If all went well I should be home by six tonight. A very good day.
"Delores did you confirm Nina's appointment for tomorrow?" I asked her whilst booting up my computer.
"Yeah sweetie, I did. She said she will be here around 4:30. I checked your calendar and you're free. That work you?"
"Yes it does. Oh thank God"
She was silent for a while. I completely forgot that she was there. I was too busy reading an email that George sent me an hour ago.
"Is everything okay, sweetie?"
"Hmm?" Looking up from my computer.
"Well for one thing, you asked for Nina. And you never make appointments with Nina unless it's really important. So sweetie is everything alright? No one bothering or wanting to sue vou?"
let out a deep breath "I don't know yet Delores. Everything is still up in air. Nevertheless, I just want to keep all my ropes tight, you know? But don't worry your pretty little head over this, nothings happened yet"
She have me a very long look "If you say so. Well your meeting is in a couple of minutes. Don't be late" she reminded me.
"I won't. I'll be there in a couple of minutes. I just have to finish finish replying this email" I chuckled.
She nodded her head and I was left alone. My cozy office.
Delores had actually got me thinking about everything that had happened last two weeks. Though she didn't know what was happening exactly, her questions and worries were warranted.
Seeing Collins and Eric was too much to be a coincidence. And I, for one do not believe in such coincidences. It was mathematically unsound. Why of all the islands in the world did they have to be at the one I was working at?
Meeting Collins again after more than a decade did nothing for me. Someone would expect me to feel a certain emotion for the man who once held a special place in my life and was part of the reason had my two sons.
But right there and then I felt nothing towards him. No anger, no rage, nothing. No happiness or elation. And certainly no expectation from him. To me he was no better than a stranger
I had just met.
But fortunately for me, I knew better than to trust or give this 'stranger' an inch or place in my life. This stranger was a snake hiding in a flower. He is unlike any other person I have ever associated with. Vile and wicked with a heart cold as ice.
When I first left the Timmons mansion, I was so mad and distraught, mostly at myself. I couldn't believe that I could be so stupid and gullible. So stupid to have fallen for the wrong kind of man.
I of all people should have known better. My mother was a freaking guideline of not falling for men like Collins Dwight.
Yet there I was in a similar predicament as my mother.
Then my anger at myself turned towards anger at him. Anger, disappointment and above all rage at him. I felt so much rage towards him that I would lay awake crying and screaming myself till my voice was hoarse.
I could not shake off the anger and disappointment towards him. He had taken the little innocence I had left and smashed it. He had completely obliterated any iota of hope and belief I had about about men.
But after the twins was born, all my anger and grief went away. Holding my two angels I came to the realisation that Collins and the Timmons were not worth my energy or dedication to remain mad at them. That also included emotions, like anger.
They, the Timmons and the Dwights were dead to me. They were unimportant and they had no place or reason to be in my life. Therefore my emotions be it happiness or anger towards them were unwarranted and invalid.
But after close to eleven years, seeing him and Eric Timmons was more than a little shocking. Honestly speaking, I had never felt so fulfilled and in my entire life after I laid my eyes on them. Because by seeing them again, I felt indifferent. I felt at peace. It became a reality that were really dead, figuratively speaking.
But it did not stop the thoughts that kept entering my mind. I kept thinking to myself why, why me? Had I not been through enough at the hands of those people/ family.
I thought I have finally closed the door to that life and here they are opening the garage. My only question was why and what kind of sick, twisted coincidence, if you could call it that, was being played in my life.
"Sweetie the conference is starting. Everyone is waiting for you. I thought you said you'll be there in a couple of minutes"
Delores scolded through the intercom.
Pressing the button "Sorry. I will be right there" Sighing I grabbed my coat along with my files and folders and walked out the office down the hallway into the conference room.
Walking into the room it was already filled with the awaiting members. Right now for the next couple of hours my problems did not matter and had no place here. All that matters is my profession and my passion.
"Hello lady and gent, how we doing this morning? Good? Well lets get started"
It's game time.
...….
Walking down the hall to the office after the meeting I was feeling optimistic. Things had gone well and I was positive that my book would be released on time. As I passed the foyer to head to my office, I was stopped by Delores.
"Um Diane, I think we have a problem?"
"Why what's wrong?" I asked. Delores never looked this serious unless it was bad news.
"Well its not so much what but who. Someone has been calling for you"
"Oh is that it. Who is it? Another, prospective client that can't take no?" I laughed, rolling my eyes. I'm surprised she is even telling me. She always handles and takes care of pushy and unreasonable people. I heard about her escapades.
Unless, it was beyond ridiculous and we would all have a good laugh.
"I have a feeling that this one is quite different" she replied her voice tight.
"Why, what's wrong?"
"We they have been calling since last week seeking an appointment with you. I kept telling them that you were completely booked but they wouldn't take no for an answer?"
"They?" | interrupted.
"Yes, they. Two people. They were very insistent. And they have called over 25 times in the past two hours. I didn't think nothing of it, till I was going through your email to check your appointment and I saw an email from them. Somehow they managed to get email address "
"What?!"
"Yes. I was going through your emails and there I saw it"
I started pacing. Maybe this as just a coincidence. But this past month had been too much of coincidences. My stomach dropped a little. I calmed myself down and turned to a worried Diane
"Did they leave a name?"
"Yes. A Dwight and Timmons"
Oh Good Lord.
Taking a deep breath.
"Delores cancel my next appointment and extend my apologies. Send Andy in my place. And after call Nina right away and tell her to come over at once"
"Yes, right away. Is something wrong baby?" Delores asked worry in her eyes. I had never asked to cancel an appointment since she started working for me. And this situation was freaking her out. There was something wrong with this whole thing.
"Let's just say Delores, the ropes are not as tight as I would like it to be. But right now call Nina" I answered and headed straight to my office. I sunk into my chair and took a deep breath.
Now was not the time to panic. I was better than this. Time to get to work. There was much to be done.
An hour later, reading through some internet blogs Nina Jimission barged into my office, shutting the door behind me.
She threw her coat and gloves on the couch.
Nina was my family lawyer and a close family friend. Nina was semi retired and was one of the top lawyers in the country.
She had to be, she had worked and won so many cases. Right now she was semi retired enjoying life with her new boyfriend.
"Okay I have asked Delores to hold all your calls. So start speaking what's wrong? Talking to me girl" she started. Just like Nina, no pleasantries just straight to business.
Taking a breath "I saw him again"
She blinked a couple of times as if trying to process what I just said "Repeat that again?"
"I said I saw him. More specifically I saw Collins Dwight and his parents and Eric Timmons and his family"
"When?"
"When I was working on the new movie?"
"And you tell me now? What did I tell you? I told you that as soon as you ever saw them again that you contact me" she demanded. She was the only person who knew the full story about my past. I was introduced to her by George and we hit it off. I broke down and told her my whole life story. Not even George knows the whole story.
"I didn't think much of it. I just assumed it was a coincidence.
And that they were just as surprised as I was of seeing me"
"But" she urged.
"But now, they are calling my office and he somehow got my business email address" This address thing was freaking me out. I had three email accounts. A personal one for only friends and family. No one ever got that email address. The second account was my private business email address. This one was also private. Only select people had that address. I had to give it to you myself, nobody but I not even my mother or Delores. The last was my public email address, open to the public.
"He couldn't have gotten it from a shared friend no?"
"No. I made very sure that we didn't run in the same circles" shaking my head.
"Okay, Diane think back very carefully to the island. What did he say exactly?"
I took a deep breath and started to recount my story. This was the first time I was telling this story to anybody.