Veiled Affection

Chapter Forty two

All our laborious work - figuring out our strategy, days on end - it all went down the drain. There wasn't anything we could do. Nothing that could undo what had happened that night. He saw us, plain and clear. I don't believe a single thought went through my head in the split-second that I realized he stood there, watching us. Cate and I didn't budge. It felt like we couldn't, stupefied as we were. And when he turned around and simply walked away, neither of us spoke. Not until we watched him turn the corner, out of sight.

''What the fuck just happened?'' I heard her say. She turned to me.

I was speechless. I looked at her breathless, and not in the way I looked at her breathless many of times.

''Okay. Ascertain. The one time we don't close the fucking curtains he shows up. And you are naked, for fuck's sake,'' She grabbed a blanket from the couch and gave it to me. I covered myself. ''That fucker had a smile on his face. What the fuck was that about?''

''You got four fucks into that outburst.''

''I am sorry.'' She took a deep sigh. She looked down thoughtfully, rubbed her temples with one hand. Then she looked at me as if she had it figured out.

''Fuck him.'' She said.

''Excuse me?''

''It is our way out. You must go to bed with him.''

''You are out of your mind.''

''Perhaps. But I see no other way.''

''It isn't a way to begin with.'' I raised my voice. ''And to think you would be okay with me having sex with him.''

''Purely solution-oriented.''

''What do you see me as? Some floozy escort?''

''I don't mean it like that.''

''What do you mean it as then!''

We stood there for a moment, looking at each other, when it was she who took the first breath out.

''I am sorry,'' She said for the second time.

Instinctively, we both went to the couch and sat down next to each other. A long silence followed.

''What do we do now?'' She said at last.

''Come up with a new strategy?''

''I am too tired for that.''

''Let it play out then?''

''Sure, that will turn out well.'' She turned to me. ''As much as I would love to do absolutely nothing anymore, we have to get our hands dirty.''

''Are you plotting a murder?''

She smiled, then shook her head in disbelief. ''Gosh, I feel like I am in a blockbuster. Books would fly off the shelves with this story.''

That comment gave me the first inkling of the idea to write all of this down. Of course, solely for me. I think I laughed a little when she said it.

We didn't talk much anymore. Instead, she looked at me, and I looked at her, and we knew that ruminating any further would be a lost cause.

''Let's go to bed.'' She softly said, and I nodded.

I am debating whether to go in on the continuation, and write all the turmoil that happened after that evening. It is just that the few days that followed are so clearly engraved in my mind, that to write it down wouldn't match up with my motive to write this in the first place: so I wouldn't forget. I can say with conviction that I will never forget.

I will forever remember the phone call I had with Gregory the morning after he saw us. The exact disparaging words he said; every statement that I denied - that I feel it isn't necessary to write down the whole. And besides, it would be best if I just got to the point by saying it all came down to one thing: he knew everything, and he wasn't afraid to use that information for the better - his better.