"The Neighbors"
So last Thursday I woke up not feeling very well. I saw that there were some unread reviews on this story so I read them. But instead of making me feel better, they made me feel worse. I never anticipated such a slam especially from another author who chose not to use her FanFiction user name. I don't even know how to respond to what was said except to say I'm sorry for you that you don't get my writing style and I'm sorry for you that you don't get sexy time. I'm going to guess based on over 40,000 views of my stories that I'm doing okay and that the salsa3344 readers are behind me. To Nigeria, West Africa, your words were heartfelt, thank you. To TheChief20 and Magic1 thank you for having my back! Thanks to all of you for your continued support!
And to the viewer who commented, "Just pretend you're writing this story for me and only me. I love it and I'd go with whatever you decide to write because this story is ultimately yours and mine." :)
You've got it!
Now, what will happen after Maya and Emily are reminded about the love they have for their husbands? Will the love they feel for each other win out?
Let's find out…
Rate M for Mature Content.
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Chapter 13: Who do I love?
Emily POV
I wake up to an empty bed. I'm actually grateful to be by myself with no one to interrupt my thoughts of her. But I can't stop thinking about last night, me and Maya, me and Ryan, Maya and Josh, I thought for sure we were gonna get figured out. I touch my breast looking down at the fading marks she left for me. Oh my god, I can't believe Ryan called me out on that. I was so fucking scared. The thing is, I want to be married to Ryan but I want to be loved by Maya. How is that even possible?
Ryan and Josh have gone to their meeting on the west coast leaving me and Maya in New York. We have Maya's Art Show tomorrow night and I am so excited for her but nervous to have my nude self displayed for all to see. I haven't yet seen the finished portrait because Maya says I need to experience it hanging in the gallery because she says it will leave me with a whole new perspective of art and of myself. I have a feeling she knows what she's talking about. Hmm. I wonder what she's doing now. I get out of bed to look for my cell phone. I find it downstairs on the dining room table, I call her but it goes straight to voice mail,
"Hey, I, a, had an amazing time with you last night. But things got weird when we got home. Umm. I hope you're okay. I hope we're okay. Can you call me? I miss you. I love you."
It's been a while since I left that message so I walk over to her house and knock on the door. No answer. Where is she? I go to the back of the house by the pool and knock on the sliding glass door. It doesn't look like anyone's here. I walk over to her windows and peek in as I call her cell again. Wait, I hear it ringing, I look closer, there, on the couch I can see it light up. Seriously Maya, you're gone and you left your cell phone at home? Could she be at the gallery? Damn it Maya! I wanted to see you before the show. We could've spent the whole day and night together. I wanted to hold you. I wanted to kiss you. I wanted to touch you. I wanted to love you…
Maya POV
I'm so grateful to Ted, the owner of the gallery, for offering his penthouse apartment for me to stay at since he won't be using it for the duration of the show. Instead he will be staying at The Surrey, a prestigious New York City hotel where he will be rubbing elbows with the elite connoisseurs of art. Hopefully one of those connoisseurs will be interested in my paintings.
I got up right after Josh left and packed my things for the next three days. I took Ted up on his offer because I just couldn't be next door to Emily, not after last night. I couldn't look her in the eye after what I did with Josh. I feel so guilty because I liked it, I wanted it. Oh Emily, I do want you, I do love you but I love and I want my husband too. I can't do this to the both of you, it wouldn't be fair. I have to make a decision. So, tomorrow night, I will choose who I want to be with, who I want to love for life…
Josh POV
"So, Ryan, I was thinking about Maya's show and it being Emily's first time promoting the artists. I know you wanted to be there for her too and I'm thinking that maybe we still can."
"What? How?"
"Well our meeting is pretty much all day today and part of tomorrow so I checked the flights and if we can get out of here by two, we can actually make it to the Art Show. Whaddaya think?"
"I think that's great! Should we call them and let them know we're coming?"
"No, no, I think I'd like to surprise them."
"They're definitely going to be surprised."
"They sure will."
"Let's do it."
"I kind of thought you'd want to so I already made the arrangements. I can't wait to see the look on their faces." Then I'll know for sure if she really does love me. I'm sorry I have to test you like this Maya but I've been thinking about all the time I've been away from you and I just can't shake this feeling. I have to know you still belong to me…
Emily POV
No one is answering at the gallery which doesn't surprise me since everyone must be busy getting ready for the show. I decide to take a shower so I go upstairs, and stand under the steaming water. I want to wash away everything that happened last night with Josh and Ryan. I shampoo my hair thinking about what I knew when I married Ryan, that he was the one, that I loved him and only him. As I rinse my hair, I think about what I know now, that I'm not sure that he is the one, and that I'm sure I'm in love with her. I lather the soap in my hands hugging my body gliding my hands from my shoulders to my fingertips. I place my hands on my abs caressing up to my breasts massaging them pulling at my nipples making them firm and erect all the while thinking about her, her mouth all over my neck, my collarbone, my chest, nibbling at my breasts leaving her marks to remind me who I want to love me. I slide my hand between my legs moving my fingers in rhythm to the thoughts popping in and out of my head of her of me of us.
I want her here with me right now. I want her caressing my body. I want her nibbling on my breasts leaving her mark. I want her to touch me there. I want her to kiss every inch of me. I want her to rub me 'til I cum for her. I want her to taste me. I want her to love me…
Maya POV
Here I am in Soho taking the elevator to the top floor penthouse apartment. The doors open and close behind me locking me in this vast space. The vaulted ceilings are magnificent. I can picture my paintings on the walls. I place my bag on the floor so I can take a tour of this magnificent space. There's a fireplace in the main sitting room and a top of the line kitchen with every amenity you could possibly imagine. I continue my tour up the winding staircase making my way to the master bedroom with its draped entry adding to its drama and mystery. "Mmmm, the things that could go on in here," I smile to myself thinking sexy thoughts of…
The environment in here is cool and white highlighted with rich, charcoal-grey eucalyptus floors and dramatic pops of bright yellow and red fabric accents. There are balconies and terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows that capitalize on the glorious, unobstructed, views of the cityscape. It's open and bright with one room leading into the next. I explore further by opening a door that leads to a private rooftop deck, with dining and sunning, a Jacuzzi and what appears to be an endless pool for swimming which I am definitely taking advantage of today, adding to the special nature of this space. It's like having your own little fantasy come true with all the things you never thought you could have right there within your reach…
Emily POV
I finish up in the shower smiling that smile only she can make me smile while I towel dry my hair. I shake my flowing mane from side to side looking in the mirror at this new Emily. I'm not at all the person I thought I was. I take a closer look realizing I am finally the person I am meant to be…
My dress and shoes are all ready for the show but I won't pack them up until right before I leave. I also decide to get my travel clothes together and pack something to change into after the show so I don't have to take the train in my dress and heels. And hopefully I won't have to take the train alone…
Now I guess I pretty much have the rest of the day to myself. I want to make a good impression so I go over all the information I was given to study and research about the artists and their paintings. But I take some extra time to look into Maya's biography; where she grew up, her family, where she went to school, where she met her husband, when they got married, her hobbies, the music she likes, her favorite everything. I want to know who Maya St. Germain is from beginning to now. Her biography doesn't reveal as much as I would've hoped and she hasn't revealed too much either so I figure the only way I can find out more about her is to call her parents…
The phone rings and rings and just as I'm about to hang up, a voice on the other end says,
"Hello?"
"Hello, hi. My name is Emily Fields and I work for The Gallery."
"Yes, can I help you?"
"Well we're trying to update our biography of our artists and we noticed that Maya St. Germain doesn't have as much of a write up as the others. We'd like to change that, do you think you could help?"
"I think that's a lovely idea."
"Then may I ask who I'm speaking with."
"My name is Eva St. Germain, I'm Maya's mother." What a beautiful name.
"It's nice to be speaking with you and I'm sure you are very proud of your daughter." I know I am.
"Yes very. She's incredibly talented." She so is and in so many ways.
"She definitely is talented. So, tell me, something we might not know about Maya?"
"Oh that's easy. She loves to cook and she's very good at it." Yes she is!
"I understand she's quite the swimmer too."
"Yes, she's always loved the water and loves to stay fit." Mmm. Hmm.
"What about books or TV or movies? What does she like?"
"She's a romantic at heart but I think she likes reading about success stories, you know people who grow up with nothing and turn it into something. Just like my Maya." You mean, my Maya.
"What did you mean by, Maya grew up with nothing?"
"We were young, her father and I, when we had her. We struggled and so did she." Oh Maya.
"Like what kind of struggles?"
"Just not having and learning to live without." My heart is aching for her.
"Live without?"
"We didn't have much while she was growing up. Her father and I were still trying to realize our dream which didn't come true until much later in life. Maya always knew she was going to be an artist and we did too. But in order for her to fulfill her dream, she had to go through her own struggles."
"To become an artist?"
"Yes. She certainly paid her dues but she never gave up." I think I love her even more.
"Is that when she decided to move to New York?"
"She packed up everything she owned and made a new life there. She worked her way through college and she was able to find herself and who she was supposed to be as an artist. Then she met Josh who encouraged her to never give up on herself or her dream. And now look at her. Josh helped make her dream come true and they fell in love." He was there for her.
"You mean Josh Grayson."
"He's the one. She found herself and she found her husband." So Josh helped make her dream become reality.
"He sounds like a really good guy."
"What an incredible man! She loves him so much and he loves her so much. I can't imagine her with anyone but Josh." This is not what I was hoping to hear. Oh my god, how can I be so selfish? How can I expect her to leave her marriage, how can I expect her to leave this amazing man, for someone she just met, for me?
"Hi, are you there?"
"Yes, sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure I was writing everything down as you said it."
"Well, I hope this helps you write a better biography for our daughter."
"It definitely will. Are you able to attend her show?"
"We would love to be there for her but I am a cellist and her father is a violinist and we play most weekends. Since she is now on the opposite coast, we unfortunately can't be at her show but we will definitely be there in spirit. She's our baby and we couldn't be more proud of our Maya."
"We are so proud of her too. Thank you so much for your time."
I thought I knew exactly what I was going to do when I see Maya tomorrow night at the Art Show but now I don't know. We've only known each other a short time but I never expected to fall in love at first sight, I never expected to fall in love with a woman. But what Josh did for her, and they do love each other. Fuck. I was so sure…
Maya POV
I decide to check in with the gallery when I realize that I don't have my cell phone. I rack my brain trying to think of where I could have left it when I remember dropping it on the couch when Josh carried me up to our bedroom to make love to me. I'll have to use Ted's landline phone a little later but right now I'm feeling a little overwhelmed thinking that maybe what I need is a short rest, so I grab my bag making my way up the stairs. I walk through the draped entry of this sexy romantic bedroom thinking I can't help but feel like I'm in a movie about to film the much anticipated love scene. I shake myself back into reality and unpack my clothes hanging them up in the closet so they won't be wrinkled for tomorrow night. I kick off my shoes and lie down. Mmm, this bed is so fucking comfortable, I can barely keep my eyes open and soon after I drift off to sleep dreaming the most incredibly sexy, love filled dream…
Our bodies become one as we explore every inch of each other, rolling around, me on top, me under, me on top, kissing each other, touching each other, loving each other the way two people are meant to love each other. I start to call out in my sleep waking me from my intense slumber perspiring, breathing heavily thinking about what we just did knowing that my decision has just been made for me, knowing that the person I choose to spend the rest of my life with can only be…
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To Be Continued…
**That is what I would call a set up chapter but who's being set up? I guess you'll just have to wait and see…
Coming Up…
Maya reveals her other passion.
Maya makes her choice.
Emily makes hers.
Will the husbands surprise their wives or will the wives surprise their husbands and you?
**Please no hate…