“Hello sweetheart, is this a bad time to talk?” said Camille.
“Hey baby, it’s never a bad time for you. I’m glad you called me back. I was sitting here thinking about you,” said Paul.
“Oh really...so what were you thinking?’ she asked.
Paul lowered his voice and purred, “I was thinking about how wonderful it will be to see you next weekend. And then I started thinking about how I cannot wait to take care of you and make you happy.”
“See, here you go again—making me blush. You better be careful with me,” she said flirtatiously.
“So what did you do today?” he asked.
“I had brunch with my girlfriend and then I came home and took a four-hour nap,” she said.
“Wow—four hours! You must’ve been really tired. I thought when a woman takes a four-hour nap in the middle of the afternoon it is for one of two reasons,” he said, laughing.
“And what are the two reasons?” she asked playfully.
“Well, one is when Mother Nature pays her a visit and the other time is when she’s pregnant. You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“Very funny. Only a man would come up with those reasons why women sleep during the day. Maybe we’re just tired,” she joked back while avoiding his question.
“I know baby, I was just having some fun with you. I really miss you, Camille. You do know that right?” he asked.
“I know and I miss you too,” she said.
“So what are planning for us when I arrive?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. I was thinking maybe we could see what’s playing at the theater or if you want something less formal then maybe we could go to a jazz club and out to dinner,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter to me. As long as I’m with you, I’m happy. We could order dinner at my hotel suite and cuddle with a movie or we could go out. I’m happy with whatever you decide,” he said.
“I’ll let you know when you arrive. Is that okay?” she asked.
“That’s fine with me. I’m just happy that you’re taking the time to see me. I know you’re a busy lady.”
“I’m never too busy for the people I care about. Besides, whenever I come to Los Angeles you always take care of me.”
“So what are you going to say to your fiancé when he wants to see you that weekend?” he asked.
“I’m not going to say anything. I’m setting that time aside to see you and that’s all that matters to me,” Camille said firmly.
“Okay—sounds good. I should arrive there Friday by 2:00 p.m. I have a meeting around 4:00 with the store managers. After that, I’m all yours,” he said happily.
“Are you here only for the weekend?” she asked.
“I’ll be there for as long as you need me to be,” he said.
“I know, baby, but how long are you scheduled to be here?”
“I’m scheduled to fly out Sunday morning. Why?” he asked.
“I just want to know how long I have you for,” Camille said flirtatiously.
“Now who needs to be careful?” he said while laughing.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she said playfully.
“You keep this up and I’m going to cancel all of my meetings in L.A. and stay in Chicago for the entire week,” he said, flirting back.
“You can’t handle me for an entire week,” she said seductively.
He toyed back, “Baby, I can handle you for a lifetime. You’ve been holding out on me. I didn’t know you could be so bad.”
“Do you like it or do I need to stop and behave?” she asked.
“Please don’t stop on my account. I like it. You can be as bad as you like; I don’t mind,” he said.
“Well, it’s getting late and I need to call my girlfriend before I go to bed,” said Camille.
“Just like a woman to get a man excited and then go,” he joked.
She laughed again, “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t mean to get you hot and bothered and then leave.”
“See—look at you being bad again! That’s okay. You’re going to get it when I see you. Go ahead and I’ll call you towards the end of the week. Good night, baby, I’ll talk to you later.”
Camille smiled as she hung up, but her joy didn’t last as her nausea returned. She was getting tired of feeling sick but figured it was part of being pregnant.
Thirty minutes later she decided to call Candace. It went to voicemail again, so she left a message.
“Hey Candace; it’s around 8:45. Give me a call when you get a chance. If you get this message within the next ten minutes you can call me, otherwise I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Within ten minutes Candace returned her call. “Hey! What’s going on?”
“Hey girl. I called you earlier today after we had brunch. Are you busy?” asked Camille.
“I am a little busy. Timothy and I are finishing up dinner. Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m okay. You can go ahead. I’ll talk with you tomorrow or sometime this week,” she said.
“Are you sure, Camille? I’m sure Timothy won’t mind if I talk with you for a few minutes,” she said, looking over at Timothy who was nodding his head in agreement.
Camille didn’t want to revisit their earlier conversation while Timothy was there. “That’s okay. It’s not that important—it can wait. You two enjoy your time together. I’ll talk to you later,” she said.
“Okay, I’ll call you later this week.”
“Is everything okay with your friend?” asked Timothy after Candace hung up her phone.
“She sounded as if things were okay. I’ll give her a call tomorrow.”
Candace started wondering what was going on with Camille. She guessed that Jake wasn’t with her; whenever they are together Camille does not call her.
Camille decided to call it an early night and went to bed. She thought about calling Jake to see what he was doing but she wasn’t up to doing anything and knew if he came over he would probably want to have sex.
The week went by rather quickly. Camille and Jake were both very busy at work and barely spoke with each other. Paul had called and confirmed his arrival on Friday.
By the time Friday arrived, Camille was a little tired. She had worked late every night that week. She decided not to go into work because she didn’t want to be tired when Paul arrived in town.
She was now six weeks into her pregnancy and the morning sickness still had not gone away, although it had gotten better. She was very excited about Paul’s arrival. Since Jake had a key to her apartment, she thought it prudent to stay at Paul’s hotel suite. She did not want any problems.
Wanting to be well rested when Paul arrived, she slept in until 9:00 a.m., which was late for her. After eating breakfast she packed a small suitcase for her weekend rendezvous. Once she finished packing she decided that she would listen to some music and start reading the baby book she had purchased the previous weekend.
She was starting to get excited about being a mother but still didn’t know what to do about telling Jake and Paul. She knew she had to tell them soon because she had started to put on a little weight, but not enough to raise suspicion.
Around 12:30 p.m. her cellular phone rang. To her surprise it was Jake. She started not to answer but decided since they had not really spoken to each other all week, she should talk with him briefly. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell him that she was home.
“Hey, baby. Are you busy?” he asked.
“Not really,” she said.
“Good. I missed you this week. I was wondering if we could go out later tonight. I was thinking that maybe we could go to dinner or whatever you’d like.”
Camille decided to give Jake a taste of his own medicine. “That sounds good. I’ll call you later and let you know. This has been a busy week for me with Christmas coming soon,” replied Camille.
“Well, let me know later tonight. I have to go. I love you and will hopefully see you this evening,” he said.
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br /> “Okay, I’ll talk to you later.”
Jake was surprised that she didn’t seem excited about seeing him. Normally when he asked if they could get together, she would say yes and seem eager for time with him.
Now things seemed a little different to him. He started wondering if Candace had said something to Camille about their relationship. For a minute he worried.
Then he realized that if she had known about them, she wouldn’t be as calm as she sounded. He wasn’t sure what was happening.
Camille’s excitement grew as 2:00 p.m. approached. She couldn’t wait to see Paul again. He always treated her well and she knew that all of his attention would be on her. This was the one thing she could never get from Jake.
Around 2:30 p.m. Paul called to let her know that he had made it to Chicago. He was headed to the hotel to shower and change before his meeting. “Hey beautiful, I’m here and can’t wait to see you and hold you again,” he said.
“Hey baby, I’m glad you arrived safely. I can’t wait to see you. So where are you staying?” she asked.
“The Ritz-Carlton on East Pearson in the Presidential Suite.”
“Well, excuse me. That’s a very nice hotel and room. I see you like living in style,” she joked.
“I admit I do like nice things and staying in fine hotels. Are you staying with me this weekend?” he asked.
“Yes, if you don’t mind. But if you want I can stay at my place and we could make arrangements to see each other,” Camille teased him.
“Of course I don’t mind. I told you all I want to do is take care of you. I’m still optimistic that one day you’ll be mine. Until then I have to enjoy the time you give me. You know I love you. As a matter of fact...what are you doing now? Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“I am. Why?” she asked.
“Well, if you’re ready, I want to come and pick you up,” he said.
“How will you get here? Are you getting a rental?”
“Not this time. I have a limousine driver. We can be there in about thirty minutes,” he said.
“Okay. I’ll be here waiting.”
“Okay baby; I’ll see you soon,” said Paul.
Camille had just enough time to freshen up. She added some lingerie to her suitcase and a sexy dress and high heels to be ready if they dined at the hotel’s restaurant. She knew he owned several clothing stores in Chicago and Los Angeles but had no idea he was very well off.
Paul didn’t brag about his fortune. He was very modest and only those who knew him quite well had learned he was wealthy. Camille didn’t care about his money. She really liked him, but was still foolishly hoping to be with Jake. Although not wealthy, she made a modest living as a Buyer in the fashion industry and was content with what she had.
Paul picked her up just as planned. They immediately embraced one another. He was looking even more handsome than she remembered.
“Hey stranger; I really missed you,” she said, leaning forward to kiss him.
“Hey baby! I really missed you too,” he said while embracing her for a few seconds.
“You look good. I like your beard. Did you grow that for me?” joked Camille.
“No baby, you’re the one that looks good. There’s a certain glow about you that I didn’t see before. Yes, I grew this for you. Do you like it?” he asked.
“Liar! You didn’t grow that for me, but I really do like it. It’s very becoming on you. It makes you look extra handsome, not that you needed any help,” she said, teasing him.
“You better watch it! You know I have a meeting to get to. If you keep talking like that I may have to reschedule it for a later time. Do you mind if I leave you at the hotel while I go to this meeting? It will only last about an hour and a half.”
She continued joking with him, “Yes, I do mind,” she said huffily.
He looked puzzled. “Baby, are you serious?”
“I’m just kidding. Of course I’ll wait for you to get out of your meeting!” she said, kissing him again.
“You got me that time. You’re going to get it good when I come back,” he laughed.
“Promises, promises...”
“Here you go, being bad again. I see you haven’t had a spanking in a while. I think you’re overdue,” he said with a big smile.
When they arrived at the hotel he checked in and they went up to the Presidential Suite. When Camille walked in she was amazed by the beautiful view of Lake Michigan and the huge room with its spiral staircase.
There was a baby grand piano in the first floor living area. The spiral staircase led to the master bedroom, which also had a view of Lake Michigan.
“Do you like it, sweetheart?” he asked.
“Are you kidding me? I love it. It’s beautiful,” she said as she hugged him.
“Only the best for you, baby. As I told you before, whenever you decide to give me a chance I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to hurry so I can get to my meeting,” he said as he jogged up the stairs to shower and change.
After Paul left the hotel, Camille sat in the chaise in the downstairs living area and simply stared out of the window, amazed at the beauty of the suite.
What am I doing? Here is a man who really loves and cares about me and I’m wasting my life on Jake. What kind of fool am I? Maybe I’m being too hard on him. He has been extra nice and attentive to me lately. Of course it’s been almost three years and he still hasn’t committed to me nor planned our engagement party.
What if he never intends to marry me, then what? I wish I knew what to do. Paul is such a wonderful man and he could very well be the baby’s father.
Should I tell him that I’m pregnant before I tell Jake? And if I do, am I prepared to leave Jake because I know Paul will ask me to marry him and move to Los Angeles?
What am I going to do? Paul is the logical choice. He is in love with me and I’m beginning to fall in love with him, too. He doesn’t disrespect me like Jake has and he doesn’t have a problem with commitment.
On the other hand, Jake and I have history together and I’m already in love with him. And although he has not committed to me yet, I think once he knows I’m pregnant, he’ll marry me, Camille thought to herself as tears rolled down her face.
As she sat there trying to figure out what she was going to do, Jake called her cellular phone to confirm their date. When she saw his name appear on the caller id, she opted not to answer.
She let the call go to voicemail and then turned her phone on vibrate. She didn’t listen to his message asking her to call when she made it home so he would know what time to pick her up.
She had no intention of keeping her date with him, nor seeing him at all that weekend. She planned to spend the entire weekend with Paul getting to know him better. She thought about returning Jake’s call to tell him that she had to work the entire weekend and couldn’t see him. But because she was not very good at lying she decided not to call him.
Just when Paul returned from his meeting at 6:00 p.m. her cellular phone rang. It was Jake calling her again. She tried to ignore the call.
“Hey baby, your cell phone is ringing. Are you going to answer it?” Paul asked while bringing it over to her.
“No. I want to give you all of my attention,” she said, smiling at him.
“That’s fine with me,” Paul smiled back. “So what did you do while I was gone?”
“Nothing really. I sat and looked out the window at this beautiful view and just relaxed. How was your meeting?”
“The meeting actually went well. Everyone is doing a great job and the stores are making some money.”
“That’s good. I’m so proud of you,” Camille said as she gave him a big hug.
“Thank you, my dear. I’ve worked really hard getting these stores up and running. I have made many sacrifices and I admit it feels good to see all of my hard work pay off,” he said, feeling proud of himself.
Camille smiled up at him, “You know,
I was hoping that we could spend this weekend getting to know each other.”
“What is it you want to know that I haven’t already shared with you? I recently had a birthday and I’m crazy about you and I want you by my side,” he said while holding her hand.
“I am so sorry I forgot your birthday. It was in August right?” she asked apologetically.
“Yes. August 11. No problem baby. You had recently gotten engaged and I didn’t think my birthday was important at the time. I’m sure you have some real questions for me that you want answered?”
“Well...I guess I’ll let you eat before we play twenty questions. I was thinking that maybe we could order room service and spend the evening in the suite. After all, we have such a beautiful view of Lake Michigan I figured we should enjoy it,” she said.
“That sounds good to me. I told you as long as we’re together I’m happy. What are some of your favorite foods? On second thought let me guess.
“Mmmmmm…Let me see. I bet you like baked chicken or a nice steak, brown rice, vegetables—mostly green—pasta, salad with spinach—not iceberg lettuce, fish occasionally and maybe a glass of wine or water. So how did I do? Did I get anything right or am I way off?” he asked while smiling.
“You got almost everything right. Good job. The only thing you’re missing is that I do like the occasional fried food every now and then. You forgot to say the type of salad dressing I like,” she said teasing him.
“Light ranch or vinaigrette dressing,” he said.
“It’s amazing how much you know about me. I don’t remember telling you any of that,” she said in astonishment.
“You didn’t have to tell me. I pay attention to you, to what you like. Whenever we’ve gone out to dinner I’ve taken note of what you ordered. I believe a man should know what his woman likes, what turns her on and what pleases her. From what she likes to eat to her favorite drink. From her favorite perfume to her favorite color.”
“Wow! You are something else, Paul. You never cease to amaze me,” she said as she gently kissed him on the lips.
“I’m not trying to amaze you, baby, I am trying to love you. Are you ready to order because I’m starving!”
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