Page 15 of Room One Hundred and Twenty Six: Denied

TORIN

I’d been sitting here dragging my ass about signing the papers in front of me. Not just now, for weeks. Elara had done her part, but I couldn’t bring myself to seal the deal. When I’d been at the grocery store and seen Ms. Ella, it’d almost felt like a godsend. From what I understood, Elara had moved to somewhere in California to run Ms. Ella’s bookstore. If anybody knew where to find her, it would be her grandmother.

We’d talked and carried on, it wasn’t difficult to get pulled in by the Deadwood women and Ms. Ella was seasoned at it. Before long, she asked me why Elara and I split. I couldn’t tell her grandmother that it was because I couldn’t be my true self with her. Except, somehow, Ms. Ella pulled all that out of me. Not in the grocery store, but at the coffee shop we’d gone to next door. That’s when she explained to me about her situation. Her and her three men. I was surprised that she’d confirmed what I’d always figured to be the case. The story she’d weaved to tell Elara hadn’t seemed complete.

But, she only had one left and his health was failing. I offered to come by to see if there was anything I could do for her and the relationship between us grew. Ellington was happy that I provided a distraction to her so she wasn’t as focused on how sick he was. There were nurses who helped him, but he’d admitted to me that he didn’t think she was taking care of herself. I understood that it was because she was about to lose the last love of her life.

The day he passed, I was there. I held her as she fell apart, helping her to let out the pain. When she calmed, she got up and walked to her dresser where she pulled out a letter she wanted me to read. It was addressed to Elara and it confused me at first.

“Go on,” she prompted me.

I read the letter and my eyes widened when she spoke about the arranged marriage.

“Did you give this to me so I’d stop dwelling on what can’t be?” I asked her after I was finished.

“No, you’re the fella she’s to marry. When I leave here, Elara will be sad. She needs somebody focused on making her happy. I think you and your friends should prove to be a great distraction. This gives you one year to convince her that she’s missing out on everything she should have. Yes, my men are gone, but I don’t regret all the years I had with them. Losing them was three times as bad, but loving them trumps that a hundred times over. She’s getting everything from me. You already have your own money. Neither of you need to worry about the other’s financial status. We’ll nip that in the bud with a prenup. Focus on loving her and showing her all the benefits of having three men, baby.” Ms. Ella laughed and held her heart. “I approve of you, Torin. You’re the kind of man that my Elara needs. It’ll work out and I’m giving you the tools to make sure that it does. Make me proud. I don’t know if I’ll be around for the grandbabies, but make sure you give her plenty of them for me.”

The pressure. It wasn’t the marriage, kids, or even that two other men came along for the ride that stopped me. It was Ms. Ella. I didn’t want to disappoint her. That was too heavy. If Elara wasn’t on board, this would all be for nothing.

“What if she doesn’t sign it?” I asked her.

“She will. I know her and though she loves the bookstore, it’s not her gift. She’s a chef and this money would let her open up her own place. That’s what she really needs.” Ms. Ella smiled, but then she touched her chest again. “I think we should get me to a doctor.” As soon as the last word was out of her mouth, she passed out. I dialed 911 and got her to the hospital. Not ready to talk to Elara, I let the hospital call her. When she arrived, I only visited Ms. Ella at night when she sent Elara to her place to sleep.

“You can’t keep avoiding her.” she said to me. I could tell that she was tired, but she always gave me an hour before she passed out.

“I know.” I sighed.

“You’ve been to Club Sin before,” she asked.

“Yeah, a few times. I don’t do well with temporary solutions. I’m a relationship guy.” I joked.

Ms. Ella laughed and her eyes lit up when she said, “you’re a lot like Ellington. He would have fought off every disease and hurdle sent his way if he didn’t know that I’d be okay. You made it okay for him to let go. I can never thank you enough for that.”

There was a tap at the door and a tall man in a suit walked in. He carried a briefcase and though he commanded the room, his steps were quiet.

“Torin, this is an old friend and my attorney Adam Beasley. He’s here so we can discuss the agreement I told you about.”

He sat down his briefcase on the table across the room and opened it. When he pulled out a crisp folder with papers inside, that’s when I realized that Ms. Ella wasn’t playing. She wanted this to happen. Did I?

“Were you serious about getting back with my Elara?” She asked me.

“Absolutely. I never wanted to break up with her. She was always so skittish about sex.” I paused regarding Adam.

“Don’t worry about him, he’s heard worse from me.” She smiled sweetly, nothing shy about it. Almost girlish, I got a glimpse of her younger self.

“Torin, talk to her about it all. Take off the gentle layers and make her see. You can do that. There’s a time and place for that. It’s not the case when your future is at stake.”

I nodded understanding. It felt delicate because I wanted things to work with her so badly, and if it didn’t, I hated to think about walking away from her permanently.

“Okay, Ms. Ella. I’m in.” I sighed.

“Well don’t make it seem like I’m forcing you into it.” She chuckled. “Do you want her or not?”

I do. “I’m ready.” I firmed, more sure than anything else.

“Then sign, baby.”

I heard her voice now and it urged me to move my ass. I signed the marriage decree and picked up the phone to call Adam.

---