Cherishing Her During Adversity: A Friends to Lovers Romance

by Alexa McLean

  To say the sex was amazing would be the understatement of the year because Ivan didn’t just thrust in and out of me for the hell of it. Oh no. He had a perfect rhyme and reason for it. He’d go in hard only to slow down just when I was at the cusp of screaming his name. Then he’d torment me by flicking my clit lightly, his member barely moving.

  It was a seesaw that went back and forth because that shaking pleasure of orgasm and the quiver of being teased. At this rate, he was definitely going to drive me insane. I was already straddling the line of no return.

  He leaned down and took one of my bobbing breasts into his mouth. His tongue was quick to work the excited little nub into further excitement. It swirled and flicked and did all the things that I wanted it to.

  And it was just too much for me to handle.

  With a scream that tore through my entire house, I climaxed. My walls tightened around him like a vice, trying to milk him for every last drop.

  With a look of pure ecstasy written on Ivan’s face, he pulled out and exploded all over my stomach. There was so much of it and still, the strings of sticky cum continued to fly forward.

  Panting, he rolled back onto his knees. “Damn, you’re quite the workout.”

  I grinned. “I got to keep you in shape somehow.”

  “Oh, if we keep this up, I can definitely cancel my gym membership,” he joked and planted a kiss on my cheek. “Let me get something to help clean you up. You’re a mess.”

  “No thanks to you.”

  And so, Ivan grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom and ran it underneath some warm water. He used it to wipe away any residue that remained on my stomach. Once he was satisfied that it was all gone, he took me into his arms and held me tight against his chest. In many ways, it felt like he never wanted to let me go.

  Gently, he kissed the top of my forehead. “I love you, Lola.”

  “I love you too, Ivan.”

  Chapter 11: Ivan

  A WEEK LATER AND THE magic was still there. I had thought that maybe it would fade away after the first couple of nights but nothing of the sort ever happened. I still considered myself the luckiest man in the world.

  The morning sunshine pierced through the curtains. Trying to escape it, I nuzzled into what I believed was my pillow but it ended up being something much, much softer — Lola’s hair. It had that faint scent of strawberry shampoo that I loved so much.

  “Mmm,” I mumbled, still half asleep. My hand traveled across the bed and found hers. Our fingers laced together as I brought her hands to her chest, right atop of that great big heart of hers. I opened my eyes and there I saw the most beautiful woman in the world.

  “Why do you always look at me like that?” she asked.

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know...”

  “I think I do.” I squeezed her hand and pulled her a little closer so I could enjoy her warmth and the serenity that it brought. Being with this woman was panacea capable of curing any ailment. “I look at you with the eyes of an admirer because I know that there is no one else that could compare.”

  “I’m pretty, sure, but I’m not that pretty,” she protested. “There are plenty of other women —”

  I kissed her before she could finish her sentence because I didn’t want her to say those words. “You’re my dream girl, Lola, and the sooner you come to accept that, the sooner you get to bask in all the glory of being the world’s most beautiful woman. Miss Universe if you would.”

  “If I was the world’s most beautiful woman then wouldn’t that make me Miss Earth?”

  “No, because your butt is out of this world.”

  Somehow, I managed to make her laugh with my corniness. That was the thing about Lola. Sometimes, I would say something completely and utterly lame and yet, she’d laugh.

  “Is it?” she asked as she rolled onto my chest, about to lean in for the kiss. Just before she could do so, the landline started to ring. I kissed her anyway because I had no intention of answering it. That is until I heard the caller ID woman say those two telltale words that I had been waiting for all week long.

  Fire Department.

  I was out of bed and climbing down the ladder in a moment’s notice. I snatched up the receiver on the very last ring. “Hello?” I was a bit breathless but my voice was clear. I could hear the rush of blood in my eardrums.

  “Hello, is this Ivan Manning?”

  “It is.”

  “This is the captain of the fire department. We met briefly during your interview.”

  “Yes.”

  “And after much deliberation, we have decided to bring you into our fold.”

  “You mean, I got the job?”

  “You got the job, son.”

  I couldn’t believe it. After hitting rock bottom so quickly, I never thought that I would return to my feet. I had almost convinced myself that I would stay at the bottom until Lola showed me otherwise. She had been my light at the end of the tunnel — my saving grace — my everything.

  “And if you’re available this afternoon, then we’d like you to come in for some basic training. Our secretary has taken care of your paperwork. You’ll need to look it over and fill out some forms but other than that all we need is a few signatures and you’ll be an official member of the team.”

  “Thank you, sir. You do not know how much this job means to me.”

  “There is no need to thank me. You have proven that you have what it takes to run with the pack. I just hope that you’ll satisfy my expectations. I had to choose between a lot of worthy candidates. Do not make me regret my decision.”

  “I won’t,” I promised. “I can assure you that I will give this job my utmost dedication.”

  “That is all I can ask of you.” I could already tell that the Fire Chief was a hard fellow to please. He had that gruff personality of a stern father. It would take a lot of effort on my part to please him but I was going to do everything in my power to make that happen for he had given me the opportunity to turn my life around. “So, what do you say? Are you available this afternoon?”

  “Yes!”

  “Good. That’s what I like to hear. We love ourselves a hard worker in the department.”

  “What time would you like me to be there?”

  “Two o’clock.”

  “Two o’clock, got it,” I said with a nod even though the chief could not see me.

  The chief did not bother with a goodbye. Instead, he simply hung up the phone.

  I stood there hearing the buzz through the line.

  Pinch!

  I jumped back and collided with one of the dining room chairs. It toppled to the ground, creating a cacophony of noise.

  “So, are you going to tell me what happened or are you going to proceed in destroying my property?” Lola was standing there with her hands on her hips.

  “Why did you pinch me?”

  “Because it looked like you were dreaming.”

  “I got the job,” I said. Saying those words aloud made it real. “I got the job,” I repeated. It was like I could hold the future in my hands and it felt solid. I had faith that it would be bright and colorful, especially if I kept Lola by my side.

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously.”

  With a squeal, she jumped into my arms.

  The force of her body colliding into mine was enough to make me lose my balance. I fell back a few steps and caught myself against the wall. Before I could say a single word, her lips fused with mine, producing fireworks that erupted over our head. Sparks rained down on our bodies, igniting the fire that already burned within our hearts.

  My hands wandered from her hips down to the roundness of her backside.

  Needing to breathe, she broke away and rested her forehead against mine. “I’m happy for you, Ivan.”

  “You know, I really need to thank you.”

  She shook her head. “There’s no need.”

  “But there is.” I circled a strand of her hair around my finger
so that her natural curl tightened and bounced into place. “Because without that good luck kiss of yours, I wouldn’t have gotten this phone call.”

  “You give me too much credit.”

  “It’s true,” I said as I bopped her nose with the tip of my finger. “I thought I had lost everything but I didn’t lose you and that’s all that matters because you’re the one person that means the most to me in this world.” I punctuated my words by pressing my lips to hers. I allowed my kiss to speak words of tenderness — to prove to her how much I cared.

  As I stared into the depths of her eyes, I thought about my mother. She had told me to follow my heart and maybe this is what she meant all along. She did not intend for me to find a lockbox full of cash but to realize that I loved my best friend and that she was the key to my future happiness.

  LOLA DROPPED ME OFF at work that afternoon. I had owned a car since I had gotten my license at sixteen. It was strange to rely on someone for a ride but I was just going to bite back my pride and hold my head up high.

  Upon entering the fire station, I navigated towards the chief’s office. I figured he would be the person to talk to.

  I didn’t make it very far before a gentleman sporting a handlebar mustache stepped in my way. I couldn’t determine why but he seemed vaguely familiar. “I know you,” he said. “From the TV. You’re that CEO that went bankrupt.”

  My jaw tightened. Here I was thinking that this would be a fresh start and already, my past was coming back to haunt me. I should have known that a clean slate was too good to be true. “I am,” I said as I rolled back my shoulders and stood my ground. With everything depending on this job, I wasn’t about to blow it by losing my temper. This guy could ask me whatever he wanted and I would handle it like a professional. I had to.

  “Well, I am Liam Lafleur.”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Liam.” I held out my hand but he did not take it. Instead, his scowl deepened.

  “My brother used to work for your company but he just got laid off due to your financial stupidity.”

  “I am sorry —”

  “Sorry? If you were truly sorry, you would have fought tooth and nail to keep that company alive.”

  “Believe me, I did everything I could.”

  He scoffed. “Don’t take me for an idiot. I know you settled for a lump sum and that you screwed your workers of the severance package they so rightfully deserved.”

  “I didn’t take a single penny,” I argued because it was true. I had given up everything for the wellbeing of my employees. Maybe it wasn’t enough but it was certainly better than what was originally offered. I had literally sold the shirt off my back to help them and now this guy had the gall to tell me that I was being selfish? He had another thing coming.

  I stepped forward. My blood was boiling and my fingers had tightened into fists. I knew that if I didn’t calm down, I would lose my job before it ever started.

  “Yeah right. You expect me to believe that?” he looked me up and down. “A man that loses everything does not wear anything so expensive.”

  “I was allowed a small carry-on of clothing.”

  “So, you did take a single penny.” Liam spat into a nearby wastebasket. “You make me sick.” He jabbed his fingers into my chest, trying to shove me backward.

  I remained firm in my stance. “I don’t know what your problem is. I apologize about your brother but there is nothing more I can do. I am no longer the owner of that company.”

  “What’s my problem?” He jabbed his fingers into me. I was getting really sick and tired of this guy. “My problem is that you’re working here now and that I have to deal with you as a co-worker when you screwed my brother and his family. Did you know that he had two kids? His little boy hasn’t even started preschool yet. What is he going to think when his dad can’t put food on the table?”

  I bit my tongue and forced myself to breathe through my nose.

  Stay calm, Ivan. It would be pointless to start a fight with this guy and that’s probably what he wants from you, came that voice at the back of my head.

  “And and here’s the real kicker. He applied to this job and you stole it away from him.”

  Ahem.

  Someone had cleared their throat to break up the tension that had settled between us. And it was probably a good thing too because I was close to clocking this guy right in the face.

  “Mr. Manning did not steal this job from your brother. He earned it as my best candidate.”

  Liam mumbled something under his breath that I could not understand. If I had to guess, it wasn’t any form of compliment.

  “Anyway, you two have wasted enough time. How about we get to work?” He nodded his head toward his office and I took it as an invitation to follow.

  Throughout my orientation, I tried to focus on what was being said, but, at the same time, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of guilt. I didn’t know Liam’s brother personally and yet, I had placed his livelihood in jeopardy. My mistakes hadn’t only affected myself but everyone around me. I had failed them.

  Chapter 12: Lola

  IVAN HAD TOLD ME THAT he would be home around six o’clock. So, about half an hour before that, I started on dinner. I thought he’d appreciate a home cooked meal after his first day at work.

  And I was planning to make his favorite. Of course, no one made pasta Alfredo quite like my mother but I didn’t think that Ivan would mind my runner up recipe. He’s a fiend for the stuff — good or bad — so I wasn’t particularly worried about him liking it or not.

  I had the radio going with some classic rock. I sang along as I waltzed around my kitchen, gathering up all the ingredients.

  Having such a tiny workspace meant that I had to be strategic with everything I did. I couldn’t have too many bowls on the counter and the stove could only handle two saucepans at any given time.

  But I had learned to adapt through the years and in no time at all, I was adding the cream. I thickened it with a bit of flour before adding the last minute spices. Their aroma filled my entire home with the richness of Italy.

  My stomach grumbled, reminding me of my hunger.

  When was the last time I had eaten something? I thought to myself as I began to set the table for two. To add a little extra ambiance, I dimmed the lights and lit some candles. It wasn’t a five-star restaurant but I didn’t need that to be happy.

  Just then, Ivan walked in.

  “How was your first day of work?” I asked as I greeted him with a kiss. Realistically, our romantic relationship only spanned the length of a week but it already felt like I had been with him all of my life.

  “Fine,” he answered.

  The tone of his voice was enough to tell me that he was stressed out about something. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “Ivan.”

  He pushed past me and took a seat at the table. Usually, the sight of pasta Alfredo would put him in a frenzy but there was hardly a reaction. He just spun the noodles around his fork for a long while. I wasn’t even sure if he had any intention to eat them.

  “Can you just tell me what’s wrong?”

  His bleak expression became even darker as he grabbed his glass of wine. He swirled it around and stared at its depths. Time stretched, one minute into the other, as I waited for his response.

  “If this relationship is going to work then I need us to be transparent with one another. If something is bothering you then you need to tell me and if something is bothering me, I’ll tell you.”

  He looked up and his eyes locked with mine. “I failed them.”

  “Who? The fire department?” I guessed.

  “No. All the people that used to work for me.” He ran his fingers through his hair. When that was not enough to calm his nerves, he got up and started to pace back and forth. There was no doubt about it at this point. Something was wrong — very wrong.

  “What do you mean, exactly?”

  “I mean that they were a
ll depending on me and I failed them when I allowed the company to crumble. There was so much that I could have done to save it but I just allowed it to slip between my fingers and now it’s going to hurt thousands of people. What if people start losing their homes because of me? What if children go hungry due to my mistakes? What if —”

  I grabbed him by the wrist and stopped his incessant pacing. “You didn’t know that this was going to happen. When you first inherited the company, there was no way for you to have predicted that e-commerce would run everyone into the ground.”

  He shook his head. “I had people telling me that it was a possibility that the industry would take a turn and I ignored them. I thought I knew better than my analysts and look where it got me.”

  “Ivan.” I took him by the shoulders and forced him to look at me. “You cannot blame yourself for this. Even if you had taken the advice of your analysts, there is no guarantee that you’d still be standing. A lot of other malls are falling as the online economy grows stronger and stronger. Yes, it’s a shame that it happened and I know you must feel guilty but you cannot beat yourself up on something you had no control over.”

  I wasn’t sure whether Ivan was still listening to me or not because there was this glazed over look on his face. The vacancy in his eyes made it seem like he was far, far away.

  “I need some air,” he said, blinking at last.

  “Okay.” I released my hold and allowed him to leave. Ivan was the kind of guy that just needed the time to think things through whenever he was upset about something so, despite the fact that I wanted to run after him and make sure that he was alright, I stayed put in order to offer him the space that he needed.

  The echo of the slamming door seemed to reverberate through the walls. As it faded away, I eased into my chair and resumed my meal but the food now tasted bland. My appetite, ravenous before Ivan had returned, had now vanished.