Читать книгу What Lies Between Lovers - Sophia Shaw - Страница 11

Monique had been playing organized basketball since junior high school and spent three years in college back in Michigan playing with the best and toughest girls in the country. She was accustomed to the bumps and bangs that came along with the sport and had been fortunate to avoid any serious injuries.

Despite how dramatic her fall had looked on Wednesday, there was very little harm done. The next day, her shoulder was uncomfortably stiff, with a sore spot that was tender to the touch. By Saturday, only a dark bruise was left on her upper arm.

Monique woke up that morning around eight o’clock as usual but lay snuggled under her comforter for several minutes, letting her mind wander over the plans for the day. For the first time in weeks, she had a date. Unfortunately, it was a blind date arranged by her girlfriend Cara, and one that did not come with the best endorsement. “Very sweet” was the strongest term that Cara had used to describe her coworker Colin Grant. Of course, Monique had flat-out refused at first, but then had to listen to a long lecture on how she needed to open up to new opportunities and possibilities. Finally, she agreed to the date just to shut Cara up.

According to her friend, Colin wanted to take her to dinner, but Monique wasn’t going to be available until at least seven o’clock that evening. She had already promised to help Gary paint his house. In the end, Cara arranged for Monique to meet Colin for drinks at a lounge downtown at 8:00 PM.

Monique finally rolled out of bed about thirty minutes later. Gary wasn’t expecting her at his house until around eleven o’clock, so she still had a couple of hours. She washed her face and brushed her teeth, then headed out the door for a walk, wearing cotton track pants and a windbreaker.

She lived in the Mission Bay area, an oceanfront community in the north end of San Diego. She was lucky enough to own a small bungalow less than a block from the beach. Unfortunately, Monique had purchased the house under the impression that Donald would move in with her once his separation was official. That never happened, and now she was stuck with a mortgage much higher than she was comfortable with. But, it was a nice house in a wonderful part of town, so she tried to make the best of it.

There had been several times in the last few months where Monique seriously considered selling the house because of the failure it represented, but the minute she hit the beach for one of her regular walks, she knew she could not do it. She had grown up in a Detroit suburb and had not even seen the ocean before moving to the West coast five years ago. Knowing she owned a piece of the California dream made her giddy with pleasure, regardless of how and why it happened.

Monique’s walk took about forty-five minutes as she strolled along the boardwalk, then doubled back in the sand. Though it was only nine-thirty in the morning, there were lots of people around, mostly surfers and permanent residents enjoying the beach before the tourists descended. The coastal weather in late October was fairly cool, but that did not stop natives and visitors from enjoying the endless sunshine.

Once back home, Monique quickly jumped into the shower. She then pulled on track pants and an oversized T-shirt, old and worn, appropriate for a day of messy painting. Her shoulder-length hair was pulled into a casual ponytail. She was all set to leave her bedroom but then stopped to look at herself in the large dressing mirror on the wall.

The image reflected there was of an athletic woman, slightly taller than average, with a slender frame now hidden behind baggy sweats. It was a picture that Monique used to be comfortable with, maybe even one she sometimes hid behind. But now, she just looked sloppy and unkempt, like a girl who was afraid to show her beauty and femininity.

She let out a deep sigh. Her relationship with Donald had helped her see that.

They had met at work about four years ago, at least six months before they had started seeing each other. Monique had been very new at Sector Asset and it was her second job after her MBA. She was working in the sales department as an analyst, and Donald Sanderson was one of their new clients.

That summer, they spent quite a bit of time together but mostly in the work environment. There were a couple of group dinners where they had the opportunity to talk on a more personal level, but that was all. At the time, Monique found him interesting and attractive, but he was older and married, so she had not thought about it beyond that. Now, looking back with more experienced eyes, she could see that Donald had been flirting with her and checking out her interest in him from the beginning.

He had taken another job sometime in the fall, but they met again at a party in January of the following year. Monique and a few of her work colleagues were out celebrating a big win at a bar near the office. She had not noticed Donald among the Friday evening crowd, but he made a point of approaching her as she got ready to leave the bar. They chatted only for a few minutes, but long enough for him to confirm that she was still with Sector Asset. On Monday morning, there was an e-mail from him suggesting they get together for drinks.

Monique often wondered what it was about Donald that caused her to respond to his advances. Flattery? Curiosity? He had been thirty-nine years old at the time, fairly average-looking but very polished and well-dressed. He was also fourteen years older than Monique and refreshingly mature and sophisticated.

Of course, there was his charm and persuasiveness, then his incredible ability to lie and manipulate so convincingly. Those were the qualities that got her to stay in a destructive relationship with a married man long after the explanations about a separation and impending divorce could be still be believable.

Monique sighed deeply again while still inspecting her reflection. There was no viable alternative for her hair other than the practical ponytail, but she changed out of the dingy sweats into figure-hugging jeans and a pretty white cotton shirt with short, capped sleeves and tailored pleats over the stomach. She then threw the large T-shirt and track pants into a duffle bag along with a few toiletry items, and headed out the door.

Gary lived about fifteen minutes away in a low, ranch-style house on a quiet cul-de-sac. Monique pulled into the empty driveway and paused for a few seconds before shutting off her car. It was several minutes after eleven o’clock, but there was no sign of Gary or his dark blue Lincoln. She pulled out her cell phone to check for any missed calls, but there weren’t any. Where could he be?

Monique was about to dial his cell phone number when a sharp knock on her car window caused her to jump. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she looked up to find Tao Samuels bent low looking back at her. His face was flushed and his skin was damp with sweat. It took her a few seconds to realize that he was trying to talk to her, and she finally lowered the driver-side window.

“Have you been waiting long?” asked Tao.

“No, I just got here,” Monique explained. “Where’s Gary?”

“At the hardware store, I think. But he should be back soon,” he explained as he stepped back and opened her door. “He needed new brushes and a few other things.”

Monique grabbed her duffle bag, then stepped out of the car. Tao was already walking up the driveway, so she followed him. As she approached his back, she could see that his black nylon shirt was dripping with sweat and sticking to his back. It was obvious that he had been out running.

She followed him into the house and closed the door behind her. Standing in the entranceway, she continued to watch Tao’s back as he walked down the hall leading to the bedrooms, casually pulling off his wet top along the way. His broad shoulders tapered down to narrow hips and hard, square glutes that were barely concealed beneath the low waistband of his loose shorts.

“There’s some fresh coffee in the kitchen,”

Tao had turned suddenly to make the statement, catching Monique by surprise while her eyes were still fastened on the lower half of his body. He disappeared into the bathroom before she could respond, or even close her mouth. She heard him turn on the shower a few seconds later.

Monique took advantage of his offer and poured herself a cup of coffee. She should not have been surprised to find Tao there. Gary had mentioned a few weeks ago that the renovations on Tao’s new condo were delayed. The lease on his rental expired, so he needed to crash at Gary’s for about a month in between.

Gary finally arrived about fifteen minutes later and two of their other friends, Jason and Isaac, arrived soon after. The five of them quickly got to work painting the living room, kitchen, and main hallway of Gary’s cozy 1950s house. Monique was given the task of taping off the trim while the men covered and moved the furniture, then patched and sanded holes in the wall.

Once they got into a rhythm, the conversation among the guys become pretty lively. Jason started telling the others about the get-together he and Isaac had gone to the night before. As usual, Monique listened to their antics quietly, always surprised at how much grown men gossiped. From what she could decipher, it had been a party for a girl they all knew named Josephine.

“Gary, man, you should have been there,” Jason admonished. “Her roommate, Leanne, kept asking for you all night!”

Gary just shrugged.

“Ah, forget it, Jason,” Isaac threw in with a devilish grin. “You know Leanne is not his type.”

“Yeah, that right. She has a job and real breasts!” replied Jason.

They all laughed except for Gary who just rolled his eyes. Monique had to chuckle too because Jason’s observation was pretty close to the truth. For whatever reason, Gary seemed to always find the most simple, fake women out there. And no matter how hard his friends tried to make him see the disastrous pattern, he just ignored them.

“She’s just not my type, that’s all,” Gary finally replied.

“We know your type,” added Tao in a voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Seriously, though, Gary,” Isaac said. “I don’t understand the way you think. Leanne is smart, stable, and pretty cute. You keep talking about finding that special woman to settle down and have kids with, but then you make a beeline for the first broke, hoodrat you see. I’m not saying don’t hit it where you can get it, but you can’t turn a booty call into a wife, if you know what I’m saying.”

“You guys don’t know what you’re talking about. I know that Noreen was a mistake, but…” stated Gary, trying hard not to sound defensive.

“Mistake? Brother, she had two kids ten months apart for two brothers! I mean, biological brothers! Is that even physically possible? Come on now!” Jason spat with obvious disgust.

“They were eighteen months apart,” Gary clarified.

“Oh, my mistake.”

The others laughed uproariously.

“Oh, forget ya’ll!” cursed Gary, and stalked off to the bathroom.

His friends cackled even harder.

“Samuels, Tanisia was there last night,” Jason stated once things calmed down.

“Really,” he replied, but his tone revealed very little interest.

“Yeah. And after a couple of drinks, she was all over Big Mike. I take it you guys are done?”

Big Mike was Josephine’s older brother. They called him that because he was at least six feet, four inches, and built like linebacker.

“Pretty much,” Tao confirmed in a quiet voice. “She’s a little too crazy for me.”

“See, that’s what I’m talking about! You and Gary have got to stop messing with these young girls. They’re nothing but drama,” Jason replied. “I’m telling you, find yourself a mature woman who knows what she wants.”

Gary returned in time to hear Jason’s advice.

“You mean, like some hungry cougar? That’s just not my style, man,” he replied, shaking his head.

“It has nothing to do with age, Gary,” explained Jason. “I’m talking about someone who’s not all caught up in finding Mr. Right to take care of her bills, get married, and have the 2.5 kids. Someone who’s just looking for a friend that can take care of her plumbing, and that’s it, if you know what I mean.”

“Yeah, right!” scoffed Gary. “If you’re talking about Josephine, then you better forget it. That bitch is going to get you killed, ’cause her husband’s a Navy Seal. Tao will tell you. They were stationed together a few years ago. You can guarantee that he would hunt you down, and no one would ever find your body.”

“Naw, I’m not talking about Josephine or married women either. Trust me, there are lots of beautiful, successful women who don’t want a man in their lives except for some good loving.”

“Yeah? So where are they and how come I’ve never met one?” Isaac asked.

“I just told you, you guys are too busy chasing after these young, ripe college girls. Right, Monique?”

Monique had just finished her taping, and was rolling her shoulder to relieve a little stiffness still there. She had only been listening to the conversation with half an ear.

“What?” she asked now that all four men were staring at her expectantly.

“Wouldn’t you be interested in a relationship with a man that was strictly about fulfilling your sexual needs?” Jason repeated.

She could only look at him, uncertain of the context of the question.

“I’m just saying,” he continued. “You’re a busy, successful woman. And you’re always complaining about not having time in your life for a relationship. Maybe you just need a friend with benefits.”

Monique realized that Jason wasn’t talking about her specifically, just other women like her. She shrugged and gave him a wicked grin.

“There would have to be some pretty awesome benefits!”

They all laughed and went back to their painting tasks, and Jason continued his lecture.

“I’m telling you guys, it’s time to elevate your game,” he stated.

“Yeah, right!” Isaac interjected. “These women may say they want only a sexual friendship, but I guarantee within a few months, they’ll be talking about love and commitment. And the better you lay the pipe, the faster they will fall. They’re just not wired for casual sex like men are.”

“That’s not true,” Monique replied.

Gary and Isaac looked at her with surprise, while Jason nodded, welcoming her contribution to the argument. Tao’s expression was unreadable.

“Some women can really have an honest, mutually satisfying sexual relationship without falling in love,” she explained. “There will probably be some feelings there for her partner, but there is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t automatically mean she’s going to change her mind and want to get married and everything. And I guarantee you that if she’s putting it on him right, he’s the one who will be begging her for the commitment!”

They all laughed, and the debate continued for several more minutes. Gary and Isaac were clearly unconvinced that such women actually existed. Tao remained silent, but when his eyes met Monique’s again, there was a new light in their depths.