feels comfortable talking to you about issues he may have, or situations you may need to know about. Don’t go crazy if he says something else you don’t know.”

  “What are you saying? That I should accept his lies?”

  “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m just saying you are both going to have screw-ups, and if you’re going to have a relationship, you have to forgive and move past this. If you see a pattern of lying beyond this, that’s a different situation. But the last few times we spoke on the phone, you sounded happy. I’ve enjoyed seeing you like that for the first time in—well, forever. Don’t throw that away because he screwed up once.”

  As she listened to their words, she knew that there was so much more to this situation. What Chella and Mitch shared at this point was far from a normal relationship. In the short time they had known each other; they had been confronted with issues that couples would not usually be confronted with this early in a relationship, possibly a lifetime. To say this would be an easy fix could not be further from the truth.

  A few hours later, Chella returned to Mitch’s place to pick up her things. The penthouse was quiet when she entered. He wasn’t home. She was grateful for that; she wasn’t ready to face him.

  She quickly packed her bag, freshened up, and called a taxi to pick her up. She was writing Mitch a short thank you note when she heard the door to the foyer open. He stopped abruptly, staring at her. His athletic clothes and hair were soaked from a workout.

  She couldn’t handle being around him and found it hard to hold herself together. She looked in his direction, but not directly at him.

  “Hi,” he said.

  “Hey, I was just leaving you a note to say thanks. I forgot to ask you how much I owed you for my medication.”

  “Don’t worry about it. It was nothing. Chella, I’m so sorry.”

  “Mitch, I can’t have this conversation now. Thank you for letting me stay here the last few days.”

  “If you give me a few minutes to shower, I can give you a ride.”

  “I called a cab. It’ll be here any second now.”

  “Chella, I know I fucked up, and I’m sorry, but please call me if you need anything. I’m here for you.”

  She looked at him but said nothing. Her phone rang.

  “I have to go. My cab’s here.”

  “Chella—”

  “Mitch, I can’t. I have to go. I left your key on the island.”

  Chella tore her gaze from his and left, eager for the privacy of the elevator so he couldn’t see her tears fall.

  Chella sat on her patio at the hotel taking in the views while savoring some coffee. Mitch called her numerous times that evening, but she would not answer. He left her voicemail messages apologizing and trying to explain himself.

  Am I being unreasonable? Why keep it a secret? Why wouldn’t he just tell me?

  Then again, I’ve been on the ropes about whether I want him in my life or not and this bit of information would surely complicate things. Still, how do you keep this sort of information to yourself? God, why does this have to be so complicated?

  Besides, Mitch was only human and entitled to make mistakes.

  Late Sunday night, at about the time she would usually call him, she heard the familiar sound of a text message.

  She picked up her phone and looked at the screen.

  Mitch Mariani

  Sunday February 27, 2011

  11:17PM

  There are no excuses. I should have told you. I’m so sorry.

  I know better.

  Yes you do. So why didn’t you just tell me from the start?

  Truthfully, the divorce part didn’t bother her, but the type of relationship he had with his child’s mother concerned her. Would she have to deal with bitchy ex-wife issues? Why did they get divorced? Did he still have feelings for her? Did she have feelings for him? These were questions that only he could answer. At the end of the day, Chella would have to be the one to decide whether she wanted to deal with the issues in this type of relationship.

  That being said, she missed him terribly. She had gotten used to being around him all the time, especially over the last few days. Since making her exit yesterday afternoon, she hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind, no matter how upset she was with him. She could not stop thinking about how he’d made love to her and how incredibly sexy she felt when she was with him. She needed to sleep on it one more night. Maybe the next day she would wake up with a much clearer head.

  Mitch had been honest about his reasons for not telling her the truth sooner. She had a right to be upset with him, he knew. Even he was upset with himself for lying to her initially. He had countless opportunities to tell her the truth, and he had not.

  When he received her message saying not to pick her up the next morning, he couldn’t help but think the worst. Their relationship would be over before it started. Lying to her was bad enough, but he felt awful for hurting her, especially after knowing how much it took her to put her trust in him. He could not get the image of the hurt she had in her eyes out of his head, and he felt so guilty knowing he was the cause. Still, no matter what she said, he would regain her trust.

  No matter what.

  Chella went to work earlier than usual on Monday morning, eager to preoccupy her mind with her new job. After thinking about the whole situation on the way to work, she decided she would call Mitch during the day. Kacy was right. This was his first screw up. He had been there for her in the last few weeks—from the day she met him. In her mind, she played over all the times he’d been there since that day, whether she had asked for his help on not. There was the visit to the emergency room due to the wrist, the emergency room visit due to the scorpion bite. He was there when Aaron left his mark announcing his return and handled everything from her medication right down to her accommodation after the scorpion incident. Her conscience would not allow her to just sever all ties because of his lie or omission. They at least needed to talk. He had earned that. After her morning meeting, she would call him.

  A surprise was waiting on her desk when she returned: three separate bouquets of tiger lilies and hyacinths. The card read,

  9:00 AM

  I will be sending you flowers

  every hour on the hour until

  I am forgiven.

  I’m sorry.

  xoxox

  Mitch

  She couldn’t help but smile as she read his words. She opened the second card.

  10
:00

  Forgive me….

  xoxox

  Mitch

  A wicked thought crossed her mind as she opened the third card. Let’s see if he’ll dry out his bank account sending me flowers.

  11:00

  Pretty please…

  Am I forgiven?

  I’m sorry

  xoxox

  Mitch

  She glanced at her watch and looked at the time: 11:55. Another delivery would be arriving in five minutes. As she picked up the phone, her secretary, Jade, walked in holding a new bouquet and a box.

  “Hey, Boss. Somebody’s trying to make a big impression. Where would you like this one?”

  “Put it over on the filing cabinet. Hand me the card and the box, please. Thanks, Jade.”

  Just as Jade was heading out the office, Craig passed by. The flowers must have caught his attention. Taking a few steps back, he walked into her office.

  “Chella, Chella, Chella. Have you been holding out on me?”

  She could barely respond, turning a deep shade of burgundy at his words. “Well, I have started seeing someone, but I wanted to see if it was serious before I said anything.”

  “By the look of things, I’d say it’s pretty serious. Those look like forgive-me flowers.”

  “What makes you so sure they’re forgive-me flowers?”

  “My darling, I’ve been married for over thirty years. My wife has a garden with just about every flower you can image. I know why the pink tiger lilies are there, but purple hyacinths? The flower of forgiveness. And that many? It’s none of my business, but let me just say this, if your answer is going to be, ‘Yes I forgive you,’ it’s serious.”

  “Craig, could you please just leave me alone and stop embarrassing me?” she said in laughter.