Unexpected Interruptions (6 page)

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Authors: Trice Hickman

BOOK: Unexpected Interruptions
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Debbie cleared her throat, breaking the chilly mood. “We have some good news,” she announced with a cautious smile. “Rob just got a promotion. He's the new director of accounting.”
“Congratulations!” everyone said in unison.
“Thanks, I'm really excited about this opportunity,” Rob smiled. Debbie tried to share his enthusiasm but her mood was growing tepid.
Victoria could sense her friend's change in disposition. “Debbie, what's wrong?” she asked.
“Oh, Victoria, she's fine,” Allison smirked in her usual crass manner. “What wife wouldn't be when her husband is
finally
moving up? That's a look of relief if you ask me.”
Rob and Debbie shot Allison a look that could've killed a rattlesnake, while Tyler shook his head in frustration, taking a big gulp from his glass.
The nerve of this heifer,
Victoria slowly simmered, giving Allison a death stare. “Well, I wasn't asking you” . . .
bitch,
she wanted to say, but refrained. “I was asking Debbie.” The tension returned, and the table fell silent as Joe Sample's piano serenaded in the background.
Debbie turned her glare away from Allison and began to speak. “Victoria, you know me so well.” Rob took her hand and held it tight. “Rob's promotion is for a position in his company's Miami office. We'll be moving in a few weeks. It's all happening so fast. We have to find a new home, and we'll be leaving you guys,” Debbie sighed.
“Debbie,” Tyler said, “you've been saying you need a break from teaching, so maybe this'll be an opportunity for you to do that. You'll even have time to start painting again.”
“Yeah, girl. Look at this as a new beginning,” Victoria encouraged. “I'm going to miss you, but miles can never separate us. Besides, ViaTech has an office in Miami, so you know I'll be down there to see you, at least through next June,” she teased, leaning over and hugging her friend.
“Let's order champagne to celebrate,” Tyler roused. After everyone's glass was filled with bubbly, Tyler made a hilarious toast that put everyone back in a good mood.
“I have some news to share that's . . . quite interesting,” Victoria announced.
“Oh, you finally found a man?” Allison asked, causing the table to fall silent again.
Victoria took a deep breath and ignored the comment. “I'm being nominated for a prestigious year-long executive mentoring program at work.”
“But you're leaving next June, right?” Debbie asked.
“Yeah, that's my plan. But I have to admit, it's a flattering offer when I think about it. But of course I'm going to turn it down because my future isn't with ViaTech. I have to devote my time to building my business.”
“Victoria, I'm a little concerned that you'll be stretching yourself too thin,” Allison said as she reached for a stuffed mushroom.
“Why're you concerned about anything that I do?” Victoria asked, surprise and caution lacing her voice.
“You spend so many hours at work that you barely have time for a social life, let alone to meet anyone new. And now with your little party business . . . ”
“It's called
Divine Occasions,
” Victoria corrected.
“Yes, that. Anyway, given all the work you'll have on your plate, you definitely won't have time for a relationship.”
Victoria's forehead was getting hot. “Thank you for your
concern
. But my life is made up of more than just sitting around waiting for Mr. Right to come along.”
By this time Debbie and Rob were watching the exchange like dialogue from a movie, while Tyler stared blankly into his drink.
“True,” Allison retorted, “but nothing beats having someone to come home to. I know it's been hard since things between you and Steven ended, but you have to move on with your life,” she said, feigning a look of concern that hid a conniving smile.
“Be quiet, Allison!” Tyler hissed at his wife.
There . . . she'd said his name. Everyone who knew Victoria firmly understood that Steven's name was off limits. To Victoria, his name was like a spinning tornado, or a wild fire out of control, or an erupting volcano—it was a natural disaster. Her heart raced and her face turned hot. His name hung in the air like Gulf Coast humidity. Tyler looked at Victoria, his mouth didn't move, but his eyes said
I'm sorry.
The good mood was broken once again, and this time no happy announcement or bubbly drink could bring it back. They remained at the club just long enough to pay the bill before their “friends-night-out” came to an abrupt end.
Chapter Four
Like Alka-Seltzer In A Glass of Water...
Victoria's fun evening out had turned into another disappointing disaster. “I need a bubble bath and a drink . . . bad!” she said to an empty room. She peeled out of her clothes and wrapped herself in her silk robe. She walked into the bathroom, lit her favorite Jo Malone Black Vetyver candle, then sprinkled her special home concocted blend of scented bath foams and sea salts under the running water. She went downstairs, grabbed the last two chocolates in the Godiva box, and poured herself a glass of wine before heading back to her private spa retreat.
The combination of wine and warm water felt good to every inch of her body as she slid down into her Jacuzzi tub, submerging herself in the thick, fragrant bubbles. But even as she tried to relax, her ears still stung from Allison's words. Victoria had to admit that it would be nice to have someone to come home to. To actually talk out loud to another person, instead of to herself. Even her mother had said those very words just the night before. And she knew her mother was right because she had the experience to qualify her words.
John and Elizabeth Small shared a love that was strong, unquestionable, and true. They'd survived racism in the segregated south, the devastating loss of their first child, a stillborn baby girl, and had weathered the painful storm of indifference from Elizabeth's “color-struck” family. Her relatives had only tolerated her marriage to John because he hailed from the wealthiest black family within a hundred mile radius of their small South Carolina town. But their narrow-minded prejudice against his dark skin was so strong, it caused a dramatic blowout that resulted in bitter words, hurt feelings, and eventual estrangement. Yet through it all, Elizabeth and John remained dedicated to each other. Their love was enviable and Victoria desperately wanted a relationship like the one her parents shared. She thought she'd found that with Steven.
Even though he lived in Washington, DC, and she lived in Atlanta, the distance only served to make their time spent together more precious. Steven was the man Victoria thought she was going to marry, have children with, and build a happy life with—it lasted two years . . . .
They met at a telecommunications seminar in DC. Steven had been a rising regional senior sales director with Verizon, well on his way to a VP position. When Victoria first saw him, the attraction was instant. His skin was like a Hershey's Kiss and his smile was like happiness wrapped around a pair of lips. He pursued her with veracity.
Steven was different from the men she'd been with in the past, most of whom shared a similar background to her own: educated family, affluent upbringing, summer camps, vacations abroad and membership in the right social organizations. Steven had grown up in the projects of Chicago, the youngest child of five in a single-parent home. Between his academic scholarship and the money his mother earned from working two jobs, he managed to attend a top private school in the suburbs. That meant making a two-hour commute each day by bus and train. When he graduated with honors from Stanford, he'd made his mother proud.
After the three-day seminar ended, Victoria decided to stay an extra day and take Steven up on his offer to be her personal tour guide of the nation's capital. They visited several museums and enjoyed an afternoon stroll along the National Mall. They ended their day with a romantic dinner, flirting throughout the evening while sparks ricocheted between their bodies. When Steven took her back to her hotel room, he tried to talk his way in for a little late night goody. But Victoria wasn't having it. Instead, she let him enter her door halfway, thanked him for a wonderful evening and said good night. But Steven wasn't giving up that easily. He pulled her in close and kissed her softly. “You're an amazing woman, Victoria,” he whispered into her ear.
“Steven, I really like you, but I'm sorry, you're not gettin' any tonight,” she said, pulling away from him.
All he could do was smile. He kissed her one last time before closing the door.
Two weeks later after dozens of hour-long phone calls, emails, and roses, Steven flew Victoria back to DC for a visit. He wouldn't hear of her staying at a hotel, and insisted that she spend the weekend in his spacious townhome. When she arrived, she put her bags in his guest bedroom without prompting. She wanted him to know that just because she was spending the weekend in his home, that didn't mean they would be sleeping together. But she remembered the kiss they'd shared and had brought her red silk baby-doll and matching thong . . . just in case.
That night they held hands in their seats at the tightly packed Constitution Hall, swaying to the rhythm as Maxwell crooned with passion. After returning home, Steven put on one of Luther's lovemaking CDs to cap off the romantic evening. They kissed and caressed each other on his leather couch. Victoria was attracted to Steven like bees to honey and she could feel herself getting wet, slowly losing control. She knew she had to pull back. “I think I'm going to call it a night,” she said in between his sensual kisses.
“But, Victoria,” Steven whispered, his tongue gently grazing her earlobe, “the night's still young.” His erection was growing harder by the minute.
“I'm really tired from the early morning flight and all the running around we did before the concert. I had a great time though,” she said before withdrawing from his arms and walking back to the guest bedroom.
After a few minutes, Steven gathered himself off the couch and headed back to his bedroom, disappointed at the thought of sleeping alone. He took off his shirt and was unzipping his pants when Victoria appeared. She stood in his doorway, draped in delicate red lingerie.
“I, um . . . wanted to give you a proper good night kiss . . . if that's all right with you?” she purred.
He undressed her, pulled off his pants and brought her to his bed. He kissed her hard, sucking her nipples as he gently massaged the wetness between her legs, making her moan while his fingers sank deep inside her. He reached into the nightstand, retrieved a condom, slipped it on and entered her with a force that let her know he was hungry for her. She felt his breath, warm on her neck, drowning her in his seduction. He was going deep inside her and she could feel herself begin to dissolve and fizz like Alka-Seltzer in a glass of water.
Steven leaned back until only the tip of his penis remained inside her. He pushed her knees to her shoulders, caressed her throbbing clit with his thumb, then slowly slid back inside with a pulsating rhythm. He moved his hips like a trained professional. Victoria knew this man was beyond good when she had her first orgasm within minutes. She'd been with her fair share of men, but none had ever made her feel the way Steven did. He rocked her until she was sore, yet wonderfully tender, and left her begging for more.
Steven was affectionate, funny, and he spoiled her to no end. They saw each other as often as their busy schedules would allow. They were opposites in almost every way, but they made it work. She introduced him to things he would have never considered doing: watching foreign films and going to Broadway musicals. And she experienced new things with him: taking in her first professional heavyweight fight and snorkeling off the Florida Keys. Neither of them cared much for the other's brand of entertainment, but it didn't matter as long they were together.
But by the end of the second year of their relationship, things had started to change. What began as an appreciation for each other's differences had become a major source of their constant battles. She liked jazz and neo-soul, he liked hip-hop and rap. She liked candle-light dinners at home, he preferred trendy restaurants out on the town. But it wasn't so much their differences that frustrated Victoria; it was Steven's sudden inability to meet her halfway.
“Victoria, he's a weak ass brothah,” Tyler had told her after meeting Steven during one of his weekend visits. “He's up to no good. He thinks he's the shit with his designer clothes and expensive gifts; don't be fooled by his sweet talk,” Tyler warned.
Tyler's opinion meant a lot to Victoria, and it bothered her that her best friend didn't like her man. She thought Tyler was being overprotective as usual. He'd always found fault with the men she dated, no matter how suitable they seemed to be. She once teased that she could've dated Jesus Christ and Tyler would have said he needed a haircut, shave, and a new pair of sandals!
Victoria knew that Steven was city slick, but that was part of his appeal. He excited her, especially in the bedroom. He sexed her the way she wanted it and needed it—slow and steady, bold and uninhibited. The bedroom was the only area where Steven was completely unselfish, always attentive to her needs. Many nights he wouldn't let her rest until she came several times, sufficiently satisfied.
But Victoria started to grow suspicious of Steven, thinking more and more about Tyler's comments. Despite her doubts, she didn't want to give up on their relationship. She felt she'd invested too much time and emotion to walk away from someone she loved. And to make matters worse, Steven's mutual dislike of Tyler didn't serve to help the situation.
“Somethin' must be wrong with him if he's known you all these years and he's never tried to sleep with you,” Steven once told her.
“Not all close relationships between a man and woman have to be sexual,” she countered.
“Vic, let me break it down to you, baby. It's impossible for a man and woman to remain as close as you two are, and not have somethin' goin' on. It just doesn't happen.”
“What're you getting at?”
Steven shrugged. “I'm just sayin' . . . it's a very unusual friendship.”
“Tyler's like a brother to me. And besides, he has a girlfriend. Remember Allison? He loves her, even though she's wrong for him.”
“That don't mean nothin', baby,” Steven smirked in his city slick street vernacular that he allowed to slip out on occasion. “Every man gets a lil' taste on the side.”
Victoria eyed him suspiciously but refused to follow up on his comment. The fact that she didn't confront him both shocked and scared her. Deep down, she knew that was a sign to end things, but instead, she tried to hold on....
Victoria had been soaking in the tub so long her fingertips looked like raisins. She thought about what her therapist had said after the breakup. Her family and friends had been supportive, but she needed someone else to talk to. She needed someone who'd be objective, who wouldn't say, “It's a good thing you didn't marry that asshole. Count your blessings,” as Denise had told her. Or, “Screw him, it's his loss,” as Debbie had offered, giving her a pat on the back. Tyler simply took her out to dinner, supposedly to console her, but Victoria believed it was really to celebrate—he even ordered champagne.
“Don't run away, confront your fears. Only then can you operate in truth,” her therapist had said during one of their sessions. In her professional life, Victoria was direct and in control, not letting anything ruffle her feathers, never wavering from a position. But in her personal life, her desire to please others nearly crippled her. She'd compromised her dreams to please her father, and had subjugated herself in her relationships with men to appease them too. She knew that a change was in order.
“What's wrong with me?” she shouted out loud, pounding her fists against the porcelain tub, splashing water onto the floor. She hopped out of the tepid bath and wrapped herself in her robe. She took a deep breath, picked up the phone and began to dial by memory.
“Hello,” said the male voice on the other end. Victoria knew from experience that Steven always checked his caller ID, just as she did. So she knew that he knew that it was her.
“Hello, Steven . . . it's Victoria.”
There was silence until Steven's voice broke through. “Vic, it's been a long time. I can't believe it's you,” he said in a faint whisper.
Victoria could hear the surprise in his voice.
“I didn't think I'd ever hear from you again. You wouldn't accept any of my phone calls or respond to my emails, and you sent back all my letters . . . unopened,” he said.
“I know, I should've put closure on things a long time ago, but I couldn't. It was too hard. Too painful.”
“I know. I really messed up . . . I hurt you, and I'm so sorry for that. But Vic, I loved you. I've never stopped loving you,” Steven said in a low voice.
Victoria couldn't see his face, but she could hear his longing. She hadn't expected to feel the weight of emotions that made her heart quicken as she listened to Steven's voice, seduced by its timbre. She had loved this man.
“How are you, Vic? Tell me what's been going on in your life, are you seeing anyone?”
“Things are going well. I bought a new house last year and I finally started my business. I'm doing it on the side because I'm still at ViaTech, but, um . . . things are good.”
“That sounds great, I'm happy for you . . . but are you seeing anyone?”
There was another brief silence.
“No,” Victoria answered. “Actually, I haven't dated since we broke up. That's why I'm calling. Steven, I . . . ”

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