The Former Mrs. Tan

Starting My Double Life

AFTER THAT INCIDENT, I tried to avoid Billy as much as I could. I tried to leave promptly at six in the morning and join Herbert for a ride home. Whenever I would bump into Billy along the corridors, I would turn back, pretended that I forgot something where I came from. I knew I looked silly. But I couldn't stand the thought that I've left him in the car just like that and me feeling sorry about it.

The next week, Ted Smith, our Vice-President for Operations, announced an incentive plan for the week. The program that would reach the highest sales and customer satisfaction rating would receive a budget for a pizza party. Everyone was excited.

Pizza party would mean an hour or two off the phones or extended breaks for the agents. We rallied our teams to reach the target and they responded. At the end of the week Ted announced that Billy's program, our program, won.

So Billy sent an email to all Senior Team Supervisors down to the agents to come at the cafeteria at one o'clock in the morning for the party. 

I didn't receive an email and so I thought I was not invited. He might still be mad at me. I felt bad. I felt left out.

However, since Herbert's team was under Billy's program, too, he was able to attend the pizza party. When he saw me still working, he took two slices and brought it to me at my workstation.

"Here, eat some," he said. "You've been working too hard."

"Thanks, Herbert," I said. "I'll just finish these and I'll go home with you."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You don't have any meeting or other activities?"

I shook my head.

"Is there something wrong, Irene? Are you sick or something?"

"No. I'm fine," I reassured him and kissed him on the lips. 

How I wish I could tell Herbert how bad I felt right now.

WHEN MY PARENTS LEARNED of my second promotion to Senior Team Supervisor, they gave me a car to use. Dad said it would my birthday gift from him.

At first, Herbert was reluctant to accept but when he thought of the convenience in going out with the twins, he agreed. He said that I should use it more often since I usually come home late or go out for a meeting outside the office.

One day, after shift, as I was walking to my car, Billy came out from behind me. My hurt at not being invited to the party had turned into anger. He couldn't take this out on me.

"Still avoiding me, huh?" he said.

I turned around and saw him opening the passenger's side of his car that was parked beside mine. I saw him take something from the dashboard. I scoffed in surprise.

"Excuse me, I'm not avoiding you. You're the one who's been leaving me out of company events."

"Oh yeah?"

I hated it when he says that.

"Yeah!" I shouted back, angrier than I should have been. "You invited the whole team to that party and you purposefully left me out!"

"You're right," he said, surprising me enough that it shut my mouth. "I was afraid to see you with Herbert around. But I have something to make up for that, if you'll take it."

He handed me an envelope.

I opened it while he got into his car and I saw that it contained two gift certificates to a newly opened spa. One offered a complete aromatic body massage with sauna bath and the other offered a complete manicure and pedicure with spa treatments.

Billy caught my eye as he pulled out of the parking space. I was already in my car, trying to digest the implications of the invitation.

I drove automatically, my eyes flicking to the white envelope on my dashboard.

The traffic light turned red before I reached the intersection. While waiting for the light to turn green, an idea entered my mind as I saw the envelope lying on the dashboard. It made me grab my cell phone and dial a number.

"Herbert? Hi, I won't be coming home. I'm not yet done with my reports. If ever I finish past lunch time, I might sleep here at the office. I think I have an overnight bag in the car. Sure. Thanks."

I smiled after I made that call and turned left towards the spa, following Billy's car.

THE HANDS OF THE MASSEUSE on my body were comforting. The aroma of the massage oil and the scented candles that filled the room entered my lungs and brought relief. I tried not to sleep but my eyes kept on closing and my mind kept on shutting. I imagined Billy's smile as he handed me the envelope earlier. I smiled at the thought of that Post-it note attached inside it. 

Then suddenly I woke up when I heard the masseuse said that she's done.

I indulged myself with the second gift certificate has to offer. I was given a royal treatment ever since I entered the spa and I enjoyed every minute of it.

When asked what color of nail polish I would prefer, I chose bright red. A color I seldom use but worth trying out on my hands and feet.

While waiting for the polish to dry, I couldn't help but think about the little note attached to the gift certificates. It was Billy's hotel room number, I was sure of it. I saw him go in before me but the spa partitions off the two genders.

When my nails were dry and my body supple, I pressed the up button on the elevator and waited for the door to open. I held my breath on the elevator ride and walked slowly, intentionally down the carpeted hallway, looking for his room number. Then, with a brief pause to forget Herbert, to forget the twins, I knocked confidently on his door.

His smile confirmed that he had been expecting me. He took my hand and let me in as his other hand closed the door behind us. I stood there silently waiting. Both of us were speechless, yet in our hearts we knew what we're supposed to do next. When I kissed him the spell broke, and when we reached his bed, we fell on top of it, stripping each other's clothes and starting what we should have done three weeks ago.