One Day You'll Be Mine: Steamy Contemporary Military Romance (13 page)

Chapter 20: Natalia

It felt good to come back to Twenty-nine Palms, but not for the reasons one may have guessed. Hollis and I still weren’t lovebirds, but the normalcy of keeping my regular routine comforted me for now. Before I knew it, I’d be leaving again. Except next time, I had no plans of returning.

Kelli and I spent time talking about my decision to leave. She admitted she’d miss me, but she supported it wholeheartedly. “I want whatever’s best for you – and safest,” she said. “Besides, you didn’t complain about the sunburn potential out there like you usually do when you’re here.”

My boss was initially shocked to hear I was leaving. She thought we were changing bases. I didn’t go into detail; I simply said Hollis and Jordan would stay, but I wouldn’t. I’m sure she had a lot of questions about this decision, however they’d remain unanswered. My personal life had become scandalous enough, and I wasn’t auditioning for America’s next base telenovela.

***

Putting in my two weeks’ notice was scary, yet liberating. Giving myself the minimum time necessary to wrap up my affairs meant no turning back from my decision. Ro, Kelli, and I discussed the importance of momentum for keeping to my plan.

What truly terrified me the most, however, was telling Jordan and Hollis. I wanted to tell them separately, but Hollis was such a wild element. I didn’t know what he was capable of if things got ugly between us. I asked him to come home on time for a family meeting. I told him it was very important. He simply text, “ok,” and said nothing more until he came home.

I prepared steak and shrimp for dinner, pairing it with herb mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. I changed the seasoning up a little, remembering my cooking experiments with Rose. Jordan nearly licked his plate clean, and even Hollis had to admit the food was delicious. We laughed at the table and had what felt like a true family moment over dessert.

I sent Jordan immediately to shower once the table was clear and trash was taken out. It was close to his bedtime, and I had to prepare Hollis for what was to come.

“I think it’s time to take the next step,” I told him. “I’m moving out for good. And we need to talk to Jordan about this together.” Hollis simply nodded in response, and then excused himself to change his clothes. I would have questioned him changing without a shower, but then I realized he probably planned to shower at Presley’s house. He probably had an entire closet of his own there.

Breaking the news to Jordan would have been the hardest thing I’d ever done in my life – if Hollis hadn’t taken over. Instead of letting me speak to my son directly, and tell him about what was happening, he took the reins and made a harsher announcement.

“Son, your mother and I are getting a divorce.”

Jordan was old enough to know what a divorce meant, so of course he burst into tears, and became hysterical. He promised to be good. He promised to get all A’s in class and take the trash out every night.

My heart was broken two-fold: when he blamed himself for our very adult issues, and when my husband declared he wanted a divorce by stating we
were
getting one.

After putting Jordan to bed, I turned to Hollis.

“Are you serious? That’s it. You’re just done, and have no interest in saving this marriage?”

He looked me, stone faced and expressionless. “No. I don’t. You left and came back, just to tell us you were leaving again. Quit the dramatics and just leave. You’re hurting my son.”

I shook with quiet rage, urging myself not to go down that road of tears again. All I could think to myself was that I had lost the love of my life to this monster standing in front of me. Because of this, it wasn’t two seconds before tears started to fall, sliding defiantly over my cheeks for him to enjoy against my deepest wishes.

“Fine. I’ll leave. We can divorce. Just give me time to find a school for Jordan.” I turned on my heels and headed to bed.

“That won’t be necessary.”

I stopped in my tracks; inhaled. “Why not?”

“You’re free to go, but you’re not taking my son with you. And if you think you’re going to fight me on this, feel free to deal with the kidnapping charges I file. Unlike you, I have pull around here.”

He stepped closer to me, and growled in my ear. “You don’t want this war with me, Natalia.”

Chapter 21: Natalia

Three weeks had passed since that fateful evening. I was sitting in the cold lobby of an office building, dressed in a black ankle length skirt with a peplum top and black blazer, waiting for an interview. The posting stated the job was for a real estate assistant. Real estate wasn’t something I’d ever considered doing, but I heard it made money.

It was 10:50 AM. The interviewer was supposed to meet me at 10:30. I’d been sitting in the lobby since 10:15, hugging myself as lightly as possible so as not to mess up my outfit. I called at 10:20, but didn’t get an answer. The directory showed the company’s office, but you needed a badge to get on the elevator, which I didn’t have, so I waited patiently.

“The number you have dialed, 4-6-9, 8-1-8, 2-2-4-2, is not available. Please leave your message after the tone! Beep!”

“Mr. Arelli, this is Natalia Houston. We had an appointment at 10:30 at your office. I’ve been sitting in the lobby, and I’ve called you twice, once at 10:20, and once at 10:33, to see if you’re still available.” I checked my watch. “The time’s now 10:55 AM. I’m leaving the building. Please contact me if you need anything else, or are able to speak on the phone. Thank you.”

I clicked the phone, and stood, wiggling my legs to head to the car. I winced in pain. Stress had taken its toll, and I had a huge boil bubbling on the inside of my leg. IF I had my way, I wouldn’t have been anywhere near here, but indoors putting a hot compress on it, and bringing it to a head.

Thankfully, it wasn’t as cold outside as it was in the lobby. We were in the throes of November, and the holidays were right around the corner. I walked to the car with as much dignity as I could. My face was burning, with frustration and embarrassment. I hoped nobody who’d passed me on their way in to work had seen me sitting there foolishly in that lobby, waiting on an interview that never happened. I swore I could feel a thousand eyes on my head as I approached the Kia, staring at me, wondering who I was, what I was waiting for, and why I walked so stiffly.

When I calculated the time and money I wasted getting excited and prepared for this interview, including this overpriced outfit, I wanted to cry.

I’d been on a couple of interviews, but for the most part, it felt as if nobody were hiring. Everyone said they were, but I’d submit applications and get nowhere. Rose placed my name in the hiring pool for several positions at her company, yet as I feared, more qualified applicants snagged those jobs.

Getting away from the base on vacation was one thing. But now I was away for good, without a husband or son to come home to. Just an air mattress and an empty heart.

Ro text me as I was making my way back to her house. I called her and told her the interview never happened, and before I knew it, I started tearing in frustration.

“I’m so out of my element. I made a mistake. Perhaps I shouldn’t have left,” I cried. “I miss my son. I miss my security. And I shouldn’t, but I miss Hollis too, even if he is a dick. I should just pack up, and go back to California and just deal with life as it is.”

I continued venting to Rose, my emotions completely over the top as I struggled to follow my GPS on the highway.

“How close are you to the house?” she said.

“It says I’m 30 minutes away.”

Rosie met me at the house, pulling up just seconds after I’d cut off the engine. She honked and unlocked her car, signaling for me to exit mine.

“You look beautiful today.” She checked her makeup in the mirror and patted my hand. “I have the perfect place in mind for you.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes in disbelief. I love Ro, but just like Kelli, she never knew when to just let me be. Settling into the passenger side, I thumbed through Instagram and Facebook, looking for any images of Jordan I could find. Not old ones on my profile, but on Hollis’s or Kelli’s. I went through their profiles, saving the ones that caught my eye. Despite leaving him just last week, he looked like his happy, usual self. That only made me feel a little better, because it took a week for him to stop moping, but with each day, I was missing him terribly.

We pulled into the parking lot of Knife, a steakhouse on Mockingbird. I wasn’t really acquainted with the city yet, but I knew this restaurant was a place Ellis and Rose raved about. Ro dined on filet mignon with a side of green vegetables and a glass of wine. I ordered the hand rolled pasta with black truffle essence and a White Russian.

“A White Russian pairs well with that, right?” I asked the waitress, nervously. I didn’t want to seem out of place by ordering the wrong food.

“You’re fine,” the waitress replied. “Both are really good.” She leaned in to us, “To be honest, it’s about what you want, not what others think.”

“Thank you!” Rose, gave a mini-clap, emphasizing her approval. “Thank you ma’am!”

Turning to me, she said, “Natalia, I have no idea how tough it is for you right now, but I want you to know I love you. Ellis and I have your back. You’re still family.”

She patted my hand, and pulled it toward her as she leaned in. “It’s just only been one week since you’ve been out here. And albeit, things are a little tough. We’re coming up on the holidays, and most people are probably thinking about Thanksgiving more than they are hiring someone. But if you want a job, there are several seasonal places you can work at. If you just want to take some time to yourself and breathe, I’m fine with that too.”

I returned the gentle smile from across the table. “Thanks. I guess I just wanted this to be easy. I wanted to jump into a new life, clean from my old one, and be this super woman I realized I was when I came to visit. Reality’s setting in, and I just don’t feel so super after all.”

“Because you’re being hard on yourself. There’s so much going on. You still have benefits, right?”

I nodded. Hollis filed the paperwork immediately, but the divorce would take about 90 days to be completed. We’d been married for 16 years and had a child; it wouldn’t be an overnight process.

“Use the benefits you have now to see about some counseling and other options.”

“I didn’t want to use them for that,” I sulked. “I wanted to go see a fertility specialist.”

“We can do that too.” I furrowed my brow. She confessed, “Ellis and I are planning to start our family when he comes home.”

“I’m so happy for you guys! Unfortunately, that baby girl I wanted to have is nothing more than a dream for me these days.”

“Don’t give up hope,” Rose said. “You never know who’s coming around the corner. God blesses us through the storms in our lives.”

I took another small sip of my White Russian as the waitress came back and set our food in front of us. I took a bite of the pasta, and gave her a thumbs-up on the flavor. It was absolutely delicious.

Rose and I continued to chat. As we ate, the conversation’s heaviness shifted from its focus on my dark and crazy life to lighter topics. Ro’s libido was through the roof, as was her appetite. She devoured the entire filet mignon, and then ordered this bacon platter with different types of bacon.

I ribbed her on her ravenous, horny appetite. “Don’t judge me! I’m sexually frustrated for your freedom, and if filling my mouth with meat makes me feel good, I’m going to stick as much meat in my mouth as possible and swallow it all!”

She said that a little louder than I’d have liked. As a couple of tables around us turned to look, some chuckling at her raucous outburst, I turned red with embarrassment.

“Control yourself!” I hissed, looking down into my pasta, and pretending eyes were not on us.

Rose waved me off as she laughed and took another sip of her drink. “You’re way too uptight, girl.” She started coughing mid-sip when she kept laughing. At first I thought it was nothing, but she abruptly got up and went to the restroom, and left her purse behind, something she
never
did.

I wasn’t sure whether to follow behind her or not, so I waited five minutes before calling our waitress. I asked her to wrap our food up and give us our ticket. “I need to check on my sister in the restroom,” I said. “I’ll be back.”

I entered the restroom to find Ro, rinsing her mouth with palmfuls of water. I approached her slowly. “Hey, are you okay?”

She nodded quickly. “I’m fine. I just think wine went down the wrong pipe as I was laughing, and my body just reacted violently. I do have a headache though.”

We walked out the bathroom together. Boxes were ready at the table, as was the check. Rose wanted to finish her wine and a little more of her food before leaving, but the mood was totally gone for me. I was ready to leave before we caused another scene.

“Good afternoon, ladies.” Three gentlemen stood in front of our table. All of them were absolutely gorgeous. Wearing crisp suits and ties, it was clear they stopped for a lunch break, probably over business negotiations.

“My name is Desmond,” the leader said, extending his hand to me, and then Ro. He reminded me of Adam Levine, if Adam fused his body onto Colin Kaepernick’s body. He introduced the two men behind him as Marcus and Ty.

“We wanted to introduce ourselves to you on the way out. I noticed you were having a good time joking about your husband’s deployment, and as a former military brat, I paid for your meals to show my support. Thank you and your husbands’ for your service to our country.”

Rose’s face lit up. “Thank you sir! And it’s my husband who’s deployed. She’s actually single.” She winked at me. “By the way, I’m Rose, and this is my sister, Natalia.”

I turned beet red with embarrassment. I wished then and there I’d kept my wedding ring on me instead of leaving it at home. I hadn’t worn it in months, so there was no sign of a wedding band to argue against.

Desmond turned to me. “Well, Natalia, I’ll be. Today must be my lucky day. I was telling these men over here that you were stunning, but you had to be taken.” He smirked as he gestured back to his friends, who were obviously enjoying this interaction.

I blushed harder, wanting to shrink from my seat. I felt like I was being punked. Desmond was extremely attractive. Too attractive to be attracted to me. He looked like a celebrity. Didn’t celebrities date models? Shouldn’t he be lusting after a woman who looks like Behati Prinsloo? He had to be in his late twenties and I was almost halfway through my thirties and in the middle of a divorce. There was no way he could be interested in me.

And there was no way my heart should have fluttered when he said those words. Me? Stunning?

“Th-thanks,” I managed to stutter.

“No problem.” He smiled. Extracting his business card from his breast pocket, he extended it to me. “Here’s my card. Give me a call. I’d love to take you out sometime.”

I paused, unsure of how to respond. Rose gently kicked me under the table, and I shot her a dirty look as I gingerly accepted the card from him.

“Pleasure to meet you Rose.” He shook her hand once again. “Pleasure to meet you, Natalia.” Instead of shaking it, he took my hand, gallantly lifted it to his lips and kissed it. His warm lips sent a tingle up my spine, giving me a chill I hadn’t experienced in a long time. A soft moan escaped my lips as our eyes connected.

He released my hand, apparently satisfied with my reaction.

“Gentlemen.” He tilted his head toward the door, nodded at Rose and me once more, and was gone before I could blink.