New beginnings/Vic returns

I didn't sleep well that night. I spent the night staring at the ceiling, contemplating my decision of Randy vs. Vince. I started to think that comfort is far better than a new shiny toy. I was tempted to reach out to Vince, but with how things went last time – at my office –  but I knew he wouldn't come.

Thirty minutes later, my doorbell rang. I used my phone to go through the security camera app to see who was at my door. It was Vince. I facepalmed myself. I got up, went to the door, wondering what kind of magical wine I drank to summon Vince.

I opened the door and invited Vince in. "Can I get you something strong to drink?" I offered.

He declined with a shake of his head. "No, thanks. It's late, and I'm on my motorcycle. Orange juice would be great, if you have it."

"Of course," I said, and brought him a glass.

We sat down, the silence heavy for a moment before I broke it. "So, why are you here, Vince?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Both Kay and Randy reached out to me. Randy knew he was in deep shit and wasn't sure what to do next. And Kay, well, she was championing you, as she always does."

"Look, Vince," I said, my voice firm. "No one should be that close to an ex-spouse – whether they had children or not – and expect their new partner to be besties with the ex-spouse. And they certainly shouldn't be flirting with their ex, or acting like they're on a date with them, while their new partner is sitting right there."

Vince sighed again, a deep, weary sound. "You're right. I'll talk to Randy in the morning."

"Thank you," I said, genuinely.

As he got up to leave, Vince paused. "Deppgrl," he began, his voice softer, "I also wanted to apologize. For assuming you'd take me on as a client, and for my behavior at your office. That was out of line." This was a true apology, sincere and from the heart.

"Thank you, Vince," I replied, and we hugged. As we stepped apart, he looked into my eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked. I didn't even have to nod; he knew by the look in my eyes that I wanted him to kiss me, and he did. His lips were soft, then firm, and a familiar comfort.

After some time, he pulled away and rested his forehead on mine. "If I don't stop now," he breathed, his voice a little rough, "I'll have you in bed."

"What if I want you to?" I whispered, my gaze locked on his.

He kissed me again, a quick, tender press of his lips. "I can't do that to another man - even if that man is in limbo right now." He pulled back fully.

"This is why I should've chosen comfort over new,” I said.

He said goodnight, gave my hand a squeeze, and let himself out. I watched him go, then went to bed. I slept until 10 AM. I showered, brushed my teeth, and put on my favorite sweatpants and shirt, then padded down the stairs. Halfway down, I saw an envelope in my entryway. Great... Randy strikes again. I went to grab it. I opened the letter and read what he wrote:

"DeppGrl, 

You're absolutely right that I should have apologized on my own instead of having Kay and Vince talk me into it. I understand the severity of not realizing how much I screwed up yesterday and it kills me that I hurt you and disappointed you. I love you more than anything on earth and I don't want to lose you. Please forgive me.

Yours forever,
Randy

I didn't know how to feel about Randy's letter. Honestly, I felt a bit numb, but it wasn't from the wine; it was from another man who disappointed me. Men always disappoint me one way or another. I texted Kay.

"Hey Kay, after reading Randy's letter, I'm going to break up with him."

Her reply came quickly. "Is that you speaking, or the wine?"

"97% me, 3% the wine," I texted back.

She sent a "lol" and then, "Do you need me to come over?"

"I'm fine," I replied. "And yes, my phone's going to stay on." She sent the smiley emoji.

I reread the letter that Randy wrote. It didn't truly feel like an apology. I knew that Kay ripped Randy a new asshole and played a big part in the apology. I wanted a real apology from the heart, not something "forced." I knew that Kay meant well and wanted what's best for me.

I looked at my phone to check the time. It was 11:47 PM. I texted Randy.

"Randy, I appreciate that you apologized via letter. However, it felt forced. If you were truly apologetic, you would have apologized on your own and far sooner, rather than having my best friend rip you a new asshole and make you apologize."

His reply came almost instantly. "I'm so sorry for apologizing the wrong way. Can I please come over?"

"I'm going to bed," I texted back. "Good night."

The next few days were spent ignoring Randy and working my ass off at work. I had slacked off quite a bit recently, and it wasn't a good look on me, the staff, or the company. I threw myself into projects, catching up on everything that had fallen by the wayside. The focus was a welcome distraction, and surprisingly, I found myself well-rested each morning, the lack of emotional turmoil contributing to a deeper sleep.

By the fourth day back in the office, a crisp Thursday morning, Tara buzzed me.

"Boss," she said, her voice a little tense, "the police have been called. Vince is here, and they're about to remove him from the building."

My brow furrowed. Vince? Here? I quickly recalled the email I'd sent. "Tara," I said, my voice firm, "call them back immediately. Tell them I'm recalling the trespass request just for today. Let Vince head to my office."

"Understood, boss," she replied, and I heard her quickly relay the message.

A few moments later, Vince appeared in my doorway, looking slightly disheveled but with a determined glint in his eyes. He stepped in, and I closed the door behind him.

"Vince," I said, a sigh escaping me. "What are you doing here?"

He walked over and pulled me into a tight hug. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said, pulling back slightly. "But what's going on? Why are you here?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "It's Randy. He's been stressing out, big time. About you. About what you're going to say, whether you're going to break up with him or not. He's called out sick all week so far, and Jose isn't happy about it."

My heart sank a little, despite myself. "He's been that bad?"

"Yeah," Vince confirmed, nodding. "He's a mess. He came to me, asking for advice. He's genuinely lost, says he doesn't know what to do next."

I looked at Vince, my gaze searching. "What do you think I should do, Vince?"

He met my eyes, his expression serious. "Deppgrl, you deserve better than that. Randy, clearly, doesn't have the respect for you he claimed he did. If he did, he wouldn't have put you through that. My advice? Break up with him. Move on. You don't need that kind of drama in your life."

I considered his words, and a quiet certainty settled over me. "You're right," I said, my voice firm. "You're absolutely right."

Vince nodded slowly. "I'm not telling you this because I want another chance with you. I understand causing you pain, and I know you tend to keep giving chances. You don't deserve to keep being hurt."

I nodded, acknowledging his sincerity.

"Thank you, Vince," I said, my voice softer now. "For your advice. And for coming."

He gave me a brief, understanding smile, then turned and left my office.

As soon as the door closed, I pulled out my phone. I needed to do this.

"Randy," I texted, "It's time to talk. Come to house around 6:45 for dinner tonight."

His reply came almost immediately. "Ok. How are you?"

I hesitated, then typed, "We'll talk tonight."

On my way home from work, I stopped at that soul food/barbecue restaurant I took Auriella to a while back to order dinner for two. I ordered their amazing mac & cheese, fried chicken, pulled pork sandwiches, and fried okra. The aroma alone was making my stomach rumble. I paid and thanked the staff, and within minutes, I received my order, packed hot and ready.

I drove home, unloaded my car, and walked inside, kicking my shoes off once I got through the door. I carefully placed the food in chafing dishes with sternos beneath them to keep everything warm. Then, I headed upstairs, showered, and dressed in a comfortable t-shirt and shorts. Back downstairs, I put cans of soda in the fridge, making sure they were chilling for dinner.

At 6:50 PM, the doorbell rang. I opened the door, stepping back just in time to avoid hitting my toes. There stood Randy, a bottle of wine in one hand and a small, hopeful bouquet of flowers in the other.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft. He started to bend down, as if to kiss me, then stopped, his gaze uncertain.

"Come in," I said, stepping aside.

He walked into the entryway, and we headed into the kitchen. I grabbed two wine glasses from the cabinet, and Randy immediately uncorked the bottle and began to pour. As the wine flowed into the first glass, he spoke, his voice low.

"I understand why you've been giving me the cold shoulder, Deppgrl. I really do." He passed me a glass of wine, then reached for my hand, his fingers gently closing around mine.

I slid my hand out of his grip, my expression unyielding. "Randy," I said, taking a sip of wine.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry. I messed up. I hurt you, and I disappointed you. I know it." He looked at me, his eyes pleading.

"You can apologize all you want, Randy," I told him, my voice flat. "But it doesn't change the fact that you hurt me and you disappointed me. And a forced apology doesn't make it any better."

We talked more as we finished the wine, the conversation strained, filled with my quiet resentment and his earnest, but somewhat fumbling, attempts at reconciliation.

We sat down to eat, the delicious aroma of the soul food filling the silence between us. The mac & cheese was creamy, the fried chicken crispy, and the pulled pork tender. But the food couldn't quite distract from the conversation that was about to happen.

"Randy," I began, setting down my fork, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "I can no longer trust you." I met his gaze directly. "I'm breaking up with you."

He flinched, a flicker of pain crossing his face, but he wasn't terribly surprised. He nodded slowly. "I hoped you wouldn't."

"I hope you learn from this, Randy," I continued, my voice softening slightly, "so it doesn't happen to the next woman you date."

He shook his head, a determined glint in his eyes. "The next woman I date will be you. I plan to make it up to you. I'm going to earn your trust again."

"No," I said, my voice firm. "I'm done giving men who disappoint me a second chance - or in this case, a third chance.”

"But I gave you a second chance," he countered, "when Vic told me about the both of you."

I stopped him, holding up a hand. "That wasn't giving me a second chance, Randy. That was understanding the history between two people who, at one point, cared about each other. It's different."

He kept his mouth shut after that, the silence heavy as we finished eating the rest of our dinner.

After we finished eating, Randy thanked me for dinner. "Can I help you clean up?" he offered, gesturing to the dishes.

"No, I've got it," I said, already gathering plates, declining his help.

He stood by the door, hesitant. Before he left, he reached out, brushing his thumb gently against my cheek. "I love you, Deppgrl," he murmured, his eyes filled with a raw sincerity. "And I will win you back."

I met his gaze, my own eyes tired. "It won't happen, Randy."

He sighed, a deep, defeated sound, then turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind him. I leaned against the door, listening until I heard his car drive away, and then I cried.

Two days later, it was Friday, and I was genuinely excited. My plans included staying home, having some wine, and catching up on my reading. The workday, however, dredged on by so slowly, each minute feeling like an hour.

Finally, Tara came into my office, looking concerned. "Boss, what's wrong? You look like you're about to explode."

"Come in, Tara, and close the door," I said, gesturing to the chair. She did so, her curiosity piqued. As she sat, I poured us both a few fingers of bourbon into some plastic cups I kept for emergencies.

She raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on her lips. "Now I know why I love working with you," she quipped, and we both chuckled, the tension easing slightly.

"Seriously, though, what's up?" she asked again, her tone more gentle.

I took a deep breath. "It's about meeting Sarah – Randy's ex-wife and the mother of their children – and how it went. His flirting with her, and them pretty much turning it into a date for them, with me as the third wheel."

Tara's expression softened. "Oh, boss, I'm so sorry to hear that. That sounds awful." She paused, then took a sip of her bourbon. "Actually, there's something I wanted to come clean about."

I raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of my own. "Oh?"

"Randy's been coming by the office a couple of times a day for the last week," she confessed. "Asking to see you but I had him turned away."

My eyes widened slightly. "He has? Did he have anything to say?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "He'd asked Jimothy and I to pass on that he loves you, he always will, and he won't give up on you guys."

A strange mix of emotions swirled within me – anger at Randy, but immense gratitude for Tara. "Thank you, Tara," I said. "Thank you for protecting me. For going above and beyond." I paused, then added, "And I want you to tell Jimothy – you two share an office, right? – that for his efforts to protect me, he'll be getting a raise."

"I'll pass it along to him!" she said.

"Thank you," I repeated. We finished our bourbon, and she went back to work. She didn't ask if she'd get a raise for protecting me as well; I knew she wanted to, but she didn't, as she had recently received a very large raise.

I sent a message to the staff that I was exhausted and taking a nap in my office, and that I'd be awake in about 90 minutes. Before I laid down on the couch, I pulled out my phone. First, I texted Vince.

"It's over between Randy and I."

His reply came almost instantly: "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," I texted back.

Then, I texted Vic.

"It's over between Randy and I."

His response was immediate. "Why did you tell me?"

"Because," I texted back, a smirk playing on my lips, "I want you to keep my bed warm tonight."

"I'll be at your house tonight," he replied.

"I can't wait," I texted back.

I didn't realized how tired I was. I slept for two hours instead of the hour and a half. I woke up feeling refreshed. I went into one of my desk drawers to grab my toothpaste and toothbrush and went to the bathroom around the corner of my office. I brushed my teeth and went back to my office to complete everything I needed to; replying to 23 emails to the new clients. Once I shut down my computer, I sent the staff a text in a group text that I was heading home and they could leave once their work was done – they would still be paid for the full day. Many privately texted me thanking me for telling them they could leave once their work was done. I am a firm believer in treating your staff with respect, trusting them to get their work done on their own by managing their time, and paying them well - I chose to pay my staff more than the going rates of what their experience and education suggests/mandates. I left and headed back to the soul food/barbecue restaurant.

I ordered mac & cheese, chicken gumbo, collard greens, fried chicken, and pulled pork sandwiches. Vic was already at my house when I got home. He carried the food into the house. We talked about work but avoided the topic of Randy as we ate. Vic cleaned up as I showered. He came upstairs as I was wrapping the towel around me. He knocked on the bathroom door and came in. He couldn't help but stare at me.

"What's going on?" I asked, a little self-conscious.

He smiled, his eyes tracing the lines of my body. "You just look so beautiful wrapped up in that towel."

I chuckled, brushing my hair with my fingers. He stepped closer, kissing me softly, his lips warm against mine.

"Ready for me?" he murmured, his voice husky.

"More than ready," I breathed, my heart already quickening.

Vic turned me to face the mirror in my bathroom. He spread my legs, and with a deep groan, pushed his hard dick into my pussy. His hips began to move like pistons against me, a powerful, relentless rhythm. "Look at yourself, Deppgrl," he groaned in my ear, his breath hot. "Look at us."

I met my own gaze in the mirror, then his, watching our bodies move together. As I watched, he reached up, pinching and pulling my nipples, sending jolts of exquisite pleasure through me. I looked back at his face in the mirror, and I saw pure joy, a raw, unadulterated happiness that mirrored my own. We climaxed a few times, each shattering release shaking me to my core, and he came in me several times, filling me completely. He finally pulled out, leaving me trembling and breathless.

"God, you're incredible," he panted, resting his forehead against my back.

"You too," I whispered, still catching my breath.

He picked me up effortlessly and sat me down on the cool bathroom counter. I spread my legs, and he pushed his dick back into my slick pussy. As he was pounding his hard dick in me, he leaned down, biting and gently pulling my nipples with his mouth, sending shivers through me. I moaned his name, my fingers digging into his shoulders.

"Feel that, baby?" he rasped, his voice rough with desire. "All mine."

"Yours," I gasped, my hips bucking to meet his thrusts. We climaxed a number of times, each wave of pleasure building on the last, and he came in me, a final, overflowing release.

As Vic and I caught our breath, still on the bathroom counter, he leaned back slightly, a satisfied grin on his face. "You are absolutely feral, Deppgrl," he breathed, his eyes gleaming. "And I love it."

He pulled out of me, and without a word, scooped me up into his arms. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my body still trembling from the intensity. He carried me from the bathroom, through the hall, and gently placed me onto my unmade bed. He joined me, his weight settling beside me. I shifted onto my back, spreading my legs wide, and he mounted me, his gaze never leaving mine. With a slow, deliberate push, he slid back into my slick pussy.

"Right where you belong," he murmured, his hips beginning to move. He rode me for over an hour, a relentless, passionate rhythm that built and built. We kissed, our mouths devouring each other, our bodies a blur of motion. We climaxed often, each wave of pleasure more intense than the last, and each time, he filled me with his cum.

Finally, he pulled out, his breath ragged. "On your hands and knees, baby," he rasped. I listened, my body eager for more. He positioned himself behind me, and with a powerful thrust, mounted me from behind. His hips moved like pistons, driving deep into me, his hands grabbing onto my hips, pulling me closer with each stroke. "Yes!" I screamed, my voice raw with pleasure. "Vic, yes!" In no time, the pressure built to an unbearable peak, and we climaxed, our bodies convulsing in unison, and he filled me completely. As he pulled out, a guttural scream of pleasure tore from his throat, and he poured more cum into my pussy, leaving me utterly drenched.

He pulled me into his arms, kissing me deeply, his lips tasting of sweat and desire. "I'm so happy I'm here with you," he murmured against my mouth.

"I'm happy you're here too," I replied, burying my face in his neck, inhaling his scent. "This is what I needed."

"Me too, Deppgrl. More than you know." He stroked my hair, his touch infinitely tender. "Just you and me."

We talked a little bit more, the conversation a soft murmur against the quiet of the night, before we finally succumbed to exhaustion and fell asleep in each other's arms.

In the morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the curtains, waking me gently. I stirred, feeling Vic's weight beside me. He shifted, then his hand found my inner thigh, gently spreading my legs. He lowered his head, and I gasped as his tongue began to work its magic, eating my pussy with a slow, deliberate expertise that sent shivers through me. "Oh, Vic," I moaned, my hips arching. "God, that feels good."

He continued until I was slick and throbbing, then he mounted me. He took his time screwing me, his movements passionate and deep, his hands caressing every curve of my body, from my breasts to my thighs. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, his lips brushing my ear. "So damn good."

"You too," I gasped, my fingers digging into his shoulders. "Don't stop, please."

We moaned and screamed in pleasure, our bodies moving in a timeless dance. We climaxed over seven times, each release more powerful than the last, and he came in me each and every time, filling me with his cum until I was completely sated.

When we were both utterly spent, lying breathless and slick, he kissed me softly. "I need to get to work," he murmured, his voice still a little rough.

I kissed him back, my fingers idly stroking his dick. He became hard again. "Stay," I whispered, my voice husky.

"I wish I could, baby," he groaned, his eyes dark with desire. "But I really have to go." He stopped my hand, but then, with a hungry look, he mounted me again. He rode me for a bit, a quick, intense session, our bodies finding that familiar, exhilarating rhythm. We climaxed a few more times, and he came in me, a final, powerful release.

He finally got up, showered quickly, and got dressed. He came back to the bed, leaned down, and kissed me deeply. "I'll call you," he promised, his eyes full of lingering desire, before he left.

I fell back asleep, utterly exhausted, and didn't wake up until noon when my phone rang. It was Vic. I answered, my voice still thick with sleep.

"Well, good afternoon, sleepyhead," he chuckled. "Your voice is incredibly sexy when you wake up. I should wake you up more often."

I laughed, a genuine, relaxed sound. "You're ridiculous. How are you?"

"Thoroughly fucked, but happy," he replied, and I laughed again. "Listen," he continued, "while you're single, we should definitely meet more often. What do you think?"

"I think that's a fantastic idea," I said, a smile spreading across my face. "I can't wait."