Unexpected news

An excerpt of my manuscript 'Summer Tempest'.

At about seven pm Erella finished her preparations for her weekly meeting with Jack, and waited for him in her living room. She released her house maid from her duties in the afternoon hours, and with nothing else to do she sat glancing from time to time at the screen of the internal security cameras, which covered her cellar's wide parking lot; and thus sat the corporation owner wringing her fingers nervously in wait for the corporation temporary manager; would he come or will he disappoint her and realize all her fears, after she had entrusted all her cards in his hands " the corporation, her house keys and above all her heart. He did not show any signs of ungratefulness yet, but she has already tormented herself time and again, in moments of soberness and regret in the view of her mistakes. She did not tell Bernard anything about her intimate relationship with Jack, although she kept consulting him regularly at her home. If he would have known even the tiniest detail about her impetuous steps, he would have pulled the hair left on his balding head out of frustration.

The antic clock that her late husband purchased for her to adorn her living room rang seven times, but Jack's limo has not entered her cellar parking lot yet. As Jack did not call and did not inform her in any other way about his wish to delay their meeting, Erella did not lose hope; and at the same time wondered surprised at her excitement at this evening, which reminded her the days of her youth before she had known a man.

Nine minutes passed and Jack's plush limo entered her cellar, another minute and several seconds crawled slowly by before Erella left her seat to welcome Jack, and let him embrace her with his strong arms.

He excused himself politely and kept kissing her throat and lips, but Erella with a crucial effort on her part detached herself from his embrace, and returned to her armchair.

'Sit down please,' she ordered him politely enough but without mentioning his name. This was the little she could do to keep her hold on him.

He obeyed her immediately without reaction, and his features did not expose his feelings. He explained to her the reason why he was late, without waiting for her question on that delicate issue. The reason was negotiations with a certain company that the corporation was about to take over.

In order to redefine the relationship between the corporation's owner and its general manager that represents her, Erella showed interest in the details that he told her, and listened attentively; while exerting to efforts to overcome her feelings and urges to fall again in Jack's strong arms.

After a few moments of listening Erella had to leave her seat, Jack's charismatic charms started to tumble her mental power of resistance. She went over to the bar to pour a drink for both of them, and the conversation was cut off. When she returned with the two goblets in her hands, she asked Jack if he knew anything about her late husband's summer house.

'No, I don't know anything about a summer or guest house at the outskirts of town.' Jack replied her with wonder.

'I've visited it this morning and his ex loyal driver guided me there. For truth sake I haven't decided what to do with it yet… What do you say if we'll hop over there after a dinner in one of the restaurants?'

After a short spell of embarrassing silence, which Jack did not bother to hide, he coughed slightly and expressed politely his inability to accept her request.

'I must return in about half an hour at the most,' he remarked coughing time and again in clear embarrassment, demonstrating lack of self confidence in obvious contrast to his image.

Erella paled and froze on her seat momentarily, watching Jack's face with distrust and alarm.

What I've been afraid of happenes, the Hebrew biblical proverb flashed in her mind.

An embarrassing silnce ensued again, it seemed as if  Jack expects her questions and demands for explanations, but Erella was not able at this very moment to open her mouth, she kept watching his face shocked, as if she expected him to deny his last words.

He fidgeted on his seat under her penetrating gaze with unpleasantness, it was clear to him that she is waiting for his explanations.

'I believe that you do know that I owe my status to my wife's family. My father in law is not less wealthier than your late husband or you in fact, but as he's dealing with different kind of business, I couldn't serve him, and being employed in your corporation doesn't interfere with my father in law business; and as his love to his daughter is very well known he employed a private eye office last month, which exposed our relationship.' He coughed again and cleared his throat and went on talking. 'The negotiation I've told you about earlier was in fact a meeting I'd with my father in law and his lawyer… I do hope that we'll keep on a cordial relationship based on mutual trust, and we shall prevent the outburst of an ugly scandal.' He summed up his monologue without adding futile details, as there was no need for it.

Another short silence ensued a bit tensed this time, the temporary general manager could not know how his surprising news would be received by his direct superior and how she is going to react, as the little he knew about her he learned just during the last month.

But Erella recovered right away and adjuste herself to the new reality that was forced upon her, she had no intention to beseech him or God forbid open up with hysterical cries of misery and heartbreak, She filled her lungs with air and exhaled it slowly before commenting.

'I see,' she noted dryly, 'We'll meet then in the weekly session next Monday.'

Jack put the bundle of keys of her apartment, which he received from her; he rose to his feet muttered a short 'see you' and left.

© Haim Kadman 2007 " all rights rserved.