The little girl, however, did like the idea of not having to go to school that day. The next day would depend on how she felt.
With one day behind me I was looking forward to getting back home. What I didn’t expect was a certain someone’s voice on my answering machine.
When I arrived at my home I noticed that the voice mail box was blinking. This was a rare sight for me as not too many people had land lines anymore. If it weren’t for my job as a doctor I would have abandoned the land line myself. Even rarer than having a land line was my getting a message on it.
I decided to give it a listen to see who it could be. I truly did expect it to be someone from work saying that I had forgotten something. Normally they would have called my cell phone so I wondered if it were having reception problems? Out of curiosity I checked my phone first and saw that I didn’t miss any calls and I had bars on my phone so it wasn’t that.
There were many people I could think of who could be the caller. I thought it probably was a relative who hadn’t yet received my cell phone number. I could even be wrong and it could be a wrong number! There were thousands of possibilities and voices that could speak on the other end of the speaker when I clicked that flashing red button. What I hadn’t expected was to hear Tyrese’s voice on the other end.
“Hey, baby...” it began.
I frowned and rolled my eyes at the greeting. I wanted badly to shout something at Tyrese but somehow managed to repress the urge. It certainly was not easy!
He continued, “Well, uh, yeah, well…”
I sighed and shook my head with another eye roll. Hadn’t he used enough of those words in his introduction?
“That other girl and I broke up and I want you to come back to me.”
Figures. What was it with some people who thought that once they left Person A for Person B and would be so willingly accepted by Person A once Person B left them? Did these people ever consider that Person A had any pride and dignity?
Come to think of it, had hell frozen over yet? It would before I would decide to go back to him. Not after what he did to me or the way that he had hurt me.
Forgiveness came easily to me, that is unless someone did something horrible to I or someone that I cared about. Tyrese had betrayed a must fundamental trust and he wasn’t getting that back. I must admit that I did gain some sort of twisted happiness in knowing that he was the one who got up and closed that door. While he closed the door I was the one who locked it and threw away that key. Some doors were meant to be closed and stay closed.
I deleted the message before he could finish. I had neither interest nor any intention of going back to him anytime.
After a few seconds I heard the phone ring and answered before looking at the caller ID. I had the feeling of who was calling and I was ready to give him a piece of my mind.
“Hey baby,” Tyrese’s voice said. “Did you get my message?”
“Yeah, and I’m not interested!” I snapped. “I’ve moved on and you’re not in my future!”
“But--but I miss you! I need you! You complete me!”
“No, you miss having someone you can use and lose! You’re a grown man! You don’t need anyone to help keep you alive! You are also a complete person and don’t need any person to ‘complete’ you! Ugh, I hate that stupid phrase!”
“It was an accident!”
It sounded like Tyrese was grasping at straws in hopes of earning my pity or sympathy. I felt myself begin to grow angrier. “It takes two to tango! You willingly chose to enter that relationship for your own selfish reasons! You didn’t trip and your penis magically landed into her vagina!”
“Huh?”
“Medical terminology! Look it up you moron! That was also a medical word at one point and I was being generous by just calling you a ‘moron!’” Angrily I clicked “end call” on the phone. It was times like this that I began to miss those old phones as the person could no longer slam down the phone. It was now all a displeased “end call.” It really wasn’t the same.
Once I had ended the call I realized just how loudly I had been shouting at him. I certainly hoped I didn’t scare any of the neighbors or have them come after me because of the volume I had used. When a few minutes passed without incident I began to relax about that at least.
Still I was surprised and infuriated by the gall Tyrese was showing! What did I ever see in him in the first place? Was I drunk or stupid the entire time?
In a way I knew the truth was I had been completely blind-sided by his actions. I had had relationships before Tyrese came along but had never been cheated on before. Some of it was due to how smooth Tyrese was but I had learned my lesson and it sure wasn’t going to happen again!
I wanted to do something to calm myself down before I worked myself up into an even bigger lather. I also felt angry that I was giving Tyrese a moment of free thought when he clearly did not deserve it. He deserved to be forgotten all together.
They did say the best revenge was living well.
I took a deep breath as I considered my options of what to do to calm myself down. Some light exercise would be a good way to help reduce some stress. I could walk around the block a few times until I began to feel more settled. That way I would be close to home in case something came up or I decided not to walk any further.
I changed out of my work clothes into some basic street clothes of jeans, walking shoes, and a loose fitting t-shirt. I tied my hair back into a loose pony tail and began my journey around the block.
I didn’t count how many times I walked around the block but I did notice that the sun was beginning to set.
I wasn’t that far from my home so I decided to head on back and then take a long and hot bath. That would also help relax me.
Things would be different tomorrow I told myself. After all, tomorrow was another day and bad days only lasted twenty four hours.
Chapter 4 –
Sometime later, I forget exactly how long as time does tend to slip away from one I heard the door bell ringing. I had expected it to be a co-worker or even someone peddling their latest religion. For some reason or another we sure did seem to get them around here.
As it was my day off I hadn’t bothered dressing nicely or very professionally. I was wearing a pair of loose jeans and an equally loose shirt. My hair had been tied back in a bun. It was a habit I had gotten into when it came to when I washed my hair. Where I had picked up the habit from I don’t remember but I suppose that was neither here nor there.
I hadn’t bothered wearing any shoes which both felt nice and rather foreign to me. I was so used to wearing shoes practically all the time not having to wear them was an alien like experience. I could feel the carpet beneath me as I walked towards the door. The carpet also silenced my heavy and hurrying steps which may have annoyed the person behind the door as they couldn’t hear me coming.
The doorbell ringed again and I began to feel annoyed. I was coming already! Keep your shirt on!
Despite my annoyance I quickened my step to prevent the doorbell from being run a third time.
I opened the door to see a man around my age on the other side. He was wearing a bright blue uniform which surprised me. Most delivery drivers wore darker or more somber colors but here he stood in all of his bright blue glory. For a moment I thought it would be easy to spot him in a crowd and wondered why I hadn’t seen these drivers before.
In the driver’s arms he held a large box that had been elaborately wrapped with ribbon. I could tell right away that this wasn’t some sort of cheap ribbon that some floral companies used. The pink of the ribbon glinted in the light letting me know that it was satin. What quality of satin ribbon heaven only knew!
“Package for Mia?” The man cheerfully asked.
“Yes, that’s me,” I said.
Smiling the man held up his scanner and it beeped. He then passed the long box to me. It was surprisingly light weight for what I imagined it could have been. At the same time I didn’t know what it was
but I was still curious. It was from an expensive place no matter what was inside.
“Thank you. Have a nice day!” The driver said before leaving.
I took a chance to glance down at the label and did not recognize the brand. Who named their company “Floral Couture” anyway? A most unusual name for an unusual company. A probably very expensive company while we’re looking at it.
I held the box to me as I wondered where this company was and who the sender was. More importantly how did this sender find my address? I had been very particular and careful about whom I gave my home address out to.
At first I had assumed it was a former patient or even a co-worker doing something nice for me. Who didn’t like receiving something nice from time to time?
Going to the table I set the box down and began to unwrap the satin ribbon. It was decent quality ribbon. Perhaps there was someone I could have given the ribbon to instead of letting it go to waste.
Carefully so I didn’t damage what was inside I lifted off the lid and was greeted with the sight of red roses staring up at me.
There was no sign or card that I could see. I could see the tiny forked card holder that most of the bouquets had but there was nothing here. For some reason whenever I saw those little forks they always reminded me of tridents. That trident was busy gouging me in the heart and I was at my “had enough” point. Whoever it was who sent them seemed to want to remain anonymous though I had my suspicions of who it could be.
Tyrese had to be behind this! He had called that one time while begging me to go back to him. He was most likely trying to up the ante and get me to go back to him. Well, he had another thing coming if he thought that was going to happen!
I groaned and rolled my eyes so hard it was amazing they did not fall out or I suffered from sort of disturbing eye condition.
In a huff I gathered up the roses and went to the trash to throw them out. Some part of me felt guilty about this as they were pretty flowers and I could have easily given them to someone else who would enjoy them. It wasn’t like they would never know the story behind it. That little voice, however, was quickly shouted out by the anger that I felt. I wasn’t going to give an innocent person tainted roses!
I had imagined myself holding the offering high above my head like a sacrificial lamb before hurling it into the trash with a great amount of force. How I imagined it was and how reality was were two different things. I didn’t hold the flowers above my head but rather prepared to toss them into the trash as if they were old clothes that were too worn out to wear anymore. I could have thrown them out like that and just walked away. In fact, I had planned to do that when fate stopped me.
Something had fallen from the bouquet, something small and with sharp edges. I felt something bounce off my foot and then tip over onto the floor. Somewhere along the shuffle it must have gotten separated from its holder and lost.
The writing and the name on the card was the first thing that caught my attention and told me it was not from Tyrese. The writing was that of a woman, I could tell that clearly, but my name had been written on it. If it were from Tyrese it would have had a nickname such as “babe” or “baby” on it.
The roses were temporarily saved from my destruction as curiosity began to take hold. Bending down I picked up the card and once again headed towards the table. I dropped the flowers on them but was prepared to throw them out all over again if this were a trick.
I opened up the card and the writing inside was different. It was not the same neat writing that had spelled out my name. I was seriously jealous of whoever it was who had written my name so neatly. I wished my writing had been that nice.
The message inside had been printed and glued on the inside as the sender was not from the same location as the shop that provided the flowers or the person who delivered.
Inside was a brief message from Parker the Younger announcing that he had missed me and that he had included some miniature pictures of our western adventures inside.
These had also been printed out and glued onto card stock but that did not bother me.
I could feel my heart hitch in my throat as those memories came flooding back. I had enjoyed Parker the Younger’s company and wondered if I truly was making a mistake by choosing to go back to my old home instead of staying in Montana.
No matter the answer I knew I certainly didn’t do things half way when it came to certain issues.
I had two men that wanted me, both that I had rejected. One for a very valid reason and the other I suppose out of my own fear. Parker the Younger’s actions showed that he cared about me and even wanted to be with me. I had clearly acted swiftly and had not thought things all the way through.
What was the best thing that I had to do? I knew I could either stay here or go back to Montana. If I did would he accept me again? Would the others accept me? Our lives had both gone in such different directions it left me confused as to what direction I should be going in. What was the best direction for me?
The pull to go back to Montana descended upon me like a snake would descend upon its prey. It came on slowly at first and then attacked with a vengeance. I had tried to resist the pull to go back but it remained. As much as I tried to fight it off it would come back with its vice-like grip. Someone or something clearly wanted me to go back.
I wanted to go and yet didn’t want to go. I knew what could be waiting for me be it good or bad. I could be welcome with open arms and accepted or cast away and rejected. Either option had some serious consequences that I knew I would have to face and deal with once I stepped foot back in that small town.
I had honestly retired myself and figured I would become an old maid of sorts. As much as I hated the phrase “old maid” I suspected that’s what I would become. I didn’t really want to get back into a relationship as I didn’t want to get hurt again. No one liked being hurt and by going back I was putting myself into one tight position.
Yet, despite this, I couldn’t stay put and just keep on doing the same old thing. My parents had always told me that life was meant to be lived and not to back down from a challenge. Backing down from issues of the heart were something else. Sure, I could walk away from what I didn’t want to see but you can’t walk away from what you don’t want to feel. If someone did try to walk away from that they could be walking down a potentially dangerous path to self-destruction. I knew I wasn’t on that self-destructive path but I wouldn’t put away the fact that it could easily turn into one if I weren’t careful.
Life could be challenging and self-destructive that way. Life was also full of chances and I could remember hearing that shallow is the life of someone who did not have scars on their heart. It was both a great and horrible saying at the same time. It was a double edged sword just like life was.
I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do with myself. Was I going to walk away from all the hardship of the mind and body and try to find a place to carve out a life or was I going to stay put? Either option had its dangers and consequences. Life would have been so much simpler if there was a generic “yes” or “no” answers to each of our options. What if we could even see the future inside our own little lives?
The dreaded “what if?” questions and game were getting me nowhere! For each option I could easily think of a positive as well as a negative.
Letting go of the past and the hurt wasn’t easy. Had I even let it go at all when I met Parker the Younger? I had thought I had but thinking doesn’t always mean that it genuinely has happened.
Letting go wasn’t easy for anyone thanks to that pesky little thing we all have called an “ego.” Mine didn’t want to let go all together.
I’d have to push aside the ego and give it a chance. If I didn’t it was likely I could regret what happened and what I didn’t do for the rest of my natural life. I didn’t want to live with that guilt, fear, or humiliation.
I had to let go of everything, all the hurt, anger, and distrust. It was no easy task but with help I would be
able to release it and heal. Those scars would heal and I’d be able to recall it as a learning experience rather than something that completely defined me. Things took time but if Parker the Younger truly cared then he would make sure he would take those little steps with me as we worked together towards a better and happy future.
Rather than pack everything up and move yet again I decided to pay the next month’s rent payment in advance and hop on a plane. Things could always be sent for or replaced if I had decided to stay in Montana.
I decided to buy a round trip ticket so I could come back home if things didn’t work out. If they did work out then I would need to fill out some paperwork and other things so I could get my deposit back and get everything out to Montana. As much as I wished I had something that was a guarantee I knew I was going at this blind and I would have to trust myself to be able to make it there and have things work out.
I had packed up some clothing, a book to read, and a few other things to do while I waited. I only had one bag but it was all that I really needed. I stared at my bag and decided to add another shirt and some other odds and ends in just in case I received either a good answer or the answer I secretly hoped I would get.
If the answer that I received was a “no” then I would have no reason to stay which would make going back that much easier and simpler.
I had a backup plan in mind that if things didn’t work out I’d see about moving out of the apartment and finding a home to buy.
In a way I was putting the cart before the horse but I did not see it that way. What I needed then was the definite yes or no answer that only Parker the Younger could give me.
Outside my apartment I called a taxi to take me to the airport and away I went.
My heart pounded in both excitement and fear. I felt myself desperately wanting to see that little Montana town again and people whom I once knew. I hoped they would be as happy to see me as I was to see them. I also hoped that Parker the Younger would be happy to see me.
Those thoughts continued as I boarded the plane and leaned back in the seat. There was no going back now!
The Alpha Billionaire's Unexpected Baby: A Billionaire BWWM Pregnancy Romance Page 86
