CAUGHT IN THE ACT BY GODFREY EMUZE
CHAPTER FOUR
It was a bright morning and Jenny was home alone trying to do some work on her laptop. These past few weeks she had been at comfort's place, she hasn't been able to do much work so she had tons of work to do. Even though she missed her office back at home, she knew she couldn't keep off work much longer besides she needed the distraction. Scratch that, she needs a distraction from her distraction after all she's been nothing but distracted lately. She tried to write some lines on the novel she has been working on but she ended up just deleting each line over and over again, she pushed her laptop away in frustration. She thought of taking a walk around the estate to clear her head but then she heard her phone beep and a quick glance at the screen told her who the message was from, her face broke into a smile as she picked her phone to reply.
"hey handsome," she replied with a blushing emoji.
"hi sexy, where have you been…you ran away right?"
"that's not entirely correct, I've just been busy with stuff."
"alright beautiful so how are you doing" he asked with some heart emoji.
"I'm doing good, how have you been?"
"I've been busy with work, book tour, book signing and all…it's really crazy here you know."
"I can imagine but that's what pays the bills," she replied with a smile emoji.
"yea, you are right. I've missed you very much sweety pie."
"I've missed you too." She replied with a kiss icon.
"I wish am there with you right now..urhhh the things I could to you."
"but you ain't here."
"I really can't wait to see you, I can't stop thinking about you, you are killing me girl."
"uhmmm…about that, we really need to talk."
"certainly! Am coming in next week, I will be flying in from New York to Lagos direct. There's this West African Writer's Conference that's happening in Lagos, one of my books will be reviewed. I hope you received an invite too?"
"yea, I received an invite too. My last book will be reviewed so I'll be there."
"That's great! Just the right opportunity we need to finally meet and I hope to stay behind for a while and enjoy motherland you know, after the conference. I think my publicist also have things lined up for me to do in promoting my last book while in Nigeria."
"That's really good. It's gonna be a great opportunity for you to really touch down to your roots, see for real what's like being an African in Africa, you know a Nigerian in Nigeria, not a Nigerian in America..." she replied with a thumbs up emoji.
He sent her a smiling icon, "you are one funny and amazing person, you are such an intelligent and beautiful woman. Thanks again for helping me land the idea for the ending of my last book, you are such an inspiration and you are my muse."
"you are most welcome Mr fantastic."
"so what have you been working on lately?"
"nothing really, I'm still yet to finish the book I started earlier this year."
"okay, so what are you doing right now?"
"talking to you."
"so what are you wearing right now? I really want to see you and feel you, can we do a video call?" he asked with a wink icon.
She typed something and then erased it then typed again, "hmmm…let's not do that anymore…please."
"why dear? I'm so horny right now."
"I'm sorry but we can't do that anymore."
"why? Did I do something wrong? Please tell me."
"you are great and so sweet. It's not you, It is me. Your friendship has been a shoulder for me in the past few months and am grateful for that but I don't think we can be that way anymore."
"now I know something is definitely wrong somewhere. So tell me what's wrong."
"we'll talk when you come okay?"
"alright, as her majesty pleases. Be good okay and know that I miss you so much. Be good darling!"
"thanks, be good too" she typed and then logged out of the message app. She scrolled through her photos of Charles on her gallery and she began sobbing again.
Charles couldn't be more glad that the management meeting was over. He managed to give his presentation without getting distracted. But now that he's left alone in his office, it's really hard to keep his thoughts from straying to Jenny. He looked up as he heard the sound of the door opening and his friend and colleague, Wale walked in,
He was a bit irritated at the interruption, "what's up man? What's the emergency that you didn't even knock?"
"I did…twice but there was no response. What's wrong with you man? You seem really distracted lately," he said with concern.
"I'm just stressed I guess."
"no guesses bro and I know it's not stress. You completely zoned out this morning while the MD was talking."
He rubbed his forehead in frustration, "I can't really say what happened, all I know is one minute I was with you guys and the next minute I was somewhere far off."
His friend looked straight at him, "you've not really been yourself for a while now. I mean you hardly come for lunch and when I ask after you, your secretary says you are always here buried in work! What exactly is happening?"
"I messed up man, big time."
"Is this about Jenny? Is she okay?" he asked looking frantic,
"I don't really know how she is or where she is," he answered.
Wale looked at him confused, "how is that possible, how can you not know where your wife is?"
"She moved out of the house a few weeks ago, she found out I was having an affair," he said looking down.
Wale just stared at him in shock, "how could you cheat on your wife? How did that happen?"
"I never meant to man, Jenny and I were becoming distant and then this lady started paying attention to me and at first I was just enjoying her company you know, but before I knew it I was so far gone that I could not hide it anymore."
"That's really bad, real bad. How did Jenny take it?"
"She moved out of the house and stopped talking to me. She won't pick my calls, she won't reply my chats and she won't even tell me where she is. I know I deserve the harsh treatment for cheating on her but I just wish she would give me another chance."
"I'm sorry about that. So what do you plan to do now? Do you really want your wife back?"
"Sincerely I never had the intention of cheating on her. I didn't even know how I slipped, one thing just led to the other and I got stuck. I do want my wife back, I still love her and I miss her. I just don't know if she will ever forgive me or If she will ever trust me again."
"well first things first, how about the other woman?"
"I've ended things with her, Jenny is the one I want."
"well good, that's the first part. Now you can focus on getting Jenny back. You won her heart before, you can win it again."
"and how do I do that?"
"Simple…Do the things you used to do before that fuelled her passion for you and keep doing it till thy kingdom come."
Charles looked at him skeptical, " and you think that would work? We seem too far from where we used to be you know."
"The heart doesn't really outgrow its desires. It is familiar with its own pain and pleasure. You starve the pain and feed the pleasure. Trust me, you will find again the beat in her heart and sing to it. Soon enough, you will see that you guys will dance together again on the melody of your reconciliation," he said with a dramatic show of hands.
Charles chuckled, "very poetic Wale but you have a point though it won't be easy like the first time."
Wale let out a short laugh, "of course not! It will be ten times as hard but it'll be worth it. I'll be praying for you man, you are gonna need it."
"Thanks man, you are really a good friend," he said as he and Wale shook hands. They talked a bit more about work before Wale excused himself to go for lunch. Feeling a bit relieved, Charles offered to take him out for lunch and they left the office together.