I've Loved Him Before

Chapter 2: Lavender

I just snapped. That man changed my world with one kiss and then left me. Again. I was sick of these men, promising me stuff and then leaving. If you don't have the guts don't be with a woman. I was always the cute and modestly dressed person, acting somber but here's me. Because I've always tried to be the good girl hide the crazy in me, hide the broken in me. 

I stood in front of the pool. I looked down, I needed a dip to calm my anger a bit. I removed the straps from my shoulders and the dress gathered around my feet, everyone looked at me. I removed my shoes and jumped right in.

Phew a little better.

***

I just looked at her as she got out a few minutes later, initiating a full-blown pool party. Gathering her dress shoes and purse in her hand and walked towards the door. I tried to follow her but a crowd had gathered near as well looked at the pool or made our way towards it. 

As I got out into the lobby, she was already in the elevator. I anxiously pressed the elevator button. No way I was getting down faster so I took the stairs instead. Coming out into the main lobby I saw her silhouette getting into a taxi, her dress shimmering on her now but her shoes still in her hand. Luckily a taxi arrived to replace hers and I followed her. After a 30 minute drive, it pulled up near a building. She got out. I paid the driver and fumbled out of the car. 

She got into her elevator and I just barely got in with her. "Oh my god, did you follow me?" She said with a half disgusted and half surprised face. "Yes, I just, I don't know, I needed to explain myself. I needed to apologize." I said and the elevator dinged, already and I looked at the floor it was the 27th. Maybe I was huffing or stuttering there was no way we could've reached so high in a sentence. Too much running I thought as my head throbbed. 

She got out and I shook my head as I stumbled after. Slowly composing myself I followed her, we were already in her apartment. She kept her purse and shoes on a round table with flowers in the room. There led stairs upstairs and another open archway into her living room. "Okay then explain. Was the explanation any different than what I said?" She asked with her hand on her waist. She glanced upstairs for a second as her eyes looked me in mine again. I searched my mind for any other explanation, "I love her." That is all I could say was, "Yeah sure you do." She said and once again she looked upstairs. 

***

"Nils, the worst thing is that you shouldn't have played with my emotions like that. You were through with the wedding after which you came and kiss me or did you actually fumble across me in the park as the doubts ran through your head and just kissed me?" I asked realization coming into consciousness and he looked guilty, he didn't even mean to kiss me. 

"Lavender! Get back here!" screamed Loren, oh no

***

I looked up at the slightly spiraled staircase. As a giggle filled the quiet night air in the penthouse. A small girl approximately 6 to 5 years old with open hair and a nightgown came running down. She had soft brown hair a softly darker complexion and clear blue eyes. She ran right to Dhruvi and screamed, "Mommy!" in glee holding up her hands expecting to be lifted up. 

Dhruvi bend down and picked her up and she latched herself onto Dhruvi. She touched her hair," Did you go for a swim?" She asked in a sweet voice. "Yeah sweetie, it was a pool party!" She replied in an excited voice, "But I thought it was a wedding! Why didn't you take me? Who is this?" She asked suddenly looking at me.

***

"That is, Nils, an old friend of mommy." I tell her, "Mom you can tell me if he is your boyfriend. I'm not that old-fashioned you know." She says as a know it, "Old fashioned, was that your new word for the day now?" I asked her with wide eyes, as she offered her hand. "Lavender, it is a pleasure meeting you Nils." She says, god I've been taking her to too many meetings. "The pleasure is mine," replied Nils still in some kind of trance. "He is not mommy's boyfriend." I say to her, "Well, if he is available mom, please tie him down because you don't get no good men out there no more." She says with a sigh, "It's been a while since you brought a boy home." She said walking back to her room sleep overtaking her eyes, "Got it, mom," I say to her with a wink, I got to speak with Loren she's letting L watch way too many romance movies from the 00s. 

I sigh and look at Nils who still holds the same look. "Come, have a seat," I say walking into the living room. Wow, I was cold.

***

"So, who is that?" I ask. "That is my daughter." She says and her dress is off again. I look down, and then I see her other garments drop. Okay, she snapped for good here. I wait a while for her to explain more but she doesn't so I look up and there she is with a wine glass in her hand, totally naked turning on the fireplace. She looks back at me, "Oh my god, your face is amazing." She says as she throws on a rob. "Who's the father?" I ask her, "Oh don't worry you ain't looking at a married woman. I don't know who the father is." She says casually sitting down on the sofa in front of me. The fire burning behind her. 

"What do you mean you don't know?" I ask her my brow furrowed. "One day I was walking back home from work 5 years ago, my business was just shooting up but I didn't have a company or employees yet so I was carrying the entire weight of the company and I was coming back from a presentation," She paused as she turned up the heat a bit and I looked at one of the magazines on her coffee table, an issue from last year, she was on the cover page. 30 under 30 Forbes list. She was 25. I knew her clothing company was big, there were stores almost everywhere in Germany but she was an international businesswoman. A very very successful one.

"And I was wearing this pretty dress but handling a mannequin and portfolios my dress was all scrunched up. A few drunk men, one of them in particular took that as an invitation. They snubbed me and raped me in an alley downtown. With the excellent judiciary, I got justice but it was all suppressed by a lot of money so that it didn't affect my image as an upcoming businesswoman. Very few people know about it. Lavender is the daughter of one of them, I never bothered to find out who because I didn't take any kind of compensation for it, for all I knew she was my daughter and mine only. I have raised her on my own with my own hands. And I raised my company with her in my belly." She said sipping on wine. 

My heart dropped. But her eyes showed no emotion.