My lips were still buzzing from the fiery kiss that got cut short.
Ugh, I was already fuming, and just when I thought things couldn't get worse, Baby waltzes into the living room all decked out in his snazzy work outfit. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound, especially considering we were in the middle of a private moment just some minutes ago.
"Sorry, Keisha," he said. "There's some emergency at the hospital. I'll swing by when things settle down."
He tried to give me a quick peck on the cheek, but I turned my head slightly, denying him even that bit of affection. I wanted to hold onto my irritation and let it fuel my frustration over this messed-up interruption. "Fine," I grumbled under my breath.
Baby declared his love one last time, then left the house, his footsteps fading as he disappeared into the night. The roar of his car engine shattered the silence, matching the turmoil in my heart. It echoed through the empty space, serving as a stark reminder of how abruptly our moment was shattered and the crazy demands of his job.
Still boiling with annoyance, I shifted my focus to my phone. The bold numbers on the screen read 9:12 pm. I let out a sigh, sinking deeper into my frustration as I aimlessly stared at it.
My eyes landed on the YouTube app, a gateway to endless distractions. I'm there, mindlessly swiping through videos, and what do I see? Another one of those marriage videos, courtesy of Élise Beaumont. I swear, she's like a YouTube ninja, always ready to ambush me with her relationship crap.
Picture this: curiosity doing its little dance inside me, while annoyance clung like a pesky shadow that just wouldn't let go. Should I give in and watch that marriage video by Élise Beaumont? My thumb hesitated over the screen, wavering between skipping it and feeding my curiosity.
In the end, curiosity won the battle, and with a determined tap, I selected the video. Élise Beaumont's face popped up, the con marriage guru who's always showing up in my YouTube recommendations like she owns the place.
As I watched the YouTube video, I was totally hooked. Like, Élise Beaumont, the alleged marriage guru, was chatting it up with this couple who seemed like they were in their mid-fifties. And let me tell you, the garden where they were filming this interview was straight-up magical. Flowers everywhere and a serene pond reflecting all that beauty.
I couldn't help but get sucked into the whole setting, feeling like the beauty of nature was mirroring the potential for renewal and growth in my own relationship.
The woman had this grateful smile plastered on her face as she poured out her thanks to Élise, giving her all the credit for saving their marriage. Turns out they've been married for, like, 20 years and were seriously on the brink of divorce. But then they stumbled upon Élise's YouTube channel, the one called "Staying Married." They took her advice to heart and managed to reignite their love. Now they're all lovey-dovey and stronger than ever.
Then the husband jumps in, sharing his own stories of the hurdles they faced. He had this grateful tone, like he's been through some serious stuff. "Let me tell you, we've had some tough times," he admits. "Trust was a major hurdle for us. I messed up in the past, and it totally wrecked the foundation of our relationship. But thanks to Élise, we rebuilt that trust step by step."
His words hit me hard, you know? I couldn't help but think about my own marriage and the challenges we've gone through. Trust has never really been a problem in my marriage, but I was curious to hear what the old dude had to say about his own relationship. I wanted to see if there were any similarities or patterns that I could relate to in my own marriage, you know? So I figured I'd just listen in and see what insights I could pick up.
And he wasn't done yet. The husband gets all vulnerable and shares another hurdle they faced: communication, or the lack of it. They were stuck in this messed-up pattern of misunderstanding each other, making assumptions without even talking it out. But then Élise came along and taught them the importance of open and honest communication. Like, really listening to each other. And guess what? It made a world of difference in how they understand and support each other now.
I found myself nodding along, totally relating to their struggles and their journey toward healing. Their words, combined with Élise's advice, were like a beam of light showing me the way forward in my own marriage.
Meanwhile, Élise was sitting there, radiating warmth and wisdom. She listened intently, giving encouraging nods and sweet smiles as the couple spilled their hearts out.
So I kept on watching, soaking up every word and making mental notes of the advice that transformed the lives of the couple in front of me. All the while, I was contemplating how I could apply those lessons to my own marriage.
While I was all caught up in the video, my mind started drifting, thinking about the insane achievement of staying married for twenty years. That old couple seemed to have faced life's storms with some serious guts. Thoughts of my marriage with Baby Corrigan came rushing in. We tied the knot when I was just a nineteen-year-old and he was twenty-four. And get this, our love story kicked off in a strip club where I worked as a lingerie-clad dancer.
I still remember that pivotal night like it was yesterday. The club was a whirlwind of thumping music, dim lights, and a thick cloud of cigarette smoke. The dance floor was like a magical stage where reality and fantasies intertwined. Out of the sea of faces, there was this tall dude I had never laid eyes on before. And trust me, that's saying something since I'm a solid 5'9". He had this dark skin that contrasted with the vibrant lights flickering around us.
No hesitation, this guy strutted over to me, oozing confidence, and his gaze locked with mine. The music wrapped around us, and he swept me up into his arms. Our bodies moved together as if we were one, grooving effortlessly to the beat. In that moment, it was like the rest of the club disappeared, and it was just us two.
Now let me paint you a picture of that strip club. It was a sensory overload, I tell you. Neon signs adorned the walls, splashing the room with vibrant colors. The air was a mix of perfume, booze, and anticipation. The dance floor was dimly lit, with spotlights lazily spinning around, setting the stage for all those desires to ignite. People sat at tables, drink in hand, their eyes fixed on the captivating performances happening on stage.
As the night wore on, our connection deepened, and the music slowly faded into the background. When the club closed its doors, I woke up in his arms, with the morning light casting a warm glow through the window. Turns out his name was Baby Corrigan, and from then on, he became a regular at the club, specifically asking for my services.
Our relationship grew over time, and one day, Baby dropped a bombshell. He wanted me to leave behind the whole stripping gig. Naturally, I voiced my concerns, wondering how the heck I was supposed to survive without my main source of income. But Baby assured me he had my back and would support me in whatever respectable profession I wanted to pursue.
So, with a glimmer of hope, I spilled my lifelong dream of becoming a supermodel. And get this, Baby revealed he had connections in the industry. Thanks to him pulling some strings with a few phone calls, I bid farewell to my life as a stripper and embarked on a fresh path as a supermodel.
The conversation between Baby and me was intense, packed with emotions. We talked about our dreams, fears, and all the challenges we were gonna tackle together. Baby's unwavering belief in me lit a fire inside, giving me the confidence to chase my aspirations.
And now, at just twenty years old, I made the jump from being a dancer in a strip club to a budding supermodel. Less than a year had passed since our wedding, and our journey together was just kicking off. The transformation in our lives was beyond anything I could've imagined, and as we embraced the exciting opportunities ahead, I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the man who recognized my potential and helped turn my dreams into reality.
My mind wandered back to that time when Baby's mom couldn't accept me and threw nasty insults my way. She called me a "gold digging slut," and her words were like venom. But Baby had my back, swooping in to defend me like a knight in shining armor. I played out the scene in my head, recalling Baby standing up to his mom's cruel accusations.
"You can't talk to her like that! She's not with me for money or success. She loves me for who I am, and I love her just as much," Baby's voice echoed in my mind, firm and unwavering.
His mom didn't take kindly to his defense. It turned into a full-blown argument, filled with heated words. I pictured the tense back-and-forth, the clash of wills, and the pain it caused. It was a constant struggle to prove myself to someone who seemed dead set on seeing me as unworthy.
Shaking off the lingering thoughts of the argument, I shifted my focus back to the YouTube video. A nagging question popped into my head—could that seemingly perfect couple in the video be putting on an act? Was Élise Beaumont using them as a front to trick people into following her? I mulled over the possibility, finding it hard to trust someone who hadn't experienced the ups and downs of marriage.
My skepticism grew deeper, wondering how someone like Élise, who had never been married herself, could dish out advice on such a complex and intimate subject. It just didn't add up. How could she truly understand the ins and outs of marriage without having lived it firsthand?
But as the YouTube video neared its end, I was taken aback. Élise dropped a bombshell—she had been married four times. That revelation hit me like a lightning bolt, smashing my preconceived notions. Maybe there was more to Élise's story than met the eye. Perhaps her failed marriages had given her valuable insights, pushing her to help others avoid the same mistakes.
Intrigued and hungry for more, I kept watching Élise's videos until exhaustion washed over me. I dozed off on the couch, my dreams swirling with visions of endless possibilities and newfound hope for my own marriage.