Fate

by Tia Wylder

  “Alright, we’re here. I know it looks a little intimidating, but these guys are harmless. The owner’s a sweet lady who knows how to make good drinks.”

  “You should probably know, I’ve never drank before,” I said.

  Devin chuckled. “Really? Not even a sip of your dad’s scotch?”

  I shook my head.

  “Well, you’re in for a treat then. Alcohol is the cure for just about all of life’s problems. Don’t worry, though, I won’t let you overdo it. If you have a bad night because you drank too much, you’ll never drink again and you probably won’t go out on another date with me.”

  “I trust you, Devin. I’m sure it will be fine.”

  I was a little nervous, but having Devin beside me helped me feel safe. I was positive nothing could hurt me while he was here. We walked into the bar and the first thing I noticed was the cigarette smoke. It was thick and hung in the air like fog. A trio of bikers stood on my right exchanging jokes over a low-lit pool table.

  On my left was the bar. Seven patrons from all walks of live sat hunched over it, holding conversations as an older woman moved with the speed of a teenager behind the bar making drinks.

  Devin and I grabbed a seat around the corner of the bar. The bartender came over and smiled warmly.

  “Hey there Devin, who’s your friend?” she asked.

  “Marla, this is Dee. She’s the girl I’ve been telling you about.”

  Marla laughed. “So her brother finally got that stick out of his ass and let you take her out?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh along with her. It made me feel good that Devin talked about me. I felt less crazy about the way I thought about him all the time.

  “So, what’ll it be?” Marla asked.

  “A whiskey and coke for me, and one of your apple and cranberry mixers for the lady.”

  The bartender nodded and went to work. I looked over to Devin and saw a look of concern on his face.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect her to say that. I don’t think I ever quite described your brother that way, but I don’t know. After a few drinks my filter tends to shut off.”

  “It’s fine, really. I think that was a pretty good way of describing it, actually.”

  Marla came back with the drinks and set them down in front of us. I reached over and grabbed my drink which had a nice pink tone to it. I took a small sip. The flavors of apple and cranberry hit me first, followed by a strong bite in the back of my throat as I swallowed it. I had to fight the urge to cough for only a moment before the liquid slid down my throat like a warm flame.

  When it hit my stomach, a chill ran down my spine. As I slowly drank from the glass, I felt the stress, the nervousness, and the tension slowing evaporating out of me.

  “What do you think, is it good?” Devin asked.

  “It’s really good. I can see why people like it so much.”

  Devin raised his glass. “To a date that’s been a long time coming.”

  I lifted my glass and clinked it into his. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  I had a total of two drinks before Devin decided it was time for me to eat something. The menu consisted on comfort food and plenty of fried options. Devin informed me that drinking made you crave such cuisine and he was certainly right.

  We left shortly after eating. On the way back to my house, we exchanged stories from our childhood. We made fun of Michael, we laughed about all the times we almost tried to talk to each other, and we remembered all the times we wished we could have done something about how we felt.

  Devin stopped the car outside my house and left the engine running. I looked through the passenger window and back to him.

  “Listen, my parents are out of town, and it’s not that late. So do you want to come inside?” I asked.

  Devin pretended like he was thinking about it, but he shut off the car almost immediately.

  “Absolutely,” he said.

  We made our way up the steps to the front door. I unlocked it and we stepped inside. While I was fumbling for the light, Devin found it almost immediately.

  He looked over at me. “So, what do you want to do?”

  I walked over to him and look up into his eyes.

  “Kiss me,” I said.

  He laughed. “Really? Just like that?”

  I chuckled. “Yep, just like that. Kiss me, dammit!”

  Devin wrapped his arm around my back and pulled me close to him.

  “So demanding,” he said.

  I sighed. “I’m waiting!”

  He leaned down and I closed my eyes. Our lips connected and I felt lightning shoot through me. Nothing had ever felt so right in my life. Devin’s hands gripped my waist as he pulled me close to him. I took deep and gasping breaths between bouts of passionate kissing that were filled with his scent.

  I reached down and pulled his shirt off as he unzipped the back of my dress. Our clothes fell to the ground as we collapsed onto the couch in my living room. The blazing passion between us fell to a dull roar. Devin’s lip descended to my neck as his hand traced a path from my shoulders to my legs.

  He released a satisfied sigh. “You’re so beautiful.”

  I didn’t respond. I was trapped in a paralysis between utter ecstasy and sheer terror.

  “What’s wrong?” Devin asked.

  “This is my first time. I’m a virgin.”

  Devin ran his fingers through my hair and smiled.

  “It’s alright. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  I shook my head. “No, I want this. Just, be gentle, will you?”

  Devin leaned down and softly kissed me.

  “I always am.”

  His hand reached around and unclasped my bra with incredible accuracy. He pulled my panties down my legs and dropped them on the floor. I instinctively covered my breasts with my arm as he looked down me with fire in his eyes.

  “How do I look?” I asked.

  “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  He pushed my legs apart and dove downward. I felt his hot breath against my thigh. Chills shot through my body as his tongue emerged and pressed against me. I frantically reached for a pillow on the couch and used it to muffle the moans that escaped my lips. It was involuntary, especially when I felt his tongue start moving in tight circular motions.

  His hands dug into my legs as his rhythm intensified. I reached down and held his head in place as I felt a climax rising within me. My body overflowed with emotion and pleasure as I screamed out loud into the pillow I was using to muffle my reactions.

  I was still shaking as Devin climbed up on to the couch. He put his arms down on either side of me and sat there staring down at me. I looked down and saw him dangling over my parted legs. He leaned down and kissed my breasts before pulling one of my nipples into his mouth. His flicked it with his tongue and playfully bit. The pain immediately converted to pleasure in my mind.

  He stopped and looked up to me. “Are you alright? We can stop if you want.”

  I pulled him toward me and pressed his lips against mine.

  “I want you,” I whispered.

  His hips descended and I felt him push into me. There was sharp pain at first, but he was so gentle. When he had slide himself entirely into me, he sat perfectly still. My heart was thundering my chest and my body was shaking with endless waves of pleasure.

  He slowly pulled out and waited a moment before thrusting back into me, harder this time. It still hurt a little, but for the most part it felt incredible. I wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and threw my head back. Devin’s body moved like a well-oiled machine. With each thrust the entire couch shook as the cushions fell more out of alignment. It was such a perfect moment.

  As another climax rose within me, I heard a melody in my mind. It had a fast tempo and a powerful chords. I knew that when I thought back to this moment, I would hear that song. It was our song, the melody to which we made passionate love.

  “Don�
��t stop, Devin please don’t stop,” I shouted.

  My vision exploded with color as the melody in my mind came to an eruptive climax. Devin pulled out of me and came at the same time. I laid naked and covered in sweat on the couch as Devin climbed to his feet panting heavily.

  I tried to form words as my legs spasmed, but I couldn’t recall any portion of the English language. All I heard was that same melody ringing in my ears. I felt Devin’s arms reach down and curl under me.

  “Let’s get you a nice hot bath,” he said.

  His kissed me gently on the forehead as he effortlessly picked me up. He carried me all the way to the bathroom and gently set me down on the countertop. I was still in a daze as he drew the hot water for a bath.

  He helped me climb in and descend into the piping hot water. I couldn’t remember a time when I had felt so relaxed, so at peace. I leaned my head against the back of the tub as watched as Devin cleaned himself off in front of the bathroom mirror. I was still trying to convince myself that everything happening to me wasn’t a dream.

  His phone vibrated on the countertop and he looked down at it. He turned to me and I saw the smile fade from his face.

  “Listen, Dee, I’m sorry but I have to get going. I had an amazing night with you, though. We should go out again soon.”

  He seemed completely out of sorts. “Is everything alright?”

  “Yeah, everything’s going to be fine. I’ll call you soon.”

  He walked over and gave me a soft and slow kiss.

  “Tonight was perfect,” I whispered.

  “It was, and it will be the first of many.”

  Devin stood up and walked out of the bathroom to get his clothes. It was the last time I would see him for a very long time.

  Chapter Four

  I spent what seemed like forever thinking about him, wondering how it would be if we actually had the opportunity to be together. That one night, I had a taste of that life. The next day he was gone, and no one, not even his best friend Michael could tell me what happened to him. He simply disappeared off the face of the Earth.

  I didn’t know whether to be worried or angry. I wanted to go to the police and file a missing person’s report, but Michael told me not to. He said that Devin was just this kind of person. He was the bad boy that was there one minute and gone the next. He told me I shouldn’t have gotten involved with him. I refused to admit he was right. I got the feeling Michael wasn’t telling me something, but my heart was too broken to care anymore.

  For once in my life, I was happy. I wouldn’t have traded that night for the world, but my life was never the same after. The next month after Devin disappeared into thin air, I was late for my time of the month. I had never been late before, and it didn’t take very many online searches to figure out what the problem was.

  A pregnancy test confirmed my worst fears. I even bought a few more, just to be safe. I was carrying Devin’s baby and I had no way of telling him. I was utterly terrified, but I refused to turn to my parents, let alone Michael. No, it was time I dealt with life on my terms. Over the next month I went to work applying for all kinds of jobs.

  Most never answered because I didn’t have any real-world experience. Then one day I came across a job as a music tutor. Someone in the city was giving up their clients for an undisclosed reason and was looking for someone to replace them. After I applied, I got the call to interview within a few days.

  One thing led to another and soon I was taking over as a music tutor in the city. I had to move out from my parent’s house and get an apartment so I could be close to the clients I would be working with. My dad seemed choked up that I was leaving, but my mother couldn’t care less. She always favored Michael anyway. Neither of them knew about the baby growing inside of me. Once I was away from them, I was going to start looking for Devin again. He couldn’t have gone far, and when I found him I would have my answers.

  It was lonely in the city, which was ironic given how many people lived there. I didn’t know any of them. The first few visits I did for my tutoring job were fine, mostly kids with rich parents who wanted them to be “cultured” as they put it. After a week of living in the city, I came across a client I didn’t expect.

  He was located in the penthouse suite of the city’s finest hotel. I didn’t have a name for him, only a location. When I got there I stood at the door with a crumpled piece of paper that had the address scrawled on it. The front desk called up to the suite to make sure I wasn’t intruding. It was all very hush-hush.

  The door swung open and a towering Russian man stood over me. I couldn’t believe it, but it was Dmitri Mikhailov, my father’s friend and an acquaintance of mine. He seemed just as shocked as I was to see him.

  “Mr. Mikhailov?”

  He laughed. “So it is you then? You are the new music tutor? Fate does indeed have a sense of humor.”

  “I didn’t know you played,” I said.

  He nodded. “Many do not. I have been trying to learn the piano for years now. These Russian fingers lack a certain finesse that I am trying to teach myself.”

  I found it remarkable how he could be simultaneously intimidating and inviting. I never knew what he was really thinking.

  “Come in, Deandra I pay you by the hour, do I not?” he asked.

  I stepped inside and saw two large men standing on either side of the door. They were dressed in suits and ties. Dmitri waved at them.

  “Leave us,” he said.

  The two men immediately departed, leaving Mr. Mikhailov and myself alone in the spacious penthouse.

  “Are they your bodyguards?” I asked.

  “Yes. When you’re a billionaire in my line of work, competition is, shall we say, ruthless.”

  “Oh, I had no idea. So, you’ll have to refresh me, the previous tutor didn’t have much information on your current grasp of piano. If you don’t mind, I’d like to see you play for a while today so I can get a grasp of where you stand, Mr. Mikhailov.”

  He smiled and placed his massive hand on my shoulder.

  “Please, call me Dmitri.”

  I turned away from his cold steel eyes as I felt myself blushing. I couldn’t lie to myself, I liked the way he looked at me. He led me through the luscious penthouse suite and over to an absolutely stunning grand piano. He sat down on the bench and gingerly placed his hands onto the shining ivory keys.

  “Any requests?” he asked.

  “Anything you feel comfortable playing,” I said.

  He immediately moved into an exquisite rendition of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. His fingers, though large and muscular, moved with a finesse and grace I had hardly expected. I walked around behind him as the somber notes filled the massive living room. His posture was great, his form was correct, and his tempo fit the mood of the piece perfectly.

  Several minutes into the first movement, I began to seriously wonder why he needed a tutor at all.

  “Okay, let’s try something with a little more tempo,” I said.

  Dmitri stopped for only a moment before his fingers returned to the keys. He immediately fell into a gorgeous rendition of Frederic Chopin’s Etude Opus 25. The rapid notes flew by under his fingers. He was masterful, I ventured to think that perhaps he would best me in a competition of sheer speed and accuracy.

  “Very good, that’s enough for now,” I said.

  Dmitri stopped and turned to face me on the piano bench with a look of satisfaction on his face.

  “Well, what did you think?” he asked.

  “I think there’s nothing I could teach you that you don’t already know. You’re clearly a very talented player.”

  Dmitri smiled and stood to his feet. He walked over to me with a confidence in his step that had my heart racing. I didn’t know what he would do next. One of his hands reached down and took mine and he looked deep into my eyes with his cold yet fiery gaze.

  “I have seen you mature into a beautiful woman, Deandra, and I know of your musical talents. It is no accident th
at you came here today. I do not leave my life in the hands of fate. I have brought you here to ask a question of you.”

  I could barely form words. “What is it?”

  “I want to you to teach me your music. Not the music of long deceased prodigies, but the one standing before me. I have heard you play and it is the only music that truly speaks to my soul and makes me feel human. Please Deandra, I will do anything to know your melodies.”

  I was flattered to say the least. Although I had never written down anything I created, all it took was a memory and an emotion to bring them back.

  “Well, I wasn’t expecting this, Dmitri. I’ve never written down my music before, but I remember all of it. I suppose I can teach you some of my songs, if that’s what you would like. I’ve never shown anyone how to play them before, so you’ll have to forgive me if I come across as rusty.”

  Dmitri stoic face exploded with happiness. This was a side of him I had never seen before. As we sat beside each other on the piano bench, I felt like I was his equal for the first time since I had met him. It didn’t matter that he was an older man, we had common ground to stand on and a shared passion for music.

  Chapter Five

  Devin

  Life for me has always had a tendency to give me something I’ve always wanted, and then take it away. I wanted a normal life and a normal family. I had one for a time, but then I was taken from them. I was also a star football player, but even that was taken from me. I had one perfect night with a woman I’ve loved almost all my life, and life took her as well.

  Dmitri Mikhailov, Russian mafia boss and billionaire businessman, he was at the root of everything. That night that I left Dee lying in the bathtub, I had received a text from Michael. Dmitri’s goons were back for blood. I couldn’t tell Dee what was happening, so I left.

  I arrived at the place Michael specified in his text. It was the parking lot of an abandoned warehouse building. My suspicion was piqued the moment I arrived at the address. I locked the car doors and tried to call him. As the line was ringing, I saw Dmitri’s men emerged from the shadows on all sides. They opened fire almost immediately. I ducked as glass soared through the air and bullets pierced the thin metal of my car.