One Day You'll Be Mine: Steamy Contemporary Military Romance (6 page)

It was a blow to my soul when he told me that. But the real blow came when he delivered a double whammy and said, “Your husband gave
me
those roses when he gave me this ring” – he hissed, holding up his hand – “and told me he loved me!”

Chapter 8: Natalia

I blinked twice.
Was this really happening?
Presley was indeed wearing a men’s engagement band; it was snugly wrapped around his neatly manicured finger. The band was a rich shade of gold, with a row of sparkling diamonds tucked through the center of the band.

“How long has this been going on?”

Presley looked around. “It’s almost midnight. And this is too much information to share with you on the steps. The hills have eyes and people are nosey. Can we please talk inside?”

Grudgingly, I stepped back and let him in. It was then that I realized I invited a vampire into my home. His handsome appearance was that surreal. As he walked past me, I smelled the faint scent of Blue de Chanel, the same cologne Hollis wore.

“Under normal circumstances, I’d say welcome, but well…” I trailed off, not knowing how to continue. “Just have a seat.” Presley nodded in acknowledgement, as if he too understood my position. Kelli’s face lit up when she looked at us, her eyes sparkling with questions about our unexpected guest.

“Kelli, this Presley,” I said, gesturing toward the man who’d taken a seat on the individual chair Hollis usually sat in. “That’s who sent the flowers.”

Kelli’s eyes sparkled, appreciative of Presley’s presence. “Hey!” She beamed, standing up to walk over and shake his hand.

“Not so quick,” I interrupted. “Presley’s sleeping with Hollis.”

Utter confusion took over Kelli’s face when she heard that bombshell. She dropped her hand midstride. “I’m sorry. What? Did you just say what I think you said?” She looked at me, then at Presley, and turned to look at me again.

“Yes.” Presley clasped his fingers together. “Hollis and I are
lovers
.”

“I need more sangria.”

“Sangria would be lovely.” Presley invited himself to the kitchen, following along after Kelli. I wanted to follow the stranger in my house, but my legs wouldn’t allow me to move.

I looked at the clock. 11:23 PM. Hollis wasn’t home, but a man alleging to be his lover was. In my home, sitting in his chair that we’d gotten as a wedding gift, drinking sangria with my best friend, from cups I’d purchased just this spring. For our home. For our family and friends.

All I could think to myself was,
how?
Hollis and I didn’t keep secrets. We knew everything about each other. We’d been together since we were teenagers. There was never a time when Hollis ever expressed interest in other men. Ever.

Kelli and Presley re-entered the room, each holding a glass of sangria. Kelli brought an extra glass. She set it in front of me and said, “Here. You’re going to need this.”

Still at a loss for words, I stood there, drinking Presley in. He looked like a Greek god, chiseled arms and muscles all over.

Kelli stepped up to moderate the conversation. “Presley. Thanks for stopping by. Can you tell us more about your affair with Hollis? When did it start?”

Presley spoke as respectfully as possible. “First, I want to apologize to both of you for springing up on your girls’ night in. This isn’t the way a woman wants to learn her husband’s cheating. Natalia, I’d like to apologize to you for calling you a bitch a few moments ago. It was disrespectful of me to call you out of your name. I was just upset because I realized Hollis lied to me.” He motioned with his half-filled sangria glass. “But hell, I realize he’s lied to all of us.”

Presley confessed to meeting Hollis during PT. They were in different units, but those units shared gym time. Small chats in the locker room, and a few run-ins around town and on base led to them finding out they had a lot in common.

“And it went from there,” he closed.

“And he never told you he was married?” Kelli said. “You live on base housing too, don’t you? You’re not married yourself?”

“My best friend and I are married,” he said. “She’s lesbian, has two kids from a previous marriage. She needs the benefits.”

“Did you know Hollis was married?” I said, finally getting command of my faculties again.

Presley looked me straight in the eye. “Yes,” he said, reflectively. “I knew he was married. But he told me you two had an ‘arrangement.’”

“What kind of arrangement?” Kelli asked. She cocked her head, and crossed her legs, ready to hear the madness coming from Presley’s mouth.

“He said he told you he’d fallen out of love a long time ago. But you both decided to remain married for Jordan, because you didn’t want to break up your family while he was young, and didn’t have anywhere to go if you left.”

“The
nerve
of him!” I was fuming.

“Natalia!” Kelli patted my knee. “Calm down! Jordan’s asleep.”

My hands balled into fists as I attempted to control my emotions. I could feel my face burning from Presley’s allegations. I looked at the both of them. “Hollis and I have been together twenty years. He never told me he was gay!” Gesturing to Presley, I said, “You don’t even look gay yourself.”

Presley smiled. “Not every gay man is effeminate or flamboyant.”

Kelli cleared her throat. “Let’s get to the point. You said you knew about Natalia. Why did you make yourself known now? Why tonight? Fuck that. Why should we believe you?”

Now it was Presley’s turn to become emotional. “Because Hollis was giving me the runaround about spending the night. It made me wonder why a man who wasn’t with his wife anymore couldn’t spend the night with a man he claimed he loved.”

Pain etched across his face as tears started to fall. He explained that he was all right with Hollis pretending to be just friends in public, as the military was an unforgiving place for homosexual relationships. But as things grew, he wasn’t content with having him just in bits and pieces.

When Hollis resisted moving things along because of the marriage, Presley realized he was being lied to. He called off their affair, telling Hollis he couldn’t be with someone who wasn’t going to be all in with him. That’s when Hollis showed up at his door one night, with a ring, and roses.

“He asked me to marry him after he retired. When he retired, he’d be able to divorce you, and we could live privately as civilians without military scrutiny.”

He looked down on his ring, fingering it as he spoke. “I was so happy, at first, but then I realized I’d be a fool to believe him at just his word. If you and he weren’t together, you wouldn’t need him to be home every night.

“I was going for a midday jog last week, and I saw your car outside her house.” He pointed to Kelli. “We actually live on the same street. I placed the flowers there because I figured it’d give me the answers I wanted. You guys would be happily holding hands in public or something, or there’d be no reaction.”

“So you were stalking me!?” I cut in, my voice shrill with disbelief.

“No. But your schedule and habits are predictable,” he said. “My job requires behavioral analysis and pattern recognition. You keep to a pretty strict routine.”

“Did you observe her when she saw the flowers?”

I did, actually. I sit at the end of the cul-de-sac. I watched you trip, use your hand on the hot ass hood of the car, yelp, and then scream with delight over those roses.”

He started to break as he said, “You looked so happy receiving them. At first I was amused, because I thought the joke would be on you. But the joy only lasted for a few seconds when I realized he was full of shit. He never told you anything. I was just his secret. The joke then, was really on me.”

“Why are you here then?” I asked.

“I felt we both deserved the truth,” he said, pulling himself together. “And to be honest, I’m in love with Hollis. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s the truth. No one’s ever made me feel the way he does.”

He paused, then added. “And I know he loves me too.”

He looked at Kelli, who said, “You still haven’t told us why we should believe you?”

“Your husband has a birthmark on his inner thigh. He screams ‘Oh Fuck!’ when he comes. And he adores foot massages.”

I gasped, and then swallowed. It was too much to hear, but I looked at Kelli, and nodded somberly. “He’s right about everything.”

By the time he’d gotten this all out, it was close to midnight.

“Where is Hollis now?” I asked. “Because he’s clearly not here, and you are.”

“He’s at my place now.” Presley hunched slightly. “I drugged his meal, so he’s going to be out for the rest of the night.”

“You what?!” I roared, standing up. I wasn’t a violent woman, and I had every right to be anything but loving toward my husband. But the fierce protector in me wouldn’t sit still while this man professed to slip my husband some kind of drug.

“Seroquel,” he stated. “Nothing illegal. He’s just going to sleep really hard tonight, wake up, and think he overslept. That’s all.” I stepped toward him, when he held his hand up and pleaded. “I promise. He’s going to be fine.”

Kelli stepped between us, shaking her head. “Natalia, sit down. Please. I’ve taken Seroquel. He’s right. It’s literally a sedative to the uninitiated.”

I glowered at Presley, who looked more and more worn and torn up as moments passed. The strong Greek god now looked like an abandoned child trying to be grown.

“How old are you?” I spat. I sat down when I asked, but only at Kelli’s insistence.

“23.” He said. “I turned 23 in May.”

I did the math in my head. May. That was right around the time Hollis started working later than usual.

“You’re wearing his cologne.” I said, remembering that Hollis’ Blue de Chanel was on his person as he walked past.

“That’s what he bought me for my birthday.” He spoke quietly. “I love the way it smelled. I didn’t realize it would help him mask his activities.”

“This sangria isn’t strong enough.” Kelly took her glass to the head, and then took the rest of mine. She turned to Presley. “You need a refill?”

“No.” Presley stood slowly. “I should get going.”

He looked at me regretfully. “I’m sorry you had to learn like this. I didn’t know he was still happily married. But I love him. I don’t know where you two both stand, but I love him. I just have to figure out how I’m going to deal with him when he wakes up.”

His audacity left me speechless and immobile. Without another word, he escorted himself to the door and walked out.

Kelli locked the door behind him, and then held me until shock wore off and I collapsed into a snotty heap of tears from the bomb that just exploded in my home.

Chapter 9: Rose

Ellis and I kept in contact nearly every day after the bomb attack. I realized I could never get too comfortable during communication with him.

I tried not to watch the news. Everything on there was involved nothing but negative information, especially regarding ISIS and their lethal behavior against various people they’d held hostage. How many times would I be able to stomach knowing an innocent person lost his or her life, simply because he or she had fallen into this group’s hands?

Things like that – Islamic extremists, terrorism – were why I was so proud of Ellis. He truly wanted to help the world, and he figured the best way he could contribute to global peace was by putting his life on the line for everyone.

I fingered my wedding band as I looked at the picture on my nightstand. It was a picture of Ellis and me, along with my parents. My parents were quite skeptical of our relationship. My father served in the military. He claimed he “knew” what military men really did when they were away, and he didn’t want me to end up hurt. My mother, in general, was just very protective of me when it came to men. They came to love Ellis over time, especially as they got to know the charitable, honorable side of him.

One of the reasons my father eventually accepted Ellis was his cultural respect. Raised as a white man in the south, Ellis wasn’t ignorant of race or cultural divides. He took things like cultural appropriation and “white privilege” seriously, not downplaying it, or shying away from issues that my father, a Black man who’d experienced his fair share of discrimination, brought up. While he never professed to know all the answers, he did everything he could to allow their conversations to be a platform of enlightenment, and often allowed my father the ability to vent in a manner that allowed him to feel “heard,” as he would put it.

My mother’s protectiveness eased when she grew to see Ellis was truly protective of me, and had my best interests at heart. Although she felt getting married before deployment was too soon, she delighted in our upcoming wedding. Since I was her only daughter, it only made sense that she wanted a hand in all the details.

***

We’d already picked out the venue, Villagio Resorts in Burleson, Texas. The luxury wedding villa had three ceremony sites, but I was in love with the lakeside wedding site most of all. The mansion was beautiful for a backup in the event it rained. Our package included the photography, videography, and catering. Finding everything in one place knocked out a great portion of my stress.

After we’d locked in our spot, the only thing I had to worry about – and my biggest fret of all in general – was my dress. I’d dreamed about my wedding day for a while now, and didn’t want to mess up a single detail.

And if anyone believed I was fanatical about it, my mother was even worse. She insisted on shopping at Nordstrom’s bridal boutique in North Park. As a Nordstrom cardholder, she shopped there all the time, and raved about the benefits.

“I booked your appointment with Nancy for 12:30 PM. Get dressed.” That’s exactly what she said to me when she called out of the blue on Saturday morning. She didn’t even wait for me to respond, just simply hung up. Since I knew better than to pretend I didn’t get the memo, I jumped in the shower and threw myself together.

Luckily, mom and I shared the same taste in style. Her stylist was very good in helping us find several nice gowns that we both liked. Although I budgeted $5,000 on my dream dress, my mother insisted I put my money away, because she’d pay for the dress.

“You can buy me those Balenciagas I like instead,” she winked. “They’ll look good with my mother of the bride dress!”

“Sure thing, mama!” I shook my head. Mom was always bargaining with me, but this was an offer too good to refuse. 

After spending the day with my mother, I was so excited to share my updates with Ellis. We decided we didn’t need to go too crazy on his tux yet. Ellis was really picky about his clothes, and he didn’t want an outfit he’d only wear once. He wanted his suit to last him for a nice long time, well after the wedding; and even though he already had a nice muscular frame, he promised he’d be working out even more while overseas, giving him the opportunity to bulk up some more.

“I want to look good on our honeymoon,” he said, flexing his muscle to the camera. “I want all the women like, ‘Oh my gah, that girl is sooooooo lucky! Her man is fooooine. Whoo chile!’”

I giggled at his lighthearted impersonation. “Babe, you are too funny. You know you already look good. I was already attracted to your boyish appearance and muscular body when we met.”

He smirked. “I know. I look good now, but wait ‘til I get back. I’ma pick you up, carry you over the threshold and ravish every inch of you.”

Biting my lip, I leaned into the camera. “I’d love that.” My sexy attempt was cut short with a yawn. I stretched out across the bed and readjusted the angle, laying on my side. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” He laid down on his bed. It was daytime over there, so I could see him clearly. He gazed into the camera. “I miss seeing you like this. Relaxed and ready to fall asleep.”

“Really? Watching me sleep is boring.”

“Maybe to you. I love it. You look so beautiful and at peace.”

“Until I start snoring,” I joked.

He maintained that dreamy gaze. “Even then you’re beautiful. Every day that I’m away from you does a number on me. Thinking of you keeps me going. Dreaming of you keeps me pushing. Being with you again? That’s what keeps me alive out here.”

You know that ticklish sense of flight you get in your chest when you hear someone tell you they love you for the first time? That’s pretty much exactly what happened here. Except it wasn’t a fleeting feeling. The sensation of those words filled my soul and stuck to my ribs like a good meal. There were so many days I felt lost without Ellis, and knew demanding him to “think of me” or even be romantic would be a little too much for our current situation.

A tear escaped my eye as I blew a kiss at him. “I love you babe.”

“I love you too.”

“…I have a question.” Looking at him, and being in this moment, I felt vulnerable, yet fearless. “I know we wanted to wait a little. But… can we start working on our family when you come back?”

He smiled. “Of course. What’s the rush?”

“Life is crazy. We’re never promised tomorrow. You’re the man of my dreams, and I don’t want to lose you ever. Having you so close, yet so far away has made me realize I want it all with you. The house, the cars, the kids – everything. And we’re waiting… but we shouldn’t have to.”

There was a reflective silence on his end. “We waited because you wanted to, honey. I’ve always been ready to give you that white picket fence and those 2.5 minions.” He paused again. “Just think on it a little more. We have so much to do when I come back. I’m sure you don’t want to ruin your honeymoon figure with a baby bump, so soon, do you?”

“It’ll be worth it,” I said. “Completely worth it.” I closed my eyes. “Baby?”

“Hmm?”

“Tell me more.”

“More about what?”

“Us. Our future. Everything that’s going to happen when you come back?”

I listened to Ellis’ sweet baritone. He talked about getting a house in San Antonio, where I’d live with him when he came back. He talked about moving to another base outside of Texas if he eligible to PCS, or permanently change stations. He discussed our two kids, Ellis Jr. and Ella, and how they’d be well-behaved until puberty. I snickered at those name choices, because of course he would choose those names for his children.

As he continued on and on, I whispered, “More, tell me more…” until I finally started to fall asleep. I barely heard him say, “Goodnight baby. I love you” before completely drifting away into slumber.