With This Ring

For Matheson the next month flew by at a rapid speed. He was busy interviewing for an additional person for the store. He was training Gary to run the store in his absence and the bakery had to prepare for a large party for the city's mayor. He kept his word, however, and did not work more than ten hours each day.

The most disturbing thing for him, however was VaLysia. Ever since his little episode, she was handling him with kid gloves. She was almost as bad as his mother, asking him if he was taking his meds and checking to make sure that he got off at a decent hour. Truth be told, he was still going into the bakery by six and usually got off by four o'clock. He no longer worked seven to ten days straight before he had a day off. He took one full day off per week and also Sundays. Normally they were closed on Sunday anyway, but a lot of times he was there preparing for the upcoming week. He now let Gary handle that task.

It seemed that Val was working more than he was. She was up for a promotion and he did not see her as much as he would like. She also had not slept with him since that infamous night and he missed her.

He decided to meet her on her job after he got off. He wanted to surprise her and take her to dinner. She told him that she would be off by six that evening and he walked up to the woman at the front desk with a bouquet of red roses. She looked up at him and smiled.

"May I help you?" the blonde woman asked smiling.

"VaLysia Chamberlayne" Matheson replied returning her smile.

Debbie Whitmore ran her eyes over the handsome young man with the roses. He was dressed in a white double breasted coat and black and white pants. Her curiosity got the best of her.

"You don't look like a delivery man…I've seen that outfit you're wearing somewhere before."

Matheson laughed. "I'm a baker. These are my work clothes"

Debbie grinned appreciatively. He was even more handsome now that he was smiling.

"A baker delivering roses. That's a first. "She grinned at him seductively. "So…are you helping a friend out?"

"No" Matheson replied. "Will you please let Ms. Chamberlayne know that I'm here. "

Debbie continued to stare. "If you're a baker…where's your goodies. I don't get you delivering roses!"

Matheson stared at her. Why was she giving him twenty questions?

"Thank you for your observation. She loves devil's food cake. Maybe next time I'll bring that instead. Now will you please let her know that Matheson is here?"

He tried to keep his voice even and his temper in check. Debbie continued to stare at him and the confusion on her face was obvious.

Debbie picked up the phone. "VaLysia, there's a Mr. Matheson here to see you."

She hung up the phone.

"She'll be right up."

Matheson sat down still feeling her eyes on him. Just then two men came by the desk and spoke to Debbie. One handed her a manila folder and asked her to file it.

"Well" the short man with dark hair and gray eyes said. "Looks like someone is getting some roses."

The black man beside him laughed and turned to Debbie. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"VaLysia" Debbie replied.

Matheson noticed that both men seemed surprised.

"Well good for her." Mr. Jenkins the black man replied. He turned to the other man. "Ted, don't forget to set up the conference room tomorrow morning for our meeting."

Just then Val came to the front desk.

"Matheson, what a surprise." She said smiling.

"Hey babe." He said jumping up and giving her a quick kiss.

All eyes were on the two of them and Debbie's mouth fell open. Mr. Jenkins raised an eyebrow.

"I came to take you to dinner." Matheson murmured. "Are you about ready to leave?"

He tried to keep his voice low, but he knew that the others heard him.

"Yeah. Let me get my things." She took the roses and inhaled their scent. "Are these for me?"

"Who else?" he asked grinning.

"I'll be right back" she said handing them back to him.

He sat back down and noticed that the three of them were still staring.

"Is something wrong?" Matheson asked trying to hold his temper.

"No" Debbie said and tried to busy herself with the papers that were on her desk.

"I didn't think she liked white people" Ted whispered to Debbie after Mr. Jenkins walked off following VaLysia.

Matheson couldn't hear him clearly, but he read his lips and figured it out.

"I can guarantee you that she likes white people" he replied looking at Ted whose face turned red.

Ted then turned and walked off from the desk. Debbie picked up the phone and made a call.

VaLysia came back with her things.

"Let's go" she said.

"Where are we going? We have both of our cars, so who's going to drive?"

"I need to go home and shower and change" he said. "I can pick you up if you want to do the same, or you can follow me home."

Val thought a minute. "I'll follow you home. I'm starving and I don't want to hold things up."

She followed him to his apartment and parked beside him. She walked in with him and he threw his keys on the table and walked straight upstairs. He began undoing his coat as he went up the steps.

Val lingered downstairs a moment and then went upstairs when she heard him in the shower. She had deliberately avoided spending too much time with Matheson. Work had kept both of them fairly busy and she had not been in his apartment since that night.

She had to admit to herself that she missed him terribly. She talked to him on the phone constantly, but truth be told she was afraid that he would have another episode so she had limited her alone time with him. Avoiding him had not always been easy and she made excuses for not being alone with him for any length of time.

She heard the shower cut off and she hurried back downstairs and sat on the sofa. When Matheson got dressed they would leave, have dinner and then she'd tell him that she had to go home. She knew it wasn't right, but she didn't know what else to do. She wanted to wait until after her returned to the doctor at the end of the week before they became intimate again. She wanted to be sure that everything was alright. Matheson had become upset when she first told him this, and he had tried to reassure her that he was fine.

She heard him come downstairs and was surprised to see that he wasn't dressed. He was still damp from the shower and he was bare except for a towel he had wrapped around himself. His hair was plastered to his head and he looked sexy as hell. She tried not to stare.

"You'd better get dressed" she said nervously.

"I don't want to just yet" he replied staring at her. "You've put me on rations and I'm dying here Val. Have some mercy."

She stared at him; his ocean eyes were devouring her. She felt trapped knowing that she most likely would not get out of the apartment without giving him what he wanted.

He walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her. "It's been twenty seven days" he murmured. "You can't give me your goodies and then cut me off. That's not right."

Val couldn't think straight. He seemed to have the fastest hands possible. He had already unbuttoned her blouse and his hand was cupping her breast. The towel left nothing to the imagination.

"I just want you to be alright." She said breathless from his kisses.

"I am fine" he said undoing her pants. She felt them fall around her ankles.

"Please, babe. Don't say no to me. I need you." His voice was husky with need and she felt own arousal.

"Alright Matheson" she said. "Let's go upstairs."

He started to protest, but she quickly stepped out of her pants and ran upstairs with them in her hands. He followed quickly behind her.

He walked over to the dresser and she walked over to him covering his hand with hers.

"No. Don't put that cream on." She looked into his eyes. "I don't care if you don't last that long. I want to taste you."

Her confession made him groan and he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard.

"I love you so much, Babe" he whispered.

"Love you too" she said as he pulled her down on the bed. She quickly slid down his body. He was erect and she ran her hand over him squeezing him in her hand. He groaned again and she ran her tongue over him. Even though he had showered, she could detect his scent with his arousal and she found it made her hunger for him even more. She took as much of him into her mouth as she could enjoying the feel and taste of him.

"That's enough" she heard Matheson say after a few moments pulling her back up to him. "Come up here."

He lay back on the bed and pulled her up to his face. He positioned her over his face and held her cheeks in his hands as he devoured her. VaLysia threw back her head as her orgasm came quickly under the attention of his tongue.

He quickly flipped her on her back and he was over her, looking at her as he pushed himself inside of her. He held her by the ankles stretching her legs apart and his strokes which had started out slowly were now becoming more frenzied.

VaLysia reached up and touched his face and he kissed her hand. Sweat was pouring off of his face and she could see that he was so close. He suddenly stopped and pulled out, surprising her.

"Get on your knees" he commanded in a low growl.

She did as he asked and he quickly pushed his way inside her again behind her. She had never seen him like this. She didn't know how he was doing, but he had lasted longer than she thought possible. He was slamming into her hard and furious. He was talking to her, telling her how good she felt and that she was a very bad girl for keeping her sweet cookies away from him.

"You got them now, baby" she replied laughing.

"Oh yeah!" he yelled in agreement. She heard him cry out and felt his orgasm as he pulsated inside of her. He fell on the bed beside her and she quickly looked at him, but he was wide awake and grinning at her. He pulled her into his arms. "I'm fine. See?"

"I see" she replied smiling. "To say that I'm pleasantly surprised is an understatement."

"I've been following doctors orders" he replied. "Doctor Lilly told me that most likely my premature status came about because I was rushing to get it over with when I would try to take care of things in the shower. He told me to change my mindset and try to do make it last longer when I do that. I had to retrain my body. What do you think I've been doing over the last month since you've been avoiding me?"

She kissed him on the nose. "I can see that you've been making good use of your time."

"My father has set it up for me to go to Virginia for two weeks next weekend. Are you going to be able to go with me?"

"I don't think I can be gone longer than a week Matheson" she replied. "Do you want me to go down with you, or do you want me to come down after you've been there a week and stay the second week? We can then come back together."

He stretched and sat up. "Come down the second week. The place most likely is a mess and I'm going to hire some people to help clean it up. I can keep myself busy for a week, I think." He turned to her. "I have something to tell you. "

"What is it" she asked suddenly worried at the serious look on his face.

He pulled her towards him. "I did get a little distressing news from the doctor on my last visit. However it's nothing to be alarmed about."

"What is it?" she asked.

He hesitated a moment. "Well, it seems that my sperm count is low most likely due to stress." He replied. "The doctor doesn't think that we can't conceive on our own. However he feels that it is most likely due to all the stress in my life and by changing some things, my levels will return to normal."

"Well I guess I have nothing to worry about since I've been working so much and I'm two weeks late with my shot!" she said. "I hadn't planned on doing this today."

Matheson laughed. "That's when it's good…when it's not planned."

"Well I'm starving and you promised me dinner." She protested. "So come on and feed me."

"Yes ma'am" Matheson said getting up.

He pulled her into the shower and they showered together and Val had to admit that him lathering her up made her want him again. He was happy to oblige her. She wondered if it would be like this when they were married. She was exhausted when they left the apartment even though she tried not to show it. She was just glad that Matheson didn't have another fainting spell. In fact, he seemed just fine. If anything, he seemed insatiable.

"No more. Let's go" she said pushing away his hands as she tried to get dressed.

They left the apartment and he took her to Cagney's again. She ordered the deluxe seafood platter.

"Are you going to be able to eat all that" he asked surprised when their dinner arrived.

"You've worn me out! What I don't eat, I'll take with me" she replied.

"You're staying with me tonight, right." He asked grinning.

"I don't have any clothes, Matheson. No I'm going home." She replied.

"Can I go with you?" he asked sheepishly.

"Well…"

"Please" he asked chuckling. "I'll make it worth your while."

"Alright. But I have to get up early! There will be no all-nighters Mr. Hendricks!"

"We'll see" he replied.

He looked at the dessert menu.

"Are you ordering?" he asked looking at her over the menu.

"I don't think I can eat another bite" she said sitting back in the chair.

He then ordered chocolate brownie with chocolate syrup and a scoop of ice cream.

"Oooh that sounds good" she said after he placed his order.

"You didn't want any, remember?" he replied.

"Maybe I'll just get a taste" she said grinning.

The waiter brought the brownie back to their table and it had a single candle sticking out of it. Val looked at him puzzled.

"Why the candle? It's not your birthday and it's not mines either."

He quickly reached in his pocket and pulled out a box and opened it revealing the ring he had chosen.

"Will you marry me, VaLysia" he asked taking her hand. He quickly slipped the ring on her finger.

Val was shocked. The diamond was huge with three smaller diamonds on each side of the main stone. The white gold sparkled under the light.

"It's beautiful" she said trying to hold back the tears.

"I want you to be my wife, my soul mate. Forever and ever we will be together as one. Say yes."

"Yes" she replied her voice choking.

She looked down at the ring and then back at him. He leaned across the table and kissed her. They had drawn some attention and a few people began to clap. Val looked up to see the waiter still standing there.

"Congratulations" he said sincerely.

"Thank you" she replied.

Just then a man walked over to their table.

"I'd like to take your picture." He said. He quickly took several before VaLysia or Matheson could protest.

"I'm Jake Harris from The Daily News." He looked at Matheson. "I'd like to do a piece on you two. Interracial relationships still draw a lot of attention. I'd like to interview you two and get your perspective."

"I don't know" VaLysia said. "What do you think Matheson?"

"Matheson?" the man said looking at him surprised. "Are you Matheson Hendricks, who owns the Hannah's chain?"

"My father owns the chain" Matheson replied.

"I remember you" Jake said excitedly. "I interviewed you last year when all those problems started with Wall Street and the Banks. I interviewed you and your father about the effect it was having on small business. Remember?"

"I remember" Matheson replied.

"Well, this is something." He said looking from Val to Matheson. This is a real human interest story. Golden boy, heir to Hannah's in an interracial relationship. Our readers will love it."

Matheson stood up and dropped his napkin on the table. "Look man, I don't want this all over the paper. Our private lives are just that, private."

"Don't worry" Jake replied. "I'll stick to the facts."

He looked at Val. "What's your name?"

"VaLysia Chamberlayne. Matheson's right. I know you have a job to do, but I'd appreciate it if you would limit what you say. I'm sure that there are more important things for you to report on."

Jake grinned and wrote down something on his pad.

"Don't worry. It'll just be a quick blurb, that's all."

Matheson grabbed Val's arm. "Let's go."

They left the restaurant and Val wondered what Jake was going to put in the paper.

Matheson drove back to his apartment and quickly packed a bag and followed her to her apartment.

Matheson called his parents and gave them the news. He didn't want them to find out if it should show up in the paper and Val did the same thing and called her grandmother.

"We are probably just overreacting." Matheson replied as Val hung up the phone. "Most likely there won't be anything in the paper at all."

Even as he said it though, his gut feeling told him that was not the case.

He found out as much when he got up the next day and arrived at work. Not only did the two of them make the bottom of the front page, it was in live and living color. Val was holding her hand and the ring could be seen on her finger. He was looking at her and they both were smiling.

The caption read:

Hannah's heir pops the question at a romantic dinner in Cagney's restaurant.

The short article then stated that it was the first part of a series exploring interracial relationships. It requested that people log in on line and give feedback.

He dropped the paper on the counter. Well, Jake didn't waste any time. He didn't really care, however, what people thought and what their opinions were. He was going to marry Val and nothing was going to change his mind!