The Love Handles Club (Love in the City Short) (6 page)

“I’m so glad you came tonight, Kelly. You can count on us too. No way we’ll let you go through this alone.”  Dave smiled reassuringly at her.

She placed her hand on Dave’s shoulder and bent down to kiss
his cheek, which instantly turned red. Who knew old Dave could blush? I had to laugh.

“You’
re so sweet,” Kelly said to Dave as she teasingly ruffled her hands through his hair. I think having her here was good for everyone, not just her.

After another round of goodbyes, we were finally heading to the door. My hand stayed placed on the small of her back the entire walk to the entrance. It was hard to believe how this day had turned around for me. I woke up with divorce papers on my mind, and now I felt the body heat against my palm of the only woman I
’d ever truly loved. I couldn’t imagine a better ending to a this day and it wasn’t even over yet.

Nearly eight weeks had passed since I saw Bradley at my first Love Handles ga
thering. That night was nerve racking, crazy and wonderful all mixed into one. In my mind, I still can see his face as he walked through the doors of the pub. He took my breath away then and still does now.

We’d left the pub early and went back to his house, a lovely home in Highland Park, not far from where he’d grown up. I knew
that he’d done well for himself; Tina had told me a few bits and pieces over the years, nothing specific, though. I’d never asked questions either, as I didn’t want to hear about him
being happy with someone else. But I had no idea what he’d been doing to achieve the kind of wealth that a home like his would cost. It was phenomenal. Over the top beautiful. And big, Texas-sized big.

However, in all of its beauty the house seemed lonely to me. A big mansion with only him wandering around in it. The thought of this made me sad. All this achievement on his part, but no one to share it with. Perhaps that was why he wanted to bring me bac
k to his house. He’d been alone for too long and seemed to enjoy having me there with him. He grilled up some delicious steaks and never let my drink get even half-empty. He was so attentive and caring. The sweet young boy I’d known had become a beautiful grown man. Thankfully, the sweet in him had never left or changed, though. He was the same Bradley that I remembered and adored.

After dinner, we sat silently on his patio by the pool,
gazing off at the horizon’s last fading rays of light. He gradually started to open up to me about his life as the last of the sun disappeared and twilight’s darkness wrapped around us. Perhaps it shielded us from seeing each other’s faces, protecting us as we spoke of our hurts and disappointments. Our dark days stayed there in the dark.

His failed marriage was the first topic he brought up. How it was doomed from the start. He’d met his now ex-wife in college. Her father owned a large defense contracting company in Dallas
and needed a male heir to take over his company when he retired. His father-in-law felt his daughter wouldn’t have been taken seriously in the male-dominated defense industry, but he’d thought Bradley had been a perfect fit, a natural born leader and sharp as a tack.

For Bradle
y it was a twofer, a wife and a company. For a young man getting out of school without a job secured, he caved and grabbed the carrot dangling in front of him. He swore there was never any true love between them. It started as a partnership and ended as a failed business agreement.

His share of the business had been
substantial as he’d helped to take the company public. Once that had happened, his personal portfolio had become worth millions. But his personal life had added up to nothing. And before long he and his wife were sleeping on opposites ends of the house. This part of his story was difficult to hear. I knew all too well what it was like living inside a passionless marriage. It left a person hollow with a sadness that couldn’t be lifted. Memories of that hopeless feeling still haunted me.

He and I had
been through some shitty years. We’d both married the wrong person and it had taken years for us to realize or admit to our mistake. I told him how Joe had been waiting for me when I arrived back at Baylor after leaving UT so many years ago. Mentioning that fateful day was difficult, I could feel the tension between us increase, but it had to be said. There was no moving forward without speaking about our past.

I softly spoke of the day I’d left him standing in his fraternity room. I told Bradley that I
’d called Joe in tears as I tried to drive back to Waco. Joe almost talked me into pulling over and waiting for him to come get me, but somehow I’d pulled myself together and made the two-hour trip. Once he’d seen my car pull into my dormitory's parking space, he’d come running toward me full speed. My tears had starting falling in streams again too. I found myself engulfed in his arms. He’d comforted me, hushed my whimpering sobs.

But now looking back at that young, vulnerable girl, I knew the truth about Joe’s comfort. It was
a cold and calculating love meant to get him what he wanted to possess... me. I’d never quite figured out why Joe decided that I was the girl for him. The one. The only. And once he’d put on his charms, I was really no match for him. I was sad and broken. He’d been too eager to fix me, so I’d let him. It became a pattern for us. Joe, deciding what was best. Joe dictating what I would do.

I remembered Bradley trying
to apologize to me. He begged me actually, but I told him that we were both young and needed to look beyond that day. I shouldn’t have run off, but I had. We each had regrets and if we were going to continue to be friends, I felt the past should be buried along with our past marriages. We needed to start our friendship or whatever we had anew.

Initially, I worried that our
reconnecting was on overdrive, progressing far too fast. But after a couple weeks of trying to keep things between us as friends, I decided to give in and follow my heart, throw caution to the wind.

And I was
so thankful that I did as it led me back into the arms of the most beautiful man I’d ever known.  Every time we talked on the phone, exchanged texts, or got together in person, our relationship grew, became stronger.  He was patient and didn’t push me, and under the circumstances I found myself in, I appreciated his restraint. I could tell he wanted more between us from almost day one of our being back in each other’s lives. However, it took me a little time to come around. I was pregnant, newly separated from Joe and facing a wall of problems trying to divorce him.

All my troubles, not to menti
on the pregnancy, didn’t seem to bother Bradley. He took all the insanity I was dealing with in stride. He held my hand and encouraged me every time I felt like giving up, which happened countless times a day. He kept my head above water when I felt like I was drowning. I owed him so much... especially after today.

We were
on a plane heading to Atlanta to have a meeting with Joe and his attorney. My stomach felt queasy at the thought of facing Joe again. It was D-Day for me, and Bradley too.

Joe had stalled on every attempt to settle our divorce quick and painlessly. He wanted m
e to suffer and his threats had become outrageous as my newly hired divorce attorney fought for me. My attorney said he’d dealt with many control freaks in his days, but he’d never seen anyone like Joe. His behavior was epic, apparently.

The first thing my attorney did for me was secure some funds for my living expenses. Legally, Joe was required to give me access to the accounts we
’d shared when I left him. He had no right to take the money from our joint account and reopen it under his name only. Just because he had access to the money and could transfer it, didn’t make it right in our case. Pretty stupid move on his part considering he was a lawyer too.

I really didn’t care about the money too much
, though. Sure, I needed some for the baby and myself, but I just didn’t have any fight left in me. Maybe it was the struggles I’d had over the last few years being married to a harsh man. Trying to be the perfect wife. Hoping that he would notice me for who I was and not always trying to get me to be something I wasn’t. Live up to some imaginary standard he had in his mind. Joe had basically worn me out, beaten up my confidence without raising a fist.

Ironically, Bra
dley knew all of this without my having to give him graphic details. It was unspoken between us. I’d been treated horribly and he wanted to right any wrongs he could, so I let him help with the divorce. Maybe he shouldn’t have stepped in, but he insisted and I was truly thankful for his help. I couldn’t do it on my own as exhaustion ruled me most days. Maybe it was the pregnancy and moving back home under the circumstances. I’m not even sure. I needed support from someone who cared about me, wanted what was best for me, and perhaps even still loved me.

Bradley and I hadn’t brought that word up yet, but we loved being together. He said
he loved my hair, my lips, and the sound of my voice. The list of what he loved about me and what I loved about him was long, pages long. We hadn’t admitted to being “in love” with one another again. For me there was likely never a stop to the love I’d felt back fourteen years ago. It was always lying beneath the surface sometimes dormant, other times coming alive in my heart and mind as sweet memories came back to me.

But today I was
the lucky one. Not only was he in my heart and mind, he was also seated beside me on our plane to Atlanta. I felt his fingers weave through mine and I opened my eyes to find him smiling reassuringly at me. He knew I was nervous today, petrified.  I knew he was anxious too, but he wouldn’t show it. He would be strong for me and I would be forever grateful to him.

“We should be landing in a few minutes,” he said. His thumb lightly rubbing circles on the top of
my hand. His touch soothed me, gave me strength.

“I figured we were close.” I tried to smile back but I just couldn’t find one in me without having to force it.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. I promise.” His stare became more fixed, serious, as if he wanted to scare the worry away.

“You’re right. We’re prepared, but nothing could be worse than having this divorce drag on for years and years.”

“I don’t think Joe wants this divorce to drag on. He just wants you to cave. Give into his demands. He didn’t figure on your having an army to back you up.”

“True. I think
he thought I’d be a pushover just like I’d been in our marriage.” My eyes searched his face before I continued. “You’ve saved me in so many ways, Bradley.”

“Likewise, beautiful.” He brought my hand to his lips and
gently kissed my knuckles. “I’m here for you and the baby. In all ways, if you want me to be. Remember that today when we’re sitting across the table from Joe. I’m the one who cares for you. The one who lo—”

He stopped mid-word. A word that began with an “L” left unspoken on his tongue. I knew that word and wanted to hear him say it to
o. But I wouldn’t ask or beg.

“Dammit, Kelly. I wanted to tell you how I truly felt about you when we were doing something special. Like staring at the starry sky while I held you on my deck by the pool. After today’s meeting and this
mess was over. Not like this when you’re in turmoil.”

“Your being here with me
is special.” I squeezed his hands hoping he’d continue on with what he was telling me. Those words he didn’t say were the very words I longed for, and needed to hear.

“Okay then.” He turned his body to me as much as he could in our cramped seats. Taking my other hand into his, he leaned his body toward me. We were whisper close to each other. His breaths became mine too. I prepared my heart for what he was about to say to me. I felt my eyes starting to glisten with tears.

“The very first time I saw you, I knew that there was something different about you. When you looked up at me, stared back into my eyes for the first time, I felt a special connection that’s still there for me today.” He paused slightly, taking a breath to continue on. “It never went away. It’s like I carried around a piece of us, together, in my heart. My love for you was always there inside of me. Never dying and probably keeping me from loving anyone else. It’s only been you, Kelly. Only you.”

Damn pregnancy hormones. My eyes were spilling buckets of tears. One after the other, after the other. He brought his hands to my face, our fingers still entwined, and wiped the streams away. More tears followed
, though, after he’d cleared them, so he brought his lips to my cheeks and began kissing the salty torrents. They all belonged to him now. His lips were tender as they caressed me, comforted me.

“I love you with all my heart, Kelly Parker.” He went back to kissing my cheeks, but continued
 whispering to me. “You are the love of my life.”

I needed to respond, but I could hardly catch my breath. His words. Oh
, his sweet, sweet words. I could live on them like manna. They nourished me. Made me feel whole for the first time in years.

“Bradley, you are the love of my life too.” His lips were on mine now. We had kissed a few times over the last few weeks, but nothing like this. The passion was intense. I wanted to crawl onto his lap and get lost in him. I didn’t even care who saw us together. After a minute or a few seconds, who knows, I had to pull away to inhale a bit of air. His kisses left me lightheaded and dizzy.