“Did you get my messages?” Eric asked.
“Yes, I got all sixty-two of them.”
“Well?”
“What do you want?” her tone grew colder.
Eric had been waiting several weeks to talk to Kyla. Listening to her voice on voicemail was a painful reminder of her absence from his life. Instead of the sultry purring that always excited him, his ears were being treated to cold short questions.
“I need to see you.”
“Why?” Another short question.
“Why?”
“Yes. Why do you want to see me?” Another sharp short question.
“I miss you.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And we need to talk.”
“Whatever you have to say, you can say over the phone.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“You.”
“I don’t understand.”
“How long have we been together?” she asked.
“Almost six years.”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t understand,” he repeated himself.
Sean stood up to leave the room and she motioned for him to sit down. “Was it all a lie?”
“What?”
“You said all I had to do was tell you when I was ready to get married and you’d make it happen.”
“Kyla it’s complicated.”
“It shouldn’t be. You said everything was in place…the divorce papers and the settlement check. All you needed was for me to be ready and now that I am, it’s complicated.” Silence. “Tell me something Eric,” that was the first time she’d said his name in front of Sean. “All those times you proposed, did you mean it or was that just another trick to make me think I was in control?”
He was silent. He knew she wanted an answer, but the truth was, it was easier finding a wife than a girlfriend that would do what he wanted when he wanted without question. He had spent the first couple of years of their relationship training Kyla to be the perfect mistress. Her not wanting to get married made things even easier. When he met Olivia, he thought she would be the perfect mistress, but she made it clear it was marriage or nothing. After the first couple of months into their relationship and she wouldn’t sleep with him, he knew he had to find someone who would. The night he met Kyla, Olivia was supposed to be his date, but she backed out at the last minute, because of a commitment at church. So he went alone and met Kyla.
He had visions of being the most sought after marriage therapist in Manhattan with books, talk show appearances, and even a syndicated radio show. However, none of that would be possible without a wife. A married marriage therapist seemed more knowledgeable and trustworthy.
He thought he had the perfect life. A caring wife to handle the social obligations of his life. And a hot girlfriend to take care of him physically. He was doing fine until a month ago when his girlfriend decided she wanted to be his wife. And because he couldn’t control himself a few months ago, his wife now felt their marriage was finally on track.
He thought promising Kyla all she had to do was say she wanted to get married seemed like the right thing to say. After all, he had proposed three times and she always rejected him. But now he was going through withdrawal and wanted Kyla back in his bed. What he didn’t have were the right words to make that happen.
“Baby, I meant it at the time.”