by Hicks, I. M.
“Um sure, I can have my receptionist contact you” he began “Ok you’re good to go, have a great time next week and I will be in touch”
“Thank you so much” I said and went home.
Rob wasn’t there yet and it was passed 6pm. I went upstairs got undressed and felt an overwhelming need to sleep again. I laid down and that’s exactly what I did.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I was up early Friday morning, and so far no morning sickness. I got into work before 8:30 and Jerry was already there sitting by his desk talking to what sounded like the head of production were some of our clothes were produced. I stopped by his desk and listened.
“The pocket calls for a zipper Frank, it’s not my problem your staff ignored the instructions, you need to get in there somehow and make sure that pocket has a #7 zipper” said Jerry
“No we will not grant you extra time, you have this in your instructions and on the physical sample. We have a due date and so do you and that’s when we expect it, is that clear?” he continued.
“Frank, I understand your predicament, but understand you’re not the only production company around here and this is ongoing, make Alexam Limited happy and I’ll make sure to keep you happy” said Jerry and hung up grinning wide at me.
I exhaled “Come to my office when you get a chance” I said smiling back at him.
As I sat in my office going over the June financials I started to think about Marc and our time together. I wondered how he was able to go form hot to cold in a matter of a few hours. But he was right, I couldn’t understand what he was he was going through and what he was about to put his kids through. An ugly divorce, visitation rights, Pam constantly at him and the pressure of paying child support and alimony for someone that barely cleared forty thousand dollars a year. But what about me and this baby? Had I chosen to leave Rob two weeks ago, I would have raised it on my own, which was fine because I needed no financial support from anyone, and like me, the baby would have grown up without a father figure. I sighed.
I glanced at my phone to check messages, other than some from Victor, the last message I got from Pam was the Saturday before Victor and I ran into them at the Eaton Centre. Almost a week with no contact from her, I guess she’d gotten the message that I was no longer interested in her friendship.
About thirty minutes later Jerry came in my office with a big smile. “Guess what?” he said as he closed the door behind him.
I laughed “What?”
“I have a date this weekend with none other than Paul” he said grinning.
“Paul our pattern drafter?”
“Yup!”
Interoffice relationships I frowned upon, but Jerry had earned his keep and Paul was a sweetheart so I was glad for them.
“Awesome, where are you going?’
“He said something about a play, I kinda lost him when he asked me out. He kept talking but I was mesmerized by his blue eyes”
I laughed again “Alright well let me know how it went when I get back in a week.”
“What time is your flight?”
“Tomorrow morning, we arrive at Montreal at around 9ish with a ten hour layover then we’re in the air again for another 8hrs and we arrive in Rome for a 4hr layover and then we arrive in Cairo 3 hours later. So we’ll get there in approximately 17 hrs.”
“Ouch! that’s long”
“I know and trust me I’m dreading it but at the same time I better get used to it if I’m gonna be flying back and forth between London and Toronto, which brings me to the reason I’ve called you here”
“Oh”
“Relax, it’s not a bad thing.” I began “I’m not good with this so I’m going to cut right to the chase” “I want you to take over operations while I’m gone” I said.
Jerry gasped.
“Before you get too excited” “It’s a trial period, I will give you three months to show me what you’re made off. I will give you a ten thousand dollar raise now, and in three months if you perform, there will be another twenty thousand added to your salary plus bonuses, and the end of the year there will be another increase. If you do take this job, you will need to hire an assistant and you have a week to do so, and I know it’s short notice but I’m more than confident you can do this”
“I don’t know what to say other than I love you” he said, he was shocked.
“I love you too that’s why I’m giving you the opportunity, you know how to do this, you’ve been doing for over two years and I know you are more than capable. Certain things like financial reports as such will still go through me first”
“Holy crap, I can’t speak, this is like the best Friday ever” he said sitting back on the chair.
“Now, you can take over my office, but when I’m here obviously you’ll have to fight me for it” I joked. He was still looking at me wide eyed.
“So I take that as a yes?”
“Honey, that’s a HELL YES!” he replied.
“Ok, so last thing. Keep it hush until I come back, when I make the public announcement, then I will talk to the staff and we’ll present you as President for the Toronto Head Office”
“Thank you so much Alex, I don’t know what to say”
“Say you won’t disappoint me”
“I won’t disappoint you”
“Good, ok, you are dismissed”
I felt good about my decision to have Jerry take over Alexam Limited here, he knew his stuff, I trusted him and he was hungry to move up the corporate ladder.
Later that day a bunch of the senior designers, other staff members, Jerry and Paul took me out for lunch on King Street to wish me a Bon Voyage.
We went to this fine Italian Restaurant that welcomed corporate clients and they had lots of large dining rooms for staff parties. The place was busy with a lot of suits sitting around talking business, mergers and everything in between. Our hostess sat us down and brought us the menus. Today it had been a good day as far as not feeling sick to my stomach. Still, I wanted to order something fairly small and spread out my meals until we got to Cairo, as I didn’t want be sick on the plane.
As I was looking at the salad menu, I heard a man talking in the next table, a voice I recognized, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. He sounded very professional, talking about investments, liabilities and what his company was about to do for whomever he was speaking to. I looked over and I realized it was Marc that was speaking so eloquently. He was sitting at the head of the table in a grey suit with his older brother at his side and they had about six other suits sitting there attentively listening. My heart stopped and suddenly I lost my appetite. Out of all the fucking restaurants! Just then the waitress came by to get our drinks.
“Ma’am?” she asked but I couldn’t speak “Alex, what are you having to drink” asked Jerry getting my attention “Um a dry Martini” and then I remembered “No, wait, just some fizzy water” I said “Are you ok, I’ve never seen you turn down a drink” Paul piped in and I smiled “I’m trying to cut back” I said.
I kept trying to listen to Marc’s voice, it seemed he was doing a pitch to get these clients to go on board with them. They kept asking him questions and hypotheticals, and he never missed a beat, answered every question in detail and with honesty.
“Jerry, when the waitress comes back to get our order, please order me a Cobb salad, light on the dressing please” I said getting up, I needed to go outside for some fresh air.
I walked passed his table without looking at him or anyone sitting there, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough, and I walked so fast that I nearly ran into a waiter carrying drinks, but he stepped aside and missed me.
I was out there for about five minutes, when a group men in suits came out of the restaurant. I steeped further away from the door looking the other way. My heart was still racing.
“Well hope to hear from you next week then” said Marc’s voice again. Christ, my luck!
He was with that group of business men leaving the restaura
nt.
“Great to meet you Mr. Collins, I think we have something here, we’ll be in touch” said another man.
“Give me a minute Daniel” said Marc whom was obviously speaking to his older brother Daniel Collins.
“Hi Alex”
I looked at him and there he was in a slightly better suit, a nice tie and his winning smile.
“Hey” I replied but somehow I couldn’t smile.
“How are you?”
“I’m fine and you?” I said but was having a hard time making eye contact with him and kept looking at the traffic instead.
“Good” he began “I took over the business, my brother finally realized he had no clue how to run the firm.”
“That’s great, happy for you, I’m sure Pam is off your back now”
He laughed “Yeah, she is, we’re better now so…”
I nodded, but my blood began to boil and I knew the conversation was almost over.
“So how are things between you and Rob?”
“Things are great, we’re moving to London in the fall”
“London, Ontario?” he asked. I began walking toward the restaurant door and then I stopped and looked into his eyes. “London, England” “Goodbye Marc” I said, looked away and made my way inside the restaurant.
As I sat in the restaurant pretending to enjoy my Cobb salad, I wished I had told him about the pregnancy but the fact that he blatantly told me that things are better now between him and Pam, I felt used and stupid for believing that he ever loved me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I hardly slept the night before our trip. I was dreading it, I wasn’t sleeping well or sleeping at odd hours, food either grossed me out or I couldn’t get enough of it. I couldn’t smoke and certainly not drink. And then seeing Marc yesterday really sent me off the deep end.
Rob had been acting weird since we left Toronto. He barely spoke two words to me since we left Toronto, and he insisted on staying the full ten hours layover at the airport in Montreal, he slept the entire way to Rome and now we were aboard the flight to Egypt.
As soon as we sat in our seats he closed his eyes again but I knew he wasn’t sleeping.
“Are you ok?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything.
I sat back in my chair and closed my eyes. Maybe it was the time change that was bothering him because it was certainly bothering me. Then I remembered there was Wi-Fi on the plane so I grabbed my phone out of my purse and turned it on to check my messages and Rob suddenly took it out of my hands and glared at me. “We’re on vacation” he said sternly.
“Excuse me?”
He put my phone inside his jacket pocket and leaned his head back on the seat again closing his eyes.
“Rob, I just wanted to check my work emails, see if anything was missed”
He didn’t say anything.
I sighed “Thanks Rob”
When we finally arrived, he was still unusually quiet.
It was diner time by the time we arrived and Rob had already made arrangements to have our dinner delivered to our suite, so
as soon as we entered our private cabana, the food was waiting for us.
We freshened up and sat down for dinner.
“Wine?” asked Rob.
“No thanks”
“It’s their best wine Alexandra, have a glass” he ordered.
“No Rob, I can’t”
“Why can’t you?”
“I just can’t ok, leave it alone please”
He poured himself a full glass and drank it in one shot then poured another.
Our dinner consisted of fresh fish, rice, vegetables and lobster. I took a bit of the fish and it tasted slimy and gross, I had a hard time swallowing it but I did anyway. The rice tasted salty, the lobster looked under cooked, and the only thing I could eat were the vegetables.
“Why are you picking at your food?” his voice reprimanding. “Because it tastes a bit gross to me”
He put his knife and fork down, wiped his mouth with a napkin and threw it back on the table. Got up and started pacing around the room.
“I received a call from Doctor Daren Friday afternoon” he began.
“He called me to congratulate me” he said his voice low and heavy “Do you know what about?” he asked.
“Why did he call you and not me?” I asked not looking up from my plate.
“Do you know why he congratulated me Alexandra?” he shouted.
“Because I assume I am pregnant, but I did tell him I wanted to be the one to tell you” I retorted.
“Yes Alexandra you are three weeks pregnant”
“Why are you angry Rob, isn’t this what you wanted?” I asked looking at him.
He let out a laugh, a deep evil laugh. Then he stopped.
He came in behind and squeezed my shoulders, then ran his hands down my breasts, his face next to my ear “How many times did you fuck him Alexandra?” he snarled.
My heart stopped at that moment, I felt an overwhelming feeling of dread and fear.
“What are you talking about?” I managed to say.
“How many times did you fuck Marc?” he whispered.
I felt dizzy and nauseous at that moment and I tried to get up but he held me down. My hands started to shake.
“Ok let me start” he began pacing again “So let’s see, he fondled you in the kitchen, you blew him in the foyer and then you fucked him in our bathroom and according to your credit card, there was a room booked at the Holiday Inn. Then you stayed at your friend Victor’s condo where I know he spent the day with you that Sunday and then again on Monday over your lunch hour, would that be accurate Alexandra?”
I swallowed.
He reached in his shirt pocket and threw surveillance pictures on my plate. “I bet you didn’t know I had cameras installed in the house did you?”
“Why would you do that?” I said under my breath.
“The better question Alexandra is how soon did I know you were doing this?” he began.
“From the moment it started happening. You see the cameras email me pictures on the hour, every hour. I was in London in the middle of a fucking meeting when I saw what was happening in my own house, you whore” he yelled.
“The baby is yours Rob” I said, tears were rolling down my face.
“Impossible”
I looked at him. He was standing over me, his face unreadable.
“I’m infertile Alexandra” he said suddenly.
“What?” I asked stunned.
“When we were trying to have a baby three years ago, Dr. Daren informed me that I was, so I paid him a significant amount of money to tell you it was you the one with the problem”
I looked at him and blinked, and I felt the anger running through my veins “Why would you do that Robert?”
“Because you would have left me”
I stood up suddenly “How could you!” I yelled.
“Sit back down” he said taking my shoulders forcing me to sit again.
“You’re a monster” I whispered.
“And you’re a whore, which makes us even”
He began pacing again.
“So tell me Alexandra, I know he dumped you, which was expected, men like him don’t stay with women like you, you’re a novelty, a prize, but you’re not worth him leaving his wife for. Now you’re carrying his baby but you can’t tell him because you know deep down it won’t make a difference”
I started to cry.
“Why did you wait to tell me this now?” I asked him.
“Because Alexandra, here you have nowhere to go, nowhere to run, and you’re forced to listen to what I have to say”
“What’s that Robert? You want a divorce? You got it”
“Oh no, on the contrary Alexandra, plans will move ahead, we will move to London and I will be the father of this baby, within six months you will step down as CEO of Alexam Limited and you will never come back to Toronto. We will make the public announcement shortly after we r
eturn home and we will leave a week later”
“What happens if I say no” I retorted.
“I will ridicule you publically Alexandra, make no mistake of that. I will make these pictures public, your investors will pull out and you will lose everything” he said holding my face tightly.
He let me go and opened my luggage, grabbed a bikini, and threw it on the bed.
“Change” he ordered.
“I need to sleep Rob, I’m tired”
“I didn’t ask you” he yelled.
I stood up and began to take my clothes off. I felt sick to my stomach and for the first time in the course of our marriage I was ashamed to get undressed in front of him.
“So tell me Alexandra, did you think about him when you were with me?”
“No” I whispered.
“Don’t lie to me” he yelled.
I was down to my bra and panties and I sat down on the bed.
“Robert” I began “Let’s just call it quits, we have nothing left”
“Oh you’d like that wouldn’t you”
“I just don’t see the point” I said and he marched toward me grabbing my face wrapping his hand tightly around my jaw.
“When you married me, you were told you were mine and only mine and it will stay that way Alexandra, I will never let you go” he yelled between his teeth and violently pushed me back on the bed. “Now change” he ordered.
“Fuck you” I said as I sat up again. Next thing I know I was on the floor, he’d slapped so hard my face burned badly and I forced myself not to cry.
I kept my mouth shut for the rest of our vacation. I did what I was told and he had his way with me whenever he wanted. I felt empty, helpless and most of all feared for my life when he was around. He no longer looked beautiful to me, he was a stranger and worst of all, a monster.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Monday morning I was back at work by 8am. I had to get the media release ready for the announcement on Wednesday morning. We were booked for a press conference for 8am, at the same time the TSX opened.