One Sweet Day

Opening my eyes, for a moment, everything seemed the same. The sun peeked through the curtains and kissed my cheeks. The pillows hugged me perfectly from memory. The alarm clock on the nightstand clicked over and blared the relaxing melody of crashing ocean waves my water sign needed to start my day off right. It was never needed because I always woke up five minutes before the event and just lay there thinking, and even this could not help today.

Turning over, it hit me, as I stretched my arms across the empty pillow on the other side. Aaron left me again last night, and tonight was Lena, my best friend and his sister's engagement party. This day was going to undoubtedly suck.

I sighed, sat up, and looked around. My room seemed bigger now. Aaron had left before, but never with all of his stuff. I couldn’t even tell what happened if I tried. It all just spiraled out of control so quickly, and then he was just gone.

I decided to get the day started anyway. No use dwelling on what I could no longer control; if I ever could control anything that Aaron did. We had begun fighting all the time now. So much so that it all just seemed to blur together. We’ve been together off and on for six years, but I feel like I don’t even know him anymore; maybe I never did. People could hide who they really are for however long they needed in order to get whatever it was they wanted, and in college, there was nothing that Aaron wanted more than me.

Still I love him. He’s all of my favorite memories, and a few of my hardest moments. “He is my growth,” I thought as one solitary tear rolled down my eye, and I stepped into the shower cleansing the night before away.

Aaron will come back to me. He always did. I would welcome him. I always did. It was a dance that we performed. One step forward, two steps back. Though, this was the first time he took everything with him. I was stupidly mad enough to let him the night before, and today I couldn’t even tell you why.

Some people dress the way they feel. I always dress the way I want to feel. There would be no funeral garb today, even though I felt like I would die. No. Today I chose the pink paisley print dress that had been hidden in my closet for a month guaranteeing I would have to change nothing but my hair and shoes before the party later; flats and hair down for the day, heels and hair up for the night. Aaron loves my hair down, but I love to tease him with it up, so he could take it down himself. Another step of the dance. No outfit was complete without a smile, my mother taught me. So I plastered one on and scooted out the door.

I’ve always loved my job as an Algebra teacher, but today, I was glad it was summer, and I wouldn’t be spending my day talking about variables and quadratic equations. I wouldn’t be able to think straight anyway. How would I ever be able to answer a student’s question without thinking about wanting so badly for Aaron to finally pop the question? The only thing I ever wanted was some reassurance that he would stay, and everytime he came back, it never came. What I needed today was a nice cozy corner at Breakfast Nook, my favorite coffee shop and bookstore. It was similar to Barnes and Noble, but local and more homey with it’s soothing colors and lounging areas. It was designed for its patrons to stay for hours, and I often did. I had discovered this place in college and I was here at least once a week ever since. Alone, with a good book, and a cup of tea, and I could forget the whole world.

He was sitting in my spot when I got there; this beautiful stranger, but through my annoyance I barely noticed his exquisitely striking qualities . Ordinarily I would just move on to another corner, but not today. Today, I needed my little haven. How did he even get here before me? It was early, and the bookstore had only been open five minutes.

“Morgan,” I turned on the charm to the sixteen year old, who only works in her mother’s bookstore during the summer, and who was in my class first semester, as she approached the counter poised to take my order. “It’s awfully early, isn’t it?” I looked over to my desired destination.

She followed my gaze. “Oh yeah,” she smiled. “He got here like two minutes ago. You want your usual, Ms. Reed?”

“It might just be the only thing usual about today,” I replied, handing her a ten and taping her tip jar with a wink.

She smiled and started on my blueberry scone and raspberry tea. I headed over to my corner. “Assassin's Apprentice? I read that when I was twelve,” I acknowledged the book he was reading.

“It’s a reread,” he answered without looking up.

“I could never do that,” I stated, sitting across from him. “Once I know a story, I could never revisit it. The thrill is gone.”

“Hmm,” he nodded, still engrossed in what he claimed he was rereading.

I clasped my hands together and took a deep breath, ready to reason with this man I did not know, “Here’s the thing...I kind of need to sit where you are right now.”

“OCD?” he asked, finally looking at me.

“I’m just really having a day, and it’s only eight a.m.”

“This place is pretty empty. I’m sure you can have your day anywhere,” he smiled smugly.

“No,” I huffed and attempted to reason again, “I really can’t. Nothing is going as it normally does today, and I’m trying to recenter myself. I have a usual here. I have a usual order. I have a usual spot,” I motioned to where he was sitting.

“You should maybe try yoga,” he directed as Morgan brought over my scone and tea.

“Thank you,” I smiled at her, and she went back behind the counter.

“No, you don’t get it,” I returned to him. “I read in this corner of my favorite bookstore.”

“Well unfortunately for you, I am not having a day. I am having a week. The sun is hitting me at just the perfect angle from this spot. I am more than happy to share. You can sit next to me, but I’m not moving,” he said and went back to his story as if to say the conversation was over.

I leered at him for a moment before picking up my scone and tea and taking it to the counter. ”Morgan, I’m going to need to take this to go.”

“Wow. Somebody really doesn’t like to share,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes, “I don’t know you, but I can tell that I don’t like you. I don’t share with people I don’t like.” I took my to go container from Morgan and started to head out of the store.

“Jeremiah,” he offered, stopping me in my tracks.

“What?”

“My name,” he stood and started coming toward me. “I’m Jerimiah, Ms. Reed,” he offered again. He opened the door for me. “I haven’t forgotten my home training, but I really do need that spot.”

Maybe it was how close he had to get to me to pull the door open, but suddenly I noticed how amazing his honey brown eyes were and how bright his smile was, and for a moment I was mesmerized. Then I recalled that I did not like this man, “How...how did you know my name?”

“Mogan, the girl said it,” he pointed towards her. “I figured you’re a teacher or are you really just here that much?”

“Both,” I nodded. “I’m Kendra,” I suddenly remembered my own manners. “Goodbye, Jeremiah. See you later, Morgan,” I waved behind me and walked out the door.

“Who the hell was that guy?” There was an arrogance masked as confidence to him, but I still found him intriguing. Those eyes and that smile; he’s been working his magic forever, I’d suspect, and ordinarily it would disgust me, but there’s something about those eyes. “Why does it even matter? He wasn’t for me. He was just a stranger at the bookstore.”

I walked to the park across the street and sat on the bench facing the pond. From here, I could see the small knoll with the lovely patches of sunflowers, my favorite flower, where Aaron and I had a picnic once. It was one of our earlier dates after, yet, another on again cycle. He had surprised me after work that day. I thought it was the most romantic ordeal he had ever come up with, and still, toward the end of the night, we argued over me needing to get home to grade papers, and him feeling like I was never just in the moment. Just like that, and the moment was over. I really did have a hundred quizzes to grade. It was a frivolous argument. It couldn’t have lasted more than five minutes, but it ruined the rest of the evening. That was the first night we went to bed angry, and I didn’t even get those papers graded that night.

I finished my scone and tea and felt a twinge of regret. I couldn’t go home because it would only remind me of how empty I had begun to feel there. I thought I was going to be in the bookstore for hours reading the next Great Gasby, but I let my stupid pride stand in the way of that. Then, as if on cue, he appeared and sat next to me on the bench. “I thought we discussed not sharing spaces,” I sarcastically scratched my head.

“I wanted to show you why it was so important for me to keep that space, Ms. Reed,” he pointed to this cute, little, couldn’t be older than six years old girl playing on the slide across the pond.

“Are you a pedophile or a stalker?” I was only half way kidding.

“I’m a father,” he chuckled.

“Cute kid,” I conceded.

“I think so. Anyway, her mother has custody and I only get weekends, but every now and then, the babysitter will tell me where they’re going to be, and I sneak by to see her.”

“So stalker,” I fully teased this time.

He smiled and nodded that he got the joke. “It’s all on the up and up. I just stay out of her sight, so she’ll play and be a kid. It’s good enough for me to just be here watching her having a good time. I really am actually on good terms with her mother. I just work a lot during the week.”

“What do you do that keeps you away from that amazing little being?”

“I’m a recruiter for a tech company,” he waved it off as though that really wasn’t what he was about, “It takes up so much time, but I get my weekends to be with Little Bit over there. Her mom and I were in agreement about the weekend thing, but every now and then, I get a day off. The babysitter calls, and I hide from my five year old daughter just to watch her play for an hour.”

“That might be the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. You sure are telling me a lot of your business, Jeremiah.”

“Seemed like you needed a little sweet today,” he smiled and found a point of eye contact that spoke directly to my soul, “having a day at eight a.m.,” he reminded me.

“Right,” I returned his smile. “It’s just one of those days, you know?”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t feel right about pushing you out of your corner, but it was the best angle to see her heading into the park, and where I could still hide out. I really am having a hell of a week, so I needed this,” he breathed.

“No. I get it. It’s your kid,” I reassured him.

“Daddy,” a delightful squeal came from the other side of the pond.

“I think your cover’s blown,” I lightly tapped his shoulder and smiled a little harder.

“I think you’re right,” he whispered with a slight smile of his own.

“Have fun with your daughter,” I instructed while inadvertently touching his forearm. There was a spark of energy that confused me in that moment. I hadn’t felt it in so long I barely recognized it. I quickly gathered myself and walked to my car.

I sat there and watched them for a moment. It was like the most heartwarming movie I had ever seen, and I was a girl who loved her Lifetime and Hallmark Channel movies. Reality was so much better, but then their playing moved into an area I could no longer witness inconspicuously.

I always wanted children. There’s just always so much back and forth with Aaron, I never actually took the time to make any. Every time we broke up, something in me always knew we’d be back together, and I couldn’t put another man in that position. I knew that if we ever really broke up, we wouldn’t have that great relationship that Jeremiah just proclaimed to have with the mother of his child. Aaron would make my life hell if we had a child together broken up. When we were together, I was never confident it would last forever, and I couldn’t put a child in that position. So...no children.

The chime on my cell phone rang alerting me to a text. I knew it was Lena before I looked. I need you to pick up some things before the party, it read with a picture of a short list of errands for me to run.

“Well at least I had something to do now,” I thought as I started the car and headed to the florist. You need an assistant, I replied to Lena before walking in.

Best friends are cheaper, she sent back just as I was getting to the front of the line.

“Hi,” I greeted the short girl with too much attitude to be working in customer service. “I’m here to pick up Lena Todd’s short stemmed roses.”

“There’s a lot of them,” she groaned.

I shrugged.

She rolled her eyes, and left to get the order from the back room.

It took a little while, but she came back with a crate and slammed it down on the counter. “There’s two more for you back there,” she told me as though she wished I could go to the back with her and get them myself.

“I’ll just take this one to the car and come back,” I smiled sarcastically.

I quickly put the crate in my backseat. When I came back, one crate was on the counter, and she was coming back with the other proving that she took a while on purpose with the first one. I sneered at her, but grabbed the crate on the counter. She followed me out to the car, but this time I decided to put them in the trunk. Even though I could pop the trunk by pressing a button on my remote starter, I made the calculated decision to scuffle through keys, and take that extra time like she did. She put it in gently, which was the first thing she did without an attitude in this entire encounter, and I did the same. She quickly headed back into the shop as I closed the trunk, but she definitely heard me when I clicked the locks with the push button to rub it in a bit. I smiled knowing that.

Before I opened the door, I saw Jeremiah across the street with the young girl from the park heading into one of the shops. The bakery was next door to where I saw them go in, and my curiosity got the best of me. He had said he was only supposed to have her on weekends, it was Thursday, and I didn’t see the babysitter.

“Kidnapping now?” I teased walking behind him in what turned out to be an ice cream parlor.

He was confused when he turned around, but quickly recognized me, “Now who’s stalking?” he retorted with a slight grin.

“I was across the street at the florist, and I have to go next door to the bakery. I saw you come in,” I explained.

“So what kind of ice cream do you think you want?”

“I don’t want any ice cream this time of the day,” I stated matter of factly.

“I was actually talking to Mikayla, but you should live a little, Ms. Reed,” he goaded.

“And you should call me Kendra as I introduced myself,” I admonished.

He leaned closer to me and whispered, “Ms. Reed, if you’re nasty.” Then he gave me the most devilish side grin I had ever seen.

“Jeremiah, I might think you were flirting with me,” I used my fake southern accent.

“If you got to think about it, I’m not doing it right,” he winked. “So what kind, sweetheart?”

“Bubblegum,” she bounced.

“Bubblegum it is,” he beamed. “What can I get you, Kendra?” he asked again as though I hadn’t said anything just two minutes earlier about not wanting any ice cream.

“French Vanilla,” I shrugged.

“I’d expect nothing less,” he simply stated before putting in the order.

We unspokenly chose the window seat in the corner with a small table to indulge in our treats. After sitting down and taking a few licks, I asked, “So how did we find ourselves in the ice cream parlor today?”

“You found me so irresistible that you had to follow me,” he somehow said it without sounding too cocky. “I’m joking, of course.” I must have given him a look that he felt he needed to explain that, but I didn’t mean to if I did. “The babysitter, Lauren, had a family emergency, and Mikayla started to run out of steam at the park.”

Mikayals gave her ice cream a long lick, and a gum ball plopped into her mouth. She chuckled as she chewed and did a little happy dance in her chair to celebrate her find. I smiled, “She looks like a ball of energy to me.”

“Okay, so I was running out of steam,” he laughingly admitted. “Do you have any children, Ms. Reed?”

“My students are my children,” I replied. “So I have a bunch of teenagers and a few extremely intelligent adults.”

“But none of your very own?”

“I’ve wanted to, but you know...life,” I shrugged.

“Well she is the great love of my life. Everyone should feel this,” he kissed her forehead, and for a fleeting moment, I found myself wishing that kiss was for me.

“I couldn’t agree more,” I slyly grinned before taking a lick of my ice cream to cool my sudden impure thoughts about this man I had only met an hour or two ago.

He licked his while looking into my eyes with his own sensual pair, and I could swear it was the most errotic intimacy I had ever experienced. I had to turn away.

“Thank you for this,” I muttered. “It really was sweet, but I have a bunch of errands to run. My best friend is getting married, and her engagement party is tonight. She’s given me a list, so…”

“To the bakery,” he nodded. I was confused for a moment, but he explained, “You mentioned earlier when you came in.”

“Right,” I chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed for forgetting something that had happened less than an hour before. I took one more lick, held it up in salutation, and sighed, “I really have to go.”

Then it was off to the bakery to pick up the cake and then the winery. I quickly got through the list and felt an instant pang of regret. “How could I be thinking about Jeremiah’s smile and smoldering eyes right now?” I sat outside Lena’s house for half an hour thinking about the way his lips curved into that smile after he licked his ice cream. “Orgasmic.” I pulled my hair up into the ponytail and refreshed my lipstick. Then I thought about how I didn’t even get his number and something was obvious pulling us back together time and again. “Missed opportunity.”

Suddenly my passenger door flew open and Aaron got into my car shaking me from my daydream. “You’re here early,” he observed.

“I have a lot of stuff for the party. Had to be here early to help set up,”I answered, looking out the window for fear of my irrational guilty conscience from my naughty thoughts about a different man.

“I like your dress. It’s a good color on you,” he attempted a compliment.

“Thank you,” I shook my head in disbelief that this was the best he could do.

“Okay, listen…,” he started. “I don’t want to ruin Lena’s day. I haven’t told my family about last night, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“So you want me to lie to my best friend for you?” I asked knowing that what he was saying was the right thing to do, but not wanting to give him the satisfaction of being right. Suddenly I was able to look at him with more spite than guilt.

“It’s more of an omission than a lie,” he reasoned. “And it’s not for me. It’s for her.”

He was right, but I still chuckled at the attempt. “And how long, exactly, am I supposed to be omitting my life from my best friend?” I questioned.

“I’ll let you know when I’d like to reveal my personal business to my family,” he brilliantly argued. That’s the problem with dating a family member of your best friend. They could always play the family card, and what did I have? It wasn’t blood.

Still, Lena was my sister. We just didn’t have the same parents, and our bond was stronger than the blood bond that they shared. Hell, she complained about Aaron more than I did half the time. That knowledge gave me the strength to call him on that bullshit he was sprouting right now. “I’m not going to follow your rules today, Aaron.” I gained even more confidence when he winced at me saying that small piece. It meant he really wanted me to keep this a secret. The kicker is that I had no intention of telling Lena anything before he got in this car demanding I do anything. “She’s my best friend. She’s my sister too. So I’m going to take everything out of this car, and help her set up for her perfect day. While doing so, I’m going to let her know exactly what I am going through with her brother because I know she’s going to ask. Now, was there something else you needed, because if not, you can either help me get this stuff inside, or you can just get out of my car and find yourself some business,” I sounded more like my mother than I anticipated.

He got out of the car and closed the door behind him. Then with a huff he opened up the back door and took the cake into the house. I felt powerful in that moment and I smiled. “A new step in the dance,” I thought. We had never been here before. He had never looked so...tired. This might well have been our final twirl before the bow. I hadn’t felt it until now. This may be the end, and strangely I was beginning to feel alright about it.

I got out and went to the trunk. I pulled out one of the crates of roses. When I turned around Jeremiah was smiling at me. “What are you doing here?” I inexplicably lit up.

“I live across the street,” he pointed to a blue house with white trim with beautiful sunflowers in the yard. How had I never noticed that place before? It was lovely. “Are you following me?”

“No, the party I was telling you about,” I nodded toward Lena’s house.

“Oh,” he took a breath of relief. “Can I help?” he offered, stretching out his hand to grab the crate from me, but Aaron came back out. So I declined by shaking my head. “Oh,” he nodded looking at Aaron knowingly.

“Jeremiah, this is Aaron, the beginning of my day,”I reminded him.

“So what are you? The end of her day?” Aaron smarted.

“Excuse me, but what exactly are you trying to say about me, and would it matter either way?” I asked, slamming the crate into Aaron’s chest. “Lena’s in the window,” I already knew simply because that’s where she was usually perched. “You should probably get these to her before she comes out here, and you have to explain why you’re not the end of my day,” I folded my arms.

“Whatever,” he shook his head and sighed. Then he carried the roses into the house.

“Ex boyfriend and brother of the bride,” I explained.

“Your best friend’s brother?” he understood. “It’s a little cliche, isn’t it, Ms. Reed?”

“Don’t judge. Can’t help who you love,” I shrugged.

“And who do you love,” I heard Lena behind me.

“You of course,” I answered. “Let me introduce you to one of your neighbors,” I started. “Lena, this is Jeremiah. Jeremiah, this is my best friend in the entire world, Lena, soon to be Hayes,” I smiled to show her that there was nothing wrong here.

She stretched out her hand to him, but she was eyeing me as though she wasn’t buying it. “We met at the bookstore today after Aaron left with all of his things last night,” I explained since I knew he was the reason she came out here. Lena didn’t mess around when it came to the ones she loved, and if Aaron went in the house in a huff, she was going to find out why. It was either that or he actually sent her out here. It didn’t matter. He was the reason one way or the other, and I would not have my best friend thinking I was cheating on her brother.

“Oh, well then, you should definitely come to the party,” she smiled warmly at the beautiful stranger.

“I don’t know about that,” I quickly shook my head.

“I do,” she patted my shoulder, “And he can also help you carry all of this inside. It’s getting late,” she nodded and headed back in the house without carrying anything.

“Well that’s Lena,” I smiled rolling my eyes at the arrogance, “You don’t have to-”

“I already volunteered,” he interrupted to remind me.

“Well you don’t have to stay for the party,” I shook my head as I handed him a crate.

“I have nothing else to do tonight,” he shrugged and started heading into the house passing Aaron on the way in.

“You can’t be serious right now,” Aaron scolded.

“I didn’t invite him,” I assured him and headed inside with some bags in my hands.

Lena grabbed my arm as soon as I stepped in the door. “He is delicious,” she winked.

“I just met him today,” I told her in my calm down tone.

“Funny how we meet people. You never know when,” she smiled deviously.

“Right,” I nodded and smiled back. I went over to the window and watched as Aaron and Jeremiah got the rest of the bags out of the car without incident, almost as though the other wasn’t there.

They were like that for the eternity of the party. Both of them circling me like vultures. When one walked away, the other walked over. Aaron with his snide remarks, and Jeremiah flirting. It was all beginning to be too much.

I walked outside. Jeremiah followed me. “I needed some air,” I reassured him.

“Yeah. It was pretty intense in there.”

“You noticed all of that,” I nodded.

“I didn’t know anybody else at the party, so of course, I noticed that every time I left your side, he was all over you. It didn’t matter though because the only thing that I was really noticing was that while he was all over you, you were looking for me.”

“You think highly of yourself,” I teased.

“I have no reason not to,” he shrugged. “You want to go back in?”

I shook my head.

“Well I’m not ready for this night to end. We can always go to my house. It’s right across the street.”

“She’s not going to your house,” Aaron said coming out the door.

I sighed, hung my head, and walked over to Aaron. I kissed his left cheek and whispered, “Goodbye, Aaron.” Then I deliberately walked back to Jeremiah, “Let’s go.”

“Are you sure?” he whispered.

“Very,” I nodded.

We got inside his house and he turned on the lights. “So all of that flirting today? What was that about?” I asked looking around at all of the pictures he had decorated his place with.

“When you see a beautiful woman, you have to show her that you’re interested,” he explained watching my every step.

“Do you?” I turned to ask him.

He swooped in and his lips engulfed mine as though he could wait no longer; as though he was hungry and I was his last meal; as though there was no one else left on this entire Earth, but the two of us, and it had been far too long. In that moment, I was his, completely wrapped up in his warmth. My heart beat out of my chest as his arms drew me closer. I submitted.

Once I was completely under his spell, he scooped me up and carried me to the couch laying me down gently. Then he was back, but at the nape of my neck, greedily suckling for every piece of me. I softly stroked his already growing member. He stopped and looked into my eyes as I searched in his. Yes, this was going to happen. We both knew. So he pulled a condom out of a box under the couch. “You already knew?” I caught my breath.

“No, I um...I had a date a couple nights ago,” he confessed.

“Oh...okay,” I nodded.

“I don’t know why I should say this, but nothing actually happened that night. See,” he showed me the box, “box is full.”

“Right, it’s fine. We’re both adults. Sex happens. Maybe you should do what you got to do,” I motioned.

“Right,” he agreed and took off his pants. He was bigger than Adam, but not by much. I sighed and took off my panties while he slid the condom on and pinched the tip. “Are you sure this is okay?” he asked for consent.

“I’m a grown woman. I knew what would happen when I came over. I knew what would happen when you kissed me. I knew what would happen when I took my panties off. It’s time,” I said looking him straight in the eye.

He pulled me onto his lap and I startled him taking him all in. I almost forgot to breath until he pulled my face to meet his gaze and forced me to match his rhythm. He pulled my already low cut dress down and found my breast with his tongue. I leaned back to give him better access and let out a soft moan. He pumped harder. He grabbed my hips for better control. He pulled me back up to kiss him with more passion and fire than I had ever felt in my life. It was as though he was laying claim to all that was me. Then I felt as he climaxed and heard him let out an animalistic growl.

He pulled me back down to the couch and circled my small mound with his tongue like he had done my breast until I met him in climax, shaking, and arching my back with one final moan. Then I fell right to sleep. He let me.

When I woke up the next morning, there was a blanket covering me. I looked around and tried to remember what happened the night before. “Hey,” he greeted coming down his stairs fully dressed. “I didn’t want to wake you.”

“No, I have an internal alarm clock,” I smiled. “I can’t believe I spent the night, and my car is still out there,” I groaned when I thought of the way that was going to look.

“Oh yeah,” he grimaced. “Ex boyfriend and best friend live across the street. That’s going to be an interesting walk of shame,” he teased with the obvious.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, “Well I guess it’s time to face the music.” I got up and put my panties and shoes back on.

He watched curiously. “I have to go to work, but I want to see you again.”

“Let’s just call this what it is,” I smiled. “I just got out of a six year relationship. This was magical, don’t get me wrong, but it was just one sweet day,” I said and walked out the door. Still smiling.