Broken Obsession - Part Two (21 page)

“From what honey?” Kristen asked in her Southern
drawl.

“From the man behind me,” Amber asserted, watching
Kristen’s eyes gaze at the rear. “No—don’t look, I know he’s there,
I can still feel his eyes.”

But Kristen did it anyway. The only man she saw
behind Amber and looking their way was... "Oh my, you mean that
sinfully handsome gentleman pretending to talk to some woman while
his eyes undress you?”

“Good Lord, it’s not that obvious, is it?”

“Oh honey, welcome that seduction, but by all means,
don’t let Tony see you,” Kristen purred while gazing back at
Eduardo one last time. “God help us all, the man is just too wicked
for words.”

Amber rolled her eyes and pushed along with Kristen,
passing her well-stocked bar. Amber hesitated, then stopped cold,
eyeing all the alcohol displayed on top of the shell: Scotch, Rum,
Tequila, Schnapps, Liqueur, Brandy, Bourbon, Champagne, Wine,
Cognac, beer and Vodka…
SKYY Vodka
.

Kristen was suddenly pulled away from another guest
and Amber was left alone—alone with her sobriety, alone with the
constant urges, alone with the painful, dull ache and alone staring
at all the enticing bottles.

“Don’t do it,” she heard him say behind her.

Amber felt her body turning around and eyed Eduardo
with his hands down his suit pant pockets. “Don’t do what?” She
asked in a seductive timbre.

Shades of their past come flooding back in tidal
waves; their blazing encounter in the copier room when they once
worked together, before their affair and before their supposed
devotion; those awkward heated moments whenever Eduardo was around
her or vice versa, one of them was always tormented with their
unsuitable obsession.

He stared at her for a few short seconds trying to
wash away the memory of their past and gruffly said…“What you’re
tempted to do.”

She aroused him. Good, she needed that little boost
of confidence, because Stacey was suddenly springing up behind him.
By the fire ignited in her eyes, Amber knew exactly what
she
was thinking. Stacey wanted to make sure Eduardo was still
hers.

“Oh honey, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Kristen
said, suddenly appearing out of nowhere and beside Amber now.

Amber sighed with relief and entwined her arm within
her friends and purposefully gazed into Kristen’s eyes and blinked
her thankfulness for the rescue. “Kristen Goldberg...Eduardo
Sanchez.”

“Charmed, I’m sure,” Kristen said awarding him her
hand.

Eduardo’s ardent smile amplified. “In no doubt you
are,” he said kissing her offer.

Kristen threw her head back in good fun. “Oh my, is
it hot in here or what?” She flirted with him, fanning her face
with her diamond-rimmed hand.

Amber was amused by her game and not a bit troubled
by her flirtation with her ex because Stacey suddenly flushed red
with annoyance.

“Don’t we have other acquaintances we still have to
meet sweetheart before we leave?” Stacey gushed, pulling at
Eduardo’s arm. But Eduardo wouldn’t budge.

Amber simply smiled at him then raised her eyebrow to
incline her grin. Eduardo stared at Amber’s lips as she bit down on
them. He returned her playful pleasures by presenting her with an
overzealous smirk.

Having witnessed the obvious fire between the two of
them, Kristen almost expired at that moment. Did he just make love
to her with his eyes? She pretended to faint and brought her palm
up to her heart. “Oh honey, where were you when I was searching for
a husband? I barely know you and I already want to see you
naked.”

Eduardo laughed along with her, “Perhaps another
time,” he expressed still aroused, feeling his body being pulled
away anxiously by Stacey. “It appears I’m being summoned, nice to
have met you Mrs. Goldberg.”

Amber watched Eduardo and his ladylove melt away
through the crowd of guests.

Kristen then yanked at Amber and pushed her into a
nearby corner. “You gonna tell me who that female connoisseur was,
or do I have to beat it out of you?”

Amber started to cackle; she hadn’t had this much fun
in years! She thought about Tony suddenly and how much he needed
Kristen’s financial support. “Would you agree to aid my fiancée in
his project?”

“That’s blackmail honey, from where I come from, we
shoot grafters like you,” Kristen spilled out, watching Amber’s
eyes grow wide from the intimidation. But she was already going to
offer assistance to Tony; his project was a first-rate
transaction.

“Are you really going shoot me?”

“Oh honey, relax, you’ve got yourself a deal, now
tell me who that man was; were you lovers?”

“No,” Amber suddenly looked down. “He was my
husband.”

Kristen noted Amber’s heartbreaking look. “Husband?
You mean you ravished that body daily?”

Amber started to hoot, “And sometimes even several
times a day!” She added, joking along with her. But that had been
the sad awful truth she had recalled.

“What a scoundrel, he didn’t even introduce you to
his lady friend.”

“That’s OK.”

“He’s still in love with you if you ask me.”

“No he isn’t,” Amber incredulously let go.

“How can you be so sure?” Kristen asked, peeping
around the corner.

“He’s getting remarried.”

Kristen watched Amber’s face turn from cheerful to
gloomy. “What about my friend Tony?”

“What about him?”

Kristen noted also Amber's shaky voice, “What are you
going to tell him?”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean honey, is that it’s quite apparent that
you’re still in love with
that
man, and I’m no fool you see,
knowing love as well as I do, Tony is head over heels in love with
my friend Amber.”

Amber gulped. She knew that. Now that Eduardo had
truly moved on with his life she needed to do the same. “You’re
wrong Kristen, I do care for Tony and I agreed to marry him. He’s
been nothing but helpful and gracious and kind and nice to me.”

“...But love honey...you did not once mention
love.”

Amber suddenly let the realization sink in. She
turned the corner to watch Eduardo hand Stacey her coat and head
toward the door hand-in-hand.
She still loved him
, she
realized. Never mind about still harboring resentfulness. Never
mind about what she thought and the reasons behind him leaving,
never mind about him being with another woman and she being with
another man and the feelings they felt towards them.

Amber closed her eyes instantly and envisioned Peyton
in his father’s eyes. That little frightened boy who needed her
arms around him for comfort and she never gave it to him when he
asked for it. Never showed him she was sorry…never showed him. Good
Lord, whatever she did, whomever she’s met, Eduardo is whom she
would always love! Eduardo Sanchez would always be her one and only
true love…

*****

“Tony?”

“Yes honey?”

“Would you come here and sit down next to me?”

He dropped what he was doing and ambled over. “What’s
wrong, love?”

Amber thought about all the days that she enjoyed
being his date for dinner and on vacations and business events. The
times they made love in the early mornings and kissed and held each
other till they feel asleep at night. All those comforting words
and in each other’s arms, and that made her start to cry. She began
to weep because she would miss his friendship most of all. She was
really going to miss Anthony Rivera. “You’ve been nothing short of
wonderful," she suddenly blubbered, "You’re such a generous loving
caring human being, and you’ll make a wonderful husband.”

Tony stared at her for the longest time before
saying, “But not yours.”

Amber then began to bawl in her hands when Tony
grabbed her body near to his and held her shoulders. "I won't let
you leave, you can’t. I don't care that you don't love me as much
as I do you—oh God, I love you
so
much!"

Amber continued to cry, “I tried Tony, I really truly
did. There shouldn’t be any reason why I shouldn’t be in love with
you. You’re such a decent man.”

“Please don’t do this,” he continued to plead with
her.

He seemed desperate in his beseeching but Amber
continued to whimper even more so within realizing how much she
still loved Eduardo. “Tony, I’m so sorry.”

Tony closed his eyes and held her body near to his
until he felt her body slip away.

Amber had to step away, her heart was about to burst.
“I’m only going to hurt you more.”

Tony tried to swallow through pain, “Let me be the
judge of that.”

Amber continued to allow her tears to fall. “I love
him,” she finally confessed. “I was never to meant to be with you…I
still love him.”

That following Monday, Amber learned from Victor that
Eduardo had been downtown mitigating a case for Yazmine and Amber
headed to Los Angeles to try to find him.

His name was everywhere and on everyone's lips when
she arrived when Amber also learned that Eduardo had been in one of
the courtrooms on the fourth floor from reporters talking about the
case.

Amber followed two other observers into the courtroom
and found an empty seat amongst the spectators inside the large
room.

Eduardo was in the middle of his summation when she
noticed he stopped in mid-sentence to pause to catch his breath.
Did he know that she was there? Was their bond still intact? She
watched him from afar as Eduardo spread his wizardry across the
enthralled forum. He was still magnificent; his words, his
eloquence, his demeanor, his rationale wherefore the jury should
acquit.

Before she knew it, the jury was being dismissed and
the court was being adjourned. Amber wanted to talk to Eduardo as
soon as he left but noticed that he and a few others had walked
across to the judge’s chambers. Amber then noticed the blond at the
seat next to the defendant, Yazmine. Her platinum tresses pinned
tightly into a power-ponytail.
Stacey
, she realized and
watched her from afar as Eduardo appeared back in the courtroom and
walked toward the two of them. Eduardo awarded a smile to Yazmine
first before setting his smile on his fiancé.

Amber decided that it was better to wait for him
outside and waited patiently in the hallway, while piles of
onlookers and media poured out of the courtroom alongside with
her.

In between flashing cameras and microphones, Amber
managed to get a good look at Eduardo while he stopped mid-point to
give a couple of reporters a few lines. She couldn’t hear what was
said, but the verbiage took all of five minutes for the media to be
satisfied. Eduardo then led his entourage of legal minds away from
the circus and headed toward the parking garage where more
reporters had been stationed awaiting anything else from the heroic
attorney and his legal team.

Amber was still only a few feet away and not once had
he turned around to notice her. Or had the feeling already vanish?
Eduardo always seemed to notice when she was around, he admitted
that once to her a long time ago. That he could always sense when
she was in the room and vice versa.

Eduardo did hesitate for the moment, only to converse
with one of his associates and took the podium again to give a
speech about the day’s events. Amber again, stood back with the
crowd and watched, as everyone was silent, listening to his reply
about his famous client and the vindication.

Amber nearly gave up when she noticed Eduardo leading
Stacey and another attorney to their driver and limousine. Amber
started to follow them, but held back until she knew it was a good
time to approach them, but Stacey kept hovering over him as if he
were giving her a piggy-back ride!

At that moment, Eduardo turned around but didn’t see
Amber surrounded by people walking in front of her.

Amber wanted to speak to him, but couldn't seem to
find him alone. That blond had her hand wrapped between his now and
hadn’t cut him loose. What, was she worried he’d run away? Huh!

Eduardo still continued to feel odd and out of place,
when Stacey looked up at him and wondered at his bizarre look.
Stacey placed a hand on his cheek and kissed his lips lightly.
Eduardo gathered her head and kissed her back. Unexpectedly, the
third attorney, away from Eduardo for a second, summoned Stacey
unexpectedly. Eduardo halted; gathered up some papers inside his
briefcase and then paused to see the crowd lifting to expose Amber
stationary before him.

For a split second he thought it was an allusion, but
then realized it really was his ex-wife. “What are you doing here?”
He asked with a mild smile embraced to his face.

“I-I don’t know,” Amber confessed, starting to walk
backwards. She wanted to cry in his arms, she wanted to thump him,
but didn’t, couldn’t, why? Was it Stacey? Was it the fear of
rejection? Was it
that kiss
? Good Lord...it was
that
kiss
! Eduardo was in love with Stacey now and he just declared
his affection for her in public by that loving flaunt!