Scandalous (12 page)

Chapter 8

Lifting my head up just a bit so that I could glance at the clock on the table next to the bed, I was shocked to see that it was already after ten.
Had we slept this late?

I couldn't believe it, but I shouldn't have been surprised.
What else could either of us do after making non-stop marital love?
I grinned
--
all the men I'd been with, and the most memorable now was last night with Kenny.

Rolling over, I propped myself up on my elbow and stared at the man who was making it so easy for me to love him again.
His lips were parted, just slightly; he slept silently.

My husband!

It was hard for me to believe that it had finally happened.
I'd wanted Kenny for so long, had wished for it so much, and now I was lying next to him with a ring on my finger.
He looked peaceful.
And happy.
He slept with a smile that I was glad I'd put on his face.

I could've watched him for the rest of the day, but I knew that we had to get going.
Kenny hadn't told me anything about our honeymoon plans
--
not the time we were leaving nor our destination.
But I was sure that we couldn't stay in bed much longer.
We had to be leaving for the airport soon.

Last night had been exciting and romantic enough, but now it was time to take this honeymoon up a notch.
He had been so secretive; I couldn't imagine where he was taking me.
Were we going to be making sweet love on some Caribbean beach?
Or kissing under the stars in Hawaii?
Or professing our love to each other on the top of the Eiffel Tower?

That last thought may have been a bit of a stretch - there was no way Kenny could afford a trip to Europe.
But that was okay
…
wherever we ended up, we'd be together and I'd get to love my husband all day and all night long in some tropical paradise.
I knew this upcoming week was going to be one I would always remember.

Giving my husband a gentle shove, I called his name,
“
Kenny.
”

He didn't move.

“
Baby.
Come on.
We have to get up.
”

With his eyes still closed, he stretched a bit in his sleep.
Then his eyes opened slowly and his smile widened into a grin.

“
Good morning, wife,
”
he said through a throat that was still filled with sleep.

Now I was the one grinning.
“
Good morning, husband.
”
I wasn't big on any contact with my partner before he or I took care of our morning breath issues, but this was one time when it didn't matter.
Maybe it was that husband thing, I don't know.
But Kenny didn't taste half-bad.

After at least a dozen kisses, I pulled back.
“
Baby, we have to get up and get going.
”
Pushing myself from the bed, I stood, excited, ready to get to the real honeymoon.
“
So, where are we going and what time do we have to get to the airport?
”

It wasn't until Kenny's eyes roamed over me that I remembered that I was standing there naked.
Inside, I sighed.
Really?
Did a naked body break all men's concentration so easily?
Dang!
Women could solve all the world's problems with these kinds of abilities.
Just send a delegation of shapely, butt-naked women to negotiate with the heads of state of any foreign country, and the U.S. would have nothing but peace and power.

I laughed.

“
What's so funny?
”
Kenny was still stretched out in the bed, only now his head was propped up as he rested on his elbow.

“
Nothing,
”
I said.
I reached for his arm and tried to pull him up.
“
Come on.
We have to get going.
What time is our flight?
”

But instead of me pulling him up, Kenny snatched me down and I flopped onto the bed.

“
I have a surprise for you,
”
he said.

“
What?
”

He pulled me into his arms and grinned like he had big news.

Oh, my goodness
…
were we going to Europe?
My heart started beating so fast.

He said,
“
We're going to begin our life as husband and wife in totally luxury.
”

We
were
going to Europe!
Already I was imagining the beaches of Cannes and Nice.
Weren't they topless?
Oh, if this man was taking me to Europe, I was going to give it to him good!
It would take him weeks to recover from the things I planned to do to him on our honeymoon.

He said,
“
We're going to stay here
--
in the Ritz Carlton
--
in this suite.
And with room service and this grand bed, we never have to get up and go anywhere!
”

It took a moment for my brain to understand what my ears had heard.
I pushed myself away from Kenny and stood up and with my hands on my hips.

“
Repeat that, please?
”
because I wanted to give him a chance to take back that lie that he'd just told.

He grinned even wider.
“
We're gonna stay here, baby.
I know how much you love the Ritz.
”
He sat up.
“
And all of this,
”
he spread his arms wide as if he was giving me the world,
“
all of this is yours for a week.
I arranged it with the hotel last month.
Isn't this great?
”

I didn't even wait a beat.
“
You have got to be kidding me.
”

It was my tone and my stance that probably gave Kenny the first clue that I was not impressed.
“
Are you serious!
”
I tried not to shout.
“
You want me to spend my honeymoon here?
In Los Angeles?
”

“
Not in L.A., baby.
Here in the Ritz Carlton.
I thought you loved this hotel.
”

“
I do.
And for my honeymoon, I expected to be in a Ritz somewhere in another country.
”

He rolled over to the edge of the bed, propped himself up onto his knees and reached for me.
But I stepped back, far from his embrace.

“
Baby, what's wrong?
”

“
Are you really asking me that?
”
I crossed my arms.
“
Kenny, please tell me that you're kidding.
”

He frowned.
“
I thought you would love this idea.
It's not like we'll ever leave the hotel
--
no matter where we go.
So I thought, why not stay here and save the travel time?
”

“
No, you thought, why not stay here and save the travel money.
”
My anger was building and I stomped my foot.
“
Kenny, I told you that I would pay for the honeymoon, but you insisted.
”

“
Whether you paid or I paid, it wouldn't have made any difference.
I thought
…
I think this is a great idea.
You said yourself that this is a beautiful suite.
”

“
Yeah, for me to spend the night
before
my wedding and the night
of
my wedding, but I don't want to spend my honeymoon here.
”

He shook his head.
“
I'm sorry.
I thought you'd love this idea as much as I did.
”

I glared at him and he held his arms out to me.
“
Jasmine, babe, come here.
I promise you, we're gonna have a good time.
”
Once again, his glance took in every inch of my nakedness, and I grabbed the coverlet that was tossed over the lounger for decoration, covering as much of my body as I could.
Kenny didn't deserve to see me naked.

“
Jasmine,
”
he began as I wrapped myself up,
“
come on.
This is going to be wonderful
…
I promise.
”

I didn't say a word to him.
I just stomped out of the room.

“
Jasmine!
”

I slammed the bathroom door and then stood with my back against it.
I could not believe this was happening to me.
I was born in L.A., raised in L.A., had gone to college in L.A., and now I was going to spend my honeymoon
…
in L.A.?

I wasn't the kind of girl who cried; I had been through too much for that.
But something came over me now.
I wasn't sure if it was the expectation or the disappointment that filled my eyes with tears.

Turning back to the door, I clicked the lock, then dragged myself to the vanity.
In the mirror, I stared at my reflection
--
tearful eyes and a face stretched with sorrow.
Definitely, there were many occasions in my life that were more painful than this.
But in this moment, at this time, all I could think about was the hurt that I felt right now.
Why hadn't Kenny taken the time to plan our honeymoon as he promised?
Did he not think I was worth it?

Or maybe it wasn't him at all.
Maybe it was all me.
Had I just made the biggest mistake of my life?
Was I going to be able to live with a man as ordinary as Kenny?

Those questions made me weak, made me crumble to the floor.
And now I cried, for real.

***

Hours passed before I unlocked the door and came out of the bathroom, now wrapped in one of the thick, oversized towels.
Kenny sat on the edge of the bed, covered by nothing, but his face drooped with the same sadness I felt.
I couldn't figure out why
he
was sad.

“
Jasmine, I'm sorry,
”
he whispered.

I didn't bother to look at him as I searched the bedroom for my overnight bag.
Was I going to have to put on the same clothes that I'd worn to the hotel?

This was un-freaking-believable.

As if he read my mind, Kenny said,
“
I brought a suitcase from home for you.
It's in the closet.
”

I could have said thank you, but I didn't even have that many words inside of me for him.
I stomped to the closet, rolled out the suitcase, hoisted it onto the lounger, and unzipped the bag.

My first thought when I looked inside was,
“
This fool done brought me somebody else's clothes.
”
Kenny sidled up behind me and I cringed as he pressed his desire for me against my behind and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“
Baby, I'm sorry, but I was thinking about better ways to spend our money.
So one of the things I did was go out and buy you a couple of new outfits.
”
He chuckled a bit, though he didn't sound too happy.
“
Actually, I didn't pick out a thing, so you don't have to worry about that.
This suitcase is filled with all new clothes that Kyla, Alexis, and Stephanie picked out for you.
”

My first thought was there was not one of the three who I would've taken shopping with me.
Yes, Kyla was my best friend, and we would be cool forever, but the girl dressed like a boring doctor's wife.
And Alexis and Stephanie?
Please.
I wouldn't ask them to buy me a bag of rocks.

Kenny whispered in my ear.
“
Really, baby.
I put a lot of thought into all of this.
I was trying to make you happy with surprises for you all through the week.
This is the first one.
”