Cheryl's Secret (Two Stories Series)

Other books by Eva Marie Paulliere

An Emotional Affair (Two Stories Series)
Asuka’s Confession (Asuka Series)
One Woman
Ménage
à
Trouble

Love is not one, but two stories: his Story, and hers.

PROLOGUE

Dear Journal,

     I feel bad that I’ve taken so long to write this month, but it’s been a busy one. I met HER. I wish I could tell some dreamy tale of how our eyes locked from across a crowded room. If only it were that simple. She had a friend. Friends, sisters, barmaids, they can really complicate things! So can the police.
     So many things happened. Some for reasons I will never know. Sure, I could ask questions, but people forget. They lie. They withhold important facts. Memories alter with time, no matter how honest you are. I’m no exception.
     I will say this: I finally, TRULY learned something. Could it have happened any other way, the way I was? All the other details, do they really matter? No dreamy tales here. There’s no point in telling the real story either No one would believe it…

H
IS STORY

Chapter 1

Tanya
. She had green eyes, blond hair, and just the right shade of tan. She was tall, thin, and fit with everything exactly where it’s supposed to be. Was I some kind of disappointment to her that she pretended to like, just to be polite? Women like her, sophisticated, dreamlike, educated and rich, just don’t go for guys like me, despite my looks and charm. Did I ever have a chance?

Yet I had her
. In my living room, on my couch, smiling, looking at my drawings, listening to me play my keyboard. She liked it, and I thought she liked me too, but we weren’t imagining the same thing, I guess.

O
.K., let’s review here.

She
actually sent the first email. We spoke on the phone. We seemed to hit it off. I told her my ideal relationship would be the best friend that I could have sex with, and she liked the way I phrased that.

No problems at the
café either. She rambled on about her ex a bit too much, but many women do that. She laughed at my jokes. Always a good sign, that. She seemed to be pleased with my company. I liked her too.

W
ho knows if I’ll see her again? I asked her if she wanted to, and she said she would, but would have to check her schedule. No return calls since, though.

Hopefully things
go well with…

“Cheryl. My name is Cheryl. Y
ou’re Mark, right?”

“Yes, pleased to meet you.
Please, sit down,” Mark responded, snapping out of his thoughts.

Like
a gentleman, he stood up to pull the chair out for her. Each paused a moment to look each other over.

For
Cheryl, she had an idea whom she was getting as she saw his photo online. She got the handsome, blue-eyed and dark-haired man she was expecting. She was pleasantly surprised at how
tall
he was. Computer monitors just don’t do that justice.

As there was no picture of Cheryl on her profile, Mark looked her over more carefully than
normal. Cheryl was a half-White, half-Asian mix. Mark found her neither striking nor homely, but
unique
. He speculated with the right clothing, makeup and hairstyle she could be
stunning
, and was just toning her look down for this casual first-time meeting.

They were each about
30 years old, and had enough experience with the opposite sex so as not to be shy or nervous on a first date.

“So Mark, have you
done much Internet dating?” Cheryl inquired.

“
Only really went out with that one I met last week,” Mark responded.

“I’ll bet you’re still thinking about her aren’t you?” Cheryl responded.

“I’m Sorry. It’s hard not to,” Mark admitted.

“Well, I’m
not the least bit jealous, and if you don’t mind my bluntness, I don’t think you’ll be seeing her again anyway.”

“How can you say that?” r
eplied Mark.

“Well, let me
see… in your
very honest
email, you told me that you went out with her Friday. She told you that she’d
check her schedule
, and despite your emails and voice messages, you’ve heard
nothing
from her?”

“No.”

Cheryl tilted her face and gave Mark a forced smile. He knew what she meant by this.

Mark rambled
. “Well, you never know. She might be very busy. She might have turned the ringer off her phone. Her internet could be on the fritz, and she can’t reply to me. She might be…”

“
Not interested Mark. She’s just not interested,” Cheryl completed. “Come on, do you believe what you’re saying to me? What does your gut tell you?”

“
I… well…”

“Look, if she calls you back
tomorrow, I’ll step out of the way,” Cheryl offered.

“Fair enough, Cheryl
,” Mark agreed.

They both settled into their surroundings and into their conversation.
Mark liked this charming little café. It wasn’t the most stylish place, but a step or two up from a diner nonetheless. He could meet women from the dating site here without it having to be too formal or intimidating. Best of all, he didn’t have a car, and this was within walking distance.

“So Mark, what sort of work do you do?”
Cheryl started.

“I work at a credit card sales center
,” Mark responded.

“Really?
So you set up accounts for large corporations so that they can process credit cards? That sounds cool. I bet it pays well.”

“Well, it’s not exactly that.
We call people who have poor credit and sell them a card they have to pay a fee for that has high interest. We tell them the card helps restore their credit if they make the payments on time.”

Cheryl
laughed. “So you
help
them restore their credit enabling them to fall into debt again!”

“Yeah, it
’s nothing to brag about. What about you?” Mark asked.

“
I’m the Unit Assistant at the apartment complex I live in.”

“Oh,” Mark said.
“So you set up the leasing contracts, do the background checks on new tenants, collect the rent and that sort of thing?”

“No
. I mostly clean vacant units and run errands. It’s just a part time job with a fancy title.”

“Well, I guess on paper we
both
sound
pretty fucking important
, don’t we?” Mark responded.

“Yeah, I guess on paper you
’d be calling me to set up our merchant account!” Cheryl said giggling.

Mark giggled too.

They enjoyed their conversation and meal. Cheryl seemed quite into Mark, something he was pleased with, yet also intimidated by.

“So, are you going to take me back to your place, show me your drawings and play your keyboard
for me
tonight?” Cheryl asked.

“Hah! You must think I do that for all the girls.”

“You did it for
Tanya
, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t say
that much
in my email. How did you know?”             

Cheryl reached across the table and put her hands on
his, and said softly
“I just know.”

This woman sure is friendly, but something’s not quite right…

“I’d just like to walk you home now. Umm, maybe we’ll do that some other time. Got work tomorrow, you know,” Mark said naturally as possible. Social lies were not one of his strengths.

When he
walked her back, she grabbed his hand. He reluctantly held it the rest of the way.

After saying goodnight at
Cheryl’s doorstep, she put her arms on his shoulders and looked up at him for a few seconds. Taking a hint, he gave her a kiss. It felt comfortable and warm. He held her close, paused, and said softly…

“
Tanya.”

F
ear struck, and his affection quickly turned into a concern she may know martial arts.

H
e was relieved not to get a smoothly executed Judo move, ending with his bleeding on the pavement. From her, there was only a sigh, followed by an utterance:

“Richard
.”

Chapter 2

The next day Mark checked his emails. There was only the usual spam for Penis Enlargements, Russian Brides and Canadian Pharmacies. There was nothing from Tanya or Cheryl.

Work was difficult
, but Mark was glad to have something to do besides sit around his home unproductively and think about the two women he met over the weekend. Instead, he could sit in his little cubicle,
productively
and think about them.

The usual stuff about other fish in the sea, all is fair in love and war
; etc dominated his thoughts. He even tried to convince himself that he learned something. He knew he didn’t. He
knew better
. There was no consolation.

His workplace was large, with many employees
. Being a “Joe Job” he also got a chance to see a lot of “Janes” working there. No “Jane” interested him now. He didn’t even want to look down any woman’s shirt when they bent down to pick something up. Whether it was out of respect, or his giving up on any hope of passion, was anyone’s guess.

Later on at home, he sat on his couch, staring at his phone
. He knew that Tanya
probably
wasn’t going to answer any of the messages he’d left over the weekend. He knew she didn’t “check her schedule”, and that he blew it. Cheryl was probably with Richard, whoever
that
was.

I
wasted nearly the entire weekend dwelling on Tanya. Then I go out on another date with some woman, and she’s into another guy. While Tanya was vague, at least I know nothing’s going to happen with Cheryl.

I’m still thinking of Tanya
. Damn it! I need closure, and NOW.

He
went to his computer to compose an email to Tanya.

That ought to do it. Bye Tanya
!

Just before hitting
“send”,
the phone rang.

Yes
! It always works this way! Just when you’re about to give up, something happens! Good thing I didn’t send it yet.