by Ashley Blake
“That’s it Emma. You look so pretty! You’re all set for next week. What time is he picking you up?”
“He’s picking me up at 7:00.”
“He is going to be so surprised when he sees you, you look so gorgeous.”
“Thanks Kel and thanks for lending me this dress!”
Kelly and I both had homework to do so that’s what we did for the rest of the afternoon.
The following week went by in a complete blur and I was loaded down with a ton of work for school. I talked on the phone with Caleb every day and that really helped me be able to remain patient about seeing him. Finally Saturday came, and at around 5:00 I called down to my doorman Tom and told him he could just let Caleb up when he arrived, and I started to leisurely get ready for my date. I was showered, dressed, makeup was done and I was curling my hair when the telephone rang at about 6:40.
Oh no, he’s early!
“Hello?”
“Ms. Blakely? Jordan Miller is here to see you.”
I was literally frozen in place and I could not speak. What??
“Ms. Blakely, are you there?”
“Yes, I’m sorry Tom, did you say Jordan Miller?”
I had no idea what Jordan was doing at my place and this was not a good time.
“Yes ma’am.”
“May I speak to him for a second?”
Tom gave Jordan the phone.
“Hello?’”
“Jordan? What in the world are you doing here?”
“Emma, I only need a few minutes of your time please. I just need to talk to you for a few minutes.”
“Is anyone hurt?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Jordan, I am getting ready to go out so this is not a good time for me. Can you come back tomorrow?”
“Please Emma, I came all this way and it will only take a few minutes, I promise.”
He sounded desperate so I agreed to talk to him for just a few minutes and told Tom he could let him up.
When I opened the door, there stood Jordan, the same as I remembered him and I felt absolutely nothing. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw me.
“Wow Emma, you look amazing!”
I’d forgotten that Jordan had not seen my transformation.
“Thanks, you know you’re actually the catalyst that kick started me getting fit. Those things you said to me when we broke up really stuck and I decided to do something about it, so in a way I should thank you Jordan.”
He closed his eyes and grimaced and I could see the remorse on his face.
“Emma, I really want to apologize for what I said to you the day we broke up. I made those comments because I was hurt, and I didn't mean a word of it, and I feel just awful about that.”
“Follow me into the bathroom, I have to finish doing my hair. Don’t worry about what happened with us, it’s in the past and I have moved on.” I then looked at him with a curious stare. “Um, Jordan, what are you doing here, and how did you know where to find me?”
“I talked with your dad and he gave me your address.”
I’ll have to remember to thank my dad for meddling in my life.
“Emma, I miss you so much and I can’t stop thinking about you. I thought that when a few months had passed I would get over you but I have not been able to stop thinking about you. I screwed things up so badly between us and I really want a second chance with you. You are the woman that I want to be with and I really miss you.”
“Jordan…”
He cut me off before I could finish my sentence.
“Emma, please hear me out. I traveled all the way to Chicago to show you how much I care about you and I would travel to the end of the earth for you. I know we left on a really bad note but we had something really special, at least to me it was special. I miss it and I miss you. I really want to try again, is there anyway you’ll give me a second chance?”
This totally caught me off guard because I had not thought about Jordan in months. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings but he had to go because Caleb would be there any minute and I didn’t want him thinking I had anything going with my old boyfriend.
“Jordan, I want you to know that I appreciate you coming here, I really do, but I just don’t have those feelings for you anymore. I have feelings for someone else now, strong feelings. I think you need to move on and find someone who will love you and appreciate you the way that you deserve to be loved and appreciated. I am expecting a guest so it’s best that you leave.” I put the finishing touches on my hair and turned around to face Jordan.
“I’m assuming it’s a date that’s coming with the way that you’re dressed, of course it’s a date, you look so pretty.”
“Thank you, and yes, I have a date who will be here any minute, so please Jordan, you have to go.”
“Okay, I’ll go, I probably should have contacted you before I came here, so I’m sorry about that. I hope you have a wonderful time tonight, he’s a very lucky guy.”
“Thanks Jordan, you take care.”
I opened the door to let him out and standing right there, looking more delicious than the last time I saw him, was Caleb.
Dammit, I did not want this to happen!
Caleb and Jordan sized each other up in a very primal way, each guy acting as if they were claiming their territory.
“Hi Caleb, are you early?” I was trying to think of anything to say to lessen the tension in the air.
“No, love, I’m right on time. Am I interrupting something?” The tone in his voice was like nothing I had ever heard. When I looked at his face, I could see that he was definitely annoyed that Jordan was there.
“No, this is my…friend, Jordan. Jordan, this is Caleb. Jordan was just leaving.”
They shook hands and neither looked happy about it.
“Yeah, I better get going. I have a long drive back to New Holstein.”
“Jordan, you drove here? You’re not driving back tonight, are you?” I sounded concerned and I hope that neither of them took that the wrong way. Even though we were no longer together, it didn’t mean that I didn’t care what happened to him. The last thing I wanted was for him to get into some sort of accident driving back in the middle of the night.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Maybe you should go back in the morning. Didn’t you get a hotel room?”
“No, I didn’t, but I’ll be fine.”
“Jordan, Emma sounds worried, so I think you should get a hotel room and drive home in the morning.” Caleb’s voice was firm and I don’t think Jordan wanted to go against him.
“Okay, fine. I don’t want to intrude on your night anymore than I already have, so I am going to call and get a hotel room like you suggested. I hope you both have a nice evening.”
“Promise me Jordan that you are going to get a hotel room tonight.” I didn’t think it was safe for him to drive back overnight because the ride was going to be a few hours.
“Emma, I promise. Now, I’m going to go so that you two can enjoy your evening. Take care.”
He looked really sad when he left but there was nothing I could do about that, he had shown up uninvited, and things had been over between us for months.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Caleb turned fiery eyes toward me and I was taken aback.
“Your ex-boyfriend I presume. I didn’t know that you still talked to him or saw him.”
I stumbled over my words because I didn’t expect that kind of reaction from Caleb.
“I, I, I, don’t! He showed up here out of the blue!”
Fire shot across his dark eyes. “He just happened to show up on a Saturday night? Emma, I told you that I don’t like to play games. If you have something going with your ex, just tell me and we can end things right here.”
The fact that he was questioning me pissed me off. “Yes! I have no reason to lie to you Caleb. If I tell you something, it’s true! Jordan showed up here on his own!”
“What did he
want?”
I hesitated but then I decided to answer him. “He said he misses me and wants another chance.”
I saw Caleb stiffen as he clenched his jaw and his eyes flashed at me. “What did you say?”
I could see that I needed to reassure him and calm him down, so I stepped close to him and lightly rested my hand on his cheek as I looked into his gorgeous eyes. “I told him that I didn’t feel that way about him and he needed to move on. I also told him that my heart was with someone else.”
I could feel him relax as I said those words to him. Caleb gently held my face in his hands as his eyes searched mine. “I know this is really soon but I don’t want to be with anyone else and I don’t want you to be with anyone else, Emma. This thing that we have, what I feel for you, is so intense for me and I have never felt like this about anyone before. So even though we’ve only known each other for a short time, I want us to be exclusive so that we can really get to know each other without any other distractions. I don’t like to share.”
He pulled me close and wrapped his arms around me as he gently kissed my lips. I kissed him back and then leaned away from him as I looked up into his eyes and smiled at him. “I don’t want to be with anyone else either.”
“Good, now you’re all mine. We better get going so we don’t lose our reservation.”
I grabbed my purse and we headed toward the door when Caleb stopped me before I opened it and turned me around. “You look absolutely stunning Emma, I meant to tell you that when you first opened the door. You are so beautiful.”
My belly did a flip and I smiled at him, so happy that he noticed. “Thank you.”
He took me to North Pond in Lincoln Park, which was a gorgeous, intimate restaurant situated in the park, and we were only five minutes late for our reservation.
We made small talk over drinks and then after we put our order in we talked and got to know each other better.
“Tell me what it was like growing up in your family. You said that you have one younger brother and you’re not that close with your dad. What do you think is the main thing that drives you two apart?” I wanted to know everything about him.
“Well, I think I told you a little bit about this before, my dad is not the biggest fan of my desire to be an artist. I don’t think I mentioned what my parents do for a living, but my dad and my mom both manage hedge funds, and my dad has pretty much groomed me to join his business since I was in grade school. The world of finance just does not interest me, I want to be free to express myself through my art and both of my parents know that. It seems that my mom is the only one who accepts it, so that is where the friction stems from with my dad.”
I felt for him because I could see that it was upsetting to think about his relationship with his dad.
“And what about your brother? Are you close with him?”
“Colton? Oh yeah, he is, without a doubt, my best friend. We are only two years apart so we have always been close.”
“That’s funny because my sister Katie and I are only two years apart and we are best friends also.”
“Yeah, I’m really happy that we are so close in age. He is actually working with my mom so at least they have one son who joined the family business. I always thought that would be enough for my dad, but it’s not. He really wants me to join him and I don’t know if I will ever be able to explain to him why I won’t join him. He told me that he would give me a couple of years to work on my “art hobby” as he calls it, and then it would be time for me to join him because he doesn’t think an artist can make a decent living. I don’t think he realizes that I have been supporting myself quite well for the past few years with my art, without his help. What sucks is he just will probably be eternally disappointed in me for not working with him.”
“I bet deep down inside he is proud of you for striking out on your own and going after what you really love.”
“I don’t know, maybe one day he’ll understand me and be proud of my art work and he’ll actually show that he’s proud. I’m going to invite him to the opening of my art gallery, so hopefully my mom will be able to convince him to show up.”
“Your art gallery?’
“Didn’t I tell you about that?” He looked surprised that I didn’t know.
“No, you didn’t. When is our opening?”
“I’m hoping to have everything ready for an August opening.”
“Oh wow, that sounds amazing Caleb, I hope it all works out for you.”
He smiled at me. “Thank you. You will definitely be receiving an invitation so I expect you to be there.”
I got excited because he was thinking so far down the road about us. “I will be there with bells on.”
“I hope so. You know what, I’ve been rambling on for too long, enough about me, tell me more about you and your family.”
“Okay, well what do you want to know?”
“Tell me more about your relationship with your dad.”
Our food arrived and we ate as we kept the conversation going.
“Well, my dad has never really been the affectionate type with me. My sisters are a different story.”
“Why do you think that is?”
I hesitated to tell him the truth, but I really wanted to open to him and I felt really comfortable doing so, so I told him everything.
“I don’t really look like my sisters, they all look like they just walked out of a magazine and that’s just not me. Actually, I recently decided to get serious about getting in shape after I graduated from college, so I changed my diet and started exercising regularly. My dad didn’t really say much to me about my new look, he just told me I looked nice. Sometimes I think he wishes I looked more like the rest of the family. I try not to let it bother me, but sometimes, if I think about it for too long, it does.”
“I think it’s quite admirable that you decided to get healthy and for what it's worth, I think that you are absolutely perfect just the way you are.”
I smiled at him because it was a very sweet thing to say. “Thank you for saying that.”
“I mean it. Have you ever tried talking to your dad about the way you feel?”
“No, I haven’t really talked to him about that but my mom knows how I feel. I honestly think that we’re going to have to go to therapy one day to air everything out. My dad kind of lives in a bubble so I think that will be the only way to get through to him.”
“You know, I think that therapy is a fantastic thing and I am all for it. I may have to suggest that for my dad and me, and I’m sure my mom will support it 100 percent. She is my biggest supporter.”
“Yeah, maybe when I go home over the summer we’ll go to therapy.”
“You’re leaving for the summer?” Caleb looked visibly upset at the thought of my not being around and it just made me like him even more.
“No, but I will be visiting home more often in the summer so I’ll probably arrange to start therapy with my dad then. I’m sure I will need my mom’s and my sisters’ help trying to convince him to go. I plan to be around a lot this summer because I want to spend it with you.” I winked at him and gently rubbed his arm.
“It’s only fall and already I am looking forward to spending the summer with you, you definitely have me under your spell.”
We finished dinner and then went for a walk through the park, our fingers linked together. We found a bench in front of the pond and sat down. We sat there in comfortable silence, Caleb’s arm resting behind my shoulder on the bench, listening to the leaves on the trees rustle in the wind. I looked up at the star filled sky and I felt his hand push my hair away from my neck as he began to gently rub the back of my neck.
“It’s a gorgeous night, isn’t it?” His words hung in the air as I silently agreed with him.
“I don’t want this night to end Caleb, it has been so perfect.”
He turned to look at me. “Neither do I. Do you want to come over to my place?”
I knew what the question meant and there w
as only one answer for me. “Yes.” I strained to get the word out with my lust filled voice. I couldn’t wait to be with him.
Caleb grabbed my hand and we got up and went to his car. We were at his place in less than 10 minutes. He lived in a huge duplex and I was blown away by how gorgeous his place was. He had gleaming hardwood floors that put mine to shame, quartz countertops in the kitchen, floor to ceiling windows and a balcony in each room except the bathroom. His decorating skills were bombtastic and he had contemporary furniture mixed in with some modern pieces. His lower level was a full on art studio and he had a huge easel sitting in the middle of the room. His place looked like it had been professionally decorated.
“Wow, Caleb, this is gorgeous. Did you decorate this place yourself?”
“I did, I’m glad you like it.”
“You have incredible taste, I could learn a thing or two from you.”
“Your place is just as nice as mine Emma, at least that’s what I remember.” He winked at me.
I felt those pesky butterflies again as I looked at him. “You know the right things to say to me, don’t you?”
He grabbed me and pulled me to him in a big hug. “I sure hope so.” Caleb smoothed the hair out of my eyes and leaned down to gently kiss my lips. He then pulled me tighter as his eyes searched mine. “You are so beautiful Emma.”
He made me feel so special and so beautiful, I had never felt this way with anyone before. Caleb liked everything about me and it made me feel really good.
“So are you.”
His lips came crashing down on mine, his tongue slid over mine and his hands entangled in my hair. My hands clutched at his back pulling him even closer to me. He grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled my head back running his tongue along the sensitive skin of my collarbone up my neck to my earlobe, lightly nipping at it with his teeth. I raked my fingers through his hair and pressed my hips against him so that I could feel every inch of his hardness. I whispered in his ear, “I want you so badly right now,” and I lightly traced my tongue along the outside of his ear. Caleb groaned and ran his hand down over my round globes giving them a firm squeeze and then he bent down a little and ran his hands down my hips to the bottom of my dress, lightly grazing the back of my knees. His hands slipped under my dress and then slid back up, taking my dress with them, and I raised my arms over my head as he slipped my dress off of me and let it fall to the ground. I stood there in a black strapless bra, panties and my heels and I felt so sexy as Caleb’s eyes devoured my womanly figure. He reached out and traced the curve of my hip and then moved his hand around to my ass and slipped his hand inside the band of my panties to get a better feel. He pulled me close and his other hand ran over my slightly rounded belly, up to my bra and pinched my nipple through the lace fabric. I let out a soft moan as his touch sent heat rushing to my core.
