Chapter 5

“Baby, I wish that you would talk to me.” Steve had barbecued steaks and the staff had prepared soup and salad and vegetables to go with them. He’d opened a bottle of fragrant, sweet wine and Angela had done nothing but stare off into space and move things around on her plate.

She looked up at him and her eyes filled with tears. “Hey!” he dropped his fork and got up and went to her. Getting down on one knee in front of her he looked up at her face and said, “What is it? What’s got you so upset? Did I do something…or was it Kim again?”

She shook her head and wiped away the stray tear that had escaped and was running down the side of her face. “No,” she said in a shaky voice. “It was….Oh God! I don’t think I can even say it out loud.”

He took her hands and stood up, pulling her to her feet along with him. Then he wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her into his chest. He held her there, kissing the side of her face and stroking her hair for a long time, not saying a word. At last she pushed back and looked up at his face. “I don’t know what to do…”

“Tell me what it is, baby. Let me help you. Did Thomas do something?”

Shaking her head she said, “No, I haven’t even seen Thomas for a couple of days…I think. I’m so confused. I sleep at night but I wake up feeling like I haven’t slept at all. I’ve been having really strange dreams that are hard to shake off in the morning. I feel so tired all the time…” she was crying again. Steve held her again. Even in her current state she didn’t miss just how wonderful he is and she didn’t forget how lucky she is to have him. But what was he going to think of her when he saw those photos? She cried until she was completely cried out and then she pulled back to look at him and said, “I’m sorry. I’m such a mess.”

He led her out of the dining room and into the parlor. Sitting down next to her on the sofa he took her hand and said, “Did you call the doctor like you said you were going to?” She’d told him how she’d been feeling in the mornings and he’d agreed she needed to be seen.

She nodded. “I did, but they can’t get me in until the first.”

“The first! That’s two weeks away. Let me have his name…”

She smiled through her tears and said, “It’s fine baby, I can wait. That’s not the worst of what’s going on.”

He looked concerned again. “What is it? Please let me help you.”

She took another shaky breath and then she told him what happened at work. He listened quietly until she finished, but she could tell that his face had gone from concerned to angry. She could even feel the muscles in his arms that he held her in tense, as if he was ready for a fight. He didn’t say anything for a long time and when he finally did he said, “Does Thomas know…about the pictures?”

She shook her head and said, “Like I told you, I haven’t even seen him. Besides, these weren’t just random pictures. The woman in them was…posing.”

“What about the night you forgot? Last Friday night…”

“What about it? Surely you don’t believe Thomas convinced me to model for those pictures while I was drunk…do you? I lose some of my inhibitions when I drink…but I would never cheat on you no matter how drunk I was…and I’d never take lewd photos like those. I especially wouldn’t have done it for Thomas.”

Steve looked annoyed that she was once again defending Thomas. But, there was no way he could have taken those without her cooperation. Could he? “Are you mad at me?” she asked, afraid to hear the answer. He looked confused as he said,

“Mad at you? No way baby! Why would I be mad at you?”

“You believe that I don’t know anything about the photos?”

“Of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

She started crying again and he pulled her back into his chest. “Please don’t cry anymore baby, we’ll figure this out, I promise.”

“That’s not why I’m crying,” she said.

He pulled back and looked at her. “Then why are you crying?”

“I was thinking about those pictures of Kim. You told me honestly that you had nothing to do with her or them…and I didn’t believe you. Yet, you believe every word I say even when what I’m saying isn’t making any sense. I’m a horrible person.”

She felt his body shake and she looked up at his face. “You’re the least “horrible person” ever. Someone is messing with you and I swear to God when I find out who it is…”

She grabbed him and hugged him tighter. “Thank you for believing me. It’s what I was most worried about.”

He made her look at him again and he said, “I will always believe you. Promise me you will never be reluctant to talk to me because you’re afraid of how I will take something. I love you Angela Black and trust is a huge part of that. I trust you with my life and I will always pick you when it comes to two versions of any one story…always.”

She looked into his green eyes and she saw nothing but pure love there. The only other person in her life that had ever felt that way about her was Blake. She couldn’t believe she was so blessed that she could actually have two men that most women never find one of. She put her hand on the side of his face and brought it down to hers. Their lips met and in that instant, all of her troubles were forgotten. They would resurface the second that she was out of his arms…but for now, she was going to just revel in him.

They eventually finished their dinner and then they took the rest of the wine and went down by the pool. They sat together in one of the lounges and Steve held her against him as they watched the sun go down. The previously cornflower blue sky was now streaked with oranges and reds and Angela was reminded once more that it was the little things in life that mattered. It was having someone to talk to…someone to love you…someone to hold you and tell you that everything would be alright. She reminded herself to remember Blake…and just how fragile life is. As long as Steve believes her about the photos, that’s all that matters. What Kim, or anyone else thought didn’t matter at all.

She lifted her head and said, “Hey! I thought we were going to swim.”

He grinned. “I was waiting for an hour, we just ate.”

She laughed. “Are you afraid you’ll get a cramp and drown?”

“Something like that.” He said.

“I’d pull you out.”

“I hate to doubt you baby…but you weigh like a hundred pounds…and look at those arms.”

“What’s wrong with my arms?”

“Oh there’s nothing wrong with them. There’s nothing wrong with any of you.” He gave her a lustful look and said, “I just don’t believe you could lift me.” She waved her palm at him and made a muscle.

“Feel it,” she told him. He looked amused, but he did.

He laughed and brought his lips back down to meet hers. That time he opened his mouth and let his tongue trace the seam of her lips. She moaned and parted them, allowing his tongue to slide in. The kiss was deep and hot and passionate and by the time they came up for air, she could barely breathe.

“I think it’s been long enough,” he said.

“I think so too. Should I put on my suit?”

He stood up and as she watched he began stripping off his clothes. “I’d just have to strip it back off,” he told her with a wink. She stayed leaned back on her elbows and watched as he took off everything. He is so beautiful…his body is the most perfectly sculpted thing that she’d ever seen. She watched as he stood next to the edge of the pool, raised his arms up and dove in.