My Christmas Romance

Chapter 9: The other girl.

I finally made it to his house and as I seat in my car contemplating if I could do this, I looked at his house and imagine what he would be doing right now. I had dressed a little bit too nice for this and I hope he doesn't get the wrong message.

I walked to the front door and rang the doorbell.

It went opened and it was annabel. She looked so beautiful and happy.

"Hey miss Claire." She hugged me so tight and that was so sweet.

"Hey Annabel you look so beautiful" I told her.

"Thank you for coming, I really appreciate it." As if she just realised that I baked cake.

" oh you baked... thank you. Come in please"

"Aren't you the sweetest annabel." I said as I smiled at how good she is behaving.

"Daddy look who's here?" She ran to the the dinning and I followed her.

As I got into the room, I saw William laughing with another lady whom is very beautiful. She looked like a model and her skin was spotless. I looked at her feeling so intimidated. I could never compete with that in a lifetime and she was also making William c***k up. When he's around me, I always see pain in his eyes. But there's a lady in his house right now who's making him laugh. He looked so happy and I felt like crying. I thought he had me in his mind. I thought he hadn't forgotten about me, at least if he did like me he was going to call me eventually right? Well, with someone like this in his house, if I were him I wouldn't even call me.

"Hi" I finally managed to say.

"Oh, is this the cake you were talking about Willie. The delivery is really fast". This lady came to me and took the cake I baked. Did she just refer to me as delivery???.

This was the height of my embarrassment and before any more of my dignity is crushed, I have to leave.

"Urmm.. I just wanted to drop this off because annabel asked me to. I would take my leave now" I said as I turned to leave.

"Hey wait... urmm, would you like to join us for dinner?". He finally said something from his mouth. I was surprised because I saw his face and he wasn't so impressed to see me bursting in on him with his other lady.

"William, I really do not have to. I don't want to disturb what you have going on". I said.

I definitely do not want to disturb this happy moment he was having. Whoever this lady is, she damn sure was making him and Annabel happy and I am not going to ruin that.

"Miss Claire please stay....". Annabel came to me holding my hands and pleading. She's just too cute for me to crush her heart right now and besides she was the reason I was here in the first place, and obviously the only reason I am going to stay. Well that last part was more of me convincing myself because just one look at this man and my heart is melting already and that really hurts so much.

William dished the food already and we were about to start eating.

"Daddy can I bless the food". Annabel asked.

"Yeah sure honey, of course." William said.

"Lord we thank you for this food. And we thank you for my daddy's birthday and give him many more years. Thank you for miss Sarah and Claire that are hear to celebrate with us." She continued praying.

So Sarah is her name huh!! I looked up at her and she was on her phone. Her hair is so straight and shiny. Sitting so close to her now is making me real uncomfortable. But should she be my problem right now. She could be anybody right. Maybe his sister or cousin.

".....amen...." I heard everyone say, Annabel was done with her prayer already. I need to keep my head straight if I want to scale through this dinner.

"So, what are you?" Sarah was talking. I didn't know to whom because she just threw the question in the air, so I kept quiet.

"She's my dance instructor and her name is Claire." I heard annabel say.

"Too quiet for a dance instructor..." Sarah murmured. Is she trying to be rude? I hardly even know her.

"So how long have you been friends with willie" She was looking at me right now.

"Some months back" I said.

"Willie I didn't know you are close friends with all your daughter's teachers."

"Claire is a friend Sarah.. Can we just get through with this dinner without you interrogating everybody." William said.

"I am making a conversation Willie. And no one is complaining." She looked at me.

Well I was, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for annabel.

After some minutes of silence, she finally spoke again. She can't just shut up, can she?

"Hmmm..." she cleared her throat. " I have been working with Willie for a year now and we have been really close... he is such an amazing person and there's no one I'd rather work with" she places her hand on his shoulder and caresses it lightly.

"Claire.. do you know Willie is the sweetest person I have ever met. He always takes me out to lunch and we have this thing were we always cover for each other at work. That's called trust and you do know only two special kind of people can have that for each other right?" She looked at me expecting an answer..

"Urr.. y..yeah. Good for you". I said

"Well Willie hasn't been with anybody since his wife died and I have been telling him it's time he settled down". She said.

What!! His wife!! Dead!! I was upset at him and at her. Why wouldn't he tell me and how come she knows and I don't know.

It's almost like she could see my surprise..

"Oh he didn't mention it to you.. what do you two discuss then. Willie I thought you said she was your friend." She looked at William.

"Sarah you don't have to bring that up right now. Can we just talk about something else" He said. When he talked just now, he sounded very sad. I looked at him and I could see pain in his eyes. I felt like ignoring everyone on the table right now and kissing him. That's what he does to me, even when I am upset with him.

By the time we were done I has hardly even touched anything from my plate.

"Willie I told you your food isn't good. Claire hasn't even eaten half of it." Sarah said laughing.

I noticed then that he was looking at me. There were many questions in his eyes and they were making me weak. I can't stay longer than this here. I need someplace to breathe, I needed to be alone right now.

I stood up, " it's nice having dinner with you. I need to be somewhere right now"

"Aren't you staying for the cake? ...you baked?" She said that sarcastically.

She is really a b***h and she sure got what she wanted, me leaving.

"No , thanks. I have to run an errand." I said and I started leaving to the door.

I felt a shadow follow behind me. I knew it was him and I just wasn't ready to face him now. I could cry and he can't see me that way. So I increased my pace and quickly opened to door and tried to hurry to my car. Before I made it to my car door, he was in front of me already.

" Why are you in such a hurry?" He was looking at me pitifully and that's what I didn't want.

"Like I said, I have an errand to run" I said, trying to be more uptight.

"Claire, I am so sorry for what just happened inside. If I knew you were coming...I wouldn't.. "

"You wouldn't have invited your girlfriend?".. I blurted out. I had moved from emotional to angry at this point and I couldn't hold myself.

"Claire no... she isn't my girlfriend" He said.

"No?? What I saw in there was so different from what you are saying and you obviously couldn't day one word."

"Sarah is just a work partner that's all"

That's all really? What am I to you? Do you think I am only angry because of that b***h?

"Why didn't you call me William? I feel like a fool coming here thinking you might need a friend today only to see you so happy" I blurted out again..

"What are you talking about Claire?" He said, confused.

"Nothing you should know. I need to leave right now" I said.

"Claire please can we just talk?" He pleaded.

"No!!! I said I need to leave right now. Please leave William, I just can't r..right now" I feel myself breaking down, tears just started rolling from my eyes and I can't do this in front of this man.

"Please l... leave.." I inhaled.

He left my door slowly and watched me enter my car as u slammed the door.

She drove out of my parking lot and headed home. Again, I saw her in tears and I didn't understand why. Only this time, I was the reason behind them. That hurts like crazy. I didn't know what I did and she clearly didn't want to talk to me. So much for a celebration. Birthdays are filled with so much sadness and it's crazy to think I wanted to celebrate this one.

I walked inside my house to see Sarah cutting the cake Claire brought and singing me a happy birthday song.

"Sarah what's the meaning of what just happened?" I asked her angrily

"What do you mean Willie!!"

I was about to explode when I realised that my daughter was standing there.

"Hey baby can you go upstairs please."

She hesitated for a minute, before she left. I knew exactly why she did that, and to think that my daughter still sees me like that really breaks my heart.

"Sarah I need you to leave" I told her calmly.

"Why Willie, because of her?? You like her don't you??"

"Yes Sarah. Yes I do. And that is none of your business."

"None of my business??? William none of my business???. I have been nice to you all along. I have been your friend when you needed one. I don't remember a time where I wasn't there when you needed me. And you tell me it's none of my business?" She said.

"Sarah you are my friend but what I have for Claire is different."

"William I loved you when you were a mess. You were a piece of s**t. You were hopeless for life. I stood with you during those times but you never saw me once the way I did". She screamed.

This just reminded me of the quarrel me and my wife always had and I don't want this at all right now.

"Sarah please not today please Sarah. Just leave"

She walked up to me and slapped me. "That is for all the pain you caused me William. You made me wait for her. I turned down alot of people because....."

"......I didn't ask you to Sarah." I cut in. "I never told you I wanted to be with you. Please go on with your life. You have multiple boyfriends and you ain't my type. I can never settle for me. I don't love you Sarah. Please leave my house now" I was trying to control myself.

"Sure William. I would leave for good". She said quietly as she leaves.

What have I just done.... my life is so messed up right now. I can't take it right now.

I went to my shelve and brought out a bottle of wine. I needed to clear my head. I need to stop this pain. I can't have it anymore.

I took a gulp of the wine and another, and another.

" you always f**k things up. You drink alot and you don't think about your family. Every thing you do is always about you." Mary said

"Me??? I wasn't the one that slept with my best friend." I said to her.

"That was a mistake Willie a one time mistake"

"It happened twice!!" I shouted at her."Get the f**k out of my house. I don't want to ever see your face." I started pushing her away .

"Please stop this Willie, you are drunk right now." She started crying.

"How am I sure Annabel is my daughter"

"You are crazy Willie. What the f**k are you saying. Have you forgotten that you started all these. You are always out late, you don't touch me. You don't talk to me. You stopped loving me a long time ago." She shouted.

"Mary, I always want to make love with you but you never desired me. You always complain about something or another."

"You were cheating on me!!"

"No I wasn't. I never did. I know I had my bad but cheating isn't one of them"

"I can't be with a man that lays his hands on me"

I got weak at that statement. She knew I was trying to change but she was just using this as a medium to make excuses for her wrongs.

"Mary you know I am trying to change. If you don't want to be with me then file a divorce. Don't sleep around when you are still married to me."

"Daddy, are you alright?" Annabel asked me.

"Hey baby, I thought you were asleep" I picked her up.

"Has miss Sarah gone" she asked.

"Yes she has. Honey it's time for bed okay?"

"Can you sleep in my room with me?"

"Sure baby. Let's go".