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Fall to Temptation |
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By Dirk Vincento
CHAPTER ONE
“Will you marry me?” Suzanne sat in stunned silence. She stared down at the diamond ring Bruce was holding out to her, overcome by a feeling of total disbelief. The ring seemed to be winking at her as it sat nestled in the small jewelry box cradled carefully in his hand. She was certain that it was not only aware of her surprise, but also that it knew it held within the walls of its labyrinth of reflected light the answer to all of her hopes and dreams. “Suzanne . . . ?” Bruce coaxed, waiting nervously for an answer that he thought would have already come. Suzanne’s eyes rose from the ring to his face with a motion that seemed to take forever, as time had twisted awkwardly and no longer flowed at its normal, even pace. She looked into Bruce’s eyes and could see that he was filled with anticipation. She also couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was, how handsome she had always thought he was, from the first time she laid eyes on him. His face was ruggedly masculine and strong. It was strange to see him looking so uncertain and unsure of himself. “Will you marry me? Please?” Suzanne opened her mouth and for a minute thought that nothing would come out. Then she felt the word slip easily between her lips: “Yes.” Bruce’s face melted into a broad smile that squeezed his eyes into narrow slits. “Thank you,” he said, as he took the ring from its case and slid it gingerly onto her finger. Suzanne wasn’t sure if he was thanking her for accepting his proposal or for freeing him from the moment of uncertainty that he found so uncomfortable and unfamiliar. But there was no time to think about that now. The expression of calm assuredness that he usually wore had returned to his face and the beautiful diamond ring was wrapped lovingly around her finger. Bruce and Suzanne were sitting in The Fox and Hounds, their favourite English pub. They met here six months ago when they were thrown together as partners for a dart tournament, and had been dating ever since. It seemed fitting to Bruce that he bring Suzanne here to propose. Like everything else in his life, he wanted it to be perfect. “Aren’t you going to say something?” he asked. Suzanne couldn’t take her eyes off the ring. “I can’t . . . I can’t believe it. I never would have thought . . . ” Her eyes welled up and a single tear ran down her cheek. “What’s the matter?” Bruce asked, his look of joy turning into one of concern. “You aren’t going to believe this,” she said, another tear trickling down her face, “but I thought that . . .” She stopped and sniffled, fighting to hold back the tears. “What is it?” “Well . . . ” Suzanne carried on between sniffles. “Oh God, I feel so foolish! I thought you brought me here tonight to tell me that you didn’t want to see me any more.” Bruce sat back in his chair and let out a big sigh of relief. “Oh my God, you really had me scared there for a minute! I thought something was really wrong.” He took a drink of his beer and then looked at Suzanne and chuckled. “What on earth would make you think something like that?” Suzanne looked up. The tears had stopped, but her eyes were still red. “Well, it’s just that you’ve had so many girlfriends and always dated so many different women . . . I thought you’d never be able to stay with any one women for very long. To be honest, I didn’t think we’d last six months. I just figured that our relationship had run its course and you were going to tell me that you wanted to date other women.” Bruce was laughing now, not at Suzanne, but with her. It was a warm, comforting laugh, the kind that is reassuring and lets you know everything is okay. It was a good laugh. “Suzanne, darling, don’t you know how crazy I am about you?” Suzanne managed a weak smile. “Yes, I guess I do. I’ve just never had much faith in people’s ability to change. I never thought you’d be the kind of guy who’d want to settle down.” “Well, hopefully now you know . . .” “Hi Bruce, how are you?” Bruce and Suzanne both looked up towards the voice at the same time. A tall blonde was standing beside their table, her attention focused directly on Bruce. She seemed oblivious to Suzanne’s existence. “Shelly . . . ah . . . how are you?” Bruce stammered awkwardly. “I’m really good, Bruce.” Her voice was coy and flirtatious. “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you for a while.” “Well, I’ve . . . ah . . . I’ve been around.” Bruce shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Oh Shelly,” he said, as if it had just occurred to him, “I’d like you to meet my girlfriend . . . I mean, my fiancée, Suzanne.” Shelly looked at Suzanne, acknowledging her presence for the first time. “Nice to meet you,” she said, her tone suddenly becoming flat and indifferent. “Nice to meet you, too,” Suzanne replied coolly. “So you’re the lucky girl that snagged this big hunk of burning love?” Shelly asked rhetorically. “Yup, I’m the one,” Suzanne answered Shelly, while looking directly at Bruce. Shelly turned back to Bruce and her voice once again came out as thick and sweet as honey. “Things just won’t be the same with you out of circulation, Brucey. Bruce and I used to date quite a bit, you know,” she said to Suzanne, while still looking at Bruce. “Well, I guess that puts you in an exclusive club, doesn’t it?” Suzanne said sarcastically. “Suzanne!” Bruce exclaimed reproachfully. Suzanne rolled her eyes as Shelly carried on unimpeded. “I just wanted to stop by and say hello. Congratulations on your engagement.” She moved closer to Bruce and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t forget to invite me to the bachelor party,” she added suggestively. Suzanne’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in disbelief while Bruce once again shifted awkwardly in his seat. “Sure thing, Shelly,” he said. “Thanks for stopping by.” “Catch you later,” Shelly said in a breathy, sexy tone. As she walked off, her fingers slid along Bruce’s shoulder and dragged across the back of his neck. The feel of her long nails tickling his skin sent an erotic shiver down his spine, making him blush. “Brucey?” Suzanne moaned, looking at him with an expression of total indignation. “All right, I see your point,” Bruce confessed. “I admit that I’ve dated quite a few . . . ” Suzanne stopped him with a reproachful look. “ . . . okay, I’ve dated a lot of women,” Bruce corrected himself. “But that’s in my past. Those days are behind me now. The only one I’m interested in being with now is you.” “I believe you,” Suzanne said with a sigh that betrayed her uncertainty. “Look at it this way,” Bruce continued, still feeling the need to convince her. “I’ve already sown my wild oats. I’ve been with plenty of women and I’ve got that out of my system. I’m ready to settle down now. You’d have more reason to worry if I hadn’t done a lot of dating. Then I still might feel the need to play the field. Then I could understand you being nervous. But I’ve been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. It’s over. I’m through with that lifestyle.” “Hi Bruce!” two women called out in unison and then broke into girlish giggles as they headed for the door. Bruce rubbed his hand across his forehead in exasperation, frustrated that he may have just lost whatever ground he had managed to gain. “But don’t you see?” Suzanne said with a hint of desperation in her voice. “It’s not just you. It’s them!” Bruce looked up and watched the two women walk out the door. “And I don’t mean just them,” Suzanne went on. “I mean all of them. All the women who think that you’re gorgeous and irresistible. All the women who want to be the one, special person in your life. And there are plenty. I should know . . . because I’m one of them.” Suzanne paused as her face flushed slightly. She hadn’t intended on making such a blatant admission, but the words just seemed to spill out of her. “You may have decided that you’re not available anymore, but they don’t know that. And when they find out, there are going to be some of them who won’t care. Some of them will come after you anyway.” “Suzanne, there’s nothing I can do about that,” Bruce said helplessly. Suzanne reached across the table and cradled Bruce’s hands in her own. “I know that, darling,” she said. “I know there’s nothing you can do to stop them. I’m just trying to make you understand what I’m going through. I want you to know how I feel.” Suzanne looked deep into Bruce’s eyes and held his gaze. “I do trust you,” she said. “I love you and I trust you. It’s just really hard knowing that there are so many women out there who would love to steal you away from me.” “I guess that’s just something we’re going to have to deal with together,” Bruce said, feeling good that they seemed to have reached an understanding. “And we will,” Suzanne said. “We will. It’ll just take love and trust.” Suzanne leaned across the table to give Bruce a kiss and then sat back and took a sip of her beer. Bruce watched her and smiled. It was one of the things he loved about Suzanne, her ability to communicate and express her feelings. He had never been very good at opening up, and frankly he hadn’t seen the point. But Suzanne had taught him that being able to talk about his feelings was important, both for himself and their relationship. Most women would never have brought up the things that Suzanne had talked about tonight, admitting that the women in his past made her feel vulnerable and insecure. Most women would have simply brooded and been upset, the only hint to their true feelings being the odd sarcastic comment or caustic remark. But Suzanne had the ability to lay things out in the open where they could be dealt with. Sometimes it was frustrating and sometimes it was uncomfortable, but in the end it always worked. He watched her hand as she placed the glass down on the table, the diamond ring sparkling on her finger. The skin on her hands was soft and smooth. Her fingers were long and delicate and they moved with a graceful elegance. He looked up and gazed into her deep, blue eyes. They were like two precious jewels set into the midst of her beautiful face. Her blonde hair was straight and silky, falling past her shoulders. She had the kind of face that was undeniably beautiful, almost to the point of being nondescript. There wasn’t a single flaw or disproportionate facet by which you could describe her. When asked, you could only say that she was blonde, blue-eyed and beautiful. Even her breasts were almost unnaturally perfect, not large enough to be used as a distinguishing feature, but certainly full and round enough to give her body the alluring feminine shape that was sure to attract appreciative glances. As Bruce looked at her lovingly, it occurred to him that she was every man’s dream. “You look beautiful,” he said, smiling. Suzanne smiled back. She was happy. She was in love. She was engaged.
CHAPTER TWO
Suzanne stood in front of her mother and sister, beaming with the radiance of a mid-day sun on a clear summer afternoon. “We’re getting married,” she declared. “Oh darling, that’s wonderful,” Mrs. Bonaccord said, stepping forward and giving Suzanne a big hug. “I’m so happy for you.” “That’s great news. I’m really happy for you, too,” Rachael said, giving her sister a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “So when did he ask you? Tell us all about it,” Mrs. Bonaccord said, her voice filled with excitement. Suzanne sat down on the sofa and took a deep breath, trying to collect herself. “Well,” she began, “he asked me at The Fox and Hounds . . . you know, the little English pub down on Brandon Street. It’s where we first met.” “Oh that’s so romantic!” Mrs. Bonaccord gushed. “Mother,” Rachael scolded. “Let her tell us what happened.” “I’m sorry,” Mrs. Bonaccord said, still bubbling over. “This is just so exciting!” “Go on,” Rachael said to Suzanne. “Well, like I was saying, Bruce took me to The Fox and Hounds. It’s been our favorite pub and it’s where we met, but we hadn’t actually been there for quite a while. We sat down and ordered a beer . . . I could tell there was something on Bruce’s mind because he seemed jumpy and nervous . . . and you know Bruce, he’s always so confident and sure of himself.” Suzanne’s sentences ran together as her excitement propelled the words out of her mouth. “Anyway, we sat there for quite a while . . . I think we were on our second beer, maybe it was our third . . . I can’t remember. Anyway, we’d been sitting there for a long time, hardly saying anything . . . and then all of a sudden he pulled this ring out of his pocket and asked me if I would marry him!” “Oh God, that’s so romantic,” Mrs. Bonaccord said, her emotions bringing tears to her eyes. “That really is beautiful, Suzanne,” Rachael agreed. “So anyway,” Suzanne continued, “I sat there for a long time not saying anything. I mean, I was completely stunned. I hadn’t expected it at all. It wasn’t until he asked me again that I realized I hadn’t even answered.” “Oh my God!” Mrs. Bonaccord gasped. “Actually, Bruce was so cute,” Suzanne giggled. “He was really nervous. He looked like a little boy. You could tell the anticipation was killing him.” Suzanne paused and took a deep breath. “So I said yes.” Mrs. Bonaccord sat down on the couch beside Suzanne and gave her a hug. “Oh, my baby’s getting married,” she said between sniffles. “I can’t believe it. I’m so happy.” “This really is wonderful news,” Rachael said as she smoothed back Suzanne’s hair with her hand. “Bruce is a really great guy. I’m sure that you two will be very happy together.” “Thanks, Rachael,” Suzanne said. “I have to admit, it feels pretty good.” “Oh my goodness, look at the time,” Mrs. Bonaccord said, glancing at her watch. “I have to be at the hairdresser’s for ten, so I’d better get moving.” She hugged Suzanne again and kissed her on the forehead. “I can’t tell you how happy I am for you, dear. Why don’t you come by tonight for supper and we’ll celebrate properly.” “That would be nice,” Suzanne said. Mrs. Bonaccord left the room, still sniffling as the last few tears of joy ran down her cheeks. Rachael sat down on the couch beside Suzanne and curled her legs up underneath her. The sun was peeking in the living room window, filling the room with a warm morning glow. “So my little baby sister is going to take the walk down the aisle. I just hope it works out better for you than it did for me.” She paused before starting up again on a more positive note. “You must be really excited.” “Oh, I am. I really am,” Suzanne said, a little defensively. “What’s wrong, Suze?” Rachael asked, having noticed the tone of concern in Suzanne’s voice. “You sound like there’s something on your mind.” Suzanne looked at her sister. Rachael was the only one who had ever gotten away with giving her a knickname. She had called her Suze ever since they were kids. Coming from anyone else, it would have irritated the hell out of her. But when Rachael called her that, it made her feel special. “I guess there is something that’s been bothering me,” Suzanne admitted. “I could tell there was something,” Rachael said. “What’s wrong?” “Well, you know Bruce is a great guy,” Suzanne began, “and I don’t have any reason in the world not to trust him.” “Yeah . . . so what’s the problem?” Rachael prodded. “Well, he’s such an attractive man and he’s had so many girlfriends. I’m just worried about whether or not he’ll be able to settle down . . . if he’ll be happy with just me.” “I don’t think you need to worry about Bruce,” Rachael said. “It’s not that I don’t trust Bruce,” Suzanne explained. “I don’t think he’d ever go out looking for trouble. But I know that there are going to be so many women coming on to him all the time. I’m worried that he might not be able to resist the temptation. “I don’t know what to tell you,” Rachael said thoughtfully. “You’ve got a point. Bruce is a good looking man and plenty of women would jump at the opportunity to steal him from you. There are a lot of guys who are really good men, but they’ll still crack like an egg under pressure. And Bruce is the kind of guy who’ll probably get more offers than most. I think you’ll just have to wait and see what happens. I don’t think there’s any way you can really predict how he’ll react when a situation comes up. He probably wouldn’t even be able to tell you himself if you asked him.” “Well, actually, now that you mention it,” Suzanne said hesitantly, “I was thinking that there might be a way to find out. I was hoping that you might be able to do me a big favor.” Rachael’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on inside that warped little mind of yours,” she asked suspiciously. “I was thinking that maybe you could come on to Bruce,” Suzanne said tentatively. “If you tried to seduce him, it would give us a chance to find out what he would do.” “Oh no!” Rachael said, raising her arms as if trying to fend off the idea with her hands. “I don’t think so, little sister. You know I’d do just about anything to help you, but . . . ” “But I’m sure he’d say no,” Suzanne said pleadingly, “so you wouldn’t have to worry about it going anywhere. And I’d just feel so much better if I could be sure.” “Look Suze,” Rachael said firmly, “I can appreciate your problem, but that’s what you get when you fall for a good looking guy that every other woman would love to have. I know it can be lonely at the top, but you’re going to have to learn to deal with the competition. And as far as Bruce being faithful, believe me, there are no guarantees in life. You’re just going to have to hope for the best and see what happens.” “Maybe you’re right,” Suzanne said contritely. “Maybe it is a bad idea.” “It’s a crazy idea!” Rachael exclaimed. “How in the world did you ever come up with such an outrageous scheme?” “Well, actually, I had a dream last night that I found you and Bruce in bed together. When I woke up, at first I was really upset. But then I realized that something like that could never happen and well . . . you know the rest.” “You know, sometimes you’re as nutty as a fruitcake,” Rachael said, taking Suzanne’s hand. “But I guess that’s one of the reasons that I love you.” Suzanne smiled and squeezed Rachael’s hand. “And don’t worry about Bruce. He’s a good guy and I’m sure that things will work out fine.” At the sound of their mother coming down the stairs, Suzanne and Rachael exchanged a glance, silently agreeing to end the conversation. “I’m late, girls, so I have to run,” Mrs. Bonaccord said, as she hurried down the hall past the living room. “I’m so happy about your news, Suzanne. You be sure to come for dinner tonight so we can celebrate together properly.” “I will, mother,” Suzanne called out to her. Mrs. Bonaccord bustled out the door and the house was suddenly quiet again. “Well, I should be going too,” Suzanne said. She looked at her sister with a warm, open smile. “Thanks for listening, Rachael. It helped.” “Hey, what are big sisters for,” Rachael quipped. “And the next time you dream about me sleeping with somebody, try to make it someone who’s available.” “Will do,” Suzanne said with a chuckle as she headed for the door. “See you tonight for supper.” “See you tonight,” Rachael replied. “Take care.” After Suzanne had left, Rachael sat in the living room for a long time, her eyes sparkling in the morning sun, and she thought about her sister’s crazy idea.
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