Romance: The Betrayal: Romantic Suspense With A Bizarre Twist (2 page)

Nathan agreed that Jodi needed to get Justin out of her system before they could take the next step in their relationship, so he encouraged Jodi to make the phone call. Feeling better now that she confessed her feelings to Nathan about Justin, Jodi picked up the phone and dialed his number.

He answered on the first ring, and couldn't believe his good fortune that Jodi was calling him. "I want to see you," Jodi said, as soon as Justin answered the phone.

Justin was shocked, but elated. By this time, he and Chistine were barely speaking, and she was spending more and more time away from the apartment that they shared since the beginning of their relationship.

Jodi and Justin planned to go out for dinner so that could talk. Both were excited, anxious, but uncertain  about a future together. When Jodi saw Justin for the first time in three years, she was surprised that her heart wasn't racing, and that she did not have butterflies in her stomach. 

Although it was nice to see Justin, that intense spark of passion and love was not there. Justin, on the other hand, could barely contain his emotions, and started to cry when they hugged.

He apologized to Jodi for hurting her, but she was unfazed. The cold and uncaring manner in which he "dumped" Jodi always bothered Justin, but he never had the opportunity to tell Jodi how he felt. They talked about Justin's relationship with Christine, and how it started out so intensely, but then, over time, seemed to have burned itself out.

Jodi listened quietly as Justin spoke about how Christine was a workaholic, and how she never cooked a meal for him in three years. Not only didn't she cook, she never cleaned either. Justin finally hired a cleaning service to come in twice a month to tidy up, but he wished that Christine was a little more domesticated. She wasn't into the "housewife" thing, and she certainly didn't have any maternal instincts either. Jodi couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction while Justin was droning on about his faltering relationship with Christine.

Justin was the type of guy who enjoyed home-cooked meals, who liked a clean home, and who wanted to start a family some day. Jodi wanted to start a family too, but it was becoming more apparent to Jodi, that instead of wanting to start a family with Justin, she wanted to start one with Nathan.

Throughout the entire dinner, Justin talked about himself and his relationship with Christine. He didn't ask Jod what was going on in her life until it was almost time for them to leave.

Justin was certain that Jodi had been waiting around for him to come back all this time, and was profoundly disappointed when Jodi told him that she had met someone else. What made Justin feel even worse was when Jodi told him that she was falling in love with Nathan. Justin asked, "how could you have fallen out of love with me?" Jodi replied, " It took a long time, but I finally found someone who appreciates me, embraces me for who I am, and whose family loves me." On one hand, Justin was happy for Jodi, but on the other hand, he was jealous, hurt and angry.

How could he have let Jodi go? He knew what a great woman she was, but he let his mother's silly opinion of Jodi get in the way. Justin now realizes that Jodi was the "one that got away," and his hopes of finding his one true love have been dashed.

As their dinner date was ending, Justin felt that he had lost Jodi forever. He decided to swallow his pride and beg Jodi for another chance. He realized the error of his ways, and vowed that if she would give him another chance, he would do everything in his power to make her the happiest women alive.

Although tempting, Jodi gently declined. Her feelings  for Justin had changed, and she knew that she would never be able to love him like she once had. Justin wouldn't let up on his request for another chance, and Jodi, who kept politely turning him down, was getting increasingly aggravated by his persistence. Jodi once thought that the sun rose and set on Justin, but now, she was beginning to see his true colors emerge.

Justin had always been on the arrogant side, and was accustomed to getting his way all the time. He was spoiled as a child, and always seemed to have the upper hand when it came to relationships. If he didn't get what he wanted, he became pushy, overbearing and selfish.

Justin was sure that if he kissed Jodi, that old spark would re-ignite in her soul. Not only did Jodi turn away from Justin's attempt at a kiss, she was repelled by it. He no longer had the same effect on her, and in fact, she wished that she could have snapped her fingers to bring her back home to Nathan. She felt safe with him because he was so genuine and kind. There was not an arrogant or selfish bone in his body.

Jodi always lived on the edge with Justin, and always questioned his feelings for her. She knows that Nathan is in love with her, and only her. He is not on the lookout for someone better, or for someone who is on the same level as he is educationally. Even though Jodi doesn't have a college education, she is extremely bright, quick witted, wise and perceptive. Qualities that Justin never saw in her.

He criticized Jodi because of the way she spoke and because she never attended college. He wanted to pay for her college education so that she could "better herself," however, Jodi believes that he only wanted her to go to college because he was concerned that she wasn't "scholarly" enough, and that it didn't look good for him to be with an "uneducated" woman. 

Just to make sure that Justin was completely out of her system, Jodi relented an kissed him. The kiss soon became more intense, and Jod could sense that Justin was getting overly enthusiastic. Since she wasn't feeling the same way, she retreated. She now knew, for sure, that Justin wasn't the man for her. When she kissed Nathan, passion stirred inside her, but when she kissed Justin, she felt nothing.

Although Jodi felt guilty about kissing Justin because she knew it would hurt Nathan, she just had to know for sure if the excitement, love and passion were still there. They were for Justin, but not for Jodi. It was then and there, that she decided to say good-bye, once and for all. Jodi would never turn back, and would finally close that chapter in her life.

After a year had gone by, Jody and Nathan started planning their wedding. They were now totally committed to each other, and were living together. Jodi quit her job as a hair stylist, and was now working for Nathan. This allowed them to spend all day together, which they cherished. Some couples enjoy the time they spend away from each other while they are both at their respective jobs, but for Jodi and Nathan, working together in the same office works well for them. In addition to being soul mates, they are best friends, and can let their respective guards down when they are together.

Although Nathan is technically Jodi's boss, he never plays that card. He is also careful, however, to never show favoritism to Jodi in front of his other employees. He treats everyone with respect, and no one is treated better than anyone else. Many of Nathan's employees have been with his for years, which is a true testament to his character. Jodi is proud to be his life partner, both personally and professionally.

Jodi was getting excited for her wedding, and before the big day, members of her bridal party gave her a bachelorette party. Jodi almost forgot what it was like to have a good time with her friends, because the last time they all went out together, Jodi was in a funk over Justin.

She is grateful that her friends saw her through her ordeal, and is honored to  have them be a part of her wedding day. The celebration started off at a neighborhood bar where the ladies indulged in a few tropical drinks, then it was off to Jodi's favorite restaurant. The night was exciting and fun, and Jodi couldn't remember when she had such a fun time with her friends.

The merriment came to a screeching halt in the blink of an eye, however. While the ladies were enjoying their dinner and each other's company,  a familiar figure walked through the door. It was none other than Justin. He was accompanied by an older woman, who Jodi later recognized as his mother, Caroline. The two looked solemn as they were seated at their table, and barely spoke to one another while they dined.

Justin and his mother hadn't yet noticed that Jodi was at the restaurant, and Jodi wanted it to stay that way. She didn't want anything casting a pall over her special evening, but when she had to go to the bathroom, she wondered how she'd sneak past their table without her cover being blown.

After thinking about it, she realized that she didn't care if they saw her or not. She didn't owe either one of them anything and didn't even feel obligated to greet them. Jodi and her entourage made a beeline for the bathroom, but not before Justin's mother noticed them. "Isn't that Jodi?" she asked.

Justin was stunned and took this as another opportunity to try and win her back. It's fate, he thought. Yes, it was fate, but not in the way that Justin had hoped for. He stalked the bathroom door and waiting for Jodi to come out. When she did, he greeted her with a hug. Jodi tried to be personable, but again, she couldn't hide her disdain for Justin.

Jodi and Justin ended up having a brief conversation. Jodi was more than happy to tell Justin about her impending nuptials to Nathan. She then learned why Justin and his mother looked so stone-faced when they walked into the restaurant.

It turned out that Justin was the one who was now battling severe depression ever since Jodi didn't return his affections the last time they had dinner together. In fact, his depression got so bad that he had to give up his law practice and move in with his mother.

This was the first night he had been out in public in months. His relationship with Christine had long since fell apart, and he was having a hard time re-building his life. Jodi felt bad for Justin, and now wondered if his mother felt any remorse for sticking her nose in their business by setting him up with Christine.

Jodi and Nathan were married in a beautiful ceremony, and now have an adorable baby girl. Justin is still living with his mother, and has let his law license expire. He did get a job working as a handyman in the neighborhood, however, and Jodi has since shown pity on him and hired him to install a white picket fence around her and Nathan's sprawling new home. Karma at its best...

Bonus Book - Dating Strategies For Picky People

No part of this book may be distributed or reproduced in any way, shape or form, without prior written approval by the author.

The information included in this book is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. The reader of this book should always consult a professional to determine if the information in this book is appropriate for their own situation. Furthermore, if readers of the book have concerns or question regarding a particular piece of advice or suggestion, they need to consult with a profession.  The information in the book is not professional advice, and should not be taken as such.

Be Your Own Matchmaker

Are you worried that you will never find your soul mate? Do you seem to find fault in every person that you go out with? Well, you are not alone. Many of your fellow daters are saying the same thing: "I'm too picky."

For all you picky daters, this dating advice book will help you navigate the dating waters so that you too will be amongst the fortunate ones to have found their soul mates. Finding your life partner is within your reach. It really is. All you need to do is be more open with people, make some connections, stop being so picky and keep an open mind and an open heart.

If you really want it, concentrate on your desire for a life partner, and then get to work. I will show you what you need to do in order to achieve your dreams of connecting with your dream man or women. People do it everyday. Why should it happen for other other people and not you? You deserve happiness and a soul mate to complete your life.

While it is true that we don't need a "special person" in our lives to make it complete, it is nice to share our lives with someone. Remember, no man is an island. We need people in our lives, whether it's our life's partner, our family or good friends.

There are various levels of pickiness in the dating world. The best piece of dating advice that I can offer is that although it might not be in your best interests to be overly picky, having a healthy modicum of pickiness is always a good thing. You want to be careful about who you date, and later, with whom you choose to become involved with.

This dating advice includes being on guard for any "weirdness" that your date may exhibit, and taking things slowly when you first start dating. You want to get to know this new person, and not muddy the waters by becoming too involved in the bedroom, if you know what I mean. While in between dating prospects, think about what happened with your last relationships, and why they came to an end.

The important take-away dating advice message is that if you are too picky, you may never find that special someone to share your life with. If you want to quickly find your life partner in as little as 2 weeks, follow these suggestions to raise your chances dramatically.

Don't forget, if you're too picky, you will limit your opportunities of finding your mate, so if you can hold yourself back from being too judgemental and picky, the tides just might turn to your favor. Accept people for who they are, don't try to change them too much, put out a positive vibe, and see what happens! I know what you're saying! "It's not that easy to find a life partner and my soul mate." The reality of it all, is that it IS easy. You're just too picky about your potential prospects.

Just think about all the single people that you cross paths with everyday. Granted, some of them aren't suited to your wants and needs, but some of them probably are. If you look beyond physical appearances, their career choices, educational background and age, you'll substantially widen your dating spectrum and increase the size of your dating pool.