Broken Heart (Broken Heart #1) (27 page)

ever been in my life. They both wanted to make me happy and they both needed me. Dave, a father figure and Michael, my knight in shining armor, what could be more perfect than that?

***

Summer was quickly approaching in New York, and the rows of trees in Central Park took center stage as the spectators walked along the concrete jungle. Central park was so picturesque. I loved

the fact that there were so many people in one place enjoying each other, even though it can get so overwhelmingly crowded. 

“You know Jenesis, I was thinking,” Michael said as he held my hand in his walking down Fifth Avenue towards the park.

“About?” I looked up at him, his gentle blue-green eyes grinning at me. My stomach winced a little and a bad taste reached my lips.

“Well…we’ve been together for a couple of months now. We haven’t had any major problems. You love me and I sure as hell love you. Maybe…” he stopped in the middle of the street. Oh no! Not here! What’s he going to do? 

“I thought maybe we could move in together. I mean, you practically live in my apartment, and it would be nice, now that you’re going to start your new job…we can start our new life…together; just you and me.” He held both of my hands ignoring the rude New Yorkers slamming into us

giving us dirty looks and making rude comments as they passed. I looked at him tilting my head to the side trying to read his eyes, trying to see the sincerity of his question. My heart skipped a

beat then awoke with a pounding jolt of excitement. I felt nauseous for a moment, but ignored it and gave him an answer.

“Yes!” I blurted out, standing on my tippy toes and grabbing him around his neck to kiss his nose. 

“Yes, as in…yes?” He lifted me off of the ground and swung me around in the middle of the sidewalk, as I wrapped my legs around him, trying to avoid crashing into the innocent bystanders.

“Yes,” I whispered in his ear. He stared at me with those fierce eyes, then dropped them to my lips and slowly motioned me to kiss him, tenderly, softly, letting his tongue slide in and out of my mouth. I could be in heaven every night and every day, in our bed in our home, without worries.

Only he could take me to heaven and then back down to Earth the way I wanted him to, with his touch, with his tongue, with his body, with his soul. Take me there baby…take me there. 

“Damn! Get a room!” a passerby shouted. We opened our eyes and giggled into each other’s mouths, never letting go of our kiss.

Michael slid me down his chest without removing me from his lips. He was keeled over, he was so tall, and then he finally released me.

“Come on, let’s look now.”

“Right now?”

“Come on, it’ll be fun.”

***

Later that week, Tim, the real estate agent called to show us a couple of places. The price range was ridiculous and definitely out of our league. Michael seemed so disillusioned after looking at the apartments Tim showed us. We decided to take a cab home and call it a day.

“I’m sorry,” Michael said as he grabbed my hand affectionately. 

“For what?” I replied staring into his green thwarted eyes.

“I don’t know, maybe we should stay in my apartment. I just didn’t want to start new life in a place where I’ve been with other women. What do you think?

He looked out of the window then faced me again.

I suddenly felt nauseous and made a face that said, “Ooh that’s tastes really bad.”

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

“Car sick, I need to get out of this cab right now, Michael,” I said anxiously. 

Michael asked the cabby to stop at a diner at the corner. He paid the cab driver and I continued to become more nauseous so I walked into the diner and asked for a glass of water. Michael entered

and we sat down at a table. Michael ordered soup for me and he ordered steak and eggs. I felt as if I were coming down with the flu. My stomach was rumbling, twisting and turning.

“Do you feel better?”

“A little.”

“So, what are we going to do? Should we try the west side? Or stay in my apartment?” Michael asked broodingly.

I knew Dave could help us immediately. But Michael would shut me down in an instant. Dave new so many people including some top real estate agents in NYC. 

“No. You’re right. I don’t want to start a new life in your apartment where you’ve slept with other women. You know Dave could help us Michael,” I said softly as I lowered my head.

“Why do you always have to mention his name? Why? Do you think I can’t find us a place to live?” he said, irritated as he squinted his eyes at me and shook his head.

“No, of course not, but, sometimes we need connections and Dave is just the person we need,” I said reassuringly as I touched his hand tenderly.

“Fine,” he said giving in to me, but not without a, ‘if looks could kill, I would be dead’ look. 

As we waited for our food, I called Dave to ask him to find us an agent and let them know we were interested in renting an apartment on the west side. I stared at Michael as I made the phone call near the bar. I needed to stand and walk around. My stomach began twisting and turning again.

The same way it was for the last two weeks…every morning. Michael glared at me, making his eyebrows frown and his forehead crinkle up. He hated when I spoke to Dave or asked him for any

kind of favor. It was clear by the expression on his face that he was still not fond of him and I just wanted to know why. Why didn’t Michael like Dave? The waitress brought our food to the table,

and the smell of steak reached my nose, and it was as if the steak had been shoved down my throat with extra seasoning. I became even more nauseated. 

“Dave, call me back when you find someone for us, thanks, bye,” I said then hung up quickly, placing a dry cracker in my mouth from the basket of bread on the table. 

The amount of saliva in my mouth from feeling nauseated almost made me puke. I quickly swallowed and drank some water to wash down the saliva that nearly drowned me. I looked up at Michael, and he seemed to be in a better mood and really looked like he was enjoying his meal.

“Hungry today?” 

“Yeah, I’m starving.”

He mixed his steak and eggs together and buttered his toast. I, on the other hand, played with my soup. Staring at his steak and egg mix almost made me gag at the table. I motioned for him to give me a piece of his toast.

“You know, I’m really not feeling well today. I think I have a bug. It’s been lingering for over a week now. I think I’m going to see the doctor this afternoon,” I said with urgency. 

Michael looked up and glanced out of the window. He was drifting away from me, this meditative, out-in-space look, and it almost seemed as if he didn’t hear a word I said. 

“Michael, did you hear me?” I repeated softly.   He turned and looked at me. 

“I’m finished, are you?” He asked. I nodded my head yes. “Let’s grab a cab to take you home,” he said.

We paid the waitress and he hailed a cab but the cab driver kept on going. God, I felt so sick. I just wanted to throw up, right there in the middle of the street. Michael stared down at me, reached out

and held both of my hands. I extended my neck to look up to him and he said, “Everything has been so perfect between us. This past month has meant so much to me.

Moving in together is just a stepping-stone to our happiness. I didn’t think it was possible. I don’t ever want it to change.” 

Then he got down on one knee in the middle of the sidewalk and said,

“Jenesis, will you marry me?” He took a small box out of his jacket pocket and gave it to me.

I stared at him completely in shock and in awe. Déjà vu…sidewalk…bumping into passersby…He just asked me to move in with him and now…He’s proposing, right here, right now, in the middle

of New York City! I couldn’t believe it! My hands were trembling as I held the box with a tight grip. I looked around to see the people passing us by and smiling. One woman stopped waiting for

me to give him an answer. I looked at her and she smiled at me and motioned with her hand to answer him. Michael stood up.

“Jenesis, are you okay?” He asked as he looked around at the people embarrassed, waiting for me to give him an answer. Then he stared at me, his green eyes gleaming, his hand shaking in mine.

I thought to myself in that split second I had to answer him. This was the moment my father said that my knight and shining armor would never be faithful to me. What should I do? I loved Michael more than I loved myself. 

“Yes, I’m fine, Michael, I love you so much. You’re the only person in the world I want to be with. Yes!” 

We held each other tightly; he was squeezing me to the point where I almost couldn’t breathe. I stood on my tippy toes and he kissed me hard on the lips. The bystanders on the street began to clap and cheer. I was the happiest woman in the world. I loved him. I loved him the way I knew

no other woman could love him. I loved him the way my mother loved my father, unconditionally, and with every last breathe in her body, literally. I was so overcome with emotion that I didn’t

even feel nauseous anymore. Before we hailed a cab, he picked up some white orchids from the flower shop near the diner and gave them to me.

“Now, everything is complete,” he said smiling at me. 

I stared at my ring finger as we drove in the cab on the way to my apartment. I had to share the news with Margaret right away, so I took a picture of the ring on my finger and sent it via text

message to Dave and Margaret. The ring was the most beautiful 2 carat round diamond nestled on a halo platinum setting. It was beautiful and so was he. I glanced over at him as he stared out of

the cab window, and then he turned to me and winked and held my hand tightly. I texted Margaret right away. My phone vibrated as a text message from Margaret appeared.

Today 11:15AM

Congratulations! Dave and I are so happy for you guys! 

I hope you’re coming home soon so you can give me every detail about how he proposed!  We love you!  Margaret and Dave

We arrived at my apartment and walked into the building hand in hand. In love, and smiling and giggling for no reason except because…we were in love. We passed by Dave and Margaret’s apartment as we walked up the stairs.

“Shhh…I don’t want them to know we’re here or they’ll crash our private party,” I whispered as I giggled like a little girl walking up the stairs. I opened the door trying not to make too much noise.

Michael placed his hands around my waist shoving me in the apartment gently while tickling me from behind as he slammed the door shut with his foot.

“Shhh!” I laughed hysterically as he tickled me into the kitchen. “STOP!”   I walked over to the fridge and took out a cold bottle of champagne. Michael jumped in front of me with two glasses clinking them together and laughing.

“Are you ready to have the night of your life?” he said as he stood in front smiling with his ferocious, sexy stare.

“Where are we going?” I said playing it off. I knew exactly where we were going…straight into the bedroom.

“Nowhere, baby, here, right here.” He brushes his soft tongue against my lips. I grabbed his tongue with my mouth and suck on it gently. He cupped my face with his hands and said,

“We’re going to have a great life together…just you and me” Our eyes met and as he leaned in to kiss my lips, I felt sick to my stomach. I stepped back.

“What’s wrong?” He looked concerned.

“My stomach…this damn bug doesn’t want to go away.”

“Take some Pepto Bismol or something. That should take care of it.” I walked into the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. The pink stuff…yuck. I swallowed a capful and then reached

over for my toothbrush to brush my teeth. I dabbed some toothpaste on it and raised the toothbrush to my mouth. I gagged immediately. Oh my God! Something’s wrong. My stomach was rumbling

and twisting. Jesus! Not now…I have so much to celebrate. I splashed cold water on my face. My fiancée was waiting for me in the bedroom…ready to revel and I was in the bathroom ready to

puke. I got myself together, rinsed my face, my mouth, and then gargled with mouthwash. I washed up and sprayed perfume everywhere. I needed to be with him tonight and I was going to, nauseous

or not. He was the best in bed, even though I would never know if anyone else was better. I didn’t care. I had him, and he was now mine, forever. It was time for him to take me heaven and he would

be the only one who could bring me down to Earth. Heaven on Earth, that’s how he makes me feel.

***

After a couple of days of searching for apartments after work, Michael and

I finally found a loft on the lower west side. It was perfect for us. I can’t believe how fast everything was going and how quickly I have trusted

Michael with all of my heart. It’s just never happened before. 

I didn’t get to go to the doctor as I had planned that day Michael proposed to me and I still felt nauseous and was vomiting often throughout the day. I was beginning to worry and I thought that