Chapter 02

• I have been in South Africa for the past five days now, in which Garvin hasn’t even bothered to call me. The last time we spoke I had been the one to call him and tell him that I had landed safely and that was it.
• I have been in touch with the maid and she says he has only been going home to change in the morning, even though I am not surprised at his actions, I am still hurt that it is happening. I sip on my wine and look out the window as the evening breeze blows in, my sister has gone out and she says she will only be back later.
• The knock at the door is what has me standing up, I don’t even know who it could be because this is private property and none of the helps that have been attending to us knock before entering the house.
• I walk lazily until more loud thuds were heard.
• ‘I am coming.’ I say loudly feeling irritated
• I open the door and for a minute I am left in awe with the presence that is before me.
• ‘I missed you babe.’ He says kissing my lips hard
• I want to push him away because I have no idea who he is but some part of me is responding well to the kiss.
• ‘I know you said you want to be with your sister but if I stayed another day without you I was going to lose my mind.’ The hot gentleman says
• ‘Please come in.’ I manage to say trying to compose mmysel
• ‘What have you been feeding yourself? You look rather sick babe, are you sure you are okay?’ he says holding mm
• ‘I am fine.’ I respond playing along
• At this point there is no way I am telling him that I am not my sister because he already thinks I am his girlfriend, I am just surprised she hasn’t told me anything about him.
• ‘Bailey, talk to me.’
• I almost correct him that I am HayLee until I remember that I am playing my sister’s role.
• He offers himself a seat just where I was sitted, I try to sit on a different chair but he asks that I go and sit with him.
• Hesitantly I go and sit on his laps, it is so uncomfortable at first but then he starts to rub my shoulders and I relax a bit.
• ‘You are tense.’ He says kissing my bare back.
• I am not supposed to be feeling what I am feeling but I just can’t help it. Maybe it is the wine, or the fact that Garvin has been distant and here is this man presenting himself.
• He continues kissing my back and luckily my phone rings.
• ‘Excuse me.’ I say trying so hard not to say myself off, I am probably wet as I stand but I don’t him to know.
• ‘Bailey, get back to the apartment now.’ I say with the smallest voice I could master because the man is looking at me
• ‘Why?’ she asks laughing with whoever she is with.
• ‘There is a good looking man here who thinks I am you.’ I say
• ‘Good looking man?’
• ‘White, muscular and speaks really well.’
• ‘Oh crap, don’t tell me Francisco flew over.’
• ‘So that is his name?’ I ask smiling and then I hit my head remembering I am married woman
• She keeps quiet.
• ‘Bailey, are you there?’
• ‘You like him?’ she asks
• ‘What? No I don’t, I am married what are you talking about?’
• ‘All please Lee, I know you. I know Garvin is the only man you have been with but how about you try something out with Francisco.’
• ‘Are you even hearing yourself?’
• ‘When last did you talk to your husband?’
• I keep quiet
• ‘When last did he call you?’
• ‘Bailey it doesn’t matter, Garvin is my husband and he loves me.’
• She laughs, ‘See, this is the reason why I am not getting married any time soon. That man is busy cheating on you and making you look like a fool and here you are still being loyal to him, Lee when will you wake up and stand up for yourself?’
• ‘You wouldn’t understand a thing about marriage because you are not married.’
• ‘Exactly why I am not married, I am not willing to walk the road that you and many other women are walking. When last did you look at yourself on the mirror?’
• ‘Bailey stop it.’
• ‘No I won’t, you need to hear it. You literally put your life on hold just so you can make his better, gave up your job, your body, your spirit and now you are about to lose your mind just because of the term marriage.’
• Her words hit a muscle, had it not been for her boyfriend my tears would have fallen.
• ‘I am tired B.’ I say honestly for the first time
• ‘I know you are Lee.’ She says in a softer tone
• ‘Do this, Francisco doesn’t know that you are not me. How about you explore a bit?’
• ‘What? I can’t move from one man to the next.’ I say
• ‘I am not asking you to sleep with him, do with him things that you love. Things that Garvin doesn’t do with you any more, I just want you to be yourself, to find yourself.’
• ‘He will know it is not you, besides I could never be anything close to you.’ I say touching my face
• ‘You don’t have to be me, be you. See if you can hit it off with Francisco, I don’t even love him plus he has money to waste.’
• I laugh,
• ‘B, will you ever change?’
• ‘See you are laughing now.’ She responds obviously smiling on the other end of the line
• ‘I won’t be back to the apartment until I am sure you want me back, trust me on this one. Just let yourself go and be all you can to him.’ She says again when I don’t respond
• ‘Okay, but if I suck at this I am telling him the truth.’
• ‘Sure.’ She says dropping the line
• ‘HayLee, you have just signed up for a masquerade party.’ I say to myself walking towards him.