Forget Me Not 1: DECEIVED (6 page)

~

Somehow, I picture Loraine furious while typing me the text, although I’ve yet to see her angry in real life. Following her order, I run up the stairs and retreat into my bedroom.”

Without having Kenneth to distract me, my physical needs resurface. My stomach growls in hunger, my bladder is coming close to exploding. Unfortunately, there’s no food in my bedroom and Loraine might take my move as disobedience if I sneak into the kitchen to grab a bite, but thank goodness, my room has its own bathroom, so I am able to take care of my most pressing problem.

To distract myself, I go through my closet and find the drawers filled to the brim with all sorts of clothes, from pajama bottoms and yoga tights, to socks and tank tops, with their price tags still on. Loraine must have sent one of her employees to shop for me. If only she knew, I’d rather have a chicken sandwich than a hundred-dollar tank top right now.

When my hunger becomes unbearable, I end up taking a long, relaxing bubble bath and then settle in my bed with the TV on. Hunger and the stress of the day has drained all my energy, and soon I doze off in my plush bathrobe with my hair still wet from the bath.

When I awake, it’s dark. Panicked, I look for my phone to check the time and see there’re three calls from Monika and an unread message from Loraine. My hands tremble as I push the button to read the text.

“Go to the kitchen right now. When you see Kenneth, tell him I had a miscarriage today. Make it look as if you’re telling it behind my back.”

Fear tightens my chest when I realize the text was sent half an hour ago. Cursing at myself for not setting the phone to loud, I jump down from the bed and hurry out. Only halfway down the stairs do I notice I’m completely naked beneath my bathrobe, but then realize that is probably how Loraine envisaged me dressed while interacting with her husband.

I should loosen the belt around my waist and push the sides of the bathrobe aside to display more of my chest. I know that’s what Loraine wants me to do. But, despite my best intentions, I end up adjusting the robe so it covers up most of my body, hoping Loraine won’t be around to witness my failure.

The kitchen is dark and eerily silent when I step inside. I stop and listen to the sounds of the house and detect nothing except for the sounds of my growling stomach. They all must have gone to sleep, although it’s only eleven.

Anger rises inside my chest. I should have stayed awake and waited for Loraine’s orders rather than dozing off the entire evening. I missed a good chance to prove to her I’m motivated and dedicated to her plan.

Feeling defeated and exhausted, I approach the fridge and open its door. Loraine didn’t give me permission to eat from their food, so theoretically I’ll be stealing their food if I give in to my urges and take a piece of the delicious-looking lasagna.

My hand goes back and forth between the lasagna tray and my chest several times before I finally close the fridge door. Even though the food will end up in the trash can tomorrow, I have no right to take it without first asking Loraine for permission. My stomach growls louder as if yelling at me for my foolishness and I press my hands against it to squeeze my belly.

“You can eat whatever you want,” a male voice says, startling me out of my skin.

Glancing at the direction of the voice in the darkness, I see Kenneth’s silhouette behind the dinner table. My hands reach up to my mouth involuntarily as my jaw drops in shock. Have I not been alone in the kitchen all this time?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He walks around the table toward me and opens the fridge door. A pair of dark-colored silk boxer briefs are the only piece of clothing covering his body. I try hard, very hard not to let my eyes drop to his nakedness.

“I just didn’t know if I was allowed to eat,” I try to explain with my chin trembling from the shock.

“Of course you’re allowed.” There’s edge to his voice that I suspect isn’t rooted in my hesitation to eat, but something else.

Then I suddenly remember Loraine’s text. The opportunity is not completely gone. I might have overslept, but I can still catch Kenneth and turn things around. If only I knew how I should bring up the topic of miscarriage without appearing as a traitor for giving away personal information about my boss.

He grabs the heavy glass container with ease and sets it on the countertop. When he approaches the cupboard to get a plate for me, my eyes break free from my control and start inspecting the ripped muscles of his biceps and back. Oh, dear angels in heaven!

I gasp while studying the details of the beauty in front of me and he abruptly cranes his head to look over at me.

I cover my mouth and rip my eyes away from him. “Sorry. I’m just very hungry.”
Not only for food, though.

Pushing the plate with a fork on the counter top in front of him, he gestures to me with his head to indulge in the lasagna. I do just as he insinuates and take a huge piece of the delicious food and warm it up in the microwave, while all my senses are on high alert for Kenneth.

He stands behind me, and naturally I can’t see what part of my body he’s looking at, or if he’s looking at me at all. Although the bathrobe I’m wearing is doing a great job covering my torso, it runs only mid-thigh and leaves most of my legs nude. There’s also the fact that I’m completely naked underneath. I wonder if that information has any effect whatsoever on Kenneth. It’d be easy to tell if I could just peek at his penis.

Just the thought of his manhood makes me blush, how will I react if I try and take a look at it. It’ll take my shamelessness to new heights.

I hear him pull a chair to the kitchen island and wonder why he cares to stay with me while I eat. Working hard to radiate a nonchalant vibe, I settle on the chair across from him and fork a piece of lasagna.

“This is so good.” My eyes roll back in their sockets with delight. My muscles start relaxing as soon as I gobble down enough to stop my stomach from growling, and I almost forget about Kenneth’s presence only a few feet away from me.

His low chuckle reminds me of the mission I should be focusing on rather than losing time on insignificant things, like appreciating a plate of heavenly deliciousness.

“Thank you,” I mumble with my mouth full and watch his smile widen. “I didn’t get a chance to grab a bite. First the daycare, then the gynecology clinic, and then your office.”

The smile on his face freezes and his eyebrows lift. “What gynecology clinic?”

I cover my mouth with my hand, pretending to look panicked for giving away too much. “Mrs. Carter didn’t tell you about it?”

He frowns and squares his shoulders, looking angry and impatient. “No.”

“I don’t think I should talk about it if she didn’t want you to know about her appointment.” Dropping the fork on my plate, I bow my head to avoid his questioning eyes that’re boring into me with demands of an answer.

“I have a right to know about her wellbeing,” he insists.

I don’t move and keep my lips tightly pursed. The harder I make it for him, the more likely he’ll believe me when I spill the beans.

“I’m your boss. I’m the one paying your salary. You report to me, not to her.”

“She might fire me.” I break my silence and glance up at him with fearful eyes.

“I won’t allow it.” He tries to sound reassuring, but if I was truly about to give away sensitive information, I wouldn’t buy into his empty promises at this point.

I shake my head and start to get up.

He shoves his hand in front of me on the kitchen island to stop me. “I promise I’ll not tell her I found it out from you.”

I swallow, making sure to look hesitant when I say, “She started bleeding after we dropped off the kids at the daycare. I overheard her gynecologist confirming her miscarriage.”

His wide eyes fill with sadness at the sound of the evil word. “Miscarriage?”

His shoulders slump, his naked torso leans against the kitchen island as if emptied of its energy resources. His eyes fall on his hand while “Miscarriage” rolls out of his lips again.

“I’m sorry.” I really am. It hurts to me inflict pain on someone’s heart. I’m not made for manipulating people because I feel their pain penetrating my own soul. The defeated look this mighty and strong man has makes my stomach churn and I instantly forget about the delicious food before me.

“I had no idea she was pregnant,” he mumbles to himself.

“Eight weeks,” I blurt out, although I have no idea why.

He frowns as suspicion replaces the sadness on his face. I curse at myself mentally. Why didn’t I hold my tongue? How could I be so silly to make such a comment without having the slightest idea about their sex schedules? Their youngest son is an infant. Perhaps they hadn’t had sex until very recently. Oh, god! I’ll make him suspect Loraine of infidelity.

Without commenting on my utter-bullshit lie, he jumps to his feet and strides out of the kitchen. Fear strikes my heart. Hell, instead of helping her get out of her marriage as a wealthy woman, I might have just caused Loraine to have a divorce without getting a penny out of it.

~

What did I do? I labeled a possibly innocent woman as a cheating whore. How could I be so stupid?

I pace in my bedroom for hours until the dawn of the next day, biting my nails for fear of what was coming. Loraine will fire me on the spot as soon as she finds out about my beyond-belief foolishness. My thickness goes to show a stupid friend is worse than the smartest of enemies. I’ve ruined her marriage before she could get her affairs in order.

Throughout the night, I didn’t hear a single sound of a fight, but that could mean several things. Perhaps, Loraine was asleep when Kenneth went to talk with her. Or, worse, he might skip the talk altogether and go straight to a divorce lawyer.

At five-thirty, I can’t take it anymore. I slip into a black tank-top and blue jeans and leave my room, keeping my ears open for any slight noise. Just when I arrive at the kitchen, I hear a car driving out of the garage and look out the window to see it’s Kenneth’s car rolling into the street. My fears are coming true. He’s leaving so early in the morning to talk to his lawyers.

I have to let Loraine know about my mistake to give her a chance to prepare herself. It’s the least I can do even though she might cut my tongue out in anger. Rushing up the stairs, I stop before her bedroom door, my chest heaving up and down with my irregular breathing.

My chest tightens with sadness at the thought of having to leave this paradise so soon. Shaking my head to push away the disturbing thoughts, I knock on the door.

Loraine opens the door in her black nightgown, yawning.

“Good morning, Loraine,” I say apologetically. “I need to talk to you about something urgent.”

Frowning, she grabs a matching silk robe and walks out of her bedroom. I follow her into a study and keep quiet until she closes the door and stands before me.

“First of all, I’m very sorry. I never meant to do it. It was just a lip of tongue.”

She lifts her hand to silence me. “What are you talking about?”

“Last night, I told Kenneth that you’d had a miscarriage.” I bite my bottom lip and tilt my head down in shame. “I also told him you were eight weeks along with your pregnancy.”

“And?”

I glance up at her in curiosity. There might be a light at the end of the tunnel. “He left abruptly, so I thought, maybe I might have given away too much information and put you in a difficult situation.”

She squints her eyes at me, looking baffled, clearly not understanding my point.

I open my mouth to explain myself, but quickly close it back to keep myself from insulting her with my baseless speculations about her falling pregnant from an affair outside her marriage.

“Did he show any physical interest in you?” she asks, throwing me off balance with her question.

I glance around the room while thinking through Kenneth’s responses last night. He was anything but physically interested in me, despite both of us being semi-naked.

“Did you flirt with him?” She crosses her arms across her chest and taps her foot on the floor with a hint of impatience and intolerance at my failure.

“I tried.”

“You tried?” She lets out a loud breath of frustration, rolling her eyes in cynicism. “You don’t
try
with a man like Kenneth. You throw yourself at him. You pull down his boxers and grab his penis at the first opportunity. Because that’s what other women will do the minute they sense his weakness,” she yells, making me startle with the anger lashing out of her lips.

“Weakness?” I mumble when I should have just kept my mouth shut. God! What’s up with my uncontrollable mouth?

“Yes, weakness.” She widens her eyes pointedly as she continues with a sarcastic tone. “I stopped having sex with him a week ago because I have a plan to accomplish. I wanted to give you a chance to divert his sexual energy to you. He’s a very sexual man. A week is too long for him to go without any intimacy. He’ll start looking elsewhere soon.” She pauses to take a break to breathe out her anger. “Do you know what Trish or Wendy will do once they smell his need on him? They’ll attack him in a heartbeat. They won’t spare a single second before they offer to give him the release he needs. And he won’t hesitate to take it because the little slut I hired to seduce my husband is suddenly not a slut anymore.”

Jeez. I’ve never been called a slut before, and I must say, it hurts. I take a step back because I fear she’ll run her long, pointy nails down my face. “I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. Just up your game. Be slutty. Be girly. Show him some real, obvious attention. You’ve got me on your side. You can ask me anything you want regarding his sexual preferences. You can buy any type of clothing that you think will get his knees weak. For Christ’s sake, walk around the house completely naked if you must. Just make sure my husband won’t fuck those real sluts.” Her lips are trembling in rage, and I realize her anger isn’t exactly directed at me, although I’m the one who started it.

My hand itches to reach for her to give her a quick squeeze on her shoulder to show my support. As strange as it may sound, I can feel exactly what she must be worried about. If my own jealousy-filled reaction to Trish’s attempts at touching Kenneth is a sign of something, then to Loraine it represents the terror of losing her husband to those undeserving, opportunist sluts. Not that I’m any more deserving. Women in love do all sorts of irrational things. Hiring me to seduce her husband must be Loraine’s way of protecting her heart and having a say in circumstances otherwise beyond her control.

“I’ll do it. I promise I’ll seduce your husband,” I say softly and hopefully convincingly.

“Listen. Forget about the contract and the five months.” She lets her arms go free on either side of her body and heads toward the door. “You have exactly one week to finish your task. If you can’t tempt him enough to have sex with you by Tuesday of next week, our deal will be over. Your contract will be null automatically and you won’t get a single penny out of the deal.”

“But—”

“No but’s. You either deliver your part of the deal or just get out so I can find someone else who can.”

One week? Seducing the un-seducible man in just one week? Maybe if I were a professional whore who knew how to play with men like a toy. I can hardly look Kenneth in the eye for longer than a minute. How am I supposed to get him to desire me? I’d have a better chance at getting a position as an astronomer for NASA’s next project to Mars than getting Kenneth to break the vows he made to his wife. Why did I get myself into this mess when I knew my limitations regarding flirting with men?

“Deal?” Loraine yells, urging me out of my internal dilemma with a startle.

I have no other option but to take her offer. She’s the one with money and I’m dirt poor. “Deal,” I say softly, already feeling defeated.

“Fine. If you can actually complete the task, I’ll pay you your part in full. You’ll not have to wait five months to get your $200.000.” She yanks open the door and stalks out of the room. Just when I start to let my muscles loosen, she takes a step back and looks at me. “Get ready. You’ll drive me to the clinic today.”

“Is Scott not around?”

She draws in a long breath and gives me a
“what the fuck is wrong with you”
smile. I cover my mouth in embarrassment. Seriously, I’m asking the same question to myself.

“He’s around. But this is a private matter. Can I trust your discretion?”

Apparently, it hasn’t yet dawned on her I become too loose-lipped to trust when I get nervous. I nod anyway, internally promising myself I’ll guard her secret with my life.

After getting the kids to eat breakfast and dropping them off at their schools, I drive the car to the address Loraine gave me. I pull up in front of a luxurious one-story building that has
Women’s Choice Health Clinic
written in small letters.

Without giving much thought to the label, I pull the key from the ignition and extend it to Loraine. Absentmindedly, she slips the keys in her handbag but remains still in her place.

I stay with her in the car, unsure if I should give her a minute of privacy. It’s impossible not to notice the sadness in her eyes, when her hand slowly reaches for her belly and her fingers tenderly caress the small but visible bump.

My eyes turn and look up at the sign by the door again and then open wide when I land them back on Loraine’s stomach.

She didn’t have a miscarriage. She’s having an abortion.

THE END

~

SEDUCED (Forget Me Not - Vol 2) is scheduled to be published May 2015. Sign up for my newsletter to get alerts about my upcoming releases:
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Deceived
, please consider leaving a review. If you email me the link to your review at
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