THE INTENDED

Episode 5

"Why do we need to reassemble the car when you haven't even notified the buyers yet Mark?" I asked in the most calm voice I could manage in my situation. Mark, to his credit, managed to at least look guilty. Or stupid, whatever the hell that was on his face.

"I'm sorry sir, I will get to it right away." He replied, walking himself out of my office hastily. Mark was my sales rep. The guy wasn't the best, but he managed to pull off results. Which was probably why I kept him for so long. However, he did manage to make me go crazy every once in a while.

"No need to bite his head off Gregory, the guy is stressed enough from all your drama and whatnot." My supposed best friend/business partner chipped in his two cents from where he stood by the window overlooking the view of the city.

When I didn't take the bait, Jason turned to face me. Giving me his entire attention. His stupid face, of course, accompanied by his ever present smug smile that he always wore when he knew something I didn't. Obviously, he was going to let me stew for a while before he even volunteered the information he was holding out.

"How long do you think she can hold out for?" Jason asked, most likely not even waiting for an answer. She would most likely be his latest conquest who was playing hard to get, or just wasn't interested and had lost his number already.

I still didn't answer, as my workload was already too much on its own. I really didn't even have time to chit-chat with Jason. But the fucker always budged his way into my life anyway. My say in the matter of our so-called friendship completely disregarded.

"Oh come on man, this is the only time we have to hang out now that your ex-wife is out of the picture. Greg, you're free again. Now you don't have to worry about the media finding out about hook-ups or girls or anything of the sort". Jason, to my annoyance, rumbled on. I couldn't concentrate with him, hovering around the office like the unwanted object he was. Now he had to open his big stupid mouth as well.

If only he knew the truth.

"I have no interest in finding other women to warm my bed. If I want a woman, I know where to get one. I don't need to even sweat it. And I don't care about the press. Sure, my family does, but I don't".

"Oh yeah? Then have it your way. Bet Zuri is finding the next available man already." I knew Jason was bored and wanted my attention like the attention w***e he was, but for some sick reason, I imagined my hands around his pale slender neck, with that comment alone. I wasn't a violent man by all means, but sometimes I just wanted my pound of flesh. Honestly, it wasn't like I couldn't beat up Jason, but it's the fact that I actually liked Jason. When he wasn't an obnoxious little prick, he was actually a good friend here and there. Plus he was my best friend.

And my father would have a heart attack and blame my black ex-wife for influencing me with such thoughts.

My point is that, while the world thought I was a happily married family man. I was actually a single dad with a ring on his finger. I never slept with my wife for the entire duration of our marriage. And it wasn't that I didn't want to, no. It was because said wife was never around for me to sleep with or that she actually never liked me nor even considered us married to begin with. Okay, so yes, we got married because of our circumstances. But, I was willing to make it work. I thought she would quit that stupid job of hers, but no, I waited year after year, but all I got were nights I had to stay up late and console our child about why mom couldn't make it or was running late again for his birthday again.

Honestly, I tried. All the women I met were comfortable dating me without having to worry about money or even work, but that damned woman. I never wanted and yet hated a woman as much as I did Zuri.

Just the thought of her had me snorting, which gave Jason another chance to eye me again. His weird blue eyes starred me in the soul.

"What's funny?" He inquired with one eyebrow raised. Jason was good-looking but for some reason couldn't settle with anybody. Heck, I have seen him flirting, and the guy had pretty good skills. In our former days, Jason could pull off more girls than me. And that was not an easy thing to do. Not to blow my own horn, but I was quite good-looking. Before Zuri, I reigned as the most handsome bachelor in this city, and now. Well, now I'm a divorced, still good-looking single father.

"Nothing buddy, let me just finish up with this order, and then we can get with the guys at the club and actually get wild for a change, yeah". I replied with a smile. Honestly, I haven't had time to reflect and think about my divorce and I think tonight is the night that I actually finally let it all go and move on from my seven-year disaster of a marriage.

I wonder if junior still works down there, because the most I have done in seven years is musterbate.

"Come in", I called in after a knock comes through the door.

"Sir, your two o'clock is waiting in the boardroom", Seth, my secretary, peeped in with his head of orange hair. And no, it's not dyed but his natural hair color. His Irish so...yeah.

"Be right in, thank you, Seth". I tried to give him the most polite smile I could manage. Seth, I believe, was hired by my father. According to him, female secretaries were a distraction for a married man, especially when the wife was out in town. He didn't want me sleeping with my secretaries and dainting our family name. My father was a very paranoid old hag and, by God, he was a nuisance. But funny enough, I actually turned out to like my new secretary, so shame on dad. Even if I got the vibe that he was scared of me at times.

It might be because of our first encounter. I did bring him to tears when I didn't find my dearest Mary with a large rack that first day he reported for work.