It Takes Two

by Haden, Ross;

  “I just have to make a phone call,” said Jacob, standing up. “Please give that to the waiter when he comes back. It includes a generous tip.”

  Jacob bent down to kiss Andisiwe lightly on the cheek before he moved off. She watched him go. He stood outside and from where she sat Andisiwe watched him talking on his cellphone. Even from a distance Andisiwe had no trouble reading Jacob’s body language. He was upset, and judging by his arm gestures, aggressive even.

  Andisiwe didn’t like seeing him like that. She hoped he wasn’t speaking to Thabo again. She was beginning to find the whole thing very upsetting. She smiled up at the waiter when he returned to their table. She had recognised him earlier as being the same waiter who had served her and Thabo. She picked up the crisp hundred-rand notes and handed them over to him with a sigh of relief.

  “Nice to see you again,” said the waiter. “Those two guys you’ve come with lately are always here, you know. And they’re always with beautiful women. Like you.”

  “They bring business clients here,” said Andisiwe quickly, frowning. “They like to give quality service.”

  The waiter laughed out loud. “I’m sure they do, Ma’am. I’m sure they give really good-quality service.”

  “Well, it’s really none of your business!” Andisiwe found herself snapping, before she could stop herself. She did not want to be reminded of Thabo, and anyway, Jacob had already explained the situation to her.

  Andisiwe looked up with relief to see Jacob returning. He smiled at her, and Andisiwe relaxed.

  “Just had to seal a deal,” he said with a laugh, “and I have another satisfied customer.”

  Andisiwe noted that the waiter had overheard Jacob and he was sniggering to himself as he walked away.

  Jacob pulled out her chair, and Andisiwe rose and clung to his arm, allowing herself to drown in his gaze, as he led her out of the restaurant.

  ~•~

  When Andisiwe next saw her aunt it was when she stumbled into the kitchen the following morning. Jacob had kept her glass full the previous night, with the most delicious wine.

  “Oopsy, my girl,” said Aunt Mimi, kissing Andisiwe lightly on the cheek. “You look like you could do with a little more beauty sleep, Siwe. My word, when I was your age I could go for days without sleep!”

  Andisiwe’s aunt scooped up a large leather bag. “I’m going to be away for a few days. Business,” she said and turned to wink wickedly at Andisiwe. “And pleasure too. Of course.”

  Andisiwe followed her aunt into the passage. She loved Mimi, and she really wanted, and needed, to have a heart-to-heart with her about men. She wanted Mimi’s advice on Jacob. But her aunt was always rushing off somewhere. Andisiwe couldn’t help feeling sad that her aunt didn’t seem to have much time for her in her busy life. She should be grateful, she knew, for the money and letting her stay in this gorgeous house. But sometimes she still felt so young, inexperienced and unsure. She was in need of guidance. Siya was great, but she wasn’t always sensible. And she couldn’t tell her mother. She would freak if she knew what her daughter was up to.

  “When will you be back?” asked Andisiwe quietly. “It would be nice, you know, to really catch up.”

  “Probably in a few days. Then we’ll have plenty of time for that,” said Aunt Mimi and she pinched her niece’s cheek affectionately. Then she opened the front door, paused in the doorway to blow Andisiwe a kiss, and was gone.

  When Jacob phoned Andisiwe later that morning, and heard that she had been left alone, he immediately suggested that he should come around to keep her company.

  “Hi, gorgeous,” said Jacob when he arrived. He swooped her into his arms to hug her. Holding her close, he added: “Are you sure you’re going to be OK here all on your own? I can’t bear to think of something bad happening to you.”

  “Don’t be silly,” said Andisiwe with a smile. “I’m a big girl now. I can look after myself. And besides, this place is like a prison, with all its security.”

  Jacob pulled her closer and Andisiwe did not resist him. As his lips touched hers Andisiwe felt as if she was melting into him. Without a second thought Andisiwe responded warmly to his kiss. Her heart was beginning to beat rapidly in her chest as she felt Jacob’s hands moving up from her waist to the buttons of her shirt.

  “Not yet,” she found herself saying, her hand moving to cover his. “I’m not ready. You know … um …” she stammered. “Thabo.”

  “That’s fine, baby,” whispered Jacob, his lips moving to her ear. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

  With relief Andisiwe gazed into Jacob’s eyes.

  “Now listen, beautiful,” he continued. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay here while your aunt is away? On the couch,” he added, grinning, “of course.”

  Andisiwe assured him that she would be fine, and he left her for a minute to go to the bathroom. While he was away Andisiwe heard his phone ringing on the hall table, where he had left it with his things.

  “Jacob …” she said, picking it up and walking in the direction that Jacob had gone, but then she stopped in her tracks as she recognised the caller. It was Thabo. Andisiwe looked up to see Jacob walking towards her as the phone rang in her hand. She held the phone out towards him. “It’s Thabo,” she said faintly.

  “Damn that guy!” said Jacob, taking the phone firmly from her. “When will he leave me alone? He just keeps phoning me and bugging me! He wants work. He wants money. He wants whatever he can get!”

  Jacob took the phone and moved away from Andisiwe towards the kitchen. She did not follow him and he pulled the door shut behind him.

  Andisiwe moved away, not really wanting to eavesdrop. She hovered in the passage. Jacob’s voice travelled to her clearly through the door.

  “I know what you think you found. And I know what you are planning to do with it. But I’m warning you now, Thabo, for the last time: stay away. And don’t ever threaten me again. I know what you are planning. This is my territory now. Back off! I’m warning you.”

  Inside the kitchen Andisiwe heard Jacob slam his hand down on the table top. Then he walked briskly out from the kitchen, passing Andisiwe on the way to the front door. He paused to kiss her briefly on the cheek. “Sorry, gorgeous,” he said as he did so. “Got to go. I’ll be in touch. You take care now.”

  Andisiwe nodded and smiled.

  She felt sorry for him as she thought how awful it must be to have someone like Thabo in your life, causing so much trouble.

  ~•~

  Andisiwe checked her phone for a message. Nothing from Jacob. She knew he was a busy man and that his work was stressful, but hadn’t he asked her if she wanted him to stay there while her aunt was away? But that was before the call from Thabo, the call that made him so mad. She remembered how his face had changed, how he had rushed off. Now that she thought about it, his tone had changed too. She felt a little hurt when she remembered his parting words: “I’ll be in touch.” Wasn’t that what men said when they had changed their mind about you? Did this have something to do with Thabo?

  She picked up the TV remote and flipped through the DStv menu one more time. She sighed heavily. Suddenly she really missed Siya. If her friend were here right now, she would be having fun, not feeling lonely and confused. They would pour themselves some of her aunt’s expensive wine. Eat chocolates and watch a chick flick. Right now, it was what she needed more than anything else in the world – more than her aunt, who didn’t seem to have much time for her, or Jacob, who was so busy making business deals.

  Andisiwe had never been alone in her aunt’s house at night before. Maria, the housekeeper, had gone home for the weekend. She had left ready-cooked meals and shown Andisiwe how to work the alarm, plus given her a panic button and the numbers to call in an emergency. But Andisiwe still felt uneasy. The house was large. You couldn’t hear what was going on in the other rooms. Would an in
truder trigger the alarm? What if the electricity went out? What if her cellphone ran out of charge? What if …?

  Andisiwe switched off the TV. She was suddenly surrounded by total silence.

  She had just started to scroll through the music selection on her phone when she was startled by a sound. Andisiwe sat quite still, and did not move from where she was sitting on the couch. Her eyes flickered towards the windows. Earlier she had drawn the curtains. Normally her aunt never bothered. The house was surrounded by high walls, but Andisiwe had felt afraid of the big, blank, dark sheets of glass, and so had pulled the velvety curtains tightly closed.

  There it was again!

  Andisiwe felt her hands turning clammy and cold as she clutched her cellphone. Oh Jacob, she thought to herself. Why didn’t I take you up on your offer to sleep on the couch tonight?

  Just then her cellphone beeped. Her heart leapt with relief. At last! A message from Jacob, she thought.

  But it wasn’t a message from Jacob.

  Instead, as she read the caller’s name on her screen, Andisiwe’s heart stood still. It was from Thabo.

  U don’t kno who u r dealing wit. U r a good girl & I don’t blame u.

  Jacob hs poisoned u against me wit his lying words. he messed wit

  my life. Watch out. he might mess wiv urs. He is dangerous. Pls giv

  me a chance 2 xplain

  Shocked, Andisiwe dropped the phone, and then she caught her breath. There was that sound again.

  Getting up slowly, Andisiwe walked to the light switch, and flicked off the light. She felt sure that the sound was coming from outside, near the window.

  With her heart pounding in her chest, she tiptoed across the deep-pile carpet towards the window. She tweaked the curtain a tiny bit and peered into the dark garden. Everything was still.

  Andisiwe was aware that she was breathing very heavily.

  There, in the dark shadows against the wall, she could have sworn that something moved slightly! She was sure she saw a man crouching down, looking towards her. She blinked and peered again. The dark shadow remained quite still.

  Andisiwe dropped the edge of the curtain and backed away from the window. She scrambled onto the couch, fumbling for the phone she had left there. She found it, and with trembling fingers, clumsily scrolled for the number that she wanted. Her voice was trembling when at last the phone was answered and she heard his voice.

  “Jacob,” she whispered. “There’s someone in the garden outside.”

  Andisiwe clutched the phone tightly to her ear as she listened to Jacob’s calm, reassuring voice. She did notice that he seemed to be somewhere very noisy, and she vaguely thought that it was very late, but those thoughts just evaporated in the security of the words he spoke soothingly into her ear.

  “I’m afraid it might be Thabo,” whispered Andisiwe into the phone. “He really has it in for you. And maybe for me too. I think he wants to harm you, Jacob. He is really out to get you. I think he thinks that you are here. I’m so frightened.”

  “I’m coming, Andy,” Jacob was saying. “Everything is going to be all right. You just sit tight. I am on my way.”

  ~•~

  Andisiwe breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Jacob pull up outside. She punched the code in and the gate opened. She watched his car drive up the driveway, his headlights lighting up the dark garden. She opened the front door and flew into Jacob’s arms. He held her tightly against him. “Everything is fine now,” said Jacob as he kissed her. “I am here. Nothing will harm you now.”

  Andisiwe kissed him back passionately. After a minute Jacob pulled away and, smiling down at her, said, “Now let me go and sort out that person who dared to get into your garden!”

  “I don’t know how he got in through the security. My aunt and I are the only ones who know the code. Be careful, Jacob,” called Andisiwe after him, as he walked away into the dark garden.

  It was then that she noticed that Jacob had his hand on a bulge in his jacket pocket. A gun! Andisiwe gasped, but then relaxed.

  Jacob is no fool, she thought to herself. He knows how to take care of himself, and, she added with relief, me.

  Andisiwe watched nervously as Jacob disappeared into the shadows of the garden. It seemed to take an eternity before he was back at her side.

  “No one there,” he said, as he held her close. “You’re cold, let’s get you back inside.” It was such a relief to have him next to her. Suddenly she felt completely safe. Nothing bad would happen now. He shut the kitchen door and locked the security gate.

  “Now, tell me all about this scary message,” he said, leading her to the couch in the lounge. “This really is beautiful,” he said softly, running his finger over the gold clock in the hallway as they passed.

  Suddenly Thabo’s message didn’t seem so frightening. Just desperate. Now that Jacob was here. “I got a text from Thabo,” she told him, from her place firmly tucked under his arm as they cuddled up on the couch.

  Jacob nodded. “I’m not surprised. I’ve been getting lots of threatening texts and phone calls from him for days now. I thought that sooner or later he would contact you. Can I see the message?”

  Andisiwe frowned up at him, and he smoothed her frown away with his hand.

  “I’m afraid I deleted it. It was just so awful … I didn’t want it on my phone … I …”

  “Don’t worry, baby girl. I can handle Thabo. You don’t have to be afraid any more.”

  “Do you think …” Andisiwe started, then hesitated. “Do you think it could have been Thabo in the garden?”

  “It might have been,” said Jacob, pulling out his phone and angrily punching a number into the key pad, “but he’s gone now. And I’m here. And I’m thirsty. You wait there. I’ll get you something cold from the fridge.”

  Jacob seemed to know his way around the house. Andisiwe heard him opening the fridge in the kitchen and then the clink of glasses. Then she heard his voice as he spoke to someone on his phone. His tone was harsh. She was frightened by it.

  “That gun,” he said fiercely. “Yes, you know the one. Well, it’s here with me now. So you better stay away! Do you hear me?”

  When he came back into the living room with the drinks, he was smiling, as if nothing had happened. He put the glasses and chilled bottle of white wine on the coffee table. Then he sat down on the couch next to her, pulled her close, and began to kiss her.

  Andisiwe felt like she had melted into his warm body. She felt so safe in his arms, so protected.

  Somewhere along the passage Andisiwe shed her shoes. At the doorway to her bedroom she paused for a moment, thinking vaguely that this was where she had meant to stop. That Jacob was meant to sleep on the couch. What if her aunt came home?

  Then she thought how big and empty the bed would be, with only her in it, and how much better she would sleep, with Jacob’s strong arms around her. The house was big. What if Jacob didn’t hear Thabo trying to get into her bedroom window?

  So, she shed her shirt in the doorway, and helped Jacob shed his. And then, somewhere between the door and the smooth cream coverlet on her bed she shed the rest of her clothes – and she found them there, in a jumbled trail, the next morning.

  Later Jacob left the bed, but only for a few minutes, and returned with two large glasses of the most delicious, ice-cold drink for them both. After the heat of the bed Andisiwe drank it down very quickly.

  And that was the last thing she remembered until the morning, when the sun streamed in through open curtains and she put her arm across her eyes to shield them from the harsh light. She struggled to open her eyes. Her head felt thick like soup. She reached out across the silky sheets – to find no one there.

  Her heart constricted. It was like a terrible replay of the morning Thabo had disappeared from her bed. But that was Thabo. This was Jacob. He was probably making her breakfast right
now in her aunt’s kitchen.

  She noticed her clothes lying in a haphazard trail from the door and felt herself flush at the memory. She wrapped herself in her dressing gown. Andisiwe stood in her bedroom doorway and called Jacob’s name.

  She felt strangely woozy as she stumbled down the passage, running one hand down the wall to steady herself. She had only had one glass of wine. Surely it couldn’t have made her feel this bad?

  “Jacob?” she called out.

  But Jacob was nowhere in the house, and when Andisiwe looked out of the front door his car was no longer there.

  On her way back inside Andisiwe steadied herself at the hallway table, noticing that a couple of the roses in the vase had droopy heads, and had already begun to drop their petals. Andisiwe picked one up, and that’s when she noticed that it was gone.

  Her aunt’s priceless gold clock was missing. Gone!

  Andisiwe held her head in her hands.

  What had happened? And why was she feeling so hung over?

  “Oh no,” she said out loud. “Thabo.” It must have something to do with him. What had happened when she was asleep? And why hadn’t she heard anything?

  But her thoughts were muddled. “Surely Thabo didn’t get into the house? What had he done? Had he kidnapped Jacob? Where was he?”

  ~•~

  Andisiwe’s head was a blur. She struggled to remember exactly what happened the night before. She remembered phoning Jacob out of fear of the man lurking in the garden. She remembered Jacob taking her in his arms … she remembered …

  Where was Jacob? Maybe Thabo had come back later the previous evening and he and Jacob had had a confrontation. Maybe Thabo had somehow broken in and stolen the clock and Jacob had woken up and …

  Hurriedly Andisiwe found her phone on the floor next to her bed and phoned Jacob.

  Voicemail.

  She tried again.

  Voicemail again.

  Andisiwe left a voice message. “Please call me back. What happened last night? That is …” Andisiwe said, feeling herself blushing, “apart from the … you know …”