by Jada Pearl
Shontell hated to admit it, but Sandy had been right about Jesse. He did think she was supposed to pause her life and wait for him to be a man…be who she thought he was from the beginning. Jesse had a whole lot of balls to think that she would be so accepting. She caught that he said he was in love with her. He said it in the present, not past tense. Whatever, was her only thought? She couldn’t care less. She felt cold all of a sudden. She blew out a breath that she didn’t even know that she was holding.
Shontell quickly wiped the lone tear that managed to escape her eye before she knew it. The few steps she took from the door to the sink seemed so difficult. She reached out and grabbed ahold of the sink. She made sure that she locked the door just in case he was stupid enough to follow behind her. When she heard her front door open and close, she leaned over the sink. She turned the water on and willed the rest of her tears not to fall. She had hoped she wouldn’t feel this way. She did. She literally felt like she had just relived the last three years all over again in a matter of minutes.
Shontell replayed the last fifteen minutes over in her head. She didn’t know why she asked him that question, but it was like she just had to ask the question. She needed to know. His answer totally caught her off guard. She finally got her legs to hold her up. SAs he stood up, she avoided the mirror. She didn’t want to see or feel the damage her question did to her soul. She touched her stomach and felt pain; fighting down the bile she felt in her mouth.
After a few seconds, she got herself together, taking her robe off and sliding into the lukewarm water. She turned the hot faucet on and saw the goose bumps forming on her arms and legs as the hot water cascaded over her. She closed her eyes, and different thoughts embarked in her mind. She needed to clear her mind. She reached for her wine glass and finished it like it was a glass of water. She refilled it and took another swallow before she put it on the edge of the tub. She didn’t want to let the wine take her pain away. Suddenly she got upset all over again. What right did he have to show up and try and walk back into her life like everything was fine? Because of him, she could have been paralyzed for life. She didn’t owe him anything. She wanted to feel hate for him, but she couldn’t. It just wasn’t in her nature. She wondered what the hell Jesse was drinking or taking? It had to be something powerful if he thought that having one conversation would make it all better. Did he really think that she was gullible enough to go running into his arms? Her parents didn’t raise a fool. She was just getting her personal life back, and she wanted to see where this could go with Nico.
Shontell laid her head back and let the hot water soothe her body. All the thinking and reactions had taken a lot of energy out of her. She was tired physically and now mentally. She didn’t want Jesse; that she knew for sure. She was done with this. She needed to regroup, and that would only happen if she did what relaxed her. She opened the panel on her bath cabinet, hitting the play button. The room quickly filled with music. She was going to redirect this energy, even if it took her the rest of the night.
She turned her thoughts away from Jesse and his uninvited visit. She began humming the music. She closed her eyes and the song changed. Nico’s voice came over the speaker. She opened her eyes with a start as she looked around the room. She realized that it was the music, and she sat back. In her mind, she knew that this was what she needed. She allowed the lyrics to take her to the last couple of days. Her thoughts instantly turned to her passion-filled night with Nico. She loved him kissing her and the way his mustache tickled her lip. His lips alone were delectable. She still had to pinch herself to make sure this was all happening. She was with Nico.
Suddenly her phone vibrated. She hit the speaker button. She started to hit the pause button.
“Hey, I hear me singing,” Nico laughed.
“Yes, I’m attempting to relax. Sorry it was so loud.”
“It’s okay, sweetness. We made it to Miami. I wanted to hear your voice. What are you doing?” Nico’s semi-deep voice filled the room, and she instantly shivered.
“Taking a bath.” Her voice was seductive as she was almost out of breath, listening to his voice.
Nico chuckled deeply, which sent another shiver to her core.
“You know that’s not fair. Why are you answering the phone while you’re in the tub?”
“Well, I didn’t want to miss your call, but I needed to unwind some.” She splashed the water as she shifted. Nico groaned aloud, and Shontell smiled. She knew he was thinking of her naked body. The thought made her feel sexy.
“Are you all right over there?” she asked playfully.
“Yeah, I’m good. But now I think I need a shower…a cold one. Call me when you are dry, woman,” he told her.
“Okay, give me an hour. I need to fix dinner. Are you in for the night, or does the group have something to do?”
“Nope, we have tonight and tomorrow free. The day after we have a couple of promotional spots for the cruise and anniversary, then we are off. So you have me all night.”
“Lucky me. Talk to you in a little bit, baby,” she replied in a low voice, concluding their call. She took the loofah and poured the vanilla and honey body wash on it. Her bathroom smelled like pure vanilla as she washed her body. She closed her eyes and pretended it was Nico. The man was so different, and it felt good, real good.
Nico
He walked into the enclosed patio of his hotel suite after hanging up with Shontell. He looked at the chaise that set in the corner and immediately thought of the passion that he had shared with Shontell last night. He talked himself into believing he was doing the right thing by stopping them. He knew he wanted to make love to her, but it was too soon. Not many men would have had that much restraint. It was hard for, him but he knew he made the right decision.
He heard a knock at his door and he went to see who it was. He opened the door and Dennis stepped in.
“What’s up man?” He started unbuttoning his shirt so he could change clothes and relax for the night.
“John called me, he has a few females at the bar and we were all about to go to this new club. You want to join us? It’s three of them,” he added for good measure.
“Nah, I will pass. I plan on chilling until we have the promos. I am still tired, and I want to catch up on my rest.”
“Aw, man, you can rest anytime. We are in Miami. You aren’t going to be cooped up in this room until we set sail, are you?”
He looked at his friend and said nothing. He walked over to his suitcase and unzipped it. Dennis followed him and took a seat at the desk. He could feel him watching him as he attempted to ignore him, hoping he would get the hint. He still had his back to him, when he heard Dennis sigh. “Really, come on man. It’s just a club. It’s been a while since the three of us hung out. We need to enjoy all this free time because it won’t be like this later.” Dennis was still trying to convince him. Nico was becoming agitated. Dennis always pushed his buttons when he didn’t agree with what he wanted to do.
“Dennis, I said I would pass,” he said sternly. He sat on the bed to take off his shoes.
“Guess Shontell got you on lock already, huh?” Dennis smirked, rubbing his chin. It was if he was testing him and Nico was trying to preserve his lifelong friendship. He suspected Dennis was trying to get a reaction out of him. Nico took a deep breath because he knew what this was all about. Dennis was jealous. He didn’t understand why he was so afraid of them growing and changing as they got older. How long could they go from bed to bed and club hop? It was never his thing anyway because he knew that once he liked someone, he didn’t do all the extras he normally would do.
“Man, you have really been going overboard lately. So I am going to cut you a break tonight. I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that. Shontell has nothing to do with this. I just need to relax. Is that okay with you?” He was no longer trying to hide his annoyance.
“Nico, you’re my friend. I am looking out for you. I don’t want you to fall too deep, too quick. You
don’t even know her like you think,” he said.
A Messy Situation
Dennis
Dennis wanted to kick himself for making that comment.
“What does that mean?” Nico responded as he balled up his fists. Dennis eyed him and involuntarily stepped back.
“I mean…well, it has been a while, right? It’s been a long time since you’ve been in a relationship. It’s nothing I haven’t been saying since day one. What do you know about her past? Do you talk about that?” Nico looked at him like he was crazy.
“Do you ask the women you sleep with about their past?”
“No,” he said quickly. Dennis lifted his hand to his neck, rubbing it. He shouldn’t have said anything.
“I didn’t think so. What Shontell and I talk about is our business, not yours. For the record, a person’s past doesn’t define them. You of all people should know that,” he said, giving him a look of contempt. Dennis instantly felt like nothing he said was going to change this conversation. It was steadily going downhill.
“Look man, I didn’t mean anything by it. Can you just do me a small favor?”
“What kind of favor could you possibly want me to do?”
“Just take it slow, and I will back off,” Dennis said sincerely. Nico regarded him and cocked his head. Dennis knew he was thinking about what he’d said about Shontell. Dennis was glad he was able to cover up his mistake. He checked his watch and realized that he was late getting downstairs. He backed up toward the door.
“Well, enjoy your quiet time.”
“Trust me, I will.”
“If you change your mind, we will be at Waterfalls off the beach.”
“Okay, I hear you. Thanks. Now go out and enjoy yourselves. Tell John not to hurt anybody, and I will see you all in the morning for breakfast.” Dennis knew that was his way of letting him know that his decision was final. He ran toward the elevator when he heard it ding.
“Hold the elevator,” he yelled out. When he stepped on, he was looking into the smiling face of Tina. He was caught off guard because they hadn’t talked about her being in Miami.
“Hey there,” she spoke. She was smiling but not really paying attention to him because she was looking at her phone screen. She then stopped, looked up at him, and then looked back again.
“Tina, I thought we agreed that you were going to be on the cruise and not on land.”
“I know, I know. Robert had to meet a client down here, and I decided to tag along.” She acted like it was nothing for her to be there. Maybe he was wrong to do this. Tina was messy. She didn’t care about how this was going to end. At the end of the day, she would be going back to her husband. It was one thing to have her here, but for her to show up with her husband was a little much. She was taking a huge risk in the others finding out. It was not like she wasn’t going to be noticeable.
“Tina, did I just hear you say that you’re here with Robert?”
“Yes. What’s the big deal, Dennis?”
“The big deal is that no one knows you’re married but me. You are making it obvious. You know like I do that Robert is going to be under you like a rug.”
“Let me handle Robert.” She looked back down at her phone.
“Yeah, okay.” Dennis remained quiet the last two floors down. He was calling this off. He looked over at her and he instantly knew why Nico had dated her. He could also see why he wasn’t with her anymore, even if she was the one who ended it. She was so superficial, Dennis thought. He watched her apply makeup and touch up her hair on the ride down. She stepped off the elevator and Dennis called out her name. Tina turned around.
“I am having a complete change of mind on this. I think we need to abort these plans. Who am I to try to come in between them? Nico is happier than I have seen him in a long time. So yes, I am going to leave this alone,” he told her, confirming for himself, yet saying it aloud.
“Really! So you think Ms. Thing is better than all this?” She motioned to her head and then pointed to her feet. He didn’t answer her right away. She got irritated. There were very few men who turned her down or said no to her.
“Do I still get the other half of my money?” she asked with attitude. Tina realized he was serious, and that was throwing a monkey wrench in her plans. She needed that money to fund a project. She wasn’t about to let him ruin that for her. She was fuming inside.
“No, Tina, you don’t.” He started to walk past her. She paused and reached out for him. This wasn’t going to end because he wanted it to. She still had the upper hand, and she needed him to know that. He came to her for this little game.
“Then I guess my work is not done. See you later.” She proceeded to walk off in a dramatic way. The short dress she wore rode her thighs as she walked fast through the lobby. Tina caused more than one man in the lobby area to stop in his tracks. She knew the effects she had on men; they were eye pleasers. That was always her advantage. She didn’t even bother to acknowledge Dennis as she heard him calling after her.
Dennis stood there dumbfounded. What was he going to do now? What if she went to Nico and told him about what he had hired her to do. He quickly snapped out of his frozen state and headed in the direction she went. He was pissed, seeing she wouldn’t stop when he called out her name through his clenched teeth.
Dennis had forgotten that quickly why he was coming downstairs in the first place until John called out to him. Now he really couldn’t do anything. He had to talk to her again. He needed to make sure that she understood what he said and didn’t try any crazy stuff. He was seething at the whole situation, but he went to join John and the women.
Nico
Nico placed the room service menu down and called to place his order. He shook his head as he thought of this conversation with Dennis. He knew he meant well, but the line he continues to cross may backfire on him one day. He didn’t like being so out of sorts with him. He needed to be able to live his own life. Martin always encouraged having a life outside of Divine Attraction. He never really took that to heart until now. His life had always been about music until now. The way Shontell had affected his life in a matter of days was still amazing to him. Nico decided to jump in the shower while he waited for room service to bring his dinner. The knock on his door came just as his cell phone rang. He answered his phone and headed to the door.
“Hey, baby, give me two seconds. Room service is knocking.” He set the phone down and opened the door. He waited until the server was finished setting up his food and table for him. He gave him a tip and closed the door. He picked up the phone. “So how was the rest of your bath and dinner?” he asked her.
“It was what I needed. I had a lot of tension because of an uninvited guest before you called earlier. I was still trying to wrap my head around it.”
“Really? Is everything okay?” he asked. Dennis’ words came into his mind about knowing about her past.
“Yes, and I promise to tell you about it when we see each other. I don’t want to spend our evening talking about that.” She heard him clanging the dishes.
“So what did you get to eat?” she asked, changing the subject. She wrapped her towel around her still-damp body and grabbed her oils.
“A turkey burger, organic fries, and hot tea.” He stirred his tea, blowing on it and taking a sip.
“Would you like to call me back after you eat?” She set the phone down and put it on speaker.
“Nope. I promise not to smack. I miss hearing your voice. I don’t want to have to wait until I finish my food for us to talk. I’m sorry if it sounds selfish.” He bit into his burger, licking his lips to savor the dripping juice.
She laughed and went on to tell him about the ride home. She told him about Sandy’s new friend, Eric. He was going to be on the cruise as well to work security detail.
“See, now that wasn’t so bad was it?”
“I guess not. I couldn’t tell you were eating at all.” She rubbed the oil into her arms, balancing her phone.
&n
bsp; “So why are you in for the night? What do you normally do when you hit a city?” she inquired. Shontell switched the phone to speaker, as she went over to her lingerie drawer and pulled out a pair of panties and a night tee.
“It all depends. John, Dennis, and I usually hit a casino or club. David will hang out sometimes if Felecia doesn’t join us on the road. Tonight I declined. Remember, I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he laughed. Shontell smacked her lips.
“Ha, ha, that wasn’t my fault. That was all on you, Chocolate.” She settled back onto the bed.
“Hmmm, is that a new pet name already?” Nico wiped his hands on the last of his napkins. He scooted back in the chair.
“Only if you are going to answer to it,” Shontell told him. Nico laughed heartily at her comment.
“Well, I have one condition.” He got up, kicked his shoes off, and got into bed. His body sank into the mattress. He loved these heavenly mattresses.
“Okay. So what’s that?”
“Only if you video chat with me. I want to see that smile.”
“Okay, you got it,” she told him. Nico sat back on the pillows and propped the phone up as he waited for her face to appear. He wiped his mouth again, to ensure there was no food residue. A second later, she was smiling at him.
Shontell
Shontell was glad that she had decided on a night shirt. She looked down quickly when he came onto the screen. She missed him as she touched the screen as if it was his face. She could not believe that she and Nico video chatted until almost 3 a.m. Neither of them could keep their eyes open. She woke up that morning still tired but strangely excited. This was one time she was definitely glad she was her own boss. Her day didn’t start until later. She had errands to run. Their conversations felt as though they had known each other forever. The only thing she hadn’t talked to him about was Jesse…well not formally. She knew that she would have to eventually discuss her past. He knew that she had been hurt by her last boyfriend, but not that it was Jesse she was referring to. Shontell threw on a pair of jeans and Nico’s shirt. She took a quick selfie and sent it to him. Nico made her feel that love was an option again. She had missed that feeling.
