“Stella!” she squealed as she wrapped me into a tight hug. “Honey, it has been too long” she drew out in her southern accent. “Get in here girl!”
She moved her petite frame to the side as she held the door open for me. I stepped into the apartment and out of the hot Florida heat. The cool air conditioning felt heavenly.
She closed the door, trapping the heat out of her large apartment as she skipped happily next to me and led me over to the oversized, brown couch with bright white pillows. Her living room was at least twice the size of mine, and beautifully decorated. I never understood why she didn’t go into interior design with the natural talent she had.
“So” she drew out as she sat down next to me. Her blonde hair fell in large waves around her tiny face. She looked like a real-life Tinkerbell and had the voice to match. Only hers was a fairy with a Southern accent. “What brings you to my neck of the woods?”
I shrugged as I held down the lump in my throat.
She tilted her head to the side, sensing my hesitation. “Come on, girl. What’s going on? Spill it?”
I glanced away from her and out the large, bay window that overlooked the backyard which led to the community pool. “Ace and I had a fight.”
Catherine sighed as she moved closer and wrapped her arms around me. “What did the jerk do this time?”
I laughed lightly. She always referred to him as ‘the jerk’. She had always held a certain disdain toward Ace, ever since we worked at Blue Hades together. “It was just stupid, and he overacted.”
“As usual,” he inserted. “That boy has a temper that would rival the devil himself.”
“He’s not that bad,” I protested lightly.
“You’re just delusional with love.”“I don’t think I know what love is.”
She pulled back as she looked at me with sad eyes. “You just haven’t found the right guy.”
“I haven’t found a Fred,” I teased her lightly. Fred was her live-in boyfriend. Oddly, he was a client she had a Blue Hades and somehow a relationship had been born from it.
Her face lit up at his name as she chewed on her lip. “He is pretty dreamy.”
I laughed lightly at her obvious delight at talking about him. “You are so head over heels in love with him.”
Her smile suddenly faded. “Did he do that?” Her hand pushed my hair behind my shoulder and off my neck.
I quickly reached up and covered my neck with my hand. She instantly pulled it away as she moved closer to inspect it. “That son of a bitch,” she breathed out in a fairy-high voice. “Did he choke you?”
“It’s nothing” I replied as I quickly stood up and moved away from her inspecting gaze. “Please don’t make a big deal out of this.” Catherine was the only person I had ever confided in about Ace anger. When he had first hit me four months ago, I had run to Catherine’s apartment for a place to getaway from him for nearly a week.
“You can’t allow him to keep doing this,” Catherine warned me softly.
“I know,” I replied. Deep down, I knew that. I knew what he was doing was wrong, but I also knew I could fix him. I could help him. He just needed some time. He needed to get off of the drugs so we could have what we had once had again.
Catherine opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped when the door to the apartment opened and her boyfriend, Fred, walked in. He smiled warmly at us as he glanced between us. He had short, buzzed blonde hair and was almost comical with Catherine as he stood over six feet tall to her tiny frame.
“Hi Stella,” he greeted me warmly. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You too,” I smiled nervously at him. Would Catherine rat me out to him?
“Hi honey” Catherine called as she hopped off the couch and fluttered over to him. He leaned down, way down, to kiss her as she stood up on her tiptoes. “Stella just came over for a girl’s night. Is that okay?”
He smiled, obviously enamored with her. “Of course. I’ll get out of your way.” He winked at her, giving me a slight nod as he disappeared down a hallway to the bedrooms.
“Well that was surprisingly easy” l remarked with shock at his exit.
Catherine laughed. “That’s called respect and giving your significant other space.”
“Significant other?” I asked as I arched an eyebrow at her. “Moving pretty fast in this relationship, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know,” she smiled coyly at me as she held out her left hand which held a sparkling diamond ring on her ring finger. “You tell me.”
My jaw dropped as I stepped over and took her hand into mine to examine it. “He proposed?”
“Yes!” she squealed as she bounced in place. “I was going to call you to get together and tell you!”
I smiled, but something within me ached. She had found love and I was genuinely happy for her, but at the same time it hurt to not have that. To probably never have that. Ace was the only man I could ever let to know me completely and fully. He was the only one who could ever know my past and my secrets, and I wasn’t so sure he was the one I wanted to marry. At least not right now, not while he was battling his addictions.
“I’m so happy for you” I said, meaning each word.
“Let’s get some wine,” she said as she held onto my hand and dragged me into the kitchen behind her. “I can tell you all about how he proposed, and we can gossip about all the latest news!”
I finished my lunch shift at the restaurant the next day and walked out into the pouring rain. I was dreading the walk to the bus station. I hadn’t bothered to look at the forecast when I left for work in the morning beneath a sunny sky.I had spent the night at Catherine’s, ignoring every call from Ace. I had stopped at the apartment long enough to shower and change before leaving for work. He was nowhere to be seen.
I no more than walked out the door when Ace ran toward me with a large, black umbrella. He quickly held it over my head and displayed a dozen red roses with the other.
I turned toward him in shock. His hair was straightened and gelled up and back. He wore a very colorful and sparkly jacket with a beach scene upon it. He always had an eccentric style of fashion when he put time into his appearance.
“What is this?” I asked in annoyance after the last time I had seen him.
“This is I’m sorry. And this is I swear I’m going to clean up and do better. I was a jerk, Stella, and I’m sorry.”
“You can’t keep doing this, Ace.”
“I know” he quickly replied. “I know I’m screwed up. I know I need help. I’m gonna pick up some side jobs and get into rehab. I’ll clean up, Stella.” He looked me in the eye, his eyes full of remorse and sadness. “I’ll get better for you, because you deserve better than the shit I put you through. I know you do. Hell, I don’t deserve someone sour like you.” He smirked but it quickly faded at my serious look gave him.
“I know I need help” he said with a sadness that tugged at my heart. “Help me get it. Please. Don’t leave me, Stella. I need you.”
I sighed as the rain pelted the umbrella and fell around us. I looked wearily at him, tired of the constant drama and abuse from him. At the same time, I still held feelings for him, for the man he used to be, for the man he was right now. Yes, I had jumped eagerly into Alaric’s arm and I was still trying to figure that all out. But Ace still held a piece of my heart. And with his background, I knew he wasn’t solely responsible for his behavior. How did you know better the way we were raised? He was trying to break the cycle, just like I was.
“I’m not going to leave you” I assured him softly.
He smiled slightly, seeming to sense my thawing. “I want to take you on a date this weekend. A full on, all day date. Everything’s on me.”
I looked at him as though he had lost his mind. “I have to work this weekend.”
He shrugged. “I contacted Jaxon and told him you needed a weekend off.”
“I still owe him money, Ace. I have to pay that or … “
“I took care of it,” he grinned reassuringly at me. “I paid it. Don’t worry about it. Just let me take my beautiful, sexy girlfriend on a date.”
I slowly nodded as he stepped closer and gave me a quick kiss.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “I’ll make this right, baby. I swear it.”
Ace was true to his word. He took me to a local theme park he knew was my favorite. He was the handsome, charming suitor he had once been. He held doors for me, looked lovingly at me, and paid for everything, albeit probably with my money. At the end of the night, he drove us home and we found ourselves tangled in bed together in each other’s arms. I couldn’t help the little voice that whispered it didn’t have that burning, all-consuming fire I had felt with Alaric.
I stood at the stove, cooking myself some scrambled eggs for lunch. I had rose early and Ace had driven me to get some much-needed groceries for our apartment. He had left to head to work as I put the food away and cooked for my rumbling stomach. A quick knock at the door drew my attention away from what I was doing. I walked over and opened the door to find no one there. Confused, I glanced around and noticed the note taped to our door from our landlord. I pulled it off and read the official notice our of impending eviction unless we paid our rent within the next two weeks. I angrily clutched the note in my hand as I stormed inside, throwing the door behind me, and charged toward my phone. I quickly dialed Ace number and he picked up within a couple rings. “Hey baby” he said happily. “Why are we getting an eviction notice?” I shot out immediately. The line went silent for a moment. “What are you talking about?” he finally asked slowly. “An eviction notice for unpaid rent! They
Ace surprised me when I came home and cooked me a delicious Italian pasta dish with homemade breadsticks. We relaxed together on the futon and eventually made-out before moving to the bedroom. I laid beside him in his arms after making love and stared up at the ceiling. For the first time in forever, I felt guilty after having sex. I should have felt guilty for my romp with Alaric. I should feel remorse or shame for taking his money in exchange. Instead, I felt guilty for being with Ace; as if I was somehow cheating on Alaric by having sex with my own boyfriend. It was ridiculous and insane and made no sense at all; but it felt like it should be Alaric’s arms I should be laying in. It should be his bed and his home. His broad smile kept flashing through my mind. The taste of his lips taunted me, growing a constant need inside me for him. The feel of his body on body on mine, of his hands exploring every single inch of me, set my body aflame with desire. I shook my head as I rolle
I stood watching him leave, completely thrown off by him. When I had first met him, he had nearly undressed me the first chance he got. And now he was asking if I wanted a drink? Men were fickle things. I wandered back into the condo and looked around the room. Various landscape photos hung on the wall. There was a bookshelf near the large screen television and I walked over, my fingers skimming over several classic books. I noticed a guitar sitting in a stand over in the corner and strolled over to it. I gently traced my fingers over the strings just as Alaric returned to the room. I turned around toward him as he walked in with two water bottles. “I got one for me, too,” he explained as he held one out to me. “Do you play?” I asked as I took the water bottle. “And thank you.” “Yes” he replied as he opened his and took a long drink. “And you’re welcome.” I grinned at him as I opened my water bottle. “Will you play something for me?” He hesitated and I noticed something flicker a
“Hey”I drew out nervously as I laid in Ace arms in our bed. He turned toward me; his eyes droopy with sleep. His dark hair was messy and curly atop his head making him look rather adorable. “Is it okay if I go dress shopping with Catherine on Saturday?” I had decided the lie would be better than the truth. It shouldn’t matter that I was meeting a client on Saturday. I knew Ace would be thrilled with the news of the payday, and he was the one who initially hooked me up with Alaric. But there was something about the rendezvous that felt wrong. It felt dirty; like I was somehow cheating on Ace to take Alaric as a client. I knew exactly why, though I would never admit it out loud. I had feelings for him, feelings I shouldn’t have. Ace grinned lightly at me, fatigue showing across his face. “Why does she need to go dress shopping?” I mentally smacked myself on the forehead. “Fred proposed! They’re getting married.” “Really?” he remarked in surprise. “What’s so surprising about that?”
After breakfast, we drove to Sammy’s Skydiving. I stared with unease at the tiny building, but Alaric assured me it was completely safe. He held my hand and led me into the building with confidence. Sammy himself greeted us enthusiastically as he spoke to Alaric about the current, perfect conditions for a jump and heights and equipment I had never head of. My hand tightened on Alaric’s as my nerves began to mount within me. He glanced at me occasionally, giving me a reassuring smile and my hand a gentle squeeze. “This is my friend, Stella.” Alaric glanced at me as he introduced me. “This is Samuel. He’s the best skydiver around.” Samuel chuckled as he shook my hand. “Its nice to meet you, Stella.” “She’s a little nervous,” Alaric drew out slowly in his accent. “No worries,” Samuel said reassuringly. “We’ve already had an accident this morning so we aren’t due for another for” his face scrunched as he thought, “probably a couple days.” My jaw dropped in horror as they both broke ou
We went back to Sammy’s Skydiving. We took off all the equipment and the jumpsuits and left in Alaric’s sports car. We drove in silence with the windows down, both of us seeming to reflect on the amazing experience we had just participated in. Alaric drove us to his condo and parked. He opened my door for me as he led me into his home. I excused myself to the restroom as he began rummaging around the kitchen talking about burgers and grilling. I returned to find the condo empty and noticed the sliding glass doors off the kitchen slightly a jar. I headed toward them and found Alaric standing outside in front of the grill. I cautiously stepped out onto the stone patio. A large, built-in grill was surrounded by tan and light brown bricks with a beautiful countertop. It made a large L shape and had a dark, wooden canopy over it. Across from it was an oversized umbrella with four patio chairs made of a dark wicker with light brown cushions beneath. Matching ottomans sat in front of each
We sat out on the patio beneath the Florida sunshine and ate our burgers with some fruit he had grabbed from the fridge. We talked about much lighter topics of favorite movies, sports, and foods. “Favorite song?” he asked as he took a large bite of his burger. “Easy” I replied as I lounged in the patio chair with my feet up on the ottoman. “Everything I Do, I Do It For You by Bryan Adams.” He looked at me in shock. “Really?’ “Yep,” I assured him with a confident nod. “Nothing will ever beat it. I used to listen to that song over and over again in my room and write every single lyric out. I was obsessed with it.” He chuckled as he took a drink of his soda. “Care to explain why?” I shrugged. “It was the first glimpse for me that love like that could exist. That a man could love a woman so immensely and … “ I trailed off as I froze, the Florida sunshine suddenly unable to touch the freezing chill inside me. I slowly shook my head, realizing I was on the brink of revealing too much.
Ace was in an exceptionally good mood the next morning and it was contagious. He kissed me as he danced with me in our small kitchen. I was dying to tell him how much money I had made. I wanted to break open a bottle of champagne and celebrate with him. But I only wanted to share it with this Ace. I didn’t want drug addicted Ace to know about the money I had made, or where it was hidden. Ace drove me to work my lunch shift at Kiki’s. I nearly skipped into the restaurant in my joy. I was finally hitting a good streak in my life. I had an amazing client, who maybe saw me as more. It was possible, right? He did want to spend an entire day with me. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t truly like me. He would have just had the quick roll in the sack and went on his way like the other men did. And Ace was currently sober. I hoped with all my might it would stay that way. We couldn’t do down the dark path of his drug abuse again. Perhaps I should use the money Alaric had given me to pay