Allow Me

Controlla

New Year's Eve

"Can you not embarrass me tonight?" Jeremiah asked as he walked around the bed to grab his tie.

"And how would I do that darling?" I spat back with sarcasm, as I gave him a tight lipped smile.

"By running out halfway through the night to go be with your little boyfriend."

"Oh shutup," I said back before walking into the closet to grab my earrings. I walked back out and began to put them on before I reopened my mouth. "You want me to display the perfect trophy wife and I have no problem with that. All I ask if that you some me some respect. I am your wife, and yet you speak to me like I'm some kind of subhuman not worthy of decency sometimes."

"Your dramatic and annoying," he replied before putting on his coat. "I'm leaving in five, be downstairs."

I watched him walk away as my eyes began to slightly water. I looked into the mirror and dabbed my tears quickly before they ruined my mascara. I wasn't in the mood for his party, but I am certainly over feeling sorry for myself.

I put my necklace on before fluffing my hair in the mirror and heading down. He looked at me from the couch and muttered a, "you look lovely" before grabbing my arm and pulling me out the door.

The car ride was empty of conversation, the only noise coming from the radio. The ride only lasted around 20 minutes before we arrived. Before I could step foot out, Jeremiah grabbed my hand and looked me in the eye deeply.

"Please. There are extremely important people inside of here and me making a good impression could make way to hundreds of new clients. I am begging you to please just behave."

I laughed a little and looked him straight in the face, "I am not a child," is all I had to say before I opened my door. He opened his immediately after, and we locked arms and smiled, enough to give all the impression that we were a united front.

We walked into the extremely extravagant party, and just gauged the scene. It was full of people either mingling, eating, dancing, or drinking. Seems like a pretty easy event to work the crowd.

He pulled me along to a group of familiar faces. There stood some of the guys who worked at the firm and their wives.

I smiled and said greetings before falling into a quiet state. The other girls were a lot closer to one another than I was so I always just smile and laugh with them when necessary, speaking when spoken to.

One of the ladies who went by Drea pulled me along with them when they went to sit down. I crossed me legs and rested my head on my hands as I listened to them talk.

"Mercedes that necklace is so beautiful where did you get it?" The one named Jennifer spoke.

I smiled and ran my hands over it, "Thank you, I think its from Zales."

"Did Jeremiah buy that for you?"

"No, I did."

"Speak of the devil," Anne spoke as she stared behind me.

"Ladies, would you mind if I steal my wife away from you, just for moment?"

They all nodded as I stood. We locked arms as he led me to wherever he wanted me to go, "I have a potential client, looking to startup some sort of engineering company and he is considering us as his legal team. I want you to meet him."

I just nodded as he walked me to a man with his back towards us. "Mr. Graham, I wanted you to meet my wife."

Wait Mr. Who?!!

And before I had the time to even collect my thoughts Aubrey fucking Graham turned around and stared me in the face with the eyes that could melt my damn heart.

"You can call me Aubrey," he deviously smiled at me as he extended his hand.

Still shocked I managed to muster up a, "Mercedes" as I extended my arm and shook his outstretched hand.

-

Before I could be pulled into another conversation, I managed to excuse myself and run off to the restroom. Once inside, I took deep breaths in attempts to calm my beating heart and just manage my thoughts.

What is he doing here? Is this some kind of joke? The hell could he be opening up where he would need Jeremiah's expertise? This is all just fucked, I'm fucked.

No matter how panicked I was, I knew I couldn't just hide out here forever. I splashed my face with cold water and dapped myself up before exiting. I just need to keep my composure and, things will be fine, I reassured myself.

"Hey, there you are," Jeremiah smiled at me as I approached him. "You hungry? We were just about to sit down and eat."

"I could eat," I smiled back at him as we locked arms again. I met Aubrey's gaze who gave me a slight smile and we all sat.

There was a four person table, consisting of me, Jeremiah's business partner David, and Aubrey. I was literally shook when rather take the corner seat he sat directly in front of me. I looked him in the eye and he just met my gaze.

They immediately began to talk business as we were served and I did what I usually do. I made jokes when needed, gave accountant input when necessary, and pitched ideas when they came to me. From the conversation, I learned that Aubrey was interested in opening up his own lab. He apparently was nearing the point of putting the place into motion, but needed someone to take care of the legal stuff such as permits, and certifications.

As Jeremiah and David got enveloped into their own conversation, I felt the vibration of my phone.

Aubrey: Meet me by the staircase.

I looked up to see him looking up at me already. Now any woman with self-control would take heed of the fact that this situation was a recipe for disaster. Was I one of those woman? Nope. So what did I do? Get my ass up and say I had to use the restroom before waiting by the staircase.

Before I knew it, for like the 30th time tonight I was being pulled by the arm, this time however I didn't really mind. He pulled me into a room that looked sorta like a conference room before turning on the light and locking the door behind him. I just looked at him from the table in the middle of the room, him by the door, our bodies a mere 3 feet away from each other.

"Hi," he spoke first.

"Hi."

"You been ignoring me?"

"Of course not!" I laughed as if it were the most outlandish thing I had ever heard.

He faked a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, Okay." He stepped closer putting a finger in my temple. "Nah for real, why haven't you answered any of my calls." 

I looked him in the eye as he stood in front of me. "I was scared."

"Scared of what?" 

"I don't know, I just know we're venturing into very dangerous territory. I like hanging out and I love spending time with you but I'm married."

"I know that. It's impossible to forget. Hey," he said as he grabbed my chin and forced me to look him the eyes as I had been avoiding doing so. "I don't wanna do anything your uncomfortable with. If you wanna stop hanging out just say so, but I really don't like being ignored."

It was in that moment that I took heed of the situation I was in. I sat on the table, he was standing between my legs and we were eye to eye. I don't know what came over me; maybe it was the last Dirty Martini, maybe it was the energy of the night or maybe it was the unfavorable position. Maybe a combination of all three. But in that moment I couldn't help but to outreach my hand and bring his lips to mine for the second time.