The Sweetest Thing
by
Sammie Ward
Smashwords Edition
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PUBLISHED BY:
Lady Leo Publishing on Smashwords
The Sweetest Thing
Copyright © 2010 by Sammie Ward
All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photo copying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Lady Leo Publishing. For more information write Lady Leo Publishing, P.O. Box 14283, Silver Spring, MD 20911
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“I’m tired of arguing,” I said to my boyfriend, Max Redd. “I told you how I feel, but like always you’re not listening.” I attempted to get out of bed but was halted by an iron grip on my arm.
Max sighed. “Lacy, I hear what you’re saying. You’re not sure you want to marry me. After all we’ve been through, I can’t believe you are saying this.” He sat up straight in the bed. “For the past year, marriage is all you talked about and now you’re not sure.” He placed his hands on top of his head.
Max was right. For the past year, I wanted to get married. I sincerely believed it was time to take our relationship to the next level. From the moment I bumped my shopping cart into Max two years ago at the grocery store, I wanted him in my world.
I had just opened my beauty salon, Classy Cutz, the year before. Just getting my business off the ground didn’t leave much time for dating. I mean, I’ve been out on a few dates but nothing to write home about, but that changed when I met Max.
Max wasn’t the most handsome man in the world, but in the beginning he was kind, gentle, and so sweet to me. He was very supportive of my career. After the success of my beauty shop, he was behind me one hundred percent to open another shop. A Loan Officer at the bank, he was always giving financial advice helpful to expanding the business. Everything was going find until he confessed he had an affair with another woman.
He’d broken down in tear when he told me he’d had a little bit too much to drink while at his friend Ronald’s bachelor party and woke up in bed with one of the dancers. Of course he said it didn’t mean anything and begged for my forgiveness, but it didn’t ease the pain I felt and the fact that he’d been unfaithful.
In time, I forgave him and we’ve been trying to work through it, but I’m not sure I can trust him enough to become his wife—I’m just not there yet.
Now here we are with our lives on hold and me not sure if I want to stay in the relationship.
“I did at one time,” I said, climbing out of bed.
“Now you don’t.” He shook his head from side-to-side. “I thought we worked through this.”
“I need more time. I want us to get married because it’s what we both want,” I said.
“I do want it.” Max jumped out of bed, naked. “Lacy, I love you. You love me.” He took me in his arms. “You do still love me, don’t you?”
I could feel his hardness pressed against my kitten. She began to purr. “Of course I do. Marriage is a big step; as you reminded me so many times.”
He rolled his eyes toward the ceiling when I reminded him of the words he kept telling me each time I bought up marriage in the past. It felt good to give him a taste of his own medicine.
“We have to be able to trust each other.” I had to get in that extra jab.
He dipped his head slightly. “Okay. I get it. You still don’t trust me.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to. I messed up. I know that. You don’t have to keep throwing it up in my face.” He placed a hand to his chest. “I will earn your trust again.”
Max looked so sincere. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust him again. I just wasn’t so sure that I could.
“Well, you go ahead,” Max continued. “Take all the time you need. This brother isn’t going anywhere. No matter how long it takes. I’m going to earn your trust again.”
“I know you will.” I reached out and gently touch his smooth, caramel face. “Will you make it down to North Carolina this weekend for the family reunion?” I asked, changing the subject.
“I don’t think so. I have a ton of work that I have to catch up on.” He leaned down and pressed his lips on mine. I quivered at the sweetness of his lips. “But, uh,” he began. His breathing was uneven. I could tell he was fighting for composure. I loved it. He raised one of my legs. His long, hard shaft found itself between my thighs. “We do have time for a quickie.” This was definite a turn-on.
No matter what we were going through in our relationship, Max and I never had a problem in the bedroom.
A moment later, his five-eleven frame swept me up weightless into his arms and laid me in the middle of the king-size bed. He quickly undressed me. My heart was hammering in my chest in anticipation of him making love to me.
Max entered me and I gasped as I welcomed the fullness of me. We began to match each other stroke for stroke. Passion pounded the blood through my heart, chest, and head. The lovemaking between us was so pure and explosive. I couldn’t control the outcry of delight. A moan of ecstasy slipped through my lips. I held on to him tight as my body shuddered with sweet desire.
****
Max jumped in the shower. Afterwards, he quickly dressed and headed off to work. A moment later, I followed in Max’s footsteps. The salon was due to open in thirty minutes.
The water felt good cascading over my body. I didn’t want to leave the invigorating feeling of the water sprout. It was relieving all of the emotional turmoil I was feeling at the moment about Max and our relationship. It didn’t help matters sleeping with, but I couldn’t help it. The man was in my system.
Twenty minutes later, I dressed and bolted out of the door. Running behind schedule, I placed a call to Tajir, the receptionist, to let him know I was on my way.
“Classy Cutz,” Tajir answered on the third ring. I could hear him eating on the other end.
“Tajir, I’ve told you a thousand times not to eat at the front desk and you have the nerve to answer the phone with food in your mouth,” I scolded.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Lacy,” he said in his sweet, subtle tone. “I didn’t get a chance to get—”
“I don’t want to hear it, Tajir,” I quipped. “The shop doesn’t open until 9:30. There’s a donut shop across the street. You had plenty of time to grab something on the way in.”
I worked to long and hard to build Classy Cutz into a professional and lucrative business. I wasn’t going to get there putting up with nonsense.
“This is the second warning, Tajir.” I made a left at the traffic light. “The third time and I will have to let you go.”
“I hear ya, Ms. Lacy,” Tajir said.
“Now the reason I phoned. Has Mrs. Simmons arrived yet?” According to the appointment book, her appointment for a wash and set was 9:45.
“She just came through the door,” Tajir answered.
“Good. Let her know I’m on my way.”
I ended the call and popped Beyonce’s CD in the player. Now if only restoring the situation with Max could be so easy.
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“You told Max you would think about marrying him, why?” Pamela Numan asked in surprise. Pamela was one of the top Stylist and my best friend. She was aware of the situation with Max. She knew how much his infidelity took an emotional toll on me.
Pamela and I grew up in Durham, NC. After graduating high school, I moved to D.C. Pam followed a year later. She was like family and would be attending my family reunion with me.
“I’m just not sure,” I answered.
“Then why are you still with him?” Pamela lowered her client in the shampoo bowl. “I keep telling you to drop that zero. Once they cheat, they will cheat again.”
“Oh sweetheart it’s not that easy,” Mrs. Simmons chimed in. “Matters of the heart never are. Where do you think the relationship is headed?” She refocused on me.
“I love Max. I’m hoping we can still work this thing through,” I replied. “But I can’t get it out of my mind that he was with another woman.”
Pam pointed the comb at me for emphasis. “That’s my point. Mrs. Simmons just said it. What kind of relationship do you have if you can’t trust him?”
I shrugged. I had some serious soul searching to do.
“You did say that you forgave him, right?” Mrs. Simmons asked.
“Yes. I did. I have two years invested in this relationship. I believe it’s worth saving,” I said. “I just can’t forget...” The rest of my sentence trailed off.
Mrs. Simmons turned around and looked at me with sympathy. She reached out and covered my hand with hers. “From what you told me, it’s only been six months. It takes time child. You shouldn’t forget. He lost your trust. He has to earn it back,” she further explained. “You just have to figure out if there’s enough trust to build a marriage on.” She stood. “Take your time. Don’t let him rush you. I was married almost 50 years to my beloved. I’m here to tell you that trust is a very important ingredient in a marriage.”