Fifteen minutes later, I hopped out the car and made my way toward the house. I walked up to the door, figuring I would be stopped in my tracks, especially dressed like I was, but instead, I walked right in without so much as a second glance. The first thing that captured my attention was the huge crystal vase sitting out on a table in the hallway. The hardwood floors led straight to the back patio, where most of the guests were gathered.
When I walked through the patio doors, the back of the house was even more extravagant than both the front and the inside put together. The Olympic-size lavish pool was lit with bright, fluorescent lights and was surrounded with men dressed in crisp, starched tuxedos and women dressed in colorful sparkling gowns. Men and women in plum-colored tuxedos and black bow ties walked through the party, holding up serving trays with cocktails on them.
I lost myself for a moment, picturing these types of parties being the very same parties that my parents had attended years ago. Between the ages of seven to eleven, I remembered my father donned a black tux, while Mom usually wore floor-length ball gowns. She would kiss me on the forehead and leave me with the babysitter, telling me that she was going to the Cinderella ball and that she would be back before midnight. I went to bed, picturing myself attending those fairytale balls, wearing a poufy white gown with diamonds running down the sides and red shimmering shoes. Not sure why I pictured red shoes, though. It may have had something to do with The Wizard of Oz being my favorite movie.
I would picture a handsome Prince Charming and when I first met DeShaun, he reminded me of that prince I envisioned as a child. What I failed to realize was that fairytales didn’t always have happy endings.
I glanced out over the crowd. Almost everyone—younger, older, coupled up or single—had a glass of champagne in their hands. That was the life I would’ve killed for.
I searched for Jeremy, but there was no sign of him. It wasn’t too hard to spot the black faces throughout the crowd. Most of the black people wore the maroon tuxedoes. I did spot one black man in the crowd. His back was to me, but even from the back, I could see he had a nice physique, tall and broad. He stood by the pool with a well-dressed, dark-haired woman and another couple.
The woman he was with was pretty. She had an exotic Middle Eastern look to her. At least the only brother in here wasn’t with a blonde. Her white dress hugged her curves and was simple yet elegant. She wore a pair of diamond stud earrings and a matching bracelet, but no necklace.
I searched the crowd again for Jeremy. I was ready to go. I was sick of watching people flaunt their wealth in front of each other, but especially in front of broke me. My gaze drifted back to the mixed couple, but this time, the guy turned around. My heart leapt up to my throat and my knees buckled from under me. I grabbed on to the post next to me to steady myself. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the black Prince Charming, my Prince Charming. The only difference was, I wasn’t the Cinderella who was tightly holding his hand.
Naomi
I couldn’t take my eyes off DeShaun. He looked so happy, chatting it up with those people. He said something and everyone in the group laughed. I especially took note when the woman he was with, in the tight white dress, looked up at him and playfully smacked him on the shoulder. The longer I watched, the more it felt like the air was rushing out of me.
“You’ve decided to come in,” Jeremy said, walking up behind me. “I apologize it took so song, but Dean Freitag told me he wants me to enter his enrichment program as an intern. Can you believe that? He actually asked me to personally intern for him.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off my husband. “What is this a party for?”
DeShaun reached over and grabbed two glasses of champagne from one of the guys in the maroon suits. He handed a glass to the woman and they clinked their glasses together. She must be Jenn! She was hardly what I pictured. I had assumed the woman DeShaun always spoke about was at least sixty years old. This woman with DeShaun didn’t look a day over thirty-five.
“Dean Freitag said something about a surprise party for his wife. Nice, isn’t it?”
I nodded. “Very.”
“Are you okay?”
I turned around and headed back toward the front door. “No. I’m ready to go.”
Confused, Jeremy followed my fast pace. “What’s wrong?”
“Let’s go, please.”
When we got to the front door, I did a quick jog back to Jeremy’s Honda, still sitting on the grassy knoll. When I reached the car, I bent over and stopped to catch my breath.
“What’s wrong? What happened back there?”
“Nothing.” Feeling as though I was going to get sick, I bent over and took several deep breaths. “I guess I wasn’t feeling well and needed to get out of there.”
“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?”
I shook my head. “It passed. I’m good.”
“Okay,” he said skeptically. He went around to the passenger side of the car and unlocked the door. “I know you said not to open up the door for you, being Miss Independent and all, but—”
I slammed the door shut and backed him up against the car. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. I used my tongue to prod open his lips and force my tongue down his throat. He didn’t resist.
“Oh, God, Naomi,” he said, breathless. “I’ve waited for this moment for so long. I know it’s wrong, with you being married and all, but I’m so attracted to you. I can’t help myself.”
I took a step backward, trying to put a little distance between us, but he took a step toward me and grabbed me by my waist. He pulled me to him and kissed me hard. His fingertips ran up and down my back as he continued kissing me. This time he was the one that inserted his tongue into my mouth. His lips were slightly dry, but it still felt good.
“Do you want to go somewhere?” he asked.
I shook my head. “We can stay right here.”
He glanced over my shoulder. The traffic was far enough down the driveway that you couldn’t see us in the dark. The only way we were visible is if someone rolled up on us. “Get in the car,” he said.
He rushed back over to the driver’s side and I got in on the passenger side, but the heat between us had cooled down some. We both sat, looking out the window, not sure of what to say or do.
“Want a beer?” he offered.
I nodded.
He reached into the backseat and produced two warm beers. He handed me one while he popped open the other. I quickly pulled the tab on the can and chugged down half the beer without a pause. When we finished those, he reached back and grabbed two more. With the drinks we had earlier, I was beginning to feel more relaxed. His hand reached over and started rubbing my thigh. He was beginning to feel more comfortable, too.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.
I reached over and placed my hand between his legs. I gently started to massage. I felt it becoming engorged. He rolled down the window and tossed his beer can out onto the grass. I had his full attention now. “Is the backseat okay?” he asked.
The backseat was littered with clothes and books and other stuff I couldn’t see in the dark. With one swoop of his arm, the junk was pushed to the floor.
He climbed into the backseat first. I followed.
He kissed me again, this one was a little wetter than the first. When he felt no resistance, he got bolder and gently outlined my lips with the tip of his tongue, eventually pushing my lips open with his tongue and hungrily exploring.
“Let me ask you something,” I said, in between his wet kisses.
“What’s that?” he said, still probing my body with his tongue.
“I thought being married was a deal breaker for you.”
He sat up and looked at me. “You’re throwing that back in my face right now?” He leaned down and went in for my neck, running the tip of his tongue up and down.
I tried relaxing by leaning against the backseat. I felt something stick me in my back, so I tried adjusting
my position. It was difficult since his body was pushed up against mine. This time, the sticky thing poked my side. Jeremy sat up and pulled off his shirt. His chiseled chest was completely bare except for a thin line of dark hair that trailed from his belly button and ended well below the waist of his jeans.
He smiled, exposing perfectly white teeth. He was trying to make me feel comfortable. I forced a smile back.
He leaned down and kissed me again, but this time it was much softer. His hands rubbed up and down my body, eventually settling on the small of my back. This was a good time to take off my clothes so I slipped out of my shirt, and then my pink lace bra. I unfastened my jeans, exposing my matching pink and white cotton panties. It was awkward at first, but eventually we fell into a groove. He moved to the right so I had more elbow room and I slid back so his butt wouldn’t grind into the gears of the car.
Headlights from a car sped toward us, but it swerved and continued down the road. Without skipping a beat, Jeremy continued on, pounding up and down inside of me. It felt good, but I kept thinking about my husband as I stared up into the dark, starless sky. I closed my eyes, but all I could see was DeShaun’s face.
What I didn’t think about, which I should have, was a condom.
Jeremy opened his eyes long enough to look down at me. I must’ve had a look other than ecstasy on my face because he said, “Don’t worry, it’s okay. I’ll pull out.”
Thoughts of DeShaun and that woman in white kept running through my head. I kept seeing his face at that party and how happy he looked. I hadn’t seen that smile in a long time.
That charmed life I had wanted for us for so long— he was living it. To make matters worse, he was living it without me.
DeShaun
This was the fifth party DeShaun attended with Jenn. Each time it got a little easier to fit in, thanks to Jenn’s generous gifts of designer outfits and diamond cufflinks. He even felt comfortable engaging in conversation, whether it was about business, politics or vacation preferences. People were starting to recognize him and Jenn together. When she first introduced him to her friends, she referred to DeShaun as her business associate. More recently, he was still introduced as a business colleague, but Jenn had since added “dear” to his friend label. At the party before last, she had even called him her “special friend.” The fact that her circle started trusting him allowed him to secure more gigs. Next week, he was doing a party for the Herjavecs’ accountant and the week after that, he was servicing a bris for her lawyer.
He felt terrible about lying to Naomi regarding where he was going, but she wouldn’t understand. If she had it her way, his business would never get off the ground. If he had to lie a little to get ahead, he was willing to do so.
Tonight, they were at some Dean’s house, who was throwing a big surprise birthday bash for his wife. As soon as they walked in, they spotted Misty and Liam Connery. DeShaun had met them both at a party for a mutual friend of Jenn’s.
“We have to say hello to Liam,” Jenn whispered. “He recently closed another deal with Berti worth millions. I’m sure he’ll want to celebrate in a big way. Seal this deal and you will make big bucks. Just follow my lead and I’ll work you in.”
DeShaun squared back his shoulders and held his chin high. He was as good as any of these people and tonight he was going to prove it. Not only was he planning to persuade Mr. Connery into throwing the biggest bash this year, he was going to charge him through the roof. DeShaun was trying to make deals while, at the same time, taking mental notes for preferences for prospective future engagements. Mr. Connery was the type who didn’t give a damn about spending money. As long as the service was good, Liam and Misty Connery would be willing to blow one-hundred grand, easy. From that take, DeShaun stood to make $7,000, maybe $8,000.
Jenn broke the ice with a hug and a peck on the cheek for the couple. “Liam, Misty,” she exclaimed. “So glad to see you here. You remember my good friend and business associate, DeShaun Knowles?”
They both nodded. Mr. Connery extended his hand. “Good to see you again.”
“Same here, sir,” DeShaun told him.
Mr. Connery turned back to Jenn. “Is Berti coming this evening? I missed him at the last party.”
“He couldn’t make it. Now that he received that Japanese account, he spends a lot of time over there.”
“Oh, he did get it!” Misty exclaimed. “How wonderful. Does this mean you’re finally going to take that step and move to Tokyo? You’ve been talking about it for years.”
DeShaun looked at Jenn, but she remained focused on the couple. She put on a wide smile. “Not sure what I’m going to do. I suppose I’ll have to discuss it with Berti sooner or later. But if I do decide to go,” she continued, “I should hope DeShaun would service my farewell party. You know, make the send-off as extravagant as humanly possible.”
“You never said anything about moving,” DeShaun said.
Jenn smiled. “Like I said, I’m not sure, but if I did, you most certainly better have the best servers there to make my party a huge success.”
“When will you be sure?”
Her smile faded but she quickly regained composure. “I’ll let you know as soon as I do. I’m going to need the biggest send-off possible. Since you know so much about wines, I’ll expect the best.”
“You know wine?” Mrs. Connery asked. “I love wine. In fact, we have a vineyard in California.”
“I know a little,” DeShaun answered and then turned back to Jenn. “When were you going to tell me?”
Mr. and Mrs. Connery snuck a quick glance at one another. “Perhaps we’ll discuss it later,” Mr. Connery said. He took his wife by the elbow and escorted her through the crowd.
As soon as the Connerys disappeared into the mob of glitz and glam, Jenn turned to DeShaun. “You do know you just let the richest couple at this party slip through your fingers.”
“I got that,” DeShaun said. “But what I don’t understand is that you’re moving and didn’t say anything?”
Jenn took DeShaun by the arm and guided him over to the side of the house, away from prying eyes. “I wanted to tell you, DeShaun, but I didn’t know how. Besides, it’s not definite. Berti mentioned it, that’s all. I didn’t realize it would be such an issue for you.”
DeShaun looked down. He didn’t know it would be such a problem for him either. Over the past months, Jenn showed him a world he only dreamt about. He was here, right now, experiencing the same champagne and caviar he only served to people like her. She was the first one to accept him. If she left, who would keep him abreast of the inner workings of the social circle?
But it was more than that.
He enjoyed spending time with her. Jenn was the type that could mingle with the wealthy older people, but also hang with him on a level that even Naomi couldn’t. He hated to admit it but lately, it felt like Naomi was that nine-to-five job he dreaded going to every day while Jenn was the seven-day vacation to Hawaii. DeShaun had history with Naomi. He got that. He loved Naomi like no other, but what if their relationship had run its course? He needed to go home and talk to his wife. He loved her and wanted Mimi to be his seven day vacation to Hawaii—not another woman.
“I have to go,” DeShaun said.
“What about the party? There are so many people here that can elevate your career. You don’t want to blow this, DeShaun.”
“I’m sorry. I have to go. I have something more important to do.”
DeShaun ran all the way to his car and hopped in. He sped down the driveway and past a parked, out-of-the-way car on a grassy knoll on the property. He was so fixated on rushing home to his wife, he never saw the couple in the car.
Naomi
When Jeremy pulled up my driveway, I reached into the backseat and grabbed my heels.
It was slightly awkward at first; neither of us said anything. When I was finally able to look at him, he was staring at me with a smile on his face.
“I know I should feel guilty,” he
said, still grinning. “But I don’t.”
“Jeremy—”
“Don’t say anything. I want to remember you like this. I want to remember us like this.”
I shook my head. “This shouldn’t have happened.”
His smile faded. “It was meant to be, Naomi. I always knew this would someday happen. It had to, it’s fate.”
“It’s not fate, Jeremy. I shouldn’t have done it. I’m sorry.”
Jeremy’s gaze dropped. I felt so badly for hurting him. I was hurt, watching my husband with another woman, and now I transferred that hurt onto an innocent person that had been nothing but cool with me. It felt bad—really bad.
I pushed the car door open. “I have to go.”
“Can I still call you?”
I wanted to tell him, “No, don’t ever call me again.” He was a mistake that should have never happened, but I already hurt him enough. I simply nodded and quietly mumbled, “Sure.”
He took my hand. He didn’t seem to notice me jerking my head away as he attempted to kiss me.
“Goodnight, Naomi.”
I got out of the car and made the slow walk to the front door. I stood on the porch until his headlights disappeared.
I dropped the keys onto the hallway table. I passed through the hallway without so much as a glance into the antique mirror hanging on the wall. I could only imagine how I looked. All I wanted to do was take a long, hot shower and forget the night ever happened. I wanted to forget seeing DeShaun with her. I wanted to forget that first feeling of hurt that stung my heart and stopped my breath. Most of all, I wanted to forget Jeremy and the seventeen minutes he spent pounding into me like a sledgehammer.
“Where were you?”
I practically jumped out of my shoes when I looked up the steps and saw DeShaun standing at the top. “DeShaun? What are you doing here?”
“I finished early. Where were you?”
Champagne Life Page 19