Mr. Mysterious In Black (32 page)

After cricking my neck from side to side, I took the mug she proffered. “Thanks. You’re the best. I swear, if we didn’t have the same bodyparts, I’d marry you.”

Kelsy snickered. “There’s a lot of work. If only you’d let me help yo—”

“I don’t have enough material for you to mess up anything here, Kelsy. I can’t afford any wrong cuts and stitches.”

“I’m not that bad,” she pouted.

I brought the mug to my mouth and stared at her with an arched eyebrow over the rim while I sipped the coffee.

Kelsy burst into a laugh. “Those times you were just teaching me. I’m much better now. I like how magical it is to create stuff from just plain cloth. I’ve watched you do it for so many years and it’s the one thing I’m actually interested in trying. Plus, I’m opening a fashion store. I need to at least have some inkling.”

Kelsy was interested in nothing whatsoever except shopping and being with Tevin. It was a wonder she’d taken on this idea of opening her own store. She didn’t have to work or do anything. Just be mommy and daddy’s little girl. But, in truth, she’d always shown interest in what I do and was always making me aware of what’s in style and what’s out. Which helped me a lot in my sketches.

“Okay. I’ll let you help me today. But so help me God if you spoil anything…” My words trailed off at the huge grin on her face and my eyes reached for the heavens. “I’m gonna shower.”

I cricked and bent and twisted my bones and joints into activity as I made my way to the bathroom. Natalio hadn’t called. Hadn’t texted or emailed me. And my heart faltered at every thought that he might actually be over me. Didn’t want to hear from or talk to me. I wasn’t the one who caused him pain, he caused
me
pain. I had every right to be mad at him. And he
should
be sorry. Why did he come back into my life then, if he would just give up on me weeks later?

He was right, maybe we weren’t meant to be together since we kept losing each other. Maybe we
were
fighting for something that’s not to be. Just that,
he
was the one who’d been fighting.
I
was too busy being angry, hurt and unforgiving. Maybe he was just really tired of fighting. Tired of it all. I hadn’t any idea what had happened that night and I’d showed no interest in wanting to know, when I
should
have.

I stepped into the shower ‘resolved’ on never calling him again, and stepped out with a fresh mind and the driving urge to call him. I think I was going crazy. Yes, Natalio was driving me insane. Was this how he felt when I wouldn’t talk to him? I shuddered at that, because the feeling was awful.

In search of my cell phone, I strode out into the narrow hall, water dripping from my body as I grabbed up my Blackberry from the work desk then hurried off back to the bedroom, ignoring Kelsy’s curious gaze.

It was Sunday. There would be no assistants or whoever answering his cell on a Sunday, right? If he didn’t answer, then I’d know for sure he’s eschewing me.

With a steely resolve, I dialed. Natalio answered on the second ring, “Speak.”

My mouth went dry, unable to form a single syllable. By the time my recovering heart had began pumping blood again, and a coherent sentence came to mind, the line went dead. Jeez, he didn’t even give me a chance to speak. Didn’t he have my number saved or something? Did he or didn’t he know that it was me?

His line rang out when I dialed him again. Again I dialed and it rang out. Determined, I rang again and he answered with palpable irritation on the third ring. “Listen up, whoever you are, I have no time fo—”

“Natalio, it’s me. Sadie.” My voice was too weak and too small, so I cleared my throat.

There was brief silence on the other end. “Sadie?”

“Yes,” I said in more vegetated voice. “Why haven’t you called me back?”

“Called you back?”

“Yes. I called twice yesterday but a woman answered and said you were in a meeting. I gave her my name and told her to tell you I called.”

“My assistant, Tiffany. But she gave me no message that you called. Is everything okay?” His tone etched with concern.

“Yes. I’m fine. W-why would she do that?”

Natalio gave a careless sigh. “I might have an idea.”

My blood heated. “What’s that suppose to mean?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just email me next time. Your name is on my ‘Alert Me’ list. A list consisting of the people she should alert me immediately about if they tried to contact me. Everyone on the list is family and relevant business partners. She doesn’t know you, so she probably thinks…you know. But I’ll deal with her on that.”

“So why should it matter to her? She gets paid to do her
job,
doesn’t she?”

He ignored my question. “Are you sure you’re okay, Sadie? Need help with anything? I can’t say I expected to ever get a call from you.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I was just…” I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t say that I missed and loved him. Wimp that I was. “…Wondering if you were okay.”

“Yes. I’m good,” was all he said, and made no attempt to say anything else.

Of course he’s okay, he’s a freaking mogul. Why the hell wouldn’t he be okay? Because of me? Ha!

Silence ensued on the line. Soft, controlled breathing responding to ragged and uncontrolled.

Courageously, I spoke, “I want to see you, Natalio. I want to talk about um, stuff and…”

Natalio remained silent, but his soft breathing grew heavier on the other end.

I wish I could see his face, I wish I were near him, to kiss his lips. To snuggle up in his arms and never leave them.

“I want you,” I finished. There, I said it.

His sharp intake of breath on the other end didn’t go unnoticed. It took an eon before he spoke again. “Sadie, I…”

What? You love me? You want me too? You can’t wait to see me?
Tell me. Tell me. Tell me.

“I can’t.”

What? No!
“Why?” I whispered. My voice was just audible.

“God dammit, Sadie! Why the hell would you do this?” he yelled, taking me by surprise. “Why would you call me now when I’ve finally moved on? Finally! Finally let you go? W-Why, Sadie?”

Speechless I was. “Natalio I didn’t—”

“I love you, Sadie. But I can’t. I just can’t.”

Hot liquid sprang from my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. He couldn’t say no. I couldn’t lose him again. “No,” was all I could say.

There was a loud clatter in the background, as if he’d knock something over or threw it, maybe. “Sadie, I’ve been drooping over you for
seven
damn years! Finally I get close to you again and you don’t remember me. You didn’t frickin’ remember
me
. I know it’s an illness that you suffered on my account. But still, do you have any idea how much that hurts? That you can look into my eyes and not recognize me? It pains, Sadie. It squeezes every bit of blood from my heart, leaving it blackened. Yet, when you finally did, you pushed me away. I’ve hung on to my love for you for seven goddamn years, only for you to push me away. I know you must have been hurt, but you have no idea how hurt I was, too! You didn’t give a shit to know what happened. You just pushed me out of your life and moved on happily. Now I’ve stepped away from all that shit, cleared my muddleheadedness, have finally moved on, and now you call to say you want me? It took you almost six weeks to know that you want me?
Almost six weeks
?” Natalio’s voice was weighty with anger, pain and incredulity.

“I-I’m sorry,” I stuttered. “But you can’t say it’s over. You don’t want it to be over, I know. It can’t be. I want you. I need you. I
love
you, Nelly.”

His voice came stolid. “I find that very hard to believe.”

“Why?” I sobbed. “It’s true!”

“Sadie, you’ve given away your car. You haven’t moved into the apartment. If you loved me so much, you would’ve been sticking to everything that reminds you of me.” I heard him inhale deeply then exhaled as if trying to calm himself. “You don’t love me.
You. Never. Did.
I don’t think you know what you want. And I don’t care to stick around and find out anymore.”

“Those are material things. They don’t matter. Why do you feel the need to buy me anything, anyways?”

“Because it bloody well pleases me to do so! I wanted to do those things because
I
wanted to be the one to make you happy. To give you the world. When you accept what I give, it gives me pleasure to know that I’m able to make you smile. Money helps me to show you my love in ways words alone can’t.”

“But it isn’t—”

“The poor man tells his wife every morning and every night that he loves her. She may be content with that, but he isn’t. Every night before he closes his eyes to sleep, what he wishes for is to get a promotion one day, or perhaps a better job, maybe to win the lottery, just so he could buy nice things for his wife; a better house, a better car, take her on a vacation, things to
show
her that he loves her. The rich man, grateful for his prosperity, does it with ease because he can afford to do so, and he’s extremely pleased that he can. Men do things like that to
show
their love. There’s no pity in it. It’s just
love.
Whereas a woman is happy with just hearing the words, a man feels more like a
man
when he can physically show his love. Men are active. Mere words doesn’t do shit for my ego. When you don’t accept what I give, I take it as a major insult. Especially if you
claim
that you love me.”

“You can make me happy by not giving up. My love for you is real, Natalio. Feel it,” I rasped. “My love for you is…indomitable.”

Natalio remained quiet, his exhales growing harsher by the second. Like velvet over steel was his voice when he said, “Guard your heart above all else because it will determine the course of your life.”

The line went dead.

Soaked was my face and my chest from tears. Amok they ran, resulting in an optical aberration. And I saw nothing but blur. Everything was a blur. And everything would perennially be a blur because Natalio didn’t want me anymore.

Nelly didn’t love me anymore.

I’ve lost him.

“N
inety-five thousand,” countered the third bidder.

“One hundred and ten thousand,” countered the fourth.

This was my last piece, a neon-yellow Spring shorts with bright green belt loops and squared, green front buttons. The tall blonde model did it more justice than it deserved. All but three of my modeled pieces had been tendered on, making me four hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars richer. The price was now at one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, and all bidders except one were stroking their chins in deep contemplation.

Being an exclusive show, there was just a small crowd of people apart from the five bidders and the eight fashion designers, including me. Nevertheless, everything was being executed like a real fashion show, with a huge white runway, blinding lights rowed in the high ceiling above, and soundtracks fitting for the walks. The models, make-up artistes and all were provided. All the designers had to do was dress the bony women in their pieces and send them out. I’d never expected it to be this much of a fuss, but I guess the bidders had to have that ‘atmosphere’ to get them in the zone.

“That’s it,” said the third bidder. “One hundred and fifty thousand.”

The other bidders backed down in defeat, while the third smiled in triumph. He fixed his eyes on me. “Miss Francé, I’ll be delighted to carry this design in my stores. The collaboration of colors, the style, it’s apt for that touch we’ve been seeking for Spring. And this piece will be blowing off the racks, I can tell you that much.”

I smiled, even though I didn’t feel like it, thanked them all and shuffled away for the show to continue. That was my last piece. I’d managed only to complete half of what I’d planned on. Reason? Because I’d lost a part of me. The only man I’d ever loved had moved on and no longer wanted me. I bit my lip as I felt the telltale burning behind my eyes and tried to focus on the models on the runway.

Tesko’s pieces were being modeled to fast-paced electronic music. He was a tall, handsome, African-American with locks and he’d managed to clock in nigh one million dollars. His pieces were phenomenal, non-seasonal. Not that I’d wear such mundanity, but the average consumers would, which explains why the dealers kept bidding. Virtually all his pieces were coveted.

“For someone who is half a million dollars richer, you don’t look cheery at all.” I swiveled around to see Geo Lee beaming down at me, dressed in myriads of colors as usual. The front of his hair now had streaks of red along with the purple, and was raked upwards in a wild mess.

I swung my arms around his neck and hugged him tight—uncharacteristically so. Was hugging one’s boss prohibited? “Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Lee.”

Geo Lee shook his head and sighed in frustration. “Oh, for the detestation of clits and tits and everything that shits, Francé!
Geo.
How many times do I have to tell you? ‘Mr. Lee’ sounds like a shriveling Chinese chef or some flat-faced Kung Fu kid, and I’m neither.”

Trust Geo Lee to make me laugh. “Okay.
Geo
.”