A New Beginning

The bright ray of the morning sun beat in through the large bay window of the master bedroom. The blond woman laying in bed threw the blankets over her head trying to rid herself of the sunshine waking her up from her peaceful slumber. She didn’t want to wake up feeling like she could still use a couple more hours of sleep, but she knew she had somewhere to be.

Before she could close her eyes for another minute her cell phone next to her nightstand started playing the latest tune by Fergie indicting that her boyfriend of four years was calling.

“Hi,” Paige answered groggily.

“Good morning, babe. I’m on my way to your house with breakfast,” Antonio Sanchez, announced. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Okay,” Paige replied pulling the blankets off of her seconds after hanging up her cell. She climbed out of her bed her feet instantly went into her bunny slippers at her bedside. Paige grabbed her robe and tied the robe together as she exited her bedroom.

“I’m here,” Antonio shouted as he walked into the small house that Paige shared with her older brother of three minutes.

“Go away, dude, it’s too early,” Luke mumbled from the couch where he laid with a blanket covering half of his body.

“Lucas Abraham, go put something on, I don’t need to see you in your boxer shorts this early in the morning,” Paige yelled throwing her brother’s blue jeans that hung over one of the dining room chairs at him.

“What time is it,” a hazel eyed brunette asked peeking over the blanket she was sharing with Luke.

“Oh brother,” Paige sighed shaking her head in disbelief.

“It’s not what you think, little sister,” Luke said as he put on his jeans while the girl tightened her grip on the blanket.

“It looks like someone got lucky,” Antonio stated leaning against the railing in the dining room. He could tell by the way she held the blanket that she was either partly or entirely naked underneath that thin piece of material.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Paige told Antonio grabbing the bag of food from his hands.

    Luke is the family lothario which is strange since he was surrounded by women growing up other than our father who raised us. I know the reason Luke is the way he is but I try not to think about it too much knowing full well that same reason also molded me into the person I am. Our dad has always been there for us along with our two older sisters. Yet our mother was no where to be found, since I could remember my father wouldn’t talk about our mother or the reason she left when Luke and I were babies. Growing up Luke didn’t care that he didn’t have a mother; he didn’t need her he said time and time again. But I did and I still do, sisters are great and all, but they are not my mother.

Twenty minutes later Paige stood in the shower letting the hot water spray all over her lathered body. She shook in disgust at the vision of her brother and new conquest on the couch. Paige was tired of her brother’s actions and just wishes he would buckle down like she had.

As she closed her eyes she leaned forward putting her forehead against the wet tile. Suddenly she felt a rush of cold air from behind her; she jumped when she felt someone’s hands on her waist and pulls her back towards him.

“What are you doing,” Paige asked trying to get out of Antonio’s grip.

“I’m spending some quality time with my girlfriend,” Antonio replied trying to kiss her neck.

“I don’t have time for this,” she ordered turning around to look at him. “Get out.”

“Geez, babe, I’m just trying to have a little fun. Why can’t you be more like your brother?”

“Get out, Tony, NOW!”

“Fine, fine, I didn’t realize I had a prude for a girlfriend. It’s not like we haven’t done it before. What is up with you,” he mumbled opening the shower door getting out of the shower.

It had been weeks since they had been intimate with each other, and Antonio was tired of it. He knew someone that could help him with his issues and that is exactly what he would do.

    Tony leaves the room and I just crumble to the floor. I can’t tell him why I am doing this to him. If he ever found out what happened he would never forgive me as it is I can never forgive myself. I know how Tony is and I know how much sex means to him, I also know I’m not his only option.

“Would you like more coffee,” the young blond asked the elderly couple sitting at table eleven.

“No, thank you,” they replied.

The blond walked around to the few tables that were occupied this morning refilling coffee cups, taking away dirty dishes and handing out the patrons’ bills. As she looked around she knew it was going to be another quiet day here at Juniper’s.

“Charlotte, it looks like it’s going to be one of those days. How about you take Ella to the park and I’ll watch over the place,” the older man suggested putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Dad, I shouldn’t leave,” Charlotte replied sweeping her long flowing blond hair up in a ponytail. “What if it gets busy?”

“I’m sorry to tell you this, sweetheart, but it hasn’t been that busy since that construction started next door.”

Jack Parker looked much older than he was, the gray-hair started to come in more and more and he felt tired. He couldn’t run around like he did when Charlotte was a kid. With his five kids, one grandchild, and a business to run all on his own, he felt more like seventy by the end of the day than forty-six.

“You know what dad, you are right, I think I will go out,” Charlotte replied throwing the apron on the counter and walking away. “I think it’s time I go pay Ella’s dad a visit.”

“Charlotte Bethany, please, don’t do something you will regret,” Jack yelled as Charlotte and her daughter walked out of the restaurant minutes later.

Charlotte knew who was behind the construction next door. It was the same man that tried to buy Juniper’s almost four years ago and when Jack wouldn’t sell, Benjamin Donnelly played dirty.

“Let’s go see your daddy at his office,” Charlotte told her daughter as she pushed the stroller down the street.

In the town of Saunders Bay, you could get anywhere by the way of Juniper’s Restaurant. When Charlotte’s grandfather bought the property fifty years ago, it was in the heart of the city just a couple of blocks away from the docks and about half a mile away from the university. As the city grew skyrises began to be built along with shops and other businesses surrounding the restaurant. Benjamin Donnelly knew that a hotel in the area would make a better profit, so he went out to do get the Juniper property by anyway necessary.

Twenty-eight minutes later Charlotte stood inside the lobby of Donnelly Industries with the next heir to the Donnelly estate. As she stood there at the front desk hoping she could make her way past security and up to the sixteenth floor where her Benjamin’s office was located.

“Ms. Parker, Mr. Donnelly isn’t in, right now. Would you like to make an appointment,” the receptionist asked.

“She doesn’t need an appointment, Betty,” a man informed her coming up next to Charlotte.

“DADDY,” Ella squealed in her stroller reaching out her arms for her father.

“Tyler, I need to talk to your father,” Charlotte demanded looking over the dark-haired man that she was once engaged too.

“You know that’s impossible. I can’t even get in to see him,” Tyler commented picking up his daughter out of the stroller.

“Do you know he started construction next door to Juniper’s. Tyler, we’re losing business because of your father. He’s doing it again and this time I’m going to stop him before it goes to far.”

“Can we go somewhere else,” Tyler suggested noticing all the eyes on the blond that still took his breath away, “to talk about this.”

“NO!”

“Can we at least do this without Ella around,” Tyler whispered. “How about dinner tonight, let’s say around seven?”

“No, Tyler,” Charlotte told him. “I’m not going there with you again.”

“Okay, how about I take the two of you out for ice cream in the park. I promise I’ll behave,” Tyler assured her.

“Fine.”

“Yay, ice cream,” Ella shouted hugging her father.

Paige sighed as she walked into her Psychology class finding her seat in the fourth row. As she sat down she noticed her best friend running into class. Right now Paige needed a pick-me up and Ali James was just that. Paige took out her notebook and psychology book from her backpack knocking over the coffee she had just bought.

“You don’t drink coffee unless you are having a really bad day,” Ali said helping Paige clean up the spilled beverage. “And I can tell from what just happened you are having a horrible day.”

“You have no idea, Ali,” Paige replied standing up to throw her cup away. “I woke up to find my brother and some half-naked brunette on my couch, and then Tony decided to surprise me while I was taking a shower. When I told him to get out he got all mad and left. I had to figure out another way to class since Luke decided to run all of the gas out of mine last night.”

“I wish Luke would surprise me like that,” Ali mumbled.

“Ali, I still don’t understand your fascination with my brother,” Paige stated. Throughout high school when her brother began his playboy ways, Ali found it exciting. Ali had explained it time and again that if only Luke would see Ali for who she really was, he would forget every other girl.

“You’re not supposed to understand it, it just is,” Ali said matter of fact.

“Today we will be discussing,” Professor Hughes announced letting everyone know that class had begun.

“One of these days, he’ll see you,” Paige whispered to Ali during class.

   Ali was my best friend always had been and Luke was just that – Luke. I loved both of them dearly and it would kill me to know they hooked up like his usually m.o. Ali deserved much more than that, yet she could be right. Maybe someone like Ali is just what my brother needed.

Two hours later Paige walked out of class in a better mood. She knew it had to do with Ali. Ali was always the chipper one, the one to cheer Paige up when she was in a funk. It was Ali’s way that’s one reason they were so close. Ali came from a good Catholic family whose family had been married for over twenty years to each other and produced two amazing kids and a dog. Ali had the perfect family, and Paige’s family was as dysfunctional as could be.

“So did you hear the latest gossip,” Ali asked Paige putting her arm around her shoulder as they walked down Adams Hall.

“More juicy gossip?”

“Oh, this is good, real good. You know Professor Spencer, I hear she’s having an affair with a student,” Ali confessed. “I’m not sure who; just that he’s in one of her American Literature classes.”

“Luke is in her one o’clock class. You don’t think he would, do you,” Paige questioned.

As the two gals rounded the corner, Paige saw something that startled her making her stop dead in her tracks. There stood Tony with the same girl Paige had seen this morning with her brother. Her own boyfriend was leaning into the brunette whispering something into her ear. The girl put her hand on his chest as he swept her hair over her shoulders.

Paige turned around and started to walk back where she had come from. She needed to find some other way to her next class.

“How could he,” Ali fumed turning back around.

“Let’s just forget about it,” Paige requested knowing the reason Tony was doing it. She had told him no too many times.

“Paige, he’s putting the moves on a girl in public for everyone to see. He knows your schedule; he knows you walk this way to Sociology.”

“Forget it, Ali, please,” Paige begged.

“I can’t forget it. I need to talk to him,” Ali said turning back around heading towards Paige’s boyfriend and the brunette

Ali,” Paige yelled running after her best friend, but it was too late.

    I stood there hiding behind one of the pillars holding the building up and me also. I couldn’t show my face or stand up for myself. I knew what he was doing and why he was doing it, I also knew it wasn’t his first time. He was sweet to me and gave me space when I needed it most of the time. When I would go on about my mother, Tony would listen.

Ali didn’t know I knew about Tony’s indiscretions – no one did. I wanted to keep it that way. What no one understands is at times I just wanted someone to hold me and that person was Tony. At one point I loved him and I thought we would be married, but the past six months that wasn’t true. I am not even sure if what I felt for Tony was love or despair.

I stood there as Ali slapped Tony across the face and the brunette run off. I stood in hiding as Tony yells at Ali for interrupting him and the girl whose name I now know as Heather. Ali stood right up to Tony like it was nothing. Ali may have been raised properly and gone to church every Sunday with her family, but she knew how to stand up for herself and those she loved. She always had. Ali would stand up for what she believed in and not hide from the truth unlike me.

The rest of the day for Paige was uneventful and she stayed as far away from Tony as she possibly could. As she walked into Juniper’s forty-five minutes late, she threw on her apron and began her shift like nothing had happened.

“You’re late,” Charlotte said as Paige walked by the counter ten minutes later.

“Charlotte, don’t start. I had a horrible day that I would like to forget,” Paige stated handing her the menus from table seven.

“I heard,” Charlotte replied looking up at her baby sister. “Ali stopped by.”

“Great,” Paige huffed. She didn’t need this right now. She didn’t want it.

“Don’t worry though, dad doesn’t know and unless Ali ran into Luke, he doesn’t know either,” Charlotte informed her.

“Good, I want to keep it that way.”

“You’re not going to forgive him are you,” Charlotte wondered grabbing her sister’s hand. “You can’t.”

“Just like you never forgave Tyler for lying.”

“This is different, Paige. Tyler is different,” Charlotte told her sister. “Tyler didn’t cheat on me; he tried to take our business away from us. There’s a big difference.”

“The difference here is you got scared. You knew if you married Tyler you wouldn’t have to work here anymore and that scared you,” Paige explained. “See I maybe the spitting image of my grandmother, the holier than though woman that started this place, but I’m not like her. I don’t plan on staying in this restaurant all my life unlike you.”

With that said Paige walked away from her sister going back to work. The dinner rush was starting to form in the restaurant like it did every night with the regulars and the college students who had a bit of extra money this week for some home cooking.

Two hundred and fifty miles away a pile of clothes lay across the floor of an immaculate high rise apartment in downtown Chicago. The clothes on the floor led to the king size bed where a stunning auburn-haired beauty laid on the bed with a tall blond muscular man next to her.

“Ooh, that feels so good,” she sighed as her hands clutched the satin sheets underneath her. “Why is it you know exactly the right spot to touch me? “

“I just wish you would rub my feet sometime,” he laughed as his hand began to make its way up her thigh.

“It was one of those days,” Ariel Lauren Parker mumbled as her live-in boyfriend of a year, Cooper, kissed the inside of her thigh.

“Yeah, I noticed your dad called,” Cooper stated stopping what he was doing and coming up to kiss her on her luscious lips.

“He called twice,” she replied sitting up getting up off the bed. “I avoided both of his calls.”

“He’s going to get suspicious, Ari,” Copper commented following Ariel off the bed. Cooper went over to the open spaced apartment grabbing the photos off of the desk.

“I think he may already be suspicious,” Ariel replied as she took off her bra and panties walking towards the bathroom. “I’m jumping in the shower before I meet Meg.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“I would be upset if you didn’t,” Ariel responded turning the shower on.

Thirty minutes later as the two fell onto the bed together soaking wet and full of passion, the phone rang interrupting their moment.

“If it’s my father again,” Ariel mumbled into Cooper’s shoulder seconds before he got off of the bed to answer the phone.

“Hello,” he said smiling as he heard the voice over the phone. “It’s not your dad, it’s Meg.”

Ariel jumped off the bed immediately grabbing her robe at the end of the bed. She tied the satin robe together as she made her way across the bedroom.

“Hey, Meg, what did you find,” Ariel asked her close friend.

“Are you ready for this,” Meg questioned. “Your mom is closer than you may have thought. She was living in Indianapolis as of last week. Penelope was living with this guy by the name of Victor Ramsey the past few years. Last week she packed her bags and moved out of his house. There is more if you want to know it.”

“How bad is it? Where is she now,” Ariel wondered.

“The last known whereabouts is a town in southern Michigan where she stayed for the night. She wasn’t alone, Ariel.”

“What do you mean?”

“She had a nineteen year old girl with her and when I looked into it, she’s Penelope’s daughter with none other than Charles Reed. The daughter was born eight months after she left Saunders Bay.”

“Are you telling me she was having an affair with the richest man in town? Meg, do you know what this means,” Ariel asked flabbergasted at what she had just learned.

“I think this means we found the reason your mother left Saunders Bay,” Meg informed her friend. “There’s more news though, from the direction they are heading it looks like they are heading home.

“Are you up for a road trip,” Ariel asked Cooper looking over at him. “Let me know if you find out anything else, Meg.”

“No problem.”

“I owe you one,” Ariel told her friend, Meg Naughton, the private investigator she had known since the day she arrived in Chicago three years ago.

It was a quarter after ten when Paige turned onto the cul-de-sac where her small quite house was located. As she pulled into the driveway she noticed the black mustang also in the driveway. She caught the shadow of her boyfriend standing beside his car waiting for her. Paige was tired and didn’t want to get into what had happened earlier in the day between Ali and him.

She opened the garage door pulling into the garage as she kept her eye on the rearview mirror watching Tony follow her into the garage. She took a deep breath, shut off the car, and opened the door to see the anger in Tony’s eyes.

“Why are you so late,” Tony shouted standing there with his arms crossed.

“Tony, please, I’m not in the mood, just go home and I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Paige said grabbing her bag from the backseat of the car.

“You’re never in the mood and I’m sick of it. We’re going to talk about your little whore of a best friend then I’m taking you in the house where you are going to show me exactly how much you love me,” Tony stated.

“Or what, Tony, what are you going to do to me? What if I told you ‘No’ that I don’t want you to come in and I don’t love you. What would you do to me? Because the fact of the matter is I know all about your indiscretions, Tony, I know every single one. See, you think you’re some hot shot, but you’re nothing – NOTHING.”

“This has to do with Ali, doesn’t it,” Tony asked grabbing Paige’s shoulders. “She told you I wouldn’t sleep with her, see, she propositioned me the other night and I turned her down flat. Now she is getting even by talking you into turning on me.”

“This has nothing to do with Ali. I know you’ve been unfaithful to me since the beginning, and for months I let it go on because I thought I was in love with you, but I’m not. I doubt I ever was. So go now before I do something I will regret later.”

“You will live to regret this moment and so will Ali,” Tony retorted before he turned around and left.

    Was it that easy? Would Tony finally be out of my life for good? Or would I live to regret this moment like he said? Did Ali make a mistake by confronting Tony today? I know Ali would always be there for me especially after what she did for me eight weeks ago. If anyone ever found out that I was no better than my mother no one would forgive me. If my family or Tony found out I was pregnant they would never look at me the same.