Link to L♥ve

Brenda had always been a busy woman, she worked long hours at a company where she had to had been ‘given a promotion, long ago,’ as her friend Stacey put it. Stacey had been going through a tough divorce and she had a young son named Peter, he was only one when his parents separated.

Life had not been easy for her and her sister, they lost both parents when Brenda was a child and her sister was barely eighteen. Sometimes, she had to wonder how her sister did it; raising a child, going to school, finding a job and still having time to study.

Life sure had been hard on them, but she felt her sister was finally happy when she met the love of her life and got married. Her sister was truly happy after their son Thomas was born. She could still remember when Sarah told Aaron the news about her pregnancy and how happy they were. Now five years later they had their lives in the right track. They were raising their son and would soon start a business of their own.

“I love this job Stacey,” Brenda told her.

“That’s bull shit!” Stacey looked at her serious. “You and I both know you never go on dates after what your ex did to you,” Stacey said. “I think you’re trying to keep yourself from getting hurt by staying in the cocoon of your job. I mean look at me, I wouldn’t be living if I let Jack control my life.”

Brenda sighed, “You’re right, but right now I have things to worry about. My job is not gonna get done if I start thinking about dating.”

Stacey sighed heavily, “you remind me of Oscar.”

“I hope he’s not another blind date,” Brenda warned.

“You have to give yourself a chance,” Stacey said.

“Well, when I find the right man, I’ll give myself a chance,” Brenda said.

“No one is ever going to be the right man if you don’t give them a chance,” Stacey reminded.

“I won’t be able to go on a date tonight, you’ll have to cancel it,” Brenda said. “I’m babysitting my nephew for a couple of weeks and I will be busy. I already asked Mr. Greene and he’s already agreed to cut my hours in half for the two weeks.”

“Mr. Greene seems nice,” Stacey said.

“Mr. Greene is my boss and he also has a son who’s older than me,” Brenda reminded.

“Not by much,” Stacey said. “And, you and Oscar have in common.”

“Stacey, why are you so desperate on my dating life?” Brenda laughed and shook her head.

“I want to go on double dates again like when we were younger and we had nothing to worry about. Don’t worry, I haven’t set you up with him because he’s getting married,” Stacey assured when she noticed the look Brenda gave her. “Besides, he lives in New York and there’s no way he’ll move back.”

“I was afraid for a moment,” Brenda sighed relieved.

“I still did something for you though,” Stacey said looking away. “I spoke to Helen and she agreed to watch Pete tonight. I need a girl’s night after what I went through this weekend. I need my friend.”

“Alright its Friday after all, but I can’t be home too late,” Brenda said.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” Stacey said.

“Alright, I can’t say no to that,” Brenda said.

They normally went somewhere on Friday nights, that is, before Stacey got married and started to go through divorce. She had been sad at first and even got to think that her husband had cheated on her, but she was never able to prove it and she was glad she was able to get over him, but she didn’t know how this decision would change her life.

Brenda had gone to accompany Stacey and she had a few vodka drinks and her shyness was gone. She felt like a different woman. She knew Stacey would be proud of her for not living her life without worrying about how Edward would react to her actions, or if Edward would agree to her going out.

This was the first time in a long time she didn’t feel obligated to think about Edward, that was the word. Obligated! She never really loved him and she didn’t know why she didn’t just leave his cheating ass long ago.

Michael happened to arrive together to the same night club, Oscar was there because he had to get away from Tracy and her new beau once he found out she was getting married. He was going back to New York in a few days after he knew Tracy wasn’t going to be there.

He wanted to forget Tracy, he couldn’t believe he was about to ask her to marry him, but left him for a richer and more powerful man. How didn’t he ever see it? He had been watching Brenda on the dancefloor and he wished he wondered if she was going through the same pain. She didn’t look happy, or was he just imagining things.

She was dancing with a man who was getting handsy and she tried to defend herself, but another man came and looked directly into her eyes. She knew he was trying to send her a signal, “hey love, I’m sorry I was late, but I was looking for our table.”

Brenda understood what he was doing and she quickly continued with the charade, “sorry babe, I was waiting for you and I decided to start dancing.”

“Well, I’m here now,” Oscar said encircling his arms around her waist and she let him guide her to the music as the other man left angrily. Oscar continued to dance with her since they were continuing with the charade.

She loved the way he moved and she was too drunk to care about anything, even when he was getting closer, or was it she? Oscar kept dancing, he started to enjoy himself and this woman was making him forget about Tracy. Fuck it! He was going to forget about her, no matter what and he was going to move on.

“Want to get out of here?” Brenda asked.

“What?” Oscar looked surprised. “Are you sure?” Who was he kidding? He wanted this too, if she could help him forget for just a moment and he knew deep down he wanted the same thing. Brenda didn’t answer, but instead she kissed him slowly until their kiss became hungry and needy. She needed to forget about Lyle and this man was going to help her.

My head hurts! Brenda thought waking up with a splitting headache the next day she didn’t know where she was and she had moments of recollection from last night. She remembered Stacey and the shots and dancing with a stranger, but everything goes black afterwards.

She turned and noticed that not only was she not alone, but she was with a strange man she had never seen before. She remembered she had been very drunk last night, Stacey had gone together with her to the nightclub. It hadn’t been long since Lyle broke up because she wouldn’t sleep with him and she went and slept with a stranger!

What was she going to do? What was she thinking? Then she thought about calling Stacey, but she didn’t see her purse on her and she looked down on herself. She was naked and her body was sore. She had never felt like this before, but she hurried to pick up her clothes that was on the floor and lastly her shoes. She turned once again to look at the man and relieved that he was asleep, Brenda slipped out the door and left after calling a cab.

Oscar woke up hurriedly and looked around the room, this wasn’t the first night stand he had, but the dirty sheets proved that it had been someone’s first and he sighed heavily. Why didn’t he see that she was a virgin last night? Oh! Right, he was only thinking that he wanted to get over Tracy.

He slept with some woman last night and he regretted listening to Michael, even if he had the best night of his life. Did he even wear a condom? He looked around the room, and remembered that he didn’t have one, since he wasn’t planning on a one-night stand with anybody. But, why did things change?

It’s obvious this woman was scared if she wasn’t in the room, she had run away from him and he couldn’t even remember her name, but he remembered it as the best night he’d ever had.

Brenda had always been a busy woman, she worked long hours at a company where she should’ve been ‘given a promotion, long ago,’ as her friend Stacey put it. Stacey had been divorced since her young son named Peter, was very young.

Life had not been easy for either of them, Brenda was a child and her sister was barely eighteen when she lost her parents. Sometimes, she had to wonder how her sister did it; raising a child, going to school, finding a job and still having time to study.

Oscar wasn’t from California and when he came on business or to visit family, he rarely went out. He used to when he was with Tracy. The truth was that it still hurt. They were about to get married, but she broke up with him without any reason.

He received a picture of her with another man and he couldn’t stop thinking about her and he had to wonder if the woman was also drinking because she was hurt. He didn’t want to be there and he left New York just to get away from Tracy and her new beau for a few days.

He knew she was getting married, but he had no idea she was seeing someone else and about how serious she was about the other guy. He wasted years of his life with a woman who was with him for the money.

Brenda arrived to the house before her nephew Thomas woke up, she saw Stacey there and was glad it was Saturday so she wouldn’t have to go to work. Of course, they wouldn’t have gone to the night club other wise and she never would’ve had her first one-night stand with some stranger. She couldn’t believe she had done this and she initiated it too!

Stacey walked over to her when she saw her and looked at her closely, “you’re glowing. What happened? Where did you go last night?”

“I woke up and I found out I was with a stranger,” Brenda said.

“I thought you were ‘saving yourself for marriage’” Stacey repeated her words she had once said.

“I was,” Brenda said.

“So,” Stacey smiled at her. “How was it?”

“I can’t even remember,” Brenda said.

“Tell me you at least got his name,” Stacey said excitedly.

“No, I just ran away from there because I couldn’t face him,” Brenda said.

“Well, I saw you had fun yesterday night so I’m happy for you,” Stacey said. “This is probably a sign that you should go out more and enjoy life.”

“I agree with you and I will try to change, but maybe I started thinking that he cheated on me because I didn’t give him what he so asked for, but then I said to myself that maybe I just didn’t love him. I gave myself to someone and I was no longer thinking about Edward anymore,” Brenda said.

“Look at me and learn from what I went through,” Stacey told her. “Jack turned out to be a screw up, but the only good thing he left me is Pete. Your life isn’t over just because this happened, but I’m just glad you weren’t thinking about Edward last night.”

“That’s true,” Brenda said. It was the first time in a long time she didn’t care about Edward and she felt liberated from him.

“Anyways you don’t have think about that anymore and it can happen to anybody,” Stacey assured. “I’m just glad you are fine and lucky for you I found your purse.”

“I’m going to go shower before my nephew wakes up,” Brenda said taking her purse and going into her room to get some clothes.

Stacey was right, she had nothing to worry about they were both adults and she would be fine, she heard Helen talking with Thomas in the kitchen and she could smell the food as soon as he got out of her room. Pete was sitting next to Thomas eating pancakes.

Brenda walked out of the room looking as plain as she had always looked like before sprucing herself up. She was back to wearing glasses and pulling her hair up in a tight bun. Stacey sighed; she knew Edward truly did a number on her if she felt uncomfortable to even change her clothes a bit.

She only started dressing herself down for Edward and she didn’t think she should do that now when she was finally getting over that douche. She would make it her mission to have Brenda change back to who she was before she met Edward.

Oscar arrived home and he saw his father in the kitchen, he called him in the morning because he didn’t have the courage to tell him that he had been right about Tracy. “Hey dad.”

Mr. Greene hugged him and he pat his back as he always did since he was a child, “son.”

“I know what you’re going to say, that you were right and I was wrong and that I should’ve listened to you, but I thought she really loved me. I can’t believe I was about to propose to her,” Oscar said.

“I would never say that. You’re a man and I trust your judgement because I know my son and you’ve always had a good head on you. You have learned from this and the lesson was that love doesn’t always work out for a reason and the next time you will find the woman you were meant to be with and you will have become a better person.”

“I haven’t told you, but I did something last night,” Oscar sighed. “I just wanted to get over Tracy and I was with someone last night. I didn’t wear a condom.” Xavier sighed, “I had the best night of my life and she made me forget about Tracy.”

“Oscar!” David his six-year-old brother yelled as he ran downstairs making Oscar’s head ached even more, but he picked up his brother and swung him over his shoulders. Xavier sighed, but remained quiet.

“Oscar! I’m going out with my friends,” Joyce hugged Oscar as she followed David downstairs and she waved goodbye walking hurriedly out the door when she heard the honking of her friend’s car.

David started struggling, “put me down.”

“Alright, squirt!” Oscar said ruffling his hair as he always did and David ran upstairs.

“I was actually thinking that you can always get your representative work your company in New York and you can work for Greene’s Enterprises here for a bit.” Mr. Greene said.

“I think I will, but I have to go back in a few days to settle some things in the company. I just didn’t want to think about her marrying someone else.” Oscar said.

Mr. Greene sighed, “I know that right now it will seem like you must’ve heard it a thousand times, but maybe this break up was a blessing in disguise. At least you didn’t find out what she was really like after the marriage.”

Oscar sighed and looked over at him, “sometimes, I think I acted blindly. It’s been a week since our break up and I left as soon as I found out she was to be married. She must’ve been seeing that other guy much longer than I thought and I had no idea.”

“Well, I’m glad you you’re here son even if the circumstances aren’t good,” Mr. Greene pat his back again, “I forgot to tell you, Michael came earlier and he was looking for you. I thought you were with him.”

“I better call him,” Oscar said. He was hoping Michael could help him find this girl, just because he felt he owed her something. He took her virginity after all.

“Oscar? Did you have fun last night?” Michael asked.

“Michael, I’m not in the mood,” Oscar said sternly. “What exactly was in those drinks?”

“Oh, you know a little bit of everything some strong vodka too,” Michael said cheerily. “Why?”

“I’m serious Michael,” Oscar said. “She whoever she was is--- was a virgin—”

“Oh,” Michael sighed. “Look, I’m sorry I wanted to help you get over Tracy and I knew you wouldn’t do it on your own so I might have asked the bar tender to make your drinks stronger.”

Oscar sighed, “never mind, I want to find her.”

“What?” Michael sounded shocked after a moment of silence.

“You heard me, I want to find her.” Oscar said. “There might be some consequences from that time and—”

“Dure, weren’t you wearing a condom?” Michael asked.

“Neither of us were thinking at that moment and I don’t remember using one, so I have to find her,” Oscar said. “I just want to make sure she’s ok.”

“Right, you forget that you are like my brother and I know you,” Michael reminded. “I think you like her.”