How Deep Is Your Love 3 Read online

  “That little heifer!” His mother gasped. “I am so sorry, my boy! Where is Brianna? Did she whoop Gabby’s ass for you?”

  “No,” Denzel said. “I nearly whooped Gabrielle’s ass.” Daisy thought her son was perfect. Every mother thought their son was perfect, but Denzel grew into an amazing man, despite how his father treated him. But his anger was always his downfall.

  “I know how angry you must have been, Denzel. But I warned you not to become your father.”

  “I know. But Charm was there to pull be back. If not, who knows what I would have done to Gabby.”

  “Charm, is your new sweetheart?”

  “Yeah, I guess you can call her that.”

  “I need to come and visit. I’m missing too much, besides, I haven’t seen you in a year. I’m gonna plan to come and don’t talk me out of it.” Denzel rolled his eyes.

  “Okay, Daisy,” he replied, simply.

  “I hope you have that much courage to call me my first name in front of me face,” She said. “Just know my right hand will be waiting to pop you in the mouth.” Denzel couldn’t help but smile.

  “Just tell me when you’re coming, okay? Don’t just pop up.”

  “I will. I can’t believe that heifer didn’t tell me what she did,” she muttered, as she ended the call. Denzel didn’t put his phone down. As soon as his mother was off the line, he called Gabby.

  “Where are you?” He snapped.

  “At home, painting,” she replied.

  “Why the hell did you call my mother and tell her I cheated on you?!” Denzel barked.

  “Because you kind of did, Denzel. At least, mentally and emotionally, you cheated.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He asked. “Seriously, have you lost your mind?”

  “No.”

  “You may have known her for the time we’ve been dating Gabby, but we ain’t dating no more. Don’t call my fucking mother and complain to her about shit you caused your fucking self. And I mean it.”

  “Fine. Done?” She questioned. “I was painting to relieve some stress and you’re triggering me.”

  “So now all of a sudden you paint?” He asked.

  “Since the paint and sip event, yes. It’s real therapeutic. I see why you love it. I could use some lessons though, honestly. Are you at the gallery? You can give me a few pointers.” Denzel couldn’t even believe she was brushing off what she’d done so easily. He was barking at her and she was just shrugging it off and acting like their conversation wasn’t serious.

  “I’m actually trying to paint what I see in my nightmares, but it’s not coming out so well. I think it might just have to be abstract instead of literal.”

  “Gabrielle,” Denzel said.

  “Yes?”

  “You heard what I said about calling my mom, right?”

  “Yes, I heard you.”

  “Good. I have work to get done. Have a good day.” He didn’t wait for her to answer, before he hung up the phone. He had no idea what was up with her, but he wanted to make clear that she couldn’t call his mother and try to get her to make Denzel resume their relationship.

  Shaking his head, he resumed working, with his mind mildly on Charm, and when she would return back to him. He was busy with work, keeping his mind stable until he heard banging on the gallery door. Only 20 minutes had gone by, and when he turned and looked, Gabrielle was standing at the door, with a medium sized canvas in her hands. Denzel rolled his eyes. He couldn’t believe it.

  “What part of I have to get work done, didn’t you understand?” He asked, when he opened the door. Despite his bitter attitude, she smiled at him and pushed her way into the gallery.

  “I figured since I knew you’d be here, I should just take advantage and just come. I do want you to see my painting and help me.”

  “Gabby…”

  “Denzel, just let it be, okay? I’m not asking for much. I thought painting was your life? Now I’m just trying to delve into it and you’re shunning me.”

  “Because you can’t just keep popping up on me.”

  “How much are your art lessons?” She asked.

  “50 an hour,” he replied. She pulled out her phone, and typed something, before his phone began vibrating. When he looked, she’d sent him 100 dollars.

  “Gabby, I can’t-”

  “I paid you,” She said. “I want a private lesson. Which mean I get you for 2 hours to teach me a thing or two about painting.” Denzel just stared at her, not sure what to say.

  “This is business,” She added. “You’re always serious about your business. What’s different now? I paid you, now, can I get my lesson?” Denzel shifted his weight on his feet. He didn’t want to agree to any of this, but she did pay him.

  “Fine,” he sighed. She smiled and giggled. Denzel rolled his eyes. “Wait here.” He left her in the main room, and went down to the basement to retrieve two chairs. He carried it up before going back down to retrieve art supplies and two canvases.

  “Have a seat,” he ordered, as he gave her a smock. She took the smock and put it on, before sitting in front of one of the canvases. She took the canvas she brought in and turned it towards him.

  “This is what I had,” she said. Denzel looked at the painting. It was clear she was new to painting, but he was impressed that she hadn’t given up, when it wasn’t looking the way she wanted it to. But what she had was an ill shaped child who looked to be carrying blanket. And on top of his head sprouted what Denzel thought to be locks.

  “It’s not bad,” he said. “You shouldn’t alter it though. I find value in keeping the first thing you ever painted, so that way you can see how much growth you’ve accomplished. That’s if you decide not to quit tomorrow, and this lesson was just your way of spending time with me.” Gabrielle actually laughed.

  “No, I’m not going to quit tomorrow,” she said. Denzel stared down at her. He was thinking about why he hadn’t gotten the smiles and giggles she was giving him now when they were dating.

  “Close your eyes,” Denzel finally spoke. She looked at him uneasily. “What? Scared of something?”

  “Every time I close my eyes, I see that faceless child,” she whispered. “It’s downright scary.” Denzel sat next to her. He didn’t know why she was having nightmares about a child, but if it was for the reason he thought, he didn’t want to talk about it. And with the child having locks, it made things very apparent as to who she was having nightmares about.

  “Look at me,” he said. She brought nervous eyes to his. Gabrielle was a natural drama queen, but Denzel could see that she was actually very afraid.

  “It’s just a nightmare,” he whispered to her. “Just remember that you’re here with me, in a safe place.” She gazed into his eyes and nodded.

  “Okay,” she replied.

  “Now, close your eyes.” Slowly she closed her lids. Denzel stared at her for a moment. Her soft face made him have a flashback of their college days, when he woke up to her sleeping face every morning. But this was completely different. Clearing his throat, he placed a paint brush in her hand. He closed her fingers over it.

  “I always try and tell a new student to start off by knowing what they want to paint. Painting doesn’t have to be this extravagant piece of work. It can be as simple as you want it to be. But first you need to see it. So think of something. Something that makes you smile, makes you happy, hell, it could even be something that makes you sad. Either way, just see something. Anything.” With him speaking to her in that low deep tone of his; all Gabrielle could think about was him. So many times he’d spoken to her in that tone of voice, and Gabrielle couldn’t help but yearn for him. Her brain took her to their wedding day. Where she was walking down the aisle in an elegant white dress, and a veil over her face. Denzel was waiting at the end of the aisle for her in a fitted black tux. His eyes were watering, as he watched her come down the aisle. And then they were in front of each other. He lifted her veil and was leaning in to kiss her. And so she leaned to
wards him to kiss the man who would become her husband.

  “Um, Gabby,” Denzel breathed. He licked his lips as he watched with wide eyes as Gabrielle leaned towards him with her mouth slightly open.

  “Kiss me,” She said. The gallery door opened with a loud ‘whoosh.’ Denzel jumped away from Gabby, as Charm stopped in her tracks when she saw just exactly what was going on. Gabby opened her eyes and realized the moment was gone.

  “Hey, baby girl,” Denzel greeted. He walked towards Charm, but she backed away, shaking her head. From where she was standing, Denzel saw that her eyes were puffy, as if she was crying. Something had gone wrong with Terrell. And here he was, with his ex’s lips dangling just inches away from his.

  “I’ll be in the office,” Charm said, in a clipped tone. She only glanced at Gabrielle briefly, before hurrying off to the office and closing herself in. She sat around the desk and put her face in her hands. She’d practically flown here just to get back in Denzel’s arms, only to find him about to kiss his ex. She couldn’t believe Denzel was doing that to her. Not knowing what to do, she called Brianna immediately.

  “What’s up, Chica?” Brianna asked, when she picked up the phone.

  “I’m at the gallery. I just walked in on Denzel and Gabrielle about to kiss. Who knows how long she’s been here, or how much kissing they’d been doing before I got here.”

  “Whoa, wait a minute. I don’t think for a second Denzel would be kissing on that girl. Maybe she was tryna get a kiss though.”

  “So should I just leave them out there or go and say something?” Charm asked.

  “Wait, you went to hide in the office?”

  “Yes,” Charm admitted.

  “Girl, get yo ass out there and make sure the bitch knows you ain’t no pushover. Denzel proclaimed that he loved you. So either you gonna get to the bottom of whatever bullshit is going on, or you just gonna let another woman take the man that you’re in love with. What’s it going to be?” Charm didn’t have to think. And her silence was enough for Brianna to know she was thinking hard.

  “Go out there and stand your ground. Get ratchet if you have to. But make sure you remain sexy. Denzel will love that.”

  “Heard that,” Charm breathed.

  “Go get em.” Brianna hung up the phone then. Charm stayed in the office, getting herself together. She dabbed at her puffy eyes with a warm rag, before going out to confront whatever reunion Denzel and his ex were having.

  Chapter Ten

  “I thought you said this was business,” Denzel scolded Gabrielle.

  “It is!” She exclaimed

  “So why the hell were you trying to kiss me?” He asked. Gabrielle felt foolish for letting her imagination get the better of her.

  “You told me to imagine something and I’m afraid it got the better of me,” she replied. “I’m sorry. I’ll think of something else.”

  “She’s pissed at me,” Denzel muttered, looking towards the locked office door. Gabrielle saw the longing in his stare and it made her sick to her stomach. Yet, she couldn’t really say anything about it. She just had to take it for what it was and suck it up. If she reverted back to her old ways, Denzel would drift further away from her.

  “She’ll get over it,” Gabrielle snorted. “Can we get back to the painting please? I hope this doesn’t count out of my two hours.”

  “No, but I don’t-” The opening of the office door grabbed his attention. Denzel whipped his head back in that direction. Charm was walking out of the office with purpose. He saw the outfit she planned to wear to see Terrell, he was immediately jealous. Charm was one sexy ass woman and even though her eyes had turned hard with her anger, all Denzel could do was think about how gorgeous she was.

  “So, what do we have going on here?” Charm asked the both of them. Denzel wanted to answer first, because Gabrielle’s mouth was sometimes too slick for her own good. But of course, Gabrielle was waiting for her chance to speak and was flapping her mouth way ahead of Denzel.

  “I’m having a private art lesson. So, please excuse me. I can’t very well learn any material if you’re hovering over me and my instructor.” Denzel slapped his forehead. Charm’s eyes lit up. She put her hands behind her back to appear as unfazed as possible. She smiled down at Gabrielle.

  “You may be having a lesson, little girl, but this is my building and my company. Your money can be reimbursed and you can get the fuck out if you can’t learn to watch your mouth.”

  “Little girl?” Gabrielle asked standing. “We’re practically the same fucking age. Don’t get it twisted.”

  “I didn’t say little girl in terms of age, Gabrielle.” She rolled her eyes and looked at Denzel.

  “You didn’t tell me you were going to have a lesson while I was gone,” she said.

  “I didn’t know I would have one. She showed up and sent me the money. She doesn’t have to stay though, we can do it another time if you need me.”

  “Oh no, I’m staying,” Gabrielle crossed her arms and pouted.

  “No, she can stay,” Charm replied. “Just answer me this. And don’t lie to my face either. Were you kissing on her before I got here? Touching? Anything?”

  “I’m sorry to break it to you, honey, but I guess he just can’t get enough of me when I’m around,” Gabrielle smirked.

  “Gabby,” Denzel snapped. He looked at Charm. “I didn’t touch her,” he said, calmly. “She was just trying to kiss me when you walked in, but I wasn’t gonna do that. You know I won’t do that kind of shit to you, especially after what Terrell did to you.” Charm was inclined to believe him. He didn’t break his eye contact and Denzel hadn’t lied to her yet.

  “Den-” Gabrielle was trying to speak, but Charm cut her off, by holding up her hand in Gabrielle’s face. Charm looked in her direction slowly and approached her.

  “Remember what happened the last time when you touched what belonged to me?” Charm asked her. Gabrielle just stared at Charm.

  “You wouldn’t dare,” Gabrielle said, lowly.

  “Try me,” Charm said “Go on. Touch him.” Gabrielle looked at Denzel. She wanted to upstage Charm badly, but she was afraid of what the woman would do. So she didn’t move a muscle.

  “That’s what I thought,” Charm said. She looked at Denzel. “And you, sir, you ain’t off the hook.”

  “But I didn’t do nothing,” Denzel exclaimed.

  “She got close enough to kiss you, because you let her get close to you. Do you wanna kiss her?” Charm asked.

  “No!”

  “You wanna fuck her?”

  “No!”

  “So then stop letting her get close to you like that! Because if I catch the two of you again doing some touchy feely shit, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  “You ever think he’s just using you, because he misses me, and he needs something to fill his void?” Gabrielle finally spoke up. She was trying to use words to hurt Charm, but she hadn’t succeeded. Charm just smiled at what she said.

  “If you got to ride his big dick every morning, you’d let him use you too,” Charm laughed.

  “You can claim his shit all you want, Charm,” Gabrielle snapped, getting desperate. “I had it first. Hell, I was the first pussy he’d ever felt.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m the last!” Charm snapped. “And we’re far from being done! Ain’t that right, Denzel?” Denzel only nodded. Charm stepped in front of him and lifted her creamy leg and wrapped it around his leg seductively. Denzel naturally held her at the thigh to keep her leg up. She bit his bottom lip teasingly before going in and kissing him deeply. She speared her hands through his locks, as she held him tightly, deepening the kiss. But it wasn’t until she pulled back and drew on his lip, that made him actually begin to tremble. Knowing it would get him, she licked his neck and bit down on his sensitive flesh.

  “No, Charm, don’t do-” He was attempting to tell her not to do that, because his dick would shoot up and he was only wearing track pants. But it was too late for tha
t now.

  “Thanks for that,” Denzel said, as Charm backed away from him. He tried to cover himself with his hands, but it wasn’t really hiding anything. And Gabrielle looked right at it. She licked her lips like a hungry animal.

  “Now she’s looking at it,” he said. Charm winked at him.

  “Oh, I want her to look. Look and know she can’t touch. And don’t worry, baby, I’ll take care of that once you’re finished up with the lesson.” Gabrielle clenched her fists, she was fuming. How dare Charm do that in front of her? And Denzel just let it happen.

  “You know you’re on borrowed time, right? Because sooner, or later, Denzel is gonna want a family, and not this play, play shit you on,” Gabrielle said. Charm turned and walked off, shrugging while Gabrielle spoke.

  “Your point?” Charm asked, even though she was uninterested.

  “What you gonna do when he wants his kids?” Charm stopped in her tracks, but she didn’t turn around. Gabrielle smiled, knowing she had Charm’s attention finally.

  “He’s gonna have no choice but to come back home to me, Charm. Because at least I can have kids.” Charm turned around slowly. Gabrielle couldn’t help but laugh at her.

  “What’d you just say?” Charm asked, shakily.

  “I said that at least I can have kids. So you’re always gonna be resigned to the fuck buddy category, and never his wife, and never the mother to his children. I mean, you couldn’t even fill the mommy role for you husband.” Denzel stood frozen. He didn’t know what to think or what to do. Gabrielle had some kind of fucked up audacity to say that to Charm. No woman deserved to get their miscarriage thrown in their faces like that.

  “Charm, don’t listen to her,” Denzel said, trying to heal the moment. But when he looked at Charm, he could see she was too far gone. Her eyes had a faraway look, as if she was withdrawn from the moment. But there was a tenacity there that Denzel hadn’t ever seen from her. There was no need to see that kind of expression from her at all. Charm was a sweet and kind, free spirited painter. She hardly got angry. So this, this was new for Denzel, and he was stuttering on his words to figure out what to say to her.