She looked stunning when she answered the door in a simple pair of khaki colored shorts and red wrap-around top. Her hair, pulled into a tight ponytail, made her appear much younger than her 32 years; not that she didn't look like a teenager before. Her lips were the darkened by her favorite shade maroon lipstick, her cheeks and eyes were bare, yet she never looked more breathtaking. Todd's had to force himself to breathe and for a moment, he couldn't even speak.
"Come on in," she said, stepping to the side and getting a good look at his derriere before closing the door. When she turned around, he was in her face and surprised her when he grazed her lips with his.
"You ready?"
She nodded and with sad eyes, she guided him over to the couch. She sat next to him and rested her head on his broad, inviting shoulders. He knew how much it pained her to see Roseanne go and how it hurt her even more because she would once again be alone in the large penthouse. He brought his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer, telling her in his own way that he was with her.
After a few minutes, he heard Roseanne's bedroom door squeak open and her footsteps as she struggled down the hallway with her overstuffed luggage. She stopped as soon as she saw him, making a subtle face and then regaining her composure. She started walking again, avoiding his eyes; avoiding him entirely.
"Hey," he said, breaking the silence.
"Hey," she said back, very low so he had to stretch his ears to hear her. She turned to Tea who was begging her with her eyes to please not cause a scene. "You ready?"
"Yup." Tea extracted herself from Todd's already loosened grip and went to help Roseanne with her luggage.
"I got it." He gently pushed Tea to the side and reached for Roseanne's luggage.
She was too quick though, and had her hand wrapped around the handle before Todd knew what was going on. "I got it," was all she said.
A look passed between Todd and Tea and she sort of shrugged her shoulders like she didn't know what was going on. "Suit yourself."
So, the three of them made their way through the lobby and out to the waiting Lincoln Navigator. Roseanne tagged along behind them, grunting as stumbled with her luggage. She was so determined to not utilize Todd's help; she made two trips back to the penthouse to retrieve her remaining bags.
While they were alone, Todd scooted nearer to Tea and kissed her the way he wanted to when he first saw her. The glass partition was up and no one could see them. When neither could breathe, he pulled away, licked his lips and she wiped the lipstick that had moved from her lips to his. "So, what's her problem?"
"I don't know."
He studied her face, and took note of how she refused to make eye contact with him. The door opened before he could ask her what that was all about and Roseanne got in, taking great care to sit as far away from Todd as possible. She scrunched her body close to the door and didn't say another word on the way to the airport.
*****
JFK
Todd went off to the restroom, leaving Tea and Roseanne to say their "goodbyes." Roseanne walked off alone and found a row of empty seats near the window. She watched her plane as the other passengers disembarked and checked her watch for the amount of time she had to wait before she could get far away from New York.
Tea sat down next to her and followed her eyes to the plane, watching as they re-fueled and started loading food. "You could have been a little nicer, you know."
"Why should I be nice to him? He did what he did and he doesn't deserve anything but what he's getting."
Tea had enough! She grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her off like a disruptive child, to the bathroom. She didn't care how many people were around when she started raising her voice. Roseanne struggled against her, but Tea was so angry, no one could pull her away. "I am sick and damn tired of you running around like a spoiled brat. He hasn't done a damn thing to you; you don't even know him. How dare you try to judge anybody?"
"I'll be glad when I'm away from here."
"Well, you know what? So will I! I am sick and tired of this attitude you have like the world owes you something. The world doesn't owe you a fucking thing and neither does Todd. You didn't even thank him for bringing you here today. Why are you being like this?"
"Somebody in this family has to have sense and obviously, you aren't the one. You're dating a rapist, for Christ's sake."
"You can't help who you fall in love with, you know that. I am trying with you. I am really, really trying and you just keep pushing me. Roseanne, I love this man and he's going to be part of my life whether you like it or not. Do this for me, okay? He hasn't been treated with a lot of kindness in his life, please, I am begging you, please be kind to him. I have never asked you for anything; can't you do this one thing for me?"
Roseanne rolled her eyes, delaying them at the top of her head. She looked back at Tea who was clearly angry and hurt because nobody accepted this man. It was no secret to Del, Carlotta or anyone, that Tea would willingly and easily cut anyone out of her life, without hesitation, who couldn't and wouldn't accept Todd as an integral part of her life.
"Roseanne, please. It would mean so much if you could do this one thing for me."
"Fine, Tea, fine." Her face softened a bit as she looked into Tea's eyes. There was so much love there and so much pain and so much of everything shining through those brown eyes. "Tea, I know I've been a bitch but I just want you to be okay, you know? I'm afraid for you when you're with him. You know better than anyone how he can be."
"Yes, yes I do and that's why I'm with him. I love him so much and you know that. I need him, Roseanne. I need him in my life and I trust him with everything that I am. He's not going to hurt me. You don't have to love him, I just want you to get along with him."
She took a couple of steps toward Tea and suddenly wrapped her arms around her, whispering into her ear, "I'll try."
"That's all I can ask."
*****
Roseanne rose from her chair when she heard the announcement for first class passengers to begin boarding. She started toward the tunnel, afraid to look back and see the sadness in Tea's face. She waved over her shoulder, still not looking back. Then, she heard Todd calling after her. She felt his presence directly behind her as she stopped and waited for him to say something.
"Hey, if you need anything, just call me or Tea and we'll get it for you, okay?"
"Yeah."
"I know you hate me, everybody hates me but, you know, me and you, we want Tea to be happy so, you know, we might as well get along, right?"
"Right."
"So, um," he stammered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wad of cash, "here. I got plenty so, you know, just ask. And don't worry 'cause I'm gonna take care of Tea and your dad won't come anywhere near you anymore. So, uh, have a safe trip, or whatever," he said, turning back around toward Tea.
"Hey, Todd," Roseanne called. He stopped and turned toward her, switching his weight from side to side as he waited for her to speak. "Thanks and you take care of her, okay?"
"Yeah, okay."
*****
They had watched Roseanne's flight take off and walked hand in hand to the truck. She hadn't said much since the airport; her face was crinkled up, looking as if she were stuck in a constant state of thinking. He hated it when she did that because it made it impossible for him to read her mind.
He fiddled with the radio dial, settling on some station that played the blues. He glanced over at her and watched her face, as her expression remained the same. The night wasn't supposed to be so quiet and so tension filled.
There was a bottle of champagne in the car, one of the perks that came with spending a fortune on transportation. Champagne had a way of relaxing her like nothing else. He poured them both a glass and silently handed one of the hundred dollar flutes to her.
"Thanks," she said, bringing the expensive crystal to her mouth and taking a tiny sip.
Her silence was too much for him to take. He continued to watch her as she kept her face turned toward the sidewalk. She took another sip and adjusted her body so she was facing him. Her lips formed into a small smile before taking another sip. She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
"Hey Tea?"
"Yeah?" she answered with her eyes still closed.
"She knows about what I did, doesn't she?"
"Yes."
"And she hates me?"
She opened her eyes at that, wanting so badly to erase the pain she saw in them. She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand, resting her palm in the side of his face. She leaned over and kissed his lips, lingering for more than a moment. "She just doesn't understand."
Her touch felt so good to him. Her hands were all warm and the energy from her body traveled through his veins. She was like a drug, releasing her love all through his body. He closed his eyes, wanting that sensation to last forever. But it couldn't last forever; nothing in his life lasted forever.
"What's wrong?"
He took a breath before opening his eyes to answer her. "I keep fuckin' up your life."
"What?"
"No, I do. Your whole family hates me, your friends hate me-"
"I love you and that's all that should matter." Still looking into his eyes, she grabbed one of his hands and sandwiched it between hers. Her fingertips danced lightly over his skin as she spoke. "Todd, I've tried to be with other men but none of them could even begin to make me feel the way you do. You're it for me; all I want, all I need. If they can't deal with it, then that's their problem."
"I just-"
"Shh…hush." She leaned into him and kissed lightly. "I love you."
He just nodded, holding her hand with their fingers entwined. This was how it was supposed to be between them, a comfortable quiet and so much love between them that everyone around could feel it.
*****
Tea could still hear the music well after they left the Copacabana. It came as a surprise how well Todd moved on the dance floor. He had a smooth rhythm about him, which meshed perfectly with hers. He twirled her around on the dance floor, held her close to him during the slow songs and showed her in every way that he was in it for the long haul. There was something about his demeanor that was different; he was at ease with her and he really tried to be the perfect date for her.
They didn't want the evening to end. It had been a difficult day but somehow it turned into one of the most magical nights of their lives. There was the expensive champagne, peach roses, gorgeous dress and they were together again.
"Thank you, Todd." He thought she was sleeping until that moment. She had her eyes closed and her head rested against the side window. The way the moonlight glistened off her hair made her appear angelic.
"For what?"
"For everything, especially tonight."
"We're gonna do this thing right, right? You like to do stuff, so, we're doin' stuff."
"This is the best date I've ever been on."
"'Cause of the company?"
She smiled, still not opening her eyes and nodded her head in agreement. She was thinking of all the "first dates" she had been on when she worried about what they would want from her at the end of the night. If she would be fighting them off or if it would end with a kiss she didn't want. With Todd, she wanted everything she never wanted with other men. She wanted closeness and to wake up in his arms the next morning. He changed everything for her and what she wanted for her life. He was everything in her life.
Todd kept his eyes only on her. When she walked past the men in the Copa, when they all turned to look at her, she held onto him closer and ignored them all. She was with him, really with him and it was finally beginning to sink in. After all the pain he caused her, she was his, only his; he thought he must've been living someone else's life because his wasn't supposed to be so happy.
Too quickly, they were in front of her building. "This is it," she said, turning her head to look at him. "You coming up?"
"You're not tired?"
"Yeah. Are you coming up?" She gave him that killer smile and watched as his lips began to mirror hers.
"Okay."
She waited on the curb while he paid the driver. When they entered the building, they were holding hands and she was sort of leaning into him. This was how it should've been all along, they both thought.
