Dreams Do Come True (21 page)

Nico watched Shontell, and he could tell that she was nervous. He wondered why, because she seemed like a natural on the stage. He took her hand and guided her to the stage when her name was called again. He walked over to the guy and spoke to him. All the ladies were yelling with surprise to see him standing on stage. 

“You trust me, right,” he whispered to her and handed her the mic.

She nodded and prepared herself, not knowing what they were about to sing. The music began, and he began singing: “
I never knew such a day could come, and I never knew such a love could be inside of one. And I never knew what my life was for, but now that you’re here I know for sure.”
Shontell came right in on cue: “
I never knew ‘til I looked into your eyes, I was incomplete until the day you came into my life and I never knew that my heart could feel so precious and pure, one love so real...”
They sang as if they were the only ones in the room, oblivious to all the people that were watching them. When they finished, the club went into an uproar. They both had to regain their composure as they made their way back to the table. They were stopped by his group members.

“Damn, how long have they been in here?”
he wondered. David was the first to speak, “Man you two were purely magical.”

“Hey, Ms. Shontell. Where did you get those pipes from, girl?” Dennis asked.

Nico sensed how uncomfortable Shontell was by the attention they were getting, as people continuously came up to them to talk about the song. Then, to add more to the situation, a few women came up to the group for pictures and autographs. Nico felt Shontell let go of his hand. He wanted to comfort her, but he couldn’t. He lost sight of her and sighed. Their conversation from the night before quickly came to mind, and he turned his attention back to the mass of women and men standing before him.  

Is this what being with him is going to be like? Would they always be overtaken by his fans? Shontell made her way back to the table. Is it something she would be able to do or get used to? She needed to ask that question. She couldn’t repeat what she went through with Jesse. She told Sandy that she was going to get some air and then maybe go back to the suite. She wasn’t upset, but she needed some time alone to think. She could hear his voice from the conversation they had last night, and she knew what she was up against. She stood looking up at the moon, and she could faintly hear someone singing into the mic. Her thoughts went back to singing with Nico. The feeling it gave her made her excited.  She was falling for him, and it had been barely a month. It just seemed so right because they had so much magic together, even with the situation of him being who he was. She stood at the rail and turned her attention to the water. It always soothed her. She shivered a little, but she began to shake even more when she heard his voice.

“Shon, the lady with the angelic voice,” she didn’t turn around because she was praying that she was hearing things. Jesse couldn’t really be on this ship. She had not heard or spoken to him since they left out of the house that morning.

“So, you’re going to ignore me?”

“I was hoping I was hearing things.”

“Baby girl, it’s me,” he said as he staggered her way. He looked like he was drunk.

“You’re kidding, right? Jesse, please leave me alone. I told you all I had to say when we had breakfast. We have nothing else to discuss, so why are you bothering me?” she rubbed her hands up and down her arms due to the chill.

“I just want to talk. But, I guess now I know why I can’t get another chance,” He said motioning back to the club. He saw her with Nico, she assumed. She didn’t care.

“…as if I was going to give you one anyway. I told you that it was friendship or nothing. I see you won’t even give me time for that to happen. I guess you think that I am the stupidest woman alive to even think...”

“Hey, there you are,” Nico said, interrupting her. Walking in her direction, he had his jacket in his hand.

“Are you okay?” he asked, before he even saw who she was talking to. She was facing in his direction, and he could see that her face was frowning. Before Shontell could respond, Jesse turned around and addressed Nico.

“Hey, Nico. How you are doing?” he asked while extending his hand.

“Jesse? What’s up, man? Do you two know each other?” he asked, as he shook the outstretched hand.

“I am going to let her answer that. I will see you tomorrow at rehearsal. Shontell, I will talk to you later. By the way, you two sounded great up there.” He walked away and left Nico and Shontell where they were.

“Shontell, I’m sorry about earlier. I know that must have been too much for you.”

She sighed and rubbed her temples.

“No, I understand. I mean this is your cruise. I knew that you would be overcome with fans. It just takes some getting used to. I am sorry for just running off. I was being unfair,” she expressed to him.

“Come here,” she said softly to him.

Nico walked closer to where Shontell was and saw her shiver. 

“Are you cold?” he asked, as he rubbed her skin. It was ice cold.

“A little,” she replied. Nico put his jacket around her, and she laid her head on his chest. 

“Remember when we were talking last week and I told you I had an unexpected visitor?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it was Jesse.”

“Jesse?” Nico pulled her back some so he could look at her.

“Yes. I told you then I would tell you when I was ready. This seems like the best moment, if you have the time.”

“For you, I have all the time. Come on,” he said, guiding her towards the suite area.

Jesse

Jesse watched in the shadows as the couple walked away. He silently cursed under his breath. He was totally caught off guard when he, David, Dennis, and John walked into the club and heard Nico and Shontell singing. He would know her voice anywhere. He watched them on stage, and even a blind person could see their chemistry and sparks. Shontell finally got her wish: to meet the fellas on a more personal level. He casually asked how they met, and David told him about their album release party a week and a half ago. He half listened as he watched them, but he heard what he needed to hear. She looked stunning in a long, yellow maxi-dress and heels. He tried to keep his cool. All of his emotions came rushing toward him. How could he get her to just sit down and listen to him again? That’s all he wanted. So much had happened in his life since that breakfast they shared. He walked back into the club and went to grab a drink. His phone went off, and he looked at the message. He acted like it didn’t come through, as he took another long swig of the drink. He didn’t know what made him bring Ebony on this cruise, because keeping her out of Shontell’s view was going to be hard.

Shontell walked into Nico’s room and sat on the bed. She hadn’t said a word since they left the club area. She sat Nico’s jacket on the side of her and exhaled. 

“This conversation isn’t an easy one for me, but here it goes.”

“Wait, Shontell. You know you don’t owe me an explanation about your past. If this makes you uncomfortable, then you don’t have to tell me anything,” Nico told her, as he took her hands in his and faced her. Shontell had been trying to keep the tears from falling and failed miserably. 

“No, I have to tell you. We can’t start a relationship with secrets and deception, which was what I had with Jesse. I won’t have that with you,” she told him, as she dabbed at her face.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

“I met Jesse at the Detroit Sports Awards, and I fell instantly for his charm and wit. He treated me good. We didn’t have arguments, except when it came to Sandy and my family. He didn’t like sharing me much.” Shontell played with a nonexistent lint ball on the bed. She didn’t want to look at Nico. She felt him sit on the bed next to her. He lifted her chin, looking her in the eyes.

“Finish please,” he urged her. She turned her head slightly, out of range of his touch.

“He used to complain about me not wanting cameras and media around me. It was our only other sour part…that I knew of, at least. I wouldn’t attend many of his events. For some reason, his manager believed he needed to be out in the public’s eye as much as possible. I disagreed. It left him open to have another woman on his arm. I dealt with that because I had to trust him.” Pausing, Shontell leaned back a little and looked up at the ceiling. She didn’t know why she wouldn’t look at him. Maybe she was afraid…afraid that he would see how stupid she felt. Blowing air out her mouth, she continued. “When Jesse proposed, I said yes. But he had a stipulation. I had to start attending some of the events he went to. I fought him on it. But I did realize I would have to compromise on the whole thing. It was still hard for me. About six months before we were to be married, my parents asked us to do a fundraiser at the church. That was the first time he heard me sing. His reaction was similar to yours.”

“I can imagine. You don’t know how good of a range you have, do you?”

“I have been told that, but I sing in church and just for pleasure…not professionally. So after that event, Jesse begged me to write some songs and I did. So he invites me to the studio, and I am thinking it’s just to see him record. When we got there, I heard the music I wrote playing. He was trying to coax me to record it with him. I was so furious with him. I wanted to shred the music, but I didn’t. I just gave it to my mom for safe-keeping. I told Sandy, and she confronted him. That started even more drama. It got so bad, I told him we both needed some space.”

“Wow. I can’t believe he would do that,” Nico said, as he clenched and unclenched his hands. He needed a diversion to hold his anger.

“Yeah, me either. I was really hurt that he betrayed my wishes. If he would have asked, I might have looked at the whole situation differently.” Nico stood up and his face was hard to read.

“I know Jesse from the business, and we have worked together a few times. It was never a friendship. I heard recently that he was looking for a producer to do a new album. Most people in the industry believed he was a lost case. But, as I am sure you know, in this business things can change quickly. How long were you two together?” Nico asked, straddling the chair backwards.

“We were together for two and a half years. We’ve been broken up for a little over two years,” she answered him, and then she finished her story.

“After the breather, I figured enough time had passed. I got on a plane to California to surprise him, in hopes that we could talk and get back on track. I was the one that got the surprise. I used my key to get in and walked in on him and two other women. I ran out, and he ran after me. I jumped in my car and hit his closed gate head-on, trying to get away. I escaped the accident with a broken leg and arm and...” She almost told him about the baby but stopped. Taking a deep breath, she got back on track. “Over the years, he tried to get me back. He called to explain and claim he had changed. I don’t care, and I don’t want him. I’ve spent the last two years wondering why I wasn’t enough…why he couldn’t love me and only me.” Shontell was crying, and the tears fell on the bed sheet. She was mad that she still let him get to her. It wasn’t him…it was just what he did to her. Nico went to her side and lifted her chin again, wiping her tears with his thumbs. 

“Look at me. Don’t ever think you aren’t enough. Jesse didn’t deserve you. You are more than enough, and you are more than enough for me. I am falling in love with you. I want to show you that love if you continue to let me,” he told her, as he planted a soft kiss on her temple.

“Falling in love with me?” she pointed to herself, like she couldn’t believe what he had just said.

“Yes, baby…falling in love with you,” he repeated. Nico bent down so that he was face level with her. He bit his bottom lip, and the action caused Shontell’s body temperature to rise. She reached out and pulled his face to hers. She kissed him hard. She wanted to feel him closer to her. She felt Nico could sense her need. He deepened their kiss, and he lowered her straps on her dress. He paused and looked at her for approval. Shontell gave it by taking the dress off completely. She laid back on the bed in only her panties. Nico laid on top of her, as he took her nipple in his mouth. Shontell moaned and grabbed his head. Nico kissed and licked down her body, until he got to her panties. He traced her honey spot with his tongue through her panties, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.  Nico removed her panties and ran his tongue once again over her hot spot.  Shontell screamed.  He opened her legs wider and tasted deeper, as she moved up and down…locking his head with her knees as she came. Nico came up and kissed her, letting her taste her juices. 

“Mm,” she moaned. Her breathing was fast and heavy, as she tried to get her thoughts together. As her body came down from the high, she ran a hand over her wet face and hair.

“You tasted so good, baby.” She smiled and lifted him from the bed.

“My turn,” she said with her voice still dripping with passion, as she gently undressed him. She kissed his neck, licking down his chest. She kissed his stomach, watching him as she inched down more. Taking his shaft in her mouth, she ran her tongue up and down his shaft and deep throated him. Nico moaned loudly, as he tried to pull her up. She continued faster, almost bringing him to his orgasm more than once. “Where are your condoms?” she asked him in between her licks and sucks. Nico reached over to the table and pulled a condom from his drawer. He handed it to her. She opened it and rolled it on him. She pushed him back on the bed, looked him in the face, smiling seductively, and said, “Bébé, je veux te faire l'amour.  Je t'aime aussi.”