That One Night Stand

52

I waited till Conrad was in front of me and pulled my jacket closer to myself. "What do you want?" I asked him bluntly before continuing to walk.

"Hey, everytime I see you, I've been meaning to get your number. I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Well, you found me." I breathed out. The air around us was getting colder and I think I saw frost on my breathe. I wish I brought a scarf with me. "What do you want? I'm still angry with you and Tiffany."

Conrad walked with me and in a way, I was glad because I felt much safer now.

"I understand. Look, Tiff can be blunt. But me, I find it hard to put some stuff in to words."

"You pair are trying to dictate my life, Conrad!" I snapped at him.

"Uh," he had no words to form to counter my statement.

"It's not up to you or Tiffany on who I should see. I'm young, I live alone and I loved how my life was going. I could do whatever, come and go as I please and no one told me what to do besides my bosses. Then you and Tiffany tried to change that. You did change that." I poked Conrad in the chest, glaring at him. We had stopped outside my apartment building and I stepped up on the bottom step. "What I do is my business. Not yours. Not Tiffany's."

"Fair enough." Conrad agreed and those two words made me pause at the apartments entrance.

Slowly turning back to Conrad, who made no attempt to move, I frowned. "Did you just agree with me?"

Conrad sighed and nodded. "Can we go inside where it's warmer?"

I hesitated at first but eventually, I invited Conrad in and we walked to the elevators together.

"Don't think that you're getting a booty call out of me!" I suddenly warned him.

"No, as much as I would love it, we have things that need discussing."

In my head I was at war. I agreed with him while thinking of what to say to him, how to say it too.

Once we were on my floor, I went to my front door and unlocked it, inviting him inside and I offered to make him a tea but Conrad declined. I watched him look around my apartment. The small Christmas tree was in the corner, decorated to perfection, the boho decor the same as always.

"I like the place. It suits you. Very white."

"Thanks." I muttered as I dropped my bag on the kitchen bench. I took my jacket off due to how warm it was in my apartment and turned to Conrad. "What do you want to discuss first?" I asked him.

"Many things. I'm sorry about how I came across the other week at the church."

I folded my arms and leaned against the kitchen cabinet, waiting for Conrad to continue.

"I've been so busy between grandfather's business, Tiffany's companies, I've spent whatever spare second I've had trying to word this right and when I get it right, the circumstances change. That night in Brisbane. I was very rough and yes possessive. I went there to talk to you, but seeing you in those clothes, I became, an animal. I was that turned on, lust took over."

I raised an eyebrow, pouting. I wanted to roll my eyes but I suppressed the urge to.

"Then the next time wasn't appropriate, giving the fact that Lorraine passed away. Then the funeral, I tried to tell you, but the wrong words came out. So I spent the better part of the last month rehearsing in my head what I would say to you next time I saw you then it all changed again."

I took a deep breathe. "What did you want to say?" I felt pity for him because I could see that Conrad was fighting his inner demons on this.

"That, I want you." He looked directly at me and I was surprised by the bold statement. "I need you. I have to have you in my life. I understand your point of view on the whole thing but that doesn't really matter right now. I have never felt this way towards anyone before, Maya. I've never felt so possessive over something or someone as I have with you."

My heart was beating a million miles an hour and I blinked several times. It was so sincere on how he said it. He was not demanding, if anything, Conrad sounded like he was begging.

"Then what changed?" I asked him in a whisper. I unfolded my hands and tilted my head, waiting for the answer.

"Remember that billboard I told you about outside my office?"

I knew the one alright. I closed my eyes and dipped my head. I knew what he was going to say.

"They changed it and at first I was mad because you were no longer there. Then you reappeared. Different company though. Same product, basically. Except there was one word that made me see you, look at that giant photo of you differently and I saw it. The word maternity."

I kept my eyes closed and my head down, battling the tears. Now Conrad sounded so hurt and I didn't blame him.

"I saw you in a different light that day. And it infuriated me. I'm absolutely pissed off. Why? Because you went and slept with Lord knows who and got yourself pregnant." Conrad's tone was angry and I opened my eyes to see him in front of me through the tears.

"Are you going to deny it, Maya?" He seethed at me. I shook my head, my voice failing me.

The room was quiet for a few minutes before Conrad spoke again. "I'm just so disappointed in you, Maya. I expected more from you." I looked down at my feet as the tears left my eyes and heard my door close.

Looking around me, I noticed I was alone and a sob left me.

Now, I'm all alone.