(Doreen)
The bedroom door was wildly ajar when I reached it. Leo was right there, unbuttoning his wine-stained shirt, preparing to shower, I guess. I stepped into the room, giving myself no space to think about what I should say to him or how I should say it. I just need to stop him from even thinking of getting me divorced.
"Leo, I am not cheating on you", these words came out of my mouth before I could stop them. I was going to tell him that, but I hated how desperate my voice sounded.
He paused for a second, looked at me as I stood there in fear of the worst happening, made to say something but stopped himself and just shook his head before grabbing the towel on the bed and hurrying into the bathroom.
What is he thinking now? What should I do? What if I can't stop him? I do not want to go back to the life I lived before the arranged marriage with Leo Smith happened. How should I handle this? I was still standing in the same spot with my head bent in thought when he came out of the bathroom, the towel now hanging loosely around his waist.
"Leo, you misunderstood it. Rosie came over; the reason for the two wine glasses you saw", I blurted out again, my eyes becoming watery and my tone more desperate than the first time. No reply.
This marriage isn't about to fall apart just after the third day. I was so scared. Leo wasn't even acting like I was in the room. He was rather focused on getting comfortable clothes for the night from his lots of clothes in the closet.
I felt a tear escape my eye. This is not happening to me. I must make this work again. I wiped that tear off carelessly with the back of my left hand.
Just as he was about to open the second part of the huge wooden closet, I stopped him, pushing his hand off the handle of the furniture and standing in his way. He made to sneak around me to the handle again but I moved a bit to block him.
"Don't divorce me. I have done nothing wrong", I tried to make peace with Leo Smith again. This time, it sounded more like determination than desperation.
I looked him straight in the eyes, and again, I was reminded of how handsome Leo Smith looked, with that natural blonde hair, fair skin and dazzling eyes. Get it together; this could be the last time you come this close to this man; I reminded myself to focus more on the situation at hand.
"You've done nothing wrong? I wasn't aware that a stranger would be coming to dine with wine in my own house and that doesn't sound suspicious to you?"
I opened my mouth to say something, but he spoke again, stopping me before I could even make a sound.
"You're not cheating? For God's sake, Doreen, it could have been a man, and you have no way of proving it was…what was that name again, Rosie or whatever?" he said with his voice revibrating in the room.
My palm felt sweaty and I couldn't keep my gaze anymore on his eyes. His eyes had become visibly fiery, angry, and scary. For a second, I was short of words but I found my ground in no time because of how much I needed this marriage to continue.
"It was Rosie, Leo. My friend. She came around. It wasn't planned. I couldn't tell you. I promise. I have no reason to cheat on you". Again, a tear fell from my eye and then another. Leo had to believe me. I need to keep this new life I have at all cost.
I made to wipe off the tears that were streaming endlessly from my eyes now, but Leo beat me to it. He reached for my face with both his hands and carefully wiped the tears off my face. His gaze had softened now and his expression filled with concern.
"Doreen, you should tell me whenever you have someone over. I'm just a phone call away. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand", I replied quickly.
"There's something else you should know. I love you so much and that's why I married you", he said, smiling in my face, then pulling me into a hug.
This was the first time since, after we met, Leo had said those three words to me. After hearing those words from him, I felt something I had never felt before. Love. Admiration. Desire.
Wait, he was jealous at the thought of me having to drink with another man and not that he was angry about a stranger dining in his territory? He didn't get angry because he just wanted to throw my pity ass out? I was needed. I was wanted. That moment, I fell in love with Leo Smith, a stranger I had just known for a couple days and married off to by my father.
Still trapped in his hug, I felt his face sniff through my hair and then my neck, "I hate it when people touch what belongs to me. I love you, Doreen and I want you to be mine and mine alone"
The experience of Leo's grip on my neck wasn't a pleasant one, but learning why he did it completely erased the pain I felt because of it. He wants me enough to be this protective and worried about a pair of wine glasses used in his absence. I have always loved jealousy in men when it comes to their women. I love this energy, Leo Smith.
In one move, he swung me around so that his back was now to the closet and mine to the direction of the bed. He began to lead me slowly towards the bed, still holding me in a hug.
Even at that moment, I wanted him to clearly tell me he wasn't going to get me divorced. Regardless, I followed his lead. Carefully dragging my bare feet on the floor so as not to bump into something. We had gotten to the bed. He pushed me into it and started climbing over me.
"Leo", I called, stopping him from getting to his next move. "You aren't going to get me divorced anymore, are you?" I needed a clear answer.
"Divorce? Rubbish", he replied, covering my lips with a deep kiss, his hand grabbing my hair in a way that awakened something inside of me. Not now, Leo. Not now. You can't find out now.
He continued to kiss me passionately, his tongue savouring every part of my mouth. It was heavenly. I had never been kissed this way all my life. His lips were gentle on mine but, at the same time, ferocious. He rolled his tongue around mine hungrily and bit my lips gently.
"I have an event tomorrow. A company event", he said suddenly and in a rush amidst heavy breathing, and went right back into kissing me.
"I want you to be there", stopping again and diving right back into kissing.
"Can you? I will tell you the time after I've confirmed with my brother" he had stopped kissing me, but my hands were still pinned under his, above my head.
"Of course. I'd love to", I managed to reply. I felt so hot inside and scared too that Leo might want to have sex and then, find out about what I didn't want him to find out ever.
"Okay, Doreen. That settles it. Can't wait to see you tomorrow at the venue", he said, completely freeing his waist of the towel to reveal his bare body and going for the zipper of my trousers.
No. Not now, Leo. I need to stop him. He mustn't find out. I was going to push him off me when his phone started to ring endlessly. Leo withdrew slowly from me as the phone wouldn't stop ringing.
He smiled mischievously in my face before proceeding to answer whosoever had saved me from getting busted tonight. I might not get lucky like this again the next time, but what should I do about it before he finds out?