I open the front door and call "Babe, Jason." but there's no response. All the lights are off save for the side lamp on the table. I shouldn't be home until tomorrow morning but Khalil called saying he needed me to come back urgently. And my parents let me leave quickly because it's work-related and they don't want me going back to my "wayward" life, in their words. I don't tell Jason I'm coming home because I haven't had the time to and I want to surprise him.
THUMP.
I walk to the hallway checking the time on my phone. He couldn't be asleep already, it's just a little past 8 pm. "Babe?"
THUMP.
I lift my hand to the door knob and I hear a woman's soft moan. My heart starts beating fast and I think of all the possibilities. It's probably one of his friends, right? But in our room? I mean we're not married yet though. While I'm busy lost in my thoughts I hear her again but this time with words and my whole world comes crashing down.
"Oh, Jason," she moaned.
I'm in shock, tears start pouring out of my eyes. My chest is closing in on itself, I can't see clearly, I can't think clearly why would he do this to me. 3 years, I spent three years of my life investing in this relationship and this son of bitch is fucking another woman not up to two months after proposing to me.
PROPOSAL
I was at work and the cool evening breeze was coming in through the window. Everywhere was suddenly quiet and I assumed everyone had gone home but when I checked the time it was only a few minutes past 7 pm and a lot of us loved to work a little past hours. I'm tired and done for the day so I head down to Lana's desk and she's waiting for me telling me how she needs to drink to get her mind off a lot of things. Something about her boyfriend, parents, and some other stuff.
We head over to her apartment and she gets us all dressed up and in a car on our way to a party in a place we have never been to before. The entryway is bathed in dim lights and the floors are covered in red rose petals. We make our way to the end of the hall. It's an open space with the night sky above looking down on us.
I look around the space because I just love the decor and everything but it's not giving the party ambiance.
"Lana, I think the party is over," I say turning to Lana by my right where she originally was but there's no one there only large red letters that read:
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
Oh, it's an engagement party, that explains it. I try to move and that's when I see Jason on one knee with a box in his hand. I'm not the type to cry but I was excited and surprised, surprised being an understatement. This is real, it was happening. Everyone was here too. My friends from work, and Baya too. Everyone he knew was dear to me.
I said "YES" and the son of a bitch still cheated. With so much rage I barge into the room without a thought and see them on my favorite couch having the time of their lives. I march to him looking him dead in the eye. The shock on his face is priceless.
"Carry on," I say to them nonchalantly and walk to the closet grabbing an extra bag to get the rest of my stuff. When his 'slow to catch up' brain realizes what's going on he comes to me pleading.
"Babe, please, I didn't mean to hurt you"
"And you didn't hurt me," I tell him.
"Then why are you leaving?" he asks, running his hand through his hair. " I swear it just happened, she was there and I missed you so much so I took the opportunity."
I give him no importance and keep on packing my things. "Babe it's not that serious, come on." And that's when I lose it. My cool, my mind, everything I've kept bottled up inside.
"It's not that deep? Really? I come home from an exhausting trip and find another woman beneath you and you say it's not that deep. You had that face you have when you're with me. How many times? How many times have you cheated on me Jason and even after proposing to me? You lying ass son of a bitch. I hate you and I never want to see you again."
Okay, that was a nice closing speech but I should have waited till I was done packing my stuff. Shit. Shit. Shit. Way to go Lia.
" I'm a lying son of a bitch! Me Lia?" he asks as if he didn't hear me the first time. "Lia, I have seen you with your boss. I've seen the way he looks at you, he fucks you with his eyes every time. And Lord knows what goes on with you both behind those doors. And you never wore my ring to work or anywhere else unless we went together, Lia."
I don't say anything to him because he doesn't know what he's talking about. I just shake my head finally done with packing up and move to the door leaving his key behind.
"Good thing I never wore your ring and I don't regret that even for a second."
***
I make my way to Lana's house at our work apartment building. We each get one but Lana and I decided to share one.
"Really?" I exclaim walking in to find Lana with a man on the sofa and she jumps to her feet but he doesn't give a care in the world. "Carry on. It's only the girl who just broke up with her cheating ex-boyfriend." I walk past them into my room.
"Babe, you have to go. Lia is not okay," she tells him.
"And why would I care?" he asks her and that voice sounds a lot like Mr. Cargills. It can't possibly be.
"Please" she begs and I think he finally gives in because the next thing I hear is the front door closing and Lana barges into my room.
"This better be good because I was about to get some."
"Mr. Cargill?" I ask and she shrugs. "Okay. Now it's all coming to me, the boyfriend in the hospital, it wasn't all a coincidence. It was him."
"Stop calling him Mr. Cargill. He doesn't like it. His name's Kamal."
Pfft. As if.
"Now tell me why you walked in on me?" she asks.
"Jason cheated." I break the news and she gestures to me to continue. "So I had this weekend trip with my family as you know and I wasn't to come back until tomorrow but Khalil called and asked to work so I got on a flight back," I tell her the entire story and I realize why I loved her so much because she says exactly what I wanted to hear next.
"He is going to hell and sooner than expected. Freshen up, I'll make you something to eat."
I get out of my clothes and enter the bathroom and that's when it hits me everything comes crashing down and I burst into tears, I cry until I can't cry anymore but I keep on crying. I need to get drunk so I go to the bar and take a bottle of wine and meet Lana in the kitchen.
"How does Pizza and Wine sound?" she asks.
"Way ahead of you" I show her the bottle of wine from behind me. Our pizza arrives thirty minutes later and we're already done with my bottle of wine. We eat the pizza using another bottle while I cry to her about everything and she strokes my hair while listening. I wish I hadn't drunk that much because when I wake up in the morning I have a split headache and I'm throwing up all over the place. Thanks, Jason.
***
I ended up not going to work or leaving the apartment on Monday, Tuesday or even Wednesday but I had to leave today because we were out of groceries and I was just tired of having takeout.
I successfully go out with my sunglasses without bumping into anyone but when I enter the elevator going back to my apartment I bump into Khalil. Great.
I don't say anything because I have nothing to say like 'Hey boss my heart was broken into a million pieces so I couldn't make it to I'm but he beats me to it.
"Lana told me what happened, I'm sorry," he says. "But I hope you're okay now because we have work to do and I will go nuts without my assistant."
"Thank you." I decide to only reply to his condolence or whatever.
"Does Saturday work for you?" he asks and I nod. "Meet me at my apartment, First floor, Saturday morning." We get to my floor and I leave the elevator.
***
"Hey, boss," I say to Kamal as I walk into the apartment. "Guess who saved us from your girlfriend's take-out spree."
"Thank you." Kamal mouths.
"Only her best friend in the world." Lana sings from the kitchen.
"The one and only," I confirm. "As we know I can only go as far as getting groceries. Cooking is not my specialty."
"I'll handle it," Lana says.
"Girl, you know your cooking is more than half as bad as mine."
"I'll handle it." Kamal says from the sofa and we both turn to him and say simultaneously "You can cook?"
He doesn't give us an answer and only walks past us into the kitchen. We settle in the sitting room to watch a cheesy rom-com and after about half an hour Kamal announces "Dinner is served."
"Finally, babe." Lana sighs. "I thought it was going to take forever." She hurries past me to the kitchen and starts munching on her meal. "It's tasty" she moans and he lifts her onto the counter standing between her legs.
"I know something as tasty " he pecks her on the lips and they start getting all lovey-dovey.
"Please get a room." I roll my eyes at them and carry my food back to my rom-com while watching them. They look so good together, he whispers something in her ears that makes her giggle and I can't stop but think how it feels when you've found your person. I remember when it felt like Jason was my person but I couldn't have been more wrong.