AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I promise.” Desiree crossed her heart.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
“Because I’m about to show you that I wasn’t always this sexy and painfully handsome.”
“Oh my, did you have a pimple once?” she joked.
“Way worse.” Montez took out his phone and scrolled through the photos until he came to the one he wanted. He showed her the screen and the image of a scrawny guy with thick glasses and crooked teeth.
Desiree’s eyebrows drew together. “Who is this?”
“Me.”
Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. She snatched the phone and stared at the screen. “You?”
“That was in middle school. In high school, I had the same looks, but I grew a foot. Tall and goofy-looking is not a good combination.”
“Wow, you really changed.”
He took the phone and looked at the photo. He must have stared at it hundreds of times over the years. “This photo right here is a motivator and reminder of how much of an outsider I used to be. No girls would talk to me. I was even too nerdy for the nerdy ones, and the guys—man, they ragged me relentlessly. My only real friends were my cousin Dre and our buddy who lived down the street, Jet. They always had my back. Everything changed in college though. My self-esteem was in the crapper, and I was sick and tired of being a loser. Didn’t help that I played golf instead of one of the popular sports like football or basketball.”
“Oh, you poor baby.” Desiree kissed his shoulder.
“College gave me the opportunity to have a fresh start and reinvent myself, so I started working out and saved enough money to get my teeth fixed. I still have glasses, but I mostly wear contacts now. The changes worked, and that’s when the ladies started flocking to me. It was crazy.”
“And you indulged.”
“Oh, Iindulgedplenty. I can’t lie. I had a lot of catching up to do, and I sowed the hell out of my wild oats. The night I met you was a normal night for me—meet a woman I was attracted to, hook up, and then go our separate ways—unless we mutually agreed otherwise.”
“But…? I sense abutcoming.”
He took a deep breath and set aside the phone. “For years, I had a great time, partying and hooking up. Since all the women I went out with weren’t interested in relationships, I went with the flow. It was fun for a long time, but now… I want more. Stacy gets on my nerves, but she has a healthy, loving relationship and a family. My parents have been together for over fifty years—since high school, and they continue to act like newlyweds. Growing up, they showed us what a solid, loving relationship looked like. My dad treats my mother like a queen. Brings her flowers, compliments her all the time. They have date night once a month and take trips together—just the two of them—for alone time.” He took her hand. “I know we said we would keep things casual, but… that’s getting harder for me. I want more because I know what that looks like. I’m not trying to pressure you, but casual isn’t going to work for me much longer.”
“Wow, this is unexpected,” Desiree whispered.
“I didn’t have any idea I’d say all this tonight, but I want you to know that I care about you, a lot.”
“I care about you too, Montez.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
They kissed, and she straddled his lap and cupped his head in her hands. “I’m glad we ran into each other again. I really screwed up when I dipped on you at the hotel.”
“Yes, you did.”
They both laughed.
“But you can make it right,” he told her.
“How?”
“Make sweet, passionate love to me as often as I’d like.”
“I’m not sure that’s a punishment, because I’d want the same thing,” she whispered.
