Love Conquers All (Forever and Always #16) Read online

  “You better start giving details,” Scarlet said.

  “Did you fuck her?” Ryan asked.

  I knew they wouldn’t stop until I opened up. “We had a good time. She was really cool. She was smart, easy going, and fun. And she was beautiful.”

  “Please tell me you scored,” Ryan said. “You better have.”

  “Did you kiss her?” Scarlet asked.

  “When I walked her home, we kissed at her apartment,” I said.

  Sean nodded his head in approval. “Looks like Monnique is history.”

  “Was she a good kisser?” Ryan asked.

  “Yeah, she was,” I said honestly.

  “Did you go inside afterwards?” Scarlet said.

  “I did,” I said honestly.

  “Yes,” Ryan clapped his hands. “My boy got his dick wet.”

  “No, I didn’t,” I said calmly.

  “What? Why not?” Ryan asked.

  “We started making out in her room and…it just didn’t happen,” I said.

  “Why?” Scarlet asked. “What stopped you?”

  I thought that was pretty obvious. “You know what stopped me.”

  Ryan rolled his eyes. “You should have just fucked her. Get it over and done with.”

  “I couldn’t,” I said.

  “Don’t give me that bullshit,” Ryan snapped.

  “No,” I said. “I physically could not do it.” I gave him a knowing look.

  He eyed me. “As in…you couldn’t get it up?”

  “Exactly,” I said.

  “Did you drink too much?” Scarlet asked. “That happens to Sean all the time.”

  Sean glared at her. “Thanks.”

  Scarlet rolled her eyes. “It’s really common. I’m not spilling any of your secrets.”

  “You still shouldn’t tell your friends your husband can’t always get hard,” Sean said.

  “Okay, enough with that conversation,” Ryan interrupted us. He turned back to me. “So…what does that mean?”

  “Not only am I in love with Monnique, but my entire body is,” I said. “I can’t just forget about her. I can’t just be with someone to help me move on. It’s…impossible.”

  Everyone fell silent. They all stared at me like I’d fall apart piece by piece.

  “What does this mean?” Scarlet asked. “Are you getting back together with her?”

  “I don’t know,” I said honestly.

  “Are you going to go on more dates?” Ryan asked. “Maybe this girl just wasn’t right for you.”

  “She was pretty damn cool,” I said. “Honestly, if I wasn’t hung up on Monnique I would be fucking her brains out right now.”

  Scarlet shared a look with Ryan then looked at me. “If Monnique is the woman you want, be with her. We know she did a lot of bad things, but she didn’t cheat on you. We’ll support you if that’s what you decide.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “But I don’t know yet. By the way, is she coming?”

  Scarlet nodded. “I hope that’s okay…”

  “Yeah, of course,” I said. “She and I are friends. We can be in the same room together.”

  Ryan put his arm around Janice’s shoulders. “We won’t talk about your date when she gets here.”

  “I don’t have anything to hide,” I said. “I told her it was going to happen.”

  “Okay,” Ryan said.

  “Is Hazel and Flynn coming?” Sean asked.

  “No,” I said. “When I called her she said they were busy or something.” She sounded really weird on the phone when I spoke to her earlier, not her usual self. But when I asked her what was wrong, she said it was nothing. I dropped the subject.

  “When is Mike and Cassandra going to be here?” I asked.

  Sean looked at his watch. “Soon.”

  “They might be…enjoying his gift,” Scarlet said with knowing eyes.

  “Do I want to know?” I asked.

  “Let’s just say they’re acting out a scene from Fifty Shades of Grey. I had to tie her up before I went back to the house.”

  “Oooh,” Sean said. “That sounds pretty hot.”

  She gave him a firm look. “She’s your sister-in-law.”

  “Eww, no,” he said quickly. “I was referring to tying you up.”

  “Oh.” She gave him a smile. “That sounds like fun.”

  “Okay, I’m about to throw up,” Ryan said. “Could you guys not talk about sex every other second?”

  “Cortland asked what Mike and Cassandra were doing,” Scarlet snapped.

  “Just stop talking about you having sex,” Ryan said. “It’s disgusting.”

  “You’re one to talk.” She gave him a pissed look.

  I wasn’t listening. Monnique walked into the bar and scanned the room for our table. She wore a dark blue shirt that was loose around her body. It still highlighted her breasts and the curves of her waist. The collared top showed her slender neck. Her hair was pulled back, and two sapphire earrings were in her lobes. A golden bracelet was on her wrist and a ring was on her middle finger. It contrasted against her dark skin. The dark jeans she wore were tight everywhere, making her ass look fucking fantastic. Nude pumps were on her feet. She looked like a runway model. The other guys in the bar immediately noticed her. One look at them told me exactly what they were thinking.

  “Monnique,” I said as I waved. I wanted to get her away from the gawking eyes of the men.

  She smiled when she saw me then came to the table. “Sorry, I’m late. I had to stay over at the hospital.” She sat down and placed her clutch on the table.

  Now that she was closer, I got a better look at her face. She hardly wore any make up, just some foundation on her skin and a little color around her eyes. But she looked like a million bucks without it. I kept staring at her and I had to force myself to stop.

  “It’s okay,” Scarlet said. “What’s going on at the hospital?”

  “I just had a really sick patient,” she said sadly. “He was in a bad car accident, and he had a lot of internal bleeding. He kept crashing over and over so I stayed behind to help.”

  “Did he make it?” I blurted. I knew Monnique really cared about her patients. When they passed away, she usually left work in tears.

  She shook her head but didn’t speak.

  “I’m sorry,” I said immediately.

  “It’s okay,” she whispered. “That’s life.”

  “Maybe a drink would make you feel better?” Ryan asked. “It’s on me.”

  “Sure,” she said.

  I was glad Ryan didn’t hate Monnique all over again. She did a lot of bad things but she didn’t cheat on me. If she did, I wouldn’t be able to control Ryan. I knew he was on his best behavior because of me.

  Scarlet rubbed her shoulder. “You look really pretty.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “You look nice too.”

  Her phone vibrated on the table so she unlocked the screen. I saw her read the message then type a response.

  I immediately wondered who she was texting. Was it a guy? Would she be dating because I was dating? What if she was doing it just to get back at me? That didn’t sound like her.

  She exited the screen and I saw her background picture. It was a heavy woman and she looked really familiar. I couldn’t place her. I thought about it for a long time, coming up with nothing. Then it hit me. “Is that the girl from the bar?” I blurted.

  “Sorry?” Monnique asked. She looked at me with her brown eyes. I was always paralyzed when I looked at them.

  “I didn’t mean to look at your phone, but I noticed the picture. Is that the girl you were…harsh with?”

  “Oh.” She looked at her phone then passed it to me. “Yeah. I apologized to her and we’ve become friends. She and I are taking an art class at the adult school.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that. I looked at the picture. They were at a restaurant of some sort. They were smiling at the camera and they were each holding a drink. I could tell it was a selfie, b
ut that made me feel better. At least no one else was there to take pictures, like the other people from the magazine. I passed the phone back. “That’s really cool, Monnique.”

  She nodded then set her phone on the table. “She’s really cool.”

  Everyone watched us have a conversation. I could tell they were surprised how well we were getting along. She and I behaved like we really were just friends even though my feelings toward her were not platonic whatsoever.

  “So, what’s going on with everyone?” she asked.

  “I’m still trying to get Scarlet pregnant,” Sean said. “But she’s so loose that nothing is taking.”

  Scarlet glared at him. “I’m loose?”

  “Because of me,” he said with a smirk.

  “I just spent twelve dollars on this drink,” Ryan said. “Don’t make me throw it up.”

  “How’s the wedding planning coming?” Monnique asked.

  “Good,” Janice said. “But we’ve put it off because of Mike and Cassandra. We know they are going to get engaged soon and have a wedding. We don’t want to take away from that.”

  Monnique smiled. “I’m excited for them. They’ll make a cute baby.”

  “We’ll make a cute baby,” Ryan said to Janice, rubbing his nose against hers.

  I stared at Monnique, not interested in anyone else. She hardly looked at me. She sat gracefully and rested her hands in her lap. When she spoke to everyone, she met their gaze. I was the only one who didn’t receive the look. I was starting to feel like just a friend to her. It was like she wasn’t drowning like I was.

  Monnique finally looked at me. “How was your date?”

  Everyone flinched at her question, shocked that she asked.

  I was even surprised she asked. And she said it so simply. I didn’t see any emotion in her eyes. It was like she was fine, that me being with someone else didn’t make her blink an eye. She didn’t lose any sleep over it. “Good.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  She nodded. “I’m glad you had a good time.” It sounded like she meant it. “Are you going to see her again?”

  “No.”

  “Oh.” She nodded again. “Well, I hope your next one goes better.”

  When I looked at everyone, their eyes were wide and their mouths were open. I knew they were shocked by her behavior. She was so mature and calm about the whole thing. She really let me go, and she was so peaceful about it.

  The bartender approached our table and placed a glass in front of her. “ From the gentleman at the bar.” He walked away without looking back.

  “Oh.” She eyed the drink but didn’t touch it. She didn’t look behind her to see who bought it. Monnique picked up the wine menu and looked through the items.

  It looked like she wasn’t going to drink it.

  I eyed the bar and saw a man looking at her. He was dark skinned and good-looking. He was my height and he had brown eyes like her. I wasn’t gay but I knew he was attractive. He kept staring at Monnique even though he could only see her back. I hated to admit it but I was jealous. Really jealous.

  “Are you going to drink that?” Janice asked.

  “No,” she said.

  “Can I have it?” Janice asked.

  “Knock yourself out.” Monnique handed her the glass. She looked at the menu again, searching for a glass of wine.

  No one mentioned the guy still gawking at her. I tried not to let it bother me. Ryan kept looking at me, wondering what I would do. Monnique was jaw-droppingly beautiful. I couldn’t get mad when guys hit on her. She clearly wasn’t with anyone…

  The bartender returned with another glass. “From the same man at the bar.”

  Monnique eyed it. “Oh.”

  He walked away.

  Wow, this guy wasn’t going to give up easily.

  “Free drink, anyone?” Monnique asked.

  “I’ll take it,” Sean said.

  “Have fun.” She handed it to him.

  Scarlet eyed the drink. “That’s an expensive drink. That guy just spent thirty dollars trying to get your attention.”

  Monnique looked at the menu. “I think I’m going to get a glass of white wine…”

  I gripped my thigh under the table so I could relieve my frustration without being noticed.

  The bartender came back.

  Are you fucking kidding me?

  “From the same gentleman at the bar.” He turned away and left.

  Monnique eyed it but didn’t turn around to look at her admirer.

  I wanted to break his jaw. I blatantly glared at him but he didn’t notice me. He kept staring at Monnique waiting for her to acknowledge him.

  Monnique passed the glass to Ryan. “This one is yours.”

  The bartender came back immediately. He carried a tray with five drinks. He placed them all on the surface. “He says now that everyone at your table has a drink, maybe he could have a minute of your time.” He walked away again.

  Now our table was covered in more drinks than we could ever need. Now I was really irritated with this guy. And the fact he had smooth moves made me more pissed. But since Monnique was so mature about me going on a date, I knew I had to be mature in return. “Monnique, you can talk to him if you want. Don’t let my presence get in the way of that.”

  She didn’t look at me. The menu was still in her hands. “As far as I’m concerned, the only guy here is you.”

  My eyes softened at her words but I didn’t say anything. I’m glad she didn’t look at me so she wouldn’t see how much I was affected by her words of love. I just wanted to pull her into my arms and never let go.

  Everyone else gave her a sympathetic look. Even Ryan was moved by it.

  But I couldn’t speak. Nobody could.

  Her admirer approached our table, looking spiffy. The fact he was tall and good-looking irritated me. “Since you didn’t like the drinks I sent you, maybe my company will be better. My name is Jerome and I’d really like to know yours.”

  I watched her face to see her reaction. If she thought he was attractive, she hid it. It didn’t seem like she was interested in him at all. “It takes a lot of confidence to walk up to a girl in a bar and strike up a conversation out of thin air. And I think it shows a lot of good qualities about you. Unfortunately, I’m not interested. But I am flattered by the attention.”

  He smiled like he hadn’t just been rejected. “Normally, when this part of the conversation happens, I just walk away. But you’re just too beautiful for me to turn around and leave. I’ll do anything to have a conversation with you. I’ll even buy you another drink to make that happen.” He winked at her.

  I really didn’t like this guy. He was such a smooth talker. Ugh.

  “Because you really are one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen,” he said. “And I’m not throwing a line at you. Honestly.”

  I knew it wasn’t a line. If it were any other woman, I would say he was full of it, but with Monnique that wasn’t possible.

  Monnique tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, showing me she was nervous. “I’m—”

  “Before you reject me again, just hear me out.” He held up his hand then put it down. “This is my resume; I’m a sports agent. I have my own company and I work directly with athletes from the New York Giants and the Knicks. I went to college at NYU and I have a master’s degree. My annual income is a quarter of a million, and my hobbies include running, hiking, and spending time with my friends and family. I don’t have any kids and I’ve never been married. I’m looking to settle down with a wife and kids. I’m not looking for a one-night stand. Now take that into consideration before you reject me.”

  Fuck, this guy sounded perfect. I had a quick daydream about her marrying him and having his kids. It made me want to gag.

  “Damn,” Janice said. “Someone really wants a date.”

  “I’d go out with him,” Scarlet blurted.

  Sean glared at her.

  “What?” Scarlet said. “I’m referring to a universe
where you don’t exist.”

  He still glared at her.

  I knew Monnique would say yes. She’d be stupid not to.

  Jerome smiled at our table. “Listen to your friends and give me a chance. I’ll make the other men you’ve dated look pathetic.”

  Monnique looked at him and spoke in a firm voice. “Jerome, you’re clearly a catch. But I’m in love with someone else.”

  “Oh.” The disappointment fell on his face. “I didn’t realize you already had a man.”

  “I don’t,” she said. “But my heart is taken.”

  He nodded. He opened his wallet and put down a business card. “Call me if that ever changes.” He left the door with sagged shoulders, like a man who had just been defeated.

  Monnique didn’t touch the business card. It just sat there. When she looked at me, our eyes locked for a moment. A silent conversation passed between us. I knew she loved me, and she knew I loved her.

  I didn’t know what I would do if she said yes. She wasn’t committed to me and I made it clear we were over. I just went on a date and got naked with some woman. She didn’t owe me anything. But I was relieved she said no. It would have broken my heart along with everything else in my body.

  No one spoke for several minutes. The gang kept shifting their gaze from me to her, watching us interact silently. Maybe they were waiting for me to tell her how much I loved her, that I couldn’t get aroused by another beautiful woman throwing herself at me. Maybe they thought I’d fall to my knees and beg her to take me back. Or that we would start going at it on the floor. But none of those things happened.

  Mike and Cassandra walked in, his arm around her waist. She wore a dress that didn’t hide her swollen belly, and he wore slacks and a collared shirt. They stopped and eyed the drinks on the table.

  “Damn, you guys must be wasted,” Mike said.

  We all snapped out of our melancholy at his arrival. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Monnique and our relationship but it could wait. Tonight was about Mike, not me and my personal bullshit.

  I stood up and shook his hand. “Happy birthday, man.”

  He winked at Cassandra. “It was a very happy birthday.”

  I cringed. “I’m sure it was.”

  “Dude, it was so hot. She was all tied up—”

  “Let’s keep our personal stuff personal,” Cassandra whispered in his ear.