Reunion with the Cheater
1126 Words
I stormed out of the hotel in a rage as soon as I realized that all this time I had been at the wrong party. The hangover from the night, and all the events, made me run away, never to see that man again.
I arrived at my small apartment, the one I had been sharing with my ex's parasite, and took a quick shower. I made myself an instant coffee mix because my precarious situation didn't allow me to buy one on the way. As I left the apartment, I ran into Wendy, a friend who lived in the same building as me.
Wendy appeared leaning on the railing, with her inseparable cup of coffee and that smile that said, “come on, spill the tea already.”
"So, where did you end up last night?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "You have glowing skin. I bet you forgot about Rodrigo and succumbed to passion with someone."
I scoffed, raising my hands.
"Well, let's say I got confused about the celebration. I thought I was entering the party for Ariana's mom's boss, and it turned out to be a wedding."
Wendy burst out laughing.
"A wedding!? Did Zoe's mom invite you to a wedding?"
"No, but let's say I got confused and ended up in the hall next door where there was a wedding. And as if that wasn't enough, I ended up dancing with a complete stranger who, honestly, looked like the lost son of James Dean and Can Yaman."
Wendy clapped excitedly.
"Obviously, I want all the details! Was he handsome? Did he dance well? Did he steal a hidden kiss?"
I rolled my eyes, feeling my cheeks burn.
"No, none of that! But yes, he was just right. And yes, he danced as if he knew exactly what to do with me."
Suddenly, the image of the stranger holding me by the waist and pulling me close to his body while we danced a romantic ballad came to mind. We sang Taylor Swift songs at the top of our lungs and ended up dancing to a Black Pink song, shaking our hips. We were truly the life of the party.
I patted my cheeks. Oh, Zoe! What have you done!? Surely the rumor will reach his wife.
Wendy squealed as if she were watching a new episode of her favorite soap opera, while I tried to change the subject before drowning in my own blush.
"I have to go to work."
I didn't want to go into details with my neighbor because I knew she would end up getting every little detail out of me, and the embarrassment was eating me alive.
***
When I got to work, Carlton, my boss and CEO of the company, told me we would be going to see some projects that were underway on the outskirts of the city.
I loved interior design and had given up my career because my brother's hospital expenses prevented me from continuing to pay tuition, so I looked for a good job related to it and found Carlton's construction company.
I went to the stationery area where I found Ariana making some copies for her boss. My friend closed her laptop in the office and looked at me with that older sister expression in interrogation mode.
"Zoe, you disappeared last night. Where were you?" She approached me and observed, trying to see before I told her anything. I owed her an explanation, especially because of the concern she had the previous night.
I sighed, lowering my voice.
"It was an accident. I got the address wrong and ended up in... a wedding."
Ariana's eyes widened like saucers.
"A wedding? You alone? Good grief!" She covered her mouth when she realized she had shouted. "Did you go into the hall next door? And what the hell were you doing there?"
My regret was written all over my face, like a religious lady lamenting her sins. And what a sin I committed the night before.
"I know how it sounds. Believe me, I keep asking myself the same question." I murmured, scratching my neck. "But I was exhausted, sad, confused, and ended up staying for a while. I thought I was waiting for you in the right place."
Ariana leaned towards me, frowning with concern.
"Zoe, that's not safe. You can't just wander into unknown places. Did they at least treat you well?"
I looked down, aware that I couldn't tell her all the details without sounding reckless... yet.
"You're right. That was crazy. It won't happen again. And yes, they treated me more than well, I danced, drank, they treated me like the life of the party."
I felt the blush climb my cheeks like two embarrassing spiders, as the night had been very long.
"At least you forgot about Rodrigo for a while. That was the goal." She patted me on the shoulder. "See you later, girl."
Ariana watched me in silence for a few more seconds, as if weighing whether to say something, but finally nodded, resigned.
***
An hour later, I left with my boss, heading to the villa complex being built on the outskirts of the city. It was a massive site designed for relaxation. The kind of space that looks like it's straight out of a movie made in Switzerland, where multimillionaire grandparents want to spend their last days playing golf with their friends.
"My wife is traveling with the kids," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "Zoe, please, I need you to stay until my brother arrives. I just informed him, and he's on his way. Please give him my belongings."
I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and smiled.
"Of course, don't worry. I'll stay until your brother arrives."
He left me there, sitting in that white room, with my heart still racing, and my clothes stained with dust. My boss had gone into surgery and I didn't even have time to collect my thoughts when I heard firm footsteps approaching.
I looked up and felt like my heart dropped to the floor. There he was. The man from the hotel, the stranger with whom I had broken my only rule. The same one I had given a urologist's number to, inventing a dysfunction to save my dignity.
Our eyes met and for a moment neither of us said anything. His lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile.
"You again," he whispered, with that voice that still gave me goosebumps.
And I, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me, could only think: Please, universe, swallow me whole. Of all the people in the world, I had to run into him.
I wondered if he had taken my advice and gone to the urologist?
- Writer
