Unexpected Interruptions by Trice Hickman

place of her own . . . you know how outrageous real estate is in the District.” He was whispering again. “Look, baby, we can still work things out. I miss you.”
    His lie was almost laughable to her. “You really think you’re slick, don’t you?”
    â€œVic, I’m not tryin’ to be slick. I love you. That’s one thing I never lied about. I know that after what happened between us you have some trust issues, but . . .”
    Victoria had been composed up to this point, but now she lost it. “ Trust issues! Are you fucking kidding me? Of course I have trust issues after the shit you put me through. Do you really think I’m gonna fall for your unoriginal bullshit again?” Victoria took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “I’m not going down this road with you, Steven. I’ve said what I had to say.”
    â€œSteven, are you still on the phone?” the woman called out again.
    Victoria let out a laugh. “This is my final good-bye, so please don’t bother trying to contact me after tonight. Have a good life.”
    Click . . .
    Victoria felt good, releasing her anger with Steven. She sat by the phone trying to decide whether she should call her father. She knew that if she could let go of the anger she’d harbored for Steven, a man who’d shown her disingenuous love at best, that she could forgive her father, the one man who’d loved her unconditionally all her life. Finally, she decided to go to bed. One soul cleansing per night was enough. The conversation with her father was something she needed to do at another time. But she felt good inside, knowing she had the strength to make things right.
    That night, Victoria slept like a baby. For the first time in over a year she dreamt about a man—Mr. Gorgeous. They were on the beach, lying on a blanket near the shore, wrapped in each other’s arms. Tonight, he was making love to her in her dreams.

Chapter Five
    Everyone Makes Mistakes...
    Victoria started her Sunday morning early. She was laying on a cushioned mat in her home gym, performing slow, steady poses with the instructor on her yoga DVD. She’d just finished her cool down stretch and was about to head upstairs to change for eight a.m. church service when her doorbell rang. Who’s at my door at seven o’clock on a Sunday morning? she wondered.
    It was Tyler, and he looked terrible. His eyes were red, as though he hadn’t slept all night. “Tyler, what’s goin’ on?” Victoria asked, shivering as the cold morning air whipped around her bare arms.
    â€œCan I come in?”
    â€œOf course.” Victoria moved to the side to let him through. He walked past her and back toward the den where she and her friends always hung out. The room was large, but the chocolate colored walls gave it a cozy, intimate feel. The soft lighting and big fluffy pillows on the over-sized furniture were tailor-made for relaxing.
    Tyler sank down into the soft chenille sofa and rubbed his temples, trying to give himself therapeutic relief. “I see you’re doin’ your workout thing this morning,” he said, trying to smile.
    â€œTyler, what’s wrong? You look like hell.”
    He let out a sigh. “Allison and I are over. We’re done . . . finished.”
    â€œWhat brought this on?” Victoria asked casually, folding her arms across her chest. She didn’t know whether to jump up and click her heels, or sit down and comfort him.
    â€œThings haven’t been good between us for a long time. All we do is argue. I stayed in it for as long as I could, tryin’ to make it work, but in the end there was nothing left between us.”
    Victoria’s heart went out for him. She and Tyler had known each other for fifteen years, and lately, he hadn’t been himself.
    Tyler had boyish good looks and a natural charm that came as easy to him as breathing air. He was medium height,