Connected Cords

Chapter Twenty-one

I frowned at Gregory who was smirking devilishly at me.

"Wh..why?" I asked, my throat felt dry. I need water! No, I need to freaking drink an alcohol!

Unwanted thoughts of me and Greg together, alone, traveling, checking in in a hotel, us in one suite, the tension will grow and then we will end up kissing, his plump lips on mine, his calloused hands wandering around my body. Oh, how I miss his touc--holy fuck! Really? Daydreaming, Margaux? And worst, your fantasizing you ex-husband!

I inaudibly gulped and gritted my teeth when Greg licked his lips. Why was I noticing every fucking single move of Gregory?

"Well, the wife of my client is very fond of you. No, she adores you Margaux." His pink lips curled up into a smile.

"Me? Why does she likes me? I mean, she knows me?" I asked, puzzled.

He chuckled at my reaction. "You are into fashion industry and so is she. Well, women." He shrugged.

Tumaas ang dalawa kong kilay. Nakaramdam ako ng pag-init ng aking pisngi. It feels nice to know that someone likes you.

Pero pumasok rin sa isip ko ang mga bagay na naiwan ko Paris. And especially, Creed. Would he agree? I was one hundred percent sure that he wouldn't. Ang pagbalik ko lang dito sa Pilipinas ay ayaw na niya, paano pa kaya kung sasama ako kay Greg ng isang linggo para sa business trip nito.

"Bakit kailangan pa akong sumama?" Nagtatakang tanong ko.

"You can help me convince them. Mas mapapadaling maisara ang deal kapag nangyari iyon. Their company is a massive asset, Margaux. You see, this is a win-win situation." He explained. His fingers were drumming the table.

"I.. I don't know if I can. I'm managing my business in Paris. And my flight is already on the day after tomorrow." And Creed won't let me! Sigurado iyon. Pero para ito sa building ng Dernier Cri!

"Naroon naman si Kenneth hindi ba? We can easily rebook your flight. I'll pay for everything, Margaux. I just want you to come with me and then after the trip, you'll go home with Dernier Cri's building in your name." Sa huling sinabi niya ay may pait akong narinig sa kanyang boses. Tumalim ang titig niya sa akin. I shivered.

His offer was tempting. Very tempting. Sasama lang naman ako, right? Kakausapin lamang namin iyong mag-asawa na sinasabi niya. Tutulungan ko siyang makumbinsi ang mga ito pagkatapos ay makukuha ko na ang building. It's that easy.

But the only thing that's bothering me was, how am I going to say this to Creed? Or should I not say a thing about this at all?

"What is your concern?" Greg pulled me out of my trance. My mind was having a whirlwind of battling thoughts.

I wanted to say to him that my fiancé won't let me. That I wasn't that comfortable being with him for five days, away from everyone.

"I didn't bring much clothes," Was what I said.

Natawa siya ng mahina. "I will buy you clothes. Or, you can use the clothes that you left in our house." Sumeryoso ang kanyang boses nang sinabi niya iyon. And the he stared at me while saying those words, boy.. I almost melted. I was like a chocolate in someone's mouth. Slowly shrinking into pool of dust. My heart was sinking.

"Hin..Hindi mo pa itinatapon?" Lumunok ako dahil pakiramdam ko ay tuyong tuyo na ang aking lalamunan. Why didn't he just throw it away? Don't tell me, he let his woman use my clothes? Imagining that made me think of brutal ways of killing that woman.

"Why would I? Kaya ko iyon hindi pinakialaman ay dahil umasa akong babalik ka noon. Sadly, you didn't. But God really had a better plan. Look, you're here now. Magagamit mo na ang mga naiwan mong damit."