Fallen for You Read online

  “Yes, but get extra egg rolls. I’m really hungry. I didn’t have lunch today.”

  “Will do. See you when you get here. I’ll have the Chinese waiting.”

  “Great, I’ll be there in 30 minutes. I love you baby.”

  “I love you too.”

  Roger had just enough time to pick up Chinese and make it back before Rose arrived. He grabbed his keys and headed down to his car. Hot Wok was just ten minutes away. Their selections were ready made and he could spend a few minutes talking with Chen, the owner. They frequently discussed how much pressure there was in owning a business. He ordered the usual and was back home for about five minutes when Rose walked through the door.

  Before she could say anything, he was all over her. He didn’t even give her a chance to speak. He grabbed her around her waist, lifting her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his body and, while his mouth engulfed hers, he carried her to his bedroom. He laid her down on the bed and began to disrobe her. He slipped off her high heels and slid his tongue along the arch of her foot. She squirmed and groaned as his roaming tongue continued up her bare leg toward his favorite destination.

  “Oh, Roger, I’m glad to see you too,” she said, sliding her foot up and down his hard-on. Roger then pulled off her skirt. He left on her lace thong and moved up to her halter top. He pulled on the tie at her neck, releasing her breasts. He then began licking one nipple while running his thumb over its twin. Her nipples responded accordingly, becoming hard and erect. She hastened with anticipation as her panties became soaked. She could feel her herself becoming eager to envelop him. While teasing her breasts with his tongue, he reached down and began rubbing her clit. He slid a finger into her to get the moisture he needed to enhance his rubbing. Roger aimed to please and she always seemed to enjoy being between the sheets with him. Then he pulled away for a moment.

  “Rose, I want you so much.” He took off his jeans and briefs. He was ready and she was waiting. Within seconds, he plunged himself into her. His pounding was relentless. Going slow was not on his agenda. His pace was almost punishing. He kept slamming into her with everything he had. All of his thoughts about his new neighbors had caused his control to wane. He imagined that Rose was Kate as he devoured her mouth with his. As Rose moaned in unparalleled pleasure, he thought about what Kate would sound like when he made her come. That would be music to his ears. All of a sudden, he exploded and was sexually quenched, at least for now. It seemed like his subconscious had decided for him that Kate was the one. He had never before imagined anyone else while he was making love to Rose.

  Chapter 2

  Tom Andrews pulled the U-Haul truck up to the front of the condo that Kate lived in with her mom and brother. Tom’s daughter, Charlie, and her boyfriend Mitch were in the car in front of the moving truck. Charlie’s bedroom furniture and personal belongings were already loaded in the truck. All they needed to do was put Kate’s belongings on the truck and they would be ready to go to their new apartment. She and her brother Eric had already brought many items out to the curb. Eric and Mitch started putting her things in the truck. Tom and Charlie followed her inside to grab more boxes. Soon, Mitch and Eric entered her bedroom and picked up her bed. All she had was her bedroom furniture and personal belongings like clothing. This was going to be an easy move. They were loaded up within thirty minutes.

  “Sorry I can’t help on the other end,” her brother said. “I have to get to work soon.”

  “Not a problem. I think that Tom and Mitch can handle the furniture. I appreciate your help. Do you have plans for my room?”

  “Yeah, I’m moving in tomorrow. Mom is going to turn my room into her office.”

  “Well, you’ll both have a lot more space now. My room is much larger than yours.”

  Eric nodded. “I’m thinking about moving out in the near future, but don’t tell mom. I don’t think she can handle both of us leaving.”

  “She’ll be okay. She’s a grown woman. Maybe it will push her to get a life of her own.”

  “Everything’s in the truck,” Mitch said as he looked around the room. “Do you have anything else to move?”

  “No, that’s everything. I’ll catch you later, bro,” Kate said, giving her brother a hug.

  “Later.”

  The furniture they had purchased was due to arrive in the afternoon, giving them plenty of time to get situated. Tom seemed happy that his daughter and Kate were going to share an apartment. Since Kate didn’t have much of a relationship with her own father, Tom had taken her under his wing. He treated her like his own and did his best to look out for her. Kate appreciated his guidance. He hadn’t told her to what to do, but he asked questions that helped her discover more about herself. As a result, she had realized that she needed to finish college to have the life that she wanted.

  Roger’s door was open when Kate and Charlie arrived. He made sure to greet them as they carried boxes up the stairs. He was all smiles until he saw Tom and Mitch show up. Then his face turned a little more serious. Charlie introduced her dad and Mitch to Roger and the men shook hands. They exchanged common pleasantries.

  Once they were inside the apartment, Tom spoke up. “Honey, I’d like you to be careful around Roger,” he said. “I noticed his smile disappear when he saw me coming up the stairs.”

  Then Mitch chimed in. “Roger seemed very anxious to have you two next door to him.”

  “Oh, you two,” said Charlie, cutting them off. “You’re both so overprotective. Roger is a nice guy.”

  “I’m sure you are right, sweetheart. But please be careful. After all, for all you know he could be a sociopath,” Tom retorted.

  “Oh, Dad, he’s not a sociopath. You think that something is wrong with every guy. He has been a perfect gentleman since we met him. He has his own business tinting windows. Also, since he manages this apartment, the owner must have done a background check on him.”

  “Well, you’re my daughter and I love you and I want you to be safe. Just keep your eyes open. That’s all I’m asking,” said Tom. “Don’t forget the pepper spray that I gave each of you. You should have it on you any time that you are walking alone, even to come up the stairs to your apartment.”

  “Of course, Dad. I am always careful and I carry my pepper spray. You didn’t waste your money sending me to karate lessons either. I know how to defend myself.”

  Their moving continued without a hitch. Tom headed home and Mitch stayed to help with the unpacking. The new furniture arrived as Kate and Charlie were organizing their bedrooms and Mitch was putting things away in the kitchen. He was a whiz at organizing and made sure to put all of the kitchen essentials in the most convenient cabinets. Kate directed the delivery men as they brought in the sofas. She had bought some decorative throw pillows to accentuate them. She got the pillows out, fluffed them, and placed them on the sofas. They were a beautiful tapestry with a muted floral pattern trimmed in hunter green. They gave the sofas the comfy feel that she longed to create in her home. Now all they needed to make the living room homey was pictures, candles, and some knick-knacks.

  As Kate and Charlie sat on the sofa, they simultaneously said, “I’m starved.” Mitch pulled out his cell phone. Within minutes, two large pizzas were ordered. After inhaling a couple of slices of pizza and a couple of beers, Kate decided she needed a good soak in the tub.

  “I’m going to call it a day,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for all of your help today, Mitch. You made everything so easy. You did the biggest part by unpacking the kitchen.”

  “Glad to do it. You know how I love to organize. Growing up in a sloppy family made me rebel. I have to have everything in its place.”

  “Well, you did good and made our lives much easier. I’ll see you tomorrow, Charlie.” She blew a kiss to her new roommate. She wanted to make sure to give them their alone time.

  Kate entered her room and found the box labeled “bathroom.” She rummaged through it to find her, razor, shave cream, body wash, and bat
h salts. Just enough salts were left for one bath. She made a mental note to get more as soon as she could make it to Seaport Village. She placed the items around the tub and went to grab her robe from the closet. The bathtub was calling her name. Soaking in the tub was undoubtedly one of her favorite pastimes.

  She started running the water and poured in the salts. The smell of Jasmine filled the air, immediately relaxing her. She took her clothes off and got in. After adjusting the water temperature, she swished her hands through the water to spread the salts. The water felt silky smooth. She normally read a book in the tub, but had forgotten to get one before getting in. Now she had only her thoughts to keep her company.

  Her mind wandered to Mitch and Charlie and how happy they were together. She had left them cuddling on the sofa, wrapped in each other’s arms. She was glad that her best friend had such a wonderful man in her life. He was six-foot-four, very muscular and drop dead gorgeous. He also was in tune to Charlie’s needs. He was thoughtful and considerate. A real catch, in her opinion. Charlie was lucky to have someone who loved her so much. She expected that one day soon she would be standing up at their wedding. Mitch was crazy about Charlie and she couldn’t get enough of him. Kate had once had the same thing, but that seemed like a million years ago. She sighed heavily. Seeing them together made her want what they had, someone to love who loved her back, and someone who accepted her unconditionally. But after what had happened, she didn’t think she deserved a second chance at love. Perhaps she was just unlovable. She rubbed her hand over her face and then covered her mouth. After all, her dad had abandoned her. The only guy she had ever loved was gone. Maybe she was destined to be alone. She had been trying to work through those feelings in therapy for the past two years.

  She shifted to move the water around and she put her feet on the wall above the faucet to soak more of her back. She had taken a big step moving out of her mother’s house. She wrapped her arms around herself feeling like she had accomplished something. She no longer had to tip-toe around her mom or pretend everything was okay—when it definitely wasn’t. She didn’t have to put on a mask for Charlie. She was so thankful that she could be real with someone. And she could be real with her therapist, Dr. Cox, but that was different. She paid him to listen to her; he had no choice. Charlie had a choice and had decided that she was worth being friends with even after what had happened. Her throat became thick and she could feel the tears welling up.

  How was she going to get over her past? Like a dark shadow, it followed her no matter where she went or what she did. She couldn’t get away from what she had done. Dr. Cox had told her that the past had shaped her life, but it didn’t have to control her life. She knew in her head that he was right. But it was transferring that information to her heart that was so difficult. Dr. Cox was a gifted therapist and he was gently urging her to move forward. This was her first step in a long process – moving out, returning to college, and allowing herself to be open when she had been closed for so long. All she could do was try. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she knew it was right thing to do.

  Suddenly, she realized that there was a downside to this arrangement. The walls were paper thin and she could hear Mitch and Charlie’s voices. She heard the water come on in Charlie’s shower. Mitch and Charlie’s muffled voices caused her mouth to drop open. They were going to conserve water by showering together. How resourceful!

  She pulled the plug to let the water out of the tub, but realized that she hadn’t even washed herself. She quickly got the body wash and began rubbing some all over herself and splashed water to rinse off. She finished just as the last of the water drained. As she stood up and began toweling dry, she could hear Charlie’s unbridled praises for Mitch. From what she could tell, Mitch was a wizard in the sex department. Charlie sounded completely satisfied as she screamed out “Yes, Mitch!” over and over. Hearing them making love awakened her own desire. Her lips parted and she thought about having a man to satisfy her. Charlie was having unadulterated, hot, steamy sex. As she went into her bedroom, she imagined being with someone, screaming out his name, feeling the world fall away like Charlie was experiencing right now. She put her hand on her throat and let it slide down to her chest. She felt a little light-headed and wasn’t sure if it was the steam from the tub or the steam from the adjacent bathroom.

  She was too embarrassed to tell Charlie that she could overhear them making love. She opened a box labeled music and took out her CD player. This was the perfect solution to muffle the erotic sounds of Charlie and Mitch’s passion for each other. She found her favorite Chris Isaak CD, put it in the player, and hit play. His songs about unrequited love were soothing. Her loneliness was somehow alleviated whenever she listened to him croon about his broken heart.

  Chapter 3

  The start of school was right around the corner. Kate had spent the first week in her new apartment unpacking and organizing and working her full-time job. She had picked up a few pictures for the living room and a beautiful vase for the dining room table at Ross. She was finally beginning to bask in the comfort of home. Living on pins and needles was no longer required. She gazed up toward the ceiling and allowed herself a small smile.

  She had been fortunate that her boss was going to let her cut back to four days a week so she would have more time for school. She had signed up for two morning classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and three classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays were her days off from work, so she ended up working the weekends. Not ideal for a social life, but finishing college was more important.

  She had been working in retail since she was fifteen. Now, she was employed with Nordstrom. It was the best company that she had worked for. She had worked in the children’s department for four years. It was a fun place to work. She loved her co-workers. They were a tight-knit group. The customers were mostly great too. It wasn’t like being in the ladies department, constantly dealing with figure flaws and women’s insecurities about their bodies. In general, babies and children were pretty easy to fit into clothes. It was comforting to have her work routine and be surrounded by people that she knew genuinely cared about her, especially through her difficult time.

  The first week in the new apartment was very relaxing. She ran into Roger three or four times, but it was always when she was in a hurry to get to work or run errands. He had invited her in for coffee twice and another time a glass of wine, but she had declined since she was headed out the door. She made a mental note to find the time to accept his invitation. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings. He seemed to understand and remained persistent.

  ***

  The alarm clock went off early in the morning. She got up extra early on purpose to give herself some reflection time before embarking upon her new adventure. It was Monday, the first day of the fall semester. After brewing some coffee, she went out to the balcony to enjoy a few moments to herself. Charlie wasn’t up yet. It was a glorious morning with the sun peeking through the trees in the courtyard. The grass was damp with dew that glistened in the morning sunlight. She noticed a mama bird feeding her young. The day somehow smelled fresh with new possibilities. She almost felt like she was floating a little. Could that be hope filling her heart for the first time in ages?

  She was ready to begin her junior year. She had been out of the loop with school for the past couple of years. She had dropped out the summer after her sophomore year because of the tragedy. She shuddered to think about that time in her life. Now, strangely it had somehow become her past. How had that happened? She leaned against the railing of the balcony. Time had a way of going on whether she wanted it to or not. Focusing on her future and creating a new life for herself was her top priority. Her past had ensnared her for far too long. But who is to say how long someone needs before they are ready to move on. She allowed herself to reflect only for a moment on the heartbreaking event that took place almost three years ago and had completely overshadowed her life. She couldn’t take back
anything that she had done as much as she wanted to. It would have been great if life came equipped with a rewind button. Her eyes stung as they filled with tears. Dwelling on the past would only worsen her heartache and keep her from getting on with her life. She was almost to a place where she didn’t blame herself anymore. Almost. She needed to get ready for the first day of the rest of her life. She felt optimistic. She was going to have to open herself up to new ideas and opportunities. She had a nervous pit in her stomach, but she felt giddy at the same time. She took another moment to embrace whatever the future held and remember what Dr. Cox had said about leaving the past in the past.

  She went back inside with her empty coffee mug and set it in the sink. It was time to start getting ready. She jumped in the shower. The warm water was comforting as she imagined her cares flowing down the drain. Then she ate her favorite breakfast of egg whites, wheat toast, and enjoyed another cup of hazelnut coffee. She perused her closet to find the right outfit for the first day of school. She didn’t have to worry about working afterwards, so she could go casual. She chose her favorite jeans with the bling on the back pockets and a fitted pink tank top. She applied her make-up, grabbed her backpack, and headed for the door. She crossed paths with Charlie, who was up and getting ready for work.

  “I’m heading out early today, Charlie,” she said as her roommate turned from the stove. She was making some breakfast.

  “Okay. Have a great day. I know that everything is going to be just awesome.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you tonight when you get home,” Kate said as she turned the doorknob.

  “See you then.”

  She saw that Roger’s door was open. He came to the threshold to talk to her, all smiles as usual.

  “Hey, Kate! Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee? I’m currently brewing a fresh pot,” he asked enthusiastically.