Craving Them

Staying Away

Waking, I know today I need to see Wayne, but I will make sure nothing happens. We will be alone for a few hours before and after everyone else. I sit at my desk and consider things, an idea coming to mind. Walking to his office, I knock and wait. Hearing him call out, I walk in.

"Morning Melinda." He stays facing his work.

"I was thinking. You know Ruth has been here longer than me. She could help. It would take some of the work off you and give you more free time." It will also get him out of the office earlier, so I don't have long to sit alone with him.

"Are you trying to avoid me?" He now glances up to look at me. 

I shake my head.

"Seems like it. You came in, sat out there, stayed away from me. Now you're trying to get me to give extra work to Ruth, so I leave earlier." He laughs slightly. "If it helps you, then fine. If she is happy to come in one hour earlier and one hour later, I will give her some of my work. If she messes up, it ends." 

Well, he agreed, at least. "Thanks." Turning, I walk back to my desk and sit working. The day is passing by quick. I watch as Wayne walks out and calls Ruth through. She looks scared. I smile at her and nod, hoping she understands and agrees. I sit working, trying to listen, but it is useless; I can't hear them.

Ruth walks out quickly, glancing at me then back to where Wayne stands. I watch as she disappears for the night. She said, no, I am guessing.

"She will be here half an hour early and stay longer after work starting tomorrow," Wayne explains before disappearing into the office. 

I am glad it is less time for us to be alone together. Less time for anything to happen, I finish my work and leave, a week passes by, and I can see Ruth has questions. Things have changed. He hardly leaves the office, and when he does, he isn't his usual self, screaming and shouting. 

I know, though, he is spending more time with Elise and clearly has more of a life out of work.

"Hey." I look up to Ruth, confused. "Drink tonight?" She stands waiting. I could do with a drink, tell her what happened, talk, and let her know.

"Sure, I have another hour of work, though." I look at her.

"Then I will help, and we get it done quicker." She sits opposite me at the desk, and I tell her what to do. Sitting, we Talk as we work, and she is right. We get the work done quicker together than I would alone. Finally, we leave, and I don't even say bye to Wayne. It is better if we go back to before.

Sitting in the bar, I drink, Ruth looking at me, waiting. I don't know where the hell to start.

"Okay, something happened. You two slept together. We're all chatty and s**t. Wayne was all happy when he walked through, and now it's different. You're avoiding each other. He hardly leaves that room, and when he does, he looks mad. Sure, he hasn't shouted at people but still." She pushes another glass towards me.

"If I tell you, it goes no further." 

She nods, smiling at me, crossing her fingers. 

"We slept together more than once. Then he made it clear it would be nothing more than a quick f**k in secret. That I don't belong in his world. So I went to his house, I wasn't sure why. A woman knocked coffee all over me as she rushed from her car. It turns out he is married." I watch her face.

There it is, utter disgust and shock.

"He's married?" She finishes her drink and pours another. Did we really need a bottle? I laugh slightly.

"Yeah.

"So what? How did you find out he is married, and what did you do?" 

"The woman offered to give me a top considering mine was covered in coffee. I agreed and followed her to realise it was his house, and there were pictures all over. I was going to tell her, but she said a few things that stopped me." 

She looks at me like I am crazy. "Why would you not tell her?"

"Because she said it would happen, she knew it would. That they had lost themselves and their marriage, then well things happened, and we slept together." 

I watch her face, and it says everything. I know what she thinks.

"Don't Ruth! I stopped it with them both. This is why I asked for you to do extra. I feel awful. I feel awful for sleeping with them both, and I feel awful seeing her almost in tears because he is always stuck at work." I do, and nothing I say will change that. 

"So, you're trying to save their marriage when they should just give up? They both cheated. They didn't try to save their own marriage, so why the hell are you?" She doesn't understand. 

"Look at how Wayne was at the start of the week. That wasn't me Ruth, that was because I did extra work over the weekend, so he got time with his wife." I can't explain it in too much detail, and it is their life and marriage.

"Well, careful. If Wayne finds out about you and his wife, you're getting sacked, Mel." 

That I know is true.

"Melinda?" I turn, hearing the voice, my eyes widening. s**t. 

"Who is that?" Ruth pulls on my arm.

"The wife," I whisper. I have ignored her calls and messages all week, and now she walks into the same damn bar?

I watch Elise walk towards us, and I smile at her. I am trying to act normal or as normal as I can.

"You disappeared. Did I do something wrong?" She looks at me, her eyes taking a quick look at Ruth. 

"You did nothing wrong, honestly, Elise. I have just been busy with work." It is a lie. I know it is, but still, what is the alternative? Tell her the truth?

"Do I know you?" Elise looks at Ruth, and I can see she is trying to remember where from.

"No, I don't think so." Ruth smiles back at her, yet her eyes are a warning to me.

"Maybe I don't. You just look familiar. Can I sit with you? I am alone." Elise looks at me, waiting, and I nod. Then, I watch as she walks off to where she had been sitting to get her drink.

"I need to go." Ruth looks at me, worried.

"Why?" If she is here, there is no chance of Elise and me touching each other.

"I realised when she got right to the table, I recognised her. She was at work a few times before you started. She recognises me, Mel. If she remembers where from, you have a fight. I didn't know it was his wife." 

Shit, I watch as Elise walks back towards us, and Ruth grabs her things. 

"We will talk tomorrow. Try to make her forget about me, Mel." She leaves the table just as Elise sits down.

"Did I scare your friend away?" 

"No, she was leaving anyway. How have you been, Elise?" I smile at her, trying to remove Ruth from the conversation so she doesn't remember where she had seen her.

"Great, everything changed. Something is missing, though; we both feel it." She smiles at me but looks sad. Surely Wayne should be home by now?

"Your husband still not around much?" 

"He is, more than he was before. Last weekend was amazing, you and me. Then how he was, it was like before. After a few days, though, things died down almost. He is still home more, but I don't know. I can't help but feel like we have something missing." She looks sad again, but how can she?

"I thought you wanted him home more?" She did, but now though, she doesn't look happy.

"I did, and I love it. He has given more work to his workers so he can be. It isn't the same, though, and something was there at the start of the week. A fire almost, which died." 

That fire was me, the thrill, all that, but it isn't worth it. 

"Then I was worried I did something wrong. You ignored my calls and texts, and I get it. I do. If you don't want anything to happen because I am married. I just wanted someone fun, someone who doesn't restrict how I have fun. I didn't expect anything from you, Melinda, except maybe a friend." She smiles at me.

Maybe I can be a friend? Just a friend, every now and then we can have a drink together, laugh, and then I go home? We stay in a bar or something, somewhere public, no risk.

"You did nothing wrong. I just had a lot of work to catch up on. I promise if you message or call from now on, I will answer. I have caught up with work." I smile at her as I pour another drink.

Sitting, we drink and talk for a few hours. I keep the conversation off work because she will know what I do and the company if it gets too in-depth. Instead, we talk more about her work, her friends, and everything else to keep the conversation away from anything that will make her realise I work for Wayne.

"So, Saturday night. We're having a party if you want to come?" She looks at me, smiling.

"I can't Saturday. I have already said I will work Saturday evening ready a meeting next week." I haven't, but she said we're. That tells me Wayne will be there.

"That is a shame, and it would have been nice to have someone normal there." 

I laugh at her words. "How many of Wayne's businessmen will be there?" That is something else. All it takes is one of them to point out I work for Wayne.

"None, it isn't business. Just a few people from the neighbourhood. So, if you manage to finish early, you should come."

"I will see. If I get work done quick enough, I will call in quickly." I smile at her lying, but I have to. I can't tell her the truth as to why I can't go. So, Saturday, I will work. I will go in and make sure everything is done so he doesn't leave that party.