Carolina Breeze, #1

by Tamika Brown

  “Well, if you need me to, I’ll go with you, you know, for moral support. She have a friend I can hook up with?”

  They both laughed at the comment. It was just like Bryce to have an ulterior motive to do something nice and worthwhile for a friend. That’s why they were friends. He was always there to help Calen pick up the pieces and was one of the few people who could make him laugh.

  They were best friends for a reason. “Yeah, I think that’ll do. Thanks, man. When can you be ready?”

  “What? You’re ready to go now?”

  “Yeah, why not,” he said laughing. “You offered.”

  17

  Shayla

  The two weeks she took before she went back to work were a Godsend for Shayla. She was able to get herself together by then.

  When the time came for her to return to work, she’d bought bigger sized suits. Her old ones were too snug now.

  In the months that had passed, she often looked at herself in the mirror to chronicle her changing body, and for a while, she was in complete denial about it. She kept every appointment and did exactly what the doctor asked of her, but she just couldn’t get over the fact she was pregnant.

  Before she went back to work, she and Tela enjoyed a wonderful dinner and later went to Nordstrom’s and picked her out some clothes. These would definitely hide her rounding belly. She twirled as she modeled in front of the mirror of the dressing room to exam how the navy blue, pin-striped suit fit her.

  She decided to keep the pregnancy a secret for as long as she could, to act as if things were okay, normal, especially at work. She just didn’t want to explain anything or hear all the water cooler talk about who the father may be.

  Calen was another issue altogether, one which she wasn’t ready to tackle.

  A couple of days ago, she received a text from Calen. He was on another mission, and she wouldn’t be able to contact him. She really didn’t know if she wanted to contact him.

  But deep down, really deep down, when she thought about what she was doing, when she fantasized about what they had in North Carolina, she wanted to call him, to tell him about their baby. But she was afraid.

  The months flew by. Even if she did tell him about the pregnancy, he wouldn’t believe the baby was his. She was sure of it. He would probably believe she was lying. That is how these things always end up, don’t they? It had been too long since contact was made between them.

  After all, they both went back to their own lives.

  She kept telling herself what she was doing was right.

  At the thought, Shayla instinctively put a protective hand on her belly. She felt a little sick even though she hadn’t suffered from morning sickness in a couple of weeks now. She took a few deep breaths and a drink of water before officially beginning her day.

  She called in her assistant, “Janice, can you bring me the itinerary, so we can go over it for the meeting at two today? I want to make sure everything is ready to go.”

  “I’m on my way,” Janice answered.

  “And can you hold my calls, too? I don’t want anything to disturb me.”

  A knock on her door signified Janice had arrived. “Here you go.” She handed the paperwork to Shayla. “And I held all your calls like you asked. You need anything else?”

  “No, I’m good. Thanks, Janice,” she said, already immersed in the task ahead of her.

  Before she knew it, an hour was eaten off the clock.

  She drew the blinds in her office, locked the door, and went back to her plush couch in the corner. She laid down on her left side because the doctor said it was good for the baby and took a quick nap.

  She startled awake by the shrill of her phone ringing. She fumbled for her phone, twisting and turning, finally realizing she was sitting on it. When she glanced at the screen, she saw Calen’s number again.

  She didn’t answer. She couldn’t talk to him right now.

  She had to focus for her meeting. This could be a launching pad for a huge bonus or even a promotion, so she didn’t want any kind of distraction.

  The meeting went off without a hitch. She was as efficient as ever, and everyone agreed with her numbers. The pats on the back and the, ‘great jobs,’ fluttered throughout the conference room at the conclusion.

  She had worked hard on this presentation and had just made herself and the company a lot of money, and she was greatly satisfied to know that.

  Now, this was her.

  She hadn’t been herself since she came back from vacation. This was what she lived for, the thrill of either making or losing hundreds of thousands, sometimes millions of dollars every day for her company.

  She walked back to her office with a huge smile on her face.

  “Janice, I’m going home early. Don’t stay here too long today.” She made her way to her office to grab up her things.

  She deserved much considering she did a good job.

  On her way out, she called Tela. “Hey, girl, you wanna meet for a late lunch?”

  “Someone sounds like she’s in a good mood.” Tela chuckled.

  “I am. We’re celebrating,” she said, still carrying a huge smile.

  “Sure, I’ll meet you. Where’re we going?”

  “Meet me at the Pearl in fifteen.” She said a quick goodbye and headed to the parking garage.

  In no time flat, she reached the restaurant. She and Tela loved the Pearl. It was their go-to spot when they wanted to have some time together and when they didn’t hang at Tela’s favorite restaurant P.F. Chang’s. One of her favorite things about the Pearl was the ambiance. Laidback and relaxing, it was never overcrowded, and they never overbooked. The lighting was dim; the small decorative lamps that covered each rounded mahogany table made you feel as if you were in your own little bubble without being too romantic.

  She switched the car off, even though one of her favorite songs played on the radio, and got out. She gazed at her reflection in the side of her car and smoothed her clothes. She was confident in what she envisioned. No one would be the wiser that she was frantic with worry and heart-broken.

  She entered the restaurant and found their usual table unoccupied and waited for her friend.

  As soon as she took her seat, the waitress came over to get her drink order. Shayla studied the menu. This was a special occasion, and she decided on sparkling water to live a little on the wild side while she waited for Tela.

  As soon as her water arrived, Shayla spotted Tela walking through the entrance to the restaurant.

  She gave a slight wave, but Tela was already on her way to their table.

  Tela took her seat across from her and motioned to the waitress to come over for her drink order. Tela ordered a Greyhound—vodka and grapefruit juice—with plenty of ice. Her go-to drink, although she did love Sangria every now and then.

  “So, why the urgency? Why the late lunch,” Tela asked.

  “I just wanted to celebrate, that’s all. No urgency,” she said. “My presentation was excellent. I realized I haven’t been myself in a few weeks, and ya girl,” she pointed to herself, “just made the company some serious dough. I felt like me today. The first time in a long time,” she said with a huge smirk on her face.

  “Well, of course, you’ve not been yourself, you’re pregnant, and the father doesn’t know,” Tela blurted out.

  Tela tended to do that a lot. She meant well but had absolutely no tact.

  “I’m sorry. I just meant you’ve got all kinds of hormones coursing through your veins, and as for you not telling the father, that’s your prerogative,” Tela said matter-of-factly. “I’m not surprised about the success. You always do excellent in the boardroom, why would you think it would be any different?”

  “I don’t know, maybe since I had this life growing in me, I would lose my edge, be a little more lenient. I took all that time off…” she let her words trail off as she tried to gather her words.

  The waitress approached the table with Tela’s Greyhound, then took both of th
e ladies’ orders.

  “I’ll have the creamy potato soup and a spinach salad,” Shayla said. “And can I get ricotta cheese, peaches, and dried cranberries on it instead of the regular?”

  “Sure.” The waitress wrote down her specifics. “And any dressing with that?”

  “Yes, French, please.” Shayla handed her the menu.

  The waitress turned to Tela. “And you, ma’am.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. I can’t make up my mind.” Tela mulled over the menu a little while longer. “Oh, just give me what she is having. It will be fine.” She handed her menu over. “And can you put them on the same ticket please?”

  Their orders arrived, and they ate in companionable silence, as Shayla let her situation melt away for a little while longer. It was nice to not be consumed with thoughts and images of Calen. To just rest her mind for a while seemed like pure bliss.

  She broke the silence. “Tela, I don’t believe I’m going to tell Calen about the baby. He called again right before I called you, but I didn’t answer it. I don’t think it would work. For one, we’re from different worlds. He’s military, and I’m corporate.” She sipped her water and relished the feel of it chasing her thirst away. “Just the other day, he sent me a text saying he was on a mission, and I wouldn’t be able to contact him. What kind of life is that? Not knowing where he is, whether or not he’s okay? I don’t think I could bring a child into this situation. I just wouldn’t be able to do that, Te.”

  Even to her own ears, she sounded defeated.

  To Tela’s credit, she didn’t interrupt. She let Shayla get everything off her chest, then spoke. “Okay, I won’t pretend to know what you’re going through, I’ve never been in your situation. And I don’t think I wanna be, either, but I’ll support your decision. You’re my best friend. What else would I do?” She shrugged. “I’m not going to try to convince you to tell Calen. You don’t need all the stress, but I will say this. Go with your heart and what it says to you.”

  She took in what Tela said. Surprised those words even fell from her best friend’s mouth. It was certainly unexpected coming from someone who swore off men so long ago. She knew she had a lot to mull over. They finished the rest of their lunch, and she drove home, contemplating what her best friend said.

  18

  Calen

  Calen tried to call Shayla as he and Bryce headed to the airport in Raleigh. He didn’t get an answer, and he didn’t leave a message.

  He was actually kind of tired of this cat-and-mouse game. He was ready to catch the mouse.

  He would call when they got to Denver International. He had taken this trip many times before. This time it was not for training, but he was definitely on a mission. He was going to the woman he loved to beg and plead her to forgive anything he did that would cause her not to want to speak to him.

  He reached into his wallet and pulled out the paper he had written her address on. He would get a rental, and he and Bryce would find a hotel and rest for an hour or two. Then, he would go to Shayla’s or call her.

  The flight didn’t last more than a couple of hours.

  They touched down at 1700. It was sort of a relief not to be in soldier mode and on high alert for once.

  Bryce was quiet on the flight, which was unlike him. Calen had caught him staring a couple of times with a concerned expression on his face, only to smile and glance out of the window to play it off.

  Everything Calen did up to this point was out of character for him. He knew it and could admit it. He usually had more control than this. It had Bryce worried because Calen never acted this way before, especially not over a woman.

  Calen assumed it was probably the real reason he had offered to come with him in the first place, to keep an eye on him, to make sure he did not lose it and do something stupid.

  While Calen had a rough past, he had way more control now than when they were younger and running the streets. Calen believed Shayla was special, or else he wouldn’t come all this way for her.

  Rental. Check.

  Hotel. Check.

  So far, everything went as planned. Bryce was able to get adjoining rooms and a full menu from the restaurant, which included the drink list as they checked into their rooms.

  Once settled, Calen told Bryce his plan. “I’m gonna call her and invite her here for dinner later tonight.”

  “Do you think she’ll come?” he asked as they both sat at the table in the room.

  Calen was pleasantly surprised at how spacious his room was. Not a five-star hotel, but he didn’t need all the elegance, not that it was a dump. To tell the truth, it was probably the fanciest room he had ever been in. The room was decked out with long, white, lace drapes and mahogany wood for the bed and table he and Bryce sat at. The bathroom door was ajar, and he could make out a walk-in shower and double sinks. Quite comfortable.

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope so.” He took in the room, rose from the table, and headed toward the door. “Meet me in an hour and a half for dinner. I need a shower to rinse off this jetlag, then I’m going to call Shayla again.”

  Bryce wished him good luck as he closed the door behind his friend.

  The water was refreshing to him. All his cares, the stress, and fears melted off and swirled down the drain like the water running off his body. His thoughts were of her. The graceful movement of her body as she walked, the way she fit perfectly into his arms, how she fit on top of him, and how he felt inside her.

  The familiar twinge started below, and his manhood stood at attention. He reached for the throbbing between his legs. Images of Shayla flashed through his mind, the moans of ecstasy she unleashed as they made love and how she tightened around him as she reached orgasm.

  He couldn’t take it anymore; it had been months since he’d been with her. He needed release, and he needed her.

  He worked himself until he was completely empty. All his thoughts focused on her until there was nothing left. He rested against the wall and let the images in his mind empty into the drain.

  After his shower, he tried her landline again. Why wouldn’t she answer? She can’t be that busy.

  When the voice mail picked up, he left a message. “Hey, it’s me again. I’m started to think you’re avoiding me. Anyway, I’m with Bryce, in Denver. I want to see you, call me back on my cell.”

  He hung up.

  So, now, it was up to her. He would wait for her to call him. He thought better of his plan, just dropping in on her like he did. He didn’t want to back her in a corner if by chance she really was avoiding him. He wanted to give her some space just as she had given him.

  Problem was, he didn’t think he had the patience to give her space.

  He met Bryce at the bar after he left his message. He always liked hanging out with Bryce. It was a comedy watching him try to pick up women. They constantly shot him down. He wasn’t an ugly guy or timid. They just didn’t want to waste the time. So confident, he didn’t take no for an answer; women just laughed at him though. Good thing Bryce had high self-esteem; otherwise, the poor guy would be depressed for life.

  They envisioned him more as a friend or a brother than a lover. The women he tried to pick up often described him as being real sweet. He would meet one every once in awhile who felt sorry for laughing at him the whole time he tried to get to know him.

  And, of course, Bryce used it to his advantage, and once they gave him that in, they fell head-over-heels for him. He would play the role for a couple of months, then move on. Bryce really embodied what most women hated. The love ‘em and leave ‘em kind.

  “Hey, so, how’d it go? Is she coming or what,” Bryce asked as they perused over the menus the waitress handed them as they sat down.

  “I don’t know. She didn’t answer. I decided to just let her make the next move. I let her know I was here, and when she’s ready, hopefully, she’ll call me.” He really hoped she’d call.

  “Yeah, I agree with that approach man. Wait on her,” he agreed.


  They quickly ordered their food and drinks. As their meals arrived, Calen’s cell phone rang.

  It was Shayla.

  SHAYLA

  As Shayla came down the stairs, the voicemail picked up. She decided not to bother. She would call whoever back later.

  She gasped when she overheard his voice.

  It was the same voice that melted her insides when he whispered in her ear while they made love. The same voice that sent a shiver down her spine with its bass. It was Calen.

  She listened as his voice came over the machine. Again? God, when will he give up? Then her breath caught in her throat. He was where? No, no, I heard him wrong. He couldn’t have said Denver. Can’t be. I must’ve heard him wrong.

  She rushed over to the machine and replayed the message again, panic rising into her chest. This time, she didn’t move. She held her breath for a minute, listening intently, not wanting to miss anything.

  Her heart sank to the floor when she had replayed the message. He was here, searching for her. Why else would he be in Denver? Now, she wished she hadn’t given him all her contact information.

  Shayla put her hand on her belly.

  Even though she was not showing that much, it was still obvious she was pregnant. Her belly was more pronounced, and it had a distinct hard, round look to it. There was no way she could hide it from him, but she was still going to try.

  She called Tela in a panic. “Come on, come on. Pick up.”

  Tela answered the phone on the third ring, she sounded out of breath. Shayla wasn’t even going to entertain why she would be out of breath.