Always Means Forever. Deborah Fletcher Mello
had only been a few hours ago, and if the dream was any sign, she still had the effects of seeing Darwin on her brain. Her bladder was now screaming loudly and Bridget shook the clouds of memory from her head. She eased her body up onto her feet and limped into the bathroom. Just thinking about Darwin Tolliver again had made her stomach flutter. She’d had a crush on the man since forever. The two had met years ago when his twin brother, Mecan, and her friend Jeneva had fallen head over heels in love. Her infatuation for him had even caused a brief rift between her and her other best friend, Roshawn Bradsher, when she’d accused the woman’s playful flirtations with him of being something much more. The two of them had worked through their differences and Bridget had been happy for her girl when Roshawn had gone on to meet and marry the love of her life, famed baseball star Angel Rios. Bridget was now godmother to their two children, three-year-old Dario and infant Belinda.
Between distance, bad timing and other relationships she and Darwin had never managed to hook up, though, and now here she was, still alone, unemployed, dreaming about men who would probably never cross her path. As she slid back beneath the warmth of her covers, Bridget shook her head for the umpteenth time. Things surely didn’t look like they were going to get any better anytime soon, so she hoped her dream lover would still be hard, wanting, and waiting for her when she finally fell back to sleep.
Chapter 2
Darwin Tolliver couldn’t help but think that there was something missing, and maybe whatever was missing was the reason he was so out of sorts. He looked around the enclosed office, observing the contemporary decor the television studio had paid far too much money to have installed. If the truth were to be told, the room really didn’t give him any warm and fuzzy feelings to get excited about.
Everything from the walls to the carpet and half of the furniture was done in a striking shade of ice-blue. The other half of the furniture was either upholstered in black leather or painted in a high-gloss black lacquer. Polished chrome accents completed the sparse ensemble. The room was supposed to be cutting-edge stylish but as Darwin sat in the midst of it, studying every minute detail, he wished he could have told the interior designer they’d hired that it actually felt very cold and impersonal. He sighed, blowing a warm gust of breath past his full lips.
Reaching for the telephone, he dialed quickly then leaned back in the black leather executive’s chair to wait for the line to be answered.
His twin brother’s voice bellowed from the other end. “Hello?”
“Hey, Mecan. It’s me.”
“Yo, Darwin. What’s up? How’s the new gig?” Mecan Tolliver asked.
Darwin shrugged, his broad shoulders reaching up toward his earlobes. “Starting out well. The show premieres next week and the initial reactions to the promos have been great.”
“I saw the commercial for the first time last night. You looked good, boy! You should have heard Jeneva on the phone calling her girls to check out the channel.”
“Your wife is too sweet. Tell her I said hello and kiss my niece for me.”
“Will do. Alexa’s been mimicking you since she saw you on TV. ‘Let me show you how it’s done!’” the man said, imitating his child’s singsong voice. “It’s too cute!” Mecan laughed, the wealth of it brimming over with pride for his five-year-old daughter. “So, for real, how are you doing? You sound a little down.”
There was a brief pause and Darwin sat listening to the television set playing in the background on his brother’s end. They’d been like two peas in a pod since day one. Mecan was the older by only five minutes and he was Darwin’s best friend and closest confidant. Darwin wanted to tell his brother that something was making him feel as blue as the room he sat in, but he hadn’t a clue how to express to his sibling what it was or why. Instead he shook the emotion away and changed the subject.
“Nah. All’s well here. Just felt like checking in with you.”
Mecan Tolliver nodded, his sixth sense kicking in. He shook his head slowly, oblivious to the fact that his brother could not see him through the phone line. “Sounds like there’s more going on than you’re saying. Why don’t we make plans to have lunch tomorrow and you can tell me all about it. We haven’t spent any time together in a good while.”
“That sounds good,” Darwin responded, a hint of gratitude seeping into his tone. “I could use some advice. Why don’t you meet me at the Andaluca Restaurant.”
“Where’s that?”
“In the Mayflower Park Hotel down on Olive Way. A friend of mine is the chef there. I’d like to show him some love.”
Mecan smiled into the receiver. “Why does that sound like you’re checking up on your competition?”
Darwin chuckled. “Hey, my boy Wayne’s one of the best chefs out here. There’s no harm in checking out what he’s up to.”
His brother laughed with him. “If you say so. I’ll see you tomorrow at one o’clock. Love you, bro.”
“Right back at ’cha.”
As the line went dead in his ear, Darwin suddenly felt even more out of sorts than he’d felt before he’d called. After hearing his brother’s voice and his excitement as he talked about his family, Darwin realized he was lonely. Labeling the emotion only served to further frustrate him. Perhaps some female companionship could change his mood, he thought, and hopefully help him move out of this stupor he seemed to have fallen into. Taking a quick glance at his wristwatch, he reached for his BlackBerry off the desktop, sorted through the address index for a telephone number, then pulled the phone receiver back into his hand as he dialed. Three rings later a female’s sultry voice answered the call.
“Hey, beautiful. It’s me. Got any plans for the night?”
There was something romantic about the atmosphere, Darwin mused as he took a seat in one of the gray upholstered booths in the Andaluca Restaurant. The room had an old-world feel to it with its rich fabrics, cherrywood accents and the exquisite contemporary designs that decorated the walls. He’d arrived a few minutes early, nudging his way past the blue-eyed hostess with the porcelain veneer smile to say hello to the chef. His friend had been guiding a staff of twelve almost effortlessly as they prepped for the lunch crowd.
As he waited for his brother to arrive he studied the menu, making mental notes about the food choices. The selections were very European, fairly simplistic, with generous offerings of grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables and an incredible wine list. As Darwin mulled over the selections, it was only his brother’s prompt arrival that kept him from racing back to the kitchen to see if he could be of any service.
The commotion at the door caught his eye, the young woman leading Mecan to the table laughing warmly as the two headed in his direction. Darwin could almost visualize the events that had them chatting so comfortably. The confused expression on her round face, her neck snapping back and forth as she did a double take when Mecan had stepped through the door had probably been quite comical. It was a typical reaction when folks saw one and then the other, before realizing there were actually two of them. The young lady dropped a second menu on the table as she gestured toward the empty seat.
“Wow, talk about identical twins! I can’t believe how much you two look alike,” she exclaimed, her head waving from side to side. “Your brother scared me to death. One minute you were sitting here, then the next minute you were standing by my side. I didn’t know what to think at first.”
Darwin smiled. “Well, now that you see us together, you can see I’m the better-looking brother.” He gave her a quick wink.
Mecan shook his head. “He’s not shy, either.” He extended his hand toward Darwin, who came to his feet to give him a quick greeting. The duo bumped shoulders in a one-armed embrace before dropping down into their respective seats. “So, how’s it going, little brother?” Mecan asked.
Darwin nodded. “Can’t complain,