Eye Candy (24 page)

“Very much so but I was becoming anxious on when you would be returning,” she said blushing a bit. “Oh, I almost forgot, let me give you something.”

As Jane went over to her desk, I realized she definitely was someone you would only meet once in a lifetime. Her authenticity for being a true loving human being was something few could compare to.

“And this package is for you,” she said handing me a medium sized white envelope which was sealed.

“What is this, Jane, some sort of present?” I asked looking bewildered at the envelope as I took possession of it.

“No, Mr. Malone, it’s the idea I came up with for your fifth-year wedding anniversary,” she said. “Remember, you said we would talk about it a few months ago but it never happened.”

“Jane, you’re a lifesaver,” I said then gave her a hug. “Can you believe I failed to realize our wedding anniversary is in less than two weeks?”

“You’ve been under a lot of stress that would cause anyone to forget that.”

“Well, let’s see what’s inside the envelope,” I said about to tear it open.

“No, Mr. Malone, you can’t,” she said stopping me. “It’s supposed to be a surprise. Just wait and open it up with your wife tonight.”

Jane was unaware Monica was staying at her parent’s house while we tried to rehabilitate our marriage. So I figured I wouldn’t tell her otherwise.

“Okay, I’ll do that, Jane. By the way, thanks for everything.”

We ended our conversation and I headed into my office. Everything was still in place as I left it. Of course, the view from my office was as magnificent as always with the bottleneck traffic on the interstate. I worked diligently throughout the day but had enough time to break away and let Harold put a spit shine on my loafers. Before I knew it, seven o’clock had arrived and it was time to go home for the day. Jane and everyone else had left the office long ago. I guess working late didn’t bother me because I didn’t want to go home to an empty house. I grabbed my jacket, the white envelope from Jane, and headed home.

When I arrived home, I didn’t even bother to park inside the garage but rather in the driveway. I figured the morning would arrive soon enough and it really didn’t matter where my car rested for the night. I strolled up to the front door with my jacket folded over my arm while I fumbled for the house key. As I entered the house, the smell of beef steaks cooking unexpectedly caught my attention. I calmly walked to the kitchen and she was standing there waiting on me.

“Monica?” I said looking astonished.

“Hello Aaron.”

I placed my jacket on the arm of the kitchen chair and lay the white envelope on the table. Then I hugged Monica without wanting to let her go.

“Sweetheart, I’m so glad you’re home,” I said softly into her ear as I continued to hug her. “I missed you, dearly.”

“It’s good to be back too, Aaron. I missed you.”

I finally stopped hugging Monica and we detached but remained close to each other as I held her hand. I thought about the white envelope Jane had given me and now would be the perfect time to open it.

“I have a surprise for you, sweetheart,” I said as I reached for the white envelope on the kitchen table.

“What type of a surprise could it be?” she asked.

“It pertains to our fifth-year wedding anniversary. But you’ll have to close your eyes first.”

“Okay, Aaron, whatever you say.”

While Monica had her eyes closed, I ripped opened the white envelope and looked at what Jane had given me. I had a big smile on my face. Then I told Monica to open her eyes and her smile was even bigger than mine.

CHAPTER 28

I was elated it was only a few days until Monica and I celebrated our fifth-year anniversary. By no means was our marriage fixed but I was glad of the direction it was headed in. We even had another meeting with our marriage counselor yesterday which I found fulfilling. As I sat at my desk finalizing the revitalization project, Jane called through on my phone’s intercom system.

“Mr. Malone, I have an urgent call waiting for you.”

“Sure thing, Jane, who is it?”

“The caller said her name is Paula Hollandale.”

I immediately stopped working and quickly picked up the phone’s receiver and placed it to my ear. I knew it had to be very important if the city’s district attorney was calling me.

“Please send her through to my main line, Jane.”

“Right away, Mr. Malone.”

While I waited for Paula to be connected with me, I swallowed what seemed to be the biggest knot in my throat. Then Jane joined our call.

“Hello, Mr. Malone, this is Paula Hollandale.”

“Hi, Ms. Hollandale,” I said in a curious tone. “How are things going with you?”

“Oh, pretty much the same, sir. The crimes don’t slow down or stop and we continue to prosecute.”

“Yeah, I’d image you have your hands full especially in the city of Atlanta.”

“Well, having my hands full with cases is a bit of an understatement,” she said in a joyous tone. Then we both laughed together at her statement.

“So, what can I do for you this morning, Ms. Hollandale?” I asked turning the conversation to a serious tone.

“I need for you to come right away to my office at the Fulton County Courthouse.”

“Why now?”

“Because Ms. Towns is ready to confess,” she said. “But this time it’s with her world-famous attorney as we record her confession. Ms. Towns stated she wouldn’t proceed unless you were present.”

“Why does she want me there, Ms. Hollandale?”

“Apparently, Mr. Malone, her conscience is eating her up inside by now. Either that or her attorney is seeking a bit of leniency from the judge at sentencing. After her attorney found out we would be asking for the death penalty at trial, we received a call this morning in regard to a plea deal.”

“So, what’s the plea deal for Ms. Towns?” I asked.

“Life without the possibility of parole, Mr. Malone,” she said with firmness. “I wouldn’t strike a deal any other way.”

“Okay, I’m going to pick up my wife first and head right over.”

“Oh no, Mr. Malone, you can’t do that,” she said catching me off guard.

“Why not, Ms. Hollandale?”

“Because Ms. Towns gave strict instructions she wouldn’t confess if your wife or her parents were in the room with us.”

“Well, it seems as if I’m in a delicate situation where I’m compelled to obey,” I said back to her. “I’m on my way.”

When I arrived at the courthouse, there was a sheriff deputy waiting for me in the lobby. He quickly took me upstairs to the district attorney’s office. In the room were Tiffany, Katrina, and a team of lawyers for the prosecutor’s office. Tiffany looked withdrawn but relieved all this madness was finally coming to an end. I said nothing and was told to simply sit down and listen as the confession began.

Tiffany told this unimaginable story how she first met Sebastian five years ago at a nightclub here in Atlanta. Back then, she was just in town on some business with her consulting firm. The two hit it off that same night and had been distance lovers ever since.

Apparently, Sebastian put the wheels in motion to his sinister plan the day Monica and I were married. He initially wanted me to eat my words when I said “I would never cheat on my wife.” After he met Tiffany, she agreed to help him but only as a practical joke initially.

However, as the years went by and I progressed more at Donaldson and Bradshaw, Sebastian felt shortchanged. He began to hate and envy me and my life. What was even more disturbing was how he claimed to love being a bachelor but adamantly told Tiffany he wanted what I had. Yes, it was the pretty wife, kids, nice cars, suburban home, and continuous advancement at work which he longed for. Somehow, he never was able to achieve or obtain what I had. Jealously trumps greed all day long and Sebastian’s deeds proved that. It was so sad to believe Tiffany got tangled further into his evil plot the more she fell in love with him.

Now, you may have been fooled at the beginning of this story when you thought Tiffany was the ultimate eye candy but you were dead wrong. The eye candy that Sebastian so desperately wanted was me or rather the life I lived.

When I left the courthouse that late afternoon, I felt sick to my stomach. I had all the answers I needed even though I still felt confused not understanding why Sebastian turned out the way he did. I was disappointed in myself for calling him my best friend or even trusting him so much during the time I had known him.

Two days later at the sentencing, I sat in the same courtroom to hear Judge Morton issue a ruling. After he was advised a plea deal had been agreed to, he expedited the sentencing phase. Monica and her parents decided not to attend as they had heard enough of Tiffany and Sebastian’s ploy by now. Without any reservations, Judge Morton sentenced Tiffany to prison for the rest of her natural life without parole. Tiffany cried, turned to me, and said she was so sorry for everything. Then the female deputies led her away. Katrina looked sadden as her ego was bruised but only for a split second. Tomorrow, it would be back to the grind in her never-ending litigious world. I shook Ms. Hollandale’s hand and graciously thanked her. Then I walked through the swinging doors of the courtroom with mixed emotions and never looked back.

EPILOGUE

THE WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN HAWAII

SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 2012

Monica and I were back on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, to celebrate our fifth-year anniversary. It had been exactly five years to the date we were married here. We even managed to secure our same honeymoon suite on the resort where we would be staying for the next few days. Nevertheless, I owed it all to Jane as it was her brilliant idea for us to spend our anniversary here. She was able to secure the airline tickets and resort room with my American Express card which she always had access to.

As we walked holding hands on the beach, the white sand felt smooth on our bare feet. The sun was setting and the tide was rising as waves struck our ankles periodically while we continued to walk the coastline. When we reached the white gazebo where we were married just off in the distance, we stopped and marveled at it. Apparently, there was a couple scheduled to tie the nuptials at the same gazebo tomorrow as it was fully decorated. I figured this would be the perfect time to talk to Monica. Bending down on one knee, while continuing to hold her hand, I looked into her eyes and spoke.

“Oh, Aaron, you don’t have to do that.”

“Just listen to me, Monica, because it’s part of my gift to you.”

Over last few days, I had been practicing my wedding lines to myself. I wanted my words to flow eloquently without any mistakes as I renewed my vows with my wife. Now, the tide was rising faster as the water raced along my leg as I kneeled in the white sand.

“I Aaron take you, Monica, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worst, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

Monica was always an emotional person so by now tears of joys were flowing down her pretty face. She held my hand even tighter as I continued.

“I promise to always respect, love, and most importantly never to be unfaithful to you ever again.”

Before she could say a word, I pulled her wedding ring out of my pocket. Soon after the incident at the Twelve Hotel, I took her ring and had it professionally cleaned and shined. I even had the jeweler add four more carats to it. Thus, each carat would symbolize a year of our marriage. Now, the five carat wedding ring was even more riveting as I held it up to her. The sun’s evening rays shined perfectly through it.

“This wedding ring is a symbol of eternity,” I said looking into Monica’s eyes with passion. “It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond that unites two hearts in endless love. Furthermore, it is a token of our love and deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul. Monica, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.”

I slipped the ring on her finger, rose to my feet, and kissed my wife. Our lips locked for an extended period of time as we hugged each other. Then our lips finally unlocked.

“Aaron, I love you so much and always will,” she said with tears still flowing down her face. “I never want our love to ever waver again.”

“It won’t, sweetheart, I can promise you that,” I said as I wiped the tears from her face. “And I love you so much, too. Can you ever forgive me for what I did?”

“Yes, Aaron, I forgave you a long time ago.”

I placed my wife’s hand in mine as we continued to stroll on the beach with the crystal-clear blue water running over our feet. I guess all marriages go through some sort of test in life. It’s how you rebound and are willing to make it work rather than throw it all away. If our marriage had dissipated, then I guess Sebastian would have gotten what he really wanted. It would be a while until he was fully out of our minds, if ever. However, one thing is for certain that I learned from this whole diabolical situation. Be sure you select your friends carefully as they may be taking an opportunity to make you their next “Eye Candy.”

The End

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Frederick Germaine has always been fascinated how writing could be so intriguing. It takes dedication and an imaginable thought process to capture an audience within a good novel. After writing leisurely for years, Frederick Germaine decided to publish his first novel.
Ladies’ Man
is an entertaining love novel from a male-perspective. He wrote the novel because he felt almost everyone has previously been in love, is currently in love, or simply seeking love. Thus, we all can relate to it.

After the release of
Ladies’ Man
in 2011, Frederick Germaine has been featured in various publications. Additionally, his debut novel has been reviewed and discussed favorably among many book clubs, reviewers, and avid book readers.

In 2012, Frederick Germaine launched his sophomore novel titled
Eye Candy.
Keeping a love and romance theme, this work excitingly thrills an audience with unpredictable suspense.