After ordering their dinner they made their way upstairs. She wanted to take a bath and relax before the food arrived.
Paul told her to sit while he ran her bath for her. Once it was ready, he lifted her and placed her in the bathtub. He noticed that she was a little heavier than before but did not say anything to her.
While she took her bath, he put in a new CD by Charlie Wilson. While the music played he took a shower. When his favorite song, You Are, came on he started singing. Camille couldn’t believe how wonderful he sounded.
“Butterflies is what I feel inside
and every time is like my first time.”
As Camille listened to Paul sing, she tried to hold back her tears. She could tell by the way he sung the song that he was thinking of her.
When he stepped out of the shower he put on a robe and went over to the bath where she was, singing the song to her. Camille began to cry. As tears flowed down her face, he gently wiped them and continued singing.
When he finished singing he kissed her and then went into the bedroom to get dressed. Soon after there was a knock on the door; their food had arrived. After the food was set up on the dining table he went upstairs to check on her.
She was getting out of the tub as he entered into the bathroom. He noticed her little stomach bulge and wondered if she was pregnant. He wanted to ask but opted to wait.
Once she dried off and dressed they went downstairs to eat. She ordered a New York Strip with a baked potato and green beans. He ordered a New York Strip with rice and green beans. He also ordered a bottle of red wine.
She was hoping the smell of the food wouldn’t make her nauseated.
“How is your steak? Is it cooked how you like it?” he asked.
“It’s delicious and cooked perfectly. How is yours?”
“It’s good—cooked to perfection. Would you like a glass of wine?” he offered.
“No, thank you. I think I’ll just have water. I’m not in the mood for wine tonight. So what do you want to do after dinner? We could perhaps order a movie,” she suggested.
“Ordering a movie is fine with me. Now I’ll guess the type of movies you like. I think you like love stories and dramas,” he said while laughing.
She teased back, “Well, at least you guessed what I like to eat correctly. One out of two isn’t bad. I actually like action, science fiction, horror, and a good mystery. I’m not like most women.”
“Okay, you got me. I would have never guessed that about you. I bet you like sports, too,” he said.
“As a matter of fact, I do. My favorite is baseball followed by football and occasionally basketball.”
“Where have you been all my life? A woman who actually likes sports, especially baseball and football? Most women hate baseball. See, I knew we were compatible,” he said, smiling as he leaned over to kiss her.
Camille suddenly started feeling sick. She didn’t want it to be obvious so she pretended she had to use the bathroom and excused herself.
When she returned she said she was finished eating and would finish the rest later. They went over to the sofa to pick a movie to order. After ten minutes of scrolling through the channels, they agreed there was nothing appealing, so decided to sit and enjoy their view while talking.
“So Camille, is your family from Chicago? Do they still live here?” he asked.
“My family is from the south. My father died when I was seven years old and my mother passed away when I was sixteen. I moved to Chicago to live with an aunt until I was seventeen.
“I don’t have any brothers or sisters. I’ve been on my own since then. I put myself through college and I have a master’s degree in fashion merchandise and design,” she explained with pride.
“Wow, baby—that’s great. I’m proud of you and I’m sure your parents would have been, too,” he kissed her on the forehead.
“How were you able to pay for college? Did you live on campus?”
“Thank you, baby. I worked full-time in the afternoons. Sometimes I worked overtime in order to pay my rent and other bills. I had my first apartment at the age of nineteen. While my friends were living in the dormitory having fun, I was busy at work trying to make ends meet.
“I missed a lot of fraternity and sorority parties but it was worth it in the long run. I take pride in knowing that no one handed me my degree and that I pushed myself through a lot of challenges to get to where I am,” she proudly retorted.
“All I can say is you are a remarkable lady. You really have a lot to be proud of, baby,” he reached out and gave her another kiss.
“What about your family? Where are you from?” she asked.
“Like you, my family is from the south. I’m from Georgia. My parents have been married for forty-five years. I have an older brother and no sisters. My brother is a professor in Atlanta. He is married and has three children.
“I moved to Los Angeles after college. A friend and I started out with one store together. I eventually bought him out and opened up a few additional stores in neighboring cities.
“On a whim I decided to open a store in Chicago and when it did well I started three more stores,” said Paul.
“I think it’s beautiful that your parents have been married for that long. That’s the kind of love I want; the kind that will last. So, how do your parents feel about you still being single? I’m sure they have said something to you about it,” she said curiously.
“They often ask when I plan on getting married. My family is very close. They worry that I’m working too hard and missing out on the important things in life such as family, love, and commitment. I must confess I did mention you to them,” he said.
“Really! What did you tell them?” she asked, surprised.
“Relax, baby. I only told them that I’ve been dating a beautiful woman who lives in Chicago. They were just happy to hear that I have someone in my life,” he said.
“I am so glad we’re taking time to get to know each other. I feel much closer to you now that we’re sharing who we are,” Camille said.
“I agree; I feel much closer to you,” he said as he reached over and kissed her passionately on the lips.
“Paul, I think it’s time to take this conversation upstairs,” she said, taking his hand and heading towards the spiral staircase.
“Okay baby, anything you say,” he quickly followed her up the stairs.
Camille and Paul made slow, deliberate love to each other. She reveled in their closeness and just when she thought there was nothing he could do to compare to the last evening they spent together in Los Angeles, he proved her wrong.
Making love to him was so familiar and so comfortable. She now found herself in love with him and knew she was in trouble.
As they were sleeping in each other’s arms, Camille felt her nausea return. She quickly ran to the bathroom and started regurgitating. She tried not to wake Paul but he heard her and immediately entered the bathroom to check on her.
Concern apparent on his face, he handed her a wet washcloth, “Hey baby—is everything okay? What’s going on?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I think that steak isn’t agreeing with me,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t ask more questions.
Paul considered all the clues of the evening and knew she was pregnant. He wanted to ask her but figured there was a reason she was keeping it a secret. He was afraid if he asked he wouldn’t like her answer, so opted not to say anything.
He started wondering if there was a possibility that he was the father. If only I knew how many months along she is, he thought.
“Are you finished? Is there anything you need or anything I can do for you?”
“Yes, I think I’m finished. I’ll be fine. I haven’t been feeling myself lately. I think I’m coming down with something,” she said, clutching her stomach.
“You don’t feel hot,” he put his hand over her forehead.
“That’s good,” she replied. “The last thing I need is to get the flu,” she added, kn
owing the real reason why she was sick.
Paul gently helped her back into bed, “Come on baby, let’s get you tucked in. I’ll get you some water or do you want some ginger ale? I’ll go downstairs and see what’s in the hotel refrigerator.”
When he returned upstairs he had a glass of ginger ale and a glass of water. “I wasn’t sure which one you wanted so I brought them both upstairs. Here, try the ginger ale first,” he said as he offered her the glass.
She smiled weakly at him, “Thank you so much. Here you are again, being wonderful. You know how to take care of a lady.”
“You’re welcome, baby. I told you I’ll do anything for you,” he said as he put the glass on the nightstand.
“I feel much better. Maybe it was just the steak not agreeing with me that made me sick,” she said, hoping he would believe her.
“Well I guess we’ll eat out tomorrow night,” he said jokingly.
“You’re so silly. That’s why I love you,” she said while laughing.
“Wait a minute,” Paul held up his hand in surprise, “Did you say that you love me?”
“Yes. I did say that and I mean it. I love you, but...” she said before he stopped her.
“Please don’t finish that sentence. Let me enjoy the fact that you love me. I’ve been hoping that one day you would come to feel this way,” he said as he put his finger over her lips, trying to prevent her from speaking.
“Okay—I won’t finish that sentence. I just want to enjoy us this weekend. I am so happy when I’m with you and I hope you feel the same way about me,” she said after removing his hand from her lips.
“Don’t play, Camille. You know how I feel about you. You know I love you,” said Paul.
“I know. I just like hearing you say it,” she said as she took off her robe, revealing her nakedness.
They made love again. This time was a little different for him because she had finally said she loved him. As he made love to her he couldn’t help but stare at her. For a brief moment he felt as if she belonged to only him.
While Camille was with Paul, Jake was at home wondering why she hadn’t answered nor returned any of his calls. At first he thought she was working late but when 9:00 p.m. came around he knew that was not the case. Camille never worked that late.
I remember that she said they were busy getting things ready for the Christmas holiday, but surely she would have called to let me know she was running late.
If she doesn’t call me by 9:30, I’m going over to her apartment. Oh shit. What if Candace told her that she and I have been sleeping together? That would explain why she hasn’t answered any of my calls.
I better not go over there. Candace may be there talking to Camille right now. I don’t want to walk into that shit, he thought to himself.
He didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t call Ken to get his opinion because he had never told Ken about Candace or swinging. He knew he would probably have to explain how he and Candace started sleeping together and didn’t want to reveal the entire story.
He thought about going out with another woman but wasn’t in the mood. He was too busy wondering if Camille and Candace were together talking about him. He called Ken anyway to see if he wanted to get a drink. He decided that he would not mention Candace.
It was around 9:30 when he and Ken met for a drink at their favorite bar. Ken could tell that something was bothering Jake because he did very little talking. Normally when they met, Jake would immediately start talking about his various female friends and the exciting evenings they had.
“All right man, what’s going on? I can’t remember the last time you were this quiet. Nor can I remember the last Friday night when you and I had a drink together. Why is it that you’re not with Camille or one of your lady friends?” he asked out of curiosity.
“Nothing is going on. What’s wrong with me wanting to hang with my boy? Besides, I think Camille is with her friend Candace,” Jake said before taking a drink.
“Okay, man. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s cool. How is Camille anyway? Do you still think she’s pregnant?”
“She’s good. She hasn’t said anything to me about a baby. I guess I was just paranoid. I’m sure if she’s pregnant she would be overly excited to tell me hoping we would elope or something,” he said before ordering another drink.
Ken finished his beer as he thought about Jake’s comment. “Wow. You sound as if you still think she would try to get pregnant to trick you into marrying her. I keep telling you I don’t think she’s the type, but you know her better than I.”
“It’s not that I think she would necessary get pregnant on purpose. All I’m saying is if she is pregnant she wouldn’t hesitate to tell me so we could speed things up and get married right away,” he said with a solemn look on his face.
“You seem to know her pretty well. I will say this—she has to be in love or crazy to put up with you and your mess,” said Ken while laughing.
Jake boasted, “I know Camille better than anyone. I can handle her. She’s not going anywhere; I can guarantee that. She loves me and no other man can ever come between what we have.”
“That’s good, man,” Ken said, shaking his head.
“How are you and Monica doing? I take it you haven’t spoken to her about Susan yet?” Jake asked.
“We’re doing well and no—I haven’t told her about Susan,” Ken said.
“When do you plan on telling her? I told you Susan has been tripping lately, especially since you went on vacation and didn’t tell her. I don’t know why you haven’t put her in check yet.
“If one of my ladies would try to go crazy on me and threaten to tell Camille, I would stop her ass real fast,” he said, anxiously checking his cell to see if she had called.
“I don’t know if I’ll tell her. I’m trying to get Susan under control. I’m still surprised that she told you we were seeing each other after I told her not to tell anyone,” said Ken.
“Well, be careful, man. That lady is crazy as hell. I’m still tripping that she’s blackmailing you to sleep with her. That alone tells you how nutty she is. I hope you wear a condom with her because you don’t want to get her pregnant. She’ll never go away and she damn sure won’t have an abortion,” he said, trying not to laugh.
“I know, man. She did a ninety-degree turn on me. She’s not the person she was in the beginning. I don’t know why I believed her bullshit in the first place.
“I know one thing: This blackmail shit is going to stop. I can’t stand being near her and I hate having sex with her,” Ken said while ordering another beer.
“Dude, she did a hundred-and-eighty-degree turn and you know why you believed her bullshit. You believed it because you wanted to sleep with her. She’s sexy as hell. You didn’t know that she was going to turn into a psycho,” Jake laughed.
Ken couldn’t help but laugh as well, “I know,” he said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
“I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that type of drama. Listen, the next time you decide to cheat on Monica, make sure you never get too comfortable with the other woman.
“See, the problem you had with Susan is you got too close to her. You became her friend and established a relationship with her.
“The only woman I have a relationship with is Camille. The other women are there for one thing and that is sex and they know that. I only sleep with women who are either married or involved with someone else.
“That way they get the emotional support they need from someone else and don’t look to me to give it to them,” said Jake, trying to sound philosophical.
“Oh, is that right? So all of your other women are married or have a man? I think you’ve had too much to drink. You’re getting all deep on me,” Ken replied, still laughing.
“I’m not drunk. What I’m saying is true. Well, I am a little drunk, but nothing I can’t handle. You see, some women cheat just like we do, especially if their man ignores them or is too busy for them. Tha
t leaves room for me to step in. All they want is sex and so do I.
“Now I’m not saying all women are like this; that’s why I said some. Women like Monica and Camille will never cheat because they love us and we have them under control, so to speak.
“In your case Monica is too busy with Marci and being a mother so she doesn’t have time to cheat and is probably happy with your marriage.
“And Camille is too much into me to cheat. Besides, no other man can take care of her in the bedroom like I do,” Jake said, trying to order another drink.
“I don’t think you need any more to drink. You’re a little toasted and need to drive home. It’s getting late and I need to leave. Come on man, let’s go. Are you able to drive?” asked Ken as he paid the bar tab.
“I think you’re right. I’m good—I can drive,” Jake put on his coat.
It was 11:30 p.m. when they left the bar. Ken went home as planned. When Jake saw the time, he decided to go over to Camille’s place. He figured if Candace were there earlier, she would’ve left by now.
It took him twenty minutes to get to Camille’s apartment. He was a little nervous because he didn’t know what to expect. He thought it best to knock before using his keys. After knocking for a few minutes with no answer, he let himself in.
He tried to be quiet in case she was asleep. He could hear the television in the bedroom and thought she was either watching television or fell asleep with it on.
He tiptoed into her bedroom and was shocked to see the empty bed. Where the hell is she? he thought.
He tried calling her cellular phone again but it went straight to voicemail. He started to get worried. Maybe something happened to her. No, I’m sure if something were wrong she would’ve called me. Maybe she’s still at work or maybe she and Candace have gone out and she forgot to tell me, he thought.
He thought about waiting at her place until she returned home but opted not to, especially if she and Candace were together. He couldn’t believe that she stood him up. Still shaking his head in disbelief, he drove home and went to bed.
Simply Complicated Page 17
