The Designer's Wicked Intentions

by Yvonne Sibanda

  “Yep my handsome husband Jimmy. He wanted me to continue living and I can tell you the first time he made that declaration I was pissed. He was always the practical one, while I mooned over things like love. I begged Jimmy to fight the disease but I guess he had made up his mind that he had rather be with the Lord than me and the children. He made me promise that I would not moan him for long and also pointed out that they was nothing that bound me to him once he was gone. I had to think of the children. I know it might look bad to others that I have moved on this fast, but like I said, my children come in first and I am not going to risk them growing up without a man in the house. I have feelings also, it’s better to marry than burn with lust,” she added the last thought with a flourish as Aggy laughed along with her.

  “Well, I just think it’s wrong,” Aggy said after their laughter had died down.

  “So you had rather lust after that hunk,” Cassie looked pointedly at the picture plastered on the wall, of Ethan and Greg wearing their formal wear, the range that Aggy and Ethan had worked together on. “Rather than be made a respectable woman.”

  “I am a respectable woman without him,” she scoffed as Cassie rolled her eyes like her daughter. “Ya right. Doing things that a Christian woman isn’t meant to do and you call it respectable.”

  “How did you,” she was now gaping again as Cassie remarked; “I wasn’t born yesterday. I have seen you two. Not able to keep your hands off each other as you draw the poor young man by his nose. Everyone can see he is quiet taken with you after all. It’s only you who appears not to be seeing that. Besides I can bet my money that you have seduced the young man already and had amazing sex with him.”

  Aggy gasped and almost hit Cassie with her plastic fork as she giggled. “I know I would have,” Cassie continued, undeterred. “I shared a healthy sex life with Jimmy before he got really sick. So when I heard some women say, we can stay longer without men, I thought they are not for real. I have a rather manly appetite towards it, maybe that’s why. Then I saw you boss lady, by the way what were you doing at the back shelves?” She giggled while this time Aggy gave in to the urge and threw the plastic fork at her.

  She knew what day Cassie was talking about as it was after she prepositioned Ethan, two months ago, amidst threatening she would find a man to pleasure her if he didn’t. He wanted to see if she would stick to her resolve and paid her a visit, stating he wanted to buy a pair of trousers. They walked to the shelves at the back and he swooped in for the kill. She clung to him, hopeless from the onslaught and at the same time hoping her employees wouldn’t catch them as she reveled in how great he felt as he plundered her mouth and cradled her breasts making her moan. By the time she walked back to her office, she was disheveled and had a drowsy expression gracing her face. While Ethan seemed unfazed by what he had done to her. That’s when she began to think he was eunuch cold Ethan and would never lose control with her.

  “Luc…”

  “Luc what. Luc never respected and treated you like his wife Aggy. He was a constant visitor in our hood to that Jasmine. You don’t owe that man anything.”

  Aggy had a thoughtful look on her expression as she finished up her meal. Cassie might say she used to moon over things like love yet right now she seemed like the practical one in all this. She stood up and walked to the small refrigerator that had been paneled in wood giving an impression that it was one of the file cabinets and took a bottle of unfermented red wine from it. “I guess we should celebrate then, to your moving on” she stated as Cassie giggled and received a glass. “So who is the lucky man?”

  “His name is Jason, he works in construction, a single dad of one and I met him at church” Cassie gushed before taking a sip of the wine. “I am happy for you love,” Aggy said wishing she could be like Cassie and not care at all. Luc’s family were also encouraging her to move on, especially Greg his cousin who had bluntly told her if he was Ethan, he would have given her an ultimatum by now.

  She stared at the picture of them in her office and sighed. She was meant to meet up with Ethan for dinner as promised. Maybe she could be brave enough to tell him then that she was madly in love with him, she toyed with the thought and heard the door opening as Rita came into the office. “Back this early, didn’t you meet up with your beau?” her mother asked, winking at her as she blushed and muttered, “aaw ma.” She went over to the fridge and placed the sodas she had bought seeing the women drinking wine instead.

  “Cassie you are something else,” Aggy giggled watching mother and daughter before they left to resume their work and she remained behind in her office to sketch out some designs that had been playing in her mind for a while.

  CHAPTER SIX

  AGGY RAISED her hand up and waved at Ethan as he smiled and stood up. She giggled taking note on how he loved it when heads turned just to look his way. His lithe body was strong and fluid as well as the way he dressed could be elegant and unpretentious or unassuming. He always managed to look great in his tailor made suits as he advertised his brand. So much for taking him up on the offer of dinner.

  She prayed she wouldn’t be making a fool out of herself. He winked as if he knew her line of thought making her blush. She was relieved at the same time that they were back to their normal camaraderie and not the awkward relationship of a week ago.

  “Aggy darling,” he greeted and blew some kisses over both her cheeks before placing her hand in his crook and leading her back to the table. The man was an enigma. One minute he acted all girly and the next he pulled a 360 degree on her and became a man. This was the Cookie she knew who managed to confuse her and leave her head reeling, wondering if he was the same man who would place sweet kisses on her being and leave her panting for more, or he was the guy who knew how to be her girlfriend, the one she would confide in never fearing to be judged by whatever came into her mind.

  “Shall we order,” he coked his brow enquiringly as she nodded before he stated the wine he wanted and ordered what she liked. After the waiter had walked away, she asked. “How was the fashion show?”

  “Hectic as usual love and how about my princesses?”

  “Now safely back at boarding. Nita was rather disappointed that she didn’t get to see you before she left, while Marilyn cried her eyes out. Wendy as usual was excited.”

  Ethan chuckled at hearing that. “I hope Nita does understand I couldn’t miss this fashion show since it involved designers from all corners of the world.”

  “She understood,” Aggy said before cutting her medium done steak. “By the way, what is this about Marilyn going to boarding; don’t you think she is too young?”

  Shrugging her shoulders she replied, “I send all my girls when they turn six. I didn’t want them to grow up seeing Luc parading his floozies in the house, so I made sure by the time they turned six, off to boarding.”

  “Except you are no longer married to Luc.”

  She laughed not having thought of that, Marilyn and the twins could have something different from the three older girls. “It has become a habit,” she chuckled. They went on to talk on other things as Aggy prayed he would propose again. Ethan had a tendency of bringing up the marriage topic every time, but this time, he continued on as if it was the furthest thing on his mind to her chagrin.

  After the talk with Greg though she had been pissed, but as the days went by she realized she really wanted something worthwhile with Ethan. Cassie’s declaration in the afternoon that she was moving on had also pushed her to take introspection. After all, it’s not like she would stay with the same people who would gossip behind her back in her own house.

  Her disapproving mother would have to get over it. She tried her best with Luc and got nothing in return. Ethan though younger than her was more mature compared to Luc who was the same age as her. Character is what counted at the end, not the age of a person, as even older people could be found acting like children.

  She cleared the wandering thoughts from her head and was in time to hear him ask ab
out Sean, Elsie’s boyfriend who was a freshman at varsity. She knew his parents and his family, so wasn’t worried that much. “At least he is not the old man that she introduced me to.”

  Ethan chuckled having witnessed the whole thing play out when he was over at their place. Elsie played a prank on her mother by announcing that she was dating a rather sophisticated, mature young man. Such was her mother’s shock when she arrived with a man old enough to be her grandfather.

  Ethan was the one holding Agatha back from clawing the poor man’s eyes out. A few colorful words were said before Ethan muffled the words with his hand. Finally she calmed down long enough to hear her mischievous daughter remark incredulously, “Why would I go out with a man almost paw paws age? I told him about you ma, he is your date”. Apparently Elsie had set her up with the old man so she would stop nosing into her business. She was tired of telling her mom all the time that she wasn’t going to do the same mistakes she had done in her early teens which her concerned mother always managed to bring up.

  All she longed for was to be young and carefree like the rest. “You should have gone out with Mr. Masterson like Elsie suggested. He is more like the type you want” he jokingly remarked and watched her scowl. “I am not ancient Ethan.”

  “You could have fooled me” he retorted and took a sip of his wine.

  A beautifully made up lady approached their table, apologized for the intrusion before she asked for Ethan’s autograph. He smiled and wrote it on her champagne colored handbag. She also asked for a selfie which had Aggy tearing her heart out in her mind as the lady moved very close to Ethan before taking it. Ethan was very sociable and Agatha could feel her heart sink to her toes as the young lady giggled at something he said.

  “Aggy” he spoke in his deep baring tone voice. “Shall we?” She hadn’t noticed the lady had left. “Off course.” He held her hand again as she commented, “Do you intend for me to be on the first page as the reporters wonder on the mystery woman in Ethan’s life.”

  “Do you mind, after all you are the only woman in my life,” he whispered into her ear managing to set her heart to a pulsing rage as she slightly trembled. “What about your mom” she giggled and watched him wink at her. “Where we talking about mysterious mothers here.” She burst out laughing while he led her to the exit and the car that was waiting for them.

  Sliding into the backseat she almost groaned at the comfort of the seat as she was the one getting more of the treat and not him. She thought the idea behind the date, was that her gift hadn’t pleased his mates. But it was turning out to be her receiving the treat instead.

  Looking around at the luxury of the limousine as they set off for the cinema, she felt more pampered than he could ever realize. Her week had been rather hectic when the children came from their grandparents’ farm. This was like a gift for that and she rather enjoyed the company it entailed. When the driver arrived to take her, Elsie and the twins had screamed. Elsie was the one who had coiled her hair and also selected the dress she should wear. At seeing Ethan in a matching suit, Aggy realized that Elsie had planned it out with him.

  ***

  SOPHIE SETTLED next to her husband on the couch after having put Alexander to bed. She was nervous at tonight’s outcome on the couple that was out on a date. “Do you think he popped the question?”

  Greg chuckled before pulling her into his arms. “Maybe, maybe not. Will hear from them after.”

  “I do hope Aggy accepts him,” she muttered and flipped the channels on the TV before stopping at the news. The news was showing another mugging that had taken place and a person left dead in the wake. “What is this world coming to?” she asked already thinking of what the family of that victim might be going through.

  “We live in a fallen world love and such things are inevitable,” Greg answered. She stood up and paced the living room. “Stop doing that or else I will become nervous also.” He chided as she smiled sheepishly and settled down. She hadn’t been able to sit still after he told her that Ethan intended to propose to Aggy. “What if she refuses?”

  “Well I guess that would mean she didn’t hear me the last time I spoke to her. She had rather do the wrong thing than take the right route.” She pinched him before stating, “Aggy is afraid love. After the hell she went through with Luc you can’t expect her to move on just like that.” He huffed, “But it’s to be expected for her to preposition a man to pleasure her right.” Sophie giggled at the miffed expression on Greg’s face who was always protective when it came to his loved ones, including protecting them from themselves.

  “Just give her a break love,” she muttered and her husband answered back. “Be glad that we are nearby then. If she declines, she is in for a rude awakening,” he muttered and got up from the couch. She chuckled at the thought of the shock that Aggy would have when she realized the rude awakening that Greg had set in motion for her.

  ***

  “WE ARE here” Ethan stated and got off the car before offering Aggy his hand. She got out from the car, welcoming the warmth of his hand as they walked towards the cinema. It was a small theatre owned by the Knight’s, Dominic’s family situated outside town. They usually used it as a crew to watch old movies and also plan out small private affairs.

  “Ethan” she whispered as they got in. “How come no one is here” Aggy had expected to at least see people who usually used the spot.

  “Not this time love, booked the whole of it, so no one will come to your rescue when I decide to have my wicked way with you” he whispered back shocking her. He chuckled at her shocked reaction before leading her further inside. Red scented heart and rose shaped candles lined the isle having been lit and red rose petals had also been strewn around on the floor leading them to the made up mattress covered with white silk fabric and a few different colored silk pillows scattered on it.

  No longer did it look like the usual cinema she was used to, as different colored chiffon material had been draped on the ceiling. She settled down and lay on the soft fabric looking at the colors of cloth draping the ceiling. Ethan handed her a bouquet of her favorite white roses as she set up wondering where he had plucked them from. “To the most beautiful lady I have ever known,” he said before cradling her hand and kissing it. He winked at Aggy who giggled in return. Shall we, he asked and settled down before opening a bottle of wine and motioning for the movie to start. The lights were turned off and the movie began. Ethan chuckled as he took note that Aggy had fallen asleep in the middle of the movie. She was softly snoring away as her head lay on his shoulder. God she was beautiful, he thought as he stared at her. He had chickened out. This was meant to be the day he proposed and her face had seemed animated when he handed her the flowers.

  She had spurned his many proposals to the point he feared she would do the same again.

  The ring was nestled in the velvet tiny box in his pocket. He wanted a sign that would show him that Aggy was interested in him, that at the corner of her heart she even loved him, not as a friend but as someone she would spend the rest of her life with. Aggy deserved all the happiness in the world with her girls, yet lately he thought he wouldn’t live up to that. Since at every turn he tried to draw her close, she pulled away.

  He was relieved Greg was able to help him out on his birthday since he knew he would lose it if he met her that night. Greg had been furious since he had already warned him about the game they were playing. Aggy deserved much more than being a one night stand. He also didn’t want his first encounter with a woman that would forever be imprinted in his mind to be about anything else than Aggy.

  “Love, it’s time for us to leave,” he whispered and watched her slowly open her eyes. She had drooled a bit over his shirt and he didn’t mind, he actually thought it cute. Her eyes widened before she abruptly pulled away. “The movie is it over,”

  “Aggy, Aggy,” he smirked, “Remind me next time not to treat you to a movie.”

  “I warned you before, but you don’t listen.” She giggled
as she stood up and stretched her tiny frame. She followed him and as they came out from the cinema, the driver was already outside waiting at the entrance. She was quiet all the time they travelled back. They finally reached her house and he accompanied her to the door. “I had such a nice time Aggy, thanks” he winked as she tapped him on the shoulder. “Now you will appreciate my gift more, seeing I slept throughout the movie.”

  “Goodnight Aggy” he stated with a grin as her name slid off his tongue smoothly and she found herself shivering for a second. She wondered why she used to hate it when Luc addressed her in that same manner yet when Ethan did, she could almost purr like a cat being stroked by its owner. Maybe it’s in the way that both men said it. Luc would be sneering while Ethan took his time as if he even adored her name.

  “Good night,” she whispered and her breath hitched as he lowered his head to her. His kiss was sweet and tender, not at all threatening as she moaned and was pulled closer into his embrace. It was different from the ones she had received before as it felt like a question and at the same time he took time to show her he loved her by it. Aggs nearly pulled away so she could finally confess that she loved him. She chickened out but wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened it further, hoping he would get the meaning behind it. She sighed out of contentment when they finally drew apart and Ethan smirked before turning and jogging to the car.

  She watched it drive off and turned to the door. She knew she was acting like a teen but her heart couldn’t give her a break. Opening the door to her house, she got in and removed her shoes before softly tiptoeing through the living room hoping that she wouldn’t awaken the kids. “Cinderella finally arrives back home from meeting her prince,” Luc sneered and switched on the lamp momentarily taking Aggy off balance. “Luc,” she gasped startled as she became aware of him sitting on the armchair. When did he get out of prison? “What are you looking for here,” she ground out as she accusingly stared at him for bursting her bubble. “This is my house, or have you forgotten.”