Chapter 5- "Are you leaving me?"
1671 Words
CONRAD
After getting Dani’s gift which is a greyhound puppy from the empty guest room, I change into sleepwear and snuggle with it in bed.
I got it because my mother had the grandkids talk with me too. I didn’t agree with her points but I agreed with the reasoning.
We need to have roots, a home our kids will one day grow up in.
We need to know our neighbors and just be in one place long enough to invite friends over and we definitely need to unpack because I doubt it should take two years to settle in.
My phone beeps and shows a message from Emily.
Emily Stun: Note, Mrs Hilton is on her way to Briar to visit her brother and mother. She will head straight to the New York penthouse and will return before the charity event next Friday.
Just like in Cannes my wife has sent someone to basically tell me to piss-off.
“Déjà vu huh buddy?” I rub the new born puppy
I am not sure if I should wait for its mother to name it because he needs a name and roots.
Maybe a divorce is not such a bad idea.
(Friday)
Dani is a brunette.
I haven’t seen her since our anniversary dinner last Friday, so I’m confused when I walk into our room Thursday night after work to find a dark-haired woman using our shower. Her back is turned so the sparkling diamond ring on her finger gives it away that it’s her.
She finds me playing with our puppy Bruno on the carpet when she emerges from the bathroom only in a towel, her semi wet hair clipped up and still dark.
“I’m guessing you hate it?”
“What?” I blink.
Bruno sinks his teeth into my hand as if telling me to stop staring.
“The hair?” She walks into our closet.
“I didn’t say that I’m just—”
“Shocked? Pleased? Impressed?” She's now wearing silk black shorts and a matching top that shows her n*****s.
Wait. Is this what she wears to bed when I'm not there?
Our entire honeymoon she never wore any sexy clothing and not once these last 2years did I see her in anything but baggy t-shirts and even baggier shorts so of course she chooses to start now.
When her bright emerald eyes are shining because of her dark hair.
As if noticing her new glow too, Bruno runs to his mom.
She picks him up and places him on his dog bed by the corner after giving him a few rubs but he just follows her back to our bed like a lovesick puppy.
“I’ve been thinking about dyeing it since I saw Kai’s hair last year so when I was in the beauty bar this past weekend getting my hair done for Kat’s birthday party, I decided to go dark.” She sits on the bed with Bruno.
“Cat? Who’s Cat?” I stand from the floor.
“Kai’s girlfriend, her name is Kathryn with a K” she beams. “She’s this British blonde bombshell who my brother is totally head over heels for.”
“Wait, someone can stand your brooding d**k of a brother?” I'm shocked.
Don’t get me wrong Malakai is nice to me because I helped get him out of Paris and reunite with his mom or maybe its because I’m married to his sister but the kid is a lot to take in.
It could be the pressure of being a prince and heir to a whole country but he’s a d**k.
“Not only can she stand him but she puts him in line, she holds her own.” Dani looks up from Bruno with a geniue smile..
“Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming?” I see the look in her eyes and there’s something she’s leaving out.
“She doesn’t know his real name.”
What?
“Or that he is a prince and heir to a whole country let alone next in line."
Wait.
"Or that he snuck out of a Paris boarding school and that someone is still there pretending to be him.”
I scoff.
“Okay, that last one is understandable since he needs to maintain his cover but the least he could do is tell her his real name.” The poor girl doesn’t even know her real boyfriend.
“Don’t feel bad for her just yet,” Dani let’s Bruno lick her hands. “He doesn’t know her real name either.”
And the plot thickens.
“She’s in a witness protection program, her entire family is apprently but she's the key witness.”
What in the true crime?
“And her grandfather is the head of House of the Lords, which makes her one of the most important grandchildren in the UK.”
Wait.
“How did you—”
“The girl is dating my baby brother. When he had me track her once, I did a background check and found nothing, so I had my Mi6 contact do some digging and he also found nothing.” I don’t even want to know why he had his girlfriend tracked.
“Then how did you find out all that?”
If this girl’s profile is so classified that the secret service couldn’t get it, how did she get it.
“I have a degree from Yale in cyber security,” she scoffs. “I can find out anything about anyone.”
Including me, I’m reading between the lines and the warning is heard.
“I'd hate to be the two of them right now.”
All the secrets in the dark waiting for them will no doubt affect the future of their relationship.
“Don’t look at me.” Bruno pulls down Dani’s top to show a bit of cleavage. “I offered to let Kai know in Vegas but he said he wanted her to tell him.”
I know I should focus on the conversation but Bruno is really tugging at Dani’s top and I haven’t s*x in a long time so this is turning me on a little.
“Anyway, enough about my brother’s drama.” I barely hear her, “what do you REALLY think of my hair?” She finally removes Bruno’s paw from her chest.
“I love it,” I clear my throat. “You look beautiful,” I add looking away.
“Good answer hubby,” she rubs Bruno’s tummy. “Wasn’t that a good answer Bruno?”
She rubs the pup as it jumps up and down in her lap.
“I knew you’d like him.”
I was initially going to get a golden retriever but when I saw Bruno at the pet shelter, I immediately imagined Dani’s smile when she met him and knew he was the one.
I'm just bumped I didn't get to see it.
“Are you kidding? I love him!” She uses her baby voice as he licks her hands. “But why name him Bruno?”
“Because he loves Bruno Mars,” I grab the TV remote and go straight to YouTube. “We were cooking one day with Stacy and her ringtone is a Bruno Mars song. Bruno who had been sleeping since I got him, came alive.”
And as evidence, I click Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars and immediately Bruno abandons Dani and runs to stand in front of the T.V. He begins barking or as I see it as singing and jumping s***h dancing.
“That is so precious,” Dani immediately reaches for a phone on the bed.
I’m too focused on Bruno’s little performance to realize Dani’s mood change till the song ends.
“Did you get it?” I mute the TV as Bruno runs to her feet.
It’s clear his priorities are Bruno Mars, Dani then me and I can totally understand that.
“No,” she hands me my phone as he moves to the door. “I grabbed yours by mistake and I don’t know the password.”
“Why are you pale?” I open the bedroom door when he begins scratching at it.
I don’t know how he picked it up but I’ve learned it’s his way of letting me know he needs to pee.
“Stacy, can you let him out!” I shout as Bruno runs down the stairs. “He has the bladder of a pup—”
“Are you leaving me?” I turn to find Dani standing.
"What?" I close the door.
“You changed your lock screen from me to Bruno,” she points at my phone. “It could be because he is the cutest dog ever but I have a feeling it’s not the only reason.”
“Can we not—”
“Are you leaving me Conrad?” She repeats.
“I don’t know yet.” I admit pushing my hands inside the front pocket of my jeans.
While my wife was out changing her appearance and preventing teenage drama, I was doing a lot of thinking and reflecting. Watching her face on my phone was not doing me any good so I replaced her pictures for Bruno’s.
I don’t want a divorce but the life she described before she left is not the life I want for myself let alone my kids. I grew up watching my parents happy and in love, I want our kids to at least see that we can stand each other.
But I know leaving her 2years in will cause drama not only for our families but for her back home. The media will tear her apart like they did Diana and I’m not sure if I can put her through it.
So I have to decide if what’s on the table is enough because it’s clear I’m not getting anything more.
- Writer
