Chapter 8

Saturday, John was packed and ready to leave. Taylor stood outside of the apartment watching him. He looked tormented. “Are you okay?” she asked.

He nodded, “Yeah, I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you that my orders to Tampa got diverted.”

She stared at him in disbelief, “What are you talking about John?”

“I’m going overseas to Japan for three years.”

“And this is something that you’re just telling me as you leave to drive back to North Carolina. WHAT?!”

“Let’s be real Taylor, you and I don’t fit. I can never make you happy.” He kissed the top of her head and hopped in the Jeep and drove off as if it were nothing. She stood there in disbelief. Did he just break up with me like that? She had taken the job in the bay area because of him.

Taylor headed inside and immediately called Sherry.

Dressed in scrubs, Enrique just left the hospital where he performed breast augmentation, liposuction, and a tummy tuck. He listened to salsa romantica and thought about Taylor. John would be long gone by the time he got home and all he wanted was his woman.

His cellphone sounded. It was his receptionist, “Are you on your way back to the office, you have a perspective coming in for a consult?”

He looked at the time. It was too late to cancel. The client was probably already near the office. “Yes. I’ll be there shortly,” he replied and did a U-turn to head back to the office.

When he arrived at the office only a few cars remained. He hurried inside and saw Daniela preparing to leave, “She’s waiting in your office. I have to leave, I’m on carpool duty.”

“Have a good evening.” He waited for her to leave and locked the office door. Then he hurried to his office. When the door opened, all he saw was the back of a woman wearing the tightest pencil skirt and a pair of six-inch stilettos as she struck a sexy pose while looking out the window, “Thank you for waiting, I’m—”

She turned, “Enrique.” She wore a long-sleeved sheer blouse and a black bra underneath that pushed up her huge breasts. Her hair was colored blonde and it was long and straight. Her skin milky colored and she wore an unusual amount of makeup.

His jaw nearly dropped, “What are you doing here?”

She smiled and approached him with a sexy walk, “Ay papi, you’re not happy to see me?” She tried to touch him, but he grabbed her hand, “Jasmine, I don’t have time for your games.”

“Who said anything about a game. I’m here to work things out papi. Technically, we are still married.” She smiled. It was true. He had a practice in Mexico and they met there. He married her and one day he came home to a letter saying she needed space. But later he found out she went to live in Spain with some rich old white guy.

“After all these years, you just decide to show up. How did you find me anyway?”

“Are you kidding? I Googled you.”

“How much do you want to go away?”

She got closer to him, “Really papi chulo, you would pay to get rid of me? I remembered how you used to love squeezing these when we made love.”

“How much?”

“Wow, what’s her name?”

He spoke in Spanish, “How much?”

“Ay, papi, tranquilo. Since you seem to not be in a so good mood, I’ll think of a number and get back to you by Monday.” She puckered her lips and quickly kissed his lips and left.

He wiped his mouth, almost wiping his lips off his face. “Maldito sea.”

Taylor was in her office when Sherry returned her call, “Looks like everything John said is true. He is indeed going to Japan, but—”

“But what?”

“He wasn’t diverted. He asked for the assignment. And since it’s harder to get people to go overseas, they agreed.”

Her head spun in confusion. “Why would he do that? We were trying to figure things out.”

“From what I hear, our friend may have something to do with it. It seems, she has been seen sneaking around with John and has told people that she’s moving to Japan.”

“Unfucking believable.”

“I mean. At least now you know. And we can curse her with bad sex for the rest of her life.”

Taylor chuckled, “This day has been insane.”

“Well, at least you have that doctor who can help you relieve some tension.”

Taylor smiled. She could now have guilt-free sex. “He should be home any minute. I’ll talk to you later.” The call ended.

She went into her room and looked for something sexy to wear. A multi-geometric printed dress that went to the mid-thigh. It wasn’t tight, it sort of draped over the body lightly. She slipped into the dress and did her hair in big loose curls. She smiled as she went into her closet to find a pair of heels.

She walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of wine, and headed next door. She knocked and waited. The door opened. Enrique looked like he had a heavy weight on his shoulders, “Do you want company?” she asked.

“I had a long day. Tomorrow?”

She nodded, “Okay.” The door closed. She shuffled back to her place, went inside, and put the drink back in the wine cooler. That was odd. She was, finally a free woman and now, Enrique was acting weird. She shook her head. But then she stopped herself, Let’s not assume the worse.

Her phone sounded. It was a number she didn’t recognize. She answered, “Hello.”

A nice baritone sounded on the other end, “Hi Taylor. This is Dr. I mean Raul. I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”

“Um, I’m just kind of here. You know.”

“You want to have a drink. We can meet at the bar downtown.”

She looked at herself, all dressed up with nowhere to go. She responded, “Sure, text the name of the place and I’ll see you there in a few.”

It was a nice sultry bar in the middle of the block. Tropical music played in the background. Raul sat at the bar when a beautiful woman stood by him, “Dr. Loiza.”

He turned and saw Ximena standing next to him wearing a sexy white dress. He smiled, “Ximena, nice to see you.” He checked her out.

She rolled her eyes, “no need to look at what you won’t ever get to try.”

“If that is the case, why don’t you move along so no one confuses you for my date.”

She ordered her drink and walked away. He shook his head. His phone sounded, and he received a text from Taylor, “I’m outside.” He smiled.

She entered the bar and saw him. She waved and walked over. He stood to greet her, “You look amazing.”

“Oh, you’re too kind.”

“I’m serious.” He motioned for her to walk with him to another area, a table in the corner of the room.

She sat. “I’m glad you called. I was feeling kind of bummed.”