Marrying Her Husband

Eleven

The only thing she wishes for is to have stuck to non-alcoholic beverages when she wakes up the following morning, Tuesday. Duty calls so she can’t take a sick day off because on the previous night, she had received a text from her boss telling her to not even think of skipping work. She didn’t pay much mind to it but now in the morning and amidst the hangover, she wonders why he sent that particular text. Did he know she was out clubbing? She tries not to think too much of it, not wanting to cause herself any more headache and instead showers like she should. It’s hard getting ready with the hangover, but she manages anyway, choosing not to do her makeup just in case it comes out wrong. Thankfully, her face isn’t giving out much and other than her eyes which are a little red, she looks like someone who slept eight hours or more. Lisa is greeted by her brother’s snoring when she steps out of her bedroom. He was so drunk that he ended up on the floor instead of lounging in the bed with his sister. Banele had been the one to drink more than the others that one would have assumed there was something he was trying to forget or drown. She doesn’t wake him up and instead, eats an apple then drinks a painkiller with water. She grabs another bottle of water then scrolls through her phone while waiting for Bonnie to come pick her up.
“She managed to wake up!” Bonnie says right after she gets into his car.
“Not so loud Bonnie, the painkillers are yet to kick in,” Lisa says with a low wince.
“Sorry baby. You don’t look hungover though”
“I wish I didn’t feel it too. It’s hectic” Lisa says with a sigh.
“I’m sorry baby. Send me a text around lunch if you’re not feeling any better and I’ll bring you something”
“Thank you and I will. Uhm, there’s something I need to tell you. I should have done it yesterday” Lisa says, earning his attention. “Focus on the road baby”
Bonnie chuckles but does it anyway. “What is it babe?”
“I am leaving on Wednesday and will come back On Sunday. It’s a work thing,” Lisa says and waits for his reply. the two have been seeing each other every weekday and sometimes during weekends if Thuso had backed out of their plans.
“So I’ll only see you again on Sunday, Monday maybe?” Bonnie asks and she nods yes. “Where are you going and why are you leaving when you’re a junior staff member?”
“I’m a personal assistant Bonnie and I’m accompanying Mr Williamse. He mentioned that it’ll be fruitful for me as well and I don’t just see myself as a P.A. I want to grow within MW and have to grasp any opportunity that comes my way,” Lisa tells him.
“You’re leaving with Ethan?!” he asks, sounding like a character in a horror movie who’s been caught by the monster.
“Is that all you heard?” Lisa asks in disbelief.
“I can’t trust a man with two wives when it comes to my woman. He’s a polygamist and I would die if he were to make you the third,” Bonnie says, feeling his blood boil at the mere thought.
Lisa brushes him off with a chuckle.
“It’s a work thing baby, just work. There’s no need for you to get worked up. I thought you trusted me.”
“Sure, I do but I don’t trust him. I’ll need you to send me your location, the hotel you’ll be booked in and its room number. I can’t take any chances. Five days is a lot to spend without you. Where are you going?” Bonnie asks.
“Uhm, Durban” Lisa answers, hoping he doesn’t go through with what she knows he’s thinking.
“I’ll take Thursday and Friday off to join you there”
His tone tells her it’s non-negotiable and no one says a thing after that. They kiss briefly when they arrive at her workplace and Lisa gets out right after that.
She gets into MW feeling like she’s just woken up from a nightmare. She wonders if she should tell her boss about the trip and how he might take it. Where would she begin? It is after all a work trip and won’t telling him seem like she’s seeing it as more than just that? Is she perhaps thinking of spending time privately with her boss and that Bonnie being around will ruin that? The thought alone not only throws her off but gives her a slight headache.
She almost falls when she bumps into a hard chest, having been thinking of this and having forgotten where she is.
“So sorry I… have a lot on my mind” Lisa apologises whilst trying to gain her balance. She looks up to the person she bumped into who’d been getting out of the elevator she’s been waiting for.
“You better get your head in the game because your boss woke up on the wrong side today. Ethan is such a bitch!” the man says, making Lisa’s eyes pop out. “Uh don’t worry, I’m not scared of him.”
“You… work here?” Lisa asks wondering because she’s never seen the guy before. Not that she’d know because she doesn’t know most of the people in MW. Some she’s seen but wouldn’t be able to call them by name.
“No. I needed Ethan’s signature on something. Go up, he’s waiting for you.” The man says.
“Wait, how do you know he’s waiting for me when I’ve never even seen you before?” Lisa asks in shock. The man only chuckles.
“He’s my best friend, there’s nothing I don’t know. Goodbye Lisa” the man says, tapping her shoulder then walking away. Lisa then walks into the elevator with hopes that she’s not late.
Her desk phone rings right after she sits on her chair and she answers immediately.
“MW Mining, how may I help you?”
“Come to my office now Lisa to explain why you’re two minutes late,” Ethan says, and the line is cut right after.
The minute she steps into his office, her heart does what it always does; beat out of her chest.
“It’s your best friend’s fault,” Lisa quickly says, and he chuckles.
“That son of a bitch! He was supposed to come in and go, not badmouth me to the woman I’m in love with” Ethan says and hearing him say he’s in love with her makes her heart skip a beat.
“He didn’t uhm… badmouth me. He said you… woke up on the wrong side of the bed” Lisa says, wondering what the best friend meant by that.
“Yeah, I didn’t wake up next to you” Ethan says, and she can’t help the blush that laces her cheeks.
“Is it right for you to say that?” Lisa asks after she finally regains her voice.
“There’s no right or wrong when it comes to matters of the heart Monalisa. I love you, I am in love you and it feels like I’ve never loved before. This feeling is overwhelming Lisa and I find it hard to just keep it to myself. Heck, I’m looking forward to sleeping next to you tomorrow night” Ethan says, reminding her of Bonnie and what he said. Now that she knows Ethan how she does, she ends up telling him.
“My boyfriend will be there on Thursday” Lisa blurts out.
“Let me guess; he doesn’t trust me around you” Ethan says, not even surprised by that.
“He says he can’t trust a man with two wives” Lisa finds herself saying and that makes Ethan laugh.
“I don’t care about that one. We’ll find a way to spend time together without anyone finding out. I want to know you besides work Lisa and though this is a difficult situation, I do hope we get to make sense of it in the future because I love you and I want you to be mine.” Ethan says
“So, I’ll be the side chick?” Lisa finds herself asking.
“Side… no Lisa. We cannot be talking about titles now but you’re the woman I see myself spending the rest of my life with. Can we not overthink this?”
Lisa sighs. “I’m sorry. it’s just this thing of you having two wives. I wish things were different”
Ethan sighs too. “Trust me, I wish that too, but we have to make most of the current situation. How are you feeling post clubbing?”
“Like shit. Wait, how did you know?” Lisa asks
“Don’t worry. I brought you this hangover remedy, always works. I’ve also ordered you some greasy breakfast because I’m pretty sure you didn’t have any today. We have a board meeting after lunch so you’ll need the energy,” Ethan says and Lisa feels her heart melt.
“You did all that for me?” Lisa asks in disbelief.
“Yes, I did. Now stop acting shocked, this is nothing” Ethan says and right after, there’s a knock on his door. “I think that’s breakfast. Handle it”

A/N: Please excuse any errors and do drop a comment, would love to hear from you.