Second Chances

6. Elton

He should have been more mindful before asking what it was tomorrow. But then, how was he supposed to know that it was Adrianna's birthday? And that his parents had come over to celebrate it with them? But where the hell was she? She hadn't been in the house, nor had she informed anyone that she was going somewhere. Maybe he could call up her mom? More like asking his mom to call her mom? But how would that reflect on him? Elton gritted his teeth as he gripped his phone tightly. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Eli, are you in there?" He heard his mom's voice.

"If you are also here to lecture me, please go away. I don't want to listen to whatever it is that you have to say."

"No, dear. I am not here to preach. Adrianna has gone on a vacation to ring in her birthday. She will be back in a few days," and Lisa proceeded to close the door shut when Elton jumped up from his place and rushed towards her. "How did you know?"

"I called up Patricia."

Elton simply nodded and looked down.

"Eli, whatever it is between the two of you, you need to work on it. It is quite unlike someone like her to simply leave everything behind and go away. If only you could try to underst..."

"And I thought you said you weren't here to lecture me," Elton rudely interjected. Lisa simply let out a sigh as she cast one long look at her son and left from there.

Elton shut the door a bit louder than he had intended to and went straight towards the windows. So she was busy having fun God knows where while he had to deal with his father's cold stares and lectures. All because of her! Why couldn't she just leave him alone? It was Esther's birthday the day after tomorrow and all he had to worry about right now was where this princess had flown off to! Could she get anymore self-absorbed and irritating?

***

"I think I made a mistake, a huge mistake," Marvin said as he took a sip of his whisky. His eyes wore a distant look as Lisa walked up to him and rubbed his back to comfort him.

"We just did what we thought was best for him," she soothingly said.

"That's where we were wrong. We should have thought of that poor girl too. But we were selfish," and he downed the remnants of his whisky.

"Do you think they should.... divorce each other?" She added the latter bit hesitantly.

Now that was a question that had definitely popped in his mind, and yet he had no answer. He wanted Adrianna to be happy, but she was the daughter he never had. He loved her dearly and having her around. He also knew that despite his son's bratty and entitled behaviour, Elton was a good person, or so he believed. Marvin simply looked at Lisa, lost in his thoughts. His unspoken sentiments made her eyes water. She felt bad for her son, but she knew the woman he loved wasn't fit for their family. They were both lost in their own thoughts, finding solace in the silence that surrounded them. They were unaware that Elton was right outside their room, overhearing everything that they had discussed.

So, his parents knew how miserable they both were, they knew how the divorce would benefit them both. And yet his father was being stubborn, refusing to answer what his mom had implied. Just how much could a person be absorbed with his own business, to lose touch with reality? That was it, if his parents were not going to take any action, he was more than capable of turning the tide in his favour. He silently left from there, his mind occupied with a passing comment that Keith had made a few days ago. Was Keith serious when he suggested what he did? Deciding to not waste any more time, he dialled Keith's number.

"Hey, man! What's up?" Came Keith's overtly enthusiastic greeting.

"Are you drunk?" Though it wasn't a new thing for Keith to be a bit drunk irrespective of the time of the day, Elton was a bit pissed off this time, especially when it was a crucial thing he wanted to talk about.

"You know how it is. But I am still in my senses. Tell me, what crawled up your ass?" Keith joked.

"Were you serious that day, when you suggested I should hire someone to fool that witch into falling in love?"

"Ummm... yeah?" Keith had a hard time recollecting what Elton was talking about. He had the habit of suggesting 'ridiculous' ideas, as others put it, so it was definitely a first for anyone to call him up and ask if he was serious about the idea that he had shared.

"Good Lord, Keith! Just regain your senses and call me again!" an irritated Elton said as he proceeded to disconnect the call.

"No, wait! Wait! I remember! You are referring to our talk at that club, right? A few days ago?"

Elton mentally heaved a sigh of relief. "Yes, exactly."

"I mean I had casually remarked, seeing that you guys always diss my ideas. But yeah, why not? Worth a shot, right?"

"Yes, worth a shot. So... uhh... listen... would you be up for it?"

"I'm sorry... What?!"

"You heard me all right the first time."

"You are asking me to pretend to be your wife's fake lover so that you can get her to divorce you? And why me?" Elton's suggestion was ridiculous. Based on everything that he had heard from him, Keith wasn't exactly keen to even pretend to be dating Elton's wife. He had a particular type and he didn't really do dating and stuff. So what on earth had possessed Elton to even think of such a possibility?

"Come on, Keith! You are seriously asking why? Look at you! Dating and discarding girls is like second nature to you! And I can't really ask Paul. He is in a relationship, you are not."

"Even Daniel isn't! And breaking news, he and I are the same!" Keith countered.

"Listen, I don't want everyone to know what I am up to. I wanted to keep it between the two of us. Just give it a shot, yeah?" Elton requested, which was a first for it was unlike him to request anyone for anything. He had the tendency to demand what he felt he deserved. But the time was such, he was willing to do anything and everything to get Adrianna to divorce him.

"Okay, man. Let me see," Keith sighed.

"I owe you, man. I owe you big time."

"I got to go now, bud."

"Sure, we will talk about it later," and Elton disconnected the call, happy that he finally had a plan to get rid of his so-called wife. Now all he had to do was figure out where she had gone.