“Who says that he has to like it?” he countered.
“There you go not being a good friend again,” she said, sounding as if she was singing the words.
“Actually, I’m being an excellent friend—inviting you out to celebrate your accomplishments. Right? Isn’t that what friends do?”
“You know exactly what I mean, Caleb.”
“Yes, I do but that doesn’t mean that I will stop trying,” he said before exchanging “good night” wishes and ending the call. He pulled into his driveway, passing the “For Sale” sign in his yard. He was going to miss his home but he was excited about this new opportunity. He now had a chance for his career and love life to really take off, and he wasn’t going down without a fight.
CHAPTER 26
∞
Whew. After speaking with Caleb, Raegan spent a few more minutes soaking in the tub while allowing her thoughts to take over. Why is this relationship thing becoming so complicated? She knew that it was her making it complicated. It really didn’t have to be. She was with Rico and that was all there was to it—except that it wasn’t. Caleb somehow found himself back in the picture and now she just might have to choose.
She didn’t want to lose Caleb again. Although they weren’t together, he had made his intentions clear. She had history with Caleb. He knew her and she knew him. She thought it easy to build from the past that they once shared. The more she thought about Caleb, the more her doubts rose about Rico.
Caleb made her question her relationship with Rico, not because of Caleb’s thoughts about Rico but because of her feelings for Caleb. She wondered if she would still feel the same if she didn’t have any feelings for Caleb. Would her doubts about Rico still exist? What if the doubts she had about Rico were somehow erased—would she still love Caleb? Did she only love Caleb because of her doubts about Rico, and Caleb was potentially a safe place for her? Was she simply holding on to what she had with Caleb before the incident and hoping things could be as they once were? So many questions. Very few answers.
Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the phone ringing again. She peered over the tub to see who the caller was: It was Rico. She wasn’t as excited as she used to be. What had happened? She pressed the “on” button on her Bluetooth and answered the phone.
“Hey cupcake, what’s up?” Raegan said as she answered the phone, feigning as much excitement as she could.
“Cupcake?” he asked laughing. “That’s new. That sounds fruity, so I don’t know if I like that.”
“Shouldn’t you just be happy that I have a pet name for you?” she asked.
“No. You need to find something fitting.”
“I think you should be grateful that I think you’re as sweet as cupcakes.”
“Nice try. What are you doing?”
“Finishing up a bubble bath so that I can hit the sheets.”
“I wish that I could join you.”
“What are you doing?” she asked, purposely ignoring his comment. She had gone down that road several times before with Rico and it was definitely time that she got herself together. She needed to recommit herself to celibacy and keep her mind and heart clear. She had way too much going on in the relationship department. She needed to be sure that her judgment wasn’t clouded by sex.
“Just finished watching the game. I wanted to call and wish you sweet dreams before going to bed myself. I have a long day tomorrow.”
“Thanks sweetness,” She said. She didn’t engage him when he spoke of his upcoming long day. She just wasn’t interested. Her mind was still swirling with thoughts of Caleb.
“Are we still on for dinner and a movie this weekend? I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve spent quality time together,” Rico said.
Rico was right. Raegan had been busy with her new responsibilities at work and hadn’t made any time for him. It’s not that she couldn’t have, it’s just that she didn’t. She believed that everyone made time for what they wanted; but she wasn’t sure what she wanted so she buried herself in her work.
“Yes. What time are you picking me up?”
“I will be at your house at 6:30, so please be ready lady,” Rico said. He always had to wait for her so he felt the need to make his request known since he was making reservations.
“I will do my best. Good night.”
“Good night. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Raegan whispered into the phone as she ended the call. She didn’t know if she believed that anymore. Oh, this is definitely not good, she thought. She decided not to give the situation too much more thought and to get some rest. She had to participate in recruiting events at three different colleges this week, and she needed to be at her very best.
The week passed quickly and the next thing Raegan knew, it was time for her to prepare for her date with Rico. She figured that since they hadn’t had a chance to talk, tonight would be a good time to bring up some of the issues plaguing her about him. With all of this talk about marriage and her being the one, it was time to put him to the test and discuss some serious issues—one of them being money.
CHAPTER 27
∞
As soon as Tammy arrived back at her hotel, Joshua called. She should have known that he wouldn’t waste any time.
“Hey, pack your things. I’m sending a car for you,” Joshua said to her.
“I am not in the mood to go out partying with you and your basketball friends and groupies,” Tammy said as she plopped down on the bed and kicked off her shoes.
“Did I say that we were going out? You’re coming to my house. You are still my wife; you can’t stay in a hotel.” He meant every word of that. He thought they should be together and he wanted to start working on them being an us again. He promised that to himself and her grandmother.
“Not if you’re sending a car for me. If you want me, come by and pick me up yourself. I’m staying at the Ritz near the arena,” Tammy said. She knew she was being stubborn but just wanted him to prove that she was important enough for him to do the job himself.
“I have no problem with that. I just passed by. I will circle the block and come back to the valet entrance to meet you,” Joshua said, meeting her challenge. He knew Tammy was trying to test him and he didn’t have a problem with that. He figured it was about time they start trying to patch things up.
“Okay.” She was actually quite surprised. She didn’t think that he would go for that but he did. She was sure that he had gotten used to throwing his money around, but she knew the real Joshua and she wasn’t going to have it. He was going to have to work way more than his money in order to get her back. (And that was exactly what she wanted—she wanted him to try to win her heart back.)
She packed essentials for the night and work the next morning and headed right back out of her hotel room. She didn’t check out because it was customary to stay in the hotel room while on a business trip. If she checked out, there would have been questions as to where she stayed for the rest of the time here, and she preferred to keep this part of her life private for the time being.
Her heart was pacing as she walked back towards the elevators. It had been nearly nine years since she had even been in the same room with him, let alone such confined quarters as a car. As the elevator dinged passing each floor, her heart matched it with loud pounding.
“Get it together girl. He is still Josh,” she said to her reflection in the mirrored elevator panels. As she gave herself a pep talk, she checked her hair and makeup right before exiting and walking to the valet area. He was already there. Here goes nothing, she thought.
To her surprise, he got out of the car to come around and open the door for her. She was sure he would be trying to avoid the spotlight and cameras with the cellphone-picture-taking frenzy going on these days, but he wasn’t. He didn’t care; his Tammy was there.
“Thanks,” she said, smiling from ear to ear, showcasing her freshly cleaned teeth and earth-tone lip color.
“Anything for you
,” he said closing her car door. In just a few strides, he was getting back into the car to drive home.
He immediately began speaking. “Tammy, I was so surprised to see you sitting on the sideline tonight. It’s been a long time. But why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”
“I don’t know. I suppose I wanted to surprise you. I honestly didn’t think I would have time to see you and then this came up. I had to entertain the client, so I figured it would be an excellent opportunity to show him a good time and get a chance to see one of your games live.”
“We just spoke a few weeks ago; you should have told me you were coming. I could have made plans for us. How long are you here?”
“I’m leaving first thing Friday morning.”
“And how long have you been here?” he asked, taking a quick glance at her as he continued to navigate the highway.
“Since Sunday afternoon,” she said sheepishly.
“That’s cold, Tammy.” He couldn’t believe that she had been in town all of this time and didn’t even call to say hello. He didn’t really expect that of her since she had been pretty selfish in their relationship in the past, but he still thought that was the polite thing to do. He would have done if it he were in Houston. In fact, he calls her every time he plays in Houston, Dallas or San Antonio.
“Clearly, you were getting ready for your game; you wouldn’t have had time to meet with me,” Tammy said, defending her actions. Once again, Tammy was making decisions for Joshua, thinking that she knew how he felt. She honestly believed things were easier this way.
He immediately remembered what tore them apart years ago and decided not to get into it, because that was exactly where the conversation was headed. He adored Tammy and could have made time for her but she didn’t feel that way. He hoped they were both more mature now and could handle being with each other while furthering both of their careers. He didn’t see any reason why they couldn’t do that. He figured that he would only play a few more years and then retire to become a sports analyst or something.
“Well, I’m glad I’m getting a chance to see you now. You look gorgeous!” he said as he removed his right hand from the steering wheel and placed it on top of her thigh.
“Thank you,” she said, trying to hide the blushing of her cheeks. But she did nothing to remove his hand from her thigh.
“Is there anything you would like to do or see before you go? I have plans of my own for you if you can’t think of anything. And before you even think it, I’m not talking about sex. ..I called and had my maid prepare something just for us. It should be ready by the time we get there,” he said with a teasing smile.
“I’m all for that then; I’d like to see what you have planned,” she said, taking a moment to think about what he’d just said. “How could you be so sure that I would come with you?”
“I wasn’t sure, just hopeful. I would have just enjoyed it by myself if you didn’t come,” he said as he shrugged his shoulders.
She wasn’t sure how true that was, especially since she knew most athletes found someone to keep them company. She was certain he could find someone to spend the time with.
The drive lasted about forty-five minutes. As they rode to his house, they discussed both of their careers, family, college and old times. It seemed as if he was maturing into a great man, she mused.
When they arrived at his home, all she could muster up was, “Wow.” His home was huge and the landscaping was beautiful. His yard was adorned with beautiful lights surrounding a Toscana fountain.
“This is gorgeous,” she said.
“The backyard is even nicer. Let me show you.” He grabbed her hand and led her to the backyard to show her the beautiful landscaping. It looked like something from an HGTV magazine, rich and famous edition. It was huge. The grass was freshly manicured, covered stone patio with an outside kitchen, fireplace, gazebo and hot tub.
“Who is your landscaper?” she asked as if she was going to need his services.
“I hired some guy that, apparently, everyone in the neighborhood uses. I got his information from my neighbor.”
“Well, he did a fantastic job!”
“Thanks. I sit out here from time to time just to relax and think. I know you must think I live some kind of wild life but it’s actually relatively calm outside of basketball games,” Joshua spoke to the thoughts swirling around in her head.
She simply smiled as she looked up into his eyes. She wasn’t asking for an explanation but she was certain that he was only telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. After admiring the beauty in his backyard, she walked back to the door and placed her hand in his so that he could lead her into his home.
His home was nice but she didn’t notice much of the décor because the lights were dimmed and candles lined the entryway to the kitchen. On the table was a setting for two with plates covered by silver tops. Flowers, candles, a bottle of wine and two wine glasses were already placed on the table.
“What is this?” she asked inhaling the sweet aroma that flowed from the table.
“Your favorite things, from what I remember.”
He took her coat and purse and put them aside, pulled out her chair so that she could sit, and uncovered her plate. It was her favorites: grilled shrimp, tilapia topped with crab and wine butter sauce, steamed broccoli and her favorite bottle of wine. It was very appealing to the eye. Room service has nothing on this, she thought.
“This looks amazing! How did you get this set up so fast? Nevermind, don’t answer that.”
He took his seat, prayed and they began eating and chatting. As they sat and talked, they were reminded of the happier times in their marriage. Everything was so natural for the two of them, and they both had to admit that they missed that. After dinner, they headed upstairs to the master suite that was equally as gorgeous as the landscaping. The bathroom itself was as large as her living room and kitchen combined. It was such a great space. There were his and her closets in the bathroom that were about the size of her bedroom. His and her sinks. Separate tub and shower. Jetted tub. The shower was so large that there were three shower heads and a sitting area. The entire bathroom was covered in marble.
“I was just going to take a quick shower but I must relax in this tub! You don’t mind, do you?” she asked. There was no way she could pass up reveling in such beauty.
“Of course not, as long as I can sit in here with you and continue our talk. Not in the tub but just sitting next to you. I have bubbles if you still like those,” he said as he took a few long strides over to the cabinet to grab the bottle of luxury bath beads and liquid.
“Certainly.” She noticed that they were her favorite lavender scented bubbles, unopened. “Let me guess. Did you have those picked up moments ago as well?”
“I did. I knew you would love this setup and would like to relax in here,” Joshua said, gesturing toward the open space.
“All for this one moment! Yes! Thank you,” she said as she began to set her water just the way she liked it. Josh stepped away while Tammy prepared the bubble bath. After Tammy climbed the steps into the tub and sat down to relax in the hot, bubbly water, she called out to him to return. He pulled a bench closer to the tub and took a seat to finish their conversation. They continued their talk, going into depth about everything that had been going on with them for the last few years. Although they talked on the phone from time to time, they never really exchanged much more than mere pleasantries. It felt good to unwind and talk with Josh. He was an excellent communicator these days. Where was this guy years ago, she thought.
After her nice, long soak, he exited the bathroom so that she could towel dry and get dressed. As much as he wanted to stay, he didn’t want Tammy to think he was trying to pressure her into sex, especially after the great time they were having. Once dressed, she met him in the master bedroom where she stretched across that extra soft bed and made herself really comfortable. These must be 10,000 count sheets, she thought, if there were such a thi
ng. He lay close to her and they continued to talk late into the night until falling asleep.
CHAPTER 28
∞
Joshua was already awake preparing breakfast when Tammy woke up. Has he always been this thoughtful? she wondered. Have I been missing out on something great? They continued to catch up through breakfast as they took advantage of their last moments. She needed to get to work before 9:00 a.m., and luckily for her, she still had about one and a half hours. He was all set to take her to work but she stopped him.
“Where are you going? You know I can’t let you drive me to work. People are going to talk,” she said as she held up her hand, stopping him in his tracks.
“I don’t care about that. You’re only here for a short time and other people are the last thing on my mind.” He continued to insist and she eventually relented and allowed him to drive.
“If it will make you feel any better, I will drive the Buick Enclave. The windows are tinted and no one will ever know. Does that work for you?” He held the keys in the air.
“I guess… I can’t believe you’re driving an Enclave though. I figured you’d want something more expensive.” Other than the large, beautiful home, Tammy was a little surprised that he wasn’t living a lavish lifestyle.
“It’s expensive enough. Just because I have a lot of money doesn’t mean I have to spend it all, especially on a vehicle. I have to plan for my future and that of my wife, children and grandchildren. I’m thinking generational. This isn’t just about me, you know.” Joshua explained.
“You’re right. I suppose most athletes can learn something from you,” She commended him.
“The garage is this way; let’s get you to the office on time.” And he did just that. They made it to the office about fifteen minutes before 9:00. Traffic wasn’t as bad as they both thought it would be. As he pulled around to the front of the building, he prepared to get out of the car to open her door but he was met with resistance from her again.
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