Simply Complicated (14 page)

Jake was not accustomed to being turned down but he agreed and gave her his number.

“I promise I’ll give you a call as soon as I get a chance,” said Camille.

As she drove off, Jake stood there wondering what had just happened. For the first time he had to wait for a woman to call him. He went back inside the coffee house and told Ken what had happened.

“I can’t believe it. She brushed me off,” said Jake, bewildered.

Ken laughed.

Jake joked back, “Man, that’s not funny. I’m not used to that. You know how I do it. I have the ladies chasing after me.”

“Well I guess this is the type of woman you need. She’s already figured you out. Did you at least get her name?” asked Ken as he continued to chuckle.

“I don’t believe this. She didn’t even tell me her name.”

They both started laughing.

“Oh well, I guess it was bound to happen,” said Jake.

“What?” Ken asked.

“That I get played,” he said.

A few days passed and Camille had yet to call Jake. He didn’t know what to think. He knew that whenever he waited to call a woman it was done intentionally so he could maintain control. He did not want to seem as if he was waiting for her to call so he made sure to go out every night with one of his other women.

When he returned home from work the following weekend, he checked his voicemail and there was a message.

“Hello Jake, this is Camille. I apologize for not calling sooner but I had to go out of town on business and just returned this evening. Would you like to meet for coffee in the morning? If so, give me a call at 266-7231. Talk to you later.”

He was glad to finally know her name. He called her back and told her that he would love to meet for coffee.

When they met the next day, Jake couldn’t help but stare at Camille. She looked more beautiful than he remembered. They sat and talked for hours. He was so mesmerized by her. She was funny, beautiful, nice, and down-to-earth. He felt as if they had known each other for years.

She wore a strapless bright pink dress that accented her small frame. Her long dark black hair glistened under the café light and her olive skin was a perfect hue. He wondered if she tanned to get her skin to such a perfect color. She wore a lightly scented fragrance that smelled of vanilla and jasmine. Everything about her seemed to match her perfectly. Camille worked as a Buyer for a major clothing line. Her job required that she travel all over the country. She was very attractive and took good care of her physique.

Before Jake she was solely committed to her career. She never made time to get involved with anyone. She dated a few men in the past but nothing serious.

Jake was an investment broker like his friend Ken; they worked for the same company. He was a true ladies man. He was very handsome and knew it. He had a big ego and no problem approaching women.

After their first date in the coffee shop, Camille and Jake began seeing each other regularly. The affair was good in the beginning. They both agreed to keep their relationship open and there was no pressure to commit to each other.

Although he hated the idea of her being with someone else, it was not enough to commit to her. He really liked her and part of him wanted to be in a monogamous relationship but he was afraid to commit solely to one person again. Unlike him, she would rather they commit only to each other, but knew this was something he didn’t want.

After two years of dating, Jake had yet to suggest a monogamous relationship and Camille was beginning to question if she wanted to sit around waiting for him to make up his mind. Even though she knew he dated other women, she chose to see no one but him.

During one of her travels, she met a nice gentleman named Paul whom she agreed to meet for dinner. She felt a little guilty because she really enjoyed his company.

“I am glad you agreed to have dinner with me. You look stunning,” said Paul.

Camille dazzled him with her smile, “Thanks for inviting me. You look nice as well.”

“I have to ask you something that has been on my mind since we first met,” he said.

“What is it, Paul?”

“Are you married or seeing someone?”

She didn’t know how to answer.

“No, I’m not married. I’ve been seeing someone for about two years now but we have not fully committed to each other.”

“I find it hard to believe that a woman as beautiful and wonderful as you seem to be isn’t married or at least in a monogamous relationship with someone,” Paul shook his head incredulously.

“It’s complicated,” she said.

“Are you in love with him?”

“Yes, I love him.”

“Does he love you?”

“He says he does.”

“You don’t know? Has he proposed to you yet?” questioned Paul.

“No, not yet,” she said.

“Well, excuse me for saying this, but he must be a fool for letting a beautiful woman like you remain single.”

She did not know what to say.

“Thanks for the compliment. You know how to make a lady feel special,” Camille smiled sadly.

“If you were my lady there is no way I would want to see you with anyone else. Can I see you again or at least stay in touch with you?”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. Somehow I feel as if that’s cheating,” she said.

“How can it be cheating when you’re not in a committed relationship? Is your friend dating other women?”

“In fact he is.” She paused for a moment, and then reconsidered, “Here is my home and cellular number.”

“Thanks Camille. Here are my numbers. Call me anytime. If you are ever in Los Angeles again you can give me a call and maybe we can hang out.”

As she and Paul continued their dinner, she couldn’t remember the last time she laughed so much. He was a really nice guy, intent on pleasing her and making her happy that night.

After dinner he dropped her off at her hotel and kissed her gently on the cheek.

“Goodbye, Camille. I hope to hear from you soon. Is it okay if I call you sometimes to see how you’re doing?” he asked.

“Sure. I would like that.”

“Thanks for a wonderful dinner. Remember you are a special lady and you deserve to be treated as such. I’m glad I met you and even happier that you went out with me tonight. Take care of yourself and I’ll talk to you soon,” he said.

“No. Thank you, Paul. I’m glad I accepted your invitation. You take care also,” replied Camille after kissing him on the cheek.

“Goodnight,” he said.

“Goodnight,” said Camille.

It was 4:30 a.m. when she arrived at the airport for her 6:30 flight back to Chicago. The airport was crowded and she was glad she arrived two hours early. By the time she checked her bags and went through security they had started boarding the plane at her gate.

As she flew home she thought about what Paul had said.
Why hasn’t Jake committed to me yet? Am I foolish for waiting? Should I move on to someone else?

She began to wonder that maybe she was wasting her time with him. She decided that she was going to tell him that she could not see him any longer. It was time for her to move on.

When she arrived at her apartment, she could tell that Jake had been there. There was a beautiful bouquet of flowers on the table along with a card that read
See you tonight
.
Love Jake.

Normally she would be happy to receive flowers from him but she knew she was going to break things off and therefore could not get excited. In fact, she decided that she did not want to see him that night.

Instead she called one of her girlfriends to see if they could meet for dinner and drinks. She wanted to talk to someone she could trust before she broke up with Jake.

She and Candace met for dinner. She couldn’t wait to discuss her problem with Jake. Before she got started, Candace told her that she had just been offered a position as a prosecuting attorney and that she accepted. She wanted to celebrate tonight because she started her new job on Monday morning.

“Congratulations, Candace! You’ve worked long and hard. No one else deserves this position more than you do,” said Camille.

“Thanks. So what is going on with you? You sounded worried on the telephone,” Candace quickly changed the subject.

“I really need your advice. I’ve fallen in love with Jake and I believe he loves me as well. The only problem is he does not seem interested in marrying me or committing to only me.

“I admit that I’ve never confronted him about being monogamous because I believe that’s something he should do,” she said.

Candace shook her head, “You need to talk your feelings over with him. If afterwards he still doesn’t want to commit to a monogamous relationship, then you should follow your heart. If your heart says to break up with him, that’s what you do. You should never settle for being a link in someone’s chain.”

“What are you talking about?” Camille asked.

“You remember that song by Aretha Franklin called ‘Chain of Fools’?” she replied while laughing.

Camille laughed back, “What do you know about that song? You’re too young.”

“My mother used to play that song all the time. Anyway, what she’s singing about is being in a relationship with some guy and he’s dating a lot of different women who are all links in his chain.

“She just found out that in the five years they were together that she is one of those links. She was foolishly sitting idle waiting for him to decide who to cut loose and who to keep connected.

“You need to get a copy and listen to it,” said Candace, chuckling again.

Camille couldn’t help but laugh but she knew Candace was right. She was already feeling foolish for being with Jake for over two years without him even attempting to commit. She decided that she was going to tell Jake how she felt.

She and Candace finished around 8:00 p.m. On her way home she decided to call Jake to see if he wanted to come over. She was somewhat surprised that he did not answer his cell phone.

She decided to call him at home. When his voicemail came on she left him a message asking him to call.

After an hour had passed and he had not called her back, she knew he was probably out with another woman. She felt a little jealous because he would always answer her call, even while out with one of his female friends.

She was tired from her trip so she decided to take a long bath and then go to bed. While bathing, she nodded off. Her telephone ringing woke her up.

She wondered if it was Jake finally calling her back. She was unable to get to the telephone in time and her answering machine came on. It was Candace calling to check on her. She was disappointed that it wasn’t Jake.

She drained the tub and got ready for bed. As she walked towards her bedroom, she smelled candles burning and heard music. For a moment she thought she was dreaming.

When she went into her bedroom, Jake was lying in bed holding a rose. He told her that he let himself in with the key she had given him. She asked how long had he been there and he told her long enough to see her asleep in the bathtub.

She was very happy to see him. She knew they needed to talk but she decided to wait. All she wanted to do was enjoy him that evening.

The next morning she woke up to the wonderful smell of pancakes. He had cooked her breakfast and served it to her in bed.

“What’s gotten into you? Why am I getting all this special attention?” she questioned.

“I love you and appreciate you for understanding me and not pressuring me into marriage,” Jake replied.

“Why are you so against marriage and commitment?”

“I am not against it but it’s not for me,” he said.

“How do you know it’s not for you if you’ve never tried it?”

“I never said that I wasn’t in a committed relationship. In fact, I was engaged before,” he said.

Camille pushed back her tray. “What? You, engaged? I find that hard to believe! You seem so totally against it now.”

“Well I was.”

“Okay, so what happened?”

“She cheated on me,” Jake replied as he held his head down.

Camille was shocked. She had no idea that he was engaged before. They had agreed to never talk about past relationships.