ASCENSION (14 page)

Franky noticed the melancholy
seeping
through the usually vibrant woman and spoke, “Why the glum face?”

She waved her hand then took another sip of the champagne, “Just thinking…nothing serious.”

He heard her and Shanda talking. Apparently
,
she
and her husband had a major
dispute
.
He hated to see her night wrecked by it. The time spent with
Selange gave him an opportunity
to see her many amazing qualities and if her husband didn’t appreciate her then he was nothing but a jerk in his opinion.

“Hey, tell you what. One dance then if you still want to sit and sulk I’ll sulk with you. What about it?”

The
pretty hazel eyes sparkled, “You’re not going to quit are you?”

A shrug, “My job is to watch over you. I take it seriously.”

The dimple became more prominent, “Okay, let’s go.
One dance!
”

Franky visually
searched out
her friend
as a
precaution
,
a
fter all he was
responsible for them both
. T
onight
Shanda
was out on the jam packed floor dancing and
having the time of her life
. She was
doing fine
.
His focus returned to the prettier woman at
his side and he took her hand as they joined the crowd.

A romantic song caused her to blush, “Can you believe this?”

“It’s music. We can still dance to it.” He took her waist and his finger gripped the silk material causing a tingling in his body. His mouth felt dry. He knew the danger of his actions and accepted the consequence. It was
too late to turn back, he wanted her and the honest emotion revealed itself when her body contacted with his.
Impulsively,
he kissed her and she did not pull away. The crowd was their shield and in her lips he tasted a sweet life, an impossible dream but a sweet one nonetheless. She suddenly detached her mouth from him and guilt brought him back to the present.

“Selange, I’m sorry. That was out of line
.
”

“Blame
i
t
o
n
t
he
a
lcohol, huh?”

He smirked, “I admit I wanted to kiss you for a long time.”

“Franky, I care about you.
We’ve become good friends but
I love my husband
and what
you did better not
happen again
. Are we clear
?”

He danced holding her, their bodies swaying in an intimate connection. He wanted to say she was right, of course this was a fantasy on his part but the love he felt for her was real and words could not erase it from his heart. This one indiscretion may be his last but he took a chance and the delicious taste of her lips was worth it.
“
We’re clear. Still friends
?”

Her smile
gave
the answer, “
F
riend
s and only friends
.”

Franky
tried to lighten the mood,
“
Okay then
friend let’s dance!
”

The song changed to an upbeat temp
o and they danced together as friends with a renewed understanding. Franky didn’t give up hope
that maybe
one day she’d come to her senses and realize Alfonzo wasn’t the legitimate businessman he claimed
and she’d l
eave with Sal before it was too late.

Alfonzo arrived at the club and was directed to his wife’s booth. He noticed the partially depleted bottle of champagne and sneered. His wife wasn’t a drinker, the few times she
consumed alcohol
she became inebriated. He wondered if Franky knew this little information about his wife. He took a seat and ordered a bottle of Comandon Cognac XO then unbuttoned his suit jacket to make himself comfortable as he searched for her face in the crowd.
He noticed Shanda, she was the
chica in spicy red grinding and bumping with some dude with a huge dumb grin on his face. Then he swiveled his head
as the crowd began shouting “Puertorriqueño!”

She wore lavender. His eyes settled on his wife’s hips moving in
Shakira
fashion as she smiled into the eyes of none other than Franky. God, she looked so beautiful in the sleeveless short dress and the way her body
swayed
it was evident his private dance lessons paid off. His jaw grew tight
as he witnessed her disloyal exhibition and decided to play the game.

The Cognac arrived and he poured a glass, gulped it down then another and another as his wife continued to shimmy about with Franky on the dance floor.
Finally
, the laughing couple grew exhausted and made their way to the table.
Selange
froze in her tracks
,
taken aback
by the
sight of
her husband
s
itting
casually in the booth.
He
was a picture of Latin
sophisticat
ion
in a blue custom tailored suit
with a white designer shirt
strategically
unbuttoned to
peek
his
muscular
upper
torso.
His wedding hand sat flush on the table, a sign to her and Franky of their disloyalty.

Selange
recovered and continued toward the booth, dreading the confrontation certain to arise once they reached it.
A
bottle of
Comandon Cognac XO
sat half empty on the table
she noticed as she sat
.
He
r
husband leisurely
poured
more
c
ognac into his glass and drank without saying a word.

Selange
averted his
cool
scrutinizing
eyes out of guilt.
He
drank to keep the volcano suppressed, if he didn’t he might explode and hurt someone, notably Franky!

Did she have any idea how he felt watching her having the time of her life with another man?
He f
ought the
primal
impulse to break
Franky’s motherfucking
neck,
instead he
cooled the
furor
, c
ognizant of
the
v
iolent
temper
lurking
in the shadows. This was his dark side, one she had yet to see. H
e
hastily
downed the
liquor
to
neutralize
it
.

The
younger
Alfonzo
may have acted
on
impuls
e
without regard
for those around him. He would have
p
ummeled Franky to the ground until he fell unconscious or died. Maturity and self-discipline
taught him how to channel the anger, use it constructively. There were subversive
techniques equally effective
to a beat-down
.
Selange remained silent,
Franky too.
Alfonzo
’s eyebrow lifted severely
.
The fact
she
continued to
avoid eye contact
became
amusin
g. Why
the
guilty
face
if
she
hadn’t done
anything
wrong
?
He wondered.

“Enjoy your dance
,
babe?”
He
finally
asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Franky
noticed the vein protruding from Alfonzo’s forehead
.
D
espite
his
boss’
composure
it was
apparent at any minute he
might
spring
into an
attack
.
Franky stayed
close to Sel
a
nge in the event Alfonzo’s temper flared.
Alfonzo’s pupils constricted and
there was a subtle twitch in the corner of his eye. Franky noticed these things because he was trained to. He spoke
in acceptance of
blame
in an effort to
redirect
A
lfonzo’s acrimony, “She was sitting alone and I asked her to dance. I hope you don’t mind?”

The blue irises slowly came to rest on Franky. “Was I talking to you?”

“No, but I
see you
’
r
e
upset.”

Alfonzo observed the protective stance the bodyguard took and smirked. He directed his attention
to
his wife
ignoring Franky’s display of false courage
,
“
Let
’s dance babe.
”

He
got
out
of his seat and
Franky stepped
away
from
Selange
as he reached for her hand. She took it and he led her
toward the dance floor.
To make room h
e
jostl
ed
other
revelers along the way
and claimed a
few
inches
of
floor
space for
them to
dance
.
His actions were callous and cold. Completely out of character but he didn’t care.

He held her tightly against him and lowered his face to the side of her ear. His lips
brushed
her earlobe and liquored
breath fanned her neck.
He whispered
,
“
You
seem shocked to see me
.
”

“
I am
.
”

Her honesty didn’t surprise him.
His black mood failed to intimidate his wife or censure her words. Alfonzo’s
head
raised
to see her face,
“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to go out, I would
’
ve taken you
?
”

“It was a last minute decision.”

Alfonzo
arms remained
firmly
around her waist
as h
e
effortlessly
danced
to the
sultry
reggae
song
.
His hand
s
slid up and down the curvature of her hips as he gyrated
rhythmically
to the
beat
.
Selange felt breathless as the heat of his hands seared through her flesh.

“You know I
love you, right?”
He said.

He’d been drinking and she
won
dered
exactly
how much he witnessed
. He must not have seen the kiss because if he had Franky would be sprawled out on the floor. No, he’d only
observed the dance.
“I do
and I love you, too
.
”

“
Then
where’s your wedding ring?”

“
It’s
home. I forgot it.”

“Bull.”

“Believe what you want.”

“I can tell you’re lying.”

“Fine, I’m lying. I left it home on purpose. Satisfied?”

He frowned. “W
hy
are you
provok
ing
me
babe
,
what’s going on with you and Franky?”

“Absolutely nothing
.
You’re not goi
ng to believe the truth and I’m tired of you asking!
”

“
Selange
,
why after
everything we’ve been through are you pushing this hard at me…everything
we’ve discussed
about
security
…about Franky and you do this,
por
qu
é
el
amor
?
”