MY PRETEND WIFE

Sleepless Night

Richard lingered in the airport long after Maine's flight had taken off. He knew he had to be on his way to the office but his legs felt like lead. They were heavy and stiff and he had difficulty moving them. He had to admit that he was not in the mood to do anything right now. The thought of work was far from his mind and all he wanted was to go home and mope. Richard sat in the airport coffee shop as he watched people come and go. The airport was a place for hellos and goodbyes and he watched in fascination as he saw people from all walks of life welcoming loved ones with smiles or bidding them goodbye with tears. He gazed at a young couple hugging each other tightly. He felt a stab in the heart as he remembered Maine.

He couldn't understand what was happening to him. There were new and unfamiliar feelings going on inside his heart and he doesn't know how to label them. All he knew was that he felt strange. His heart was restless like it lost something important. Much to his frustration he couldn't even figure out what it was.

After an hour of loitering around the airport like a little lost boy, Richard finally dragged his feet towards his car and drove. He plopped into his chair as he arrived at his office and stared into space. There were tons of paper work stacked on his table begging for his attention but he could not bring himself to look at them. It was as if everything was in slow motion and every second dragged on forever. He was very much lost in his thoughts that he did not hear the door open.

"Earth to Richard" Madame Faulkerson's voice broke his trance and he jumped in surprise. He looked at his mother guiltily like a student caught not listening to his teacher.

"Mom, I didn't hear you come in" he said as he cleared his throat and reached for a folder on his desk. He felt embarrassed being caught by his mother day dreaming in the office.

"I hope this is not a common occurrence" his mother scolded him although she had a small smile on her face as she looked at her son.

"Not at all, you just caught me at a bad time" he tried to explain as he opened the folder in front of him pretending to scan the notes written.

Madame Faulkerson approached his desk and took a seat on the chair in front of him. "Did Maine leave for New York already?" She inquired as soon as she settled herself.

Richard looked up and gazed at his mother. "Yes, I brought her to the airport earlier" he told her.

"That's good." Madame Faulkerson said with a smile. "I'm sure she's going to enjoy herself"

Richard gave his mother a weak smile but did not say anything.

Madame Faulkerson watched her son curiously. There seems to be a subtle change in her son but she could not exactly pinpoint what it was. All she knows is that her son have this lost look in his eyes. "Why don't you have dinner in the house tonight?" She asked. She knew that this would be her son's first time to have dinner alone after six months.

"It's alright mom, I'll just have dinner at home. I feel a little tired. I might turn in early" he replied.

"Okay, if you say so. Just call me if you need anything" she told her son.

That night Richard ate his dinner alone for the first time since he got married. Maine had given the maids instructions on what to cook for him and although the lamb dish that the cook prepared tasted good, he still preferred his wife's cooking. Richard picked on his food until finally he did not have the appetite anymore. The silence in the house was deafening and it made him uneasy. All too soon he missed Maine's laughter and their lively banter over dinner. They usually enjoyed telling each other about their day and shared their opinions about the latest issues and news.

He finally stood up leaving his half eaten meal and an unopened bottle of wine. He walked drudgingly up the stairs to their bedroom. As he turned the light on, the cold, empty room greeted him and he unconsciously sighed.

After washing up, Richard tried to get some sleep but failed miserably. He tossed and turned several times but couldn't seem to find a good position. Suddenly, the king sized bed seemed to be too massive for him and he felt restless.

He tossed aside the covers with a sigh as he stood up from the bed and headed to the recreation room. He had pretty much given up trying to get some sleep and decided to watch a few movies in an attempt to make his eyes tired. He headed over to their vast movie collection to choose what to watch. To his dismay none of the movies seemed to interest him. Finally his eyes came to rest on their copy of Sleepless in Seattle. Richard debated against himself for a few moments before he let out a defeated sigh and snatched the movie from the shelf.

Maine gazed in amazement as she stepped inside the apartment that her mother in law rented for her. It was a penthouse apartment in one of the swankiest places in New York and she could not help but be filled with awe at the opulence that she was seeing. To say that the place was huge was an understatement. It seemed too big to be lived in by just two people. It had four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The huge kitchen housed all the state of the art appliances and the sitting room was arranged to face the floor to ceiling windows that dominated one side of the apartment. Maine headed over to the windows and looked out into the city. She had to admit that New York was amazing at night with all its twinkling lights and giant skyscrapers. She wished that Richard could see this. On second thought, he's probably already seen this a dozen times but she still wished that he was there to share it with her.

Maine let out a soft sigh as she gazed out the window. She had to admit that she already misses him very much. This was their first time to be apart this long since they've been married. The longest time that they've been apart in the past was a day and now they wouldn't be seeing each other for an entire month. It's been barely 24 hours since she has left and she was already missing him very badly. She could not imagine how she would last the next thirty days without seeing him.

She finally turned away from the window and headed towards her bedroom. As she turned on the light she found a king sized bed in the middle and expensive wooden furniture arranged tastefully around the room. Maine reluctantly walked inside and headed towards the bed. She sat on the edge as she looked around the room. The room was pretty but it was also too big and too cold. She could not imagine sleeping on the huge bed all alone. She's been used to RJ sleeping beside her even though they put dozens of pillows between them. It made her feel safe knowing that he was just beside her. But he's not here now and she's not sure if she would be able to sleep at all.

Her gaze fell on her purse on the night stand and she stood up to retrieve her phone. She scanned through her contacts and found RJ's number. She had wanted very much to press the call button and talk to him but she remembered her mother in law's instructions.

"Don't call him. Wait for him to call you first." Madame Faulkerson specifically told her before she left for New York. Not wanting to irk her mother in law, Maine settled on the message button instead.

Richard was sprawled on the couch as he watched the closing credits of the movie. He regretted having chosen the movie in the first place as he felt his earlier worries rise again from within him. His heart jumped as he watched the scene where the heroine found her leading man on top of the Empire State building. Unfortunately, in his overactive imagination, the heroine's face transformed into his wife's face and he watched her as she ran towards an unknown man with blond hair and blue eyes. Richard closed his eyes and tried to erase the scene from his mind but it stayed there like a stain he couldn't seem to wash off.

Richard stood up and turned the television off. He checked his watch and saw that it was already early morning so he decided to go back to their bedroom intent in getting some sleep. Before lying down he checked his phone and found that he has one new message. His heart thudded in anticipation and he couldn't help but smile when he saw that it was from his wife. She just wanted to inform him that she arrived in New York safe and sound. Richard had a strong urge to call her but he felt that she might be resting and did not want to disturb her.

Once again he attempted to get some sleep. His body is exhausted but his mind is alert and awake. His gaze fell on Maine's pillow on her side of the bed. Without thinking Richard reached and grabbed her pillow and hugged it. He took a deep breath and caught the strawberry scent of her shampoo. Finally while hugging Maine's pillow close to him, he closed his eyes and succumbed into much needed sleep.