A Love Like This (Book 1) (29 page)

“
Okay I
’
ll help,
”
 
Nickie
 
says.
 
She sits down and takes a sip of her coffee.
 
Keisha sees that she still looks sad.

“
What is it
 
Nickie.
”

“
What do I do now?
”

“
You can stay here as long as you want aside from that I don
’
t have any answers for you.
 
It
’
s your life,
”
 
Keisha says.
 
 
“
You have to choose.
”

Chapter 13

 
 
 
 
 
Mike is sitting in a high back black leather chair
 
behind a mahogany desk in his new corner office at
 
Stockman and Grant.
 
He
’
s taping his fingers on the desk looking at the stack of research portfolios in front of him.

“
Mr. Dubois you have a call on line two,
”
 
his secretary announces over the intercom.

“
I
’
m very busy right now Emma, who is it?
”

“
It
’
s Samantha
 
Ceballos
 
sir should I put her through to voicemail.
”

“
No, I
’
ll take the call,
”
 
he says straitening his posture and adjusting his tie.

“
Hello Mike,
”
 
Samantha
’
s sultry words pour out like honey.

“
Samantha,
”
 
Mike says leaning back in his chair.
 
“
It
’
s been a long time.
”

“
Too long,
”
 
she replies.
 
 
“
I
’
m in town on business.
 
I
’
m meeting a buyer at a new gallery in Pacific Heights.
 
I was hoping we could all get together for lunch.
”

“
By we you mean----
“

“
You, me and Tucker,
”
 
She says.
 
 
“
The three of us use to have so much fun together before----
”
 
She pauses.

Mike is silent on the other end of the line.
 
A dull ache settles in his chest.
 
To this day Samantha is the only woman w
ho has the power to make him lo
se his cool.
 
She utters his name and he
’
s a gangly, pimple faced teenager again.
 
Samantha, Mike and Tucker remained friends throughout junior high and high school but they lost contact when Samantha went away to study art history at a small school in Maine.
 
She
resurfaced
 
four years later at a dinner party Mike
’
s parents were hosting.
 
Samantha walked in on shapely tan legs and it was as if the junior high school revelry between Tucker and Mike never ended.
 
 
 

“
Are you there?
”

“
I
’
m here,
”
 
He says.
 
 
“
Have you called Tucker?
”

“
Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that.
 
Every time I call his house a woman answers. Is he seeing someone?
”

Mike exhales loudly,
 
“
I don
’
t have time for this,
”
 
he says.
 

“
How can you still be mad at me?
 
It
’
s been more than two years.
”

“
Bye Samantha,
”
 
He says limply before disconnecting the call.

Mike stands to his feet and walks over to the window. He watches the cars in the financial district crawling by bumper to bumper at a snail
’
s pace.
 
He thinks about how easy it would be to get in his car drive off and never look back.
 
 
“
I have to tell him what I
’
ve done.
 
It
’
s
 
fuckin
 
with my head,
”
 
Mike says to the empty room.
 
He marches over to his desk and presses the button that summons his secretary.
 
She emerges quickly with a knowing look on her solemn face.
 
Mike wonders if she
’
d been listening in on his call but the woman
’
s stiff ridged demeanor is impossible to read.
 
 
“
I need you to fax the budget projection report to Mr. Urbane in accounting.
 
I also need you to forward all of my calls to my cell phone for the remainder of the day.
”

“
Yes sir,
”
 
she says writing notes on her legal pad before disappearing as quickly as she had appeared.

Mike sends a text message to Tucker picks up his jacket and brief case then heads out the door.

_______

Tucker opens my car door when we reach the dorm parking lot.
 
I step out wearing the same outfit I left in on Saturday.
 
I notice a few people watching as we slowly walk towards the dorms hand in hand.
 
 

Tucker
’
s phone chimes indicating he has a text message.
 
He reads the message and says,
 
“
I
’
m meeting Mike in the city for lunch.
 
Do you want to come with us?
”
 

“
Absolutely not, you two need to have boy bonding time and I need to register for next semester.
”
 

We reach the door to my room and he nuzzles against my neck.
 
He enfolds his firm arms around my waist and lifts me until we
’
re eye to eye.
 
I ignore gawking onlookers and drape my arms around his shoulders then burrow my fingers in his thick curls.
 
He presses me against the wall and kisses me sliding his hot tongue into my mouth.
 
I have to pull away because I feel the itch return.
 
 
“
We shouldn
’
t do this in the hall.
 
Don
’
t forget you still work here.
 
Come in for a minute,
”
 
I whisper in his ear.
 
He lowers me to my feet and follows me into the room where of course Sarah is sitting on her bed sliding her painted pink toenails into Jessica Simpson espadrilles.
 
 

“
Hey,
”
 
she sings out.
 
 
“
How are my favorite newlyweds?
”

Tucker pulls me close and presses himself against my back.
 
“
We haven
’
t told anyone yet.
 
I
’
m sure Tucker doesn
’
t want it getting back to his parent
’
s before he
’
s had a chance to tell them.
 
So let
’
s just keep it quiet until we figure it all out.
”

“
Oh Leila,
”
 
she says tilting her head as if she
’
s talking to a disobedient puppy.
 
 
“
I can tell by your dilated pupils that you were coming in the room for a
 
nooner.
 
I think you already have it figured out.
 
Remember I told you my dad
’
s a lawyer and I know it
’
s very difficult to annul a consummated marriage.
 
You two,
 
“
She says pointing at Tucker and I
 
“
Have been consummating like bunnies.
”
 

I slip out of my shoes and Tucker walks over to my bed and sits down.
 
 
He picks up my journal and starts thumbing through the pages.
 
I snatch it away before he has a chance to read it.
 
 
“
Why can
’
t I read it,
”
 
he says flashing those dimples.
 
I hold the book out of his reach.

“
I
’
ll leave you to it,
”
 
Sarah says shaking her head as she walks towards the door.
 

“
I shove the book under my mattress.
 

“
Leila have you decided what you
’
re doing for spring break and your birthday next week?
 
Steve and I broke up, I need something to do.
”

“
You started dating someone and broke up over a weekend?
”
 
 
Sarah just looks at me as if I asked a ridiculous question.
 
 
“
Well ok,
”
 
I say.
 
 
“
I haven
’
t seen my family
in
 
months.
 
I
’
m going home for the week.
 
I
’
m sure they
’
ll have something planned for my birthday you
’
re welcome to come with me, they
’
ll love you.
”

“
That sounds like fun,
”
 
Sarah says excitedly.
 
Her expression changes and I realize that I hadn
’
t mentioned spring break to Tucker.
 
My back is turned but I can feel his eyes are on me.
 
 
“
Ok I
’
d better go,
”
 
she says grabbing her bag and rushing out the door.

“
I should leave to,
”
 
he says standing to his feet with an annoyed look on his face.

“
Shit, I
’
m sorry,
”
 
I say gently pushing him back onto the bed.
 
I sit on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck.
 
I should have asked you first. I would love for you to come and meet my family,
”
 
I say even though the thought of bringing Tucker back to LA scares me to death.
 
Every boy that has ever walked through my front door with the intention of dating me has left terrified after just minutes with my daddy.