Thalia Lake - Choosey Lovers Read online

  “Isn’t the smell just heavenly?”

  Satra didn’t know where the husky tone of her voice came from and was immediately embarrassed. She closed her eyes and smiled to herself, all the while praying that Shane didn’t think that was a lame attempt on her part to seduce him in any way, shape or form. She was just so caught up in the beauty and aroma of the garden that if she closed her eyes she could totally get lost in it all. Shane looked down at her and saw the dreamy expression on her face.

  “It is,” he said in agreement, speaking more about her beauty than the smell of the garden.

  “I’ve never been to South Carolina before, but I’ve always heard how pretty it is here, especially the beaches,” Satra stated.

  “I’ve been here before, but for business. I never had the chance to see the city or the various attractions,” Shane stated regretfully. Suddenly, images of Satra on the beach in a small bikini began to run through his mind.

  “Well, we both should put it on our to-do lists for the near future,” Satra said as she smiled up at him. “Every year my girlfriends and I try to take a trip to a different state. I’ll recommend South Carolina for our next trip,” Satra said smiling to herself.

  Oh my God, why did I say that? He didn’t need to know that! Satra was mortified.

  “Now that sounds like a fun trip,” Shane said as he smiled at Satra.

  “They are…” Satra said smiling nervously as she let her voice trail off.

  Curious as to what more she was going to say, Shane gently nudged her with his elbow and said, “Go on, you were going to say more. Your secrets are safe with me.”

  Shane had a devilish twinkle in his eye that made Satra laugh, mostly out of nervousness because right when she thought the man couldn’t look any sexier, he did. This was a side of himself that he didn’t show often, especially to business associates like Satra, but she was different. For some reason, she made him want to tell her things. She had this uncanny way of making him feel relaxed. She was so down to earth, and he didn’t come across people like her often in the cutthroat business world he was in.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wasn’t going to say a thing,” Satra said unconvincingly as she tried not to smile.

  Shane shook his head, chuckling. “You’re a terrible liar. You said ‘They are,’ which to me means you had some past all girl trips in mind that were probably wild and crazy.”

  Now he’s a mind reader, Satra thought to herself. Rolling her eyes, she decided to confess. “Ok, okay, you’re right. There were some past trips that were a bit crazy, not ‘The Hangover’ crazy, but fun. We were much younger then. Now everyone is married and have families, except for me and my best friend Alinna, so the trips aren’t nearly as crazy as they used to be.”

  “So why aren’t you married?” Shane asked bluntly. He hated that the question came out that way, but he’d been dying to know since they first met. Satra wasn’t offended by the question, but she was taken aback by his boldness.

  “Boy, do you get straight to the point!” Satra laughed.

  “I’m sorry; I’m trying to work on that. I’m very straightforward and don’t like beating around the bush, but I’m learning that I can’t be that way with everyone. So, why is a beautiful, smart woman such as yourself still single?”

  Straight forward was an understatement. And where did those compliments come from? Satra was not expecting that, and she definitely wasn’t fishing for any. She wanted to melt into the ground in sheer embarrassment.

  A beautiful woman who blushes. Now that’s rare, he thought to himself.

  “Thank you for the compliments. I’m still single for one simple reason: I have yet to find the right man for me.”

  Shane stopped at a bench and offered her a seat. He sat next to her, almost too close for Satra’s comfort. The electricity between them, even in this relaxed and casual state, was out of control. Satra tried her best to ignore it and just enjoy the friendly conversation as best she could. Shane stared at her as though he was trying to figure her out. He was totally dumbfounded as to how someone as beautiful and smart as she was could possibly still be single. Not only was she beautiful and smart, but also she was also successful and charming. Satra glanced at him and looked away smiling.

  “I can hear the wheels turning around in your head, Mr. Evans. My reason for being single is nothing different from many other single women. It is what it is. I also don’t see a ring on your finger, so what gives with you? How is a successful, smart, and handsome man like yourself still unmarried?”

  She turned slightly to face him. Shane smiled at how smoothly she turned the tables on him. He enjoyed the full view of her beautiful face that she was giving him even more.

  “Its Shane,” he gently reminded her, “And my work plays a lot into my situation. It takes up a lot of my time, which as you can imagine can put a strain on a relationship. I also have yet to find the right woman for me.”

  Satra appreciated his honesty but could see a hint of regret in his eyes. She wanted to lighten the mood. “Well, aren’t we a pair?” she asked as they stared at each other.

  “How so?” Shane asked, enjoying her playfulness as he let his eyes roam the beautiful features of her face.

  “Here we are; two devastatingly gorgeous people with successful yet busy careers, and we’re both still single. It’s a travesty!” Satra said trying to keep a straight face.

  Shane let out a deep, hearty laugh. Satra loved how his eyes slightly crinkled when he laughed, and she loved his laugh. Satra chuckled herself as she looked at her hands in her lap.

  Shane was looking off in the distance when he posed his next question. It was eating him up inside, and he just had to know. “If I’m being too personal feel free to tell me, but when was your last relationship? Or are you in one currently?”

  It wasn’t something Satra talked about often because it was a nasty break up, but in the end, it was for the best as her ex turned out to be a complete jerk and a total farce. She runs into his battered and bruised wife every now and again at the local grocery store or other public places around town. She’s a sweet, but very delusional woman who makes every excuse in the book for why her face is bruised or why her lip is busted. Satra knows it’s all her ex Matt’s doing, and she reminds herself of how that could have been her if she didn’t see the red flags with him when she did.

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Shane knew right away it was a painful topic for her.

  “You know what? Forget that I asked that question. It’s none of my business. We don’t know each other that well…”

  Satra put her hand up to stop him. “No, it’s okay. I’m not in a relationship right now,” she gently reassured him.

  YES! Shane shouted happily to himself.

  “My last relationship isn’t something I talk about often because it’s something I’d love to forget. It was three years ago when I was in my ‘serious relationship.’ His name was Matt, and on the outside he was the perfect everything – which should’ve been a red flag in itself. We met through mutual friends, hit it off right away and about a month later we started dating. About three months into the relationship, I start noticing some things about him that I didn’t too much like. He had this ridiculous need to know where I was and with whom at all times, even when I was at work. He thought I wanted every man I came into contact with, or they wanted me, or we had some kind of secret affair going on. He said his parent’s marriage falling apart due to his mother’s infidelity is what has him so paranoid with women. Then I found myself constantly trying to reassure him, trying to prove to him that I’m trustworthy, even though I’ve done nothing to make him believe otherwise.”

  Shane’s eyebrows furrowed into a frown, and his jaws tightened. He knew Matt’s type, and they were the kind he would enjoy beating to a pulp - classic cheaters and woman beaters. His stomach was in knots hoping she wouldn’t tell him that Matt put his hands on her next; otherwise he’d make it his bus
iness to personally find this bag of shit and beat his brains out.

  Satra continued, “We were arguing constantly. I got tired of his distrust, and I was miserable, so I ended it. We never lived together, even though he begged me constantly to move in with him, so it was a clean break. He begged me to get back with him to the point that I was going to get a restraining order against him. My brothers came to New York to visit me and were staying with me in my apartment when Matt decided to show up drunk banging on my door in the wee hours of the night. He was belligerent, violent and completely out of control. I had never seen him this way. Anyway, let’s just say my brothers made sure Matt never bothered me again after that. They beat his ass within an inch of his life and dared him to go to the police.”

  “That’s what brothers are for,” Shane said in a serious tone.

  “That’s not the end of the story,” Satra said looking at Shane with an eyebrow raised.

  “There’s more?” Shane asked surprised.

  “Oh yeah. About a month passed after we broke up, and I started to get these prank calls where someone would call and not say anything. Finally, I got tired of it and had the phone calls traced by a friend of mine who happens to be an officer. It turns out there was a Mrs. Matthew Jacobson. She had suspicions of her husband cheating, went through his cell phone and found my number. I decided to call her one day when I knew Matt was at work, and we agreed to meet in Central Park to talk.”

  “Married. That doesn’t surprise me. That’s what cheaters do, question you and treat you like you’re the dirty dog,” Shane said with disgust.

  “Yup, he was married and had a secret apartment that his wife knew nothing about. That’s the apartment he wanted me to move into. Remember how I said he was the perfect everything? Well let’s just say I was the biggest dummy ever. He had his friends fooled, the very ones who hooked us up. No one in our circle knew. And his wife….her face was so bruised and battered. She was like an empty shell. She was terrified of him, and I just kept asking her why did she stay with him? Why wouldn’t she leave? She said she loved him, that he didn’t mean it when he hit her, he was just frustrated, and no one understood him but her. I wanted to reach out and shake some sense into her. In any case, I told her that he lied to both of us and that he never told me he was married, and he never wore a ring. It was a very awkward and painful conversation to have, but I’m glad we had it. I still run into her from time to time, and her face is always bruised. She tries to cover it up with tons of makeup. I just think to myself how that could have been me if I had low self-esteem and no self-worth about myself.”

  Shane had to will his arms to stay at his sides. He wanted to take Satra into his arms and hold her close so badly. He knew touching her again was a huge risk, and he didn’t trust himself to be on his best behavior if he did. It had been a long time since he’d been in a relationship, and the feelings he was having for Satra were exciting, scary, and strong. It irritated him because no woman had ever made him want to know everything about her the moment he met her like Satra did.

  Instead, he said in a gentle, warm voice, “He lied to you, but you also recognized that things weren’t quite right with him, and you got out. It takes a strong woman to do that. So many women like his wife stay thinking they can change men like him when they can’t.”

  “I know. That’s what everyone has told me, but sometimes when I think back on it I still can’t help but feel stupid. I always thought I was smarter than that, and I let myself get caught up in the idea of everything. The idea of dating, the idea of getting engaged, having that together forever, like all my other friends who were getting married at the time. Not to mention the constant pressure my parents have been putting on me to settle down.”

  “Our parents must know each other because mine do the same with me,” Shane said rolling his eyes. In a squeaky voice, he mocked his mother saying, “Are you dating anyone? Why not? When are you going to get married and give us some grandkids?”

  It made Satra laugh, and he loved the sound of her laughter. It was hearty and real, and she put on no airs. He’s been around so many women who gave fake laughs, thinking they were being flirty and cute, or they were too scared to let loose. Satra just let it out, and he loved it. It was music to his ears.

  “Yup, sounds exactly like my parents,” she said smiling at him.

  Shane got serious again and said, “You’re not stupid. You’re human. Anyone could have made that mistake when you don’t know that you’re being lied to. It’s time that you stop beating yourself up over it.”

  Shane’s deep voice was soothing and hypnotic. It warmed her insides. Those eyes…. damn his eyes for being so sexy! Satra looked away nodding her head. She was proud of herself for being able to play it cool, even though on the inside she was a ball of nerves. This man had every nerve ending in her body going crazy.

  “You’re right. If I don’t let go of the would’ve, could’ve, should’ve, I’ll never be ready for another relationship. I want to be married, and I want kids. This time I’m just going to take my time and let it happen. No more fix-ups or blind dates.

  Satra couldn’t believe she just told Shane about Matt. For such a long time, she couldn’t talk about Matt to anyone.

  “And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Shane said in an understanding voice. “Honestly I feel the same way. My last serious relationship was four years ago. Work consumed me, I was finally making a name for myself, and I truly did not give myself one hundred percent in the relationship. My girlfriend at the time, Kate, was also very career driven. She was a very successful prosecutor and was at the top of her game as well, so she was always at work, working long and late hours just like me. The only time we ever saw each other was on the weekends, and even then at a moment’s notice she could get called back to the office and the same with me. For a long time, I ignored the fact that we were growing further and further apart, but things came to a head at a holiday function. We argued the entire drive to the party because I didn’t want to go and felt she was forcing me to go just to impress people who didn’t give two squats about her. Well, once we made it to the party she decided to get plastered, and she came on to a senator, who will remain nameless – at least for now. Long story short, she and the senator were having an affair for almost the entire time we were dating. So that explained her quick rise to the top with her career and her long nights at the office.”

  “Oh my goodness, are you serious?” Satra said with her eyes wide in surprise. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Shane gave her a small smile. “It’s okay. It was for the best. Neither of us put one hundred percent into begin with. I cared about her, but I didn’t love her, and I knew she wasn’t the one I’d marry. She hated kids for one, and I love kids and want to have some one day. All she talked about was work, who she could rub elbows with and who she thought I should rub elbows with. When we did have some down time together, I kept telling her that I’d like to talk about something other than work. That always led to an argument. She’d say I was jealous of her career and her success, or was trying to hold her back, which of course wasn’t true. It was a never-ending cycle. It’s funny because in the beginning of the relationship I thought she was the one. I thought we had a lot in common but really all we had in common was how driven we both were when it came to our careers. The only difference was I knew I wanted something else other than my career. I want a wife and I want kids and all the things that go with that, and she didn’t.”

  Satra’s eyes were full of understanding as she met Shane’s gaze.

  “It sounds like we both learned from our painful situations. I think that’s huge. Now we know what we want and what we don’t want in the next relationship. High five on that.”

  Way to let your inner dork come out, Satra, Satra thought.

  Satra raised her hand in the air for Shane to give her a high five. Shane laughed and high-fived her. Their eyes locked for a moment before Satra finally looked away shyly. It amazed the
m both how much they had in common with each other, especially their views on marriage and having a family.

  Satra wasn’t being completely honest either. She let her bad experience with Matt keep her away from dating ever since. She immersed herself in her job to the point there was little to no room for a relationship. She was very guy-shy, and with good reason.

  Breaking the silence Satra said, “I must tell you that I’ve never spilled my guts this way to a practical stranger, let alone a new business partner. It’s weird, but at the same time it kind of doesn’t feel weird. Am I making any sense to you?” she asked with her brow furrowed in semi confusion.

  Shane could only smile at her before he spoke. “It makes total sense. If my friends and family knew I had told you about Kate they’d all pass out because they know how private I am. It takes me a long time to warm up to people, let alone trust them.”

  They stared at each other with no more words spoken. There was something about them that clicked instantly, and neither one of them have experienced this with anyone else, past or present.

  They continued to chitchat about various topics, laughing often. Shane enjoyed her humor because it very similar to his. It felt good to laugh again, to let down his guard with someone and relax, even if it was with a woman that he, up until this point, barely knew. Satra didn’t expect to see this side of him, let alone like him. He seemed so serious and brooding the first time they met. She thought he’d be an egomaniacal jerk. So far that assumption was wrong.

  Satra was a huge Seinfeld fan, as was Shane. It was so refreshing to be able to throw out random Seinfeld quotes and have someone automatically know which episode you were talking about and laugh with you. In the middle of their laughter, an older African American couple walked up and sat on the bench across from them. They were so adorable and so affectionate with one another stealing kisses here and there. Shane and Satra both glanced at them and smiled. Finally, the husband got up and gingerly walked over to them.