Rachel now at home ate a light meal of grilled chicken salad with her favorite Parmesan and roasted red pepper Italian dressing cleaned up her kitchen and watched Grey's Anatomy before heading to bed. After donning her favorite nighty she slipped between the crisp clean 400 count cotton sheets of her king-sized platform bed. Settling herself comfortably against her fluffy down pillows she reached for her newest romance novel, the more explicit the better. Reading romance was her guilty pleasure. Rachel loved to read, she'd read romance novels since she was a teen. She was a romantic at heart and she couldn't let go of the dreams of once again being swept off her feet by the man of her dreams. Settling down to read, she could not help the sudden image of Sean Grayson that slipped into her mind at the thought of her dream man. The sudden ringing of her phone startled her out of her thought and setting her book down Rachel grabbed the phone from the shelf of the bookcase headboard of her bed.
"Hello," she said.
"Hey Ma," this, from her son; Anthony Jr. or A.J. to family.
"Hey, Momma!" said her daughter Asiah.
"Hey, my Sweethearts, how are you guys doing?" Rachel asked with a smile.
"We're both fine, just wanted to make sure you were ok in that big ole house by yourself" A.J. teased.
Rachel laughed at her son's little joke, she'd purchased the house she currently resided in only three years ago the year before Anthony went off to college. The house did have three levels, which included four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a formal living room, dining room, and family-room; eat in kitchen, and basement. The house sat on a half-acre of land and had a huge privacy fenced in backyard with a double deck that circled the back of the house, and a pool. Rachel's bedroom on the main level was equipped with a deck partitioned off from the main deck area and she had her own Jacuzzi. The home had a two car garage and a huge circled driveway which could hold just about all the vehicles in their family when the relatives came by for family barbeques and parties. Rachel and her kids had loved the place at first sight and because it was a foreclosure on the auction block she had gotten the place for almost nothing. Rachel had even gone through her church credit union to finance the purchase and gotten a heavenly interest rate that made the mortgage payments smaller than the one she'd had on the townhouse they were living in prior to this home. She had refinanced her town home for the down payment on the new home and rented her town home to a lovely newlywed couple as a first home. So she now had income coming in from her day job, her town home, and the family catering business. Rachel was living the life she'd always dreamed, but she missed her kids terribly. Now that they were both in college, she only got to see them on holidays and during the summer.
"Hey, Mom, you are alone right?" Asiah asked.
Ever the over protective one Asiah had always had a problem with Rachel dating, however, they both had done some growing up over the years and Asiah had eased her hold on her mother some when she herself began dating. Rachel knew her baby girl was just teasing and decided to return the favor.
"Well Asiah I am for the moment my friend just went into the bathroom to take a shower before joining me in bed," she teased. "Now tell me if you have decided on a major before he comes back," Rachel jokingly replied.
A.J. howled with laughter on his line and told his sister, "That's what you get for asking, silly questions. Way to go Ma, I ain't mad at ya," using all the improper English Rachel painstakingly taught him not to speak.
Rachel laughed as her daughter sputtered pretending to choke on her line. Then they were all laughing. Rachel talked with her children for a little while longer encouraging them to work hard and to be the best they could be before they said their goodbyes.
"Love ya Ma," Anthony said. "I love you too, A.J. I am so proud of you," Rachel replied almost teary.
"I'm proud of you too, Ma, tell everybody I said hi and give Auntie Sam a hug for me too, ok?" said Anthony.
"Ok, sweetheart, I will," Rachel answered.
"I love you, too, Mom; take care of yourself, alright?" Asiah said always worrying about her Mom's health.
"I love you, too, baby girl, and I am still eating right and exercising, in fact the doctor told me that all my hard work has paid off and I have completely reversed the diabetes. I won't need any medication as long as I keep eating right, keep off the weight, and keep exercising. I am having my first swim lesson on Sunday. So soon I'll be able to swim and get a total body workout year round. I'll use the pool at Total body during the cold season and the pool here at home during the hot season. Isn't that great?" Rachel informed them both.
"Wow, that is great, Ma," they both said together. "Well, keep up the good work now, and give Auntie Sam and everybody a hug for me too. Love ya," Asiah said.
"Love you both," Rachel replied then they all hung up.
Rachel sat there for a moment missing her babies; she could hardly believe they were both in college. Their little family had a hard time after Tony had died leaving Rachel alone so suddenly with a grieving five and seven year old who had adored their father. Anthony Matthews, a truck driver had died trying to avoid hitting a family of four in a stalled vehicle in the middle of the off ramp of highway I-285 one rain slick evening he apparently did not see the stalled vehicle until it was too late, he managed to avoid the vehicle and its' occupants but in doing so he jack-knifed the eighteen wheeler he was driving off the bridge and was killed instantly. Yes, Tony's death had been a huge blow to their family but they survived through the grace of God. Rachel now a college graduate herself had a four-year degree in Health Administration, was working at the CDC under a great boss, was making good money, and she also helped at Georgia Bell Catering, their family owned and operated catering service. Georgia Bell Catering was started by her sister Marjorie about a year after the death of their father Douglas Weldon. The family business was beginning to make a financial turn for the better so much so that Georgia Weldon, Rachel's mother retired early to help out and Marjorie, had also left her steady job as an HR manager for a hotel chain to work the business full time. Rachel helped out with developing new healthy recipes and cooking when they needed help on some of their bigger jobs. The insurance money from her husband's death helped to get the family business going and with the money Georgia Bell was making as well as the investments the family made with a portion of the business profits helped everyone become financially stable.
Yes, things were starting to look good for the Weldon Family because they had not given up during the times of struggles and lose they had come together with hard work, prayer, and faith in God to overcome. Rachel's younger sister Jillian was back in school pursuing her dream of becoming a physical therapist. She would be graduating in April only six months away. Rachel's brother Bryson was the PR man for Georgia Bell, making use of all the connections he made as the former manager of one of Buckhead most prestigious restaurants. He was currently looking into purchasing property to build the bed & breakfast their mother always dreamed of owning. The property along with the family's plan to invest and build the bed and breakfast was going to be their collective Christmas present to Georgia from the Weldon siblings, grandchildren, and great grandchildren as everyone pitched in to make this dream become a reality. Rachel's sister Marjorie who'd said she would never marry although she already had two grown kids, a teenager, and two grandchildren, married a couple of years ago and now she and her husband Wilson were devoted to each other, their four children, grandchildren, and their three collective family businesses.
As Rachel thought about her family she realized they were all doing great and her life had never been better. Yet she was sitting here, in bed, alone missing her children. Rachel knew she should be grateful to God for the life she now had. Thankful she was not where she was seven years ago, which was on her knees every night praying for enough money to make ends meet, up to her neck in debt, out of a job, and barely able to keep the mortgage paid on her townhouse which was sorely in need of repairs she had no money to make. Rachel knew she was surely better off now but she also felt something was missing.
Why she felt it more tonight than she'd felt it before was never more obvious to her. After meeting Sean Grayson, who was all male and fine as hell, Rachel knew exactly what she was missing. She had to admit she was definitely attracted to the man. Thinking back on her meeting with Sean she had to admit everything about him aroused the woman in her. His body, the deep smooth baritone of his voice, and his sexy gray eyes, made her want to jump his bones and ride him all day long. Just thinking of Sean had her nipples tightening and her panties wet. Rachel wondered if he liked thick women, nah most men who looked like Sean preferred the tall leggy model types, who looked anorexic except in the boob area because they all had implants, she thought with a smile.
Sean probably wanted some petite little Halle Berry look alike thing he could pick up and swing around in the bedroom. Rachel's full figured stature was more in line with the actress-singer Jill Scott. Rachel did not think Sean would be attracted to her; he was probably looking for someone more along the lines of Beyoncé. Anyway, Rachel was celibate for almost five years now and she had never felt the loss of that part of her life more than she had tonight in the hot tub with Sean. The Rachel she was before she was married might have gone after and devoured that delicious looking man, but the Rachel she was now didn't think she had a chance.
Rachel looked at the clock radio on her armoire and noticed it was just after 10:30 pm taking a chance her best friend Samantha might still be awake she quickly dialed Samantha's number to tell her about her new swim instructor. Samantha picked up after the first ring.
"Hello," Samantha said.
"Hey, Sam, you busy?" Rachel replied.
"No, girl I'm just sitting in bed flipping through the new Essence magazine while Mark is working on somebody's computer. He's been getting a lot of side jobs lately, so I'm just waiting for him to come to bed." Samantha replied.
"Well, I just talked to the kids, they are both doing great and told me to give you a kiss for them," Rachel told her.
"Oh, they are so sweet to remember little ole me," Samantha gushed.
"Girl, you know you are just like family to us, anyway I also called to tell you I have or may have found someone to give me swim lessons."
"Oh, really, and who is this paragon of virtue? Seeing as how you practically drowned the last person who tried to tackle the task," Samantha teased remembering the day vividly. She had gone with Rachel to give her moral support and witnessed the sheer panic attack her friend had during the failed attempt which had put both her and the instructor in danger.
"Not funny Sam, any way I was at Total Body this evening and after my work out, I met the newly hired instructor. It was really kind of weird, Sam, I was just asking last week about swim lessons and was told they didn't have any plans to hire one. Then tonight suddenly there I am in the hot tub singing along with my tunes on my cell phone and then I'm face to chest with the finest man I have ever laid eyes on," Rachel replied.
"Ooo, this is getting good," Samantha said. "Ok, Rache, start from the beginning and tell me everything, don't leave out one single detail," Samantha demanded as the now forgotten magazine was pushed to the side, Samantha fluffed her pillows to settle down comfortably to hear what her friend had to say.
"Well," Rachel began, "girl I was just minding my own business, you know my routine, well, I finished my work out and was soaking the in hot tub with my head back eyes closed singing Brown Skin, then as I'm getting to the second chorus I feel someone entering the tub so I sat up opened my eyes and all I see is smooth cocoa brown, milk chocolate skin, stretched over a perfectly chiseled muscled chest and torso. Sam the man has an eight pack," Rachel exclaimed as she did when they were teens talking about the fine guys in high school. She was getting all excited again just thinking about Sean.
"Go, on, Rachel," Samantha goaded, "Tell Samantha everything."
"Ok, Sam, picture the Rock's body, you know the Rock right?" "Well, picture his body when he played in the role of Scorpion King but picture him several shades darker say a Hershey Kiss chocolate and this guy is tall, so tall I had to throw my head back just to look him in the face. Sam, he has to be at least six foot five or six. Girl his arms are roped with muscles, he must lift weights all day every day, and he has nice big hands with long fingers, well-kept nails. Girl, I, wanted to jump his bones and screw his brains out right there in that hot tub," Rachel confessed as she heard Samantha's laughter through the phone.
"It's not funny," Rachel feigned pouting, "And get this Sam, the man has slate gray eyes, not contacts Sam, real, honest to goodness, gray eyes, and a voice so deep and seductive all I could think of while we talked was how he'd sound while we made love. Girl, I was totally hooked if he had asked I would have stripped butt naked, opened wide and let him dive right in for what I know would have been the ride of my life," Rachel finished glad she was able to finally get this off her chest.
"Stifling another giggle, Sam asked, "Rache, what did you do?"
"I probably made a big fool of myself standing there looking at the man like he was the last ice cream cone at the fourth of July picnic in 100 degree weather. We talked for a few minutes and he introduced himself to me as the new swim instructor. Then he offered to give me lessons when I explained I was looking for an instructor but had an aversion to large bodies of water. He assured me he could teach me to swim and offered to meet me for my first lesson at the Total Body pool this Sunday," Rachel finished.
"Alright, Rachel, girl I'm so proud of you," Samantha enthused, "the drought has almost lifted you'll be getting some soon," Samantha tease.
"Sam, that is not funny. This man is God's gift to women kind, I am pretty sure he is not interested in me that way," Rachel replied.
Which, exasperated Samantha to no end and she let Rachel have it, "Rachel Weldon Mathews you are a beautiful person inside and out. Why wouldn't the man be interested in you? Was he blind? To my knowledge there are what, four hot tubs in that room right?" Samantha didn't wait for her to reply, she continued, "and you were the only one in the room right?" "Well, why did the man by pass three perfectly good empty hot tubs to join you in the only one occupied if he wasn't interested?" Samantha paused to let Rachel think about it for a moment, because she was certain her friend didn't have a clue that this guy was attracted to her.
For the life of her, Samantha could not understand why Rachel did this to herself. Sure she was a plus size woman but she wasn't fat and nasty or wobbly and grotesquely obese. Rachel was a lovely person, she had smooth mocha brown skin, breasts to die for, and she was healthy. She was almost 39 years old but she looked ten years younger, her boobs were huge but they weren't sagging, they were perky and were right where they should be without the help of surgery. Rachel had an hour glass figure and she did not seem to notice all the attention the guys gave her whenever they went out for lunch or drinks after work. Honestly, sometimes Rachel drove Samantha nuts.
"So Rachel if this guy is interested are you going to give him a chance to get to know you or are you going to run him away like you always do?" Samantha wanted to know.
"Sam, I really don't think there's a chance the guy is interested in me like that and if he is he is only interested in sex. Samantha didn't see anything wrong with that but she kept her mouth closed as Rachel went on to say, "Sam you know I was through with those type relationships a long time ago. No more casual, friends with benefits relationships for me."
"Remember Kenneth, Sam, Mr. Fine himself, but all he wanted was to screw the big girl because he heard big girls were good in bed and were down for all the freaky things, Rachel reminded Sam of her last encounter almost five years ago.
"Yes, I remember Kenny-boy, he was a first class A-hole and you know it. He did not appreciate you and he was looking for someone to dominate, someone he could control because he was weak. When you showed him you weren't the one he said what he could to hurt you the most. Don't even give that pig a second thought he is not worth it," Samantha replied.
"I know, Sam, but that is easier said than done. Well, girl, did I hear Mark?" asked Rachel, pushing all thoughts of that dismal time of her life out of her mind.
"Yeah girl he's just now coming to bed, Mark says hey girl," Samantha replied.
"Tell him I said hey, now let me let you get off this phone so you can take care of your hard working man before he goes to sleep," Rachel teased.
Samantha laughed, "Ok, but promise me you won't run away or run this guy away if he is interested in you. Please give the guy a chance and give yourself a chance to see where the attraction might lead, it's time Rachel and you know it," Samantha said solemnly, knowing how it felt losing the love of your life in tragedy. Samantha lost the father of her daughter to a stray bullet from a fight between two men he didn't know that started outside of a sports bar as they were leaving after dinner. Samantha was in the line of fire but Steven shielded her body when the shots started although Samantha had received only minor cuts and bruises from his knocking her to the ground before he was fatally shot in the head. Samantha was devastated and she'd leaned heavily on Rachel during the time. They had weathered that storm together and soon Samantha picked up the pieces of her shattered dreams to move forward with her baby girl. She'd met Mark eight years ago and she now not only had Steven's twelve year old daughter, Sam and Mark now had a four year old son as well. So Rachel knew her friend was speaking from the heart and from her own experience.
"Ok, Sam, I promise, now bye girl before you make me start crying, Rachel said before she rung off.
"Bye, Rachel, Samantha said and they both hung up.
Rachel checked the clock again and was amaze she had been talking to Samantha for almost an hour. Deciding it was too late to get started on her book tonight she placed the book back on the bookcase built into the headboard of her bed, switched off the overhead light, and settled down to get a good night's sleep.
However, an hour later she was still lying in bed staring at the ceiling. Sleep seemed illusive tonight. Every time she closed her eyes she was haunted by the gray eyed hunk she'd met earlier. Rachel knew she needed a goodnights sleep to be alert for the presentation on the financial budget she had to give via the telephone conference meeting on tomorrow, which were boring enough with a full eight hours sleep, she couldn't afford to fall asleep in front of her boss.
Sleep, however, was the last thing on her mind, Sean seemed all her mind and body wanted to think about. She tried mentally going over the financials for tomorrow's meeting thinking this would surely put her to sleep, but to no avail she was still wide awake. She tried just closing her eyes and willing herself to sleep, but she was being haunted by ole gray eyes again. Rachel went over every detail of her encounter with Sean, with Samantha's comments in mind. She realize Samantha could be right, Sean could have gotten into any one of the three other hot tubs in the room but he'd passed by three other empty pools of the bubbling warm water to join her in the very last one.
'Could it be?' She thought. 'Could he truly be interested in me?' Rachel wondered for a second then pushed the thought right out of her head. There was no way a man who looked that good, be good, for her, gorgeous men like Sean Grayson were nothing but trouble with a capital T. Rachel knew she should probably stay as far away from Mr. Grayson as possible. However, if she did, she would miss an opportunity to learn to swim. She also knew she would miss the opportunity to be up close and personal with someone who physically fulfilled all the sexual fantasies she'd ever had. Samantha was right; she owed it to herself to explore this situation.
'What harm could there be in exploring the situation, it's not like I'm going to fall head over heels in love or something? I've already had the love of my life and I am not looking for another ever,' Rachel thought to herself and with that settled Rachel gave her body permission to relax and get the sleep she knew she'd need for work the next day. Then promptly feel asleep with visions of her sexy gray eyed swim instructor to keep her company.