Page 6 of After Him, There Was You
“Zeke, what the hell are you talking about?” I asked, tossing the boxes into a pile so I could eventually bundle them together and put them on the curb for bulk pickup.
“The picture was of Tara Morgan.”
“Tarana? My Tara?” I questioned for clarity, saying a silent prayer that he was really talking abouther.“What the hell is her husband thinking letting her go out to a club on a Friday night?”
“From what I heard, she’s divorced,” Zeke nonchalantly stated, instantly causing my mind to go into overdrive.
“If you heard she got a divorce, why are you just now saying something to me about it?”
“Because what good would the information have done for you while you were in Europe playing overseas ball?”
“That’s what private jets are for. You should have said something to me, Zeke,” I chastised in frustration. If there was anyone who knew how much my first love meant to me, it was him, so for him to sit on the information wasn’t justifiable or acceptable in my eyes.
“Man, save all of that jet setting talk for the ladies. All I’m saying is she’s looking good, and there isn’t a ring on her finger, so maybe the rumor about her being divorced is true. Don’t shoot me for delivering the information. Now, the ball is in yourcourt, and you have to make the decision on what to do with it,” he cryptically noted before ending the call.
All of a sudden, I had a change of heart, and I was ready to step out so I could be in the building to help O’dell celebrate his birthday amongst good company. It didn’t take any additional convincing beyond knowing Tara was without a ring, for me to throw my tools down and head in the direction of my master suite to get dressed.
About an hour later, I was walking out of my front door dressed in a blue button-down Armani shirt and tailored Armani pants which fit my six-foot-three-inch frame to perfection. Despite the money in my bank account, I’d never been the flashy type, so aside from my gold cufflinks and the diamond earring in my left lobe, I kept my accessories minimal, opting to wear one of my more simplistic Rolex watches.
I even opted to drive my all-black G-Wagon instead of one of my more luxurious cars.
The last thing I wanted Tara to think was that I was someone flaunting my success in her face because even though I appreciated the lifestyle my athletic ability afforded me, she had always been the missing puzzle piece to what could have been.
Admittedly, with all the time that passed, I was nervous to cross paths with Tara again, but if indeed I had a second chance at getting her heart, I was going to take it.
Chapter 4: Truth Is - Tara
An Hour Later, Across Town at Club Déjà Vu
“Girl, don’t look now, but your almost ex-boyfriend is walking into VIP at this very moment,” Eva harshly whispered into my ear, leaned over from her spot in Zeke’s lap. It was a position she’d been happily occupying since we entered the roped off section located on the top level of the three-story club.
The entire club scene already had my level of discomfort at an all-time high, and Eva’s announcement tipped me over the verge of being fully out of my comfort zone.
Stopping me before I completed my motion of turning around, she grabbed my hand.
“Didn’t I just tell you not to look?” Reaching in her purse, she handed me a vial of clear lip gloss as if my full lips needed anything more to draw attention to them.
“My lips are still sticking together. I think I’m okay.” I declined. “Are you going to tell me who in my past you’re referring to?”
“Please stop acting like you have kissed more than two men in your thirty-four years of life.”
“Zane?” I questioned, disregarding her many warnings not to turn around. I couldn’t help myself.
It had been years since I’d seen Zane Simmons, and at the mere mention of his name, my heart started beating to an unfamiliar rhythm. It didn’t help that the moment I turned around, our eyes connected, and all the feelings I thought were dead resurfaced as if no time seemed to pass. Suddenly, I was the eighteen-year-old girl standing before her best male friend after he kissed me and professed his love, seemingly all in one breath.
He had always been attractive, but time had indeed been good to him as he appeared even more handsome in my eyes.His honey skin was the epitome of perfection and his chiseled, yet gentle features made him a beautiful man.
“Tara, it’s been a long time,” Zane’s smooth voice stated as he took me in with his eyes. “Too long.”
I was sure he was admiring how much two children and the years away from each other had altered my body.
The slow and deliberate motion of him licking his lips was the icing on the cake to send me into an internal frenzy, and against my will, flashbacks of our first and last time together came rushing to my mind.
The night Zane told me he loved me and had always had feelings beyond friendship for me, he kissed me, and the kiss led to us having sex. With the exception of Eva, I hadn’t told anyone because of the guilt associated with my actions. Even though Jason and I were experiencing a rough patch in our teenage love affair when it happened, I still felt like I’d cheated on him, although I knew I didn’t.
“Are you going to stand there and stare at me all night, or are you going to give an old friend a hug?”
Seemingly going in slow motion, I stood and approached him. It was as if everyone around us no longer existed and it was just the two of us.
