The Other Other Woman (24 page)

“Well, I’m glad you guys had fun, even if I couldn’t be there.”

“You realize I’m going to need you to come dancing with us in Miami, yes?”

“Well, since I’ll be your cabana boy, I don’t see that being an issue.”

“Oooh, are you going to wear tight white shorty-shorts for me!?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I tip really well, you know.”

“I know you do.”

God, I just loved that man.

Chapter Nine

That next week the three of us threw ourselves into planning our Miami trip. Matt was researching flights for both Brooke and me (but not for himself) and putting together lists of his favorite places down there. I didn’t think too much of it at first because he often made his flight plans at the last minute, depending on whatever meetings he had that week. The trip was still over a month away, and Brooke hadn’t even mentioned it to Travis yet.

Matt was very aware of her husband’s tendency to overreact and not to trust people. He had been the recipient of Travis’s cold shoulder on several occasions. He told us that the best way for us to get down there with no issue was to make it a required trip for work. He would schedule a client lunch or two down there for Brooke to attend, and then he would get us company tickets to a Miami Heat game for Saturday night so we would be “forced” to stay the weekend. I loved the way his devious little mind worked. It was the perfect set up, though; Travis couldn’t get upset if she was working. And she didn’t mind entertaining a client or two if it meant four other days to hang out and relax with me.

He found me a JetBlue flight directly out of Raleigh (did I mention how much I loved him?) for $175. I booked it right away. It wasn’t getting any better than that. I gave him all the flight details so he could book Brooke’s flight too. He was going to let her use some of his airline rewards so her ticket would end up being nearly free for her as well. I thought that was a really sweet gesture.

I’m booked! Return flight leaves MIA at 3:15 Sun if you want to try to get her close to that so we can go back home together…

Will do, babe!!

Don’t forget to book yours too, Dancing Queen.
I added.

Award winning dancer to you, that is
, was his reply.

My big boss, who normally worked out of our Portsmouth office, was visiting us that morning. She generally came down to Raleigh for a couple of days every other month or so. I had lost at least another 18 pounds since the last time she saw me. At first, it was the direct result of a strict diet and exercise, but more recently it was just the stress of being Matt Wynne’s other woman. With so many highs and lows, I just didn’t feel like eating most of the time, and it showed. But everyone seemed to think I looked great, so I wasn’t complaining.

Robin came busting into my office and immediately made me stand up and twirl around for her. She yelled, “Well look at you, you sexy bitch!” which made me giggle. I was feeling pretty good that day, wearing a new zigzag patterned wrap dress and very high heels, even for me. She was only about five feet tall, so at 5’3” with five inch heels on, even I towered over her. She was a little powerhouse though. She said I had inspired her to start running the last time she saw me, so I was very pleased to hear that she was sticking with it.

Matt had a love/hate relationship with my boss. He liked her personally just fine, but at work, she could be very “in your face” in her email communications. She had no problem arguing with anyone, and she was always right. She had a little country in her, so she never backed down from a good fight. It was actually pretty entertaining to watch her strip down a broker’s masculinity a notch or two when he got a little too big for his britches.

But she had a great heart and was always very good to me. I just preferred her in person to email and tried to stay out of her way otherwise. Matt often told me that I should be the one running the department, that with my personality and intelligence, it was ridiculous for me not to be. He always threatened to tell that to the higher-ups since as a big producer, he had closer relationships with several of them. I would just say, “Don’t you DARE, Matthew.” First of all, I didn’t want to run the department and secondly, the last thing I needed was anyone getting the impression that I was sleeping my way up the corporate ladder. Gross.

Morning, hottie.

GM. What’s up Miss Mallory?

Well, Robin is here today and just told me I was a sexy bitch, so I guess you aren’t the only good looking one in this company.

LOL! Well, you are smart and sexy. And a little sarcastic, which you know I like. So I would have to agree with her assessment!

I’m feeling very tall this morning. Got my serious heels on today.

Sweet. Heels and a thong? Nothing better!

Yes, and it’s a zigzag pattern to match my dress.

Well of course it is!

Wanna see?

I most certainly do!

Oh, darn, but I said I wasn’t going to send you anymore pictures…

Well, you took a nice pic of me if I recall. Unencumbered by a shirt.

You have a point there. But this is a difficult angle, you know?

I closed my door and lifted my dress to send him an upskirt picture of my panties.

Mmm… you know I like this angle, personally. Nice memories.

At least he remembered this time,
I thought to myself.

****

He was traveling to Memphis that Sunday and called me from the car.

“Hey, Mal, I’m heading up to Memphis. Is now a good time to talk?”

“Hey, babe, I’m actually over at my mom’s for a little while. Can I either text or call you once I’m out of here?” I said quietly, hoping my mother didn’t hear me. “She’s taking them tonight so I’ll be on my own later…”

“Perfect.”

“Why, yes I am. Thanks for noticing.”

“Cute.”

I got a hold of him about an hour later. He wasn’t pleased.

Like clockwork, it seemed like every time we got in a good spot, something would come along to throw in a monkey wrench. That monkey was Ivan. He came home after being gone for most of the weekend with a baseball cap pulled down over his face, trying to hide a black eye and a bruised face. His brother Mitch noticed and alerted Matt, since Matt and Ivan barely even spoke anymore. He told Matt that he was jumped by two guys coming out of a local convenience store. For what? Being a pretty boy? I called bullshit on that right away. You don’t just get randomly jumped like that in the affluent suburbs of Atlanta.

“Wait, what?!” I asked.

“Yeah, that’s what he says. That two dudes jumped him and hit him for no reason as he was coming out of the exit.”

“Oh, that’s ridiculous.”

“Oh, I know. I don’t believe him.”

“I don’t either, babe. Nobody does that right in front of a store! I think he’s lying to you.”

“I do too, but I’m not sure I want to know why he’s getting beat up.”

“No, I don’t blame you. Honestly, I don’t want to accuse him of something he’s not doing, but it sounds to me like he could be into drugs, especially the way he’s so secretive about everything.”

“I told him I was going to take him back up there to make a police report and he was like, ‘Oh, no way. It was no big deal.’”

“Yeah, there has to be another reason. Has to. I would tell him you are having the store manager pull the security camera tapes for that night and see how he reacts.”

“Good idea. I’m just so tired of this shit. If he has a drug problem or something like that, obviously I’ll get him whatever help he needs. But I don’t know that he would ever admit he has a problem. I have to think about the other people in the house too, you know? Are some street thugs going to come after him now? Maybe break his legs next?”

“Oh definitely, I would be worried too. I hope you can get to the bottom of it,” I replied.

“I intend to as soon as I get home.”

He called the next morning sounding terribly stressed out. “Hey, Morning sweetie…”

“Morning, Mr. Wynne. You okay, babe? You don’t sound so good…”

“Well, Ivan got home last night around 10:00 or so. I tried to talk to him, but of course he’s just denying there is any problem. I couldn’t sleep at all.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry. What are you going to do now? Could you tell if he was lying to you?”

“I don’t know. I basically told him I don’t trust him at all and that I’m really pissed that he got beat up and said nothing.”

“And what did he say about that?”

“Nothing except he didn’t want to be a snitch. So fucking ridiculous. I told him to be ready to take a random drug test. And I’m going to search his room next time he leaves.”

“You know what? He’s an adult. If he doesn’t like it, he can always leave.”

“That may be sooner than later.”

That was the last we spoke of Ivan, at least for a few days anyway. I turned the subject toward Miami because that always seemed to put him in a good mood. I had a couple of friends from the message board who lived down there, so I wanted to get their opinions on places to visit. I also planned to meet up with them for dinner at some point. Matt had a whole list of restaurants and activities as well. But he was more into sitting outside and sipping wine over good conversation versus the late night club scene. I felt like Brooke and I at least had to live it up while we had the chance. My friend Liza wanted to know where we were going to be staying so she could give us some good restaurants right in our area.

Hello Mal, how is life today?

Good here. How are you, sweetie, did you sleep well?

Much better, was sooo tired.

The Collins address is where we are staying, right?

Yes - 3801 Collins Ave. The building is called Mosaic.

Thanks, I’m getting some recs from my girls down there.

Here.

Within seconds, he sent me a picture of the view off the balcony of his living room. I called him at the office. “Excuse me, sir, are you teasing me? We still have almost a month you know!’

“Well, good morning! I just don’t want you to forget what it looks like.”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t!” I said.

“You know, unless it rains every day, you two will have the time of your life.”

“I can think of one way the rain wouldn’t even bother me.”

“What’s that? Drinking? Ohhh… or other indoor activities?”

“Drinking, yes. Nothing else. Definitely not anything that might include your naked body. No sir.”

“Oh, right,” he said sarcastically. “That wouldn’t be awkward. ‘Oh Brooke, you stay here and watch TV and we’ll be right next door for an hour.’”

“Come on, man, that doesn’t sound like someone who still plans on coming with us. What’s wrong? You sound grumpy.”

“I’m going to try to make it, babe, I just can’t promise anything.”

“Why don’t you just schedule it?”

“Well, I have some big clients I need to meet next time I’m down there and I’m sort of at their mercy as far as when.”

“Oh, okay, sorry. I just really want you there.” I’m sure I sounded disappointed.

“I know, sweetie, and I’m going to try to be. That reminds me… You know I got an invitation to Greensboro from Ron Lassiter.” (one of our top managers).

“Oh? What’s that all about?”

“Well, they are hosting some advisor conference out there at Grandover toward the end of October. I’d have to see my Burlington client again while I’m out there and go to a bunch of meetings all day Thursday, but I think it’s over by midday Friday.”

“So, what are you thinking, you could stop by here for an hour or two on your way home or something?” I asked, not wanting to seem too eager.

“No. Actually, I was thinking I might spend Friday night in Raleigh. With you.”

“Oh. I see,” I was glad he couldn’t see me jumping up and down in my office. “Interesting.”

“Mmm hmm. Very,” he replied.

It took me precisely two seconds to request that Friday off of work.

At the end of the week, there was trouble with Ivan again. After more suspicious behavior, Matt cornered him and got him to admit that he had been smoking pot. He argued that it was “no big deal” and everyone he knew did it too. He was probably telling the truth. I assumed most teenagers did that as often as they changed their underwear these days. I know it was popular when I was a kid, but Matt was pretty upset about it. I’m sure he was not a fan of illegal substances possibly being in his house.

When we spoke on the phone that Saturday morning, he told me all about it.

“Well, at least he admitted something, I suppose. Are you doing okay? I know this must be tearing you up.”

“I’m okay, just really tired of this crap, Mal.”

“I know, I’m so sorry you have to deal with it at all,” I tried to reassure him. “It’s not anything you did, you know? He’s going to do what he’s going to do. You’ve done and continue to do everything right by that kid.”

“Thanks sweetie, I gotta run but we’ll talk later this afternoon, okay?”

“Sure thing, babe. Bye.”

I didn’t hear a word from him for the rest of Saturday and all day Sunday. I wasn’t mad. But I wondered if there was a problem because he was still pretty good about calling me when he said he was going to. I was relieved to finally get a text early Sunday evening.

So, I had another chat with Ivan yesterday and told him he had to either stop using drugs or leave the house. He chose to leave today. I came home from church and he was gone, I have no earthly idea where he went. He didn’t even tell me goodbye.

Oh God, sweetie, I’m so sorry. Can you talk or are you at home
?

Yeah. I’m at home working on the situation, will try to call you later or in the a.m. Just heard from one of his friends that they think he’s staying with a friend of ours, so just confirming that he’s safe.