A New Beginning



The temperature was just one degree shy of one hundred. Still, Mark was outside trying to assemble the swing set he bought for Selena. Rianna stood in the kitchen watching him through the window. She admired his strong male physique. His chiseled muscles glimmering with sweat in the sun. She poured him a tall glass of iced tea and went out on the deck.

“Baby!” She called down to him. He stood up, wiping the sweat from his brow. She met him at the bottom of the deck stairs.

“You can do this another day when it isn’t so hot.” He took a long drink from the glass.

“Nah. I promised her I’d do it today. And it’s almost finished anyhow.” He responded in his deep, sexy voice. He finished off the tea and gave the glass back to Rianna. Then he took her by the waist and kissed her, very passionately.

“Now you see what you do to me? Got me thinking things that will take my mind off of work.” She giggled at his compliment.

“Want more to drink?” So offered.

“Yeah, thanks love.” He kissed her again on the cheek and smiled, flashing his pearly white teeth. As he turned, he pulled his wife-beater off and let it hang over the banister. She had to stop for a minute and check him out. Then she went back into the house to get his more to drink.

“Did Daddy finish the swings?” Selena asked, coming from the basement where most of her toys were.

“Selena, we talked about this. Mark isn’t Daddy. Nick will always be your Daddy. Even though you don’t see him everyday. I know you love Mark, I do too. But it’s better to call him Mark instead, ok?” She lowered her head and nodded.

“Can I go outside now and see?” Rianna looked through the window and Mark looked just about done.

“I think so.” Selena went running out to the deck and then down the stairs. Rianna poured the iced tea into a sports bottle instead of a glass. That way he would have more to drink and it would be easier to carry. She went back down to the patio and gave it to him.

“How bout we go for a swim?” He suggested, having finished the swing set. She looked at him and sensed he was thinking naughtily.

“Mark.... not until the little one sleeps.” He smiled, a little ashamed that he forgot. They sat by the pool in the shade. Watching Selena playing on the swings. Sliding down the slide. Throwing the beach ball. Just having innocent fun.

The sun started to set and Rianna instructed Selena to get washed up for dinner. Selena ran up to her room. Rianna and Mark went into the kitchen. She opened the oven and pulled out a covered pot, sitting on the stove. Mark started to lift the lid, but she smacked his hand.

“Not until it’s done.” She hissed.

“Oh, so you’re giving orders now?” He said, taking her by the waist and pulling her back towards him.

“Yes, I’m giving orders.” She responded. He kissed her on the cheek, the neck.

“I like that in a woman. My woman.” He spun her around and they kissed long and hard. He let his hands wander to her lower back, then her bottom. All as Selena walked into the room.

“Oohhh! Kissy, kissy.” She said, laughing heartily. Mark let Rianna go, and she went back to preparing dinner. Mark picked Selena up into the air and carried her to the living room where he sat her on his knee.

“Were you spying on your Mommy and me?” He tickled her and she doubled over in laughter.

“No....” She managed to say.

“No? Then what were you doing?” He tickled her again, and again she laughed. Wiggling all around and giggling.

“Coming down for dinner.” She said when he stopped tickling her.

“Are you sure?” She nodded enthusiastically. He picked her up again, tossing her into the air and catching her. Then he stood her up on the floor and let her take her place at the table.

As they ate, Mark touched Rianna’s hand. Caressing it and gazing into her eyes. Selena watched them intently, as if the couple were an interesting soap opera. Rianna cut a piece of chicken from her plate and fed it to Mark. Then he took his fork, spun it around in his pasta, and served it to her. All while Selena watched.

“You and Daddy never did that.” She said, not quite understanding why Rianna behaved differently with Mark.

“Well, Daddy and Mark are two different men. Daddy and I don’t get along as well as Mark and I do. Do you understand Selena?” She nodded and kept eating her pre-cut chicken. Once Selena had finished her dinner, she got up from her seat and put her plate and glass in the kitchen sink.

“May I be excused?” She asked politely. Rianna seemed surprised.

“Where’d you hear that?” Her mother questioned. Never having heard it from her little girl before.

“Kids always say it on TV.” Rianna smiled and told her it was ok. Selena ran to the den and turned the television on to Cartoon Network, watching the Powerpuff Girls show.

“I’m worried about her.” Rianna said, taking both hers and Mark’s plate.

“Why?” Mark asked, following her with the glasses. He turned the water on and started rinsing the plates, then putting them into the dishwasher.

“The divorce. That’s hard for a child to deal with. She’s only five, Mark. She doesn’t know how to react to all of this. She’s used to seeing Nick and I together. Now that we’re together, she feels like you’re Nick’s replacement. Just today she asked if her daddy was finished with the swing set. You’re wonderful with her and I’m glad she loves you, but it would kill Nick to hear his pride and joy call another man ‘Daddy’. You know?” Rianna sighed.

“We just have to take things one day at a time. Whenever she has questions, we just sit her down and explain things to her. What’s important is that she accepts me as the man in your life. And she accepts the fact that her father and mother don’t love each other anymore, but they still love her.” Mark said. Rianna put the plate down that she was rinsing and looked toward the ceiling.

“That’s just it. When she’s with him, he doesn’t act as though he’s over me. He tells her flat out that he still loves me. And that’s going to make it seriously difficult for her to adjust. Believe it or not, she’s comparing you to him. In her mind, she’s sizing up who would be better for me. She notes how you treat me with the way Nick did treated me. She likes you better, that’s the bittersweet truth of it all. And at this rate, she’s going to build a wall between herself and her father. And I don’t want that to happen.” Mark took the plate she stopped rinsing and put it in the dishwasher along with the others.

“So, what should we do?” He asked, turning his back toward the sink and looking into the den at Selena watching her cartoons.

“I think she should spend the whole summer with him. Give him a chance to build another good relationship with her, so to speak. They need more time together. She already feels comfortable here. She needs to feel comfortable with her father. And the fact that she doesn’t have to spend much time with him when she goes to his house doesn’t help. Three whole months should do it.” He looked at Rianna then, knowing that letting her daughter go for the whole entire summer would be hard.

“I agree with you. She does need more time with him. When are you going to tell him?” She shrugged her bare shoulders.

“Tomorrow. Tonight, I don’t want to think another thought about Nick. All I want to think about is you. Now, you can go double check her homework, give her a bath, then tuck her into bed. I will finish up this kitchen, put these leftovers away, and I will be waiting in my own bubble bath. If I calculated it right, you’ll be finished just in time to help me get clean.” She smiled at him deviously. Mark smacked her butt and went into the den to start with Selena.

“Come on kid, it’s time to get upstairs.” She turned the TV off without protest. She loved it when Mark tucked her in, because he told funny stories and made her laugh. He lifted her onto his shoulders and they went up to her room. Rianna started the dishwasher and wiped the counter tops clean.

Then she put what was left of the food in plastic food containers, then into the refrigerator. She could hear the running water upstairs in Selena’s bathroom. So she hurried and turned all of the lights out, including the deck and pool lights. She ran up to Selena’s bedroom and Mark was sitting on the side of the tub, tying up Selena’s hair. Selena was playing with the bubbles and her Barbie dolls.

Rianna enjoyed watching them together. They were bonding so well. When Selena first met Mark, she was a little intimidated by his size. He was so tall and muscular. And his voice was so deep and raspy. But, somehow, Selena grew fond of him. Rianna walked a few steps down the hallway to their bedroom. She ran the hot water in the Jacuzzi tub. Then she poured sweet bath salts into the water.

She undressed and stepped into the water. Just as she was going to sit down, Mark walked in. He licked his lips at the sight of her.

“Wait.” He said. She stood back up and he took the pin out of her hair, letting it fall down her back.

“Unlike Selena, I like your hair all wet.” She sat down in the water and watched as Mark closed the bathroom door. He started undressing himself, and Rianna sat back enjoying the show. He got into the water, resting his head on her chest. She took the sponge and started ringing the hot water out over his chest.

She wrapped her legs around him, and he ran his fingers over her skin. She placed her hands on his bald head, loving how it felt. He had recently shaved it, preparing for a roll he would play in a movie. She never thought she’d be turned on by an intentionally bald man until Mark.

“Remember the day we met? In that coffee house in Manhattan?” He asked. Rianna closed her eyes and relived the moment.

“Yes. I was sitting at a table by myself. And you approached me, asking if I was with someone.” She let her hands lower to his neck and shoulders, and it was then she started to massage his tense spots.

“And when you looked at me, you knew exactly who I was. I can still remember that shocked expression on your face. ‘Vin Diesel???’ is what you said, I believe.” Rianna laughed, recalling her comical reaction herself.

“You were just so beautiful. I was drawn to you. Like, as soon as I walked in the door. There you were.” He took one of her hands and kissed it, then kissed each finger.

“And you were so handsome. You sat down, staring at me with your bedroom eyes. I was taken from the minute you spoke.” With that, Mark turned around so that he was face to face with her. At first, they kissed gently. Little kisses with very little tongue. Then they began kissing very passionately.

“Let’s go to bed.” She whispered into his ear. And he knew right away she didn’t intend to go to sleep. They got out of the tub, not even bothering to dry off. He carried her to the bed, lying on top of her.

It was almost twelve when the phone rang. Rianna was sound asleep, Mark still on top of her. He heard the phone first and reached over to pick it up.

“Hello?” He answered.

“Yeah, is Rianna there?”

“Who is this?” Mark asked, a little angry for someone calling his girlfriend so late at night.

“It’s her husband!” Mark started to curse Nick out when Rianna took the phone.

“Yes Nick?” She said, in the voice of a woman who had just woke up. Nick knew they had been having sex just by knowing how Rianna sounded when she woke up after making love to him.

“I can’t believe you fuck him with my daughter there.” Rianna got up and put her robe on. She walked over to the desk and chair in their room to continue the conversation. Mark just sat in the bed waiting for her to finish.

“That is none of your business, Nick. This is our home and what we do here stays here.” She responded coldly.

“How is she?” Nick changed the subject, his tone softening.

“She’s fine. She loves it here. She loves the house, the school, and the children.” Rianna informed him. Nick took comfort in hearing positive things about his daughter.

“When can I get her?” He asked.

“School ends this week. I was thinking that you can come pick her up next Friday. Mark and I will be working pretty hard over the summer. Nick, we’ve agreed to let you have her for the whole three months. She needs this time with you.” Nick got tears in his eyes at the news.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. This means the world to me.” Nick replied.

“I know it does. Now could you do me a huge favor and stop calling here in the middle of the night. It’s rude and you would hate it if people called your home late at night with an attitude.” Nick knew she was defending Mark and the way Nick talked to him.

“Ok, I won’t call so late anymore. But you are asking too much for me to be nice to that bastard.” Rianna turned the phone off and slammed it on the desk.

“Baby, come back to bed.” Her face changed as if she was going to cry.

“Oh no, no tears. Come to bed, Baby.” He repeated. She got up and walked over to their bed, sitting down with her back to him. He pulled the robe off and rubbed her skin.

“I just hope when he comes this time, it won’t be as bad as the last time.” She sighed, recalling how awfully he treated Mark.


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