Chapter Three - Leaving Houston

 

Chapter Three

The lift was moving and was making a swift climb for the first time without stopping. 2nd floor, 3rd floor.

“What are you going to do?” Susan’s voice sounded erratic but she was thinking logically, whilst me, my head spun for answers and the lift continued to climb, 4th floor, 5th floor.

 

She cupped my cheeks gently in her hands “I don’t want to pressure you, but you have to decide, he will want to know!” she told me with a sense of anxiety.

 

6th floor, 7th floor.

 

“What am I going to tell him?” I stared into her watering eyes.

 

8th floor.

 

“The truth!” she said simply.

 

“TING!” the lift doors opened on the 9th floor and Susan’s hands slipped away from my face.

 

“You’re right” I nodded and watched her step out. She went to move out of my sight “SUSAN?” I called out hastily, though I couldn’t think of what to say to bring her back.

 

“Go and speak to him, I will still be here” she insisted reassuring me and swung her hand around the doors to hit the ground floor button. I watched her as she hesitated but stay stood in front of me until the doors closed. And so down I went.

 

“Ting!” the doors opened on ground floor. I looked out noticing Charlie over by reception and made off toward him.

 

Charlie noticed me heading his way and pretended to be busy. I took him by the elbow “Don't be coward Charlie, tell me where my husband is!” I said gritting my teeth.

 

Charlie looked around at the faces watching and cringed with embarrassment “You’re hurting me!” he said under his breath.

 

“You played us Charlie. You invited my husband down here to catch us at it didn’t you?”

 

“Please this is very…” his face screwed up in pain.

 

“Listen, you’re lucky it’s me seeing to you and not Susan!” I twisted his arm just a little more and he squealed.

 

“You still can’t control that temper of yours can you dear” my husband’s voice came from behind and I instantly let go of Charlie, watching him shrivel onto the floor.

 

I know Charlie to be a shrimp of a man but this was unbearable. My husband, being more of a man but not much, reached down to help him up and brushed off his suit.

 

“Thank you, Mr Bond!” Charlie said catching his breath.

 

“Mr Bond?” I smiled to myself, he wishes!

 

“Come on, Charlie had no idea I was your husband. The poor guy was only doing his job” he said pulling on his sleeves and suggesting with a nudge of his head that we should move away from eavesdroppers.

I moved over to him “Well, how did you know?” I asked him roughly.

 

He took me by the arm and pulled me closer as we began to walk “It doesn’t matter, not now that I know everything” he said gravely.

 

I tried to pull away from him but he grabbed me tighter and took me into an empty room where dozens of tables lay ready for tomorrow’s breakfast. He pulled out a seat “Sit!” he said dryly. I did. He stood above me pacing up and down with his finger on his chin. “Do you love her?”

 

I looked up to meet his eyes. I don’t think I’ve even asked myself that question but it was clear by my silence that I wasn’t going to say no.

 

“You do then?” he sighed and shook his head.

 

“Shouldn’t you be asking me if I love you, if I still want to be with you?” I said intending to make him feel a little better about it.

 

He paused and looked at me with wooden eyes. “No” he said as a mater of fact and continued to move up and down. “Does she love you then?”

 

A noise of cluttering plates made us both look over to see a waitress laying another table. There was an uncomfortable silence as I waited until she disappeared into the kitchen before answering, “I don’t know.”

“Have you, slept together?” he asked stuttering.

 

The question took me back. I closed me eyes. Her hands travelled the length of my thigh as kisses followed her finger tips toward my lips.

 

“Yes” I told him with a sigh.

 

“How long?” he paused again to step toward me. I felt like the only thing missing was a lie detector.

“A few months. I’m sorry” I told him, but I wasn't. Not really.

 

“Months, really?” he doubted me for some reason. He pulled a chair up and sat across from me, “But you’re not – gay? And Susan definitely…” he caught my look of surprise as an answer. “Ahe is?” he asked.

 

“I think the more important question is am I!”

 

He lent forward with a hint of a smile creeping on his face. “Please, you like shoes, make up and handbags. I mean, what kind of a lesbian asks for pink walls when renovating?”

 

“I like comfortable shoes!” I added.

 

He nodded, but I was far from successful. “Yes, pink ones! Now if you had the moeny..." his voice wondered off as another question crossed his mind. "Does Susan like comfortable shoes?”

 

“No, she likes heels” I said remembering how tall she was when I stuck to wearing flats.

 

“Well, I suppose you’ve had your fun. Do you think I should forget about this whole thing so we can get back to being a happily married couple?” He reached out placing his hand on mine.

 

I flinched. “Forget about it, just like that?” I sneered at the thought, all the while thinking of Susan who would be in our room alone, probably thinking of me deciding between the two of them.

 

He looked hurt and moved to his pocket where he pulled out a packet of cigarettes. He dared to answer me but didn't. Both of us sat silently as he blew smoke and waved it away from the fire alarms above as.

“I think I should tell you something that may change your mind about Susan” he said bitterly between puffs.

 

I wasn't sure if he was talking about. “What do you mean?” I asked. He watched me as I grew more curious with his smug smile. It took a moment but it was at this point that realisation hit me. I tilted my head, “she told you about us, didn't she?”

 

He sucked on the nub and blew out another puff of smoke “Yes, she told me everything.”

 

My stomach turned. My body sunk into the chair as if I was sinking into nothingness. “When?” I asked weakly.

 

“Earlier this evening, she called me on my cell phone. She sounded upset, actually…”

 

Susan told him after I told her I was married. She had his number? Maybe found it in my phone? She was obviously hurt. She was late meeting me probably because she was arranging the flight for him to get here. I stood and almost fell as my legs failed to hold me, then managing I headed out. He didn't call after me but I didn’t care, I needed to find her!

 

I passed Charlie by reception and he gave me an odd look as I took the elevator one more time to the 9th floor. I found the door to our room and quickly went inside. I called for her. I searched the room - there wasn't much to search. Susan was not there, only a note on the pillow saying 'I'm sorry' in red lipstick.

 

The fear ran through me as I noticed Susan's things to be gone. But where? I rushed to the window and pulled open the curtains to look outside. Below, Susan was placing her bag into a cab pulled up outside. Then another shock, my husband was with her. I watched as he held open the cab door as she got in and then he climbed in after her.

 

The both of them, together! Suddenly I felt sick. Sick with confusion! I swallowed hard and held onto the window ceil just to keep from falling. They were together and they’d planned it all together.

 

 

(Susan’s POV)

 

You probably think I am the bad party in all of this. You undoubtedly believe I ran off with her husband don't you? But to know how I could do something so horrific I will have to tell you my side of the story and take you back to the very beginning of the evening…

 

 

Reviews

[bluessadmood]

oh this is getting more complicated..as she had an arguement with her husband..
asking her if she still loved him and if she did love her boss and for how long..
and ending it by asking if she could forget the whole thing and they go back together to their own life
at which she laughed asking it will not be that easy ..then came the shock as he told her that he knew through a call by Suzan who called him in
she felt then so deceived ,and to discover that Suzan has suddenly packed her things and ran with her
husband..ohh its like a setup..yes tell us the story from the beginning ,this is getting excited
a triple relation is always so exciting to read,whenever the relation is between more than two ,as it triples it gets very
full some with wild events..i have always read that..very exciting write till now,waiting for more
things to develop..
lovely write..