Chapter 2 AGATHA

Agatha stood in front of us with hands hidden behind her back and her long brown hair packed into ponytails, billowing softly with the breeze that ran in.

"These are the papers," Patricia said, laying the piece of paper on the glass table. Her eyes rummaged through every piece of her skin, her nose sniffing round to pick any faults.. My legs crossed as I watched with a brimming smile, bubbling underneath my cheeks. Gregory's face still remained wrapped in cold hard shards of resentment.

His long pointed nose darting away from my image, even though his hands remained deeply entangled with mine.

"Go through it and give us your reply," Patricia said after a long hard scan. She slowly turned to me with a light smile growing along the edges of her cheeks before she gently placed her hand on my knee.

"You've made the right decision although I wasn't expecting a maid."

Gregory's eyes flinched while the grip he held on my fingers tightened, until they pressed fervently against my fragile bone.

"Um, babe. You're hurting me," I said softly into his ear and he immediately stormed out the room.

"I accept," Agatha said after a brief pause, maintaining a straight face.

"Good. Now Violet, you'll introduce her to everything she needs to know about him," She said, clipping her hands to the hem of her skirt.

"I want results as soon as possible," she said, staring at Agatha who laced her bony cheeks with a faint smile.

"Don't worry, he'll come around," Patricia said with her hands propped on my thigh again.

"I hope he does," I replied, forcing a heavy gulp of nervousness rolled in my own saliva down my throat. She arose from the couch, her lips smooched against the tilt of the mug, gulping whatever remnants stuck to the bottom of the mug before dusting off any crumbs of bread that held fast to her long grey skirt.

"I'll be on my way now," she said before darting off eloquently towards the door.

"Thank you," Agatha said before deserting me to the silence of the living room.

I sunk my back into the couch, deeper casting my mind upon the frowns on his face but still hanging my trust on Mrs. Patricia's words. He will definitely come around. He will see that this is all for him with time.

The morrow birthed the morning, even though darkness still paraded the sky. I watch on top of the bed as he dashed in every position, his face sturdy, refusing to relinquish a glance my way.

He ran his fingers across the different colours of suits portrayed in his wardrobe.

"Good morning," I said watching as his hand grabbed at the red furry one.

"Morning," he replied sharply without the side notes of sweet names we bottled into every sentence each morning.

"Off early?" I asked as dark clouds still circled the sky.

"Yes, I have a presentation today," he replied even though I knew he was lying. The sharp reply a dead give away that he doesn't want to talk about our pressing issues.

He struggled with his tie, throwing ends randomly over and across each other. I stepped down from bed and placed a hand over his fidgeting wrist.

"I goes like this," I said slowly, throwing the ends over each other in an accurate manner that paid more attention to detail.

"You don't have to do this, Violet," he said, feeling the small freckles housed on my dark caramel skin.

"I do."

He let out a bout of air, putting his arm on my shoulder as he spoke.

"I will do as you please but you have to promise me that you won't let it hurt you."

"I promise," I said with a wary smile staring into his face with a glimmer in my eyes. He roped his arms around me as my head sunk into his hairy chest. His breath whistled down, racing, strumming the pores on the sides of my neck.

"A hot cup of cappuccino on a Saturday morning before work and a little shower of praises to fuel his ego. That's all he likes," I said with a giggle as golden rays of morning sunlight rested on her.

"He is really not complicated," I said with a glass of bourbon on my tongue

"Agreed," she said, sinking her lips into a cup of tea.

"No offence, madam but does he like it with the lights on or off?" she asked after clearing her throat.

"On," I replied sharply with a long beam stretching from ear to ear.

"He likes to see my facial reaction anytime he goes down," I said, throwing a fit of loud laughter in between slurps.

"He's a very nice man."

"He most definitely is," she said, lending a voice.

The seriousness now embezzled on my face drafted out any series of impending laughter she had in mind to summon as I leaned forward.

"You know the agreement is to start tonight, right."

"Yes I do," she replied also with a nod. Her face now tight, sensing me, cast the jokes aside.

"You must do everything as I have asked of you for this to be a success."

That night it started as he arrived with a damp spirit and a heavy grin hung over his face. He motioned almost robotically through the steps and into our room.

"I still don't feel like doing this babe," he said with the lacklustre movement of an eye roll.

"Come on, now babe. It's just for 9 months and then she'll be gone and it will all return back to normal," I replied, dropping a peck to his cheeks.

"No matter what, I still love you," he said, dragging his feet reluctantly against the Italian marble tile he installed. His face resented the idea, his body itched to disobey but only a glance at me was enough to stomach his dissatisfaction.

He gave a hard sound knock against her room door.

"Good evening, sir," she greeted with a smile and a bow. Her hips cozied up in a short polyester gown that hung over her knee and kept all intricate details on full display. She had heeded my advice.

"Good evening, Madam," she greeted turning to me. My lips barricaded any words that rose to the roof of my tongue for anything I uttered would have been in complete disregard of her salutation. Instead I replied with a wry smile.

He walked in slowly with his eyes holding on to my image until she shut the door in.

I rolled in bed with the cold air whispering against my skin with cold breath. The small spaces between me and sheets felt like vacuums that reflected my loneliness and the sound of their moans creeping in past the door cringed my ears.

My legs folded, finding solace in the wrap of my arm rather than the sheets spread on top of them. Minutes later, I buried my head under a pillow to wade away the ghost of their voices.

He floated in announcing himself with the clearing of a throat as he stood by the door with a small smile raising one side of his lips over the other.

"Welcome, babe," I greeted immediately, plastering a smile over my lonely grin.

"How did it go...?" I started but he instantly usurped me, stamping his words in front of mine.

"How are you?"

"Fine," I replied, dragging my cheeks wider and as if premeditated, he saddled his arm around my waist, blanketing me with his frame.

The little smile I wore had extended out rightly by now blossoming into full blown bubbles of loud giggles and subtly chuckles.

Patricia came in with the daylight, sitting with folded arms in the living room as her feet tapped against the tiles and her face wandered from one end to another, scouring it like in search of something she had lost.

"Agatha," she called out, sighting her from the corner of her eye as her footsteps clapped against the tiles.

"Good morning, ma," she greeted, spreading a faint smile across her cheeks as he zipped past me.

"So how did it go?" she asked, jolting up to meet her half way. Her bars of patience had been very low from the moment she stepped in and she wasted not another second to bombard her ears with rolling questions.

"Did you make sure he put it in the right place? Did you enjoy it?"

"Did you enjoy it?" She asked, grabbing hold of her shoulders.

To all those Agatha replied with giggles and nods. She glued her tongue to the roof of her mouth and till she left no words fell from her mouth.

The facade I wore began to quickly fade listening to her concurring nods and giggles pinch my ears.

"He's very good at it," I added before excusing myself from the circle.