by Ashlee Price
Marcel grabbed her bag and started out of the room with a frown on his face. She wasn’t ready yet and he couldn’t get over that disappointment. He cursed Elna for putting the hurriedness into him. Marcel hadn’t worried about women and marriage before, but now it was all he could think about. Maybe he was just projecting and the feelings he felt were just him trying to feel something.
As soon as he thought it though, his mind rejected the idea. Davina was someone special and maybe he just had to learn to be patient.
Chapter 7
“Davina, I just want to talk to you.”
She played with her hair, the side effect of her nervousness. She was always nervous when it came to Donnie and now that they were split up and hadn’t talked in weeks, it was strange that he was calling then. Davina had always suspected that men like him had a radar. It was like he somehow knew that she had moved on and he was there to spoil it and make her wonder if there was a chance for them.
“What is there to talk about Donnie? I think everything or enough was said before.”
“I miss you.”
Davina closed her eyes and sighed. She missed him to, until she had met Marcel and he had made her almost completely forget about him and the very reason they weren’t together anymore. “I just got in from the weekend and I am tired. I just want to have a glass of wine and relax before work tomorrow.
“Well how about we go out for lunch tomorrow? That is unless you want to get together tonight.”
She shook her head to an empty room, more to herself to solidify her no. Her body was jacked up with need because of the closeness with Marcel. It was tempting to have him come over, love her and take her like she needed. But it wasn’t Marcel and would not be what she truly wanted. She didn’t truly want Donnie anymore. She was over him and that very fact told her that he had never been the one to begin with.
“I will see you for lunch. Where do you want to meet?”
“Anywhere. How about Tony’s?”
It was there place naturally, the place they had had their first date, as well as the couple of anniversaries after that. Of course he would pick that place, she thought to herself. Of course he would want to flaunt all of their memories and feelings, making it hard for her to forget him.
“Tony’s is fine Donnie. But I just want you to know, this is not going to work.”
“What? I am just trying to talk. We used to be best friends and I just miss you.”
Davina agreed to meet him and when she hung up the phone, there was a moment of question as to why he was really calling. She assumed that he had just broken up with his girlfriend and was feeling lonely. Davina knew if he had come over then, they both would have regretted what happened. She would have anyways and even though her body screamed at her for saying no, Davina went to sleep fairly easy.
***
“I was wondering if you wanted to go get a sandwich for lunch.”
Davina looked up from the papers she was looking at on her desk, contracts for a new deal that Elna had started before her heart issue. She had been watching the clock all day and every couple of minutes since ten. While the offer was one that she should have expected, Davina hadn’t thought of what she would say to Marcel. She didn’t want him thinking that she was back with Donnie, though when she thought about it, from an outside perspective she would wonder what she was going to meet him for, if not to get back together.
So instead, she stuttered through a lie that she had plans with an old college friend. Marcel didn’t believe her, she could see by the way he looked at her for a moment, but like the gentleman that he was, he didn’t call her out on it. Instead he just nodded his head, “Maybe tomorrow then.”
Davina watched the back of him and her heart slumped. She didn’t like having to lie to him and it was the last thing that she had wanted to do. “Yes, I would love to tomorrow Marcel. And I wanted to thank you again for this weekend. I had a really good time and I hope that we will get to do it again soon.”
He turned back and smiled, but there was something else in his eyes that she hadn’t seen before. Something akin to disappointment and she almost stopped him to tell him the truth, but it was already too late. If she said anything then, he would think she was just a liar or that there was more going on then there was.
She left for lunch at exactly twelve o clock and she fought the urge to look towards Marcel’s office. It was strange them not going together, especially since they had went every day since he had come in to take Elna’s place. While she missed her friend and mentor, Davina was getting used to having Marcel around and she didn’t even want to think about how much of a bummer it was going to be when he was gone. But to lie to him in the little bit of time that they had together, and for Donnie, Davina wished that she hadn’t agreed to the date.
But she went as she promised and met him at the small Italian place on the other side of town. There was bread on the table, as well as wine. He knew hew weakness, carbs and alcohol and she made mention to that. “I will use whatever I have to Davina. I told you that I missed you and I meant it. You know that I haven’t dated anyone since we split up. I took the time to really think about everything.”
When he stopped she waited, only half hearing him as she took a drink of wine. She was more concerned with the guilt of being there, feeling like she was somehow betraying Marcel. “So what conclusion did you come to Donnie?”
“That I messed up and I am sorry if I felt like you were pressuring me. I am ready if you are because I would rather be pushed into something that I didn’t want to do with you, than to be with anyone else. I can’t even think about it.”
She stopped and set the glass down. It was not what she had expected, but even in true fashion, he was doing it wrong. He couldn’t even ask her back the right way. “Did you hear what you just said? You would rather be pushed into something that you didn’t want to do. Am I to take it you are talking about marriage?”
“Yes, I will marry you if that is what you want. I will do anything if that is what it takes for you to come back to me, then so be it.”
“So be it, huh? Wow, how could I say no to such an offer?”
“It wasn’t meant to be a bad thing.”
“I know and to you it isn’t. That just makes it even clearer that it will never work. How can it when the very idea of getting married is some worst case scenario for you? I don’t want to be some one’s worst case scenario.”
“You’re not. I swear you are taking this the wrong way. I have really thought about what you said and you are right, it is time to take it to the next level. This is what I meant. I just can’t seem to get it out right. You know how I feel about marriage? This is a big step Davina.”
It was. He was terrified of marriage as most women were afraid of spiders. At first, she had taken it as a challenge, sure that if their love was strong enough, he would change his mind and want to. But as the years had went by, that just simply wasn’t the case and she was left wishing that she had chosen someone else. Now she had a chance and she wanted to take that chance with Marcel. Davina wasn’t even sure that he wanted her in that way, but it was worth the risk for her. She wanted him more than she wanted to try again with Donnie. It had stopped working and ended for a reason. It was silly of her to think that it would be different.
“I know it is a big thing for you Donnie, but you are missing the point. I want someone who wants to marry me. He will ask and I won’t even have to say anything because he will want to. I love you and I always will, but I am not in love with you anymore.” Davina could hear the conviction in her voice and so could Donnie.
He pushed his thick hand through his blonde hair, wishing that he hadn’t waited so long to go to her. “Is there someone else?”
She paused, not sure how to answer. Davina didn’t know what was going on between her and Marcel, but she wanted to find out. Did that count?
“No, not really. I just can’t go back to this, to us. You broke up with me and if you would have
come to me a week or a couple of days after it happened, I would have taken you back, but not now. You will find the one you are supposed to be with and when you do, you will want to marry her. I am sure not the one.”
She failed to mention that he was no longer the one for her, trying to make it an easier pill to swallow. There was something that she had always loved about Donnie, but she knew now that there was more and Davina wanted more. How could she not?
Davina put him down as easily as she could and when they left, he wasn’t happy, but he wasn’t really that upset either. He knew that he had waited too long and Donnie would have to deal with the what-ifs. Davina was moving on.
“Can I have one last kiss, for old times?”
She nodded that he could. Closing her eyes, she leaned in slowly and felt his lips touch her. It was a goodbye kiss, but still intimate. Everything had always been intimate with Donnie. What she didn’t expect was for him to be yanked back and away from her.
Chapter 8
“Stop Marcel, what are you doing?”
Marcel had followed her and he wasn’t proud of the fact, but he knew that something was wrong, something was off with Davina. He just hadn’t expected to find her in the arms of another man. He hadn’t thought, just acted when he had seen them locking lips. An anger had gone over him and he felt like he was too late. While trying to give her time to get used to the idea of them being together, someone else had come in and swooped her up. That was what angered him so. That someone else got to touch her and it wasn’t him.
“Marcel, stop it!”
Marcel hit the man when Donnie got his footing and the two men were fighting in front of her. She grabbed Marcel and he stopped suddenly, realizing what he was doing. Donnie sucker punched him while Davina had him sidetracked. It was a mess and Davina just stared up at him with those blue eyes and he hurt inside.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m sorry, I…I don’t know what I was thinking.”
And with that, Marcel walked away from the two on the sidewalk. People seeing what had happened stared at him as he walked away. His pressed white shirt had speckles of red and blood coming out of the corner of his mouth. What the hell had he been doing? Marcel couldn’t answer that.
***
Marcel went back to work because he had nothing else to do. He didn’t expect Davina to come back in and she didn’t. He was left to deal with the phones and the scheduling and he really needed her. He wanted badly to tell her that he was sorry and he had lost his head. He was jealous and stupid, but she never came back to hear it. Through it all, he still wondered who the blonde-headed man was and why he had been kissing her. Had Davina so quickly forgotten him and if she had, Marcel knew it was because he had not given her more to remember.
Finally at the end of the day, he called Davina on the cellphone number that she had given him his first day. He had never used it before and she was not answering when he called. The phone went right to voicemail and he was left in his own self-loathing for being so stupid. How could he think that she would say anything to him after what he had done?
He left a message anyways, telling her he was sorry and trying to explain himself in the minute of time before the beep came. He hung up feeling slightly sick to his stomach and wishing more than anything that he had never went there, never followed her. It hadn’t mattered that she was seeing someone else. As much as it hurt, they weren’t even dating and he had no right. It didn’t change the way he felt inside, but he knew that it had to.
When Davina called off the next day, Marcel knew that something had to be done, said, to make things right between them. He was embarrassed, but had long since pushed past his pride. It was his fault and he had to fix it. Marcel tried to call her again, but it was becoming clear that he wasn’t going to get ahold of her in that way. The only saving grace there was, was no call from Elna, yet.
He knew where she lived from before and Marcel took the rest of the day off and canceled all of his meetings. Going down there with flowers seemed clichéd and he paused behind the driver seat, trying to figure out what he could do to make it known that he was sorry. Davina didn’t take him for someone that would be happy with gifts. The best thing he could do was just be honest with her and hope that he hadn’t messed it up with her permanently. They were meant to be together, he was sure of it, so it would all have to work out.
Marcel pulled up in front of her apartment and shook inside slightly. Everything that he had done could be erased with a say so from her, but he wondered if she would give him reprieve or be mad. He was leaning towards anger and almost didn’t get out of the car. He had to though. Sitting there was not okay, so he got out.
Pushing the buzzer, he was not expected and he heard her asking who it was. Marcel melted inside from the sound of her voice. “This is Marcel, we need to talk.”
Another stretch of silence that was seconds, but felt like an eternity. “I will come down there.”
“Do you really want to do this on your front porch?” He was afraid that he wouldn’t get the time to plead his case on the sidewalk, though he would if he had to.
“I don’t know if you are going to lose it again. You are kind of scary when you get mad.”
“Is he there?” He hadn’t thought that he would be there and if he was, maybe it was best that he didn’t go up. Marcel shouldn’t have asked though, not wanting to hear that he was. If that man was in her apartment, he would know that he had no chance.
“No, but what if he was?”
He sighed and leaned his head against the wall and the silver speaker. “Look, I am sorry. I just want to talk to you. We can do it wherever you want.” Marcel was giving up, already feeling defeated and unlike before when he would break up with someone, it seemed worse with her. They weren’t even dating, but the hole missing was already too vast to ever fill back up.
When he heard the buzzer, he gave himself a moment to feel hope run through him. Opening the door, he went up the stairs and found the door partially open like before. When he called her name, she was already in the adjoining room in the kitchen.
“Come in Marcel. From all your calls, it doesn’t look like you are going to take my avoidance any longer, so here I am.”
“You didn’t come into work today.”
“I figured I wouldn’t have a job and I wasn’t sure if I want one with you as my boss.”
He closed his eyes. This was not going to be easy. “I am sorry I lost it. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“We aren’t even together and you followed me and then attacked my ex-boyfriend. We were having lunch, that’s all.”
Marcel liked the sound of it being her ex, but she was still angry. “I just saw him kiss you and I just got jealous. I assure you that it has never happened before. I have never cared so much before and the idea of losing you was too much.”
“Lose me? Marcel, you never had me. All weekend I waited for some kind of sign, but nothing. Always the gentleman. It could have been you kissing me, but you never did. Then you go crazy and start punching Donnie? You make no sense.”
She was working herself up, breathing hard and he moved towards her. Davina looked up at him as he grabbed her arms. “What are you doing?”
“What I’ve wanted to do since I first met you.”
His lips came crashing down on hers after his words and it took her body only a moment to catch up with him. It was madness, he was madness, but it was contagious and catching. Her lips moved with his, opening up for his tongue, moaning softly against him as he touched her. Breaking free from his grip, her arms wound around his neck, pulling him down to her.
Marcel groaned and pressed her against him with hands on her hips. It was what they both wanted and the way she whimpered below him almost made him go crazy. He pulled away, needing to say more before he lost control, wanting nothing more than to take her as he wanted to. He opened his eyes, catching her blue depths looking back up at him. “Was that all you wanted to do?”
She was challenging him and her eyes were devious. “No, but if I start, I am not going to be able to stop.” He pushed her back another couple of feet while he undid her arms from his neck.
Davina was pouting and fixing her shirt that had pulled back from his frenzied hands. “You seem to lose control a lot Marcel. That can’t be good.”
“Depends on in what way. You are the one that makes me feel so unhinged.”
She looked down, not able to keep the intense gaze. Davina had wanted his desires and for Marcel to tell her what he wanted from her, but the reality was harder to swallow. When he looked at her in such a way, it wasn’t hard to see the hunger. “Well, sorry about that.”
“Are you?”
Davina shook her head that she wasn’t. How could she be? When it was all she wanted since their weekend together. She took the few steps between them and looked up at him, linking her arms around his neck. “You shouldn’t be either. Now kiss me again.”
He gave in to her demands, pulling her towards him and against his hard chest. It was just as well, words not being adequate to express himself fully anyways. When he finally pulled away again, Davina’s eyes stayed closed and her grip stayed tight. “Do you want to go to the bedroom?”
He was already moving in that direction, dying to have her. There was so much to be said, but he couldn’t think, let along speak and he followed her back to her bedroom. Pushing her down on the bed almost as soon as he moved into the room, her body yielded underneath him, her thighs opening to let him settle in against her.
Chapter 9
Davina’s eyes were closed, her mouth moaning, as Marcel rubbed and suckled her as he revealed her nakedness. With every piece of clothing pulled off with his hands, he traced and nipped with his lips and teeth. Davina’s body shook as he toyed with her, moving down her stomach slowly and then bypassing her greatest need and last piece of clothing to move down the inside of her thigh. Her hands pushed into his dark hair, tugging him back up, but he just chuckled and continued his slow descent away from her scalding hot center.
