Salivating After You

Not My Malik

She turned her head to the side as she pulled away from the kiss. It took her back on the day she found out that he was actually unfaithful to her.

She was out with her friend Ruth, having a brunch. "How do you do it?" Ruth asked in the midst of the comfortable silence. She had her mouth full and so she looked at her with a frown, letting her know that she did not understand what she was talking about. "Your husband? I mean I get that he has money and all but how do you just turn a blind eye?" She continued. Swallowing, she cleared her through and asked with a nervous chuckle, "what are you talking about?" She took her cup of tea and took a sip as Ruth reached into her handbag and pulled out her phone. She reached out her hand and showed her the picture of Malik with another woman in-front of a restaurant as the valet was handing car keys to them. He had his right hand on the back of the woman's neck and she had one of her hand on his chest, kissing. She was in the process of downing the content that had already settled in her mouth when she choked. She felt like she could not breath. She was gasping for air but nothing seemed to come out. She started hitting her chest to loosen the tightness in it but to no avail. "Breath Zuri, breath!" Ruth said softly and she looked at her as if she had just grown a horn on her heard. 'I'm trying aint I' she said to herself. The waiter rushed over and filled her glass with water and by now, she had captured the attention of everyone in the restaurant. "Are you okay?" the waiter asked as he stretched his hand to rub her back but upon the contact, she jumped back. Making the chair squick in the process.  Still coughing profusely. Leaning down, she held on to the legs of the chair and when she felt the hands again, she held out her hand, still bent down to motion to stop. Tears were now streaming down her face. From the coughing, or the lack of air but who was she kidding. It was because of what she had just seen. 'Not my Malik,' she whispered internally. She wiped her tears away as she got off the chair and with a small voice, said, "excuse me?" 

Ruth followed behind her. When they were in the restroom, she ducked down and started bowling her eyes out. "I'm sorry Zuri, I thought you knew," she said as she mirrored the position she was in. "I'm sorry, I should've known that you would not accept something like this be done to you." She said frustrated. In the middle of the tears and sniffles, Zuri spoke," can I see it again?"

"No! I don't think that's a good idea love," Ruth spoke softly. Zuri looked at her with pleading eyes, eventually Ruth pulled out her phone again and showed her the pictures. She looked at the bottom of the photo and it said that it was one out of ten. She swiped for the second one and it was of them pulling away. The third one was of the woman's smiling with all of her 32 teeth while Malik had a smile plastered on his face. The forth one was of him reaching out for the door, the back door. The fifth one was of her getting in the car as Malik's hand was settled at the small of her back. The sixth one was of him closing the door behind her. The seventh was of him going around the the car. The eighth was of him opening the door. The ninth was of him climbing in the back seat as well and the tenth was of him closing the door. She scrolled at the top and the article was dated today's date. The tittle read 'Mr. Andino with yet another flavor of the day'. She looked up at Ruth and opened her mouth but it felt really dry. She cleared her throat and tried to speak again, "Ho..." she tried but her voice came out squeaked. She cleared her throat again and spoke again but this time it was more clear, "how many of them are there?"  It sounded like a whisper. Almost like a whine but it was fear. She was too scared to ask but she needed to know. 

"Sixteen, including this one. But this is the first one they captured him actually kissing someone," Ruth spoke hesitantly. Hoping it would tad bit make her feel better. 

"Can I see the rest?" Zuri asked. Standing up on her feet. Ruth looked at her and shook her head. Hiding her phone behind her. 

"Please Ruth, I need to know," she spoke sternly. Ruth shook her head and tucked her phone in her handbag. "I think you have seen enough for today. Maybe tomorrow," Ruth spoke as she opened her arms, inviting her in for a hug. She leaned in for the hug and fresh tears started trailing down her cheeks all over again. Ten years, all ten years were flashing before her eyes. The good, the bad. The sick and health. The poor and the rich. Her heart squeezed from the sharp pain that travelled through her heart. "What am I going to do?" She murmured.