by Beth Rinyu
“What do you mean?” I was in total confusion.
“Mia, I’m sure he worries if he’ll live up to Eric too.”
She pulled me close and kissed me on the head. “I’m going to bed and you better get going soon too; we have a lot of shopping to do in the morning.”
“I am in a few. Goodnight, Mom.”
“Good night, sweetheart.” She kissed me goodnight and headed off to bed.
I sat on the couch, wrapped in the blanket and staring into space. My mother was right; I loved Travis so much and I didn’t want to throw it all away over one little argument. I missed him and I wanted to hear his voice more than anything. I looked at the clock; it was after midnight. I started to type out a text message, but then deleted it. I needed to hear his voice. I dialed his number and waited for him to answer.
“Hey, Mia,” he answered in his I’m-really-sleeping-but-trying-to-pretend-I’m-awake voice.
“Hey, I’m sorry to be calling you so late.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“I just wanted to let you know that I miss you and I love you and if you ever behave the way that you did last night again, I will have to kill you.”
“Oh, baby, I love you too and I’m so sorry.”
We talked for a little while longer. “Well, get back to sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Definitely,” he answered.
***
It was exactly 2:15 p.m. when I stepped off the train and entered the cab to head back to my apartment. I wrestled to fit all of the bags from my early morning shopping excursion with my mother, into the cab. Travis had texted me earlier in the day and asked me to let him know when I got home. He was spending most of his day at the gym and the pool. I had texted him back from the train, letting him know that I was on my way.
The cab pulled up to my apartment and I once again wrestled with the bags, this time to get them out. I placed them down on the ground and bent down to rearrange them in hopes of making them a little easier to carry.
“Need some help?”
I looked up into the bright December sunlight, and couldn’t contain my smile when I saw Travis standing over top of me.
“Sure,” I answered as I stood up. “But no peeking, because Santa may have put a few things for you in there, even though you’re on the naughty list.”
He lifted his sunglasses on top of his head and pulled me toward him. “I promise, I’ll do everything that I can to get off that list,” he said, sounding so sexy as he kissed me softly on the lips.
God, I loved him so much!
Chapter 30
Mia…
Travis and I spent the rest of the afternoon together. I went with him and helped him pick out a Christmas tree. I let him talk me into going over to his place for dinner, so we could decorate the tree afterwards. I had really wanted to just stay home and wrap some presents and unwind before going back to work tomorrow, but he always made it so hard for me to resist. I quickly ran home to grab some clothes just in case I decided to spend the night, knowing full well that I was going to, while he went home to start dinner.
I was in the hallway locking my apartment door, when my next door neighbor Luis startled me with sound of his voice.
“Oh, Mia, there you are,” he said in broken English. I looked over at his pregnant wife, Maria, and smiled down at her swollen belly.
“Hey, how are you feeling, Maria?” Luis translated my question to her in Spanish. She smiled and nodded, responding back to him in Spanish.
“She can’t wait to get this over with,” he said, chuckling.
I smiled at both of them and couldn’t help but feel a little envious. My biological clock was beginning to tick and I was always reminded of it whenever I would see a pregnant woman or was around my nieces. I knew that Travis and I were nowhere near that point in our relationship, but I was hopeful that maybe someday I would have a baby of my own.
“Mia, there was some guy looking for you. He was here last night and just a little while ago after you had left with your boyfriend.”
“Hmm…did he say who he was?”
“No, I told him I would give you a message but he said he would just come back.”
“What did he look like?”
“He was older, gray hair; that’s all I really remember, sorry.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Well, I guess it couldn’t have been too important, if he didn’t want to a leave a message.”
“Mia, you have my cell phone number, well, you know, just in case you need me?”
“Yes, I do and thanks for your concern, but I’m sure it’s nothing.”
He nodded. We said our goodbyes and I headed down the stairs. I pondered over who this mystery man could be and couldn’t think of anyone. It was always in the back of my head that maybe one day, the animal who shot Eric would be set free from prison and come looking for me. But since he got sentenced to life in prison without parole, I knew the chances of that happening were slim to none. I shivered when I thought of his cold, callous eyes on the day of sentencing. I had never been more terrified, yet so fearless as I was on that day, when I had to get up on that stand and speak. It was like I was looking into an empty soul; all I saw were blank eyes looking back at me. I had never loathed someone as much as I loathed him. I wasn’t a violent person, but I honestly wished him the worst of everything in prison, so that maybe he could experience one ounce of the hell that he had put me through. I was extra cautious of my surroundings as I stepped out onto the city streets, feeling relieved when I was finally able to hail a cab.
I arrived at Travis’ and was greeted by his doorman, Charlie. “Hey, Charlie,” I said, feeling a little embarrassed over Travis’ behavior in front of him the other night.
“Hello, Mia,” he responded back with a smile.
The delicious aroma of dinner wafted through the air as soon as I stepped off the elevator. I knocked lightly on Travis’ door; he kissed me on the lips as soon as I entered. “Wow, it smells really good!” I said as I took off my coat and placed it on the chair.
“Do you need some help?”
“Nope, everything will be done in five minutes.”
He poured me a glass of wine and sat down next to me at the breakfast counter. “So did you decide if you were going to stay tonight?” he asked with that deep dimpled smile that made it impossible to say “no”.
“Hmm….I guess.” I smirked.
His smile was a mile wide. “But only because I have a stalker after me,” I joked.
I watched as his smile immediately disappeared, making me instantly regret saying anything to him. “What are you talking about?”
I explained to him everything that Luis had told me. “Travis, it’s not a big deal.”
“Well, until you figure out who it is, you’re staying here.”
I choked on the sip of wine I had just taken. “What? You can’t be serious.”
“I’m dead serious, Mia.”
“Oh my God, Travis, I’m sure it’s –”
“Mia, I’m not arguing with you about it.”
I shook my head and took another sip of my wine. Me and my big mouth!
Dinner was delicious. I made Travis promise to let me clean up since he cooked. After his third attempt at trying to help me and me resisting, he finally gave up and just sat down in the kitchen, keeping me company. I was in the middle of telling him about my visit with my nieces when his cell phone began to ring. He looked down at it and silenced it.
“Who was that?” I asked.
“Just Chloe, calling me for the hundredth time today to remind me about this meeting tomorrow. Now what where you saying?” he asked, trying to shift the subject.
I put the dishtowel down on the counter and moved closer to him, forgetting all about the story I had just been telling him about my nieces. “I don’t like her, Travis.”
“Who?”
“Chloe.” I went on to tell him about everything that annoyed me about her. Including the litt
le tiff we had gotten into the other night at the Christmas party.
He pulled me down onto his lap. “A lot of people don’t like Chloe. She can be very abrupt and a real pain in the ass, but she’s one of the best agents around.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “If you say so, but if you ask me, she’s just like Tiffany Bennet.”
“Who?” Travis had a look of confusion on his face.
“Tiffany Bennet. She was the most popular and meanest girl in the fifth grade. She told everyone that I stuffed my bra with tissues, just because she thought I liked Eric.” I looked down at my small chest. “Clearly, you can tell that I don’t do that, right?” I joked.
Travis laughed and kissed me on the head. “Aw, did you beat her up?”
“No, my mom called her mom and I just got called a tattletale for the rest of the year.”
He laughed again, even harder. “Well, maybe you should have your mom call Chloe’s mom,” he joked.
I lifted my head up and looked at him. “Hell no, I can take her on all by myself.” I smiled. He kissed me on the nose and smiled.
“Hey, Mia, I betcha Tiffany Bennet isn’t even one quarter as beautiful as you and neither is Chloe, for that matter.”
After dinner was cleaned up, we had a great time trimming the tree. After Travis’ multiple attempts to try and straighten the tree in the stand and a lot of laughs, we finally settled on it being just a little crooked. It had been a great night.
I curled up next to him in bed as he pulled me closer. “I had fun tonight, thanks!” I said as kissed him on his bare chest.
“So, am I making my way off the naughty list?”
“Almost there.” I laughed.
“Well, I guess I’m just going to have to try harder.”
He kissed me softly on the head and removed my underwear as his hand wandered down my body. He pulled me on top of him and lifted my nightgown over my head. He had his hands placed on my hips as he examined every inch of my naked body. “How did I get so lucky to get someone so perfect?” He gently traced his fingers over my breast as I looked down at him. “Mia, I can make love to you every day, all day and never get tired of it. I’m so crazy about you.” He removed his boxers as I watched the look of pleasure that washed across his face when he entered me. I placed my hands on his shoulders as I moved up and down.
“Oh my God, baby, this feels so good.” I smiled at his positive response. He sat up and took himself deeper inside of me. I tilted my head back as he ran his tongue up and down my neck. We moved together in perfect unison. Each movement was more pleasurable than the next. I knew that he was almost ready, just by the way he was responding. I totally relaxed my body and couldn’t control the scream that came out of me. I had never felt anything that intense. He only intensified the feeling as he continued his movement.
I buried my face into his shoulder, trying to stifle another scream as he bought me to a second orgasm within minutes of the first. It was only seconds later that he finally released himself inside of me. I still had my legs wrapped around him and my head on his shoulder. I felt so relaxed that I didn’t want to move. He kissed me on lips. “Did you enjoy that?” he asked. I nodded, hugged him tightly, and began to cry. “Hey, Mia, what’s wrong?” he asked as he wiped away a tear.
“I just never experienced anything like that before. I love you so much, Travis.”
He squeezed me tightly. “I love you too, Mia, more than anything in this world, and please don’t ever forget it.”
“Thank you so much for allowing me to open my heart again. When Eric died, a part of me died along with him. But you – you somehow made that part of me come alive again; something that I never thought would be possible. I don’t know how you did it, but you did. I love you so much, Travis, that it scares me.”
“Why are you scared, Mia?”
“Because I don’t want to ever feel the pain of losing someone that I love so much, ever again.”
“Mia, I promise, you will never lose me. You are my girl forever.”
I curled up next to him and rested my head on his chest. I was so sleepy.
“Travis?”
“Hmm?”
“Would you still love me even if I did stuff my bra with tissues?”
He began to laugh loudly. “Mia, I would love you no matter what.”
“Okay, good night.” I yawned. Within minutes, I was drifting off to sleep. I was so at ease. I didn’t know if it was from the amazing sex that I had just had or the fact that I was wrapped up in the arms of the man that I loved. Maybe it was a little bit of both, but one thing was for sure, it had everything to do with Travis.
Chapter 31
Travis…
I looked over at her as she slept. She truly was beautiful. A strand of her long blonde hair was draped over her porcelain skin. I watched her breathe, wondering how I had gotten to this place. I didn’t fall in love with women; I just fell in love with the idea of having sex with them. But Mia was so different. I was so in love with her, but if she knew the truth, it could destroy us, and the longer I waited, the worse it would be. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t take the chance of losing her. She had become my entire world. I had never felt about anyone the way I had felt about her. She didn’t expect anything; she didn’t want anything. She loved me for who I was. I couldn’t resist running my hand over her warm skin as she briefly opened her tired blue eyes and murmured something incoherent. I pulled her close to me and kissed her softly on her head, breathing in the familiar scent of her shampoo. This girl was worth more to me than any amount of money or all of the medals in the world. I would give up everything to make sure that we were together forever. I tossed and turned, finally giving up on the prospect of any more sleep. My brain was tired from over thinking what could actually happen to us and wishing that I had told her right from the beginning. I needed a good run to clear my head. Everything was going to be fine. Mia would never find out and all that mattered was that I was so in love with her now. I placed a soft kiss on the velvet skin of her bare back, and quietly got out of bed. I looked out my bedroom window at the falling snow and quickly changed. I covered Mia, unable to resist kissing her on the cheek, before heading out into the cold.
Chapter 32
Mia…
The sound of the alarm clock was like nails on a chalkboard. I didn’t want to leave the refuge of Travis’ nice warm bed. I quickly sat up when I realized he wasn’t in it with me. I fumbled for my phone to turn off the alarm clock and rubbed my tired eyes. I slipped my nightgown over my head and stepped onto the cold hardwood floor. I walked into the bathroom, threw some water on my face, and brushed my teeth before heading out into the kitchen. Travis was standing in the kitchen, wrapping up a phone call just as I entered. “Hey, baby, I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?”
“No, my alarm went off.” I looked at him, dressed in his sweatpants and running sneakers. He was still wearing his ski cap and I noticed it was wet. When I looked out the window, I saw heavy snow falling down. “Were you out running in this weather?” I asked.
“Yeah, I have a busy day today. I’m not going to be able to hit the gym, so I decided to go for an early morning run.”
“You are crazy, you know that?”
“This is the best kind of weather to run in. Besides, I was feeling very inspired after last night.”
I smiled and my insides tingled, just thinking about last night. He hugged me as his earlobes brushed against my lips. “Your ears are freezing!”
He bit his lip and whispered in my ear, “Well, I can think of a way to warm them up while inspiring us both for the rest of the day.”
“Oh yeah? How’s that?” He grabbed my hand and led me into the bathroom. I raised my eyebrows at him and smiled. “Sounds like the perfect form of inspiration to me,” I said as we both undressed and stepped into the shower.
The snow was really coming down by the time I got into the salon. I was hoping that maybe it would deter some people from coming out, in hopes
of an easier day. No such luck! It was the same old craziness as any other Tuesday. I had just finished up with my last client and realized that I hadn’t heard from Travis all day. I knew that he said he was going to be busy all day with meetings. I was a little grateful; it would allow me to sneak out to my apartment without being sequestered to his apartment for house arrest because of my so-called “stalker.” I had so much to do at home. I quickly sent him a text to let him know I was done working. I was in the back gathering up all of my things when Brian walked in and startled me.
“Mia, there’s some man out at the appointment desk who wants to talk to you. He wouldn’t give me his name.”
“Okay.” I shrugged my shoulders and walked out. I looked at the man standing on the other side of the desk. He was older with gray hair, fitting the description of my “stalker” perfectly. Well, he can’t be too crazy if he’s coming to see me in a public place, I thought to myself as I approached him. As I got up closer, I tried my best to remember where I had recognized him from.
“Hi, can I help you?” I asked.
“Mia Taylor?” he asked in disbelief as his eyes flooded with emotion.
I nodded as I started to become a little uncomfortable.
“God, you are so beautiful,” he said as he stared at me.
“I- I’m sorry, but who are you?”
“Mia, sweetheart, I’m your father.”
My eyes widened and my jaw dropped. I was speechless. I was finally able to get the words out. “What the hell do you want?”
“Mia, can we just go to the coffee shop next door and talk?”
I shook my head. I had nothing to say to him.
“Mia, please, it won’t take long.” His request seemed urgent.
“Fine.” I finally gave in. I hated that I was such a pushover. We walked over to the coffee shop in silence. We entered and sat down at one of the small tables. “Did you want some coffee?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No, I want to know what’s so important that you felt the need to finally get in touch with me after twenty-three years.”
