Elizabeth is a Caribbean American attending college in Ohio. After she meets playboy and football player Paul Newman, they hit it off. When opposites attract, things immediately get heated. Once a heated affair begins, Liz finds herself seeing life...
I turned around to head for the door, but Marlon wrapped an arm around my waist.
"This has to end once and for all. I keep telling Paul he has a choice to make, and he's making it tonight." Marlon mumbled into my ear. I turned around and faced the crowd gathering in the living room ahead.
I walked to the crowd and blended in. I could see the older lady who asked me to get her champagne attempting to calm Essie down.
"Mother! I will not calm down!" She squealed. Paul stood next to her in a button up ice blue shirt with a tie. He pushed his thumbs into the band of his slacks, watching Essie having a melt down.
"What exactly is going on here?" Paul asked her. I figured he hadn't heard the news that Marlon brought me.
"Nothing!" Essie and her mother answered back in unison.
"Sweetie, no tears. We will take care of it after we share a few words about your love." Mrs. Dubois reassured.
Then, Essie's mother locked eyes on me in the crowd. I quickly stood behind a tall man in front of me. Marlon was no where to be found, he must've gotten occupied by one of the girls at the party.
"Paul, why don't you start us off?" Mrs. Dubois suggested as she spun around toward Paul.
"A speech? I don't know about—" Paul was attractive as ever, but he never was good at talking in front of crowds. The only time he ever lit up was on stage, but that was when words were pre-written for him.
"Oh, don't be a child." Mrs. Dubois insisted. Then she clinked a spoon on the stem of her champagne glass. "Everyone! Everyone! Please give us your attention while Mr. Paul Newman tells us exactly why he loves my daughter, Estelle Angèle Dubois."
The party got silent as they all looked to Paul. His fingers clasped around his tie as he slightly adjusted it, clearing his throat. His forehead got glossy from his nerves, his large hand wrapped around his champagne glass slightly shook.
"Thank you all for coming today." Paul began. His blue eyes looked out on the crowd circled around him, but he still didn't notice me. "I wasn't expecting for a party like this to happen. Especially when our wedding is so soon."
The audience hummed in agreement. The wedding was so soon? Did Essie try to speed up the engagement?Essie stood proudly next to him, her dark shoulder length hair perfectly styled in waves. One side was tucked behind her ear while the other side covered her ice colored eye.
"I'm so honored to meet everyone who is close to Essie. Some of you I've met in the past, whether we were college buds or neighbors." Paul explained. "Seems like being someone's neighbor is the best way to get to know a lady."
The crowd laughed at Paul's joke. I didn't find it funny.
"And— uh, I can't wait to get married to Essie. I'll share everything with her." Paul looked to Essie and took her hand. "And she will share everything with me."
Essie looked as happy as ever now. Paul had that effect on her. It was obvious she loved him, that was one thing I could say about her. The only thing is that she was totally oblivious to the fact Paul was taking a total advantage of her. "I'll cherish her, for as long as I live. And uh..."
Suddenly, Paul was at a loss for words. He was making eye contact with me. His face became red as he didn't know what to say. The surprise he was feeling was evident.
"Paul." Essie said under her breath, jabbing her finger into Paul's side.
"Huh? Oh right." Paul woke up from his daze. He continued to look at me, then his words flowed out easily. "I want to spend all the time I can with the woman I end up with. Yes, through sickness and health like they say, but even on a deeper level than that. I want everyone to see the love we have... and I fully believe that love will never run out."
A tear fell down my cheek. As Paul said those words, it was hard to deceiver who exactly they were addressed to. His eyes began getting red as well, the crowd sighed.
Awww the ladies in the crowd cooed. Full on tears welled up in his eyes, but Paul didn't let them fall.
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"I love you." Paul said, still staring at me. The crowd stopped for a moment, then Paul turned to Essie and pulled her close. She didn't seem happy at all, but put on a smile for the crowd.
They all clapped and cheered softly. Paul looked at me as his arm was wrapped around Essie. She placed her hand on his cheek and turned his head to face her. While I watched Essie place kisses on Paul's lips, I suddenly was pulled to the side.
"I have a few words to share with you, negress." Mrs. Dubois whispered as she stood next to me.
I followed her upstairs where we stood inside of a sitting room. She shut the ornate doors while I took a seat on the velvet couch. It was old and stuffy inside, the decor was outdated from yesteryear.
If I had to express what I felt in that room in one word, it was stagnation. There was no room for improvement or freshness, only the dark past.
"I'm sure you want something from Paul. Whether it's to take you out of whatever sad tenement you and your family are in or whether it's an improvement in status..." Mrs. Dubois began to speak. Then, she stood right by where I sat on that Victorian-style couch.
"Whatever your reasoning is, I'm sure the amount of cash I can offer you surpasses anything you're looking for in Paul." Mrs. Dubois continued.
"I don't want anything from Paul. I'm in love with him." I said weakly. I wanted to tell her he was in love with me, and that everything she thought about Paul and Essie was a lie.
But I also did not want to everything Paul so desperately needed.
I was taken out of my thoughts after Mrs. Dubois handed me a check. Looking down, I read a number that had many zeros at the end. I thought for a moment, then stuffed it into my dress.
"That's very telling." Mrs. Dubois spoke up. "Accepting something over your love."
"I guess this is on the grounds I never speak to Paul again." I answered her, ignoring her comment. Mrs. Dubois rose her chin high with a smirk.
"Now, if you don't mind I think we'd both prefer it if you'd leave the premises. I don't think a frock like that would be appropriate even in a brothel." Mrs. Dubois looked me up and down.
I huffed, but when I stepped toward the door, I saw Paul standing in the doorway. He pushed open the French doors even more, revealing Essie standing next to him.
"See? All she wanted from you is money." Essie touched Paul's shoulder. Paul was obviously hurt, it broke my heart watching him stand there.
"Let's head back down." Essie suggested as she walked off. Paul watched me as I walked past him out of the room, then I went downstairs.
As I walked down the ornate steps, Marlon stood at the bottom in his tux. He had an expression of curiosity on his face. "Did he finally let you know exactly what he decided?"
"Yes, he did. It's all crystal clear." I answered Marlon. He held out his arm, I liked my arm with his. Then, we both headed toward the doorway.
As we stood there, the rude butler retrieved my coat from a nearby closet. Then, he helped me shrug it back on. I gave him a glare as Marlon smirked down at me. Then, we both left that god forsaken house.
