Allow Me

Doing it Wrong

Mercedes strolled into her home, kicking her shoes off at the door. She listened for her husband, only knowing he was home because his car was out front. She was not at all surprised when she could hear him clicking away at a keyboard in his office.

She walked up the stairs and into his office, leaning against the door, "Hi honey."

"Hey baby," he muttered not even bothering to look up at her, his entire focus on the computer screen.

"I wasn't expecting you to be home," Mercedes said taking her hair out of a bun and flipping her. If only he'd look up from that damn computer, she thought to herself.

"Yeah, my trip got cut short. A case here needed my attention so I just flew home and Jorge is staying over there to tie up loose ends."

"Why didn't you call? I could have brought home food for us and we could've sat and had dinner together," It had been forever since we'd just sat and talked with each other she thought to herself. Whilst she sat in stood in the doorway attempting to conjure up a conversation with him, he never once looked up from his computer. He just continued to click away at the computer, barely paying her any attention.

"I don't really have time for it anyway babe, I have a lot to finish. I was just gonna get takeout or something."

She internally sighed but decided not to argue. She grew tired of wasting her breath.

"I think I'm gonna make some pasta. Would you like some?" she asked. Knowing him, he may not even eat tonight.

"Yeah, just leave it in the microwave, I'll grab some before bed baby," he said, never looking up from his computer.

"Guess, I'll leave you to it, " she said walking away. She walked back downstairs to the kitchen, taking out the meats for her meal.

She couldn't help but feel a little sad. Her husband Jeremiah had just returned from a weeklong trip and he still could not pay her the time of day. She missed him when he wasn't home, but it seemed like he didn't give a damn about if she was there or not, only about the contents of that fucking computer.

She always wondered how they had got to this point. There was a point in their relationship where she was his entire world. He could not go a day without speaking to her and whenever in his presence she was the most important thing, always getting his full attention. She missed those days.

She began with dinner as her thoughts consumed her. She thought of Jeremiah and how cold and distant he was. Why did he marry me in the first place, she thought. She wondered how her life would have been different without him. If she'd be happier, where she would live, and if she would've found someone else.

Her phone dinged and she picked it up, an incoming call from her closest friend Adrianna. She picked it up and put her phone on speaker, stirring the whipping cream for her sauce, "Hey girl."

"Heeeeeey," Adrianna dragged out. "What you up to girl?"

"Just making some dinner."

"So I know you all married or whatever but I'm going to club 44 tomorrow. You should come, " she suggested. Adrianna already knew her friend was very likely to say no, but it was worth a shot.

"I don't know," she said apprehensively. Ever since she got married she grew very wary of going out with Adrianna. The girls were inseparable back in college and were damn near at every party every day of the week. She knew how rowdy Adrianna could get, and she knew how bad of an influence she could be. Not to place the blame entirely on her, but she was a big factor in Mercedes making out with strangers or going streaking that one time.

"Girl come on, come out with me. We never party anymore, c'mon I know Jeremiah out of town and you sitting in that house all by yourself. Come out and keep me company."

She would've corrected her and said Jeremiah was back in the city, but she decided against it. It would feel like he was still gone, she just knew that he'd be in the office all day tomorrow. She thought, whats the worst thing that could happen?

"Fine," she said to Adrianna as she clapped on the other line. She ran her down on the plans, as Mercedes continued with dinner.

As the two continued their conversation shifting, Mercedes began to feel kind of excited about her night out on the town with her best friend. Often time, she would forget about how young she was. She was twenty-four for crying out loud and she spent her entire life either at home or at work. A drink and some time spent on the dance floor was exactly what she needed. It would be fun to act her own age for once.

She sat at the table after she and Adrianna hung up the phone, enjoying her bowl of warm pasta. She use to hate sitting at their rather large dining room table all by herself, but she had grown used to it. She actually found it quite peaceful.

She washed up the dishes and made sure to leave a rather large helping of pasta in the refrigerator for Jeremiah. He always loved the way she made it.

She went up to their bedroom and showered, before falling into bed all by herself. The king-sized bed she use to always sleep in with Jeremiah felt so empty with just her in it. She missed his body heat. Missed the days where he would crawl into bed with her and just talk to her for hours about the simplest things. She missed when he would climb into bed and pull her body against his, spooning her because he needed to feel her against his body during the night. She missed him.

She watched some TV before turning it off, drifting off to sleep in the dark room. In her sleepy state, she heard Jeremiah come into the room. She didn't bother to open her eyes but she could guess that it was late. He sat up in bed and clicked away at his phone, probably sending out one last email before he laid down on the bed. She could tell he lay far away from her, as she couldn't even feel the warmth of him. Within minutes she could hear his snoring.

I have had this story idea in my head for a while now, and I am so excited to finally get it started.