“You’ve never been in love?” Meagan asked.
Chester rested his elbows on the table, opened his mouth, but didn’t get a chance to speak. Another set of footsteps sounded on the stairway.
“Can’t be the waitress this fast,” Meagan said, when she saw Ann’s back stiffen a second time. “It must be Gerard.”
The purple, gold, and red panels slid apart and a familiar figure stepped from the opening.
Sporting a wide grin, Gerard crossed the threshold into The Tower.
My mouth fell open and I did a double take. At first glance I’d assumed it was Gerard, but maybe this was some kind of Gerard-clone or something. Never in two years had I seen Gerard dressed as he was tonight.
He wore a very chic pinstripe suit, and a power tie that said, I have money and I know how to spend it. A brand new Rolex—I’d never seen it before—gleamed from his wrist, making me wonder when Gerard had acquired taste. His blonde hair was combed neatly away from his face, and it shimmered with platinum highlights. I’d be a monkey’s uncle if Gerard hadn’t been to the beauty salon in the last few days.
However, despite Gerard’s GQ appearance, the most noticeable thing about his arrival was that he’d come alone.
NO CANDACE!
I had no idea what Gerard was up to, but whatever it was he had the full attention of everyone.
Ann blinked. “Son of a bitch!”
I think I may have said or did something to indicate my surprise, but I don’t remember.
Beside me, Chester didn’t seem to know who to look at. I caught a glimpse of him from my peripheral vision, and it was enough for me to see his head bobbing back and forth between Ann and Gerard.
Casually, as though he had no inkling of the shock he’d caused all of us, Gerard made his way around the table to Ann. His focus was so intent on her, I wondered if he was aware of anyone else in the room.
He gave Sean a cursory glance, then crouched before Ann.
She panted, stunned silent for the first time in her life…and probably the last.
Gerard smiled, nodded, then leaned close and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Did you miss me?”
Having obviously forgotten about Sean, Ann stared into Gerard’s eyes and nodded back.
She actually looked contrite. I could just kick myself for not bringing my camera. I doubted I’d ever see such a look on Ann’s face again.
Ann raised a hand to stroke Gerard’s cheek, paused when she realized her fingers were trembling, then cupped his face in her palm. “I’m sorry for everything, Gerard. I know I’m not the easiest person to be in a relationship with.”
Someone muttered, “Amen to that.” I suspect it was Katarina.
Neither Gerard nor Ann seemed to hear. They were in their own world now.
“Hush, Ann. That’s behind us.” He fumbled in an inner pocket of his suit, showing signs of nerves for the first time since his appearance. Finding his quarry, he fisted it and took a deep breath. “There’s something I want to say…that I want to ask.”
Ann gazed at his closed hand for a few seconds, then into Gerard’s eyes. His gaze was intense, reflecting a desperate longing that I supposed had always been there, but it was never quite as obvious as it was tonight.
“Oh shit,” Ann muttered.
“I love you Ann, and I know you love me.” Gerard paused to take a deep breath. “And I wanted to know…” Big breath. “…if you would do me the honor…” He twisted his fist until the object in his grasp was visible, then opened his hand. Resting neatly on his palm was a purple and cream-colored velvet box.
It was just large enough to hold a ring.
“Oh shit, Gerard,” Ann said, breathlessly.
“If you would do me the honor of being my wife?”
For a moment, Ann continued gaping at him, then at the open box in his hand. The table went quiet.
One fat tear slid down Ann’s face. Despite this, her lips turned up in a smile. “Of course I will.” And she glided off her pillow and into Gerard’s arms.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
2/19/05 2:07 a.m.
I stared at the ceiling of my bedroom, unable to fall asleep.
Ann is getting married.
Ann is getting married.
One of my best friends is getting married.
I figured if I said it enough, it would sink in.
Obviously this was a time of joy, a time to celebrate. But no matter how much I tried to be happy for Ann, I couldn’t muster anything better than resignation. This didn’t have anything to do with some adolescent fear that once Ann said I do I’d lose her to Gerard. He had always been a fixture by Ann’s side. They were always a couple, nothing would change.
What was changing, however, was me. I couldn’t say how or why, but somehow, when Gerard had crouched before Ann, jeweler’s box in hand, my no-man vacation suddenly seemed ridiculous. It was possible for a man and woman to truly love each other…happily-ever-after was a possibility. The thing that scared me, though, was the thought that maybe it wasn’t a possibility for me. What was more upsetting was I knew if I kept seeing Jake and Dev, I’d never fall in love. How could I while I was involved in a perverted sex triangle with two bisexual men? I couldn’t! And I refused to delude myself into believing I could have anything meaningful with Jake and Dev. They were in love with each other, not me. I was a sort of sex toy for them. I went to their condo, we enjoyed a few hours of great sex, and I usually returned home afterward. It was sex they wanted from me and I knew it. And I had to live with knowing it. Unfortunately, regardless of the emotions involved, or not involved, I didn’t want to end things with Jake and Dev. They’d sucked me into their world, seduced me, and now I was addicted.
A sudden wave or rage descended on me. It was all well and good for them to amuse themselves with me because in the end they’d always have each other. Who did I have? Chester? Hardly. I couldn’t spend ten minutes with the man without thinking about Jake.
“That son of a bitch!”
I sat up in bed, fumbled on my bedside table for the telephone. It took me a few seconds to punch in the number, but once I did, I listened to the ringing on the other end of the line, stewing in anger.
“What the fuck?” Jake said groggily into the phone.
“What do you want from me?” I sounded slightly hysterical, but I didn’t care. My future was on the line here. “Do you hear me Jake? What do you want from me?”
“Stella?”
“Answer me, Jake.”
“What the hell is wrong with you? It’s close to two-thirty in the morning.”
“You wanna know what happened to me tonight? I found out that my best friend is getting married. Married! Gerard broke up with his girlfriend because he realized Ann is the only person in the entire universe that he wants to spend the rest of his life with.”
Mutters and moans greeted this speech. In the background I could hear Dev asking Jake who was on the phone.
Finally, Jake asked, “Is everything all right, Stella?”
Argh! Had the man heard a word I’d said? “Hell no! Everything is not all right. I want to know what you want from me. If it’s just sex, tell me now and I’ll move on with my life. God knows I enjoy sex with you and Dev, but I’m thirty frigging years old. I need more than sex.”
Jake sighed. “I suppose you’re going to tell me what it is you think you need.”
“Damn straight. What I want, Jake, what I need is to be with a man who wants me. Someone who cares about who I am, as a person, not how tight I am or how good I feel.”
Jake cleared his throat. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes! Do you think I’d call you at two-thirty in the morning if I wasn’t?”
“Good point.” Jake put his hand over the phone so he could have a conversation with Dev. I couldn’t make out anything that was said, but figured I could put it together when Jake returned and said, “We’re on our way.”
Oh shit! I hadn’t expected that. I w
as in my pajamas for crying out loud, and I didn’t have on any makeup. Argh! And my hair was in a frumpy bun. “No!” I said into the phone, but it was too late. Jake had disconnected.
I flew out of bed and ran around my bedroom in a panic. Hair, face, clothes, I didn’t know what to attend to first. Sliding across the floor to my door on socked feet, I found the light switch and flicked it on. Then I screamed. My room was a wreck. Unfortunately, I couldn’t worry about that. There wasn’t enough time.
I threw myself down in front of the vanity and undid my bun. My hair tumbled free to the middle of my back. I thanked God above when I saw it had maintained most of the curl I’d put into it before going out tonight. Next on the list was my face. The best I could do with mere minutes to work with was drag flesh-colored lip-gloss across my lips and line my eyes with liner.
In the next five minutes I changed out of my flannel nightgown and into a slinky, ankle-length Victoria’s Secret gown. It was a delicious shade of cream with intricate lace work along the bodice and hemline. It was sexy, yet not so sexy that it would seem unlikely I’d wear it when I slept alone.
I’d begun shoving shoeboxes and articles of clothing under the bed when my doorbell rang.
They were here.
2:37 a.m.
I stared at the ceiling of my bedroom, unable to fall asleep. Dev was curled behind me, arms wrapped tight around my stomach. Though his T-shirt was soft, the texture of it, the feel of it against me was nothing like lying with him and feeling the warmth of his naked skin. I couldn’t complain because Dev was with me in bed. Remaining fully clothed, it was a clear sign that maybe I was more to these two men then a sex toy.
Jake lay on his side facing me, caressing my face. “Did you ever think that maybe we want more than sex too?” he asked quietly.
“You and Dev?” I whispered back.
He gave my cheek a paternal pat then eased closer. His breath on my face was gentle. The scent of toothpaste and mouthwash was strong on him/ I wasn’t the only one to clean up before this unexpected meeting.
He’d come wearing a jogging suit, which he still wore when he’d laid in bed beside me. He’d combed his hair and wore it loose just the way I like it. He looked as wonderful as ever and smelled intoxicatingly good. Especially his hair. It always smelled like apples and cinnamon.
“Me and Dev,” he agreed.
“But you’re already in a relationship. With each other.”
Behind me, Dev shrugged. “Give us a chance.”
Jake nodded. “You’ll never know until you try.”
“I suppose,” I said. “But what will people say? What will they think? This isn’t a normal relationship?”
“Normal according to who?” Jake asked. “I don’t care what anyone thinks of us. You shouldn’t either.”
“I know I shouldn’t. But I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“Trust us Stella. Just give us a chance. Can you do that?”
I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I thought of all the stares we were likely to receive whenever we were in public, all the comments that would be casually thrown our way from people who couldn’t understand us. And I realized something. I didn’t care either. Why on earth should I let my happiness depend on what others deemed permissible? The majority of these faceless threats were strangers. I wouldn’t live my life to please people I didn’t even know. Anyone I cared about, or anyone who cared about me, would try to understand.
So I met Jake’s gaze, smiled, and said, “I can do that.”
Behind me, Dev burrowed closer. “Good. Can we get some sleep now?”
And for the first time since I’d known Jake and Dev, we spent the night together without having sex. We slept side by side as lovers.
Bio
Having grown up with a love of telling stories, it was only natural for Adrienne to begin writing books. Known for her steamy I/R fantasy romance series, “The Nephilim War”, Adrienne looks forward to having a long career ahead of her. This CAPA award nominee writes chick lit, fantasy, and paranormal stories with domineering heroes and adventurous heroines.
See more works by this author at,
www.venuspress.com
The Chronicles of Stella Rice: February Page 11
