by Lauren Wood
“Somewhere in Florida maybe, I don’t know about California. I’m used to Florida now, and I love the weather.” He answered.
They talked about their future together, hoping for great things to come for them both. Then he changed the topic, “So when do you think you’ll hear back from the publisher?” He asked.
“Well I sent the manuscript to them around 2 months ago now, so any day. At least if you believe their web page response time.” She commented.
“Maybe it will come tomorrow.” He smiled at her and pulled her into his arms.
He was tempted to take her again, but his stomach growled loudly. It reminded him that he hadn’t eaten yet. “Hey let’s eat a bit.” He pulled her up out of bed and they went to eat.
Epilogue
Derrick had asked her to try and mend fences with her adoptive parents when they first got together. However, as he learned more of the story, he had stopped pushing her.
Christy had never shared everything she had gone through with anyone but Derrick. He had sat there one night and held her, as she relived the past.
Derrick had held her tightly as she told him about the beatings she had received from the mother. “All the while the father would let it go on. But there was one time he did stop her. She was using a metal wire to spank me with. It hurt so badly, she didn’t hit just my butt either, but was hitting my back with each swat. I don’t know how long it continued, but he finally held her hand before she could hit again. When she pushed me off of her, all I could see in her eyes was pure hatred. Do you know what it’s like to be hated? She had asked him.
“No I don’t baby.” He had told her and kissed her lightly on the forehead. “I don’t understand how they adopted you and then made you feel so bad.”
“You know I didn’t either it took me years to actually understand it all. Right after we had Jimmy though I got it, I understood her.” She had responded.
“How did that make you understand here?” He had asked her, curious to what she had discovered.
“Remember I told you one time that they had lost their daughter? That was the reason they were looking for a girl to adopt. It was also the reason they had decided to adopt an older child like me. When we had Jimmy, that time he got really sick, and we weren’t sure if he would make it. I felt such fear, anger and so many emotions at one time. I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to lose him. It would have literally broken my heart into a million pieces. Now you add in the fact that they pick a child who isn’t theirs and add them to the family. How could you really love this person? When you looked at the girl you would only want to see your own child. Instead you were looking at someone who wasn’t who you really wanted. I forgave her at that moment. I still think that they made a mistake. I don’t think she was mentally prepared for another child. They should have not even adopted me in the end. However, somehow I toughed it out until I was 17. But trust me once I could I got out of there. Would I like to tell her I forgave her? Maybe one day I’ll write a letter to her and tell her. But I don’t really want to see her face to face. Because even though I forgave her, I still would love to tell her that she made a huge mistake.” Christy had explained.
She had eventually written the letter to her mother. She didn’t place a return address on the envelope. As far as she was concerned she didn’t want to talk to them ever again.
Tomorrow would be their 10 year anniversary. Christy couldn’t believe the time had passed so quickly. So much had changed in both of their lives.
Derrick had been drafted by the Miami Dolphins and was already breaking many NFL records. He had driven them into the Super Bowl his very first year. Even though they lost that first time, they had run a couple in the past years.
Christy had sold her book, and was now a real author. No more ghosts writing were in her future. With each book she wrote, she used parts of her and Derrick’s love story. They sold like hot cakes, people loved her romances.
She had laughed one night when she had walked into the bedroom to find Derrick curled up on the bed reading her latest book.
He had looked up at her and said, “Hey you have the story about how we first met in here, that’s really cool!”
Christy traveled with him to away games, they were never far apart. She swore she had fallen even more in love with him with each passing day.
Derrick walked into the kitchen, Christy was cooking pancakes. “Oh man those smell wonderful!” He came up behind her and hugged her.
“They are your favorite!”
“Yeah I love these things; I swear I could eat them every day. But imagine how much weight I would put on.
“Where are the kids?” She asked.
“I told them to hurry down to eat or I would eat all the pancakes.” Derrick laughed.
Just then the three children piled in the door. “Dad didn’t eat all the food did he?” Jimmy asked.
He was their oldest; he was the result of her donor visit. He was the spitting image of Derrick, down to the dimples on his cheeks when he smiled.
“Hey tell John to stop touching all the pancakes.” Amanda yelled. “It’s gross did you even wash your hands?” She chastised her brother.
“I’m just looking for one’s with more chocolate chips.” He had said, rubbing his hand that had been hit by his sister.
“Now kids, I can always make more, so stop it. John, just eat from the top of the pile please.” Christy asked.
Amanda was 8 and in a phase where everything was gross, especially her younger brother. John was 6; he had a wicked tendency to push his sister even at his young age.
“You know what tomorrow is darling?” Derrick asked Christy.
“Of course I do, it’s 10 years!” She laughed.
“So since I’m off for a few months, how about we take a trip somewhere to celebrate?” He asked.
“Hey do we get to go?” Jimmy asked.
“Of course we wouldn’t go anywhere without you three.” Derrick answered.
“Oh can we go to Disney Land?” Amanda asked.
“Yeah can we dad and mom?” John asked as well.
Derrick looked at Christy, “What do you think?” He asked.
“Sure why not?” She shrugged her shoulders.
She looked over her family and pride filled her very soul. All those years ago she had felt so unloved in this very situation.
THE END
BLOODTHIRSTY ALINE MASTER
Chapter 1
Melissa listens to her favorite band on her headphones, hearing the melody and immersing herself into each and every word. She feels her long blond hair flowing in the wind, as she bicycles hard towards a job that she really doesn’t want in the first place. She’s one of their best barista’s in this coffee shop that is known for quite an eclectic clientele.
“I wonder if I can keep a straight face when I see Jennifer. If anybody is going to be able to see through my false smile, it’s going to be her.”
She contemplates calling in sick, but she’s already been on vacation for the past two weeks. The breakup between her and Andrew was like world war three. There was a lot of screaming and breaking of glass, but she still can’t understand why he was the one that was getting angry. Melissa had found his emails to other girls, including some very racy photos that really should’ve been kept between boyfriend and girlfriend.
“Just because we’ve been best friends since high school, doesn’t mean that I can’t keep a straight face. I really don’t want to get into this with her, because Jennifer can be quite smug when she knows that she was right. I thought that I could prove her wrong about Andrew, but it would appear that her assumption about his single life was right on the mark.”
Melissa has hit her stride by the time she reached one block away from her final destination. She’d already gone past the wall and was able to feel that second wind coming over her. Her legs were fatigued, but she liked the fact that she could work out and didn’t have to worry about insurance for a car. T
hat was an expense that she didn’t need or want.
She gets to the coffee shop and she can smell the caffeine in the air. From the moment that she steps through the door, she knows that she’s trapped in a dead end job that wasn’t going anywhere. Her white and blue uniform with the short black skirt is a carbon copy of the one that Jennifer is wearing. Melissa sees her by the counter, chewing gum and twirling her dark hair around her fingers.
There hasn’t been a day since she went on vacation, two weeks ago that Jennifer didn’t call her and tell her about a certain client that had just started to come in at exactly the same time every day. Jennifer told her several times on the phone that she should come in and get a look at him herself, but she was still nursing a broken heart.
“I’m glad that you’re here, Melissa and we’ve been slammed from the moment that Jerry introduced the breakfast special.” Melissa jumped right into it, using her considerable charm and curvaceous frame of 5’2 and 120 pounds to her advantage. When she swung her hips, people noticed and it was her openness to talk just about anybody’s ear off that made her one of the best employees that Jerry had ever hired.
“I can honestly say that I haven’t missed this place, but the people are a different story.” They had regulars and most were police officers, firemen or those that had early mornings in the city. “This is not what I want to do for the rest of my life, Jennifer. There has to be something better and I’ve always believed that I was destined for something bigger.”
“I don’t know what you’re complaining about and we get exercise by staying on our feet and to be honest, there have been a select few men that make it worth my while to come in every day. Ooooh…I told you about one and according to my watch he should be here in less than 5 minutes.”
Melissa thought about what she said about the young man in question, but she really didn’t hold any hope that he was anything to write home about “I don’t know what she’s getting so fired up about. She usually has a flavor of the month. This guy can’t be all that special and I believe that she may be a exaggerating slightly.”
“I know how you can be, Jennifer and let’s just say that I’m not convinced. Even if it was true, then I have to wonder why you haven’t made a play for him yourself.”
The fresh blueberries cooking in various forms from muffins to bagels were now wafting from the kitchen. You wouldn’t know it to look at Jerry, but he was a consummate baker. Just because he had a gruff exterior, a beard that would’ve made any lumberjack proud, didn’t mean that he didn’t have a softer side.
Melissa had to stand there and look around and wonder how her life had gotten, so off track. She wanted to be an architect, but losing her folks when she was only 16 was a shock to her system. That was 10 years ago and she had run away from her aunt at the age of 18. She was domineering and opinionated and had no problem using corporal punishment to get her point across.
The bell rang over the door and Jennifer was now pointing towards the man that had come through the threshold. Through the sun streaking through the window of the door, she saw a handsome brooding dark haired man that seemed to have this way about him. Just looking in his direction, she noticed the two different colored eyes. He was built like a linebacker, wearing a black pair of pants and a black pullover Henley, not to mention his hair was coifed just so.
“I’m going to do you a favor, Melissa. For your first day back, I’m going to serve him to you on a silver platter. He doesn’t seem to be interested in me and you know how that seems almost an impossibility.” Jennifer had always been quite the eye candy and she had no problem using what god blessed her with to make the big tips. “Don’t ever say that I didn’t do anything for you. If he’s not interested in me, then maybe he’s looking for something a little less abrasive.”
For some reason, Melissa felt her hands shaking and her palms were literally sweating. There was a flush along the top of her chest and she had to hold herself up by using the counter, before her legs gave out from underneath her. She stayed herself and took a deep breath, before approaching the man.
“Oh my, you’re new and you have this sense about you that surrounds you.”
Melissa thought with her heart in her mouth “You have no idea what I’ve been through and I am not sure you want somebody this damaged. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t be more than happy to take a shot at you.”
“Ahem, do you want to order, or do you need a few more minutes?” She had never been nervous before, but this guy was certainly shaking her up and making her feel like a giddy little schoolgirl back in the day. “We have some fresh made blueberry muffins.” At the sound of those words, he grimaced and it wasn’t lost on Melissa that blueberries were not exactly his cup of tea.
“I think that I’ll stick with my usual. Ask your friend and I’m sure that she’ll be able to inform you.” She noticed that he was shifting back and forth in his seat and just couldn’t seem to sit still for very long. There was a bead of sweat along his brow and he was constantly licking his lips.
Melissa turned her back on him, when she felt his hand grab hers in a vise like grip. “I’m going to need that back.” The way that his fingers dug into her skin made her almost afraid, but also made her feel like her entire body was alive for the first time in her life. She had never felt this kind of sensation with any other guy and maybe she had just found her soul mate and didn’t even know it.
“I apologize for my abrupt behavior, but I would really like to spend more time with you. You might be exactly what I’m looking for.” This was a bit out of the blue and she thought for a moment that she was dreaming or maybe she was in some kind of accident and was now in a coma in the hospital.
Melissa thought “This really can’t be happening and something like this doesn’t happen to me. He has to have something wrong with him. It’s the only explanation that I can come up with for the reason why he would even be remotely attracted to me. This is the kind of guy that could have anybody.”
“I’m not exactly sure what you’re proposing, but I’m pretty much open for anything.” She didn’t even believe that the words were coming out of her mouth and that she was, so easily turned around that she would even consider something after breaking up with Andrew.
“For now, I would like to just talk to you and would it be possible for you to take a break for 10 minutes.” That one green eye was shining and she thought for a moment that he could see what she was thinking. “There just has to be something wrong with him and he’s just too good to be true. I know Jennifer wouldn’t steer me wrong, but he’s just too perfect.”
She went to retrieve his usual and Jennifer was more than happy to provide her with the order in question. It was a green tea and not something that she would have expected that this kind of man would be drinking.
“I hope you name your firstborn after me. After all, I was the one that brought you two lovebirds together I can almost hear the pitter patter of little feet.” Melissa knew that she was being teased, but there was a small part of her that actually did hear wedding bells.
“Jennifer, don’t you think that there has to be something wrong with him. I mean, he’s handsome, well spoken, dresses impeccably and he has this natural animal magnetism that draws me to him like a moth to a flame. I literally feel exposed, like I’m standing there completely naked and at the mercy of his gaze.”
“I know…isn’t it delicious?”
Melissa felt like she was being watched and she glanced over her shoulder to see that this man was staring at her like she was a piece of raw meat to be devoured. “I just don’t know about this, Jennifer and there’s something different about him. I can’t put my finger on it.” She thought about it for a second “Get a grip on yourself, Melissa or better yet, get a grip on him. It’s obvious that he wants more than just a friendship.
She brought the tea and she placed it in front of him, using both hands, because she knew that if she used only one that she would probably spill it.
; “By the way, my name is Cole Arbor and if I don’t mind saying so myself, you are absolutely stunning.” Melissa felt her hand being touched on top of the table and it was like this instant electricity between the two of them.
“I bet you say that to all the girls. You probably have to beat them off with a stick.” With each word that came out of her mouth, it felt more whispered and almost sexual in nature.
“I mean it and in all the time that I’ve been here, I have not met a woman quite like you. There’s this energy about you, and animalistic fire that you try to contain. I don’t know why you even bother, because you can see it in your eyes and the way that it exudes from your body.” He was breathing heavy and then he gripped the table with both hands. Melissa could swear that his fingers were digging into the surface of the wood table. He was gritting his teeth and swallowing hard, before he suddenly got up and made the table shake with his abrupt departure.
She saw him excuse himself and rush out the door, but she couldn’t allow it to end like this. She had to follow and see if there was a true connection or just some fleeting moment.
Chapter 2
Melissa pulled Jennifer by the arm and squeezed a little too tightly “I need you to cover for me with Jerry and I shouldn’t be too long. Just tell him that I had a female issue to deal with and that should get him off my back for the time being.” She knew Jennifer well enough to know that she would bend over backwards to help her.
“What about Andrew? He’s been calling all morning and I’ve been putting him off for as long as I can. He claims that it’s all a big misunderstanding and that you should listen to him. You already know my opinion and I would rather you chase down that young man that just left here than stay with a pig like Andrew. He’s not right for you and you were right to send him packing.”
“I should’ve known that Andrew would not go away easily and there was going to come a point that I was going to have to deal with him. I thought that I made my feelings crystal clear. It wasn’t exactly like we had left things on good terms. For him to come crawling back only made him look desperate. Maybe it’s true that you don’t know what you have, until it’s taken away from you.”
