by S. K. Lessly
“Damn, baby, you look beautiful.”
I stood on shaky legs… Wait, what? Get a fucking grip, Lincoln.
I shook my head to clear it and walked toward her. She absently ran her hands down the front of her dress and looked down.
The dress was a white strapless dress that started just at the bottom of her neck and traveled down past her hips and thighs, caressing her body like silk. It contoured every curve of her hips and stomach, falling to the ground with ease. Her heels brought her almost eye level, which was a fucking turn on all by itself.
She smiled, her eyes averting a direct look into mine, “Drake, it’s just a dress.”
She’s finally gravitated to calling me Drake instead of Lincoln, unless she’s pissed at me or wants to get a rise out of me. I have to say, I prefer it and, to be honest, I love hearing my name leave her lips. Hearing her say my name while trying to get my attention, or in the middle of us claiming each other’s body, seems to always make me want her more. She doesn’t know what I am or what I do, and she doesn’t have a clue about who I am. So I let her say the name that most men in the world would never use and live to tell about it, and no woman has parted their lips to say. It’s the power I gave her, and she doesn’t have a clue what it means.
When I finally got to her, I cupped her cheek in my palm, and she put her head down.
No, no, that won’t do. I tilted her chin up, so she had no choice but to look at me, and damn if the intensity in her own eyes was causing me to want to look away.
But I don’t. This may be the last night I have with her and I want to make this count. I wanted to embed myself into her soul so she never in her life forgets about me.
“Georgia, you are beautiful, strong and sexy as shit. This dress is just enhancing what you already possess, baby.” I looked at her lips, daring myself to touch them. I knew if I did, she would be out of this dress faster than I’m sure it took her to put it on. “You. Are. Stunning.”
She gave me that smile that I would kill for and turned away from me.
“Come on, baby. Let’s get out of here,” I said to her, saving each of us from what undoubtedly was starting to happen between us.
We took a cab to the Marina of Cabo and found a romantic Italian restaurant, with outdoor upscale dining and a fantastic view of the marina and the sun setting. The moment we arrived, valet greeted us and led us inside. We didn’t have to wait that long, which I was thankful for, and a hostess escorted us outside to a small table in a corner with a panoramic view of the bay.
Every table was sitting outdoors, using the marina and the horizon as its wall, paintings, and décor. There were tall lamps that illuminated the area as the sun set, giving this place even more of a romantic feel. Yeah, if Angel had seen me there… This woman was definitely changing me.
Our conversation was light. We managed to maintain that throughout the time we spent together. We shared childhood experiences, favorite cartoons as kids and movies we liked to watch- that type of shit. She asked me how many girls I banged in high school, and I just made up some number and told her. Chicks threw themselves at the bad seed when I went to school but rarely did I bite. I don’t like to be used by anyone unless it’s on my terms, of course.
Dinner came. She’d ordered a simple spaghetti dish, and I had the beef tenderloin with Pacchero style breaded pasta, Mozzarella tomatoes, and organic pesto. The food wasn’t half bad, and the wine we drank wasn’t half bad either.
I felt my phone vibrate signaling a text message. I knew it was my cousin giving me my flight information for tomorrow. I hadn’t figured out a way to tell her that I was leaving yet. For some reason, the words just wouldn’t form in my mouth. I knew I needed to tell her. I was regretting the moment that I had to just as I heard her say, “I plan on going home tomorrow.”
The way she blurted that out took me by surprise. I was actually stunned, especially since I was sitting there trying to figure out how to tell her the same thing.
I took a sip of my wine as she added, “I know I said I was going to be here for another two days, but I think it’s time. I can’t keep running from my problems, can I?”
“No, you can’t,” I finally said to her. I signaled for our waiter with my wine glass as I said to her. “What are you running from exactly?”
It was her turn to take her wine down fast. When she sat her empty glass down, she looked at me. Sadness colored her face that put me on edge. I knew this wasn’t going to be a story that I would like. It seems the life this woman has led was one she didn’t deserve.
She took a deep breath and said, “Well, I’m running from my fiancé.”
Yeah, I wasn’t expecting that shit…
“I’m sorry; you’re what?” I know my tone was a little harsh but fuck… What the fuck?
I leaned back in my chair and looked at her. She shook her head quickly and moved to touch my hand, but I moved it. She said, “No, Drake, please don’t think…”
“Yeah well, help me fucking think, Georgia, and really quickly.” This was fucked up…
She took another deep breath as my fucking blood pressure started to rise.
“You’re not fucking talking fast enough,” I told her.
“The night before my wedding, I found out my fiancé was cheating on me.” She blurted that out so fast that I barely made out what she said.
“What?”
She sighed again and moved her chair closer to me. She inhaled, closed her eyes and repeated what she said slower.
I didn’t reply, but my temper calmed.
“My relationship with Gavin was good, or so I thought. I mean, we had problems but, all in all, it was good.”
“Was he the one filling your head with bullshit?” I asked her.
She shrugged and shook her head, “Yes and no.”
“Then your relationship wasn’t good, Georgia.”
She blinked at me a couple of times, and then said softly, “I know.”
Yeah, I knew I was being an asshole but shit, I needed a minute to grab some sensitivity for this shit.
“Anyway, so yeah, I did finally realize that maybe he and I weren’t really good for each other. I mean, I felt he loved me, but he loved me only if I ate or drank what he wanted and spoke how he wanted. I was losing myself, and I wanted to talk to him about it. So the night before our wedding, I went to see him.”
She went through the whole story of how they met to how she was losing weight to look better for him; she stopped drinking and just became someone she didn’t recognize. I wanted to tell her she was fucking stupid for doing that shit, that he clearly didn’t love her, but I found some restraint, not sensitivity, and kept my mouth shut.
When she got to the night before her wedding, I was on edge. I already wanted to fucking kill this man for causing her pain, but I didn’t expect what she told me.
“So let me get this straight, you went to his hotel and heard someone having sex in his room?”
She nodded. “Yes, and I know what you’re going to say. I thought it myself. I thought maybe someone else was in there…”
“…Well, yeah, baby, it’s plausible.”
“Uh huh. But when I heard the girl call his name, or rather scream his name, all doubts went out the window. And when I heard my best friend’s voice call his name...”
“Shit, your best friend was the bitch he was with?”
“Yup.”
“Wow, baby. I’m sorry…”
She took more of her wine, and I poured more in her glass. She seemed to need it. I asked her, “So what did you do when they finally came out of the room? You were there waiting for them, right?”
She got quiet all of a sudden and, knowing what I’ve learned about her, she probably didn’t wait around. So I said for her, “You left, didn’t you?”
She nodded, “Yeah… I mean I waited the whole time, listening to them but when the moment came for me to confront them, I bailed. I got to the exit so fast they didn’t even open the door all
the way before I was gone. But I saw them. I saw her hug him, and I saw them kiss through the exit door glass.” She shrugged. “So I went right to the airport, turned my phone off, removed the battery and went to claim our tickets for Cabo. We were supposed to come here on our honeymoon.”
I reached for my cigar and asked her, “Okay, so the man thought he was getting married that day, but you were nowhere to be found. I’m sure he tried to call you too, but you turned off your phone. Did he come here looking for you? I mean, he had to have seen that you claimed your ticket.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure he saw that, but this wasn’t the hotel we booked, and I didn’t use my name to book my room.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Oh yeah? How did you manage to do that? You have fake ID?” She nodded, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Seriously, baby, you have a fake ID?”
She reached into her small purse and pulled out her wallet. She then pulled out two items and handed them over to me. One was an ID card by the name of Chloe McDaniels. The picture was of her, but a little younger than the woman before me. And the second card was a credit card in the same name.
I was fucking impressed, to say the least. She smiled knowing that fact and added, “I had someone in the neighborhood make that for me when I went off to college. I tried to look older in the picture, but I was only seventeen at that time.”
“Damn, baby… And you don’t think ‘what’s his name’ knows about this?”
“No, I never told him, and I never told Maya. Chloe is my little secret. Sometimes when they used to get on my nerves, I would escape for a few days. I would get a hotel room somewhere and just relax for a few days, turn off my phone and just get myself back together.”
I sighed and shook my head. No one should be in a relationship and have to fucking disappear in order to gain some sanity. And she was going to marry this clown? Still unable to find my sensitivity gene, I said to her, “Baby, I hope you don’t take this the wrong way, and I’m going to try and say this as nice as I can… Baby, the people in your life have fucked you up. For you to think being with this motherfucker was healthy proves that something isn’t right. Baby, no one finds a reason to escape being with someone because they were getting on your nerves. You stop taking your best friends calls or tell her to butt out of your fucking life, but you don’t escape using a false name to do it.”
“And that pussy you were going to marry; you didn’t need him. If he didn’t see how amazing you are just the way you are, fuck that motherfucker, understand? You tell him to go fuck himself. You don’t alter who you are for no-fucking-body. That shit ain’t healthy, number one. Number two, that shit ain’t fair to you.”
The look she had in her eyes after my tyrant told me I wasn’t very subtle. Hell, the looks I was getting from people at the tables around us told me the same. But Georgia surprised me. Just when I thought she was going to start to cry, she actually smiled.
She said to me, “Wow, that was... um… your idea of trying to be nice?”
I leaned back and took the rest of the wine. I needed something stronger at this point.
I answered, “Yeah… That was my nice.”
She shook her head and said, “I would hate to see you when you’re not nice.”
“Yeah, you would.”
I let that hang in the air a bit before I said, “Look, baby; bottom line, the fucker doesn’t deserve you. You can take what happened and learn from it, but don’t let it eat at you.”
“I know. I’m not. I’m just tired of running from it. I came down here to prove to myself that I wasn’t what they claimed me to be. I can be fun and spontaneous.”
I laced my fingers with hers and brought her hand to my lips. I kissed her softly and said, “Baby, you are that and so much more. You just need to find someone that can appreciate all that you have to offer.”
The sorrowfulness that came over her made me feel like shit. I know what she wanted and hoped for, but I knew I couldn’t give that to her. She doesn’t deserve anyone like me; she deserves better.
Deflection time…
“Well, it looks like you aren’t the only one heading home.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m being summoned back to Philly.”
She took her hand back, and half-smiled at me, “I’m sure you’re happy to get back.”
“It’s a double-edged sword, baby, but yeah I’m glad to get home. Sleep in my own bed… shit like that.”
The waiter came that moment, and she declined getting dessert. I even asked if she wanted to walk along the beach together, but she told me she wanted to start packing, saying she had an early flight. So when we got back to the hotel, I walked her to her room.
I’m not gonna lie; I was disappointed she didn’t want to spend more time together. I could have tasted her pussy one last time, but I’m not that much of a heartless SOB. I understood.
I did kiss her though. I kept my hands along the sides of her face and just used my lips to show her how much I was going to miss her… because I was.
When I parted, I looked in her eyes. “You take care of yourself, Georgia. It has been a fucking pleasure…” She grinned and put her head down, her way of blushing, and again… I was gonna fucking miss her.
I stepped back and let her enter into her room before I went to mine.
I didn’t have shit to pack, so I went to the bar and put down a few before calling it a night. This vacation turned out to be a pretty good one. I had a little drama, but no bodies this time, which I think was good for me. I met a beautiful woman and had the best sex of my fucking life. And if I weren’t a bastard, I would have given her my number and took hers. I would’ve promise to call her and maybe even fly her to Philly, meet the family and all that but… I’m a bastard so… The way we said goodbye fit the perfect ending to a perfect vacation fling.
The next morning, I was sitting on my flight; drink in my hand and eyes closed. In about six hours, I planned to be deep in my bed, fast a-fucking-sleep. Goodbye beach, hello fucking hell.
Chapter 10
Georgia
I sat in the airport, not knowing what the hell I was doing. The Philadelphia skyline looked back at me over the horizon.
“How did I get here?”
Well, here’s how…
So I was waiting to board my flight back to Miami, feeling the effects of Drake withdrawal and regret that I didn’t have the guts to have one last night with him. In order to take my mind off him, I turned on my phone. I had a ton of messages, mostly from a very angry Gavin and a few from that bitch of an ex-best friend. She had the audacity to cuss me out for not showing up at my wedding… Yeah, after she fucked my fiancé. She is a piece of work.
So I was sitting there, and my phone lit up with a number I didn’t know. I typically don’t answer numbers, I don’t know but I thought that it could possibly be Drake calling me. I didn’t know how that would be possible since we didn’t trade numbers. Wishful thinking, I guess.
“Hello?”
“Hello? May I speak to…,” I heard rattling of papers in the background, “… A Georgia Sayers.”
My heart started to pound out of my chest. This sounded like a professional call. Gavin did threaten to sue me for the cost of the wedding he lost, so I thought, Shit.
“Uh hello?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, this is she,” I stammered.
The man sighed deeply. “My, young lady, you are a hard woman to get in touch with. I’ve called and left a few messages, or tried anyway, but your message box was full. Sorry, I’m rambling. My name is Mr. Dennis. I’m with Hardwick and Lieberman based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I’m calling you on behalf of Mr. Gregory Sayers.”
Confused as to whom Gregory Sayers was, I asked, “Okay, excuse me for being ignorant, but who is Gregory Sayers?”
Mr. Dennis paused slightly, and then said, as if I was slow or something, “Well, Ms. Sayers… He’s your father…”
So I quickly changed
my flight, got the address to Mr. Dennis’ office and there I was. He promised to stay in the office until I arrived. As I made it to the baggage claim area, I saw that apparently I had a car waiting for me as well.
The ride downtown seemed to take forever and, maybe it was my anxiety, but the time also dragged. I haven’t a clue what all this was about, but when he told me who my father was and that he left a will with me named in it, I had to come just to see if this was a hoax. Knowing my life and luck, it was.
I watched the city go pass me. With each person we passed, with each car that drove by, I looked to see if I would catch Drake driving by or crossing the street somewhere. But that wasn’t the case.
I made it to the law offices of Hardwick and Leiberman, and I took a deep breath before I got out of the car.
I traveled up to the fortieth floor and made my way to the office. A secretary was there to greet me. She led me into a conference room where I heard a loud, deep voice seemingly very upset bellowing from the closed door.
“How the fuck do we know who this broad is? I mean, where the hell has she been all this time? Didn’t she know dad was sick? What the fuck, Anthony?”
When the secretary looked at me with a sheepish smile, I almost wanted to turn around and leave. But I didn’t. Instead, I stood up straight, took a deep breath and followed the secretary to the door of the conference room.
When it opened, I found the source of the loud, deep voice instantly. He frowned at me and looked me up and down with a bit of disdain evident in his body language. The man was tall with broad shoulders wearing a dark blue suit and crisp white shirt. From seeing Gavin in multiple suits, I could tell the suit wasn’t cheap.
The expression on his face wasn’t welcoming though, but he looked to be a few years older than I was, with a dark complexion and brown eyes that were slanted slightly like mine. They were hard, and skepticism occupied them, but it looked like, when he wasn’t frowning, he was a very attractive man.
