Cafe Romance (36 page)

When Kurt and Vanessa finished their dessert and stood up to depart, Yvette was there in the shadows watching thoughtfully, silently, and intently, lost in the moment. After the couple exited the restaurant, she turned, in a daze, and headed for her office, full of mixed emotions.

Once in the privacy of her office, she closed and locked the door and stared into the distance. She had been caught completely off guard by Kurt's unannounced appearance at the
Café
, and the fact that he was there in the company of another woman added to her ambivalence. Seeing him brought back a flood of memories for her. Few men could make her pulse beat any faster or make her feel like a young vibrant teenager all over again. And none could ever claim to be her guardian angel as he could. But who was this Latin beauty he had escorted there, she pondered?  Was she a co-worker?  A current lover/fling?  Or was she just a friend, as he claimed? 

Two weeks after their chance meeting at the
Café,
she found the courage to call him to see how things were with him. Opening up her desk drawer, she fumbled through a small heap of scrap paper until she found his new office phone number. She dialed it and waited as the phone rang several times before she heard his familiar and electrifying voice at the other end of the line.

Velvety soft and sexy his response was. "Hello, this is Mr. Douglass of the Department of Labor - Job Service Division.  May I help you?"

"Hello Kurt, are you with someone?" she asked.

"Yvette! What a pleasant surprise," he said cheerfully. "No, I'm alone. God, I really didn't expect to hear from you so soon."

"I was thinking about you and thought I'd give you a ring. It’s nice to know you remembered my voice. I was so surprise to see you at the restaurant. Like I said, it's been awhile."

"Yes, it has been. My friend Vanessa and I were originally going to have lunch at
Sylvia's Place
but the wait was too long. It was Vanessa who suggested your restaurant as an alternative."

"I must say that your friend has good taste. I've seen her here before. She's very pretty."

There was a noticeable pause.

"Yvette, as I’ve stated before, we're just friends," he reminded her.

"Yes, you did say that."

"Speaking of friends, how are things with you and you know who?"

"Antwan?"

"I suppose."

"Kurt, why don't you ever want to say his name?" Yvette asked, then after a pause said, "You don't care for him, do you?"

"Care for whom?" Kurt remarked sardonically.

"Kurt, I'm serious," she recoiled.

"Well, to be honest with you, it's nothing personal. I just don't think the man knows how to treat you the way I know how to. That's all."

"Well, I might have to agree with you on that one. Anyway, we're just friends now. It just didn't work out between us. Antwan wanted his space and I gave him enough to lose himself in."

"Oh, the ole honey I need my space excuse," Kurt murmured.

"Yes, but I tried to make it work out," she returned. “I just couldn’t do it alone.”

"Look, I'm not trying to rub salt into the wound, but I had my doubts about you two from the start."

"And you were right. But like I said before, I had to give it a try."

"Well, nothing venture, nothing gain, as they say," he heaved.

“Kurt, since you’ve said Antwan doesn’t know how to treat a woman, just out of curiosity, how would you treat one?" she asked quaintly.

"Agree to have dinner with me Saturday evening and I will tell you then, okay? What do you say to that? Dinner on Saturday? At four?"

"I’d love to, Kurt," she said real soft and sexy. "Where?"

"It's your call."

"Need I say?"

"No need to, Yvette," Kurt chuckled. "Just call me Friday if you can't go through with it."

"Okay," she replied heartily.

"Goodbye Yvette," he chuckled, then added, "And thanks for calling."

"My pleasure, dear. Bye Kurt!"

C
hapter 21

T
he atmosphere was like old times for Kurt and Yvette; a weather-perfect evening, a delicious dinner to enjoy at their favorite
Café
, a pleasant drive over to the bay area for a summer evening stroll. It was one of those rare moments new couples reveled in. And a splendid moment it was.

Though the night was dark and tropical warm, a refreshing ocean breeze would blow in from the bay at regular intervals, cooling them. And each time the
Bay
wind caressed her hair Yvette would smile, cup her hand, and gently pat it back in place. Taking her soft warm hand into his, they strolled along the waterfront as several seagulls glided overhead effortlessly.

Though peaceful the surroundings on the surface, little did the two know that beneath it belied the subtle indications of unrest and imminent changes in the bio-egos systems. Above, the Florida sky began to appear foreboding with huge dark rolling clouds. Below, the water was nervously choppy. At eye level, speed boats and sail boats bobbed about like toys on the rough waters. There had been recent reports on the news that a hurricane of great magnitude had formed in the Gulf and could possibly reach Tampa within the next few days. Caught in the moment, the two uncommitted friends continued their promenade, holding hands, and talking without a care in the world.

"So, now that we are on the subject matter, just how would you treat a woman, like me, for instance?" she asked, striding alongside of him, their pace unhurried.

Looking across into her sparkling brown eyes, Kurt said with supplication in his voice, "Yvette, a woman like you are worthy of a man who will cherish you and treasure you with all of his heart, a man who is capable of making you laugh and forget whatever emotional pain you may have suffered, or at least, help ease the pain. You are worthy of a man who is affectionate for you are, no doubt, a woman of tremendous passion. Last, but in no way the least, you are worthy of a man who will be there for you, do for you, and sacrifice for you, if need be."

"Well, that certainly covers it, and quite thoroughly, too," she remarked gazing again into his dark radiating eyes. "And who might this man be and where might I find him, you suppose?"

"I think not far, Yvette. I can say this much, a man truly in love, given the opportunity, will tell that woman, face to face, unlike what your friend did over the phone, that he's in love with her." It was a verbal cheap shot but it was too late for him to take back.

"I take it you're referring to Antwan," she murmured softly. "You do know that I still consider him a good friend?  And in an odd way, I still care about him."

"Believe me, it'll wear off," he replied drily.

"You know what I think?" she said, stopping to face him.

"What's that?" he asked, looking slightly perplexed.

"I don't think you want to see me with Antwan, or for that matter, any other man.  Now do you? And be honest with me."

Kurt chuckled defensively, then added, "As long as you are happy Yvette, I am happy for you."

"Look, that's not what I'm asking. I know that you'd be happy for me. At least, that’s what you say. Kurt, my point is that you just cannot bear the thought of me being with another man, now can you?"

"Well, since you put it that way, hell no!  I guess I am kind’a partial to you," he admitted, nodding at a group of children at play as they strolled.

"That's what I figured," she retorted. "But why?" she added, forming a trace of a smile, sensing that she was close to getting him to reveal his most guarded and intimate feelings for her. But would he fall for her ploy?

Gripping her by the shoulder with both hands, and looking down into her beautiful brown eyes, he said, again with supplication in his voice, "Look Yvette, you must know that I care for you by now. There's not a day that goes by that I am not thinking of you, and in some special way. I like knowing that the smile on your face is the smile I put there.

"As for your friend, I believe that if this man truly loved you he would have been there for you, holding you in his grasp as I am holding you now.  I truly believe this."

"You just may have a point there," she murmured, realizing that he had struck a vibrant chord in her.

"I know I have," he countered, then added, "You oughta write him off romantically. I mean, let it go! Why torture yourself needlessly?"

“I just may do that. But for now, Antwan and I are still friends. Nothing more."

There was a pause.  

With a trace of a smile he searched her face, reaching into her thoughts. "Do you believe that's all you two can ever be, just friends?" he finally said.

She gave him a wan smile, and for a second time their eyes locked, then she said, unconvincingly, "Well, that's what we are. Why, what do you think?"

"Do you really want to know what I think?" he asked, slightly agitated.

"Yes, I do," she said guardedly, realizing their conversation was falling short of the results she had originally hoped for. But all was not lost. He appeared to have some things on his mind he wanted to share with her or at least want to get off of his chest. Perhaps he would yet profess his love for her before the day was through.

There was a brief pause as a harbor tug tooted its horn. When it passed the two stopped in their tracks and Kurt faced her.

"I may be wrong, but I believe you avail yourself to him because, frankly, you are uncomfortable with the thought of putting too much distance between the two of you.  I wouldn’t be surprise if you were still carrying a torch for him. But I’m here to tell you he is not the one for you."

"Are you the one for me, Kurt?" she asked faintly, imploring him with her eyes.

After hesitating he said, "Am I, Yvette?"

His response was mildly disappointing. After some thought she said, "I don't know. I really don’t know,” she echoed, her voice fading. Then she remembered something as the two returned to their stroll. “By the way, whatever happened to your ex-fiancée? Are you two still a hot item?”

“Roxanne, I take it you mean,” he echoed, then after a pause, said, “To be quite honest with you, she left her husband. But not for me, if that’s what you’re thinking. And Yvette, Roxanne and I haven’t been a hot item for nearly three decades.”

“Oooh, I’m not so sure about that, Kurt,” she shot back, her accusing voice stabbing the air. “You know, I remember a certain night not too long ago.”

It was with great reluctance, and great hope that Kurt decided to set the record straight about the events of that night at
Club
Neptune’s Reef
. He had listened quietly as Yvette walked and talked about the events of that night, according to the way she perceived them, and he could take it no longer. In the span of a second, Yvette found herself being spun around until her eyes locked on his brown compelling eyes. “Yvette! Let me explain something to you again since it is apparent I haven’t made myself clear enough.”

Yvette delighted in Kurt’s sudden take-charge attitude. With handsome looks to boot, how could a woman resist such a bundle of manliness and self-confidence? As his brown eyes caressed her face, Yvette said, rather soberly, “Well, I’m listening.”

“Good,” he replied, releasing his grip from her shoulders. “Again, that afternoon when you invited me out with your friend, I told you that I was in for the day. And I was. That evening, I got a call from Roxanne, whom you seem to delight in referring to as my
ex
. She had been at me for several weeks to make good on a friendly promise I had made to her back in New Jersey that we go out to dinner or something of the sort. Since she was so persistent, that evening, I decided to go ahead and get it over with. So I took her out.

“Yes, I know I turned down your offer to go out, but that was before Roxanne called. Look, it may not mean much to you now, but before we even arrived at the club, I realized just how much I wanted to be with you instead of her. Now, that’s the truth, the whole truth, and there’s nothing more I can say on the matter, Yvette.”

There was a pause. “And you didn’t go home with her, afterwards?” she asked as she fingered a loose tendril of hair on her cheek.

“Yvette, she dropped me off at my place, then went to her place, I presume.”

“And where was her ever-loving husband all of this time?”

“I don’t know…probably drunk somewhere.”

Unable to resist Kurt’s down home honesty and his heartwarming eyes, eyes that were serenely compelling, she smiled, saying, “I apologize, Kurt. I should have given you the benefit of the doubt, that night. Just the same, I still think this Roxanne is carrying a torch for you.”

“Perhaps. But since I’m not carrying a torch for her, it really doesn’t matter, now does it?”

“I imagine not,” she said, casting an approving glance his way.

“Yvette, I apologize for giving you the impression that my word was anything but what you have come to value.”

“I still value you,” she said, with assurance. “I always will.”

“That makes all of the difference to me, Yvette,” he said, his lips taking the form of a smile.

“That’s because you made the difference in my world,” she replied with an inviting smile of her own.

“I appreciate the sentiment,” he added.

After another pause, she said, “So, is your friend still here in Tampa or has she returned up north? You did say she left her husband.”

“She’s still here, Yvette,” he reluctantly revealed, though he wished he could have told her that Roxanne had left the area. He knew as long as Roxanne was in Tampa, he knew Yvette would consider her a viable threat to their relationship.

“Still here,” Yvette sighed, wishing it wasn’t so.

“Roxanne is in an abusive relationship with her husband,” Kurt said evenly. “She is presently in hiding from him. Right now, I’m doing everything I can to help her get through this, as a friend. That’s the extent of it, Yvette.”

With eyes that registered benevolence Yvette told him that she understood. After all, Juanita’s sister, Nola had been through something similar with her husband Gus. And on the friend thing, she remembered how she had tried to help Antwan, financially.