Murder & Mayhem
Page 14
I could wait. But I sure did hope that he wasn’t saying we will never go on a date because that would be really freaking sucky.
Chapter 15
Evil Pixies
Harvest was over and we had begun the wine making phase. It was super stinky and the fruit flies were everywhere. The must (smushed grapes) were being worked and the winery was in full swing.
The last few weeks had been extremely busy and I had not left Bellini Estate in weeks, and had the worst case of cabin fever ever! I needed to get out.
We were able to go before the judge, and after reviewing all of the documents for both Raquel and Antonio’s will, he dismissed my mother’s case.
During the court hearing momma was acting much different than I had ever seen her act before. I would swear she was sober, but it was like she was in LaLa land and was speaking by remote. I’d never seen her like that before. She didn’t once look my way, or try to make contact with me, which was extremely unusual. My momma never missed an opportunity to drag me down and this would have been her prime time to do it with an audience and all. To me, she seemed to be following closely the directions given to her by Mark and nothing more. That in itself was out of character for her. The fact that this was the longest time she and I had been apart without her ending up at the hospital or in jail was also weird, encouraging, but weird.
With that over with, I felt a huge relief and I needed to get out for a while and see some people who didn’t work for me or expect me to feed them.
The Women of Wine Country were having a fund raiser benefiting the Harmony Grove Animal Shelter the next night at Poured, Stella’s wine bar. Bellini Estate had many of our wines there and a ton of the Macho Men were going to be there too, so I was hoping we would be able to go.
With Cabe’s declaration that he doesn’t date, I knew not to even bother asking him. I just needed to be able to get out and get away from the house, the estate, the winery and from all the craziness.
This was after a full night of amazing “up against the wall sex” where we literally made love, with my back pressed against the wall, legs wrapped around his hips and him, thrusting into me while holding me up. It was the hottest wildest sex I’d ever had!
Cabe found me the next morning in the kitchen. He told me he was leaving for the day and I was to stay out of trouble. I asked him where he was going and all he said was, “Got shit to do.”
Something was off with him the last couple of days. The sex was more intense than ever and seemed to be getting more demanding and more – everything. I had never had a relationship anything close to this before, so I was fumbling around a bit and trying to stay really calm and cool and not let my crazy emotions screw this up.
Inside?
Inside, I was a mess of insecurities and doubt.
But then, at night we were as close as two people could be. But something was off, I could feel it. I couldn’t pinpoint it, and was too scared I was going to mess up what we had if I pushed, so I didn’t.
Looking back, it would have hurt a heck of a lot less if I had.
I needed to be able to go out, and just be Bella again for a minute. I asked Sydney if I could go with her and Roman to the fundraiser and they seemed to think that was a great idea. I called Jenna and asked her if she would dress me for my first night out on the town in weeks. Jenna, of course, was thrilled at the opportunity and arrived at the estate with suit cases full of girl stuff. She used the time to make videos, pictures and a couple of Facebook lives, along with Instagram stories before it was all said and done.
It was all worth it.
I didn’t even think I looked like me. I looked like someone else entirely, someone beautiful, someone worthy of a man like Cabe. It was just too bad he wasn’t going to get to see me, and my new look tonight, but if he was lucky, I’d give him a private viewing when he got home.
Sydney, Jenna, Roman, Allistor, Steve and I piled into Steve and Allistor’s SUV and drove to Poured. Jenna was my date, so I knew it was going to be a blast.
I was really looking forward to getting out; I didn’t bother to text or call Cabe before leaving because I didn’t want him to tell me to stay home. He was just bossy enough to do it and I was just wimpy enough I might – so I didn’t give him the opportunity.
Jenna brought me a beautiful silver sexy dress that was stunning. It was brand new from her line and she was excited to have me wear it. I was excited to wear it for her. It really looked good on me, it was a gorgeous silver shimmery material and it went to upper mid-thigh. Loose yet clingy, and wasn’t super tight so it was very forgiving. It just graced my little buddha belly but didn’t show that I had a belly, at all. It clung to my hips, and my breasts, and made my okay figure look like an awesome figure.
The straps were a silver metal chain that fastened at the back of my neck and then dropped down the open back. My whole back was exposed except the dangling chain. Anyone who looked could see I wasn’t wearing a bra, but yet everything was covered, so it was uber sexy, without exposing anything. She’d also brought what looked to be the cups of bras with no straps that stick on your body and give you lift
Jenna really is the best at picking out what looks good on somebody. She could take a look at you and know exactly what you should be wearing. She told me how she wanted me to wear my makeup, smoky eye-nude lip, then taught me how to do it. She told me how she wanted me to wear my hair, big and sexy, then showed me how to do it too. I added some silver drop earrings, a sliver chain bracelet and wore sliver strappy sandals, grabbed a silver clutch of my aunts and I was on my way.
Steve and Allistor picked us up in their giant suburban and together we went to the fundraiser.
“Ladies, your men are so lucky I don’t go your way, because if I did you three would be in trouble with a capital T. Girl!” Steve announced to us once we were all loaded in his SUV.
Jenna had dressed us, Sydney was in a red number that matched her lips, her hair was up in a messy sexy updo and was done, with a capital D from head to toe. Jenna in her signature black and silver was otherworldly in her beautiful appearance. She looked like a modern-day elven queen.
All the dresses were very sexy and they were very …very dangerous.
My thoughts wandered to Cabe. Was he off doing something dangerous or investigative work, or maybe some spy business? Who knew what he was doing? I just hoped he’d be home by the time I got there so he could see me in this fabulous over the top dress.
Steve dropped us off in front of the wine bar so as not to hurt our gorgeous shoes from walking on asphalt, parked and joined us. The band was playing their rendition of Brickhouse when we walked in.
What an entrance that was, us three - all decked out in Jenna’s sexiest dresses, followed by the three men we were with, who were all gorgeous hunks. Every head turned our way as we walked through the door.
That is the best entrance music ever known to man and woman alike!
With a pep in our step, we all entered the wine bar. I immediately noticed many of the Women of Wine Country tribe were there, with all sorts of Macho Men standing with drinks in their hands, and leaning against the walls, like some Macho Man perimeter.
I felt eyes on me and thought maybe it was just because none of them had ever seen me dressed up as sexy as Jenna had me dressed. But I soon realized what was going on and why I was getting the looks. When I walked up to the bar and saw Cabe standing there with a beautiful little short haired brunette tucked under his arm.
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He was there with a woman.
No, I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. She could just be a friend of his or one of his Macho Men’s wives or sister …or uncle’s assistant … or something .
Jumpin’ Jezebels!
In shock I went to where he was at the bar and stood in front of him.
I said, “Hey what are you doing here? I didn’t think you were going to be around tonight? You said you weren’t going to see me until tomorrow.”
I was confused as to what was going on so I stuck my hand out to his little pixie friend and said, “Hi, my name is Isabella. Who are you?” The pixie took a long look at me, starting at my feet and ran her eyes all the way up my dress to the top of my head and back down to my eyes. Based on the look she gave me she clearly found me lacking in a major way.
She smirked and said, “So you’re Isabella?” and it was not nice, as in really not nice .
“Cabe, what’s going on?” I asked, not understanding any of what was happening.
Cabe continued to give me that blank look and said, “Isabella, you’re not supposed to be here tonight.”
That’s it? I’m not supposed to be here tonight? That’s the answer I get?
“Is this your date? Are you on a date? A date in front of all of our friends, you’re on a date for everyone to see? Is this the first time? Have you been dating the entire time you’ve been with me?” I could feel a cold chill wash over me. Everything was slowing down and my legs were becoming stiff.
“Isabella not now.” He said coldly.
“Okay, not now. You got it, no problem.”
I turned to walk away but turned back and said, “So let me get this straight, when you said you don’t share, you didn’t mean we don’t share, you meant you don’t share, so you are free to do whatever you want and date whomever you want. You just didn’t want me to be free to date and see whomever I want. Correct? And when you said you don’t date, you didn’t mean you don’t go out on dates, which is what I thought you meant, and couldn’t quite get right in my mind. You just meant you wouldn’t be going out on dates with me.”
I raised my voice, my emotions taking over now that the shock was starting to fade.
Cabe dated. Just not me.
Cabe would be dating, just would not be going out on dates with Isabella.
“So, to be very clear, it’s OKAY to sleep with me every single night this week, and to fuck me three or four times every night this week, and have up against the wall sex - THIS MORNING,” I was yelling now and leaned towards him pointing my finger at his chest and finished with, “you won’t go out on dates with me, but you, are going to go out on dates other people. However, I am not supposed to do the same, is that right? I’m to wait at home for you like a good little woman. Is that right Cabe?”
His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.
“That’s what I thought.” I turned on my heels and fled to the lady’s room. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stomach whatever he had to say back.
I know it wasn’t brave but I had to flee.
I needed to get away from him before he and everyone else could see my heart breaking…no…shattering into a million little pieces.
I stood in the restroom, my arms braced against the vanity and stared at myself in the mirror. Jenna, Terra and Jules came in and tried to comfort me. Jenna wrapped her arms around my waist from behind and laid her head on my back. It felt good to have her support. If anyone understood the devastation of betrayal, it was Jenna. I turned in her arms and wrapped my arms around her. We stood there holding each other as the other ladies stroked my hair and tried to sooth my wounded heart with their kind words.
They told me men were assholes and not to get hung up on Cabe, that he was not a one-man one-woman kind of guy. He never had been. I said, “It would have been nice to learn this before I handed him my heart on a silver platter. Would have been nice if Sydney had let me know.”
“Oh Bella,” Sydney said. I hadn’t heard her come in, “I did honey, I told you to be careful with him. I’m sorry. I thought it was different this time. I thought he was going to do the right thing. I’ve never seen him so happy as he is when he’s with you.”
“That was happy?” I asked.
“Honey, that was as happy as I’ve ever seen him. Cabe is not, by nature, a happy man…Cabe is not, by nature, a nice man. But he’s an honest man, and he’s a thorough man, and he’s a man you want on your side when shit goes down.” She stopped suddenly and said, “Antonio and Cabe were the closest friends either of them had ever known. I thought it meant something to Cabe that Antonio left him to watch over you and the estate. I thought he would understand he finally had what he has been searching for. I didn’t realize he would be so foolish.” She said sadly shaking her head.
I didn’t know what to make from all that Sydney was saying. But I did know disappointment and heartbreak. These two emotions I’d been dealing with my entire life. I knew how to suck it up and pretend everything was ok and that’s exactly what I was going to do here. I would sort it all out tomorrow. I still deserved to have some fun after doing so well at Bellini Estate and I wasn’t letting anyone take that away from me.
“OK ladies, I need a minute. I’m going to be okay; technically we’ve only been together for a few weeks. I need to get it together. I fell head over heels in love with Butt Head Brown in a week but in two weeks I can be over him. Trust me- I’ve done this before. But I got to get myself together and I need y’all to leave me alone or I’m gonna start bawling and make a mess of my makeup and it’s gonna mess up Jenna’s beautiful dress. So, if you don’t mind, I need you all to give me a few minutes.”
The ladies respected my wishes and left a pat, a hug or a “you got this” and a “we got your back”. Terra whispered, “I’m going to give that little tart so many dirty looks, she has to shower when she leaves here tonight.” I knew they’d be out there waiting for me with support. I knew for the first time, in a long time, I had a family of people who were going to be there for me. I wasn’t alone. These women were my salvation.
After a few minutes I managed to pull myself together and left the bathroom.
As soon as I exited, I saw him standing there, waiting for me in the hallway just outside the restrooms.
Cabe was blocking the path back to the main room where the ladies and my support waited.
It was a very narrow long hallway where only the bathrooms and the emergency exit were located.
He knew exactly where I’d gone. He probably watched all of the women follow me in and then watched all the women come out before me. I leaned up against the hallway crossed my arms and looked at him and said, “What do you want?”
“I had a date set up with Jennifer for weeks. Long before you and I. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”
Seriously, who did he think he was kidding? He never cared about anyone’s feelings.
“I understand.” I said.
“Do you understand?” Cabe asked.
“Yes, I understand perfectly. You didn’t want to hurt her feelings. How about Cabe, you don’t do anything to hurt anybody’s feelings? Also, why when it comes down to my feelings and her feelings, my feelings are the ones that are expendable?”
“Isabella, I warned you I wasn’t a nice man.”
“You knew. You knew I’d find out about this. You had to have known. All of my friends are here, everyone I know, someone would have told me. You did this on purpose.”
“Isabella,” he said softly, taking a step towards me.
“No… no….no… do not step towards me, do not touch me, do not speak to me, do not try to chastise me, or try to talk me into feeling a different way than I feel. Nobody’s treating me like crap again. I told you the night at the hospital, and I’m not gonna tell you again, that was your last chance. You don’t get another. You will never make me feel this way again. I am not second-best, I am best. I deserve to be best, and I will tell myself that every night, and every single damn day for the rest of my life if I have to. To make sure I don’t let anybody treat me the way you and my momma have treated me, do you understand Cabe Brown? Never - ever lay hands on me again.”
Right at that moment, just as those last words were delivered, and it looked like Cabe was going to come for me, Captain “my freaking hero” Steve Hernandez exited the men’s restroom and started to walk past us saying, �
�Hey guys.”
“Steve can you help me please?” I asked, my heart beating so hard and fast I could feel it in my throat.
He halted, turned and said, “Hey Isabella, what’s up?”
“Steve, I need to walk out of here and Cabe will not let me pass. Will you please walk with me, to the bar, and buy me a drink or ten?” I asked.
Being the gentleman that Captain “my freaking hero” Steve was, he extended his arm. I took it and Cabe made no move to stop us as we walked, arm in arm, into the bar where I proceeded to get on my very first drunk. It was not pretty, it was bad and ugly, but luckily, I had all of the women, Allistor and both the Steve’s who saw me through it.
First, they got me drunk, then they danced with me, Captain Steve flirted with me, the band flirted with me, and they kept me from being too stupid. At least in front of people, and when I did get stupid, Captain “my freaking hero” Steve packed me into Steve and Allistor’s suburban and we all went back to their B&B where I could be stupid in a safe place that only my tribe, and Steve and Allistor would be a witness to it all.
I ended up staying at Steve and Allistor’s B&B that night….and several nights after.
Now what the heck was I going to do? That man was living with me
***** *
The hardest thing Cabe Brown had ever done in his entire fucking life was to let Isabella walk away from him with Capt. Hernandez.
She was right. He had planned for her to hear about his date, but he never expected her to show up and see it. He thought they’d fight; he’d be an asshole about it and Isabella would know not to put her eggs in his basket.
Cabe wasn’t a nice man, and the sooner Isabella learned that the better it was going to be for her ….and him.
What Cabe didn’t expect was to have his heartbeat pick up, his palms to grow sweaty, and his stomach to form a pit.
He’d never had these reactions to anyone before and didn’t know how to deal with them. He knew he was growing too attached to her and knew he had to do something to force some distance. He never imagined it would hurt him as much as it did …. or her.