Chapter 5
The busy and congested roads of Pretoria, which would usually make drivers wish they were rather pedestrians, were now better in this frustrating regard at that time of the day as Anable rode to get to the Pretoria guest lodge within the limits of her stipulations. It did not take her long before she found herself by their meeting point. Whilst at the gate, she pulled her mobile handset from her bag and started calling Sam who responded spontaneously before she went about the security protocols of the entrance gate. Upon parking her green 4 x 4 Land Rover adjacent to the concealing orchard behind the dazzling lodge building, she surged straight to the front office where she was ushered to the lounge where Sam had informed her to find him. It had been a while since the two last met over such a sensitive and confidential agenda which rendered that occasion a befitting and curious time for catching up. They fondly hugged each other, followed by what looked like a mutual lengthy kiss as they settled on the couch where they briefly chatted before proceeding to their booked room.
Pretoria guest lodge was in the outskates of the Pretoria CDB. It was a perfect example of a clandestine hide-out with all the fulfilling specifications and traits of envisaged privacy. Having been secured with 3-metre drywall, it would require one to be inside that inhibitor to get to know of the existence of such a breathtaking place equipped with refreshing amenities for any customer's gratification. As you faced the opposite side of the parking lot inside the immaculate lodge, you were greeted by a circular exquisitely constructed swimming pool which was adjacent to a thatched gazebo under the hugely exhilarating and refreshing leaf cover of tall pine trees. The largest portion of its backyard was covered by a well-maintained orchard of exotic fruits, that is, grapes, granadillas, cranberries, pitches and a variety of citrus trees. Upon entering the two-floor building, you would be immediately engrossed by a picturesque display of paintings and curios that creatively and craftily decorated its front office, a glamourous fusion of top drawn contemporary and antique furnishings in all of its 15 bedrooms stood as a constant "call again" reminder to all observant and detail-loving patrons, with the auditorium like a lounge, which had 3 giant LCD television screens, complementing its epic 30 x 20 metre size. Adjacent to this gigantic lounge, which also served as a dining facility, just like the gazebo did, was the lodge's amazing kitchen which was as good as any other state of the art food preparation facility would come. Those colourful and absorbing designs made Pretoria guest lodge a little heaven on earth. Anable and Sam had never before made reservations there together but had both been there at some point on similar lone errands separately. In any case, it is none of one's business to care about what clients do whenever they check-in at such a facility, after all, having recurrent and consistent bookings happen to be one of the main purposes of any sustainable lodge.
It was Anable who had proposed to meet at such a colourful and somewhat hidden rendezvous on account of playing it as clean as possible. That rendered Pretoria guest lodge a sensationally lit place for dark acts. She was the kind of individual who believed that a crime is only such upon being discovered. For all her indulgence and drama, she had resolved not to risk disappointing the supportive Trey and had taken it upon herself to make Sam play to that stringent note. Therefore, her meeting up with him was accompanied by double-checks to avoid any slip-ups and double standards. "What goes around comes around" he murmured to Anable as he reached for a kiss that he had not gotten enough of in the not-so-private lodge lounge. Anable responded with a complimentary kiss back drowned in an exaggerated smile. The two mutually went about their clandestine business with Anable deliberately blowing the final whistle at the end of the first round citing errand calls, much to Sam's utter disappointment who was free throughout the day. Ever since Anable decided to move in with boyfriend Trey, she had not yet met with Sam. Their interaction got relegated to just phone chats which were also occasional. The latter did not hesitate to register his disappointment as he felt that Anable was not doing justice to his great sexual expectations, after all, he had electronically transferred what would be commensurate with more than what she had offered with regard to intimacy. However, that bedroom tension was short-lived as Anable candidly insisted on a quick silencer before dashing for another daily errand on her ever-pregnant things-to-do list.
Upon finishing their dirty laundry, the two walked each other out as they headed to their respective vehicles. "This place is a hidden Disneyland," she said to Sam as they briefly walked around the garden, catching glimpses of blooming roses and the adorable different species of fish that added value and glitz to the huge outdoor glass aquarium in the lodge's well-managed garden. "I concur, little queen, I don't get enough of this amazing place, wouldn't mind living here if it were possible" he responded as they obliviously light-fondled each other by Anable's car who had not much time to spare as she needed to meet up with another client soon after. Sam was not just another client, therefore, he deserved at least some pretentious attention. Upon explaining to her that his wife was his queen soon after their first romantic encounter, Anable, who was still given to prematurity and naivety, let alone still easily overwhelmed by fly-by-night pampers, like pizza and candy, was quick to refer to herself as the "little queen." By then, she relished this subordinate self-given title ignorantly which she could now only acknowledge through deceit and flattery. She was now Trey's queen herself to casually playing second fiddle or passive substitute to anyone as was the case before. Above all, there is no shortcut to maturity. "We will chat then Sam, but don't you dare intrude or invade," she said to Sam who was reluctant to let go of her. Nonetheless, she started the engine of her vehicle before exchanging valedictions as a shortcut and negotiated herself out by going around the lodge building with Sam helplessly following behind onlooking. She waved at him before disappearing out of sight with a burst of impatient raves. What was crystal clear to Sam was that Anable had changed, and had done so pretty fast, let alone in a very intricate way.
Anable was gratified to vacate on time. She had to persuade her next client to wait patiently on the back of the claim that she had been caught up in something that she had not seen coming. As she drove to that rendezvous which was just a mile from Pretoria guest lodge, she played Judy Boucher's "Can't be with you tonight" loudly on her car radio.
If I could bee in two plaaces at the same tiime
Believe mee I will share my love with you"
she sang along to the golden oldie, that she had had to love due to her parents' default influence, in karaoke fashion as she made peace with her unavailability for the compelling and imposing Sam who had just made it abundantly clear, whilst they were cosy in the bedroom lodge, that he was finding it difficult to stomach losing her attention to Trey. In response, she promised to occasionally make time for him, although it would still be hinged on pay-as-you-need conditions, if not tighter than ever before because of her more preoccupated situation. With money being the root of all evil, let alone nothing seemingly a deterrent factor whenever it is available, unpredictability becomes an intransigent factor. It remains to be seen if Sam would use it to bypass the Trey red trap with success. In any case, the paradox of the corrupting power of money to render any perceivable resisting force powerless overshadows any perceived orthodox.