Broken Obsession - Part Two (8 page)

“Are you free for lunch?”

Eduardo looked up from his reading. “No, I’ve got to
head downtown in a few minutes, I have a meeting.”

Stacey stood firm in the doorway. “Can you drop me
off at the corner of Robertson and Melrose then?”

Eduardo gazed into her eyes. Why? How the hell was
she going to get back? He sure wasn’t going to offer to pick her up
if that’s what she was hinting at, “What’s at Robertson and
Melrose?”

Stacey grinned and stepped into his office and
subsequently closed the door halfway. “Oh, that’s just an excuse
really. I’d like to talk with you in private.”

Eduardo tapped his pen on his desk and contemplated
his next move. He was suddenly startled by Jackie, his Legal
Assistant trying to make her way in side to side the half-closed
doorway, but Stacey was practically hoarding the darn entrance as
Jackie tried to squeeze her way through.

“Eduardo, I need you look at something before you
go,” Jackie suddenly spurted out, gazing at either one of them.

“I’ll meet you outside Stace,” he said looking at
Jackie now. “What do you need Jackie?”

Stace? Jackie thought; they’re on a first name basis
now?

Later, Eduardo and Stacey were in the back of his
limousine, on their way downtown. Fifteen minutes was really all it
took to get from Century City to Beverly Hills so Stacey better
spit out what she had to say or forever hold her peace.

Stacey cleared her throat followed by fidgeting with
her briefcase in her hand. Eduardo ran his eyes up and down her
body, she was nervous, Good God, what the hell was she gonna
say?

“Eduardo,” Stacey barely got out, her throat closing
up, “when we were younger...did you ever care about me?”

Eduardo gazed away and out his window.
Shit
.
This was not what he expected to hear! He didn’t want to rehash old
memories. He had to focus on the task at hand; he had to go to a
hearing for Yazmine’s case, “Of course Stacey, why?”

“Because when I look at you, I still see...
my
future
. We have so much in common, we seem to complement one
another and we still have incredible chemistry.”

Eduardo cleared his throat then shifted his weight
around in the limousine seat. “I’m unavailable Stacey. I love my
wife.”

“I’m sure you do. I’m not asking you to leave her,”
Stacey voiced, grabbing her suitcase with all her might. “I just
want to be with you...at least once.”

Oh shit!
He was really in trouble, and Good
God, he hated those words “leave her” in any form that was uttered
and by anyone. Eduardo looked around him and out the window again.
They were almost near her drop-off point. He couldn’t believe he
was really contemplating this. “I’m married to the fullest extent
of the word Stace…and I will never be unfaithful to her,” he
finally said, hoping she’d take the outlet.

Stacey swallowed her pride and stiffened up from the
limo suddenly coming to a brief halt. She waited for the door to
open and confessed, “Whether you realize it now or realize it
later, you and I
will
become lovers.”

Stacey then whisks out and shut the door behind her.
Eduardo at that time looked up and across at her behind the safe
tinted privacy windows of the limousine. Closing his eyes in
torment, his commanding prurient nature engulfed him all at once.
In the back of his mind, he knew she could be right.

Amber strapped Peyton into a car seat and drove up
Pacific Coast Highway on their way toward Malibu. Amber had a
surprise for her son and hopefully, Peyton would grow up knowing
the love and companionship Amber once shared as a child.

All her life, she’s had a pet of some kind. That
unconditional love and attention you could only receive from a cat
or a dog. When she was ten, she had a Cockapoo named ‘Candy’, when
she was twelve, a cat named ‘Missy’ and when she was in high
school; she owned a Cocker Spaniel named ‘Ciara’.

Amber’s longtime friend had a litter of Golden
Retriever puppies and Amber decided (without her husband’s
knowledge) that she would get their son a puppy.

They reach Malibu within twenty-five minutes and
Peyton instantly wanted to know where he was. “Where are we
mommy?”

“I have a surprise for you,” Amber said
excitedly.

“A surprise,” he asked, his eyes popping out.

“Yep, and I think you’re gonna like it.”

Amber took Peyton out of his car seat and dropped him
on the ground. She then grabbed his little hand and guided him over
to the door.

Madge Humphreys greeted them at the entry and Amber
gave her former neighbor a quick fond hug.

“I’m so glad to see you, gosh I’ve missed you,” Madge
gushed, kneeling down to Peyton’s level, “and how are you Master
Sanchez?”

Peyton turned a little shy and hid behind his
mother’s legs. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Madge raised an eyebrow, “My-my, such big words for a
little man.”

“His father,” Amber gibed, looking her friend up and
down. Madge Humphreys used to be Amber’s neighbor years ago when
she was still married to Victor in Granada Hills. Amber would
oftentimes gossip with Madge for hours about the other neighbors on
the block, various celebrities and the week’s current events. She
liked Madge simply because she was so straightforward, held nothing
back, told the truth always and was so darn proud of it. A straight
shooter, Amber used to call her.

Amber walked in with Peyton and eyed all the
luxurious furniture and the enormous glass windows that paraded a
beautiful view of the ocean and beachfront property beyond.

Madge pinched her friend’s arm and caused Amber to
shut her wide-open mouth. “We’ve moved up in the world now, haven’t
we?”

Amber then looked into her friend’s blue eyes; dirty
blond hair styled high on top of her head. She was almost as tall
as Amber too, nearly five ten. “I’ve been meaning to ask you over,
when are you free for dinner?”

“Come to the Palisades? What an honor,” Madge
relayed, holding her hand up to her heart.

“Stop it,” Amber guffawed, “I mean really, we want
you over.”

“How are
we
doing?” Madge stated, leading the
twosome over to the living room to get a better look at the waves
pounding against the surf.

Peyton climbed on top of the couch and rested his
little arms over the arch overlooking the water beyond. Amber ran
her fingers through his soft black hair as she sat next to him. “We
are doing fine, great in fact, I’ve never been happier in my entire
life Madge, I’m so in love.”

Madge choked back her tears and could instantly feel
Amber’s genuine tranquility. She cried like a baby when she heard
that Amber tried to commit suicide a couple of years back. Amber
was a good friend, and Madge wished to God that Amber trusted her
enough to confide in her about her affair. After Madge’s ugly
divorce, she moved away from the neighborhood and thought she’d
never see or hear from Amber again. Until last week, Madge was so
overwhelmed from hearing her voice, years of friendship passed
before her very eyes. “So he’s good to you?”

Amber sighed, “Oh yes Madge, he’s wonderful.”

Madge grabbed Amber’s left hand and held it within
hers. She didn’t want to look, but curiosity got the best of her.
She then overturned her arm and there it was; the three-inch scar
that Amber produced. A tear fell out of her eye. “Why didn’t you
contact me? I thought we were so close you and I.”

Amber rubbed Madge’s hand within hers. “It was
spontaneous,” she managed to affirm. “It wasn’t planned.”

Madge smiled, “It usually isn’t.”

Amber bit down on her lower lip.

Madge then eyed Peyton casually watching the seagulls
swooping down to collect fish out of the ocean, “And this little
miracle?”

“He’s my blessing,” Amber gushed happily, running her
hand across his head of hair again. “He’s gonna be four soon and
mommy wanted to give him an early birthday present.”

“Oh yes,” Madge added, “Where are those birthday
presents?”

The two women then stood up together, but Madge
instantly grabbed Amber again to give her friend a meaningful hug.
She whispered into her ear, “I love you Amber, I’m so happy for you
that everything worked out.” She then caressed her cheek and looked
back at Peyton who was anxiously waiting his early birthday
present. “Let’s go outside, shall we?”

Amber picked up her son and set him high on her hip
as she walked down the exterior toward a pen and instantly, Amber
could feel Peyton’s little body jump for delight upon her
waist.

“Mommy—puppies!”

Amber eyed Madge while her friend went to the
chain-link fence to let out the ten little bouncy, friendly, chewy,
pouncing collections of beige fluff. They all run out toward Peyton
instantly as he dove into receive them. He giggled, he twisted, he
grabbed—he tried to pet them all—his arms were full of fur and
Peyton was in puppy paradise.

“Do you like them Peyton?”

Peyton was sniggering continuously and bent down to
give a couple of puppies a kiss. “Oh yes mommy, I like them.”

“Which one do you want?”

Peyton froze. His eyes grew wide as saucers, “Which
one? I can have one mommy? We can tak’em home with us?”

Amber sat herself on the grass and straight away
three puppies dashed into her lap. A big huge smile surfaced as she
leaned over to pet two puppies with both hands. “Just one;
whichever one you want baby, he’s your birthday present.”

Peyton ran around the area and the puppies all
followed him; he stopped, they stopped, he ran, they ran. He was
having piles of fun. “I want that one,” he pointed toward the
corner.

Amber jerked her head around and lo and behold, a
lone puppy was sitting in the corner watching all the other puppies
joyfully wander about. He was quiet and still, hadn’t moved, but
started to wag his tail the moment Peyton walked toward him.

Peyton plopped himself on the ground and offered the
puppy his open arms. The puppy hesitated, and then gradually
strolled toward his new owner. Peyton scooped the puppy up in his
confine and walked him over to his mother. “He’s going to be my
patient.”

“Patient?” Madge asked bewildered, gazing at Amber’s
shocked stare.

“He wants to be a doctor when he grows up,” Amber
exclaimed.

“Good to know,” Madge pinpointed.

Later, Amber, the new puppy, Mrs. Lopez and Peyton
were all upstairs playing pretend ‘Urgent Care’. Peyton was walking
around with a fake chart in his hands while Amber heard Eduardo’s
entrance downstairs. She sprung to her feet and halted the fake
hospital with her hands. “Wait here, don’t anyone move, I want to
break it to him gently.”

Mrs. Lopez shook her head, “Mr. Sanchez said
no
dogs
. I told you he’s not going to like it.”

Amber snorted, “Too bad, the puppy stays.”

Amber then sprinted out the doorway and down the long
staircase to find Eduardo wandering about searching for her. When
Eduardo sees her, his arms go wide and Amber ran into them. They
embrace long and hard when Eduardo buried his nose into her
shoulder.

He began to kiss her neck but Amber backed away.

“Now don’t get mad,” she cautiously voiced.

“What did you do?” He asked playfully.

“Oh please don’t get mad—promise me you won’t get
mad?” Amber begged now, her hands flat together in prayer.

Eduardo took off his suit jacket and laid it down on
the foyer chair. He was feeling nothing but guiltiness lately,
spending too much time at work thinking about that blond; her legs,
her allure, the way she walked around confident and smiling during
the day. “OK—really, what did you do?”

Amber could tell his voice was stern, but there was
also something else in his face she just couldn’t place her finger
on. Amber let her intuition roll off her shoulders; she was just
too revved up to pursue his mystified expression. “OK...oh hell,
just come with me upstairs.” Amber subsequently grabbed his arm and
led him up the staircase.

Eduardo headed toward their bedroom, thinking that
they were about to make love, but then Amber detoured them into the
opposite direction toward their son’s room.

Eduardo walked in surprised to see Mrs. Lopez lying
on the floor, while Peyton pretended to operate on her.

Peyton’s eyes lit up within seeing his daddy and ran
to him instantly, “Daddy—Daddy! Look at my patients! Look at my
patients!”

“I know, I know I see her,” he laughed, scooping his
little boy into his arms and hugging his body near. Then, without
warning, he noticed the ball of fluff sitting on the right near
Peyton’s bed. The puppy started to wag his tail, but remained
seated; his little legs bent and twisted sideways, tissue paper
wrapped around one paw. Eduardo turned toward his wife and Amber
smirked, then beamed, shut her eyes and was about to burst with
glee.