A Love Worth Waiting For-Destinee's Story a Novella
By Lisa Marbly-Warir
Chapter 1
Reflections
The night sky was velvety blue and the lights of the surrounding buildings glittered like diamonds in the distance as I scanned the view of New York from my high rise hotel room. I made myself comfortable in the window seat, drawing my knees up to my chin and casually glanced back at the man softly snoring on the bed, sprawled out and dead to the world. A night of lovemaking had worn him out. It was because of him that I was even there. I sat in the darkened room, illuminated only by streams of light from the full moon in the crisp autumn sky, reflecting on the events that had brought me to this beautiful and bustling city. Leaving Langston was the best move I could have made.
I was born and raised in Rosedale, one hour from Langston, and I’d had a happy childhood; the only thing lacking was a father. But I had a loving and doting mother who wanted me to do better in life than she had. She urged me to go to college and get an education and be independent because there was no guarantee of a man being there forever.
My mother could be overbearing and critical of men. My father had let her down with his womanizing and insensitivity. It wasn’t intentional on her part, but her constant rhetoric that men were worthless, good for nothing creatures incapable of love, caused me to be apprehensive and cautious about men. That began my hunt for the perfect man but I grew up and found that no one was perfect. I managed to keep one childhood belief: that when I met the true love of my life I would just know.
At the age of twenty-three I finished college, and with degree in-hand, I was ready for the real world. But when I told my mother I had accepted a job in Langston for a prominent attorney, she didn’t want to hear it. Being her only child, she was scared of being alone and guilt-tripped me into staying longer than normal. Most of my friends left home at twenty-one. I explained to her that it was only an hour’s drive, and that I would visit at least once a month and when time permitted, she had encouraged me after all to be independent.
“Yeah, I guess I wanted independence for you. So, where will you live?” she asked.
I told her I hadn’t thought about that and I would just commute till I saved enough money for my own place. I kept my real dream to myself. I always wanted to live in New York, and Langston would be a great stepping stone. What few friends I had were skeptical of me realizing my dream, believing I was too naïve for the real world. They never told me to my face, they humored me, which made me all the more determined. Though I only lived an hour away from Langston, I’d never been there, but I was aware of its longstanding reputation of excluding new comers. Two weeks prior, I drove down for my interview with Mr. Edward Johnson, Attorney at Law. In awe of the many stately homes and big, fancy cars I passed along the way; I couldn’t help feeling nervous taking this first step to independence.
My destination was downtown Langston and I expected a little more glitz, but it did not differ much from Rosedale. The only difference was the money that flowed. Rosedale was blue collar and Langston was a tight-knit, affluent, African-American community, home of doctors, lawyers and even a few politicians. If you were unlucky enough not to be one of them, they had no problem treating you like a nobody. When I reached the office of Mr. Edward Johnson, I found a respectable looking brick building with ivy climbing one side. I parked my car and went in, still nervous. I stopped at the front desk where a nonchalant receptionist pointed the way to my future. I made my way down the seemingly long corridor and got admiring glances from two men I passed along the way. I paused for a second at my destination, took a deep breath and opened the door.
Mr. Johnson was not at all what I expected; speaking briefly with him over the phone, I’d made a judgment based on his voice. I envisioned a man in his early forties, settled and reserved. What I saw before me was a fresh face just out of college. I later found out he was thirty-six. I remember being taken by his soft brown eyes and his kissable mouth. He shook my hand and motioned for me to sit and then explained the job requirements and responsibilities. We discussed the position and other personal, but necessary information and when I left I had a job. While in college I’d only had part-time jobs, so getting a full time job meant more money and I was ecstatic. After the interview, I drove back home, eager to tell my mother the good news.
“That’s good baby, I’m glad for you” She told me, although her eyes gave away her true feelings.
“I wish my baby wasn’t going so far away,” she continued.
“Mom, don’t make me feel bad. This is what I want to do and I can’t stay home forever,” I told her, knowing it was not what she wanted to hear.
“I know, I know,” she said sighing. “I’m glad you’re independent, I wish I’d been like that. I got married right out of high school. So I never learned independence, and I had you a year later, but I wouldn’t change it for the world, you are my life,”
“Thanks mom,” I said and hugged her. When she talked like that it made me feel obligated to live the life she wanted for me, and not the life I had planned for myself. I retreated to my small bedroom at the end of the hall. It hadn’t changed much from my teenage years, stuffed animals, posters on the walls, and books and magazines strewn all over the floor. I was eager to leave it in a few months for my own place.
***
The first month on the job proved to be taxing, but Mr. Johnson was very patient. He said, “Getting adjusted in a new situation takes time, it’s understandable.”
I liked my boss and as I got acquainted with him, I found that he had a mature quality, something a lot of males, even at his age lacked. When he approached you, it was with concern and compassion about your well-being, but he had a playful, mischievous side as well and I was drawn to him more each day. I never let it hamper my work I stayed professional and kept my feelings to myself.
There was plenty of competition regarding Mr. Johnson; he was the most eligible bachelor in Langston, and the young women made it known that they wanted him, by throwing themselves at him, not giving him a chance to pursue. They would stop by the office to take him to lunch, bring cookies and offer him carnal pleasures. I never found out if he partook of the latter, or if it was just malicious gossip. Though the women found any excuse to be in his face, he seemed to take no notice of it. Either he was a good actor or he was oblivious to it all.
I found that he burdened me with more work than Carol or May the other two ladies in his office. Given his gender and their passion for tender young things, I often wondered why he had older women working for him. I later found out that his mother had hired them. She didn’t want her son distracted at work, so it was a fluke that I was even given the job. Carol was a fifty-four year old grandmother of three and May was younger by a couple of years but she wouldn’t give her true age. She was a spicy woman who still dressed like she was thirty. They did their share of the work load and I did mine and then some. It may have been about seniority, but I didn’t appreciate it. I kept my mouth shut and continued to work hard which ultimately worked to my advantage because Mr. Johnson eventually made me his personal assistant. It came with a six hundred dollar a year raise, which made my co-workers jealous and a little spiteful at first, starting rumors and sharing distasteful jokes that I was ‘dick-tating’ for Mr. Johnson.
It didn’t help that Mr. Johnson and I were often alone at the office well into the evening working on cases, and me finishing up loose ends because he added more and more work on me. When Carol and May saw that I really was a decent person, they let their guard down and decided they did like me and I was no threat-“so no hard feelings”, May said to me. She was the one with the joke. There was always an undercurrent of spite in her “jokes” but I let it go. One day when Mr. Johnson was out of the office Carol teasingly said, “Mr. Johnson is sweet on you,”
“What?” I said surprised. “What makes you say that?” I asked.
“I see how he acts around you, but you appear aloof baby. You’ve got to loosen up, tell him you’re interested,”
“Why are you telling that girl that?” May chimed in looking up from her typewriter. “He doesn’t go for prudes,”
May was in one of her moods. They came and went like the wind; you didn’t know which May you were going to deal with on any given day. Supposedly her longtime boyfriend Jimmie Mann ran around on her, which explained some of her sourness. The thought of Mr. Johnson, being a decent man towards any woman obviously bothered her. I ignored May and concentrated on what Carol told me. She didn’t have a clue. Mr. Johnson preoccupied my mind daily. I just never learned the art of flirtation, not knowing how to be subtle; I might come off too strong or even desperate. I was temporarily excited at the thought, but dismissed it as old lady talk.
“It would be nice,” I said dreamily.
“He’s a wonderful young man. I used to babysit him when he was a little boy and was happy when he wanted me to work for him,” Carol said.
“What are you two whispering about?” I jumped at the sound of Mr. Johnson’s voice.
I didn’t realize he had walked in. My heart thumped wildly. What had he heard? I wondered.
“Sorry,” He laughed. “I didn’t mean to startle you,”
He walked into his office with a wicked little grin on his face. When he was safely in his office, I whispered to Carol.
“When he smiles like that I want to kiss his lips off,” she laughed. “Yeah, you and everybody else!” she responded.
Available
www.Amazon.com
www.Smashwords.com
By Lisa Marbly-Warir
Chapter 1
Reflections
The night sky was velvety blue and the lights of the surrounding buildings glittered like diamonds in the distance as I scanned the view of New York from my high rise hotel room. I made myself comfortable in the window seat, drawing my knees up to my chin and casually glanced back at the man softly snoring on the bed, sprawled out and dead to the world. A night of lovemaking had worn him out. It was because of him that I was even there. I sat in the darkened room, illuminated only by streams of light from the full moon in the crisp autumn sky, reflecting on the events that had brought me to this beautiful and bustling city. Leaving Langston was the best move I could have made.
I was born and raised in Rosedale, one hour from Langston, and I’d had a happy childhood; the only thing lacking was a father. But I had a loving and doting mother who wanted me to do better in life than she had. She urged me to go to college and get an education and be independent because there was no guarantee of a man being there forever.
My mother could be overbearing and critical of men. My father had let her down with his womanizing and insensitivity. It wasn’t intentional on her part, but her constant rhetoric that men were worthless, good for nothing creatures incapable of love, caused me to be apprehensive and cautious about men. That began my hunt for the perfect man but I grew up and found that no one was perfect. I managed to keep one childhood belief: that when I met the true love of my life I would just know.
At the age of twenty-three I finished college, and with degree in-hand, I was ready for the real world. But when I told my mother I had accepted a job in Langston for a prominent attorney, she didn’t want to hear it. Being her only child, she was scared of being alone and guilt-tripped me into staying longer than normal. Most of my friends left home at twenty-one. I explained to her that it was only an hour’s drive, and that I would visit at least once a month and when time permitted, she had encouraged me after all to be independent.
“Yeah, I guess I wanted independence for you. So, where will you live?” she asked.
I told her I hadn’t thought about that and I would just commute till I saved enough money for my own place. I kept my real dream to myself. I always wanted to live in New York, and Langston would be a great stepping stone. What few friends I had were skeptical of me realizing my dream, believing I was too naïve for the real world. They never told me to my face, they humored me, which made me all the more determined. Though I only lived an hour away from Langston, I’d never been there, but I was aware of its longstanding reputation of excluding new comers. Two weeks prior, I drove down for my interview with Mr. Edward Johnson, Attorney at Law. In awe of the many stately homes and big, fancy cars I passed along the way; I couldn’t help feeling nervous taking this first step to independence.
My destination was downtown Langston and I expected a little more glitz, but it did not differ much from Rosedale. The only difference was the money that flowed. Rosedale was blue collar and Langston was a tight-knit, affluent, African-American community, home of doctors, lawyers and even a few politicians. If you were unlucky enough not to be one of them, they had no problem treating you like a nobody. When I reached the office of Mr. Edward Johnson, I found a respectable looking brick building with ivy climbing one side. I parked my car and went in, still nervous. I stopped at the front desk where a nonchalant receptionist pointed the way to my future. I made my way down the seemingly long corridor and got admiring glances from two men I passed along the way. I paused for a second at my destination, took a deep breath and opened the door.
Mr. Johnson was not at all what I expected; speaking briefly with him over the phone, I’d made a judgment based on his voice. I envisioned a man in his early forties, settled and reserved. What I saw before me was a fresh face just out of college. I later found out he was thirty-six. I remember being taken by his soft brown eyes and his kissable mouth. He shook my hand and motioned for me to sit and then explained the job requirements and responsibilities. We discussed the position and other personal, but necessary information and when I left I had a job. While in college I’d only had part-time jobs, so getting a full time job meant more money and I was ecstatic. After the interview, I drove back home, eager to tell my mother the good news.
“That’s good baby, I’m glad for you” She told me, although her eyes gave away her true feelings.
“I wish my baby wasn’t going so far away,” she continued.
“Mom, don’t make me feel bad. This is what I want to do and I can’t stay home forever,” I told her, knowing it was not what she wanted to hear.
“I know, I know,” she said sighing. “I’m glad you’re independent, I wish I’d been like that. I got married right out of high school. So I never learned independence, and I had you a year later, but I wouldn’t change it for the world, you are my life,”
“Thanks mom,” I said and hugged her. When she talked like that it made me feel obligated to live the life she wanted for me, and not the life I had planned for myself. I retreated to my small bedroom at the end of the hall. It hadn’t changed much from my teenage years, stuffed animals, posters on the walls, and books and magazines strewn all over the floor. I was eager to leave it in a few months for my own place.
***
The first month on the job proved to be taxing, but Mr. Johnson was very patient. He said, “Getting adjusted in a new situation takes time, it’s understandable.”
I liked my boss and as I got acquainted with him, I found that he had a mature quality, something a lot of males, even at his age lacked. When he approached you, it was with concern and compassion about your well-being, but he had a playful, mischievous side as well and I was drawn to him more each day. I never let it hamper my work I stayed professional and kept my feelings to myself.
There was plenty of competition regarding Mr. Johnson; he was the most eligible bachelor in Langston, and the young women made it known that they wanted him, by throwing themselves at him, not giving him a chance to pursue. They would stop by the office to take him to lunch, bring cookies and offer him carnal pleasures. I never found out if he partook of the latter, or if it was just malicious gossip. Though the women found any excuse to be in his face, he seemed to take no notice of it. Either he was a good actor or he was oblivious to it all.
I found that he burdened me with more work than Carol or May the other two ladies in his office. Given his gender and their passion for tender young things, I often wondered why he had older women working for him. I later found out that his mother had hired them. She didn’t want her son distracted at work, so it was a fluke that I was even given the job. Carol was a fifty-four year old grandmother of three and May was younger by a couple of years but she wouldn’t give her true age. She was a spicy woman who still dressed like she was thirty. They did their share of the work load and I did mine and then some. It may have been about seniority, but I didn’t appreciate it. I kept my mouth shut and continued to work hard which ultimately worked to my advantage because Mr. Johnson eventually made me his personal assistant. It came with a six hundred dollar a year raise, which made my co-workers jealous and a little spiteful at first, starting rumors and sharing distasteful jokes that I was ‘dick-tating’ for Mr. Johnson.
It didn’t help that Mr. Johnson and I were often alone at the office well into the evening working on cases, and me finishing up loose ends because he added more and more work on me. When Carol and May saw that I really was a decent person, they let their guard down and decided they did like me and I was no threat-“so no hard feelings”, May said to me. She was the one with the joke. There was always an undercurrent of spite in her “jokes” but I let it go. One day when Mr. Johnson was out of the office Carol teasingly said, “Mr. Johnson is sweet on you,”
“What?” I said surprised. “What makes you say that?” I asked.
“I see how he acts around you, but you appear aloof baby. You’ve got to loosen up, tell him you’re interested,”
“Why are you telling that girl that?” May chimed in looking up from her typewriter. “He doesn’t go for prudes,”
May was in one of her moods. They came and went like the wind; you didn’t know which May you were going to deal with on any given day. Supposedly her longtime boyfriend Jimmie Mann ran around on her, which explained some of her sourness. The thought of Mr. Johnson, being a decent man towards any woman obviously bothered her. I ignored May and concentrated on what Carol told me. She didn’t have a clue. Mr. Johnson preoccupied my mind daily. I just never learned the art of flirtation, not knowing how to be subtle; I might come off too strong or even desperate. I was temporarily excited at the thought, but dismissed it as old lady talk.
“It would be nice,” I said dreamily.
“He’s a wonderful young man. I used to babysit him when he was a little boy and was happy when he wanted me to work for him,” Carol said.
“What are you two whispering about?” I jumped at the sound of Mr. Johnson’s voice.
I didn’t realize he had walked in. My heart thumped wildly. What had he heard? I wondered.
“Sorry,” He laughed. “I didn’t mean to startle you,”
He walked into his office with a wicked little grin on his face. When he was safely in his office, I whispered to Carol.
“When he smiles like that I want to kiss his lips off,” she laughed. “Yeah, you and everybody else!” she responded.
Available
www.Amazon.com
www.Smashwords.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SM366NM Free ebook Download now
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKtbuL6afXGtg3Y_z7xTmJi2jz7JHfUkO
DESTINEE'S PLAYLIST SONGS of her LIFE
DESTINEE'S PLAYLIST SONGS of her LIFE
REVIEWS
Read what other readers are saying about Destinee Romance Novella. Reviews that were emailed to me
DH-I just finished your book. It was GREAT- a true page turner. I couldn’t put it down. I loved it and hope there will be another.
RT-Once I started reading Destinee, I wanted to know what would happen next, it’s like watching a movie. Nice job!!
DW- I finished your book and it was very well written. You should definitely continue to write. I am definitely interested in reading more from you.
A couple of reviews from http://www.amazon.com/
This story was about a woman who was trying to live out her dreams and to be a woman of integrity. I really enjoyed reading this book. It kept my attention. I felt as if I was with the main character throughout her journey. There were parts that made me laugh, be sad and kept me wondering what would happen next. I don't want to say much because I don't want to give the story away. It was wonderful and compelling love story. This story will be great with a sequel.
Loved the book ! I would love to see how Destinee and Edwards relationship evolves after marriage and also see more of Edwards POV. What made Destinee stand out to him ? Why did he take sooo long to say....(wont spoil it haha)
DH-I just finished your book. It was GREAT- a true page turner. I couldn’t put it down. I loved it and hope there will be another.
RT-Once I started reading Destinee, I wanted to know what would happen next, it’s like watching a movie. Nice job!!
DW- I finished your book and it was very well written. You should definitely continue to write. I am definitely interested in reading more from you.
A couple of reviews from http://www.amazon.com/
This story was about a woman who was trying to live out her dreams and to be a woman of integrity. I really enjoyed reading this book. It kept my attention. I felt as if I was with the main character throughout her journey. There were parts that made me laugh, be sad and kept me wondering what would happen next. I don't want to say much because I don't want to give the story away. It was wonderful and compelling love story. This story will be great with a sequel.
Loved the book ! I would love to see how Destinee and Edwards relationship evolves after marriage and also see more of Edwards POV. What made Destinee stand out to him ? Why did he take sooo long to say....(wont spoil it haha)