He knew, however, that he couldn’t give up. It was going to be hard, but he had to persevere. Even if being a veteran made it impossibly hard to find a job, he still needed a livable income. Aron walked around his living room contemplating his options. As he did so he glanced at the kitchen table, his eyes falling on the mail. Moving quickly, he walked over to the pile of letters before picking up a flyer.
He smiled to himself. This was his chance. The local high school was looking for a swim coach. With some luck, he could pull a few strings and get a job there.
Aron wanted to stay hopeful as he went to bed, but as he looked up at the ceiling he was reminded of how difficult it was to find a job in a small town, especially with his background. He wondered if there were other veterans experiencing similar hardships in their lives. Sighing, he rolled over and went to sleep.
The next morning, he put on his best outfit, a blue polo and a pair of dark skinny jeans. He couldn’t afford a nice suit. Nonetheless, he held his head up high as he entered his old high school. By the end of the day, he found himself the newly hired coach of the swim team. Finally, something was going his way. The school paid a decent wage. It finally seemed like he would be able to live a normal life outside the walls of poverty.
This ray of hope, however, was quickly snuffed as the school financial office was required to make budget cuts to the sports department. The swim team was the first to go, and Aron was once again without a job.
Aron sat in his car, driving along the freeway feeling frustrated and angry with the world. Why did nothing go his way? “Dammit, why is everything so unfair?” Aron grumbled to himself as he looked out the window. As he did he noticed the wide open land surrounding him. There were rows and rows of corn and other crops to be harvested. Workers tended to these crops, cultivating them to perfection. Overhead was a billboard advertising Edvin’s Edibles: Creating high-end organic produce for the modern family. Aron stopped the car, an idea popping into his head.
By the end of the day, he found himself an employee of Edvin’s Edibles. It was a minimum wage job, but it was something that would keep him off the streets.
Chapter 2
Even with a job, Aron’s life did not get better. Working at Edvin Farms was not easy. He was at work every morning by 5 a.m. and worked until 3 p.m., even in the beating sun. Breaks were few and far between and, by the end of the day, he came home with a broken back and a painful sunburn.
Aron had been working at his new job for three months now. He worked in the corn department and, with harvesting season in full swing, his work was now twice as hard. He groaned thinking about it as he eased into his bathtub full of warm water. He allowed the water to wrap around him, easing his sore muscles.
Aron had an affinity for water. As a child, he loved to run through sprinklers when it was hot outside. When he got older he was in a pool every chance he got. He loved the water. But with no pool of his own, the bathtub was the next best thing.
He lay down now in the soapy water until his head was nearly covered. He closed his eyes and relaxed for the first time in weeks. His pension was still meager but with his pay from Edvin Edibles, he was able to pay rent and put some food on the table. He was a little behind on some of his bills, but he was sure that as time went on he would get back on his feet. In the end, he was hopeful for a normal and stable life.
Until then he would have to put up with the spartan life he now lived. In the months since his return home, he had lived alone. He found it difficult to assimilate into his old hometown after ten years on tour. It was different living a normal life and communicating in an everyday fashion. Most days he went to work and came home without saying a word to anyone. He had no friends, and soon enough he felt the heavy burden of loneliness bearing down on his shoulders.
He knew he had to get out of his apartment and socialize if he wanted to escape the threat of insanity. So after six months of being home, he gathered up a little pocket money. He decided to visit the new local bar everyone was raving about at work, Wild West Whiskey. Aron wasn’t much of a whiskey drinker but he had to admit it was a pretty catchy name. After tossing on his coat, he made his way to the center of town. Most people would have taken a car, but Aron no longer had the luxury of a vehicle. After the government had once again reduced his pension he was forced to sell his car in order to pay for his utilities.
Soon enough, however, Aron found himself standing in front of the bar. It was decorated like an old saloon right out of the Wild West itself. Aron smiled to himself. If nothing else, the place looked authentic. With a smile on his face, Aron pushed open the swinging saloon doors and entered the bar.
The atmosphere was amazing. There were girls dressed in old bar maiden dresses and a man playing a grand piano in the back. He smiled at the décor before sitting down on one of the barstools. He placed his hands on the counter and looked around, waiting for a bartender to get him a drink. As he looked around his eyes fell on a woman wearing an old blue dress.
She looked like she worked at the bar. There was something about the woman that recalled nostalgic feelings inside of him. But the more he looked at her the harder it was to pinpoint what it was about her that seemed familiar. Soon enough, however, she was walking toward him, forcing him to look away.
She stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. “How may I help you?” she asked in a rustic southern accent. Aron grinned, about to compliment her on her natural accent when his whole world flipped upside down. As he looked up, his eyes locked with a pair of beautiful hazel eyes. He would have recognized those eyes anywhere.
“Mila?” he whispered in disbelief. She looked at him, confusion on her face as she tilted her head. At first, she didn’t recognize him. She continued to stare at him, wondering how this man happened to know her name.
“Mila Amina?” Aron whispered again, looking hopeful. Finally, she nodded. He smiled big. “Mila!” he said excitedly. “Don’t you remember me?” She shook her head, looking even more confused.
“We went to senior prom together…” He grinned smugly. Her eyes grew wide.
“Aron? Is that really you?” she spat out in disbelief. “I…I…never thought you would come back…”
Aron chuckled. “Neither did I, but I was sent home about six months ago,” he explained. Mila’s cheeks were red as she looked at him. “May I say, you look as beautiful as ever.” Mila’s cheeks reddened even more as she heard the compliment.
“I see you are still the hopeless romantic I dated for three and a half years,” she teased before pouring him a glass of whiskey. He thanked her and soon they were laughing and reminiscing together about their years in high school.
A lot had happened in ten years. Mila was now married to some rich guy in town and worked at the bar to pass the time between his business trips. Aron felt his spirits darken at the thought of Mila’s marriage. Somehow, throughout the years, he had always pictured finding her again single and waiting for him. But now that she was taken, it felt unfair that they should be reunited only to never be together again.
Aron ended up leaving the bar feeling a little sad. Mila watched him leave, feeling a little melancholy herself. Aron had been the man of her dreams, but when he left to serve the country she had no other choice but to move on with her life. Now, as she watched the swinging doors move back and forth with his departure, she wondered if she wouldn’t have been better off waiting for him after all. In the dim candlelight, her expensive wedding ring shone dully like a dying star.
Chapter 3
Aron opened up the door of his apartment with a bittersweet feeling in his mouth. It had been good to see Mila again after so many years, but a part of him felt betrayed. He knew it was unfair of him to blame her for marrying someone else, but at the same time, his old feelings for her were still ever present inside of him, making him wither in jealousy.
Aron didn’t know who her husband was, but he had to be someone wealthy. It wasn’t just anyone who could afford the rock on her fing
er. He had to be someone with money, someone with a lot more money than Aron could ever hope to have. Sighing, Aron entered his bedroom, undressing until he was left in only his boxers. He looked in the mirror for a second. His body rippled with muscles but his skin was riddled with scars. He wondered if Mila still found him attractive today.
He ran his fingers across his five o’clock shadow and sighed. What was the point of maintaining a good body if he didn’t use it? He couldn’t picture himself finding a girlfriend now that he knew Mila still lived in town. Sighing, he kneeled down by his bed and pulled out a box from underneath. He sat down and opened the box, pulling out his old high school yearbook.
Flipping through the pages, he finally found what he was looking for. Looking down at the page there was a picture of him and Mila at senior prom. They had crowns on their heads and they looked happy. At the top of the page, it said, “Most Likely to Get Married.”
Aron scoffed before putting the book down. “I wish…” he whispered to himself as he looked out the window. “She has gotten even more beautiful. And I am just a damaged veteran who is struggling to make ends meet. Why would she ever want to be with someone like me?” Aron mumbled to himself before tucking the yearbook under his bed again.
He sighed before crawling into bed. He looked at the other half of his bed longingly. He pictured Mila lying there smiling at him, coming closer to him, wrapping her arms around him. He dreamed about her that night and what their life together would have been like if he had stayed home instead of signing up for the Navy.
Chapter 4
After her shift ended at the Wild West Whiskey, Mila drove home feeling a little off. She hadn’t expected to find her old high school sweetheart at work today, but that was exactly what happened. She thought back to their time together as she walked through her extravagant home.
She lived in the biggest house in town, but what good did it do her? All the marble floors and ten-foot ceilings did was make her feel lonely. It felt stuffy and cramped in the mansion-like home. She frowned as she climbed the grand staircase to her room. She hated her home and how grand it was. All she had ever wanted in life was to live in a nice quaint little home with a little vegetable garden in the back. Instead, she had a home that echoed ominously with her every step.
Finally, she made it to her room. She closed the door. Her husband, Theodor Edvin, was once again on a business trip. This time, he was in Canada, trying to expand his wheat market into northern territory. Theodor was rarely home and Mila was grateful for it. He wasn’t a kind man.
In fact, her husband was the last man on earth she would ever love. He was attractive, yes, but he had a rotten personality. Years of privilege had driven him to a snobby attitude. He walked with a cocky stance and looked at everyone as if they were below him. Mila hated him, but like everyone else she had been drawn in by his initial charm.
At first, he seemed amazing and perfect, with his pearly white teeth and flashing money, but as time went on Mila soon found out the truth about her husband. Luckily, he was never home, and that made the marriage somewhat bearable. But now with Aron back in town, a part of her wanted to run away from her home.
She didn’t want to be with Theodor. She was miserable, and all she wanted to do was yank off her wedding ring and flush it down the toilet but, for some reason, she couldn’t will herself to do it. What if Aron had someone else? Maybe he loved another woman overseas or he had a wife of his own.
Mila knew she couldn’t bank on the thought that Aron still loved her. Deep down in her heart all she wanted was to curl up in his tight embrace and go back to the way things were when they were in high school, but the pragmatic part of her knew this was impossible. Sighing, she slipped on her pajamas and went to bed, dreaming of Aron by her side.
As she closed her eyes she could almost feel his rough lips press against her neck. She imagined her fingers tracing every last one of the scars on his body as her lips gently caressed them with kisses. She imagined his sexy body pressed against hers. Biting her lip, she stirred under the sheets before finally falling into a fitful sleep.
Chapter 5
The next day Aron couldn’t stop himself from going back to the bar. He had to see her again. However, when he got there she was nowhere to be seen. There were other girls dressed as bar maidens, but there was no Mila. Aron frowned and sat down, drinking a couple of drinks. He ended up waiting the whole night for her to show up to no avail. Aron went home that night feeling defeated.
A week passed by with Aron constantly visiting the bar. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. When he was working she was all he could think of. He thought of her beautiful smile, imagined running his fingers through her curly brown hair. By the end of the week, he was harboring the fear that maybe she was avoiding him.
Maybe she didn’t want to see him anymore. Aron frowned at the thought. He wanted to see her again, at least once. He needed to see her.
It was Friday now, and he was hopeful that she would be at the bar, and if she wasn’t he would ask around for her. As he entered the saloon he looked around to find the same old man playing the piano and, after a quick sweep of the workers, it seemed like once again she wasn’t there. Aron frowned to himself as he sat down in his usual spot, looking depressed. All he wanted was a glimpse at her face. Was that too much to ask for?
As he looked out at the crowd, a woman walked up to him. “Why the long face?” Aron looked around to find Mila standing before him, dressed in a light summer dress. He tilted his head to the side.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, looking her up and down. He found himself staring at her long, shapely legs before pulling away his gaze to her hazel eyes. She smiled warmly at him.
“Getting a drink,” she said before sitting down at the bar beside him. He looked at her in disbelief.
“Don’t you work tonight?” She shook her head.
“I work one week on and one week off,” she explained as she took a sip of her drink. He smiled and ordered himself a drink. He continued to look at her, unable to take his eyes off of her. She had grown to become a real southern beauty and whoever she had married had been a lucky man.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Well…I was sort of looking for you…” he said, a tinge of pink painted on his cheeks as he found himself admitting his true intentions to her. She blushed lightly at him before chuckling.
“Is that so? Are you my stalker now?” she asked with a grin on her face. He smirked at her, his dark eyes gleaming playfully before he ran a hand through his curly dark hair.
“Maybe. What are you going to do about it?” he asked, teasingly, getting closer to her. Their faces were close enough that they could now smell each other’s breath. She blushed a shade deeper before looking into his dark eyes. She smiled slightly before leaning back, breaking the chemistry between them.
“Nothing, really. I kind of like it, to be honest.” She grinned before taking another sip of her drink. Aron smiled at her and a moment of silence passed between them. Finally, Mila spoke up. “What do you say to dropping by my house?” She tilted her head encouragingly. He looked at her for a moment before his face lit up.
“Sure.”
She smiled just as bright before getting down from the bar stool, and together they made their way to the Edvin Manor. Aron looked up at the imposing home in awe. “You live here?” he asked in shock as he stared at the gates. They drove up to the front door and his eyes continued to grow in amazement. There was no denying her husband’s wealth now.
Aron frowned slightly as he looked at her again, knowing he couldn’t stand up to the stature and esteem of Mila’s husband. The possibility of her somehow still liking him seemed slim to none now.
As Mila got out of the car she smiled at him before leading him inside. Aron kept looking around the house. It was grander than anything he had ever seen, and he wondered what kind of job a man needed to have in order to own a home like this one. He
was sure Mila’s husband had never served in the Navy or any other branch of the military. Aron thought back to his meager pension check and frowned as he stared at the marble floors.
Mila didn’t notice this frown, however, as she led him to the kitchen. Together they sat down at the kitchen island, drinking a newly opened bottle of wine. As they sipped the smooth drink they started to unwind and relax.
They reminisced about their time together in high school and all the memories they had created in four short years. They laughed as they recounted stories about their shenanigans as a couple. By the end of the night their faces were red with the glow of alcohol, but they were happy in the company of one another.
Mila could feel herself loosen up as she looked at Aron. She bit her lip as her eyes made their way along his body. It seemed like he had gotten sexier over the last ten years. His body was rippling with muscles now and he had a smoldering look to his face that sprung a heat inside her body she couldn’t quite explain. She could feel herself being pulled toward him as her body yearned for him. Looking at him, she placed her hand on his, a burning look in her eyes.
Chapter 6
Aron looked at her hand in disbelief. Suddenly she took hold of his hand, squeezing it tight in hers before pulling him off of his chair. She giggled naughtily and Aron could tell by the look on her face that she was up to something. He grinned at her, allowing himself to be brought wherever she liked.
Soon they were in a very luxurious looking bathroom with gold trimmed accessories and marble countertops. Aron looked around a little amazed before his eyes fell on the impressive hot tub in the corner of the spacious room. Mila grinned to herself, seeing his expression. “I haven’t forgotten how much you love the water, you know,” she smirked as she locked the door behind her, giving him a naughty look.
AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN FICTION: BWWM ROMANCE: Billionaire Baby Daddy (Billionaire Secret Baby Pregnancy Romance) (Multicultural & Interracial Romance Short Stories) Page 26
