At this point we were all rolling with laughter. I was so tickled, tears streamed down my face.
Hart continued the story. “Dumbass Doug goes back to Ernie and bitches, demanding that the guy cover up the kitty.”
“And the dude did just enough to make Doug think he transformed the old tat into a cool dragon. But if you look at it the head on the kitty is still shining through.” Colin finished the story.
“How did you find out you could still see the kitty?” I asked.
It was Ronnie’s turn to add to the story. “He hooked up with this girl. The next morning he woke up to her talking baby talk to his hip, saying how much she loved Hello Kitty.”
“Why didn’t you just go to another shop and get it fixed?” Sophie asked.
“Because it hurt like a motherfucker.”
Sophie stood and headed toward the house. “Idiot. Bryson, I’m going to clean the kitchen.”
“Sophie, I’ll take care of that.”
“No! I insist.”
Like a little puppy Doug followed after her. “If you don’t start acting a little nicer to me, there’s not a chance in hell you’ll get with all this.” His hands roamed up and down his body.
“Rest assured, there’s no part of your body I want to get with.”
The two disappeared into the house.
Stretching his arms over his head, Ronnie looked at Julia and said, “You about ready, hon?”
“Yep, we better go or I’m going to be spending the night.”
Ronnie and Colin exchanged glances then tilted their chins.
I was about to stand when Julia stopped me.
“Stay put. We’ll see ourselves out, Bryson.”
“I’m so glad y’all came tonight.”
Julia leaned down, giving me a hug. “Thanks for everything.” She patted Hart’s shoulder. “You behave yourself.”
“That’s no fun.”
Ronnie gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Thanks, Bryson.”
Colin gave the dying fire one more poke before giving me a hug. “Bryson, thanks for an awesome night.”
It was obvious all the guys looked out for Hart and had his back. But it didn’t take long for me to figure out Colin was the soft-spoken ringleader. He was the one who made sure things happened like tonight, getting Hart up the steps, allowing us to have a night at my place.
I looked up at Colin with grateful eyes. “Thank you for everything.”
He gave me a wink, letting me know he understood what everything meant.
“I’m gonna go inside and piss Doug off. Just let me know when you’re ready.” He told Hart.
As soon as the threesome were out of view, I nuzzled Hart’s neck, placing a soft kiss behind his ear.
“I don’t want you to go,” I said against his skin.
“I wish I didn’t have to.”
I lifted my head and locked my gaze with his. “My next place is going to be flat as a pancake.”
Cupping the side of my face, Hart threaded his fingers through my hair and pulled me into a slow deep kiss. As his tongue swirled and stroked mine a moan escaped me.
He broke the kiss and whispered, “I love you, Bryson.”
“I love you with my heart and soul.”
“You’re always trying to one up me in the romance department.”
I chuckled then planted a firm kiss in the center of his mouth.
Hart patted my ass. “I gotta go. Colin and Doug are waiting for me.”
I stayed in Hart’s lap all the way to the front porch where Colin and Doug were patiently waiting. The guys lowered him off the steps. Wrapping my arms around my body, I leaned a shoulder against one of the porch columns and watched as each guy got into their cars. I hated that so many people had to be involved just for him to come over. Hart maneuvered through life with such ease I forgot sometimes he faced limitations. What looked effortless to the naked eye was in fact anything but that for him.
This house once gave me a sense of comfort and security. I remembered months ago sitting on my bed with papers fanned out in front of me, desperate to figure out how I could financially remain here. Looking at Hart getting into his car, I realized I had those things as long as he was by my side, no matter where we were. And I didn’t want to be anywhere he couldn’t be.
Me: Hey, It’s almost June and we still haven’t discussed the divorce settlement. I’ve been holding off going to a lawyer because I felt it would be better if we discussed details first. I called you last week but it went straight to voicemail. Please respond soon. Will, we both need to move forward with our lives.
“How long has it been since Mr. Forsyth moved out of the home?”
Shana Rafkin hadn’t made eye contact since our initial introduction fifteen minutes ago. The short pudgy blond pitbull of an attorney sat across the dark conference table scribbling notes on her yellow legal pad.
The last text I sent Will had been a month ago and remained unanswered. I was tired of trying to figure out his motives for the avoidance. I needed to move on from the limbo I’d been in the last year and a half.
“Actually we’ve been kind of living separate lives since last January . . .”
“So January 20 . . .”
“No, he didn’t move out then. We basically divided the house in two with him downstairs and me upstairs. I’m not sure why I didn’t ask him to move out then. I knew the marriage was over. But you see, Will and I had been together since high school and . . .”
Her dark beady eyes lifted up. “I don’t care about any of that. All I need is the date he physically moved out of the home.”
I was taken aback by her cold tone and abruptness. I hired this woman because one of Sophie’s co-workers highly recommended her. I also thought a woman lawyer would be more sympathetic and understanding. As I stared at Shana I felt my eyes mist over.
Swallowing the small lump that had formed in my throat, I said, “Um . . . well . . .”
“Listen, Mrs. Forsyth, I don’t mean to sound blunt or short with you but you’re paying me to get you financially divorced from your husband. Use your family, friends, and/or counselor to get you through the emotional aspect.”
Squaring my shoulders, the tip of my tongue ran over my dry lips. “Eight months.”
She gave me a curt nod, her gaze dropping as she jotted down the information.
“Will this be uncontested?” She glanced up when I didn’t answer. “You both agree to the divorce?”
“Will fought it in the beginning. I guess he’s onboard now. I haven’t heard from him in months.”
Scribble. Scribble. “Was there infidelity during the marriage from either of you?”
My chest tightened. “Will had intimate contact with other women online.”
“Did he have sex with any of them?”
“Um . . .”
“Mrs. Forsyth, did your husband ever have sexual intercourse with any of these women?”
“Technically no.”
Dark eyes shot up at me. “I don’t understand.”
“They weren’t in the same room when they did things to themselves. I mean the women were on the screen or on his phone.”
“The court doesn’t acknowledge that as infidelity.”
“They should. The betrayal hurts just as much,” I whispered.
“Be that as it may . . . has your husband ever had real-life sexual intercourse with other women?”
“He’s always denied it.”
“Do you have any proof to the contrary?”
“No.”
The rest of the hour was spent with Shana grilling me about each and every aspect of my financial life with Will. After listening to Sophie for the umpteenth time I had decided to ask for what I was entitled to, half of the profits from the sale of the house, half of Will’s pension, and my car. I wasn’t asking for alimony and as far as the furniture and other items in the house, I wasn’t going to argue over petty things.
Shana capped her pen, closed folders, gath
ered papers, and fired off information. “It will take about ten days to put the settlement agreement together. We’ll email you a copy to go over before sending to Mr. Forsyth. Once you proof the document let us know if there are any changes that need to be made. Hopefully, your husband will sign with little to no argument. After he signs then I’ll request a court date. He doesn’t have to be there. You’ll only be in court for ten or fifteen minutes. You will need a witness to testify that you and Mr. Forsyth have been living apart. This could be a family member or friend, preferably female. The judge will ask you a few questions. Nothing to be nervous about. Not that I think you’ll do any of these things but I tell all my client three things. Don’t be late to court. Don’t bring a new boyfriend or fiancé to court. And don’t wear revealing clothes to court. Any questions?”
“Is there a deadline for when Will has to sign the papers?”
Her lips pressed into a straight line. “Unfortunately, no. You can’t make someone sign a document. I assume he’ll have an attorney look it over. We’ll take it from there.”
And with that I shook the pitbull’s paw and played the waiting game.
Other than the part of my life stuck in the past, the present was incredible and the future hopeful. Will was served the separation settlement document the end of June. Three months passed with summer turning into fall and still no response. It was as if he’d dropped off the face of the earth.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
I heard the faint buzz of my phone. But I wasn’t curious enough to open my eyes and find out who was texting me early on a Sunday morning. For the past two days the weather had been rainy and chilly and the forecast was calling for more of the same today. I was too warm and cozy with my back pressed against Hart’s warm chest to care about the outside world. A faint smile crossed my lips as Hart’s hand slipped under my T-shirt and splayed across my stomach.
“You gonna check that?” he mumbled, his lips brushing over the skin just below my neck.
I wiggled into him as he placed a soft kiss on my shoulder. “Eventually.”
Five minutes later the phone buzzed with another text followed almost immediately by ringing. I reluctantly shoved my arm out from underneath the comforter and patted the nightstand, feeling for the annoyance. Blindly swiping the screen with my finger, I squinted one eye open. Seeing the name on the screen caused my lungs to fill with what felt like quicksand. I grabbed Hart’s wrist, pulling him closer before opening my other eye and reading.
Will: Hey, I need to see you.
Will: Bryson, we really need to talk.
Will: I just left you a voicemail. Call me ASAP.
For months I tried to make contact with Will. A lawyer had been hired and I was ready to move forward with the divorce. I’d been extremely patient with him, waiting weeks to hear something . . . anything. Never really knowing where his head was at or if he was going to pull the rug out from under me. The fact that he was contacting me out of the blue, along with his persistence, and demanding I respond quickly had me pissed off and scared.
This was the first Sunday I’d had off in three weeks. Since I worked mainly on the weekends and Hart’s job was during the week, time together was precious. Our plans for the day had already been set—stay as naked as possible for as long as possible, sex followed by more sex, and keep well hydrated.
I slid the phone under my pillow, slid Hart’s hand farther up my body, and got back on the plan. Hart’s index finger circled around my nipple painstakingly slow just before his thumb joined in, giving it a quick pinch. Rubbing my thighs together, I rolled my hips and ass against him.
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
The muffled text notification did not go unnoticed by Hart.
“Bryson, who’s trying awfully hard to get in touch with you?”
“Will,” I whispered.
Hart’s muscles tensed. “What does he want?”
“He wants to see me.”
“About what?”
Turning in his arms, I met questioning eyes. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter, though. I’ll let my lawyer handle it.”
Buzz. Buzz. Buzz
Raising his hand, Hart brushed the hair from my cheek and tucked it behind my ear. “Don’t you think you should at least tell him that?”
I hesitated for several seconds as I gazed at Hart, searching for signs of anger or jealousy. All I saw was concern and curiosity.
Running my fingernails over his back, I applied just enough pressure to scratch the surface. “I don’t want anything to ruin our plans for today.”
His hand roamed down my body, stopping at my cotton panties. “Nothing and no one is going to stop me from tapping your sweet little ass all day.” He gave it a deep squeeze.
“Wow, that’s the sweetest and crudest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“There’s more where that came from, baby.” He winked.
Lunging forward, Hart captured my mouth, his tongue making contact with mine immediately.
As he broke the kiss, he sucked hard on my bottom lip, his gaze searing into mine. “Get rid of him so I can commence the tappin’.”
As I sat up Hart’s hand landed on my lower back, causing a calmness to wash over me while I typed out the text.
Me: Hey, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. My lawyer can answer any of your questions
Will’s response was immediate.
Will: I need to talk to you face to face. No lawyers.
My muscles tensed as an audible sigh left my body.
Propping himself up with his hands, Hart appeared next to me. “Bryson?”
I rolled my head to the side, stretching the stress out of my neck. “He insists we meet. No lawyers.”
“What are you thinking?”
“That I wish this was over and done with and I could just move forward with my life . . . with us.”
“Will’s not stopping any of that from happening.” Hart gave my shoulder a little bite.
I glanced over at him. “What do you think I should do?”
I could tell by his expression he definitely had an opinion on the matter but he wasn’t going to let me in on it.
“You know I’m here for you and will do whatever you need. But this is your decision.”
Looking straight ahead, I said, “I know . . . it’s just Will has a way of making me second guess myself.”
“Bryson, look at me.”
My body twisted in his direction.
Cupping the side of my face, his thumb glided over my cheek. “You’re a strong intelligent woman. Will can say whatever he wants but he has no control over you. Trust yourself and do what your gut’s telling you to do.”
Hart was right. In our short time together, he helped me find myself. He didn’t tell me how to act or what to say. He gave me the confidence to believe in myself and my abilities. I was no longer the girl Will could make feel less than. I was a strong independent woman and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away from me.
Me: Okay but it can’t be today.
Will: When?
Me: Wed at 1 p.m., Olympic Deli.
So no one felt as if they had the upper hand, I asked Will to meet at a neutral location. The Olympic Deli was a little Greek place that was never overly crowded, so we could have privacy. But there was enough of a customer flow that you wouldn’t want to make a scene. Hart wanted to go and hover in the background just in case I needed a dose of moral support and to keep his eye on Will. Hart was confident and secure in himself and our relationship. Jealousy never entered the equation. But he was very protective of me and didn’t trust Will. Although I loved him for offering, I had to do this by myself. Part of me didn’t want to put him in an awkward situation. The other part of me needed to prove to myself that I was as strong as Hart believed.
The days leading up to the meeting I stayed on edge except when I was with Hart. He was the only person who had the ability to calm my frayed nerves. Different scenarios played in my head about what Will would
say and how I’d react. I didn’t bother to tell Sophie because I knew she would only add to my anxiety.
After so many months apart it was going to feel strange and difficult to see Will. No matter what caused the end of our relationship, he had played a significant part in my life. I had two goals when the divorce came to an end and all ties with Will were severed. One, was to live a happy and purposeful life with the love of my life. Two, to wish Will the same.
On the day of the meeting I felt surprisingly calm. Before dropping my phone in my purse it buzzed with a text.
Hart: Hey, Lovely. Wanted to let you know I’m thinking about you and know you’re gonna handle things great. I love you.
The warmth surrounding my heart quickly spread to the rest of my insides. I don’t know how he did it but Hart’s timing and words were always perfect.
Me: Hey, Handsome. Getting ready to leave in just a minute. I’ll let you know how it goes. Thank you for being in my life. I love you.
After wiping the goofy grin from my face, I headed toward my front door with purse in hand while pushing my other arm through the sleeve of the brown leather jacket. I was about to open the door when the doorbell rang. Prepared to make a quick excuse and getaway from whoever was trying to sell me something, I opened my mouth and the door simultaneously. Both stayed wide open as I stared at Will standing in front of me.
“Hey,” he said in a scratchy voice, a faint grin ghosted over his lips.
Him showing up here unannounced knocked me completely off balance and felt like an ambush.
My grip tightened around the doorknob. “What are you doing here? We were supposed to meet at . . .”
“I know and I’m sorry to just show up like this.” He chuckled humorlessly. “Feels pretty weird apologizing for showing up at my own house.”
“Will . . .”
“Sorry. I’m not trying to be an ass. I know we agreed to meet on neutral territory but I really need to talk to you alone. Can I come in?”
I hesitated. This was my first test to see if I was the strong intelligent woman Hart kept talking about.
the Dance Page 36
