CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Lennon
As the mid-morning sun breaks through the San Francisco fog, I make my way toward the theater. Somehow, I can’t shake this feeling, like someone is keeping an eye on me. Weird, right?
The air is crisp, carrying the faint scent of the ocean, and for a moment, I let myself imagine Ruben walking beside me, his easy smile lighting up the gray streets. That makes me feel way better… God, I miss him. Just a couple of days since he left and it feels longer. It’s like a piece of me is missing, floating somewhere like the wind, impossible to catch.
“Focus, Lennon. Focus!” I mutter to myself while pulling my cardigan tighter around my chest. There is no time to wallow. Jennifer and Mike asked me to stop by the theater to go over some ideas, and I’m determined to make progress and earn more money. This place means the world to them and to me, too. We’ve worked too hard to let it go without a fight.
When I push open the heavy doors, the familiar scent of old wood and faded velvet greets me. The theater is like an old grumpy friend, comforting, but a little rough around the edges. The lights over the foyer sparkle dimly, catching what little light filters through the stained-glass windows. It’s beautiful, worth keeping. Even in its worn state, these walls have a history I want the city to tell.
“Anybody home?” I call, my voice echoing in the cavernous space.
“Back here!” Jennifer’s words come from the main room.
I follow the sound, my chucks tapping against the floor. As I step inside, I spot them immediately. They’re near to one side, heads in a tête-à-tête, laughing about something. Jennifer’s hair catches the light as she throws her head back, and Mike’s grin is so wide that it practically splits his face in two. It’s good to see them happy. In the last year, they’ve had so much stress from the looming tax issues and the threat of eviction hanging over their heads.
But then I notice something odd.
A guy I don’t recognize is standing in the middle of the room with a clipboard in hand. He’s wearing dark work pants and a sweatshirt, his features shadowed by the brim of a baseball cap. The man moves around methodically, taking down notes and snapping pictures. Occasionally, he mutters a few words to himself. His presence feels out of place, and for me, unexpected.
“Hi, kids. It’s great to see you’re having a good time,” I greet them as I approach, keeping my voice light but my curiosity piqued. “What’s going on? Who’s that guy?”
Jennifer straightens, brushing a strand of her blonde bob behind her ear.
“Oh, he’s just… someone Mike met recently. Don’t worry about it.” Her tone is breezy, but there’s a flicker of something in her eyes. Is she hiding something?
What is happening here?
Mike claps his hands together, still grinning. “Yeah, just taking care of a few things. No biggie, Lennon.”
“No biggie?” I repeat, my eyebrows going up, almost touching the roots of my hair. “You’ve got a guy wandering around with a clipboard like he’s planning a takeover, and I’m not supposed to be curious?”
Jennifer smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. A little bit too forced. “Relax, you big overthinker. Everything’s fine. Now, let’s talk about the plans for the theater.”
I narrow my eyes, glancing between the two of them. They look too… casual. Too calm . It’s not like them to brush things off, especially not with the theater’s future at stake. My gut tells me there’s more to this than they’re letting on, but I decide to let it go… for now.
“Okay,” I say slowly, crossing my arms. “But… are you sure everything is going fine here?”
Mike chuckles, patting my shoulder. “You have nothing to worry about, girl!”
We spend the next hour brainstorming ideas and the steps that need to be done, but my mind keeps wandering. Every time I glance at the mysterious man, he’s engrossed in his work, moving from one corner of the building to the next. I can’t shake the feeling that he’s evaluating something, like he’s sizing up the theater for more than just repairs or renovations. It’s unsettling.
Are they selling the building without telling me?
By the time we wrap up the meeting, the man has disappeared. I catch Jennifer and Mike exchanging a look, a silent conversation, I’m not privy to.
“Are you sure everything’s fine?” I ask one more time, my voice soft but insistent.
Jennifer smiles, reaching out to squeeze my hand. “Trust me, Lennon. We’ve got this under control.”
I nod, but the unease in my chest doesn’t fade as I leave the theater. Outside, the fog has lifted, revealing a bright, cloudless sky. I pull out my phone, my fingers looming over Ruben’s name. I want to tell him about this. I want to hear his voice and feel his calm reassurance wash over me.
But he’s halfway across the world, probably buried in work. I don’t want to distract him. Instead, I send a quick text.
Lennon: Hope you’re okay. Miss you like crazy.
His reply comes almost immediately.
Ruben: Surviving another day, Chispita . I’m thinking of you, too. Hold tight for me.
I smile, tucking my phone back in my pocket. Whatever’s going on with the theater, it’s now on the back burner. When Ruben comes back, I’ll finally feel like myself again. Until then, I’ll keep pushing forward, one step at a time.
? ? ?
There’s a shadow following me. An uninvited presence that feels like a ghost. Maybe I’m being paranoid, but it’s happening again today.
Walking to my car in the hospital lot, I could swear someone was behind me. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, my pulse spiking with every step. But when I turned, there was nothing.
Twice, I tried to record it with my phone.
Twice, I got nothing but shaky footage of an empty lot. And the car’s cameras? Just the usual mix of headlights and people walking around.
Maybe it’s exhaustion messing with my head. Or maybe…
Fuck. I’m too tired to think straight.
After twelve hours on my feet, I’m finally home. I toss my keys on the counter and peel out of my scrubs, leaving them carelessly on the bedroom floor. My body is heavy with exhaustion, but my mind is sharp, filled with thoughts of him. Ruben. The way his strong hands feel when they grip my hips, the low rumble of his laugh. How his eyes darken when he looks at me like I’m the only thing he had ever craved.
I’m happy to report that the day after the Jeanette incident, she had the talk with Adrian, her boyfriend, and just as Ruben predicted, the man was absolutely over the moon. Now, they’re happily engaged and planning a wedding before their baby arrives. In just a couple of weeks, she’ll be leaving our house to move in with him, and together, they’re building their little family. I couldn’t be happier for them. This is everything she deserves and more.
I walk into the bathroom and twist the faucet, letting hot water fill up the tub. I grab my favorite lavender bath salts, the ones that always make me think of lazy Sundays, and sprinkle them in. Steam curls around me as I line the tub with candles. The music I play is slow, sensual, a playlist I made just for nights like this, and of course, a book is here, too. One of my favorites, a comforting romance that always lifts my mood.
I slide out of my underwear and unhook my bra, letting everything drop to the floor. The air is cool against my skin, contrasting to the heat waiting for me in the tub. As my body gets into the water, the warmth immediately pulls a sigh from my lips.
Leaning back, I let the heat relax my muscles, dissolving the tension one aching knot at a time. My entire body aches, but the tension in my back is nothing compared to the pulse between my thighs. It’s maddening; this need is one that only Ruben can satisfy. And he isn’t here. Nor his hands, his lips, or his voice whispering dirty promises against my skin.
My head falls back, and my fingers trail lazily over the surface of the water. I reach for my phone on the edge of the tub, planning to distract myself with a book or maybe scroll through some messages, but when I see Ruben’s name lights up the screen, my heart skips.
Ruben: Are you home, baby?
I smile, biting my lip. He always knows when to check-in.
Lennon: Perfect timing. I just got home. Long day.
Ruben: I wish I were there. I’d make it better.
Of course he would, but I don’t miss the chance to mess with him a little bit.
Lennon: Well, since you’re not here, I’m in the tub, busy with a blonde Duke who knows how to make his woman happy. The set-up is the whole deal… candles, music, water. I’m here naked, obviously.
The three dots appear immediately, but after a blink, my phone starts vibrating in my hand. He’s calling. Of course, he’s calling.
I answer, unable to keep the teasing smile out of my voice. “Couldn’t resist, huh?”
His voice is a low, delicious growl that sends heat straight to my core. “You don’t text me something like that and expect me to sit here quietly.”
“Well, I was just being honest,” I tease, slowly and deliberately letting my fingers drift through the water. “I’m just here like a good girl, enjoying my bath with my duke.”
“ Your duke, eh?” he chuckles. “Tell me more about him.”
“He’s my favorite hero. We are getting to the good part,” I whisper conspiratorially, like revealing a secret. “He’s very well-endowed and knows what to do with the family jewels.”
“Oh, baby…” he mutters. “In a few days you will see what well-endowed really means.”
“Cocky much?”
“Lennon,” he says, his tone warning, dangerous. “You’re playing with fire. Tell me what you’re doing. I want every detail.”
“So, is this a booty call?” I let out a soft laugh, loving the way his voice tightens.
“ Lennon …”
At the groan in his voice, I’m not shy as I start. “The water’s hot, just the way I like it. I’ve got candles around me, and their light is flickering on the water. I’m lying here, completely relaxed. Bare and open.” I pause, knowing he’s hanging on every word. “And you’re not here to see it.”
He groans, a sound so deep and raw it makes me clench my thighs. “Lennon, you’re trying to kill me.”
“You called me, remember?” I counter, my voice all innocence, but the fire running through my body is anything but. “What did you think I was doing in here? Hiding under bubbles singing a Cinderella song?”
“I think you’re driving me insane,” he growls. “Slide your hand into the water. I want to hear it.”
I hesitate for a fraction of a second, but the thought of his reaction sends a wicked thrill through me. I let my hand slip beneath the water, creating a soft ripple loud enough for him to catch.
“ Dios , Lennon,” he breathes, his voice rough. “You have no idea what you’re doing to me.”
“Oh, I think I do,” I reply, biting my lip while my fingers circle my clit, finding the perfect beat. “I think you like it.”
“You’re right. I do. But you’re cruel, Chispita . I’m stuck here so far away, and all I can think about is what I’d be doing if I were there.”
I smile, feeling a little drunk on the power his voice gives me. “Tell me.”
“No,” he says, his tone turning dark and commanding. “I want you to tell me. What do you want me to do when I get back?”
Heat floods me, and I close my eyes, letting my head fall back against the edge of the tub. “I want you to press me up against the wall the second you walk through the door. I don’t care about talking, about catching up. I want your hands on me, Ruben. Everywhere.”
“Fuck,” he groans, the word drawn out, ragged. “Keep going.”
“I want you to kiss me like you’ve been starving for it,” I continue, my voice dropping lower. “I want you to take your time, but not too much. Just enough to make me beg.”
“Oh, baby, you’ll beg,” he promises, his voice dark, full of heat. “And when I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk straight.”
The image sends a shiver through me, and I press my thighs together, trying to find some relief from the ache that’s only growing. “You’re not making it any easier, you know.”
“Good,” he says, his tone smug. “Suffer a little. I’ve been suffering for damn weeks, imagining you like this.”
I laugh, breathless, but my voice turns soft, almost shy. “I miss you.”
“I miss you too, Lennon. More than I can say.” His voice shifts, softer but still dripping with desire. “Even if it’s like this, I’m happy to satisfy your needs. Just know that when I get back, there won’t be any stopping until you’re mine.”
The intensity in his voice steals the air from my lungs. I swallow hard, trying to steady my breathing. “When do you get back?”
“Soon,” he promises. “And when I do, we have a date. Just you and me.”
“You want me to pick you up from the airport?” I ask, a teasing lilt in my voice.
He chuckles, the sound low and full of heat. “No. Because if I see you there, we won’t make it home. And what I have planned for you requires privacy.”
A shiver runs down my spine, and I nod, even though he can’t see me. “I’ll be waiting.”
“You’d better be,” he says, his voice heavy with meaning. “Now finish your bath, Chispita . Relax. Because in a few days, you won’t be getting much rest.”
The line goes dead, and I set my phone aside, my body still humming from his words. The ache is sharper now, but it’s tinged with something sweeter—anticipation. Soon.