***My apologies to anyone that read "The Journey" already. This chapter "Love and War" and "The Journey" was posted in the wrong order.
The next day at Taylor Your Home, Sonique returned to the office trying even harder. She had on a very provocative outfit.
"Look Zac, I know you want me. I also know your pregnant wife isn't taking care of you as she should, or as I could. No one has to know," she said pushing up on Zac.
"Girl, have you lost your everlasting mind? First of all, to even think that I would cheat on my wife while she is pregnant means you don't know me at all. Then to come back into my office with the same foolery after I nicely let you down."
Sonique interrupted, "You did not let me down yesterday."
"Um, I chose to have lunch with my wife over showing you property. You didn't get the memo?"
"Whatever Zac. You had no problem messing around with me when I had a boyfriend."
"I didn't even know until after the fact. If I did, I wouldn't have gone out with you. I'm not into the cheating stuff. The day I fuck around with another female is the day I am no longer married or with Fatima," Zac tried to calm down. "Look Sonique I'm all about my money and setting whatever aside to close on a deal, but my wife comes first before all of this," he hands her a business card. "Here is another real estate agent. They aren't as good as Taylor Your Home, but I'm pretty sure they can help you find your dream home."
Sonique took the business card and left.
What Zac didn't know was that it was all recorded. When his assistant, Ashley, walked Sonique to Zac's office, she snuck her phone onto his desk and pressed record. Yesterday she could tell that Sonique was up to no good. Ashley is very cool; she loves Zac as her boss and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it. She also loves love, and she can tell Zac is truly in love with Fatima.
After Sonique left, Ashley went up to his office.
Knock, knock.
"Hey Boss, can I come in to talk to you for a minute?" she asked.
Zac with his head in his hand, "Yeah sure come in. What is it?"
"I have a confession to make."
Zac started looking confused. "Confession?"
He watches her as she grabs her phone from the desk.
"When that lady came to the office, I put my phone on your desk and started recording. Please don't be mad at me, I promise it was for good reasons," Ashley started rambling.
"Hold, hold, hold. You recorded Sonique and I's a conversation?"
"Yes," she said in a soft voice. "Look I know women like her, she's trouble. I want you and Fatima to work and just in case she tried something I decided to record. You can keep it for Fatima or to sue her ass if need be. I'm sorry, I know it's illegal to record people, but it will not go any further than here. Please don't fire me, I love my job."
Zac stands there trying to process it all, "Can you give me a few minutes Ashley? And leave your phone, please."
Ashley does what her boss told her to do.
Zac thinks about all that just happened. A few minutes later, he calls Ashley back in the office. "Can you send the recording to me and then delete it?"
"You're not going to fire me, are you?" she asked.
"No, not unless I found out you kept the recording or used it for whatever reason."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that."
***
Later that evening after dinner, Zac and Fatima were cuddled up on the couch when Zac let her listen to the message.
"Babe, what is this?"
"That girl, Sonique came back to the office doing the most. My assistant, Ashley recorded it. I think she wanted me to send it to you so you would know what a wonderful man you have."
"Really? I already knew you were wonderful, and I trust you, but I ain't gone lie, this solidified it. Babe, I love you even more now."
"I love you too," Zac kissed her forehead and they lay next to each other and fell asleep.
Honestly, Fatima loved what she heard on the recording. Like she said she trusted her man, but as a pregnant woman that has gained weight and can't perform like she used to, insecurities started to kick in. But it sure did feel good to know he would never cheat on her especially while she's pregnant.
The Wilson's
A few weeks after Lady Pat found out her daughter was pregnant and married, she and Pastor Fred had been at odds. They spent more time arguing than talking until they got to the point where they didn't do either.
Usually, Pastor Fred was the level-headed one, the peacemaker, but this time he was tired. Tired of the way his wife was acting. Tired of seeing her and Fatima at odds. He had started distancing himself from her, staying up late in his study and falling asleep. Then he just started sleeping in the guest room.
Lady Pat's POV
At one point she was going to church pretending that she was this happy First Lady when in reality her marriage was in trouble. She was tired of faking it. Whenever she was at church, she could hear the congregation whispering about her family. So, she stopped attending, which made Pastor Fred even more upset. She would make Patrick go with his dad, while she stayed in bed.
She had stopped doing all of her wifely duties; cooking, cleaning (well they had a housekeeper for that), sex, and barely spending time with Patrick. She had checked out of their marriage.
One day Pastor Fred knocked on their bedroom door. "Patricia, can we talk?"
She didn't answer, so he went on to say what was on his mind.
"I think we should see a marriage counselor. I need my wife back. How am I supposed to run a church when my family is in shambles?"
"Oh, so is that all you care about, the church, and your image?" yelled Pat.
"You cared about my image more than I did. "Fred responded. "Look I didn't come to argue. I came to try to fix our marriage."
"There is nothing to fix, now please leave."
