Love Across Colors (Urban BWWM Interracial Romance) (7 page)

              “Please sit,” he said and motioned to the living area. The two walked there and sat down, looking up at Melvin expectantly.

             
He sat as well and rubbed his face with his large hand. “Mel,” he said and looked at her lovingly. “You know I love you
,
right? And that I would never do anything to hurt you?”

              “I know that
,
D
d
ad, but you are scaring me,” she said.

             
“Don’t be. I have failed you in that promise, for my actions over the last month have driven us apart and have hurt us both, and that was something I was meant to protect you from.” He sighed and looked away, and they couldn’t help noticing the glossy look in his eyes now. “I was wrong to try to deny you the man you chose to be with simply because of what happened to me so many years ago,” he said. Just then he took the pictures from his pocket and slid them across the coffee table and toward
s
them.

              Melinda looked at them curiously
,
and then passed them to Wayne, not certain of his motive for doing that as
of
yet. “What are these?” she asked now.

              Melvin got up and walked to the window with his hands behind his back. “When I was sixteen I met a young woman by the name of Charlotte who had recently moved to the neighborhood. Now remember, neighborhoods weren’t as big as the ones we have now, so the chances of meeting a girl were slim especially when one lived in a small town. She lived next door to me, which meant the houses were not separated by a yard but by an open lot. We would steal away to see each other every day
,
and I would often take her flowers on my way to work
-
—
I was an apprentice to a carpenter then. She would always wait for me
,
and we would sit by that swing and talk for hours. No one knew about us, but that was alright with us. After months of that, we fell in love
,
and I vowed to marry her when I had enough money to. But then my father found out about us
,
and was dead set against the two of us seeing each other. He warned me to stay away from her, but I didn’t listen. What he did next shocked me the most. He didn’t get along well with the neighbors
,
but this time he went to Charlotte’s parents and told them about us. The next time I saw Charlotte again she was in the back of her father’s car as the family left for another state. I never saw her again after that,” he said and turned around to face them now. “That was Charlotte,” he said to them now as he pointed to the pictures on the table.

              Melinda looked up at him with terrified eyes. “But
,
D
d
ad, she is white,” she exclaimed.

             
“I know, I know,” he said softly. “And I am sorry that I tried to do to you what my dad did to me. What he did then has lived with me forever
,
and my father died not knowing how deeply he had hurt me. I’ve kept it inside for all these years. You two are the only ones alive who know about this.”

              Melinda could hardly believe her ears. “So all this time you were telling me to leave Wayne, it was all because of what your father did to you?” she asked.

             
“I thought that was how it was meant to be. He planted that seed in me from then
,
and it stuck with me, and I was willing to plant it in you had you not been strong enough to resist it. I wish I had your strength back then.”

              “But it wasn’t your fault
,
Sir,” Wayne interjected. “And Charlotte left anyway before you even got a chance to react.”

              “And that’s the worst part
-
—
not knowing. I wake up every day and wonder what my life would have been like had it been her all along. Mel, I loved your mother, don’t you doubt that, but you asked me before about soul
-
mate; I believe mine was Charlotte for not a day has gone by in my years following her departure that I have not thought about her. But I see how happy Wayne has made you, and I believe that is what is important now. You deserve it all pumpkin, and I just wanted to tell you both that you have my full support.”

             
Melinda’s smile warmed the room
,
and she rushed over to give her father a bear hug. “Thanks
,
D
d
ad.”

             
When she released him, Wayne stood and extended his arm to him. “I appreciate that
,
Sir.”

              “Oh
,
stop with the Sirs,” Melvin laughed. “Call me Melvin
. . .
.
..
or
D
d
ad,” he winked.

             
“Okay
. . .
...
D
d
ad,” Wayne said
,
and the two laughed
,
and in that moment Melinda had never been happier.

              “One question though,” Wayne started. “Have you ever tried to find her?”

             
“Who, Charlotte? No. I was married by then. I figured it was a done deal
,
so there was no point in rehashing it.”

              “Would you like to find her?” Wayne asked.

             
Melvin looked at Wayne hopefully. “Is that possible now after all this time? I am not even sure where she went.”

             
“In matters of the heart there is no statute of limitations. Let’s go find Charlotte,” Wayne declared, and the light in Melvin’s eyes grew a shade brighter at the prospect of finding his lost love.

             
The following days Melvin was a basket case as all three worked assiduously to find Charlotte Gomez. She had left the state as Melvin had said with her father
,
Lord Gomez, and had taken occupancy in Pennsylvania. Further investigations revealed that Charlotte had left soon after and had gone to Spain to study, and her trail disappeared somewhere in Europe.

              “I am never going to find her,” Melvin bemoaned one day while the trio sat huddled over newspaper clippings and phone records.

             
“There has to be something there,” Wayne said. “We just have to keep looking.”

             
“What if she died?” Melvin asked.

             
“Dad, she isn’t dead. We will find her. You are going to have to be more patient and stop frustrating yourself over this. As a matter of fact, go and stretch your legs. Maybe by the time you get back we might have some good news for you.”

             
“That’s not a bad idea,” Wayne agreed.

             
Melvin shook his head and yanked his coat from the coat rack and headed outside. Maybe he needed some air after all.

             
“I just thought of something,” Melinda said after he had gone out. “Her original name was Charlotte Gomez, but what if she had gotten married as well? Her name wouldn’t be the same.”

             
“Now why didn’t I think of that? But that only leads to a greater search area. We can’t search all of Europe for every Charlotte there
is
are
.”

             
“Maybe if we narrow it down to a particular time period using that name we might get a few hits. There could not have been that many Charlottes. Furthermore we have her image here so we can always compare.”

             
“Okay, let’s do that,” Wayne said. The two typed in Charlotte first and then clicked search. They were shocked to see that only seventy persons turned up in search results by that name and for that time period. “Not bad.”

             
“See? Let’s see which of them matches this picture,” Melinda said
,
and the two pored over image
s
after image
s
until all they could see was the white background on the monitor.

              “I think we need to take a break now,” said Melinda. “Would you like some juice or something?” she asked. She still felt at home here, but she maintained the apartment especially since it was closer to work
,
;
not that distance mattered any
more.

              “Juice is fine, thanks,” he said and rubbed his eyes as he yawned. He got up and stretched his taut muscles and shook out the pins and needles from his legs before Melinda returned with the juice. It did much good to settle his mind
,
and as soon as he was finished he resumed the task.

              Finally, when they felt none of the faces would match, they got a hit. Melinda and Wayne stared hard at the image on the screen and at the one in front of them on the table, but they could find no difference. This was the same woman. It seemed she had gotten married after all and now went by the name Charlotte Rodriguez, a consequence of her marriage to a Duke in Spain. She resided now in Italy
,
but was now a widower, having lost her husband five years ago. They did a couple more searches and made some phone calls to connections Wayne had overseas until they determined her address. By the time Melvin came back, he found the two relaxing and watching a movie.

              “So? Any luck?” he asked nervously.

             
“As a matter of fact, yes. She is still alive and now lives in Italy.”

             
Melvin sighed and a smile spread across his face. “Italy,” he finally said as if the suggestion had only just sunk in. “How the hell am I going to get to Italy?” he asked.

             
“My treat,” Wayne said. Melinda flashed around. “Make that a trip for three,” he continued.

             
Melinda squealed. “I’m going to Italy. Dad, we are going to Italy,” she screamed excitedly.

             
Suddenly Melvin’s face changed shape. He grew quiet and walked to the window to look out. “What if she doesn’t remember me?”

             
“If the love you shared with her was real, then she will never forget you,” Wayne said. “When would you like to go?” he asked him now.

             
Melvin looked to his daughter for guidance and when she nodded he smiled. “Let’s go then,” he said.

             
A week later the three were making their way across the seas to Italy. Melinda’s excitement could not be contained as they neared, and when they were instructed to fasten their belts for landing, she almost collapsed
—
so quickly was her heart beating. They instantly procured a map of the area and were able to locate the street where she lived. Melvin wanted to get it under
way
because
for
he couldn’t function properly until then.

             
He was as nervous as a teenager on his first date
,
and he walked behind as they made their way up the cobble
stoned path to the wooden door. Wayne knocked
,
and after a few seconds the door creaked open.

              “Good
D
d
ay
,
Ma’am. I am looking for a Charlotte Rodriguez. Is this where I might find her?” he asked.

              She stood directly in the doorway now. “I’m Charlotte. And who might you be
,
young man?” she asked. “I hope you haven’t come to take away my pets again.”

              “Oh no, Ma’am. Actually, there is someone here who has come to see you. Do you recognize him?” Wayne asked and dressed back so that she could see Melvin standing there looking shy.

             
Charlotte peered around Wayne
,
and instantly her eyes pulped and her hands flew to her mouth. She walked outside and stood before the man, reaching out her hand to touch his face. “Melvin? Is that really you?” she asked.

              “Yes, Char, it is me,” he told her as he covered her hand with his own.

             
Tears started falling down the woman’s face instantly. “Don’t cry,” he said to her.

             
She dabbed the corner of her eyes with the tips of her fingers. “Do, come in. Would you all like some tea or juice?” she asked once they were inside.

             
“No, that’s alright, thank you,” Melinda said.

             
Charlotte turned to Melvin now as she sat. “How did you find me? And who is this lovely couple?” she smiled and asked.

             
“This is my daughter and her intended,” Melvin answered.

             
“Oh, it is a pleasure to meet you two,” she said as she extended her arms to them.

             
“They were the ones who helped me to locate you. See, I almost did to them what my father did to us so long ago. I was s
o
distraught when she brought home a white man I lost it, and all I could hear were my father’s words ringing in my ears, telling me to leave you alone and to stick to my own people. That moment has traumatized me for years and even more so when I saw you leaving.”

              “My dad did the same thing. He was afraid you might contaminate me
,
so instead of risking it, he decided to move right away. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye,” she said as the tears trickled down her face. “I tried to find you after, but I discovered that you were married, and it broke my heart again. I got married after that, but I was never truly happy. He died a few years ago
,
and it has just been me and my animals ever since. I never thought I’d see you again,” she said.

              “Neither did I. And then I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me
,
or wouldn’t recognize me,” he told her.

              “How could I ever forget that face
,
Melvin? It was painted across my mind, heart and soul. I couldn’t forget it if I tried
,
and time could not undo that.”

              Melinda and Wayne’s hearts were warmed as they listened to Charlotte and Melvin catching up, and it only served to bring the two even closer than they were before. They spent the remainder of their time touring the neighborhood and enjoying the sights, and for all her life Melinda had never seen her father happier
,
;
not even when he was with her mother. The love between the two burned brightly still
,
and they were teleported back in time to when the love was strong and there was nothing between them
,
;
nothing but the swing and her parasol.

             
By the time they were ready to go home, a little bit of the light had died in Melvin’s eyes. “Will I ever see you again?” he asked her.

             
“I don’t see why not. Don’t you want to see me again?” she teased him.

             
“Desperately,” he told her.

             
“Then we will see each other again,” she smiled as she reached up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek.

             
The ride back home was a long and tiring one
,
and Melvin could barely speak. Melinda was hardly able to get him to comment on anything
,
or to eat. He seemed to be a man broken when compared to the man she had been seeing for the last few days.

              “Look at him,” she whispered to Wayne. “What are we going to do?”

             
Wayne looked across at Melvin and sighed. “He looks like he is about to die from a broken heart. Maybe it was a mistake taking him here to see her. We should have left well enough alone.”

             
“I don’t think so. Maybe we should find a way for them to be together all the time, spend their last few years together you know. It is sad how they spent their entire lives away from each other when they had the real thing all along. I hope I never have
a
to
taste of that,” Melinda said sadly.

             
“You won’t have to worry about that
,
S
s
weetheart. I am not letting you out of my sight,” he said and kissed her on her forehead. She hugged him in return.

             
“I love you,” she whispered, and he froze, only hearing those words from her for the first time since they have been dating. “And thanks for what you did for my dad.”

             
Wayne squeezed her closer to him. “I love you too
,
S
s
weetheart. Always have and always will.”

             
The ride back seemed a lot longer than it was going to Italy
,
and by the time Wayne dropped Melvin off, he was regaining his color and his composure. He thanked them both for allowing him to see Charlotte and expressed openly his need to see her again. Wayne drove off then and brought Melinda to her home, but he tarried a while just to ensure she was alright
,
or just to be with her longer. She appreciated his company
,
and as tired as she was, she couldn’t resist him when he joined her in the shower moments after she stepped in.

              “I have wanted you so long
,
Mel,” he said and kissed her on her neck as the water ran down the length of her body. She turned to face him, and now with the water flowing between them, their bodies slithered against the other as he pressed up against her. She held onto his waist as his kisses became more passionate
,
and his breathing intensified, she lifted her leg
,
and he held her there. She held her head back as he licked the water that rushed over her body and settled on her taut nipples as they stretched toward
s
him, beckoning him. She held onto his head and shivered as he dominated her senses now, and not able to contain his anxiety, he eased himself downward
s
and brought himself up and inside her
,
and she gripped his shoulders as waves of emotions rocked her. He continued to dig into her, and the shower trembled under their quaking.