Uncorked (5 page)

Shit! Shit! Shit! What’s he doing
here?

Squeezing her eyes shut and
combing her curly brown hair with her fingers, she responded, “Just give me a
second.”

In a nearby mirror, she
straightened her hair and the short navy tank dress she wore, checked to make
sure her face and teeth were okay, checked her breath then opened the door.

“Hi, what are you doing here?”

“Hello to you, too. How are you?”

“Surprised to see you here.”

“Are you going to invite me in?”

“What if I said no?”

“Then I suppose I’d be left with
no choice but to stand in your doorway talking to you.”

“And what if I closed the door?”

“Then I’d really have to get
comfortable sitting on your doorstep.”

She looked at him, smiling, then
sighed, “Fine. Come in. Would you like a drink?”

“Yeah, sure. A glass of wine
would be nice, if you have any.”

“Chardonnay or Shiraz?”

“Either would do. How’s your
wrist?”

“Much better, thanks. It’s almost
back to normal.”

She couldn’t help but notice how
fantastic Mitch looked, dressed in black, wearing black jeans that hugged his
ass and a black zipper sweater tight enough to his tall built muscular body to
give a hint of what was underneath. A few strands of his dark hair fell onto
his forehead, and there was a glimmer in his hazel-green eyes.

Handing him a glass of
Chardonnay, Chella said, “So how have you been? All settled in from your move?”

“Mostly. I was out of town for a
few days.”

“What brings you here? After
seeing you with that beauty tonight, here would be the last place I’d expect to
see you.” She couldn’t help but sound a little bit sarcastic.

“What are you talking about? I
just came back from visiting my mom in Santa Monica. Vicky and Jason were with
me. I dropped them off and decided to drop by to say hello. I’m sorry if you’re
upset about my not calling, but it was a spur-of-the-moment thought, and I knew
you wouldn’t answer my call anyway.”

I must have been mistaken. He
wouldn’t lie to me about being with Vicky and Jason when he knows we’re
friends.

She ignored his last comment,
then replied, “I was at the restaurant across the street about a half hour ago,
and I could have sworn it was you I saw having dinner with a brunette.”
Shit
that sounded very, very jealous.

“My, my. Are we jealous? At the
thought of it being me, anyway,” Mitch replied tartly, with a smirk on his
face.

“I’m not,” She quickly retorted,
her blushing face betraying her. “It’s just so strange that I thought I saw you
earlier, and now you’re here.”

“Right. Is that what you’ve been
telling yourself? You know the offer is still open if you want to change your
mind.”

“And what offer it that?”

“The one to get to know me, go
out on a date. You had quite an effect on me the last time you made that grand
exit at my place,” he replied, smiling.

So did you. If only you knew.
You’re such a flirt!

“I’m just not ready.”

“What are you afraid of? I like
you, and I know you like me. A woman doesn’t kiss a man the way you did unless
she’s attracted to him.”

“Why won’t you just back off?”

“Because deep down, you and I
both know you don’t want me to.”

“You’re mighty sure of yourself,
aren’t you?”

“If it’s not true then look me in
the eye and tell me I’m wrong.”

“I… I can’t…” Her voice was
shaky. She was overwhelmed with emotion. She couldn’t bring herself to look at
him.

“Chella, why are you trying so
hard to fight this?”

Just being in his presence drove
her mind crazy, and she could not get the images of their kiss out of her mind
or the feel of his hands against her skin. She had the craziest thought—
Just
tell him everything, from beginning to end.
If she pondered it too much,
she would talk herself out of it. So without further hesitation, she blurted
out the truth.

“Because I’m a little afraid,”
Chella replied, exposing her most intimate vulnerabilities. “Okay, I’m not a
little afraid. I’m a lot afraid.”

“Of what?” Mitch said.

“I’ve had a really hard and
complicated past Mitch. A really, really complicated past. It might send you
running. Scare you away type-of-stuff.”

“Haven’t we all? Chella, I don’t
know what you’ve been through, but I’ll be honest with you. You can trust that
whatever you tell me will be kept between the two of us. You can believe that,
and unless you’re a mass murderer or a crazy stalker, I don’t think you need to
be worried about me running for the hills just yet. I don’t think you have any
clue how much I like you.”

She gazed into his eyes, nervous,
hesitant. She could almost hear her heart racing.

He sandwiched her hands between
his, looked directly into her eyes, and said, “Trust me, Chella.”

It was almost an appeal.

She took a deep breath and said,
“The only people who know in detail what I am about to tell you are my dead
parents and my ex-boyfriend, Aaron. Just before my parents died, I was
seventeen when I got pregnant. Let’s just say my boyfriend at the time was not
happy about it. He became very abusive. So abusive I had to get a restraining
order against him.”

“Chella, I’m sorry.”

“Me, too. I lost the baby.”

She closed her eyes, trying to
contain herself. She felt the rapid pulse in her chest all the way to her
sweaty palms. As she remembered that day, the images flooded her mind—the hurt,
the fear, the anger she felt when the doctor broke the news to her in his cold,
sterile office.

Since then, she had trusted no
one until that moment. Maybe this was the beginning of her leaving the past
behind.

Mitch wrapped his arms around
her, comforted her.

“There’s so much more, Mitch,”
she said, pulling away. “After I ended the relationship, he stalked me for
years. He threatened me and told me that if I ever tried to press charges
against him, he’d kill both my parents and me. I didn’t have enough proof, and
the prosecutor didn’t believe there was enough evidence to prove my case, so
they dropped the charges. I haven’t been in another serious relationship since.
He’s scared away anyone who has ever shown interest in me. He says if he can’t
have me no one will.”

“Chell, I’m so sorry. You have my
support. Have you seen this guy recently?”

“Yes. The same day we went on the
boat tour, I saw him when we were leaving the restaurant. I think he saw me
getting into your car.”

“Look, Chell, the last thing I
want you to do is worry about me where this Aaron guy is concerned. Once I know
who he is, I’ll be fine. Trust me, I can defend myself. And Sweetie, this may
be of no consolation, but we’re not talking marriage or children yet. All I’d
like to do is date you and get to know you better. I really do appreciate you
telling me, though.”

“I get that, but you realize it’s
an awkward conversation to have. At what point in a relationship am I supposed
to lay this kind of heavy drama out on an unsuspecting date? All the other guys
backed off when Aaron approached them. I have no idea what he told any of them.
After a few times, it became too stressful to date. He stalked me to the point
that I had to change my address and phone number. I’ve moved so many times
since my parents died, which explains why I choose to live here. In the event
he finds me again, I pack a few suitcases and move on. I sold my car so he
wouldn’t be able to track my routine. Apparently it finally worked, because I
haven’t heard from him in the last year and a half.”

“Do you realize it’s been ten
years and you tailor everything around this guy?” asked Mitch. “Have you been
to the police?”

“I got a restraining order
against him, but he followed me around from the hundred-yard distance. That’s
why I changed my address on several occasions. Moving was a task in the event
that he had been watching, or sent anyone to watch me. Life hasn’t been easy,
but since I sold my car and moved this last time, at least I’ve had a little
peace of mind. Inconvenient, but it keeps me safe, and I’ve really loved living
here, too. It’s pretty, and everything I need is close by.”

“Chell, don’t ever be afraid to
call me if anything happens. You need to put a stop to this guy once and for
all. Don’t let him continue to run your life.”

“It’s funny. I feel like I’ve
just lifted the world off my shoulders. I feel so much better now that I’ve
told you. All these years I was too embarrassed to tell Vicky and Kacy. They
know something happened, but they are clueless on the details. I know they
would have supported me, but I just never had the strength to tell them or any
of the guys I dated—not that it ever went beyond more than a couple of dates.”

“Would you like to go for a
drive? Get some fresh air?”

“Sure, just let me change into a
sweater.”

The drive lightened up things a
bit. The air was clean, the breeze was cool and soft music in the background
added to the great ambience. Chella thought of how well Mitch had responded to
the situation, and the comfort he had given her. It was a great feeling to know
that she might be able to have a normal relationship, or maybe just a
friendship, with a guy. She thought of all they could possibly do together, all
the fun they’d have. She didn’t think that Mitch was flawless and it would be a
fairy tale ride, but anything would be an improvement over Aaron or any of the
guys who seemed to obey him when he gave his threats.

Mitch had a totally different
personality from any of these guys. He had a strong head on his shoulders, he
knew and did what he wanted, he was confident, and he would not let Aaron or
anyone brainwash or railroad him into making any wayward decisions.

I like him. I really like him.
He’s the sort of man I would probably spend my life with someday. I wonder what
he looks like under that sweater. Get a hold of yourself Chella. Be present.

“Mitch, thank you for all your
support. It means the world to me.”

“Chell, you confided in me. You
could have told anybody, but I’m glad you shared it with me. Feel better?”

“Yeah, I had no idea that just
sharing this with someone could feel so liberating. Thanks.”

“That was a heavy load to carry
alone for so many years. It was time to release it.” He replied. Chella had not
had these feelings in years. It certainly felt good to know there was someone
she could talk to, someone to share with, possibly someone to hug and hold. At
least she hoped that this is what their friendship would turn into.

“I’m hungry,” she said. “Let’s
get a pizza or something then go home.”

“Sure. Whose home?”

“I really don’t care.”

They got pizza and headed for
Mitch’s penthouse. It was midnight, but neither of them cared. Movies, pizza,
and Chella’s favorite champagne made for a perfect night. They laughed until
they cried, ate until they were full, drank until they were tipsy and fell
asleep on the couch in each other’s arms.

Morning came and Chella awoke to
the smell of fresh coffee. Mitch was nowhere in sight. After a quick stretch,
she headed to the bathroom to tidy up. She grabbed her small travel toothbrush
and toothpaste out of her purse. After cleaning up in the bathroom, she
returned to the living room. Mitch was in the kitchen.

He wore grey sweatpants and
nothing else. His hair was still wet from a shower. He looked ten times better
shirtless than she imagined–the perfect specimen of a man. Sneaking up from
behind him, she said quietly, “Anything I can help with?”

“A kiss would be nice,” Mitch
said as he turned around to face her. He looked into her eyes. She enclosed her
arms around his neck and tiptoed to reach his lips. His skin was damp and his
aftershave intoxicated her. His lips were soft against hers. He kissed with
intensity, desire, and he lifted her onto the granite countertop so he could
easily capture her lips. He encircled her face, deepening the kiss, as she
pulled him towards her body. He took her into his arms, giving her a warm
embrace. Pulling away from her hold, he looked into her eyes and said, “Well,
good morning to you, too.”

“I’ve been dying to be kissed
like that for a long time.”

“Kissing gets better with time,”
he responded, pleasuring her lips with his again.

“You know sleeping in your arms
certainly adds a new dimension to the word sleep. I haven’t been so relaxed in
years.” She had gotten used to sleeping with one eye open, and she’d usually
get up several times throughout the night. Being in his arms gave her a sense
of security. She couldn’t even remember falling asleep, and she had slept
straight through the night.

“Feel free to make it a habit,”
he replied with an encouraging smile. “Come on. I’ve made breakfast. Let’s eat
out on the patio.”