EPISODE 23
Aaliyah
I stood frozen as Tasha accused me of being a traitor, she seemed to have forgotten our little deal before spilling the beans about me being a cancer patient. I could just tell everyone she kidnapped me and deny the fact of being a cancer patient, it’s not like she got proof anyways.
“Don’t call me a cancer patient” I yelled at her and she gave me an eye roll.
“Then what are you? You are so annoying” she poked me.
“And you? You ain’t annoying?” I asked moving closer to her.
“Enough girls!” Ryan said fed up.
“Tell this dweeb to get out or else I’m leaving” Tasha faced Ryan folding her arms. “To hell with you then” I yelled at her and sat on a chair not too far from where Ryan stood.
“No baby girl, you are the one going to hell because he is my man and you are an outsider” Tasha came closer to me and poked my arms. “Stop it!” I reprimanded.
“And if I don’t?” She smirked.
“Poke me one more time” I said angrily.
“There, I just did” she poked me again and I was about retaliating when Michael stepped in between.
“Ladies, ladies, please we are a team” he intervened while Ryan remained quiet not saying a word.
“I’m not part of a team with a traitor amongst us” Tasha wrapped her arms around Ryan and this infuriated me.
“Deal with it because I’m his wife and I’m going no where” I clapped back at her and she gave me an angry look and I was happy my words affected her. “He is my man Aaliyah, you are just an outsider” she fired at me.
“Your man? Like he cares about any other person than himself” I said and stormed out carrying my purse.
I needed air and my girl Lolo, speaking of Louise, we haven’t talked in a while, last time we talked she was telling me about exams and I was freaking out but I told
her to keep notes for me. I miss my girl and school and some sort of normal that I’ve created for myself till Ryan came along and messed up my life. I walked for minutes and was dizzy, I stopped at a café not too far from the hotel to have a cup of hot latte. I sat at a booth not too far from window and gulped down my latte with pride.
“Drinking alone?” I heard a voice from behind.
“Wouldn’t call it drinking, it’s just latte” I turned to see a handsome dude walking to the seat opposite me.
“But still, it’s liquid so it’s drinking” he smiled and sat down.
“Oh! You are seating down already” I released a fake smile.
“Yea, oh I’m sorry I was supposed to ask for permission” he apologized.
“No worries” I smiled; for real this time. The guy is pretty handsome I wouldn’t lie, he had a dark beard hovering round his face which was kind of s£xy and attractive and blue eyes and his perfect Australian accent. I must confess, he is every girl’s dream man.
“Gregg” he extended his hands and broke me out of my thoughts.
“Aaliyah” I took his hands with a smile. Damn! Those hands are soft and yet manly.
“Oh you are married” he referred to my ring.
“No- I mean yes but no” I stuttered.
“Bad marriage?” He asked.
“Not really, it’s not actually a marriage- I mean…”
“I get it” he cuts in.
“You do?” I asked and he nods.
“I literally just watched the girl I love marry another so love could be hard” he explained and I nod.
“Yea it could be” I said and my mind drifted off to Ryan and his cute face, he is cranky but when he smiles, he looks adorable. Oh stop it Aaliyah, you can’t think of him that way, he is an arrogant guy with lack of respect for girls. I reminded myself and my mood changed when the memory of what happened earlier flashed into my mind, I could see the look in Ryan’s eyes as Tasha wrapped her arms around him. It’s that look of being in love. As my mind thought of all this, I suddendy felt pained in my heart. Wait am I jealous? I can’t be jealous right? “You okay?” Gregg words jerked me back to life.
“Yea! Yea! I’m fine just- doodling” I tell him and he smiled.
“You look lost” he commented and I shrugged. No way in hell I look lost. Right? “I don’t, but can I ask a question?” I said unsure if I should ask the question or not.
“Shoot” his blue eyes peered into mine.
“It’s kind of creepy but…”
“Don’t be scared, I won’t bite” he smiled. Right! sure Aaliyah, go ahead, he won’t bite.
“How do you know if you are in love?” I asked and he started laughing. “Why are you laughing? I thought you said you won’t bite” I said embarrassed. “I’m sorry it’s just I get this question all the time. I’m a therapist and I read you to be a kind of girl who knew what she wants and how she feels” he explained. “Well you read wrong and didn’t they teach you not to laugh at patient’s plight?” I tell him still feeling embarrassed and angry at the same time. I feel like a fool for asking that.
“How about I organise a session for you, you could swoop in once in a while and we could talk” he placed his hands on the desk.
“No way! I’m not going to pay to be laughed at and you are not going to cajole me into being one of your crack head patients” I said really firmly.
“And who told you only crack heads need therapy? Celebrities go through therapy all the time. In fact I’ve been honoured to have session with a few of them” he said really proud of himself.
“Well good for you and all those celebrities are crazy too, I mean that would explain a lot like them going on stage and them hopping around like Barney, crazy Barney in case you were wondering” I scoffed and he just laughed throughout. “You are funny. C’mon, a session won’t be bad, you looked burdened and I know a guy who would take your stress away and replace it with happiness” he said this time with a serious face. I mean this guy is serious? He wants me to go through another therapy session, I use to go see a therapist all the time when I was diagnosed with cancer till I decided to stop and my parents couldn’t force me to go anymore.
“No thank you” I faced the window.
“Fine, just incase you change your mind, this is my card” he slipped a card into my hands and stood up to leave. Great! Now he is leaving without answering my questions. Well I don’t care.
“I’d like to run now, just came to grab a cup of coffee and I saw you here so I
decided to say hello. I’ve got a patient in ten and I’m almost late” he blabbed on
checking his wristwatch.
“Good for you” I replied.
“In case you change your mind you’ve got my card, call me” he smiled.
“Trust me I won’t and I don’t stay in Australia anyways so you see” I rolled my eyes.
“Neither do I, I just came here for some family stuff” he smiled.
“Really? And you want a patient? You are something else” I clicked my tongue. “I just love helping people and I knew you weren’t from here” he huffed and I was shocked
“Really how?” I questioned.
“Obvi, your accent and some other things” he looked at me with those ocean eyes of his and I couldn’t help but blush.
“Okay so where do you stay, not like l care anyway” I quickly added and he smirked.
“Brooks in America” he said and I was amazed, he is like my brother because everyone in Brooks town see themselves as siblings. “Funny because I’m from Brooks” I tell him and he gasped.
“See, the universe want us to meet, I’d be going back in a week time so be sure to call me. In the mean time I need to run. Bye” he waved at me and I did too as I watch him disappear into thin air. I picked up his card and went through it “Gregg Baldwin” I read aloud.
After my coffee date, I wouldn’t say it’s a date but it involved a guy, a girl and coffee so it’s definitely a coffee date. I decided to go over to the Pierce mansion to see Lala and make things right between us because I really miss her friendship. I took a taxi and stopped at the front of the big mansion, the size gets me all the time, it’s so huge. I went to the gateman and the guards at the gate recognized me and let me in. As I walked in I could feel my legs turn to jelly, I was really scared as I stepped on the porch and knocked on the door.
“Hello Ma’am Aaliyah” Honey, one of the housemaids welcomed me with a smile.
“Hi, is Lala in?” I asked almost chocking mentioning Lala.
“Yes, I’ll go get her for you. Come in” she ushered me in and I smiled walking in. There have been some redecoration because it looks different from the last time I came here. The green vinyl chairs have been changed to a White and black executive chair and the TV was no longer on the wall but on a fancy shelf. “Aaliyah” Lala walked in with a smile and her smile scared me. “Hi” I raised my hands up slightly because I was scared.
“Hello” she flashed a smile.
“Errm- I’m here- I…”
“Honey, could you please get me a bottle of champagne please, Aaliyah and I have a lot to celebrate. Right Aaliyah?” Lala interrupted me staring deep into my eyes. I’m scared, very scared. Lord be my strength. “Not really- I mean right” I stuttered some more.
“So what brings you here” Lala took a seat and took her phone.
“Errm- I just- I…”
“We are not going to have a conversation if you keep stuttering like a child” Lala cuts in taking her eyes away from her phone. “Done” she smiled dropping her phone beside her.
“I’m sorry” I manage to say.
“For what exactly? Why are you sorry?” Lala smiled. God, her smile is killing me, she should just insult and yell at me or even worse.
“Lala please let’s just sort this things out” I begged really tired.
“Sort what out?” Your lying ass? please I’m over that. I’m even investing my time in a new business called. ‘Liars gets crushed’ it’s a cutlery brand by the way with a lot of knife to kill the liars” she said and I swallowed hard.
“Oh, why are you looking like that? Ryan didn’t tell you about my new business, guess he forgot to tell you during your pillow talks, oh wait! I forgot, you guys ain’t really married so no pillow talk for you” she pouted as Honey walked in with a bottle of champagne and two wine glass.
“Here you go ma’am” Honey handed her a glass filled with champagne.
“Thank you” she smiled.
“Thank you” I collected the glass of wine Honey gave me.
“Cheers” Lala raised her glass up and sipped her wine. I was about sipping mine when I heard Lala’s voice.
“What if I poisoned that?” She said and I drew the cup away from my lips. “Joking, how could I? I didn’t bring the champagne here myself. Maybe if I had brought it, it would be a different case” Lala raised her glass at me and I dropped the glass on the table really shaken by Lala’s threat. I made her a monster.
“Lala I’m sorry okay, I didn’t mean to hurt you or disrespect you or lie to you, it was just the situation and I need my sister in-law back, I need you, I need my best friend. Please Lala, please” I pleaded and she burst out in laughter. “Fine, you are forgiven” she said.
“Really? Just like that?” I asked and she arched her brow.
“Wait, you don’t want to be forgiven?” She asked. “No- I mean yes, I want to be forgiven thank you Lala, you won’t regret this” I responded quickly.
“Not a problem, but just watch your step on your way out, you wouldn’t want to slip and fall and die. Argh! that would be crazy I can’t plan a funeral” she blabbed on. Right! I’m not forgiven. As I sat there I heard a knock on the door and Honey went to open the door. Behold it was Ryan, Tasha and Michael. How in hell am I going to explain that I’m not working with Lala. I’m seating right with her after I angrily left the hotel. God, this is so messed up. Tasha’s reaction is even killing me. She seems so happy.
“So you are the traitor” Ryan said looking pained. Lord, would they believe me?
Thanks Tasha!
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TBC
MARRIED AND STILL SINGLE
[Broken vows]
by berlie
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