Trouble In Paradise (25 page)

“Earth to Victoria,” she said. 

Victoria blinked then focused in on her.  She giggled,

“What?”  

“What?”

Caroline mocked
, “You are glowing so bright up in here I should’ve worn my sunglasses.” 

Victoria laughed. 

“Tell me about this man that has you glowing like a full moon at midnight.” 

Victoria’s smile was huge
.  She spoke clearly and in a no nonsense tone,

“Girl, this man has me wide open, he does any and everything to please me and I feel he is genuine.  Look, don’t get me wrong men do know how to scr
ew over a sista that’s for sure but you can always sense when something’s not right and I get all good vibes from him.  On the Fourth of July we went to a carnival.”

Laughter bellowed from Caroline
.

“Y
eah you keep laughing, I know it sounds corny but we had a great time.  I felt like I was in one of the movies where the guy is a really nice guy, they go to the carnival he wins her prizes and runs off the little bad kids that try to pick her up,” she swooned.

“We sat in a field and watch the firew
orks, it was pretty awesome, fed me strawberries and girl it was really like something out of a movie.”

Caroline said, “You know that is really
corny.  What about Joshua?” 

Victoria’s smile faded, she let her head hang for a second then looked up.  She focused in on the bar straight across on the far wall, there was a guy standing there and a female was bumping
and grinding on him.  Over to her left at the bar on the far right there were two Jamaican men with sunglasses on in deep conversation, she looked back at Caroline who was still waiting for a reply. 

“I don’t know,” she said.  “Honestly our relationship has been tainted badly, the repairs we’re trying to do are not effective enough.  It doesn’t feel the same.  I still love him to death, I can’t even imagine being without him but when I think about the fact that his ex may be pregnant with his child, the fact that she tried to kill me more than once because he was still messing with her . . .”

She shook her head. 

“I mean it’s so childish and he should’ve known better.  I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get over it.” 

Caroline understood it was a sticky situation. 

“What’s going on with the ex-right now?” 

“From what I hear, the girl is going crazy, having more charges added to her because she can’t get out.  The judge denied her bail, the D.A. argued she was a flight risk because she lived in Memphis and was just down here on vacation, the judge agreed and she is still in there.  I haven’t seen her and don’t want to.” 

“Well, how do you know the pregnancy is real?” 

“I don’t,” Victoria said, “and it might not be but what if it is?” 

Caroline understood that too.  The waitress walked over with their drinks.  She placed
a napkin down and sat them in front of the ladies one at a time.

“You ready to order?” she asked. 

They both laughed. 

“We haven’t even glanced at this menu. I tell you what,” said Victoria looking at Caroline, “you want to order a basket of wings and fries and call it a day?” 

Caroline shook her head yes,

“Let’s do that.” 

“Ok,” Venus said, “what flavor?” 

“Mild,” Caroline said. 

“That’s fine,” Victoria stated. 

Venus wrote down their order, picked up their menus and said, “It’ll be about twenty minutes’ ladies.” 

“Thanks,” they said in unison. 

She turned and walked away. 

“Well,” Caroline said, “it seems that the new guy is all peaches and cream and the old one is out the door.”

Victoria moved her lips side to side,

“I don’t know
I mean Joshua is trying his hardest to keep me happy, he really is.  I mean he was the perfect guy to me before all of this happened so really he’s just being himself with a little extra added to it.  It makes me feel horrible sometimes when I look at his sexy face when he sleeps.  I know everyone makes mistakes but to be messing with that girl for so long makes me wonder about his judgment you know?  I mean, how could I really ever trust him?” 

“Well, just how long do you expect the new guy to wait?” 

“He’s very patient.” 

Caroline let out a sigh an
d took a sip of her Long Island.

“Well,” she said, “let me make a toast.” 

Victoria held up her glass. 

“Here’s to love and happiness, may we all find it, know it, and hold on to it whenever it comes around,” she clinked her glass to Victoria’s.

“Here, here,” Victoria said and they both took a big sip.

Chapter 29

Buzz.  Victoria looked at her desk speaker and hit the button. 

“Yes?”

“Ms. Mathis you have a delivery here, would you like for me to bring it in?” her assistant asked. 

“Yes, bring it in Megan.” 

The speaker cut off and seconds later her door opened.  Megan walked in with a bouquet of purple and white calla lilies. 

“Oh ok,” Victoria said
.

Admiring
the beautiful flowers. 

“Someone really loves you,” Megan said. “I was hoping they were for me.” 

They laughed. 

“Thanks Megan.”
 

Victoria flip open
the card:

“Wishing you were here with me always, G.” 

Her cheeks lit up in a deep blush this man was trying to sweep her off her feet and he was doing a good job at it.

“Calla lilies,” she said out loud.
  “Nice.” 

She looked at her wall clock.  It was four thirty, quitting time was coming and she was ready to go see her man.  Her desk phone rang.  She walked over to it and picked it up

“Victoria Mathis, how can I help you?”

“Hi Ms. Mathis are you busy?” 

It was Joshua.

“No I’m not busy, what’s up?”

“I miss you and wanted to know if I could take you out tonight.” 

She sighed.  How long would she keep this up, she couldn’t keep ignoring Joshua, he had been on his best behavior but she honestly felt a bigger pull towards Greg, she couldn’t help herself. 

“Um baby, I don’t really feel like going anywhere I’m kind of tired I think I’ll just chill out tonight.” 

Silence. 

She heard him take a deep breath and then he said,

“Will you be chilling out at home?” 

“I was thinking of going over to Caroline’s for a while, then I would be home but it won’t be late.” 

“Of course,” he said sounding
frustrated.  “Ok Victoria, when you have time for me let me know ok?  I’m starting to get tired of playing this game with you.  I know what I did was wrong but there’s only so much I can do to make it up and try and show you how sorry I am.  I love you and want to be with you but if you’re not willing to work with me than there’s no point.”  

Victoria sat down in her chair and let her head fall in her free hand. 

“So let me know when you want to talk about this,” he hung up. 

She sat back and dropped the phone in its cradle. 
Did he just hang up on me?  Joshua was right it was now or never. She was getting used to having them both.  What should she do, she still didn’t know.  Victoria wanted to hang on to her relationship with Joshua after all they were supposed to get married, but how do you come back from something like this.

“UGHHH!” she said. 

She started to get her things together.  Her desk phone rang again.  She looked at it and wondered if she should answer it or not.  She took a deep breath and picked up the phone. 

“This is Victoria Mathis
, how can I help you?”

She braced
herself for more of Joshua’s rant. 

“Hello beautiful,” Greg said. 

Her heart started to slow at the sound of his voice.  She breathed easy.

“Hey handsome thanks for the calla lilies they’re beautiful and I love them.” 

“I’m glad,” he said, “when I saw them I thought about you, but it seems here lately everything I think of have something to do with you.  What have you done to me girl.”

She giggled. 

“How about a romantic dinner?” 

“Where?”

“My place, I’m cooking for you.  Chef Boy R D Greg at your service,” he said. 

She giggled some more. 

“What time?” 

“I’ll send my driver to pick you up, how about that?”

“Here?” she said sounding surprised. 

“Yes, is that a problem?” 

“No, I just didn’t expect . . . “

“What, for me to want to see you every moment I get a chance to?” 

He took her breath away and she wanted him.  She was at a loss for words, her heart was being tugged in two different directions and she could feel the pull.  It was starting to break her in two because she really didn’t know if she could let go of either one of them.

“Ok, will you be in the car?” 

“No, I’m cooking remember.” 

“Already?  It’s just five.”

“Yeah, it’s a feast I want us to be able to eat by seven so we can relax later.  Can you stay?” he asked. 

“Yeah, I can stay,” she said, “I’m on my way out.” 

“That’s what’s up, see you in a minute.” 

   
They hung up. 

Victoria picked up her purse and briefcase and walked to the
door; she closed it behind her and locked up.  She passed Megan, “I’m gone for the day.” 

“I’m on my way out too,” Megan said.

Victoria walked through another set of double doors through the main hallway.  The front desk receptionist was gone already, Victoria smirked, at the end of the day people sure no how to get on.  She walked out and down the steps to the limo waiting across the street for her.  She looked both ways then crossed the street.  Once across she walked to the back door and the driver opened the door. 

“How are you today ma’am?” he asked. 

“Doing good,” she said with a glow on her face.

Sitting in the back seat
the driver closed the door.  There was an ice bucket with a single bottle of Krug 1990 in it.  A wine glass was in a wine holder next to it.  She picked it up poured a glass of wine and sat back, massaging her neck. A kick of her shoes and they were off.  She had to make some strong choices and wondered if letting this be the last night with Greg was smart.  She shook her head no, she wasn’t ready.  The limo pulled up in front of Greg’s condo and parked.  She swallowed the last of her wine and placed the glass back into the wine holder.  Her door opened on the opposite side and she scooted over and stepped out. 

“Thank you,” she said. 

“No problem ma’am.” 

She walked up the sidewalk to the door, before she could ring the doorbell it opened.  Greg was standing there looking as good as ever with an apron on and a hand towel thrown over his left shoulder.  He had a tray in his hand with small sweet brown sugar biscuit rolls on them. 

“Mmm,” she said.

There was a sweet
aroma coming from the kitchen. 

“Come in baby,” he said. 

She stepped into the condo and he closed the door.  She grabbed a biscuit roll off the tray and took a bite. 

“T
hese are great.” 

“There are more where that came from,” he said. 

She gloated. 

“After you,” he said. 

Victoria trotted behind him toward the kitchen. 

Once in the kitchen she
sat down on a stool that was pulled up to the island in the middle of the kitchen.  She noticed the different baked goods.  He had another tray of brown sugar biscuit rolls, a tray of chocolate chip cookies, a tray of sugar cookies with strawberry swirls, and he was taking a tray of brownies out with thick chocolate chips. 

“Wow,” she said, “this is a lot of sweets.  What, do you have a sweet tooth?” she joked. 

He turned around with the pan of brownies in his hand and said, “Something like that.” 

He sat the brownies down and turned off the oven. 
Opening the refrigerator he bent down grabbed the trays of chopped up tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and a bag of Chinese meat he had chopped to marinate in his homemade sauce.  Victoria watched him as he put it together in a skillet and cooked and sautéed their meal.  He was really good at it.  While he cooked from time to time she took a piece of a sugar cookie.  She’d better stop before she ruined her appetite. 

“I’m just about finished here, do you want to go sit at the table for me so I can serve you?” 

“Sure, let me wash my hands and I’ll be in.” 

When she got into the dining room he had already set the table.  He had candles lit and all his different baked goods were on the table.  There were also trays of fruit, strawberries, pinea
pples, and grapes, chopped up bananas and sliced mangos.  She was ready to dig in and didn’t know where to begin.  Maybe with her sautéed meal it looked delicious; he poured her a glass of wine and a glass of ice water.  Would she be a fool to let this man go and stay with one who had done her so wrong?  Or was she a fool for carrying on with this man knowing she would never leave Joshua?  She continued to struggle and fight with herself. 

As the night went on Victoria continued to wonder and get texts from Shay.  Joshua hadn’t called or texted her since she’d been off and she could understand why.  She sighed.  He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. 

“I’m glad you’re staying with me tonight,” he said.  “I wish you could stay with me every night.” 

She looked into his eyes,

“Is that right?” 

“Yes, what
you think about that?  I want you full time not just part time.” 

H
ere we go
, she thought,
not you too.
 

He kissed her; his kiss was strong, mellow, and patient.  She loved him.  He kissed her again and she began to melt into his arms once again.  He picked her up and carried her upstairs.  They made love all night until they both were completely drained.  She fell asleep in his arms and wished she could sleep there forever.

*****

The next morning Victoria stirred in her sleep, she opened her eyes, her dream was starting to tur
n into the nightmare she had about Leon but she was able to shake it off. 

Greg
was knocked out and snoring lightly.  She reached over, grabbed her purse and fished around in it until she could feel her gold case.  The smoke infiltrated her and helped ease the tension from the dream she relaxed back into the sheets.  Victoria thought about how wonderful it felt to wake up here and how peaceful it was.  Maybe Caroline was right when she said it was the house.  Victoria’s stomach started to growl and she looked down at it. 

Already? I just woke up.
 

She thought about the delicious dinner they had the night before and all of the sweets. 

“Yes,” she said out loud as she snuck out of the bed. 

She proceeded to walk out of the room, in just her boy shorts through the hall and in to the kitchen.

*****

“Thank you.”

Caroline closed the trunk of her BMW
, before leaving the grocery store she tipped the bag boy and got in the driver’s seat.  Across town she made a right at the light.  Her plans fell into motion an extravagant lunch date with the works was in order for their marriage and that wasn’t the only thing.  They hadn’t been spending any time together and enough was enough.  Her vacation time was in and she was ready to get things back to the way they were.  She called him, his phone went to voicemail. 

She left a message saying,

“Hey honey I took some vacation time and I’m on my way to our getaway spot.  I need you to meet me over there around two.  I’ll have our lunch ready for us,” she said smiling. 

Caroline
hung up the phone and proceeded to the highway.  She turned the radio on and India Arie’s voice filled the car:

“He is the truth and he is so real and I love the way that he makes me feel and
if I am a reflection of him, then I must be fly.”

Caroline started to sing along with her.  She pulled up to their condo and parked.  Gathering her things before popping the trunk she stepped out of the car and noticed his car already in the driveway.  The sun couldn’t shine brighter than her smile she was ready to see her man even though she told him to meet her at two she was glad he was already there.  That just told her he was ready to see her just as bad. 

She needed to get her things into the house and then go back to the trunk.  She walked up to the door and put her key in to the lock.  The door opened with ease and sh
e stepped in and closed it behind her.  She turned around and headed towards the kitchen. 

She stepped in and stopped suddenly,

“What in the Sam hill?” she said clutching her chest.

Victoria turned around, gasped and covered her breast. 

“Caroline,” she said, “What are you doing here?”

Caroline’s mouth dropped open,

“What am I doing here?  This is my house, what are you doing here?”

Her voice rose.
  Victoria was confused she looked at Caroline crazy and said