Unlikely Lovers (13 page)

“I’m all ears, as usual.”

When the workday was over, the two men met at their favorite sports bar, Zone’s. It was near the plant where they both worked.

After ordering two Bud Lights, Andy asked, “What’s up with you two now?”

“We’ve been talking,” Cody began.

“That’s good.”

“We were both confused. We love each other, but weren’t sure if we were in love with each other or just in love with the idea of being in love.”

“Go on,” Andy urged him.

“Last night, Jessie was really down. Kept saying she loved me but she knew we wouldn’t last. When I asked her why she thought that, she wouldn’t tell me. She even cried, not herself at all.” Cody remembered the tears that had hurt him so. “We’d decided to take it one day at a time, but after last night, I’m not so sure that’s the thing to do. I’m going to ask her to marry me, Andy. Then she’ll have no reason to doubt that we will last.”

“Are you sure about this, Cody?”

“I’m sure I love her and I can’t imagine my life without her. It may have started as fun and games, but she is like no other woman I’ve ever known.  She’s smart, beautiful, funny and great in bed. She’s every man’s dream. What are we waiting for?”

“What do you think she’ll say?”

“I’m hoping she’ll say yes. If she doesn’t, I’ll just have to change her mind.”

“Good luck, then, I hope it works out for you.”

“Thanks. I’m buying the ring tonight. I think I’ll plan a romantic getaway next weekend at that hotel I took her to before.”

“Why not this weekend?” Andy asked.

“The concert in the City is this weekend. I want our engagement weekend to stand alone, be something really special.”

“
I see, makes sense. I really have to go, buddy.” Andy looked at his watch. “Missy’s going to love this new chapter in the saga of Cody and Jessica.” He laughed as he patted Cody on the back and said goodbye.

****

Jessica
paced the floor of her living room. If I don’t quit, I’m going to have to replace the carpet in here, she thought as she walked the length of the room for the twentieth time since she had gotten in from work.

She finally went to her bedroom and lay on the bed to rest.
She’d told Missy her decision. Missy was relieved the secret would finally be out, but like Jessica was afraid she might have waited too long. She decided to wait and tell him next weekend since the concert she had bought tickets for at Christmas was this coming weekend. She wasn’t looking for it to turn out well when she broke the news. Her head was throbbing. She took some aspirin and was almost asleep when he called.

“Hello,” she said sleepily.

“Hey, pretty lady. Don’t make any plans for next Saturday night. I am going to whisk you off your feet with a night you’ll never forget.”

“What’s the occasion?”

“I love you. Isn’t that occasion enough?”

“Cody, you keep saying that.”

“And I will keep saying it until you believe me.”

“We’ve had this discussion.”

“Lighten up, Jessie…enjoy the moment.”

“Okay, but honey, we really have to have that talk
next weekend. There are things you need to know about me and once you hear them, you may change your mind.”

“I seriously doubt that, but okay, if we must, we must.”

“I love you too.”

“Would you like to come over and show me how much?”

“Well…”

“What…the insatiable
Jessie Walsh turning down a night of passion in the arms of her Prince Charming. What’s this world coming to?”

“You goofball, I didn’t turn you down. Not yet, anyway. I was thinking.”

“Think long, thing wrong.”

“I’ll be over in half an hour. Be ready and waiting, big
guy.”
I may as well enjoy
my time with him as much as I can for the next few days
. She grabbed the keys to the Mazda and ran out the door.

She arrived to find him in the bedroom
again, ready and waiting for her.

“You amaze me, Cody.”

“That’s the plan, keep you guessing.”

A few hours later
, she got up and started to dress.

“Where are you going, sweetie?” he asked.

“Home, it’s a work night,” she replied as she pulled her shirt over her head and looked for her shoes.

“Stay with me
.” His brown eyes begged her.

I can never refuse him anything
, she realized as she slid back into the warm bed and curled up beside him. I might as well enjoy it while I can, she thought sadly, once again.

The rest of the week passed
by quickly and soon it was the night of the concert. They had driven to Oklahoma City on Saturday morning and spent the day seeing the sights before the concert.

The show was excellent. She made the right choice in purchasing the tickets for Cody as a gift. She could tell he thoroughly enjoyed the show.

“Walking to her car after the show, he told her, “I love you for thinking of the tickets. It was such a thoughtful gift. It shows you pay attention to what I like. It was perfect.”

“If you only knew how I drove Missy and Andy nuts trying to come up with the perfect gift for you. I think they were both about ready to refuse my calls and run the other way when they saw me coming.” She giggled, remembering.

He laughed with her and when they reached the car, he kissed her deeply before helping her into the passenger seat.

The following week Jessica was a bundle of nerves. She was dreading telling him her secret
and although she’d willed it not to happen several times that week, Saturday morning arrived in full glory. Sunlight burst through her window making colorful prisms that danced on the wall beside her bed. She forced herself to get up and sadly packed her bag for what very well might be her last night with the one, true love of her life.

Determined to make him understand, she met him at the hotel. He was waiting for her in the parking lot and had already checked in, so they went straight to their room which was every bit as nice as the one they’d shar
ed the last time they were here.

The champagne was chilling and the whipped cream was there again. He’d thought of everything. She sighed, remembering the whipped cream sex they’d had on their last visit.
I’ve done things with him I would have never have dreamed of doing with any other man. He’s my Mr. Right and I’m going to miss him terribly.

“Penny for your thoughts, pretty lady,” he teased
, dabbing whipped cream on the tip of her nose and kissing her, licking the cream.

“I was thinking of the last time we were here and the whipped cream.”

“Oh, baby, that was a night to remember, wasn’t it? I believe that was probably the night I realized I was truly in love with you,” he said, pulling her close.

“You certainly planned the perfect homecoming for me that night. I was swept away.”

“That’s how it’ll always be. I intend to sweep you off your feet for the rest of your life,” he replied.

“Repeat performance of that night?”
she inquired as she looked up at him.

“I was hoping you’d ask.” He laughed as he pulled her close and kissed her
gently, lovingly.

How I wish I could turn the clock
back to the night we met,
she thought as she surrendered to his kiss.

Taking the large glass bowl of whipped cream from the oak desk, he carried it to the bed. She laughed as he smeared some of it on her neck and began to sensuously lick.

“Tonight, you’ll know how special you are to me, my sweet Jessie,” he promised as he kissed her passionately again and again.

Savoring all the sweet sensations he gave her, she whispered, “
I’ll always love you.”

“
You’re mine forever,” he replied.

They clung to each other for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, forcing themselves to part, she went into the luxurious bathroom to take a shower before dinner.

“I’ll take my shower and then we’ll go downstairs to eat,” Cody said when she came back.

“No room service?”
she asked.

“No room service
tonight, I’m taking you to dinner.”

He showered while she dressed in a
long dark blue and silver skirt and matching blue spaghetti strapped blouse, topping it off with a silver heart locket, her beloved tennis bracelet, silver hoop earrings and silver, heeled sandals.

He let out a wolf whistle when he walked back in the room. “Every guy in the dining room is going to envy me. You look great.”

“Thank you, you’re not so bad yourself,” she replied. She loved seeing him fresh from the shower, his light brown hair wavy and wet.

He hurriedly dressed in navy Dockers and a navy striped oxford shirt
then she tied his navy blue tie for him and they left the room, making a very striking couple. As they walked to the elevator, he stopped to kiss her along the way.

Once in the dining room, they were led to their table and after ordering their meal, he raised his glass of champagne.

“To you, Jessie, the girl of my dreams,” he toasted.

“
You’re so sweet,” she replied as she too raised her glass in a toast then took a sip of the bubbly.
He’s certainly gone all out tonight.

They talked lightheartedly and laughed all through the lobster dinner. He had just paid the bill and they were finishing their coffee and cheesecake when a man approached the table. Jessica looked up in horror to see Dan sneering at her.

“Major Walsh, how surprising to see you here tonight,” he began, not looking at her escort.

She looked over at Cody in time to see his face redden.

Dan looked at Cody then and continued, “Don’t tell me this is my replacement? The one who is
so
good in bed? Slumming now, Jessica?” He laughed evilly as he dug the knife deeper, “This is rich, even for you. You really are a bitch.” He walked off laughing the evil laugh again.

Jessica could have died on the spot. She looked at Cody and could see he was engulfed in a
red hot rage. Dan had vowed to get even with her and he had just accomplished that goal, in the cruelest way possible.

“Major Walsh?
Were you ever going to tell me? When you were ready to transfer out of here maybe? When you finished using me as your boy toy? When you finished bragging to all your officer friends about the hot sex you were getting from the local yokel?” he asked angrily.

“Cody, it’s not like that
,” She tried to explain, but he was too angry to listen.

“Save it, Jessie. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. I see I’ve been a fool, believing your lies about love. You were stringing me along to get your kicks.”

He rose from the table and stormed out of the dining room. She quickly followed as he was getting on the elevator. Too impatient to wait for the next elevator, she found the stairwell, took off her sandals and flew up the four flights of stairs to meet him in their room.

When she walked in, he was already throwing things into his leather duffel bag.

“Cody, wait, let me explain.” She reached out a hand to grab his arm, which he abruptly shrugged off.

“
I’m too mad to listen to anything you have to say. And to think I almost asked you to marry me tonight. What a hoot that would have been. Would you have laughed in my face or said yes and strung me along until you moved?”

“I would have said yes
and I would have meant it,” Jessica answered quietly.

“Like I
would believe anything you say now. I know what you like, remember. You like hot sex. Well baby, that’s one thing I can give you and you’re going to get just what you’ve been begging for all these months. I’m going to give you what you deserve. Then you can go to work Monday and tell all your friends in uniform. This is how you can remember me.” He literally threw her on the bed, ripping and tearing at her clothes, ripping the locket from her throat. He tore off his own clothes and forced himself on top of her. Grabbing a handful of her long hair and tugging her head back, he forced a kiss.

“Cody…not like this, I love you.”

“Yes, Jessie, like this. This is what you want. You want sex from your boy toy. You don’t know the meaning of the word love.”

“Cody, that’s not true. Let me explain. I
was going to tell you tonight, that sorry excuse for a man who blurted it out downstairs was my cheating bastard of an ex-boyfriend. He vowed to get even with me for not marrying him and this was his way of doing it.”

“Baby, you don’t know the meaning of the words love and truth. I’ve been doing you for the last six months, remember? Anytime, any way, several times a night, ring a bell?”

“Cody, please…”