"It must be, if you felt such a need to run. Why didn't you talk to me?"
"When? You have no time for me! Leave me alone, if you make me cry you're gonna piss me off. Just leave me alone." She started crying.
"How do you expect me to leave you alone? I'm in love with you, have been for some time now. Surely you know that?"
Meribel snatched up a drink napkin and used it to cover her eyes, sobs were so close to the brink it was a fight to hold them in. "I'm sorry honey, I swear to you, I'm so sorry. Look at me, turn here."
"No... Derrick no... that's what you say now, but when we - we get home, it'll be back to-..."
"No it won't! Look at me." He scooted his chair closer to her, putting one arm behind her, while the other hand gently turned her face to him. "Aaah my little Spanish doll, I can't stand to see you this way."
Meribel looked down muttering, "I'm not so little anymore."
"You think I care about that? To me, you are still just as beautiful as the first day I saw you. As the first time - I saw you." He simpered, hinting towards their first intimate moment together.
Meribel gave a slight smile saying, "I wanna lose this weight. I wanna get back to the way I was."
"For me? Or for you?" He asked.
"Well, for both of us."
"No no no no no, don't do it for me, because I'm happy. There's nothing about you, that I would change. I'm in love with you, size 10 or size 18 or whatever you are."
"EIGHTEEN!! I'm not a size eighteen, you think I'm that big!" She wailed.
Derrick groaned, "Noooo, honey... I'm just saying, I don't care, I really don't."
"You do because you don't even make love to me anymore like you use to." She whispered heatedly. Even with the band playing behind them, she felt self-conscience over their discussion. Derrick sighed with that one, not sure what to say in his defense.
"Shawn is here?!" Sheila asked stunned.
"He sure is, back stage right now."
"Ms. Martin, you know that?" Sheila asked.
"I sure did, he come stay wit' me the night before. He Sylvie husband, he got a right to know where she at. He the one got me to come here tonight. If she got any sense, she'ah leave here with'em."
"Ms. Martin, I guarantee you, sense or not, she'll be leaving with him." Jake put in, while Dennis stood laughing.
Vivian was looking every where but at Jake, she wanted to leave. She was standing in that night club with no panties on, thanks to him. Her coat fastened, the belt tied. "Dennis can we please leave?" She asked.
"Would you all mind hanging on for a bit longer, I need to go check on my brother. And by the looks of Derrick, we may need a ride. Would you mind?" Jake asked for himself and Lydia.
Vivian shot him an angry look and then turned to Dennis, "Let's give Ms. Martin a ride home so we can go, he can catch a cab."
Lydia started chuckling, she didn't know what he'd done to her, but she had nothing on her mind but getting as far away from him as she could.
"You just calm yo' butt down, if m'man need a ride, I'm gone give'em one. So chill." He told Vivian and then turning to Jake, who was staring at her with a satisfied grin on his. "You need me to walk back there wit'chu?" Dennis asked.
"If you don't mind, not to say I'm expecting any trouble, but I'm not leaving out of here without first knowing if Shawn's out with Sylvia."
Vivian whimpered to herself, of course no one knew, but she was standing bare ass naked with cool air shooting up her skirt. Jake had to know it, he after all ripped her panties. Thank goodness it was spring and not winter, however - the evening had grown cool as the hour had grown later. The two men turned to head back up into the club when he looked back long enough just to give her a knowing grin, faking a shiver. Her eyes grew huge like round saucers, rolling them she turned her back on him, cursing the man under her breath. Jake turned back with laughter rumbling deep in his chest.
"We might as well sit down here at the bar and wait." Sheila stated climbing up to one of the stools. Lydia took one beside her, as Vivian claimed one on the other side of Sheila.
"Lord Ms. Martin, wait 'til Sylvia look up and see that man. I don't know, but I don't think she was ready to go home yet."
"I know I'm ready to go home! I think I'm gone call me a cab!" Vivian announced.
"Girl, you can wait! Just sit your butt there and chill out. You don't need to be in nobodies cab!"
"I could chill out if his butt wasn't here! I can't believe they showed up here tonight! That HE showed up here tonight!" Vivian complained.
"Tell us, how he end up with your purse?"
Vivian looked from Lydia to Sheila, glad that her burning face could not be noted for her dark complexion. There was no one she could tell the truth to about what happened, so said instead. "He trapped me in the hallway on the way to the ladies room, we had a few words, and I was so mad, I must have dropped my purse not knowing it."
Sheila's look said she wasn't so sure about that, and Lydia turned away smiling looking out at the dancing couples, she would just love to know what really happened down that hallway.
Derrick sat a moment stuck on what to say with his wife's question when Jake and Dennis walked up to their table.
"Excuse me dear brother, but uh ... we should maybe check on Shawn?" Jake asked.
Derrick looked up, sighing in relief for the interruption, he stood from his chair, looking towards Dennis, Jake introduced them. "Dennis, this is my older brother Derrick, Derrick, Dennis. He's Sheila's husband, who's over at the bar waiting for us."
Derrick smiled shaking Dennis' hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Feeling's mutual man." Dennis returned. Derrick looked back at Jake, "You think there's gonna be a problem back there with Shawn?" Just as he said it, they saw two of the bouncers rushing towards the back stage.
"That's not a good sign." Jake announced.
"Meribel go with the other women over there, we'll be back shortly."
"Oh nooo, no trouble please. Derrick..." She cried, knowing what it meant when the three of them were together if any problems started.
"I'll be fine, go on now." He ordered turning to follow Jake and Dennis to the back stage.
"Oh my God..." Sylvia gasped, she thought she would faint. With ears popping, she quickly threw her left hand out to the wall beside her to brace herself, praying that it would help keep her on her feet. Her knees felt as if they could buckle. To look up and see the man before her now, sent her head spinning as if on a merry-go-round.
Her husband.
He was standing before her now. He'd changed while they'd been apart, yet remaining the same. His hair was very close cut and stunned, she stared at the earring in his ear. Dressed in jeans, t-shirt and his leather, he looked good, damn good. It was the hair cut though, it was an instant turn on for her. Something about it made him all that much more sinister looking, exciting and dangerous. Knowing the content of his moods, his temper and how he could be with her, and about her, Sylvia felt every pulse in her body come alive. Remembering well the last time they spoke, what she'd taunted him with, thrown at him, the recollection made her gulp. She remembered her words to him as clear as day light, -"You got to find my ass... to get my ass! Oh... but you don't know where my ass is - do you?!"- those words and seeing him there, made her whimper while her heart leaped to life, making her short of breath. He was staring at her with no nonsense, penetrating eyes. Everything about him, his stance, his expression, the entire package of body language said loud and clear, 'Bring it on - I'm ready.' Sylvia had spent enough time with her husband to know when he was gearing up for action, the thought scared her to death.
Shawn had been pacing in front of Sylvia's dressing room door, waiting for the moment she came back stage after the performance, he'd stopped mid stride to hear a man's voice, turning he looked up just in time to see his wife walking with her head down, hand holding up the long skirt of her gown, while the man next to her, no doubt Paul's brother Bruce, because of the family resemb
lance. His presence had been immediately noticed by him. Shawn's eyes reluctantly left his wife to blaze dagger's at Bruce when he'd asked, "Who are you?..." To get his bold reply.
"Shawn!" Sylvia gasped.
"Who let you back here?! If you wanted to see her, you should have come through the front door like everyone else! To the front of the club, or get the hell out the way you came!" Bruce ordered.
Paul had a feeling something would get out of control and so had quickly made his way back after seeing Bruce and Sylvia turn back to head to his office, so he was there just as the two men confronted each other.
"Bruce calm down, I let him in." Paul spoke up immediately coming up behind Sylvia and Bruce. Sylvia's heart was pounding in her chest. She wasn't sure what to do. She wasn't ready to go home yet, and here stood her husband who would no doubt demand it. Again, she wished she could just faint straight away. Again as usual, he charged into whatever she'd begun and started taking over. Any chance for her to reason with him, or get him to listen to her was loss by the presence of Bruce.
"YOU let him in?! Why?" Bruce demanded from Paul.
"You - get over here!" Shawn pointed at Sylvia and then to floor before him.
"Oh Shawn please..."
"Hang on a minute - not so fast, I wanna talk to you." Bruce grabbed Sylvia's arm as she was about to head towards her husband.
"Bruce, it can wait - let her go." Paul stated, there was no time to answer his brother's previous question.
"Man who the fuck do you think you are, grabbing my wife's arm!? Sylvia - let's go!"
"No! You go!" Bruce fired at Shawn, and to Sylvia, "Hey, didn't you leave this clown?! Since when you gotta do what he says? Tell him to go to hell!"
Sylvia looked at Bruce as if he'd lost him mind. "Don't you call my husband a clown! You don't know anything about him! Further more, who told you I left him!? I've done nothing of the sort!"
"Look, what I have to talk to you about is an opportunity of a lifetime. Why don't we all just calm down, you go change and meet me in my office, okay?" He spoke to Sylvia, ignoring Shawn completely.
"No one is talking about anything tonight, we're out of here. Sylvia - let's - go!"
"Oh Shawn! Who told you I was here?! How did you find me!?"
Shawn was losing what little patience he had. "Sylvia, I'm not gonna stand here, and have this conversation with you, in this man's club - in this hallway. Let's go - now!"
"You gonna take that from him?! Since when? Baby this is the new millennium - in case you haven't heard - you don't have to take that shit from him!"
"Bruce! Stay out of it man!" Paul warned, the scene had Shawn winding up and turning red.
"You know what, you're about ten seconds from a broken jaw!" Shawn warned stepping slowly towards them.
Sylvia rushed from Bruce to him. "Let's go Shawn, let's go. I'm ready to go!" There was no way she was about to stand and let her husband get into a fight with the owner of the club. Who must have had some type of signalling device on him, because two black bouncers suddenly appeared back stage.
"You were saying?" Bruce asked when his two men stepped into the narrow corridor.
"Who the hell are they!? You think they scare me?! You little wormy ass, mealy mouthed bastard - smart move - you'll need'em to keep me off your ass!"
"SHAWN LET'S GO!" Sylvia screamed pushing at him, scared for him.
"Man you better listen to yo'woman and get the fuck up out'ah here fo' you get yo' ass kicked!"
"By you and what army?!" Jake asked standing behind them with Dennis and Derrick right beside him.
Bruce and his two men turned to see the other three men there.
"LOOK EVERYONE! FUCKING HELL! CALM - THE FUCK - DOWN!!!" Paul shouted to get everyone's attention. "SHAWN! Take her and go man! Go! Please!" Paul urged.
Shawn gave Bruce the dirtiest look he could conjure, grabbed Sylvia's wrist about to make his way to the back exit. "Wait! My purse!" She cried out, rushing into the dressing room and grabbing her clothes and purse. "Hurry up dammit! Let's go." Shawn demanded.
Bruce was on fire, he shot his brother a mean look, saying to Sylvia, "Hey - have you forgotten, that gown is my property?!"
"You'll get your fucking gown back!" Shawn spat taking hold of her again once she came out of the dressing room, trying to hold onto her things. Shawn's rushing her wasn't making it easy to hang onto them. She needed a bag and of course had none, because she would have changed back into them. "Shawn slow down, I'm gonna drop something!"
"I don't give a shit - move it!" He practically drug her out the back door, his teeth grinding with his anger.
Bruce then turned to Jake, Derrick and Dennis. "Get the hell out'ah my club!"
"Gladly, as soon as we collect our women, we're gone." This came from Jake, flashing white teeth with a grin and a wink. Now that his brother was out the door, he could leave in peace. Although he would never forget the place, it held special memories for him. All three turned and made their way through the main hall with the two bouncers not far behind. Dennis turned to look back at them. "Hey man, we know the way out, we don't need no escorting." Realizing he stopped and turned, so did Jake and Derrick.
"Just making sure you all get out the door." One of the two bouncers announced.
"Well make sure by leading the goddamn way then, because I don't like no motherfucka's coming up behind me!" Dennis demanded. They both remained quiet and walked past the three men to lead the way. Dennis looked up at Jake and Derrick, "Man I don't play that shit - comin' up behind me - fuck that! I gotta see a ma'fucka!"
Jake started laughing. He didn't know why, but something told him the two of them were on the road to a sound friendship.
By the time they made it to the front, the women were more than anxious to leave, the three couples and Lydia stepped outside and made it across the road to the parking lot.
"Okay what's going on?" Jake asked in general.
Derrick turned to Dennis, "Would you mind giving Lydia and Jake a ride home?"
Vivian wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She couldn't bare the thought of spending any more time in Jake's presence. He was smirking and teasing her. Cutting her knowing glances, at that particular moment, she wanted to smack him right in the mouth. However, the last time she slapped him, it hadn't turned out so good, her imagination immediately launched the scene of the broom closet, her body began to tingle and she felt her lower parts come alive again. She wanted to cry.
"Hey no problem, fine with me."
"I need to..." Derrick looked down at his wife, "...be alone with me wife."
Meribel felt her heart swell to know that he wanted to be alone with her.
Dennis started laughing, saying, "If Jake hadn't got us kicked out'ah that club, ya'll could have stayed there and did some dancing."
"Thanks! Blame me! It's my fault! Everything's always my fault!" He exclaimed in good humor.
"That's cause it usually is!" Derrick stated.
"Hello - excuse me... I think Shawn and Sylvia might have had a bit to do with it as well!" Jake reminded them both.
"Can we just go!" Vivian shouted. "Ms. Martin don't wanna be standing here hearing this! Do you ma'am?"
"Ain't botherin' me none. Been a long time since I enjoy myself so well. Wit' these two fine young men as escort, I ain't got nothin' to complain about."
"That's b'cause you the only real woman out here." Jake murmured as he wormed his way to her, taking her arm on his, "Where's that van Dennis?" He asked, ignoring Vivian, as he gently pat Lydia's hand on his arm. Sheila gave him a dirty look, while even she could see the humor in him, but she wasn't about to let that on. Meribel knew him too well to let it effect her one way or the other. Derrick shook his head. "Ma'am, it was nice meeting you. Please come to Wisconsin so you can meet the rest of the family." He entreated, putting his arm around his wife's shoulders to show it was a united invitation. "Yes, really nice to meet you, just as my husband said, you would be so welcome."
"You better believe I will... I promise." Lydia returned.
"Dennis... I'm extending the same to you and your wife. Nice meeting you both. Vivian - stay beautiful." Derrick turned with his wife and headed for their van parked up on the front of the lot. The other five made their way to Dennis and Sheila's van, all piling in. Being the perfect gentlemen, Jake handed Vivian in first and then Lydia, then took his seat, which placed Vivian at one window, him on the other.
"So how you gone get home from Ms. Martin's Jake?" Dennis asked.
"I have my truck parked at her house."
"But he ain't gone drive back tonight, is you? 'Cause you been drinkin'." Lydia pointed out.
Jake smiled. "Why Ms. Lydia, you worried about me?"
"Somebody got to worry 'bout you. You just come back to the house, stretch out in that room your brother sleep in, you can leave in the morning." She ordered.
Jake Smiled, looking over her head in the dark van. "Yes ma'am, if you say so - I guess I'll have to mind." Jake put his arm across the back of Lydia's head, his hand easily reaching Vivian, his middle finger stroked over her neck and tugged gently at her hair at the nape. "Isn't that nice of Ms Martin, offering me to stay at her house, instead of sending me off, late into the night without a care?" He taunted Vivian, who tried to pull away from him.
"Ms. Martin, please tell your house guest to leave me alone." Vivian asked sugary sweet.
"Jake?"
"Yes ma'am?" He asked in all innocence.
"Leave that chile alone."
Jake gave a squeeze to her slender neck before he pulled his hand away, "Yes ma'am."
Dennis sat up front chuckling at Jake, trying to catch a look at Vivian. "So you say you bought a new truck? Heard somebody wrecked your other one."
"Yep, they did. I bought this new one off my brother, Shawn. So now, I have a way to get back here - any time, any day. Never know - when I might pop up - or where. Funny, the things you see when you just show up, especially when people don't think you gonna show up." He implied looking to Vivian as he spoke.
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