The Do Over (2 page)

As soon as we arrived, people came up to us, mainly Rick, and we'd socialized. Rick, though, had a tendency to be
friendly
with women. The only thing I'd asked was that he'd refrained from any playful banter with
her,
his ex-girlfriend. It really hadn't been an issue since we hadn't run into her in a long time, but last night, she happened to be at their old stomping ground.

When he saw her, his face broke into a big Cheshire Cat smile. He walked over, said hello and made the unnecessary introductions. Thank God I looked amazing. My silky top accentuated all my positive features and my low-slung tight jeans hugged me in all the right places. Killer pumps added four inches to my height. With my shoulder-length dark brown hair straightened and my scandalous smoky eyes, I felt hot and sexy.

Snaking my arm possessively through Rick's, I exchanged an all-telling look with her as we sized each other up. As far as I was concerned, everything was working in my favor. Resting my head on his shoulder, I smiled as I thought back to our appetizer from earlier in the evening.

He called me at work with the news that he'd just gotten a much-deserved promotion. We were going to spend the evening celebrating with dinner and dancing.

When I got home, he must've heard me fumbling for my keys because the door flung open. Grabbing me, he dragged me against him roughly. With that dimpled smile on his face that I'd seen so many times before, I knew what he wanted. He hungrily eyed my lips and then brought his mouth over mine. His tongue caressed my lower lip, begging for entrance, and I opened, welcoming him. The kiss was deep and passionate. As he held me tightly, our hands explored each other.

The restaurant where we had made dinner reservations was just a little over an hour away, so I knew we were short on time.

Suddenly, I landed on the bed with his body pressed over mine. Feeling, yearning, and aching for his touch. He gazed at me with wild desire as he held my arms up. He slid off my shirt, keeping my arms above my head, and then his lips traveled slowly down my highly sensitized body. Releasing my breasts from my bra, his mouth found my hardened nipples. He nibbled on one while his thumb and forefinger pinched the other.

Heat pooled between my legs as my desire peaked. I needed him. I couldn't wait. I didn't want to wait. "Please," I begged.

He loved how my body responded to him. "
Cariño
, I'm going to let your hands go, but don't move them. I want a little appetizer before dinner," he said. Grinning, he moved down my body and then lost himself between my legs. As he sucked on my clit, he inserted one and then two fingers inside of me. "I love how wet and hot you get for me. You're dripping."

When he found my spot, the pressure mounted. I couldn't hold on any longer, and the convulsions rippled through me.

"That's it. Come for me," he encouraged in a husky voice.

The look of lust and heat in his eyes was erotic. He knew how much I wanted him.

"Fuck, you drive me crazy when you wiggle your ass like that," he growled.

He loved the power he had over me. He knew how my body responded to his touch and how he could pleasure me. He loved how much I wanted him.

After he pulled down his pants, I felt his tip teasing me.

"Do you want me inside of you?"

"You know I do," I panted.

Hungrily, he entered me. The movement was fluid and perfect. As he thrust in and out of me, I brought down my arms, clutching him, as I wrapped my legs around his back. Feeling him deep inside of me, the pressure began to build again.

"I can feel you,
Cariño
. You're so fucking hot when you're coming," he growled sensually.

With that prompting, we both climaxed together. We smiled, knowing what would be on the menu for dessert later.

The sound of his voice brought me back to the moment.

"It was good to talk to you, Ely. I'll see you around." He slid his arms around my waist and led me to the dance floor. Leaning in, he seductively whispered, "What were you thinking about back there?"

Pressing my body against his, I put my head against his chest. "Your appetizer."

He tilted my chin up and ran his lips over mine. "Wait until you see what I have in store for your main course. You might not make it to dessert."

"I have a big appetite." I smiled as he lowered his mouth over mine and kissed me.

He pulled back and led me to the dance floor where we danced pressed up against each other for at least an hour.

Needing drinks, we worked out way out of the crowded dance floor, Rick went to the bar to get us drinks while I found us a small table.

When he returned, he handed me my Cosmo and set his drink on the table. "I'll be right back. I have to go see someone," he said.

With a drink in my hand and lust in my eyes, I watched him as he walked back into the crowd. This was typical for us. He would always talk to people. Being in sales, he knew everyone, including half the female population. I wasn't jealous. He would be going home with me, and I knew very well what we'd be doing in a matter of hours. As I brought the glass to my mouth, my lips curled, resting in that reality. It was as simple as that.

Then, my delicious grin went flat. I watched as he went to
her and
pulled her onto the dance floor.
What the fuck?
Everything happened in slow motion. Jealousy, anger, betrayal, and humiliation flooded my head. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe.
What happened to the air in the room?
I wanted to move, but I was stuck.

The glass slipped out of my hand and crashed on the floor as the Cosmo splashed all over my shoes. My legs were paralyzed while my eyes were glued on
them
dancing to fast music. Smiling and laughing, they gazed at each other in a very intimate way. His hold on her was all too familiar.

Trapped in a sea of people, I watched this exchange. I was suddenly the outsider. Sweat beaded around my temples. I needed to pull it together. I needed to get out of here. Tears pooled in my eyes. I was dying a slow death, feeling the humiliation choke my heart, while the rest of the world was oblivious.

The song was over in less than four minutes. It was the longest four minutes of my life. Even if I had the energy, I refused to make a scene. I wasn't about to give her that satisfaction. She looked over at me and smirked victoriously as she pressed herself into him. I put on a fake smile, but my eyes betrayed me. I wanted to rip out her stringy hair and claw out her eyes. I hated her, and I was
furious
with him.

He pulled away from her and made his way back to me, avoiding my eyes. Once he got to the table, he reached over for his drink. I laid my hand over his. Leaning toward him, I said, "We're leaving…now."

He swallowed his signature Black Label in one gulp and placed the glass back on the table. "No, we're not. I'm celebrating tonight."

Standing up and glaring at him, I demanded, "Do whatever you want. Give me the keys because I'm leaving."

He huffed, "Stop being ridiculous."

Me? Ridiculous?
My lower lip trembled, and I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. I was about to lose it, but I held my stance.

"This was my night, Daniela," he snapped, grabbing my hand as we left the club. "You had to go and fucking ruin it."

When we were finally alone, everything came out, and we fought for a while.

Although I did end up in his bed at the end of the night, we didn't have hot, steamy, and intense sex. There were no orgasms to pacify the resentment and anger. For the first time in the six months that we'd been living together, we were lying with our backs to each other in silence with a high and thick wall that seemed impenetrable.

When morning came, the silence continued all day until it was broken with his unexpected declaration that this wasn't working for him.

His eyes were pained, but his decision was firm. He stood up, running his hands through his hair. "I know you don't deserve this, but it's for the best. Maybe you should go to Macy's or Candace's tonight. I'll be out for most of the day tomorrow. You can get your stuff then or whenever you want." He reached out to touch my arm.

"Don't touch me." I yanked my arm away. My mind was spinning. Anger turned to betrayal and rejection as my heart shattered, breaking in a million pieces. I walked away, trying to hold on to whatever pride and dignity I had left.
What choice do I have?
I grabbed my belongings and started throwing them in garbage bags.

"You don't have to do this now," he said, watching me in my manic state as he stood in the doorway to
our
bedroom. "Daniela, come on, you can just come back tomorrow with your friends."

"Fuck you, Rick," I said, seething with anger. I was devastated. "Fuck you. I'm taking all my stuff
now
. You'll look back on this day with regret, I promise you. I was the best thing that ever happened to you."

Without another word, I packed the rest of my things and made several trips from the apartment to my car, ignoring him the whole time. When there was no trace left of me in
his
apartment, I took the key off my key ring and threw it at him.

Leaving for the last time, I sat in the parking lot, looking at my reflection in the rearview mirror. I made sure to sear this pain in my memory as my heart thudded wildly in my chest. Turning my eyes forward, I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I drove away. I held back the tears that I knew would come soon enough.
This hurts too damn much.
Resolving to be officially done with the hassles of a relationship, I closed my heart.

The sun was shining on a perfectly beautiful South Florida fall day. Under the blue sky, I felt a light breeze as I walked down Lincoln Road to find a nice table outside of Van Dyke Café. As usual, I was early.

I loved getting together with my friends. We were more like sisters, and I adored them. We'd known each other since college and have been best friends ever since. They couldn't be more different. Candace worked for the State Attorney's office and was the rule follower. Macy was another story. Breaking rules as a habit, she was an invitation to trouble. There was a little of both of them in me.

Our brunch was mandatory, an ordinance established by Candace. At times though, I'd get wrapped up in my book and resented the intrusion on my reading time. I'd always been a reader, but over the past few years, I'd become a voracious one. I would dive into my stories and become distracted in their dramas, falling in love with the romantic heroes each and every time. My love affairs with my book boyfriends were short-lived. I was a book slut. There really wasn't another word for it. Although, there were a few book boyfriends that had left a permanent mark on my heart. I'd blush when I thought of some of them. Books were my distraction from life. I'd become detached from all that was going on around me as I got lost in the world of fiction. I figured my hobby wasn't hurting anyone.
No harm, no foul.

Arriving an hour early, I secured our table and pulled out my Kindle. The weather was perfect, and Lincoln Road was getting crowded. We chose Lincoln Road because of the restaurants, shops, and entertainment. It was a people-watcher's dream come true. Between the models and the freaks, there was never a dull moment. However, for the time being, I was otherwise entertained with the drama on the pages of my book. I laid my purse on the chair next to me and kicked back my feet. As I began to read, I was ambushed.

"Oh. My. Gosh! Daniela Ruiz. I
cannot
believe you're here on a glorious day with your head stuck in that…
that thing
," Candace reprimanded.

Standing next to her, Macy was shaking her head with her hands on her hips. They were looking at me as though I'd committed a crime.

"I'm just here for support," Macy chimed in, shrugging her shoulders, as she flipped her hair back.

"Traitor," I muttered softly
.

They'd certainly surprised me. This encounter was the last thing I had expected.