Convenience

Part 57

Beatrice's earlier statement would be like a red rag to a bull. David looked at her. "You ok?" He bent his head and murmured in a whisper against Beatrice's ear as they made their way out through the door. He knew that his action would send Angela a right signal. For it looked as if he had just kissed his wife. His actions would confirm Angela's suspicions. Angela would have a field day. No doubt the story would circulate like a wild bushfire amongst dry grass: that David Cardoso was seen with his long time mysterious wife, Beatrice.

"Yes." She stated emphatically as they exited. She kept her tone firm, but cool. She was not willing to keep butting heads with this exasperating man. Infuriating. Annoying. She thought as she walked away.

Secretly he was delighted with the last few minutes but he was still worried about Beatrice. David suggested gently, "Probably not the best way to handle Angela." His eyes showed concern. Not that she noticed that.

It had suddenly dawned on her that this man was fully capable of engineering the situation. Beatrice spun around quickly. Her eyes narrowed. "Did. You. Set. That. Up?" She marched up to stand toe-to-toe with him.

His astonishment saved him. Beatrice glared instead of thumping him.

He did not back down. "Why would I?" David didn't need to set it up. But that didn't mean he wasn't pleased with the outcome thus far. Of course he'd spotted Angela the minute they had entered the café. And he was unexpectedly pleased when he saw her reach for her phone. He knew she would be checking details. Just as he knew she would loiter, hoping to gather more information. Beatrice's reaction was perfect fodder. Angela will have sold the story within hours.

Beatrice's jet black eyes were flashing with suppressed fury as she glared at him. Not exactly the conduct of a cool calm collected woman. "To fit in with your new plan." Beatrice grumbled, and tempered her voice as she saw his reactions.

He snorted. "My new plan involves me getting to know my wife. Not putting my wife off side." He countered.

Without another word Beatrice marched off.

David's palm wiped his face, before he followed her. She was moving fast! He increased his pace and caught her. "The office is this way." He told her, gesturing in the opposite direction. Beatrice ignored him. She kept walking. David wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. His wife was not going to be easy to manage. David reminded, "I said, my office is that way." He used his head to indicate the opposite direction.

She glanced behind her, saw that David was a couple of steps behind her. "Then I suggest you turn around." Beatrice retorted and kept walking. Briskly.

He was seriously tempted to laugh. "Your car." He prompted. Beatrice wanted to growl at the man. She'd forgotten she'd parked it in the car park at the rear of his office building.

"I'll collect it later." She snapped, her temper escaping. She was still fuming. She had been running on adrenaline since that skirmish with the two idiots! He probably thought that I'm just some unimportant, petty, irrelevant, insignificant, immaterial, insignificant, lightweight pawn! And when she ran out of adjectives she scowled. She banked down her fury and frustration.

Something about her reaction had him smiling to himself. Sulky and stubborn, he thought as he watched her. David was tempted to laugh. He could see her thoughts in her eyes. Her eyes flashed. Like Morse code, as her thoughts flashed in her eyes. And very few people defied him.

She kept walking. Fast. Her cheeks were pink and flushed.

He kept up with her.

He massaged his neck. "Don't you think you're being a bit childish?" Wrong question. Wrong tone. But given he did not know all of Beatrice's personality traits he only discovered the error of his ways when she stopped dead in her tracks. Conceding he had lost this opportunity. All humour in the situation vanished.

The problem was that the first person he'd willingly give up his life was currently running away. Fast. Bemusement took over from apprehension. And he didn't have a plan, exactly, for this situation. He blinked. David knew, he would put everything into making his dreams reality, despite the challenge. He sighed and admitted silently, "Going to be an enormous challenge."