Always Been Mine (14 page)
Authors: Elizabeth Reyes
Unbelievable, even after being knocked out, Bruce was still following her?
“Are you going to need your other eye swollen shut too?”
“That was a sucker, punch and you know it. That asshole better watch his back—”
Valerie hung up on him. She wouldn’t give him the pleasure. The phone rang again. Either she picked it up, or someone else would. She took a deep breath and answered again.
“Do you want me telling everyone in that office about you and the boss?”
“Whatever floats your boat.” Valerie did her best to sound unconcerned. “You’re not bullying me into giving in to you.”
“All I want is a little time alone with you, so we can talk. I have a lot to tell you. It’s all I wanted the other night.”
The skin on her arms immediately prickled with goose bumps. What could he possibly say that he hadn’t already said? There was no way Valerie would be alone with this psycho. No way would she give him any more of her time. But what if he did start calling the office telling everyone about her and Luke?
“I’m listening.”
“In person.”
“No.”
“Valerie, it’s going to happen. Why not do this the easy way?”
“Are you threatening me?”
Bruce chuckled. “Take it how ever you want, just consider yourself warned. I’ve tried being nice.”
“I’m agreeing to talk to you on the phone. Take it or leave it.”
Bruce lowered his voice. “Was making love to a man who wanted you and only you exciting?”
Valerie squeezed her eyes shut. She wasn’t bringing Bruce into her private life. Obviously, he knew she’d spent the night but didn’t know what really happened. Still, maybe this would work to her advantage. “Yes, Bruce it was. I’m in love and finally happy. Can you respect that?”
The line went dead. Valerie took a deep breath and ran her hands over her arms. She gave it a few minutes in case the phone rang again. When it didn’t ring for a while she stood up, and leaned into the cubicle next to her as she walked by. “I’m taking a break, so go ahead and answer the main line if it rings.”
Andrew, the agent in the cubicle, nodded and gave her the thumbs up as he sipped his coffee.
She was still thinking about what Bruce said when she walked into Luke’s office. Her expression must have looked as anxious as she was feeling, because Luke immediately asked if something was wrong.
“I don’t think it’s going to work out.” She stood awkwardly in the middle of his office.
“What’s not going to work out?”
“Me and you. I have too much going on in my head right now. I don’t think it’s fair to you.”
Luke leaned back in his chair and fiddled with his pen. “Don’t use me as an excuse, Valerie. I told you I’m willing to be patient.”
Valerie shifted her weight from one leg to the other, beginning to wonder why she’d gotten out of bed that morning. “Okay, I’m just not ready for a relationship right now. And to be honest, I really don’t think this is a good idea.” She gestured toward the door. “If anyone out there gets wind of us, it’s not gonna to be pretty. I think its best we just remain friends.”
Valerie wished he would just agree, so she could get out of there already. But the expression on his face said otherwise.
“I disagree. I think you
are
ready for a relationship, obviously not a sexual one… yet. But like I said, I’m willing to wait.” He tossed his pen on the desk. “As far as anyone finding out, how would they?”
Only because Bruce calling the office again was a definite possibility, she decided to fill him in on it. She explained briefly the latest incidents with Bruce, and the phone call she just received. Luke wasn’t happy.
“I could care less about him calling here and saying anything, but maybe you should think about getting a restraining order on the guy. He sounds dangerous.”
Valerie nodded, hoping that was the end of it. “I still think you’re making a mistake about us, Valerie. I really wish you’d reconsider.”
No way was she having this conversation again. “No, I’m sure, Luke. I’m sorry. I really think it’s best this way. I hope this doesn’t affect our business relationship. I’ll get the tickets to the seminar back to you tomorrow.”
She started toward the door, angry at herself that she’d forgot them. He’d asked her hold onto them for safekeeping. She planned to avoid any private conversations with him from here on. Giving him the tickets back would inevitably incite one. Maybe she could mail them to him.
“Keep your ticket, Val. I know how much you want to see him. It was a gift. I don’t want it back. You can have the suite too, if you want.”
Valerie turned around, his wounded tone adding to her guilt. “Thanks. I’ll get your ticket back to you, but I’ll pass on the suite. You probably still have time to cancel it.”
She packed up and headed out. From here on she’d be spending a lot of her time outside of the office, at least for a while.
*
More than week had passed since Valerie had broken things off with Luke. She managed to stay busy out of the office the whole time. After another busy day of showing properties, she was on her way home when Sarah called her.
“Hey, Sarah.”
“Valerie, please tell me you don’t have plans for this weekend.”
The only plans Valerie had were to sit and veg in front of the television, and as usual, work on the painting.
“Why?”
“Answer the question.”
Valerie was cautious. “Not anything solid.”
“Good. Since Romero and Eric didn’t get to do their stupid bachelor party,” Sarah giggled, “the guys came up with something else.”
Valerie couldn’t help sniggering herself. She remembered Sarah calling her, worried about the guys planning a bachelor party in Vegas. With Angel not really being a drinker, she wasn’t sure how he would handle himself, drunk, around strippers.
Valerie had come to the rescue. She had a plan that would have Angel canceling his own party. The thought of Alex around a bunch of money-hungry whores didn’t sit well with her either. Knowing Sofia couldn’t be too thrilled about Eric taking off to Vegas and partying with a bunch of strippers, she gave her a call. Valerie made sure to clue her in and asked her to lay it on thick about Sarah’s bachelorette party when she mentioned it around Angel.
Lay it on she did. The next day Sarah called Valerie, laughing so hard Valerie could barely understand her. She told her that Angel overheared her and Sofia talking about the party, and the hot “cop” that would be making an appearance to frisk the bride-to-be. Angel had immediately taken her aside to propose canceling both parties. Sarah and Valerie still got a good laugh about it. This should be interesting. “What did they come up with?”
“Since everything has been so formal up until now, they want just friends, no older folks, no distant family members. Just a younger crowd of singles getting together casually to enjoy one of our lasts weekends being single.”
Valerie had to smile. Sarah had been far from single ever since Angel staked his claim on her in high school. But she didn’t say anything.
“That actually sounds kind of nice.” Then it hit her. Alex would be there. “Wait.”
“No, no wait. I know what you’re going to say.”
“Sarah, you don’t understand, it’s so hard to be around him.”
“I know, sweetie, but he’s Angel’s brother. We can’t
not
invite him. And you’re my maid of honor, Val. It just wouldn’t be the same without you. We’re not even going to be in an enclosed space. It’s going to be a bonfire at the beach, for old times.”
Valerie sighed. “Okay, I guess.”
“Yay! Are you bringing Luke?”
“No.” She hesitated. “He’ll be out of town this weekend.”
As much as she trusted Sarah not to tell Alex she wasn’t seeing Luke anymore, she had a feeling Sarah told Angel everything. She still needed to arm herself with at least a fake boyfriend if she had to be around Alex. The restaurant incident proved just how weak her resistance to him still was. She still didn’t trust that she wouldn’t give in if he tried to talk her into even one night with him.
When she got home, Isabel was in the kitchen cooking. It smelled delicious.
Valerie’s eyes grew wide and, she smiled excited. “Are you making albondigas?”
It was one of Isabel’s specialties and Valerie’s favorite Mexican meatball soup. She hadn’t made it in a while.
Isabel smiled at her. “I kind of made Romero mad. So, when it was all said and done and he was over it, he said I owed him albondigas because I’d bragged once that my albondigas were to die for.” She smiled at Valerie. “He’s coming over for dinner.”
“But you made enough for me too, right?” Valerie rushed over to peek into the soup Isabel was stirring.
Isabel laughed. “Of course. I told him it was your favorite. He said he’s seen you eat, and I better make enough for an army.”
“Ha ha.” Valerie leaned against the counter. “So, how’d you make him mad?”
Isabel made a face. “Well, you know how I was telling you I’ve been trying to slow things down, because I wasn’t sure exactly how serious he was?”
“Yeah?”
“A few nights ago, he asked me about my family. I told him a little about them, he was really impressed.” Isabel stopped to taste the soup.
Valerie wasn’t surprised Romero was impressed. She sure had been when Isabel first told her about her insanely accomplished siblings. Isabel was the only one that didn’t have a master’s degree, but then she was the youngest and was still working on it. Her oldest sister Patricia was always on her about it.
“So, yesterday, I was on the phone with my sister Pat at Romero’s place. I didn’t think he was listening to my conversation. I told her I was home getting ready to take a shower. When I hung up, he asked why I lied about where I was.” Isabel shrugged. “I didn’t really have an answer. So, then he asked if I’d even told her about him.” Valerie watched Isabel sprinkle some more cumin into the soup and waited. Isabel turned and bit her lip. “I haven’t.”
“Why?”
“I don’t need to hear what I know she’s going to say.”
“What’s that?” Valerie thought she knew. Patricia hadn’t even liked Lawrence the professor. It wasn’t just because he was an idiot. It was because she felt he wasn’t ambitious enough. She thought that at his age he should own his own place by now, not still be living in an apartment.
Isabel rolled her eyes. “You know what she’s like. Romero doesn’t have a degree. He works security at events and bars.”
Valerie frowned. “But he’s not just a security guard, he owns the company.”
Isabel shook her head. “It won’t matter. I promise. She’ll say he’s beneath me, regardless. I can already hear her.”
That made Valerie mad. Romero was a hard-working honest guy, currently proving that the word commitment was actually in his vocabulary. Unlike some people she knew. “You didn’t tell him all that, right?”
Isabel shook her head. “No. I just admitted I hadn’t told her about him yet.”
“What did he say?”
“At first not a lot, but I could tell he was hurt. Then he asked who I
have
told in my family. He hears me on the phone with them all the time, so, he knows how close I am to all of them. So, when I said I hadn’t told any of them, that’s when things got heated.” Isabel sighed. “I told him he hadn’t been real clear about what
we
were exactly. I didn’t want to tell them anything until I was sure. Then he really blew up. He couldn’t believe that all this time I didn’t consider us to be in a relationship already. He started asking if I was still going out with other people. He made a really huge deal out of that and kept asking if I was sure about this or not.”
Valerie couldn’t help laughing. “I hope you said you were.”
Isabel stirred the soup some more. “Of course I am.” She turned to Valerie. For the first time Valerie saw the worry in Isabel’s eyes. “I really am, but this is going to be tough. My family is so nit-picky about this kind of stuff and Romero holds nothing back. They’re going to butt heads. I’m not looking forward to it.”
Valerie rubbed Isabel’s back. “Well, if they really care about you, they’ll just have to accept it.” It hadn’t hit Valerie until this conversation. “I think you’ve really fallen for him, Isabel.”
Isabel’s expression said it all. She definitely had. Before the shower, she would’ve never imagined Isabel with Romero. This proved the theory even further. Opposites did attract. Isabel had told her sleeping with Romero was different than with any other guy she’d been with. Valerie got the feeling she was holding back the juicy details because Isabel felt bad for Valerie. She knew the struggle Valerie had just trying to get so much as a flicker out of Luke’s kisses. Judging from Isabel’s past experiences with all the uptight guys she usually dated, she was probably enjoying the best sex of her life.
“Did you hear about this weekend?”
Valerie groaned. “Yes.”
“You’ll be okay. Romero just told me about it today.” Now Isabel’s eyes were the sympathetic ones. “I’ll be there with you.”