Sara's Unyielding Lover (The Lovers Series) (16 page)

Sara held it together through the club and parking lot but
once she got in Jo Ann’s car she broke into fitful sobs. She covered her face
with both hands bent over in the seat while rivers of tears flowed down her
face. Jo Ann started the car and they left, she waited a couple of minutes
before she asked what was wrong. She wanted to give Sara a bit to calm down. Jo
Ann spoke keeping her voice soft and calm.

“Sara, can you tell me what happened? I’m really worried and
I don’t know what’s wrong which is making me worry that much worse.” Pointing
to her glove box. “There are tissues in there.”

Sara reached forward to open the glove box and retrieve the
tissues. She wiped her face, under her eyes removing the smudged mascara and
then blew her nose. She stopped crying thou her body still trembled. Her voice was
horse from her crying her eyes were empty her face blank numb from her pain.

“I saw them.”

“Saw who Sara?” Jo Ann thou driving kept glancing every so
often at Sara.

“Eric and Tracy, they were in the bathroom hallway, he was
holding her and they were kissing.”

“No fucking way! Oh my God Sara, I’m so sorry.”

Sara didn’t say any more, she just stared out the window.
Her phone began to chime as text message after txt message came, she ignored
them all. Then her phone began to ring, she shut it off.

“Can I stay at your place tonight?”

Jo Ann looked over to Sara she was still just staring out
the window.

“Yes of course you can.”

“Thank you.”

The rest of the car ride to Jo Ann’s condo was silent.

                                                           
***

“What are you talking about Brianna?” His was short, curt
and his face had set with a grimace. “What happened?”

“She went to go to the bathroom before dancing some more
with her friend. She came back crying and asking her friend to take her home.”
Brianna was practically spitting the words at him with vehemence.
 

“Shit!” He put he hands on the bar leaning with his head
down.

“What did you do?” Brianna had crossed her arms with a scowl
on her face waiting for his reply.

“Gio told me what happened in the car ride over here.”

Brianna was confused now “Gio? How’d Gio Know?”

After downing his next shot Gio explained “Jo Ann told me
when we were dancing.”

“Any way I was confronting her on what she said telling her
like it is she kept refusing to believe what I was saying then she kissed me,
but I pulled her off and pushed back.”

Matt who had been sitting silent this whole time finally
spoke but whether he was talking to Eric or to himself was uncertain because he
was looking down at his beer and his voice was low.

“Sounds to me like she saw the kissing and not the pushing.”

“Shit!” Eric yelled again, he pulled out his phone and
started texting Sara.

Brianna with one eyebrow raised her arms still crossed her
tone of voice accusatory “How long did it take you to push her away? Because
I’m pretty sure if it was immediately then Sara would have seen it.”

Eric gave her a scathing look. “Shut the fuck up you weren’t
there.” Sara wasn’t responding to text, so he tried calling it went straight to
voice mail.

“Excuse me.” Eric called lifting his hand trying to get the
bartenders attention.

“Yes sir, another round?”

“No I want to settle my tab and add whatever theirs is to
mine.” He handed over his credit card. When the bartender returned with his
receipt he threw down a fifty for a tip. “Come on it’s time to go.”

They all collectively got up to leave Matt took one last
swig of his beer and Brianna handed over her phone number to the bartender
she’d been talking to all night.

As they were loading up into Matt’s Tahoe Gio noticed that
Tracy wasn’t with them.

“Hey where’s Tracy?”

Matt shrugged not knowing.

Brianna’s replied with an uninterested tone. “Who cares.”

Eric climbing into the front seat informed them “She took a
cab home.”

Brianna looked to Eric appalled her voice shrill. “You mean
you’re still gonna let her stay with you!?”

Eric slamming the door shut glaring at Brianna. “No I told
after tonight she should find somewhere else to stay.”

The ride back to Eric’s house was quiet. Gio having drunk 4
beers and 6 shots fell asleep. Matt was messing around on his phone and Brianna
just kept shooting evil looks at Eric, Eric kept trying to get ahold of Sara
but it was no use she probably turned her phone off and he never did get Jo Ann’s
number. Next to the people she worked with Sara didn’t know anyone so there was
no one he could call to find out where she was or get a message through.

Once they arrived at Eric’s Brianna tossed the keys to Matt
and with nothing more than a “Bye” thrown over her shoulder she got in her car
and left. Gio was still asleep in the back. Matt looked to his brother sleeping
in his car than at Eric. “Hey do you mind if we crash on your couch. He’s out
of it and I’m only buzzed but don’t want to risk it.”

As Eric was digging out his keys to his car he looked at
Matt when he answered. “Yeah that’s fine you know where extra blankets and
stuff is.” He then started walking towards his car.

Matt called out after him. “You’re not going to drive to her
place are you?”

Eric stopped. “Yeah why?”

Matt seemed to contemplate on what he was gonna say he
didn’t want to pissed Eric off but he needed to be honest so he chose his words
carefully. “Ok well 1
^st
you’ve had what 5-6 beers, yeah you’re not
drunk but if you get pulled over you’ll probably blow at legal or just above, 2
^nd
what are the chances she’s actually gonna talk to you tonight, you didn’t see
her man she was beyond just being upset. She’s not answering your calls or
texts, I say you let her cool down and fix this tomorrow.”

Eric didn’t want to listen but he did have a point.

“Yeah ok you’re right, let’s get Gio in the house.”

With a stupefied Gio in between them they walked up the pathway
and went inside. All the lights were off so Eric assumed either Tracy was
sleeping or she wasn’t here. They laid Gio down onto Eric’s tan microfiber sofa;
Eric walked down the hall to get extra blankets and pillows from the linen
closet. When he came back Matt was asleep on his recliner, fully laid back. He
placed the pillows and blankets on the love seat if they got cold they could
stand up and get them.

His mind was full of thoughts of Sara, what she must have
seen, how badly she must have hurt and how now she probably doesn’t trust him;
she probably put him in the same classification of her dick husband, cheaters.
He tried her phone once again and got no answer. He decided to just rinse off
get into bed and go to sleep; he would straighten this out tomorrow.

“Jo Ann, do you mind if we stop at my place so I can get a
change of clothes?” Sara’s face was blank her voice void of any feeling.

“Yeah that’s no problem at all.” Jo Ann felt so bad for Sara
and she was pissed at Gio for lying to her.
“What
a prick, so much for I would even break the bro code because Sara’s so nice
blah blah blah next time I see him he’s getting a kick to the balls.”

Jo Anna pulled into Sara’s parking lot and parking in the
visitors spot; placing the car in park she turned to Sara. “Do you want me to
walk in with you?”

“No I’ll be right back five minutes.” With that she opened
the car door and got out. Jo Ann watched Sara walk to her apartment through her
rear view mirror. Ten minutes later Sara came back to the car wearing black
yoga pants and a plain black t-shirt; she was carrying a black and white
checkered tote. She opened the back door threw in her tote, shut the door then
got in the passenger side.

“Ready?”

“Yeah, I know I said just tonight but would you mind if I
stayed the weekend?”

“Of course not.”

“Thanks.”

“Do you want to hit up a 7/11 and get some ice cream and
comfort food or just head in?”

“Just head in tonight, but I will want warm donuts in the
morning.”

“Deal.”

Pulling into her driveway Jo Ann hit her clicker for her
garage door to open. Pulling inside she shut the door behind them and then turned
the car engine off. She turned to Sara and let out a big sigh.

“I’m sorry this was such a shitty night for you.”

Sara let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Yeah here I was wearing a
skirt expecting to get taking up against the wall again; not walking to the
bathroom and watching my boyfriend make-out with his so called ex-hook up.”

“Yeah I know let's get upstairs. Do you know I even told Gio
what that bitch was saying in the car on the ride down and he assured me that
there was nothing going on between them; he even said if there was he'd brake
the bro code because you're too nice to be messed with. What a fucking liar.”

As they reached the top of the stairs Jo Ann fished her keys
back out to unlock her door. As they entered Sara looked around the garage door
came through the kitchen her first floor was basically an open floor plan it
made it look bigger than what it was. And she didn't have carpet she had hard
wood throughout.
Jo Ann's decorating was very eclectic lots of bold colors. Sara expected
nothing less with Jo Ann's personality.

“Your condo is beautiful Jo Ann.”

“Thanks there's a half bath there under the stairs the
bedrooms are up stairs. You want something to snack on or drink?”

“No I'd just like to lay down.”

“Ok I'll show you to my guest room slash office.”

Up the stairs they went Jo Ann stopped at the first door.

“Ok so this is your room there is a connecting door to the
bathroom which also has a connecting door to my bedroom so when you're using
the bathroom just lock my door and unlock when you're done. Easy peasy since I
use this as my office as you can see I don't have a bed but that is a futon, I
know doesn't look like a regular futon that's why I liked it so much it really
looks like a blocked couch. Anyway it is very comfortable to sleep on. In that
closet you’ll find sheets and pillows.” Jo Ann pulled Sara in for a hug. “I'm
really sorry honey.”

“Do all men cheat or is it just my luck?”

“Not all men cheat but I'm not gonna lie dating is hard; for
every five bad fish you catch and throw back you fish out one good one. And
even then it might not last. Ok I'm going to rinse off and go to bed night sweetie.”

“Night Jo and thank you.”

“There's nothing to thank me for I'm a friend I'm here for
you.”

When Jo Ann left the room Sara just stood there for a moment
processing everything that had happened, her mind churning out random thoughts
as she started to make her bed.

“I got over Michael
and I was with him ten years.”

“I'll get over Eric
it's been two weeks with him.”

“But in those two
weeks I experienced more passion and love than I did in ten years with Michael.”

“I didn't know I was
such a sensual person or that I would actually enjoy being a little dominated.
Eric brought that out showed me that.”

“And he's probably
shown plenty of other women too. He lied to me even knowing why I was divorced.”

“He used me because I
was venerable weak. I said I wasn't gonna be a door mat any more yet I just let
him plow right over me.”

As her thoughts got more toxic she shook her head to clear
it. She wasn't going to think about it she was going to lock it away and move
on.
 
Finished
with making the bed Sara turned out the lights and went to sleep. She tossed
and turned most of the night but around 4 am she fell into a fitful sleep.
                                                           
***

Eric woke early considering how late he went to bed. But he
wasn't really able to sleep so he got out of bed showered and dressed ready to
go to Sara's to fix this mess.
 
Walking into his living room he saw his two cousins
were still sleeping, they hadn't even used the blankets and pillows he'd taken
out for them. He went to his kitchen to make some coffee before he left he
needed some very strong coffee to keep him up and alert.
The aroma of his dark roast
coffee wafted into the living room. Matt slowly began to wake.
 
He
stretched out his arms and legs twisting his back. In a gruff voice still full
of sleep he called to Eric in the kitchen.

“Hey man pour me a cup.”

He got up and shuffled his way to the kitchen where Eric was
pouring them both a cup. Taking a tentative sip Matt saw the clock in the
microwave behind Eric.

“Seriously man it's. 6 am. Why are you up so early and why'd
you wake me up so early we just went to sleep a few hours ago.”

“1st I did not wake you , you woke to the smell of the
coffee.
 
2nd. I couldn't sleep so I'm going over to Sara's.”

Matt set his cup done and looked Eric straight in the eye “You're
joking right”

“No”

Matt shook his head “Why is it a man such as yourself who is
so accomplished with women can't think straight with this one?”

Eric looked at Matt confused not understanding his meaning.
“What are you talking about?”

Matt pointing to his head and started to reason with Eric “Ok
let's think for a moment. She had a long emotional night, she most likely cried
herself to sleep like most women do. So she's tired and upset. And you're gonna
go knocking at her door at six in the morning. Most likely waking her up from
what little sleep she's gotten. You think she's going to be receptive to
hearing you. Or do you think she'll be even more cranky and pissed?”

Eric thought on that for a moment. “Alright fine I won't go
now.”

“If it were me, I wouldn't go over till she responded to at
least one of my texts. ‘Cause that tells me she's ready to talk. If she's
ignoring them then she's still either too pissed or too hurt to talk.”

“I can't just wait for that. I'll go over at lunch. And since
I'm up and don't think I can relax and wait patiently I'm going over to the
store I'll get some paperwork done.”