#Episode 9
He smiled. “Let me fix us something, just relax here”
“Are you not going to work today” she half smiled.
He sat up. “Certain benefits come from owning your own company” he was gloriously naked when he stood up and Jessie’s mouth went dry as she stared at him. Andy noticed her eyes on him immediately he stood up and smiled as he pulled on a trouser. He turned and she instantly averted her gaze. “You can stare at me honey” he grinned but it did not last long. “I certainly am enjoying the view.”
Jessica saw the hunger in his eyes and was alarmed when she looked at herself and saw that the blanket had slipped to her waist. She pulled it up instantly and could not meet his eyes.
He laughed. “Don’t be shy with me honey; your body can drive a man crazy”
“I wouldn’t want you to go crazy now, would I?” he laughed and left. Jessica instantly picked up her camisole and wore it.
Andy had seen her entirely naked but that did not stop her from being self conscious. She had always been conscious of exposing herself when someone was watching even if it was a woman.
Her friends had helped her get over the feminine part because more often than not, they had to dress up together for an occasion. Getting naked or half naked in front of a guy was totally alien.
Even going half naked in front of a prying male doctor for scan had driven her crazy to the extent that she decided to change her doctor to a female doctor. Now that Andy had seen her nakedness, she was almost sure that he was the only man that she would give that privilege to. The surprising part was that she had actually wanted him to see her naked.
Putting on a flimsy short, she started folding the clothes that were littering the floor and straightening the bedspread. Andy entered with a wide tray filled with food.
“Woow” Andy murmured as he took in Jessica’s appearance.
“You look divine. What the hell entered you to make you dress the way you used to?”
She smiled faintly. “You have no idea. Bread and eggs, I can eat this everyday” she changed the topic with a smile.
He placed the tray on the bed and they both sat. They blessed the food and Jessica was about to dig in when she paused. “I did not even ask if you were good at this; cooking”
“Are you scared?” he grinned. He scooped up a sizeable amount of egg. “Find out
yourself. Now, open your mouth”
“What? No, I…”
Andy pushed the food into her mouth as she spoke and her rebuke vanished as the egg tantalized her taste buds. “Wow”
“Yeah. There was a time when I wanted to be a chef”.
She smiled as she started eating. “Well, you are good. Ralph was the only guy I know that cooks”. Immediately she said it, she knew it was a mistake.
It was Andy’s turn to pause. “Who is Ralph?”
She cleared her throat. “My ex”
“Oh…” the food did not taste so interesting to him again.
“He left me at the altar”
Andy froze. “I didn’t get you.” She was silent. “You obviously did not mean what you just said”
“He was the reason I never wanted to get married again, the reason why I never wanted to catch any man’s fancy. He left me feeling stupid and disgraced at the altar on our wedding day”
“Oh my God” he held Jessie as she fought the tears that sprang up. “It is OK honey.”
“Oh, you are coming over… wonderful… I am expecting you” Jessica said into her phone and hung up. It was the evening already and everything had been magical. She got to the sitting room and sat beside Andy who was listening to the news. He pulled her against him.
“Where are you off to?” he asked.
“I need to make my hair at the saloon. Sonia is coming over. She should be here in about two hours”
“Hope you won’t be staying long”
“No, just want to set my hair.” She stood up.
He took out his wallet to take out some money but she stopped him. “I can manage Drew”
“Well, I don’t want you to manage” he gave her some money, much more than she would ever dream of using for her hair. She reluctantly took it, kissed him and left.
One hour later, Andy was still in the sitting room. He had asked Ada to go for the day; he wanted to prepare dinner with his wife. He pulled off his top and put it on the chair.
He heard the doorbell and went there, expecting to see Jess but when he opened the door, he saw someone else.
“Sonia”, he exclaimed. “It is good to see you. Come in” he murmured. She was earlier than Jessie had said she would be.
“Hello Andy” she cooed. “It is really good to see you”. She eyed Andy stylishly as he closed the door. “Where is my friend?”
“She is at the saloon. She should be here in a few minutes.” He picked up his shirt. “Please have your seat”
“Why don’t you leave it?” she asked.
“Leave what?”
“The shirt” she held the shirt in his hand. “You look so s£xy. I wonder what you saw in my S.U friend”.
“Excuse me?” Andy was sure he was not hearing properly.
She snatched the top in his hand and threw it. “I think you should leave” he murmured as she advanced towards him.
She adjusted her top until the larger part of her chest was left open.
“I can give you what my friend can’t give”
“Well, I don’t want it. Please leave before I harass you.”
Immediately he said this, she leapt on him, throwing him off balance. He fell on the chair with her on top of him.
“Bloody hell” he gasped out. “Get off me” he roared but she would not bulge. He struggled and rose and turned until he was off the chair and she was sitting. She had her fingers locked around his belt buckle and as he tried to remove her hands, the door opened.
Jessica entered and gasped.
Andy jerked Sonia’s hands away with so much force that her hands hurt. He stood up looking totally confused and alarmed.
“Jess, it is not what you think” he managed to put the words together though he was totally devastated and confused.
Jessica was not sure she could hear anything that was being said. The scene before her was so frightening and she was hearing loud screaming in her head. She was not sure what was going on.
Sonia adjusted her cloth and jumped up. “Yes, it is what you think Jessica. Your womanizing husband here was trying to rape me”
“What?” Andy’s head rotated.
Jess was just frozen to the spot.
“I came in looking for you and all of a sudden he grabbed me” she made a teary face.
“You are insane woman; what the hell is your game here?”
Andy was roaring and he wished he could beat the living daylight out of the woman. He faced Jessica. “Jess, you have to trust me. I can never do this to you; never”
“Oh yeah? Then tell me, why did you both do a one year contract wedding then?” Jess gasped, now listening attentively. How did Sonia know? Andy was bewildered. “You did not want to marry the woman brought by your father because you can’t bear being tied to a woman. You like the idea of sampling every skirt that comes your way and that is why you chose gentle and unappealing Jessica, while you go on with your escapades with other girls”.
“If you don’t cut this bull s–t, I surely would lay my hands on you”
“Oh, just like you were about doing before Jessica entered?”
Jessica felt this cold chill that would not go away. Her blood seemed to freeze.
“Tell me, is that not the reason why you don’t stay in the house? You go out very early and come back very late using work as a pretense, is that not because you
have concubines all over the country? You were with a woman at Convy Hotel some days back, what were you both doing? It must be the wild thing right?”
“What is all these? She is one of our major contractors” Andy saw red at the infidelity accusation.
“Oh, really? I came majorly to talk with Jessica about this but it is no longer necessary. Now I see that Jessica has her eyes open and tries to dress appealingly so I would not be surprised if you have gotten into her pants already”.
Andy did what he had never done before; he swung his hand and slapped Sonia’s face so hard.
Jessica could take no more; she turned and fled the house.
“Jess… Jessica” Andy ran after her with his heart racing with dread. He caught up with her and held her hand.
“Leave my hand” she yelled, snatching her hand forcefully.
He held her shoulders, forcing her to listen to him.
“Believe me Jess; I don’t know what is going on here. Sonia came and-”
“And what? Jumped on you?” she laughed sarcastically. “You know what Andy, I am done” the tears that she had been guarding against started coming and she started rubbing them away furiously. “I knew from the start that this was a huge mistake. Yesterday, last night, this morning; everything was a mistake. A stupid, irredeemable mistake, but it is fine.”
“Jess please, don’t say that. Don’t do this” Andy pleaded and his heart bled when he saw her furiously wipe away her tears again.
“Don’t worry, I would not do anything or take anything. The 20 million; I don’t need it”
“Jess…”
Jessica started walking away, and then started running. The waves of the hair she had just fixed bounced after her.
Andy was about to run after her when he remembered that Sonia was still in the house.
The anger that bubbled in him was so intense that he charged into the house smashing the flower vase that stood in his way. He searched the entire house but did not see Sonia. She must have sneaked out while the couple was arguing. He swallowed hard, still trying to come to terms with what had just occurred.
For the first time in years, something new occurred in his life that brought joy to his heart and it shattered before it even begun. He grabbed his car keys and his shirt and left in search of Jessica.
To_be_Continued
BLACK MARRIAGE