by Emma Vikes
“You need to take it easy, Mike. I see and appreciate what you do for this company, but you would work yourself into a coma if care is not taken,” Greg continued his admonition.
Theresa on the other, continued to use her eyes to question me. A simple wink from me, imperceptible to Greg, was enough to satisfy her.
“Anyways, what can I do for you this morning? And why were you both sitting in my office?” I asked.
“Because you did it, Mike, you both did it. We got the contract,” Greg responded in excitement.
“The contract?” I asked, completely lost.
“Yes, Mr. Gordon. They loved the draft we sent in on Friday and as such want us to fly out so we can seal the deal.” This time it was Theresa that had responded.
“The problem, however, is that we also need to fly out to Chicago and finalise our deal with those clients.” Greg had taken over again. “So, I was thinking of sending Theresa to Chicago, leaving you free to fly out to go meet our new clients, even though Theresa disagrees. She thinks it would be proper to have both of you fly out to Chicago first, before flying out to Wisconsin together.”
My lips curved in a slight smile.
“I agree with her,” I said, simply. “We started together with the Chicago folks and maintained correspondence; one person coming back to finalise our deal with them doesn’t bode well with me. We can fly to Chicago together before flying out to Wisconsin as well.” I finished.
Greg simply raised his eyebrows in curiosity. Eventually, his brows dropped back down to their normal position as he had obviously settled with my explanation and Theresa’s decision to leave for Chicago together.
“Alright, both of you leave together. Hopefully, you all would be ready to fly out tomorrow, right?”
“Sure,” I replied. “The sooner we can get this done, the better.”
“Good. I’ve got a meeting with Ridgewater to prepare for. Let me get back to work,” Greg announced as he turned and walked out of the office.
As soon as he was gone, Theresa winked at me.
“What the hell did you tell him?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Same thing you told him, only that I used different words.” She laughed, softly.
“Wow!” I exclaimed.
“What? It’s not like I was going to pass up the opportunity of spending time together where it all started.” She chuckled.
“You are too mischievous for your own good.” This time, I was the one laughing.
“Whatever, Mr. Gordon. Just get your ass ready for tomorrow. It’s me, you, and Chicago.”
“Promise?” I said in a mock baby voice as she walked out of my office, winking at me.
I settled in as soon as she was gone. We had managed that episode well.
By the time I got to working, I completely lost track of the time. Soon enough, it was closing time and my secretary was peeping through the door to tell me she was leaving.
“Have a lovely night,” I responded.
“You too, Mr. Gordon. And have a safe trip tomorrow.”
I also left the office soon after. I needed to get some rest before the trip tomorrow. In the parking lot, I dialled Theresa’s number and it went unanswered. She’d most likely left earlier with the rest of the office so she could go and prepare for our trip the next day.
By the time I got home, I looked at the stairs and instead decided to go lie on the couch; at least till I gathered the energy to walk up my stairs.
Thirty minutes later, while I was already drifting off to sleep, the doorbell rang. It took me a whole five minutes to get to the door, all the while being assaulted by the ringing doorbell. Whoever was playing with the sound was going to get an earful from me once I reached the door.
By the time I opened the door, I stopped dead in my tracks as I was looking straight into Theresa’s face.
“What took you so long? Slow Poke,” she said as she walked past me into the house.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, in shock.
“What? You’re not happy to see me?”
“Of course, I am,” I responded, before going silent.
“Anyways, I thought it would be a good idea for us to leave for the airport together tomorrow morning. So, I went home to pack and here I am. I also brought some Valium to help you sleep because your exhaustion was palpable all through today. Let me go get you some water.” She finished as she walked towards the kitchen, leaving me smiling.
CHAPTER 16
Theresa
WE LANDED IN CHICAGO on Tuesday morning and immediately headed for our client’s office. Mike had been of the opinion that we sort out business as quickly as possible so we could spend the rest of the day making memories around town. We’d gone on to do just that.
After a successful meeting, I’d taken him around town, showing him all my favourite hangout spots and generally having a good time. After all, I’d gone to college and gotten married soon after in this city and had lived in it for a whole year after marriage before we had moved. Even though it had been almost five years since I’d lived in Chicago, it still had a special place in my heart.
By the time we were done with the tour of the city, we’d decided to go back to our hotel rooms. We’d requested the same rooms we’d stayed in the last time at the same hotel and it was almost a miracle to find out that the rooms were empty. Our bags had since been deposited in our rooms while we had gone ahead to our meeting. When we’d gotten back to the hotel lobby, Mike had gone ahead to get our keys.
Really only one room mattered; the one we’d slept in. However, we’d decided to take both rooms to avoid suspicion in case anyone was going to review the finances spent on our trip. We didn’t want anyone knowing we had stayed in the same room.
By the time we stepped off the elevator into the hallway leading to our rooms, I was giddy with excitement. Mike, noticing my mood, pulled me close and planted a soft kiss on my lips.
“Welcome back,” he said, brazenly.
“Why, thank you, Prince Charming,” I responded, equally brazen though my face was flushed with excitement.
“Now, if you would follow me?” He continued, arching his arm and indicating that he was requesting for my arm.
“Now, aren’t you such a gentleman.” I laughed, heartily.
Putting my hands in his, we walked towards my room door. He pulled the key card from his pocket and swiped the door open.
“After you, Madam,” he said, pushing the door open while I’d continued to laugh.
We’d walked in and continued kissing as he edged me towards the bed. Even though desire was already coursing through me, I wanted to repeat the magic of the last night we’d spent in Chicago.
“Hold your horses, Mr. Gordon,” I said, in my most professional sounding tone.
“Why?” He asked, after rising from planting a kiss on my neck.
“Because we both have a date at the bar downstairs.”
“We do?” He sounded confused, causing me to chuckle.
“Yes, silly. We are going to repeat the sequence of our last night here. You are going to walk to the bar and I’m going to come looking for you,” I said, seductively.
“Well, I don’t mind a few bottles of wine,” he responded. “Don’t take too long.” He winked as he turned to exit the room.
As soon as he was gone, I pulled out my suitcase and proceeded to change into the same dress I’d worn on the night we’d had sex in this same room. I’d packed it on purpose to add to the thrill of the trip. I imagined how Mike’s eyes would pop if he saw me in the same dress.
I proceeded into the bathroom to retouch my makeup and adjust the dress.
“Let’s make this night special,” I said satisfactorily, to the image that stared back at me from the bathroom mirror.
I walked out the bathroom and headed for the door.
By the time I got downstairs, Mike had already been engaged in replaying his role perfectly. He was seated at the same seat with an open bottle of wine. I
walked up to him as the excitement began to build in me.
“You’re really taking your role seriously, aren’t you, Mr. Gordon?” I asked.
On sighting me, his jaw literally dropped open. Finally, he responded.
“Hello, Theresa. What are you doing here?” He asked in the same tone as last time. This time, however, he winked and proceeded to pull my chair out for me before returning to his seat.
The waiter immediately brought another wine glass and served me.
As soon as he left, I took a gulp from the glass as we began talking.
“You really did wear the same gown, didn’t you, love?”
“I thought you wouldn’t recognize it,” I said, coyly.
“Well, you look really beautiful tonight.”
“Maybe because you are paying closer attention,” I retorted, causing him to erupt in laughter.
He proceeded to order dinner and we continued chatting till our orders arrived. By the time we were done with dinner, he’d suggested we head back to the room.
“Come on, old man.” I teased. “The night is still young. Where are you rushing to?”
“To peel that dress off your skin.” He fired back, causing me to blush.
“Please, sir, I’m a lady.” I winked.
“And I, a gentleman,” he responded.
“Ok, fine. Let’s have one more bottle and we can run back upstairs.” I laughed.
Just then, I heard someone call my name from behind me.
“Theresa?”
Shock rippled through my core as I froze instantly. I knew that voice even in my sleep. I turned slowly in my seat and faced the man who had called me.
“Simon?” I asked. “What the hell are you doing here?”
A pregnant lady in a beautiful maternity gown clung to him. On closer inspection, I realised that I recognised her too. This time, she was heavily pregnant and a gold wedding band gleamed off her left ring finger.
I gasped as realisation dawned and a sharp pain tore through my chest.
CHAPTER 17
Mike
I WATCHED THE SCENE play out before me like I was at the movies.
One minute we were giddy with excitement, and the next, one unfortunate fellow had walked up and ruined everything.
“Hi, I’m Simon,” the man had said, stretching forth his hand to greet me. From the scowl Theresa was giving him, I could tell this wasn’t a friendly guest.
He also called her name, didn’t he? That means he knows her, doesn’t he? I thought.
“What are you doing here?” Theresa queried, after the initial shock on her face had cleared.
“I live here. Well, not in the hotel but in this city. I just brought my...my wife out on a date,” Simon had responded. He had paused before mentioning that the woman was his wife. Something was definitely wrong.
“Your wife!” Theresa growled.
The lady in question instinctively protected her tummy and stepped behind her husband.
“I’m sorry, Theresa...I didn’t mean to...”
“Go to hell, Simon.” Theresa snarled and cut him off mid-sentence as she stood up and stormed off, leaving me stunned and confused.
Moments later, I stood up and went after her, leaving Simon and his wife standing at our table. I found her in the room, staring out the window at the city below.
“Babe, are you ok?” I inquired, with caution.
“You men are all scum,” she blurted out, still facing the window.
“I don’t understand,” I responded, truthfully.
“What don’t you understand?” She fired back, finally turning to face me. “That bastard is my ex-husband. Not only did he have the effrontery to cheat on me, he went ahead to marry the lady he cheated on me with.”
Holy Shit! So that’s what that was all about. I gasped as her reaction finally began to make sense.
“And the fucking bitch is pregnant. It’s not even up to a year since our divorce and not only has he gone ahead and gotten remarried; the bitch is also expecting? You men aren’t worth shit,” she bellowed.
“Ok, Theresa. I know what you went through was brutal and unfortunate, but I have a feeling that somehow, you are also directing your anger towards me. I’m not your ex-husband, Theresa. I would never do that to you,” I responded, as carefully as I could.
She laughed then, an evil laugh that gave me the chills and gave the effect like she was possessed. I had never seen Theresa like this before.
“Yea, whatever,” she finally said. “Please, I need to be alone tonight.” She finished and turned to face the window.
“I don’t understand. Are you kicking me out?” I asked, in shock.
“Last I checked, this is my hotel room. So, please get your shit and go to your room.” Her voice began to rise once more.
I understood clearly that she was transferring aggression to me and yet, it hurt. I made one last effort to reach out and try and calm her down. All I wanted to do was rush to her side and gather her in my arms in a bid to comfort her from the pain she was feeling. Her pain was justified from the story she’d just told me.
“Come on, baby. Let’s order some ice cream and talk about...”
“Get your shit and get the fuck out,” she screamed.
I waited calmly for a few seconds before proceeding to pack my stuff. I gathered them and walked towards the door. At the door, I paused and turned back to look at her. She hadn’t even turned back to watch me leave.
I contemplated staying to make sure she didn’t harm herself, but I knew she wasn’t that kind of person.
Or, is she?
Hell, before today, I wouldn’t have envisioned Theresa acting in such a manner. I didn’t know what to think or do. After a long sigh, I turned and left the room.
I’d stayed up in bed all night wondering how best to handle the situation. I knew she was reacting from a place of hurt; she definitely was.
But the fact that she hadn’t separated me from those who deserved to be recipients of her anger had hurt me in no small measure. However, I was going to overlook her reaction and check on her when morning came.
As the day dawned, I walked to her room and knocked on her door. She didn’t answer.
I walked back to my room and called her on the phone. It went unanswered.
Finally, I sent her a message, asking if she was ok. I also reminded her that we needed to check out in a few hours to enable us to catch a flight to Wisconsin as was the initial plan. I told her I needed to talk to her before then because to be honest, I didn’t want us travelling to handle official business with such a rift between us.
My message had gone unanswered, even though I saw that she had read it. I was going to have to be content with that; at least she had seen my message.
About an hour before check out, I strolled down to the bar to get something light to drink. The events from yesterday till this morning had ensured that I was left with a migraine. I’d packed my suitcase and would head back to the room to get it once it was time to leave.
“Please give me a long island,” I said.
As it arrived, a lady sitting at the bar picked interest in my choice. “A long island at this time of the morning? Had a huge disappointing night, didn’t you?”
“You have no idea,” I responded.
She shifted closer, and we’d begun a casual conversation.
Twenty minutes passed, and Theresa appeared behind me.
“I should have known you were such a man,” she barked. “Even after everything you said yesterday, the first thing you do this morning is to come down to the bar and start flirting with the first thing in skirt you see.”
“Excuse me?” The woman in question retorted.
I looked at her and apologised silently before turning to face Theresa.
“Babe, you are overreacting,” I said, simply.
Her eyes went taut almost as if she had seen a ghost.
I shouldn’t have said that because suddenly, it seemed as if I’d final
ly turned on a tap and left it open. Theresa went into a rage and began raining insults on both me and the lady that had conversed with me until moments ago. Every move I made to try and calm her down resulted in futility.
After going on a rant and calling me every name she could think of, she finally settled on the fact that she was done with me. “There is no difference between you and the rest of them,” she said with a snarl. “You are all the same. I’m done with you. If not for the business we have in Wisconsin, I’d walk out right now and head home.”
Her words tore through me like a knife through butter. It took me a long while before I regained composure, standing up and adjusting my jacket. I first turned and apologised profusely to the lady who had been so rudely disrespected by Theresa, before turning to face her.
“I hear you. I’m like the rest of them and you are done with me. There’s also no need for you to come to Wisconsin. I’m sending you back home. I’ll handle Wisconsin alone. Have a safe trip home, Miss Lopez,” I said in my most civil tone as I nodded and walked away.
I had a flight to catch.
CHAPTER 18
Theresa
MIKE WALKED OUT ON me, leaving me standing beside the woman he had been flirting with. Immediately as he left, she also stood up and took her leave. I continued to stand there, furious at him and furious at everything else.
It had been déjà vu all over again. Walking into the bar in a bid to apologise to Simon over the fight we’d had; one in which he had gone on to stay away from home for three days. I’d finally faulted myself and gone looking for him.
“Babe, you are overreacting,” he had said when I’d finally found him on the date with that bimbo. “It’s not what you think. She’s just a friend from work,” he’d continued. I’d known then. He’d been unable to clear the look of guilt from his eyes even as he’d stuttered to give a foolish explanation. I realised then that Simon was cheating on me even though I didn’t have any concrete proof.