Resisting Cupid

by Chanta Rand

  Kendra listened as Carl told her all about himself and the difficulties on his journey to success. How he’d pulled himself up by his bootstraps and single-handedly raised his daughter after his wife left him. About all the awards he’d won, and how he deserved them more so than anyone else because of his hard work and perseverance. By the time the waiter delivered their entrees, Kendra looked forward to a few moments of silence. But Carl seemed to have taken a verbal laxative. The man droned on non-stop about all of his achievements. She couldn’t get a word in edgewise. He was easy on the eyes, but he was the most superficial dude she’d ever met!

  On the way to the restaurant, Kendra had called Tatum to tell her about her dinner plans with Carl. Tatum insisted they have a signal in case the dinner went sour. She offered to call Kendra’s cell phone and pretend there was an emergency. That way, Kendra could make an easy escape. But Kendra had politely declined. She was a woman in charge. If she could handle multi-million dollar accounts, surely she could handle Carl Winters. Humph! Now, she wished she’d taken Tatum up on her offer. At this point, she longed for someone, anyone to call–even a telemarketer.

  When the waiter asked if they wanted dessert, she declined, saying she had to work tomorrow. It was a complete lie, but whatever.

  Carl took the cue. “Yeah, it’s getting late,” he agreed. “How ‘bout we go back to my place for that massage I was talking about? I’m really good with my hands.”

  Kendra almost choked on her ice water. From the way Carl talked, there wasn’t much he wasn’t good at. The man was a bore. She wasn’t some willowy female waiting to be swept off her feet by a knight in shining armor, but Carl hadn’t said one romantic thing to her. He just assumed she would jump in bed because he was good-looking and wealthy. A few weeks ago when she’d first met him, she thought his cocky swagger was a breath of fresh air. Today, it was irritating. She shot him a patient smile. “I’ve reached my massage quota for this year. But thanks anyway.”

  He grinned, his full lips pulling back to reveal straight, white teeth. “I can take a hint.”

  Thank goodness. The man was finally giving up!

  “I can make you forget about him, y’know?”

  Kendra squinted. “Who?”

  “The guy who gave you all those gifts. Your Secret Valentine.”

  The thought of Mark made her heart perform a flip an Olympic gymnast would be proud of. If only she could forget about him. His smell. His taste. His touch. She closed her eyes to fight the image of him thrusting into her over and over again. Argh! Why was she torturing herself? When she opened her eyes, Carl was leering at her like an old man eying a virgin.

  That’s it. I’m ready to go home!

  “I have a confession to make,” she told him.

  “Yes…”

  He leaned forward, as if waiting for her to reveal some lustful admission. Was he out of his mind? He might have caught her attention a few weeks ago, but after getting a glimpse into his true nature tonight, she felt no spark between them. Nothing that would compel her to be remotely attracted to him. At this point, she wasn’t sure if he was over-confident or just plain psycho. She had to combat crazy with crazy. “There is no Secret Valentine,” she said. “I made the whole thing up.”

  “I knew it!” he snapped his fingers. “All of this was a ploy to get me to go out with you?”

  “No. I did it to make my girlfriend jealous.”

  “Your girlfriend? You’re–”

  “Yep.” She almost blew her cover by bursting into hysterical laughter. She turned away and covered her mouth, pretending to be ashamed for deceiving him.

  She figured that would be the end of it until he asked, “Ever thought about a threesome?”

  For someone who had a teenage daughter, he sure didn’t have a lot of respect for women. She pasted on a smile. “My girlfriend wouldn’t allow it. She’s very possessive. In fact, I’d better get going. She thinks I’m at the grocery store. If she finds out I’m with you, there’s no telling how she might react.”

  She jumped up and Carl followed. “At least let me make sure you get safely home.”

  Much to Kendra’s irritation, Carl insisted on following her all the way to her condo. This attention was about as welcome as a root canal. Thank God, she only lived a short distance from the restaurant. Within twenty minutes, she’d be back at home and this date from hell would be over.

  ********

  Mark drove on I-45 South towards his home in Sugarland, Texas. With his radio volume jacked up high, he sang along to Easy Lover by Phil Collins and Philip Bailey. He thumped his fingers on the leather steering wheel of his Mercedes SUV. If anyone could see him through the tinted windows, they’d think he was a raving lunatic. He grinned as he belted out a high-pitched note that sounded more like a cat being tortured. He had too much bass in his voice to emulate either singer. A stunning sunset greeted him as he pulled into his driveway and pressed the remote control for his garage. He was happy to be back on land.

  The flight from the Maldives had been a traveler’s version of cruel and unusual punishment. He was trapped next to a young couple who didn’t realize their honeymoon was over. They kept making smooching noises the entire flight. The bad part was he had an aisle seat, so he couldn’t even look out the window without seeing them lip-locked. He imagined he probably looked the same way when he was with Kendra. At least he tried to limit his affections to private areas. Except that one time when they made love on the beach. And the other time when they fondled each other on their patio. And then there was that one time he ate fruit off her breasts. So, he guessed he really couldn’t judge.

  Two hours later, he was unpacked, showered, and sitting in front of his laptop. He didn’t want to be bombarded with emails when he went into the office tomorrow morning. He planned to take care of business for an hour or so and then call Kendra. When he logged into the remote server for his work email, he was surprised to see an email from Kendra. Apparently, she was missing him as much as he was missing her. He was still trying to sort out his feelings, which seemed to have magnified the moment he set foot inside her bungalow. Having time away from her allowed him to really focus on what he wanted. He’d already decided he was going to sit her down and tell her how he felt. He wasn’t sure where this thing was headed, but he definitely wanted to explore the possibilities.

  The enormity of his decision came crashing down on him as he opened Kendra’s email. His heartbeat thumped like fists in his chest as he read her message aloud. Mark, what happened this week was a mistake. I think we both got caught up in the moment. We don’t have to ever speak of it again. From this point on, let’s focus on our business relationship. KM.

  The words burned into his screen. He blinked twice, as if that would make them disappear. He couldn’t believe Kendra had the nerve to write him what amounted to a Dear John letter. Didn’t their time in Maldives mean anything to her? He stood and paced the room, feeling like his world was being yanked out from beneath his feet. He had not expected this knee-jerk reaction from her. Well, at least he assumed it was an impulsive move. Maybe she’d planned it all along. Maybe from the start, she had no intention of taking him seriously. Didn’t he already know she had a policy against mixing business with pleasure?

  He absently stroked his thick goatee. Why would she do this? He thought they had a connection. Surely, there must be some mistake. If only he could talk to her. Maybe she would realize she was messing up a good thing. Yeah! That was it. Kendra had no doubt been confronted by the stark reality of arriving back home after days in paradise. She simply had cold feet. A big change like this was bound to be hard for anyone. She needed his reassuring touch. And he was ready to give it to her.

  He grabbed his car keys and bolted from the house. He drove in a daze, scarcely remembering the route he took to end up in Kendra’s neighborhood. All he could think of was talking some sense into her. It was dark by the time he reached her condo, but the light from a nearby streetlamp illuminated the
parking lot, casting a bright glow over everything. When Mark pulled up to the curb of her condo, he easily recognized Kendra’s car parked out front. A man’s torso leaned in the driver’s side window of her BMW. The hairs on the back of Mark’s neck bristled. He watched with his heart in his throat as the guy planted a kiss on Kendra’s lips. Mark jumped out of the car and slammed the car door behind him. The man turned in his direction as he approached. It was Carl Winters!

  “What the hell?” Mark muttered aloud. Tension coiled in his body like a tight spring. Was this why she’d sent him that message? She’d rather be with Carl? Carl moved away from the window and Kendra exited her vehicle. Pretty lips that he’d kissed just forty-eight hours ago dropped open in shock when she noticed him. “Mark! What are you doing here?”

  The sight of her drove him wild with desire. She looked damn good in black leggings and a sweater that fit her like a glove. He wanted to pull her into his arms and crush her mouth against his. But she didn’t want him. Her brief but cruel note made that clear. “I got your email,” he said evenly.

  Her hazel eyes filled with sadness. “I felt it was for the best.”

  His eyes flew to Carl. “Yes, I can see why it’s for the best. So you can be with him.” Mark didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm dripping from his voice.

  “No!” Kendra denied what was plainly evident to him. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”

  “Hey man,” Carl addressed him, “this is not what you think.”

  Mark glared at Carl. He’d never liked the cocky son-of-a-bitch, but he’d had no real reason to speak up until now. His fists clenched at his sides. Carl was about five seconds from an ass-whipping.

  Kendra held up her hand for silence. “Thanks Carl. I got this. You can leave now.”

  “Naw, I can’t leave until I know you’re safe.”

  Out of nowhere, a sports car zipped around the corner towards them. Loud rap music thumped as the car sped past, slicing a path between Mark and Carl. Mark stepped backward in time to avoid having his toes crushed. Divine intervention. Mark’s issue was with Kendra, not Carl. After all, she was the one who let that Lothario kiss her.

  Kendra nodded to Carl. “I’m safe with Mark. You can leave.”

  The two men stared each other down like prizefighters in a ring before Carl bowed out gracefully, and returned to his black Escalade parked a few spots down. Mark scowled as Carl slid behind the wheel and drove off without a backward glance. The fumes from his SUV’s exhaust puffed in the night air. “Just tell me the truth, Kendra. Is that who you left me for?”

  Kendra blew out a long breath. “In order for me to leave you, I had to be your woman–which I’m not. You’re my boss, in case you hadn’t noticed.” Her eyes flashed. She was mad. Good, he was mad too. “I’m giving you an out, Mark. We can’t continue screwing each other’s brains out while we’re working together.”

  It was more than just screwing for him. “You want me to quit?” he asked incredulously.

  She visibly shivered before folding her arms across her chest. He’d been so hot and bothered he didn’t notice the drop in the temperature until now. He wished he had a jacket to offer her. “No. I want you to stop pursuing me. Let’s keep it strictly professional.”

  His thoughts were in turmoil, his brain synapses a tangle of self-pity, anger, and regret. He didn’t want to come off sounding like a whining ass punk, but he had to know Kendra’s thought process. “Why?”

  “I believed I’ve already answered that. A personal relationship would be too awkward.”

  “You do realize that people have relationships at work all the time.”

  “Oh,” one of her sculpted eyebrows jumped. “So is that what you want? A relationship? Or did you just want to fuck me?”

  Now it was his turned to be shocked. How could Kendra think he only wanted her for sex? “You think this was all about me getting into your pants? Yeah, I enjoyed making love to you. I loved having my hands all over you. And I took pleasure in giving you pleasure. For that, I’m guilty as hell. But it was more than sex for me.” He threw up his hands. “I can have sex anytime I want with any willing number of females. But I don’t want them. I’m looking at the woman I want. I tried to penetrate that wall you put up and give you the passion you’re worthy of having. The problem is you kick anyone who tries to get too close to the perfect world you’ve created for yourself.”

  He walked toward his car, and then turned back around to face her. “One of the qualities I admire most about you is your tenacity. But now, you’re going to let that stubborn streak cause you to throw away a chance at love.”

  Her bottom lip quivered, and for a moment, he actually thought she would shed a tear. Crying was a side of Kendra he hadn’t seen. But she sucker-punched him with the next words that came from her mouth. “Who said anything about love?”

  Her remark hurt harder than he was willing to let on. “Our time in the Maldives didn’t mean anything to you?” he asked.

  Her eyes grew hard as she raised her chin an inch. “Like I told you, all men are after the same thing. Maybe I just had an itch that needed to be scratched. You did that for me.”

  He snorted and shook his head. He had Kendra pegged all wrong. He thought they had a connection, but he was living in a fool’s paradise. He hopped in his car and threw it in drive. She wanted to keep things strictly-business? Fine. He would give her exactly what she wanted.

  ********

  Hours later, Mark found himself at his older brother’s home. Dane Sullivan was a cynic at heart, and probably the last person Mark should be taking his female problems to. Nichole, his wife of six years had died over a decade ago. Dane had loved her something fierce. After her death, he never dated again, afraid to experience love on that level once more. He’d said it was too agonizing, knowing his world could be crushed for no reason. Nichole was a perfectly healthy woman who died in a plane crash. Dane pretty much kept to himself now, venturing out only to walk his two German Shepherds, Sasha and Sergei. Mark always wondered why Dane gave the dogs Russian names instead of German, but he never asked. Dane bought the puppies a year after Nichole’s death. The canines seemed to give him a sense of closure.

  “I can’t believe Kendra did me like that, Bro.” Mark took a swig from the bottle of imported beer that Dane had offered him only minutes earlier.

  Dane eased into an overstuffed Lazy boy that had seen better days. Since his wife’s death, he hadn’t bothered to update his wardrobe, much less his furniture. His house was the total opposite of Mark’s streamlined décor with a European flair. “Who knows the mind of a woman?” Dane sighed. “If we did, how boring would life be?”

  “Shit, it wouldn’t be boring at all. It’d be great. Then, I’d have all of the answers.”

  His brother laughed. “You always were like that.” Dane ran a hand over his disheveled beard. The two siblings were both tall with muscular builds. Dane’s job as a college football coach with the Houston Cougars kept him outdoors. As a result, his complexion was a deep bronze. His green eyes could have broken hearts–if he gave a woman half a chance. “If you really like this woman, talk to her. Tell her how you feel.”

  “I attempted to do that. Kendra is not tryin’ to hear it.”

  “Did you tell her you can’t live without her? Did you tell her you think about her morning, noon and night? Did you tell her you’ve been dreaming up ways to get next to her for years?”

  “Damn, Bro. You make me seem desperate.”

  “Well, aren’t you?”

  “No! I mean, I like Kendra and all.” He stared at the label on his beer bottle. “She’s the most dynamic, complex, beautiful woman I’ve ever known. But I can’t go groveling like a love-sick idiot to her. Women don’t respect that in a man.”

  “You guys should put all these games aside and be honest with each other. Tomorrow isn’t promised to us.”

  He had that faraway look in his eyes and Mark knew he was thinking of Nichole again. “Everyone is not like
you and Nik were, Dane. Women say they want honesty, but they can only handle it in small doses.”

  “I still say you should call her. Hammer that tough exterior, little by little until you chip it all away.”

  That was what he’d been doing for years. Now, it would be pure torture to work with her each day knowing the intimacies they’d shared. Of all people, Dane knew best the emotions Mark was feeling. Kendra was still alive, but perhaps what she’d felt for him was dead–if she’d ever felt anything at all. “It’s just that I–” Dane’s cell phone rang, saving Mark from what was sure to be an embarrassing confession.

  “It’s Cayson,” Dane told him. “I’ll put him on speaker phone.”

  Blessed with the Sullivan good looks, and cursed with a foot fetish, Cayson was their younger brother. When Dane told him both brothers were listening on speaker phone, Cayson was overjoyed to have a captive audience. “I’m glad I caught both of you together. I wanted to remind you two about Mom and Dad’s fortieth anniversary party next month.”

  “How could we forget?” Dane quipped. “We’re paying for one third of it!”

  The two brothers chuckled at how Cayson had strong-armed them into an elaborate shindig for their parents. “Don’t worry about us,” Mark joked. “You make sure you have your ass there. You’re the one who’s always in court, busy setting the world straight.”

  “Amen!” Dane agreed. “You’ve missed every family holiday we’ve had, except Christmas. And the only reason you showed up for that was probably so you could get your overpriced gifts.”

  “This is so wrong,” Cayson complained. “The both of you teaming up on me like this reminds me of when we were younger and you guys were jealous of me for being the cute one of the family.”

  “Aw, boy shaddup,” Dane teased. “If we could reach through this phone and put you in a headlock right now we would.”