The Stranger Next To Me

by Vasser, LaShawn

  If he waited until she was able to carve out some time to go house hunting, they would never move. If Tim were honest, he was becoming more than a little frustrated with the slow pace of trying to find a place. He was going to talk to her about making finding a home a little higher on her priority list.

  He knew it was going to require a little push that’s why Tim decided to take control of the situation. He got on the phone with one of the city’s top realtors to schedule some viewings. If he had to choose a house on his own…he was prepared to do it.

  However, he hoped it wouldn’t come down to that. He and Sabrina had had the exact same conversation the night before, when he told her he’d set up some viewings with a realtor. She made a fuss but decided she would figure out a way to go with him.

  Just as he was about to leave to pick her up from her office, she called him.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey. I was just leaving to come and get you. We’re supposed to me the realtor at six-thirty tonight.”

  “I know. That’s why I’m calling. I have to attend a meeting that was just added to the schedule. There’s no way it’ll be over in time for me to search for our dream house tonight.”

  Tim was barely able to contain his anger, “Sabrina, I understand your career is important to you but finding a place to live needs to be a priority as well.”

  “I know…I know.”

  “No, I’m not sure you do.”

  “I really do Tim. That’s why I asked Tasha if she could take my place.”

  “That’s nice of her, but this is not Tasha’s home, it’s our home. I don’t need her to come with me.”

  “What do you want me to do? Tell my boss that I can’t make a mandatory meeting? Unlike you, I don’t own my own business. I’m at the mercy of whatever LaWanda wants me to do.”

  Tim cursed under his breath.

  Sabrina tried to soothe him, “I told Tasha to be ready around six. Should I call her and tell her never mind? I will if you ask me to? Just know that having Tasha with you is almost as good as me being there. She knows my style like no other.”

  Tim was pissed and even though he’d threatened, he definitely didn’t want to even think of buying a house without Sabrina’s input.

  “No. Call her and tell her I’m on my way.”

  *****

  Tasha had been a god send. Tim wasn’t sure how he would have gotten through viewing all those homes had it not been for her. She was easy to talk to, very patient, and asked the realtor thoughtful questions. Sabrina was right; she seemed to really have a good eye and a real sense of Sabrina’s style.

  Craig was spot-on too. Tasha definitely seemed like the type of woman that could be just as comfortable in a designer gown as she was in a pair of jeans and t-shirt.

  Thinking of Craig made Tim smile. Every time they spoke, he wanted to know if he’d put in a good word with her, or if she ever mentioned him. Unfortunately, she hadn’t.

  Tasha hadn’t complained all night about his foul mood. After several hours, they’d just finished looking at the last house with the realtor. So far, he hadn’t found anything that felt like home.

  They were mostly silent as they walked back to his truck. Tim was quiet until he opened her door, “I haven’t had a chance to tell you thanks for coming out tonight.”

  Tasha smiled, “No problem. I could understand why you would really want to get out of the condo. I’m surprised you haven’t found something before now.”

  “If it were up to me, I would have. Regrettably, I haven’t been able to get my wife to find the time.”

  “Trying to get Sabrina to commit to anything outside of work can be a little challenging. But, this is a busy time of year for her.”

  “Isn’t it a busy time for you too?”

  “No, not really. Not until around January. That’s when it starts to get a little out of control.”

  Tim nodded, “Got it. It’s pretty late. Have you eaten?”

  “I’m fine. I’ll just have something when I get home.”

  Tim took his eyes off the road for just a moment, “I can’t let you do that. You just spent hours viewing houses with me. As a thank you, please let me take you to dinner.” Tasha looked as if she were going to decline but he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. “Come on…what do you have taste for? We can have anything you like…steak…fish?”

  “Seriously, that’s not necessary.”

  “Yes it is. I won’t take no for an answer.”

  Tasha could see that determined look in his eyes. It was probably the same look he gave when he was closing big deals. She hesitated for just a moment. This was the same man that married Sabrina. Obviously, when he’d made up his mind…it was made no sense arguing with him. “I guess…I don’t know…do you eat pizza?”

  “Do I eat pizza? Is that a serious question?”

  Tasha didn’t miss a beat, “Yes it is. I can’t remember the last time Sabrina ate a carbohydrate.”

  “Alright, so I haven’t had it in a while, but I love pizza.”

  “Okay…how about Giordano's or Lou Malnati's?”

  Tim programmed Lou Malnati’s into the GPS in his truck. “Lou Malnati’s is great pizza. I’ve had that before when I came into town for business. Let’s go.”

  *****

  Tasha couldn’t stop laughing. As a matter of fact once they sat down to dinner, Tim really opened up and kept her laughing with crazy story after story.

  He took a sip of his drink, “I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you…are you dating?”

  Tasha was kind of thrown off with that question. “Excuse me?” The expression on her face must have said it all.

  Tim felt the need to quickly clarify, “My brother, Craig would kill me if I didn’t ask. He’s a really nice guy and I couldn’t let this opportunity pass.”

  Tasha took a sip of her water, “Yeah, he does seem like a really nice person. But….”

  “…but I could tell maybe you two didn’t get off on the best foot. He was really nervous when he met you in Palo Alto.”

  “Oh no, that wasn’t it. I was on vacation to decompress from work and from men.” Tasha laughed, “I hadn’t had a vacation in a while and I hadn’t had the best string of luck when it came to men. I mean the man of my dreams could have fallen out of the sky onto my lap and I wouldn’t have been interested.”

  Tasha picked up another slice of pizza. Tim was impressed that she had a healthy appetite. “So, have you found him?”

  She was just about to take a bite before she answered, “Who?”

  “The man of your dreams. Back to my first question, have you found him? Are you dating?”

  Tasha looked thoughtful, “I am dating but I’m not sure if he’s the man of my dreams yet. We’re still kind of new in our relationship. We met shortly before you and Sabrina got married.”

  “Interesting. Sabrina and I have been married a little over a year. And…you’re still classifying the relationship as kind of new?”

  “What? Is that weird?”

  “Considering I married Sabrina within three months of meeting, I wouldn’t call it weird but I would say it’s the opposite of our courtship.”

  Tasha recalled their first encounter with Craig and Tim and it brought laughter into her eyes. “If I remember correctly, when we initially met, you didn’t have much to say. But, I knew if Sabrina were really interested in you…you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  “You did now?”

  “Definitely. It was over for you the moment she decided you were the one. I wish I had half of her confidence.”

  “You seem pretty confident to me. But, you nailed it. That was exactly one of the things that attracted me to her. That woman knows exactly what she wants and she goes after it.”

  Tasha nodded her agreement.

  “So, how did you meet what’s his name?”

  Tasha had a mouthful of pizza. She swallowed before answering, “Eric. His name is Eric.”

  Tim took a bite of his o
wn pizza. “So, his name is Eric. That’s a good start. How did you meet and how did he land Tasha Stevens? I need some details to report back to Craig so he can strategize on how to get rid of his competition.”

  Tasha laughed out loud, “He’s a good looking man, so I’m sure Craig isn’t thinking about me or waiting by the phone.”

  “Yes! Score one for Craig.” He looked to the heavens, “She thinks my brother is good looking. I’m taking mental notes. So, about Eric...”

  “Well, let me see…we met at a Chicago Bulls game. Our companies were hosting team building events on the same night. He’s in Advertising.”

  “You like basketball?”

  “I do actually. I rarely get to go to the games though. If you can get a ticket, the prices are out of control and I refuse to pay all of that money just to sit in the nose bleed section.”

  “I always thought the United Center didn’t really have a nose bleed section?”

  “Have you ever sat anywhere other than on the floor or in one of the box suites?”

  Tim looked slightly embarrassed. He hadn’t, so he chose not to answer, “Point taken.”

  “Well, we kind of bonded over our dislike of the Miami Heat.”

  Tim flashed his megawatt smile, “Ahh…you know Craig really likes sports?”

  Tasha returned his smile, “Does he now? What’s his favorite?”

  “Every single one that you like.” He was being mischievous. “Anyway, you and Eric bonded over sports. So, then why is he still in the ‘I’m deciding if he’s the man of my dreams zone?’”

  “Well, Eric and Sabrina definitely have one thing in common, they work a lot. He’s still trying to work his way up within his company. So, it’s hard to spend the kind of quality time you would need to really nurture a relationship.”

  “It took me three months.”

  Tasha tilted her head, “Did you really know after three months?”

  “I knew after our first date.”

  Tasha thought about that for a minute. She liked Eric but she honestly didn’t know if he was the one. She enjoyed his company. But, if Tasha were honest with herself, she couldn’t honestly say that he was the man that made her heart pound and her body ache. Maybe he could be, if they could just spend a little more quality time together.

  The waiter came over to their table, “I’m sorry…we’re going to be closing in about fifteen minutes…was there anything else you wanted from the kitchen before we close it?”

  They’d had such a good time that neither of them realized it had gotten so late.

  Tim checked with Tasha and she nodded that she was finished.

  “Actually, I think we’re done here. You can bring me the check.”

  Chapter 8

  Tasha rushed home from work just as she did every day. But, today was a little different.

  She wanted to pamper Eric as soon as he came over. Even though she’d taken on extra responsibilities at work herself, he’d been really stressed out about his upcoming presentation. Hopefully, she could get him to relax.

  Tonight, she wanted to make his favorite meal, have a hot bath ready, and hopefully help him relieve some of his pent up stress.

  She was in the kitchen finishing up dinner when Sabrina called. “Hey girl, what are you up to?”

  Tasha held the phone in between her ear and shoulder as she continued to stir the spaghetti sauce. “Hey, putting the finishing touches on dinner and waiting for Eric to come home.”

  Sabrina rolled her eyes on the other end of the line. “I was just going to ask you if you wanted to go out for drinks tonight.”

  “Nope, I told you I’ve got a date with my man. We’ve both been so busy lately, and I just want to make sure we stay connected…you know?”

  “Hmm…you seem to always be planning something or doing something for Eric. When was the last time he did something for you?”

  “Why are you always worried about what I’m doing with Eric? We do what we need to do to make each other happy. It might do you some good to spend some quality time with your own husband.”

  “I keep Tim satisfied. My mother used to always say to keep a man happy just keep him exhausted and fed. Believe me; I follow that advice to the letter.” Sabrina laughed at herself.

  Tasha laughed too, “Well, she probably wasn’t too far off with that advice. And, that’s exactly what I’m planning on doing tonight.”

  “One of the few nights I actually have some free time, Tim’s brother Craig is in town. I don’t want to go home and play hostess to him. You know those people can’t stand me.”

  “Come on Sabrina, it’s just a few hours. Craig seems nice enough.”

  “Of course, you would say that. He has a crush on you. However, he treats me like the devil. I think I’m going to find something else to get into for the next few hours since you won’t come out to play. So, just know that you and I were together tonight if the topic ever comes up.”

  Tasha shook her head, “Come on Sabrina, I don’t want any part of whatever it is you’re up to.”

  “I’m not asking you to do or say anything. Just IF the topic ever comes up we were together. That’s it.”

  The sound of the front door opening took Tasha’s attention away from whatever Sabrina was saying. “Whatever just makes sure it doesn’t come up okay? Anyway, I’ve got to go. Eric’s here.” Sabrina gave an exaggerated sigh before Tasha disconnected the call. She hurried to pull the scrunchie out of her hair before coming out of the kitchen.

  *****

  Eric was putting down his overnight and work bag when Tasha came out of the kitchen. “It smells good in here.”

  Standing on tip toes, Tasha wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I wanted to make sure you had a good meal tonight.”

  Eric kissed her back and wrapped his arms around her waist, “Now, this is how a man wants to be greeted when he comes home from work.”

  “Well you haven’t seen anything yet. Why don’t you go into the bedroom and get comfortable?”

  While Eric was in the bedroom changing, Tasha turned down the lights, lit a couple of candles and put on some soft music.

  She brought dinner out from the kitchen and was pouring them glasses of wine when he finally came out. Tasha handed him a glass.

  “So, what’s gotten into you?”

  She shrugged her shoulders, “Why does anything have to get into me to want to do something nice for us?”

  They sat down to dinner and Tasha listened intently as he talked about his day. “It just drives me crazy that I have to work twice as hard as everyone else just to get half the opportunity as my counterparts. I’m counting on this bonus. Otherwise, I might have to sell the condo.”

  Tasha reached out and touched his hand, “I know you’ve been working really hard on this presentation. You’ll get the account and the bonus.”

  “I hope so. If I don’t…I’m going to start seeing what else is out there.”

  “It won’t come to that but if it does, I can always reach out to some people that I know for you too.”

  Eric tensed up, “Who? Like Tim?”

  “Well, I wasn’t thinking about anyone in particular but I’m sure he would be in the pool of people I’d reach out to.”

  “No thank you.”

  Tasha took a sip of her drink, “Okay, if you don’t want me to reach out to him on your behalf, I won’t. But…what I don’t understand is what is it about Tim and Sabrina that bothers you so much? You know Sabrina is like a sister to me and Tim is good guy.”

  Eric rolled his shoulders, “Both of them act like they are better than us because they have money. Especially Sabrina. She’s one of those sistas that doesn’t even like her own kind. Just because she’s a little successful at her firm, she left the brothers alone and had to try to marry up.”

  Tasha shook her head. She couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “Eric, I don’t believe any of that is true. Sabrina is not like that. Sure, she has her issues but don’t w
e all? And, Tim seems to really love her. He’s never been anything but kind to us.”

  Eric gave Tasha a hard stare and raised his voice, “See, that’s what I’m talking about right there. You’re supposed to be my woman, yet when it comes to Sabrina or Tim, you’re always taking their side against me. When do you have my back?”

  Tasha got up from her chair to get closer to him. She held his cheek in her hand, “Baby, I’ve always got your back. And, that’s not what I’m trying to do. I love you and I love them. I just want all of us to get along.” She kissed him softly on the lips. “Let’s not fight over them, okay? This night is supposed to be about us. Finish your dinner while I go get our bath ready.”

  Not a second after Tasha finished sprinkling the Jacuzzi tub with rose petals and oils, did Eric walk into bathroom. He dimmed the lights and brought the candles with him from the dining room.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Tasha looked up. She crooked her finger for him to come to her.

  “Me too.”

  Eric put the candles down on the sink and came as requested.

  Tasha stood on her tippy toes and kissed him as she undressed him. Once she’d stripped him of all of his clothes she took off all of her clothes too.

  She rubbed her naked body against his hoping the skin on skin contact would get him aroused. Tasha ran her tongue down his neck, his shoulders and his chest. She would have gone lower but he didn’t like oral.

  So far, he’d only become semi-erect. Yet, she continued her efforts in trying to get him excited for the evening. “I ran a bath for us. Would you like to get in?”

  She took his hand and led him into the bath. The jets were turned on high and the temperature was perfect.

  “Let me work some of this stress out of you.”

  Tasha started off by giving him a massage running her hands across his entire body from his temples to his feet and back again careful not to miss anything in between.

  Was he enjoying it? It was hard to tell because he’d settled into the tub with his head thrown backwards and eyes closed. It was slightly disappointing that Eric wasn’t making any attempts to reciprocate her effort. It felt as if she were in this by herself. He seemed content to just sit back and let her do all the work.