by Michele Lee
“Let me walk you to your car.” His voice seemed nervous to her.
“I’m fine I know my way out. You shouldn’t leave your guest it’s rude.”
Once outside he replied. “Marisol, please don’t. I got your text and you are trying to push me away and I’m not going to let you.” He said with firmness.
She stopped walking to face him. “Look right now you are the last person I want to talk with or whatever with. I feel dirty and cheap and plain stupid. So yes, I’m pushing you away far - far away. So please respect it.” Not able to look at him any further and still hold on to her courage she turned and began walking to her car only to find him walking beside her. His steps expressing how angry he became.
“You are being ridiculous. I never lied or implied Charley was male or a female. I think of her as my partner not as a gender if that at all makes sense to you. You, Marisol are driving me crazy.” He spoke as he guided his hands through his hair.
Opening her jeep door to allow Mace through the driver’s side so he can jump over to the back, she looked up at him now with anger sparked in her eyes. “Sorry that I’m driving you crazy. But can you imagine what you are doing to me? Plus, why did you visit my father today? Your visit left him extremely upset they had to sedate him afterwards.” Not waiting for his response she yanked herself into the Jeep and went to close the door causing him to step back to avoid being smacked but he grabbed it before she could close it.
Choosing his words carefully, “I did go see your father; there is unfinished business between him and me. That’s why you and I need to have a heart to heart talk.”
Feeling out of control she couldn’t handle another thing at the moment she felt she was about to break. “Marco, just forget about everything that happened between us. It was a mistake. You have your life and I have mine. We need to let it go and please stay away from my father he isn’t well. Good bye Marco.” She pulled on the door and this time he let her close it. He just stood there looking at her not able to move completely rooted to the spot he stood as she pulled out and left. He felt like she took a dagger and shoved it right into his heart.
****♥****
Incapable of functioning on Sunday, Marisol laid in bed for most of the day watching old movies. Her feet touched the ground only to feed Mace and to let him out. She knew Nate should be coming home today which was her only highlight. She couldn’t wait to hear all the details on his romantic getaway. She had a difficult night sleeping since she had back to back nightmares that had her waking up in cold sweats. It hasn’t been this bad since she put her father in the nursing home. She was on edge and could not stop obsessing about Marco and Charley wondering what they were currently doing. It was driving her insane. She couldn’t get passed on how great they looked as a couple. She couldn’t deny how beautiful Charley was. Her jealousy began to consume and drain her. How did she become this woman? She has never been one of those jealous types. Frustration also crept in on how everything in her life always turned sour and she was tired of it. Maybe she needed to move away to get a fresh start no bad memories just a clean slate with no barriers. How refreshing that sounded.
Nate came straight over to her place from the airport. When she opened up her door he was happy to see her but surprised at her appearance. Her hair hadn’t seen a brush and she wore her old gym shorts and a faded t-shirt. “Hey Babe, what the hell happened to you?” Taking her in his arms squeezing her tight her feet came off the floor while he still held on to the bottle of wine he brought. “God I missed you.”
“Nate, I’m so thrilled you are home. You have no idea how much I missed you too.” She sounded so relieved to see him. Urging him in and closing the door she was eager to hear about his trip. “Tell me every detail of your romantic interlude with Lucas.”
He held up the bottle of wine to her. “First things first, this is for us I’ll get the glasses you sit.” He went straight to the kitchen with Mace at his heels. “So tell me what have you been up to this week? I haven’t heard or received any texts from you.”
“First of all you were away with Lucas and deserved privacy.” She looked up at him as he came in the living room with two filled wine glasses and hoped she wouldn’t get sick since she couldn’t remember the last time she ate. Despite hating herself for letting her curiosity get the best of her she couldn’t handle the anticipation any longer so she asked shyly, “Nate, did you know Charley was a woman?”
Looking perplexed, “Charley? Oh you mean Marco’s business partner Charley?” Stalling to answer the question and avoiding eye contact she helped him out by confirming it.
“You knew. Was I the only idiot who didn’t?” She asked rolling her eyes taking a big gulp of wine to ease her frustration.
“Well, I did have to speak to her on several occasions over business related stuff and I must say I have to give her props she definitely knows the business. Anyway, why are you asking?”
Playing with the stem of her glass she let out a sigh. “Because we… I guess I had a spectacular week with him. I did things that I never would have imagined doing. It was wonderful and I felt so alive but as they say all good things must come to an end.”
“Why does it have to end? What are you not telling me?”
“Well you can’t build anything on lies it was just a matter of time. He has his secrets and I have mine. Then Charley came and I saw them together and they just radiate a room.” Gazing at his expression trying to gauge his vibe she moved on. “Well, I don’t want to be a buzz kill, enough of me tell me about you and Lucas.” She had the urge to cry again so she sipped her wine to try to avoid it.
“Wow, this must be true love. I have never seen you upset or jealous over anyone. Listen I am going to be working with them most of the week going over properties and plans, I will know if they are platonic or not. I got your back babe. Now do tell, was the sex amazing?” He asked raising his eyebrows up and down gesturing sexual banter.
She answered even though she blushed profusely. “It was freaking amazing. His body looks airbrushed for crying out loud. Oh, and by the way remember the time we got drunk and you showed me how to please a man orally with the banana? Well let’s just say it came in handy.”
Nate laughed then choked on his wine as he leaned over in his seat to compose himself, “Oh man, maybe I should be the one jealous. Plus, I don’t think Lucas would ever describe me in that manner. I got to say you have come a long way babe and I’m glad I had a part in your transformation.”
She too laughed. “You are impossible; now tell me about your trip.”
“It was exactly what the doctor ordered. I was so relaxed and carefree. First we spoke and aired out all my concerns about me and my family. And you were right as always, he wants to share my pain, my worries and not just the happiness. He is everything I hoped for in a person. Then we got up and took advantage of our time together, we water skied, went sailing, and danced the night away. Babe, the love making was mind-blowing not worrying about being caught or judged it was simply incredible and now…we are back to reality.”
“I’m so ecstatic you guys really deserved this and so much more.”
“You do too and you look like shit by the way. You haven’t been sleeping much have you?”
She shifted in her seat and poured her heart out. “I love him, I feel so alive when he is around me. He makes me want more to be more. I’ve been closed up for so long I just want to dance and sing when I think of him but I know there is no future with him and the realization of it has hit me pretty hard. I’m having my night mares again and they seem worse this time.”
“Marisol, if you love him the way you tell me you do - then fight for him damn it. Don’t drown yourself in your tears fight be strong and come clean of all your secrets and force him to do the same and at the end if the love isn’t strong enough to withhold it all then you move on but you will never get to say – what if?” He looked straight into her eyes making sure he reached in to the core of her heart. “And�
��.you always have me as a consolation prize.” He gave her a warm smile and then moved to her side so he can hug her. “Its going to work out, I can feel it in my bones.”
“I’m scared to be emotionally destroyed. I don’t know if I can survive being hurt again. I have an appointment with Dr. Travis tomorrow afternoon hoping to sort out some of these emotions so I can hopefully get some sleep.”
“Well that’s a start in the right direction. We will figure this out, you and me and our fucked up relationships.” He leaned in to hug her tight and kiss her forehead.
Chapter Fifteen
The alarm clock buzzed and Marisol felt like a canon ball just landed on her head. She must have had about four hours of sleep in total. Not even the wine was capable of drowning out her night mares. Her t-shirt drenched in sweat stuck to her back like a second skin. She rolled out of her bed immediately feeling the morning draft crusading through her wetness causing shivers all over her body and her teeth began to clatter. Bolting from her room to let Mace out back she quickly jumped into the shower letting the hot water cascade all over her body melting away the layer of ice from her skin. She wanted to get an early start so she can catch up on her workload. She can only imagine how much work awaited her. Putting the last touches of make-up on she inspected her face in the mirror only to cringe on what looked back at her. She tried her best to cover up the circles under her eyes with an Avon sample of concealer that was left in her mailbox with a catalog. She needed to consult with Sally on what type of make-up she should purchase to hide these damn circles. She could use some advice since she is clueless when it comes to cosmetics. Mascara, blush and lipstick were the extent of her collection. After taking care of Mace, she rushed outside all ready to start a new day only to be faced with two flat tires on her Jeep; it looks like they were slashed. Eyeing around her to see who might have done this but there was no one in sight. Letting out sigh, she told herself to stay calm and not panic. She took out her phone and checked her contacts and called Angelo’s shop.
The phone rang and surprisingly Angelo picked up instantly. “Ortiz’s Auto and Repair Shop.”
“Angelo, it’s me Marisol. I woke up to two flat tires on my Jeep and it appears they were slashed so fix a flat won’t do the job for me. Is it possible to have someone come out here?”
“You got to be kidding me. Marisol this is the second incident within a week. Does Marco know?”
Taking a deep breathe, she envisioned an airplane flying a banner with bold capital letters informing the public - MARCO IS NOT MARISOL’S PROTECTOR. “I know and I don’t have time to assess the situation because I have to get to work. Please keep Marco out of this. Do you think you can fit me in this morning?”
“Yeah, yeah of course. I will have Oscar come right now with the tow truck and have him drop you off at the school. I’ll also inspect the engine to ensure no one tampered with it. He should be there in ten minutes.”
‘Thank you so much, you have no idea how much I appreciate this.” She said with gratitude.
“No problem, but promise me you will report this to the police.” He said with concern.
“I will.” She replied.
****♥****
Sitting on her porch, exactly ten minutes later Oscar her savior arrived he had the Jeep hitch to the tow truck in no time. Hopping into the tow truck eager to get to work, Oscar in his thick accent informed her he had to make one quick stop. She was at his mercy so who was she to complain. Pulling into the Quality Inn, Oscar called someone on his cell and descended out to the parking lot and that’s when she noticed Marco’s Mercedes with Texas plates. When she looked over she saw Oscar by the entrance giving keys to Marco who stood with an air of confidence wearing black slacks with an open white shirt bearing his chest, his hair was wet as if he just jumped out of the shower and threw on his clothes. He looked delicious and edible as a wave of hunger escaped her. She had the urge to caress his bare chest and lick the droplets of water from his nipples following its trail down. Shaking her head realizing her imagination took over before acknowledging the fact that he spent the night here at the hotel which could only mean he spent it with Charley. She turned her head as if her eyes got burned by the view, her chest felt like a truck just ran over it. She started screaming in her head, Oh God I’m going to be sick – please get me out of here. When she looked over again she jumped and hit her head on the roof of the truck finding Marco standing right next to her window. Rolling her eyes, she struggled to get her window down her voice expressing her rage. “What?” Ignoring his alarmed look from seeing her in the tow truck she turned her head towards the front window pressing her lips together tightly. Plus the scent of his cologne mixed with soap and his personal aroma was causing havoc to her senses.
Searching for her face seeking the rationale for the hostility he finally spoke, “Hello to you too. What happened here?” He asked softly as she turned back to look at him he lifted his chin to reference the Jeep.
“I don’t know but I have to go or I’m going to be late.” She answered briskly.
“Why didn’t you call me? Oscar says you have two slashed tires, this is serious Marisol.” He too was now infuriated.
“Look Marco, I appreciated how you helped me the last time but I am not your problem for you to worry about, I can take care of myself so thanks.”
He flinched at her remark as if she struck him. “Why are you doing this?”
“What? Are you freaking kidding me? Look I don’t have time for this I have to go and I’m sure Charley is waiting for you anyway.” She began to bring up the window and turned towards Oscar who quietly entered the truck. “Can we please go?” She pleaded and her hands started trembling. Oscar began to drive and in her side view mirror she could see Marco still standing there watching them drive away, an image that stood in her head through out the day.
****♥****
It felt great to be back at work where she kept herself busy not allowing her mind to wander about Marco and all her troubles. She actually missed Sally’s companionship as she caught up with the weekly gossip. Discouragement quickly found its way back in when Angelo called her with an update. He ordered her tires since he didn’t have those size tires in stock and the good news he discovered nothing else was tampered. The police stopped by the shop to inspect the vehicle for their police report. She was glad she filed a report as soon as she arrived to school she had to admit she was beginning to get scared. Frustrated being carless lunch time was approaching and she still had to figure out her transportation for her appointment with Dr. Travis. She needed air she felt the walls in her office were closing in around her rising from her chair her cell began to ring and her heart skipped a beat until she saw it was only Nate. “Hey Nate, what’s up?”
“I just wanted to check up on you since I had to hear second hand on what happened this morning.”
“I’m sorry it’s been a crazy morning and now I have to figure out how I’m going to get to my appointment especially since Dr. Travis moved to Chapel Hill.”
“That’s not a problem, hold on a second. Hey Marco can you give me a ride later so I can drop off my car to Marisol? Okay great.” Shifting his voice back to the phone, “Marisol, problem solved I’ll drop off my car to you then I’ll meet you at your house afterwards.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to inconvenience you or the asshole.” She said knowing darn well her attitude wasn’t civil or appreciative.
“Stop, you know it’s not an inconvenience and for your information he’s been quite worried about you to the point that he is easily agitated this morning.” His reply felt like a scold.
“Well, maybe he is agitated from the lack of sleep from his long night with a beautiful blonde which by the way has nothing to do with me. Just let me know when you drop off the car I have to go bye.” Taking a deep breathe she headed out to take a walk to shake off this uneasiness that was overpowering her, wishing for the day to end already.
****♥****
&n
bsp; Driving back home from her meeting with Dr. Travis she was assessing her thoughts and thinking about their discussion. She knew Dr. Travis was right she had to come clean about Marissa it was only fair to him and herself. He had a right to know so he can mourn and have his closure. When Marco first came back home she wanted to exploit him with the loss of their baby so he can feel the agonizing pain she experienced. Today was a different story since admitting to herself that she loves him and always has. Her love never vanished from her heart and was only covered up with hurt. She ached inside and out and can’t fathom the thought of hurting him. She knew when he left all those years ago he had no clue about her pregnancy and maybe if he did things would have been different. But he now had a life in Texas with Ms. Pageant Queen, Charley the business partner and whatever else she meant to him. Her eyes began to well up again and it began to feel like she lost Marco and Marissa all over again. The traumas of her past were mingling in her present triggering her nightmares all over again. After picking up her prescription she drove straight home to find herself being invaded upon by an arrogant Texan. Walking up the path she stopped facing the ladder looking up at Marco. “What the hell are you doing here?” Taking in the scene before her; empty camera boxes, tools and wires on the floor; Marco on the ladder screwing some gadget onto the roof of her porch not even turning around to acknowledge her only frustrated her even more.
“Hey Marco, is this what you were looking for earlier?” Nate halting at the sight of her while he held up a small bag containing various screws. She looked at Nate with raised eyebrows placing her free hand on her hip the other holding her bags. In the meanwhile Marco continued his task still ignoring her.
“Oh, hey babe." Nate said nervously when he took in her not so pleased look.
"Hey babe? What the hell is he doing on my roof?"
He walked towards her placing his hands up to calm her down. "Now take a deep breath and calm yourself. We both feel you need some protection here. Marco had purchased some surveillance cameras for his ranch and thought it would be better served here. And I agree with him." he said looking compassionately at her.
