Chapter 5 Artificial insemination

My secretary Zoey Catland and l settled in Ted Reese's office. I did not frequent this part of town. I found it too noisy for my liking, but business is business. We haggled over the price of one of my helicopters Ted wished to hire for a year. You see, apart from the aeroplanes, l owned helicopters, three were leased to the government on a yearly basis for an astronomical amount.

Ted needed two. As we went back and forth with the negotiations, Ted's landline phone rang, he answered and passed the phone to me. I frowned, irritated.

The phone call floored me, my wife was at the reception area, looking for me. My wife? Since when? I hoped Nora was not going about telling people l was her husband. What did the troublesome girl want now? I gave permission to let her come up.

She arrived in a fluster, her face flushed, hair all over the place. She resembled a Tasmanian devil. Her eyes raked over Zoey before she greeted everybody, so that was the reason Nora followed me to the meeting? Zoey?

Women and their endless tricks, which included monitoring, was one of the many reasons i hated having one under my roof.

" Can we talk?." She whispered in my ears.

Guava laced breath teased my nostrils. l took a deep breath, turned my head so she could speak into my face," what?."

I wanted to smell the sweet scent again.

" Can we talk?." She breathed right into my face.

l placed my lips above hers, almost touching hers." What's this about.?"I exhaled on her flushed face.

"Please come." She moved away and started to head out. At the door she gave Zoey a once-over again and exited. In the corridor Nora seemed not sure why she called me out of the meeting. Her eyes darted this way and that way, avoiding mine.

"Why am l here?."

Her shoulders twitched, her shoes scuffed the floor.

" I.. l came to tell you, l.. a.. accept everything."

l snorted,"Look at me."

Her eyes skirted across my face like a deer caught in the headlights.

" Don't do this again, my meetings are important to me. Wherever you feel jealous, go and watch a movie or something. I bet you saw me and my secretary as we entered the offices. Stop acting like a love strapped fool."

One tear trickled down her soft cheek, that single tear threatened to tug at my heartstrings. My hands itched to wipe away her tears. I patted the feeling down.

I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her towards the elevator and bid her goodbye.

After the meeting l went home and rested for a bit, in the evening l hit the club, The Falcon. It was owned by a friend of mine, Shadrack Rolan. I owned a five percent share at the club.

Shad, as we fondly called him, waited for me in our usual private booth. We shoulder bumped and took our seats. Robert Malek, our other friend from Soulbare City, started his nonsense as l reached for my drink.

"I'm married, Shad is married and Sam is married. When are you getting hitched? Don't you get tired of visiting one butt today and another tomorrow?."

I chugged down my drink, glared at him. These words were Robert's anthem everytime he saw me, my bachelorhood.

" buzz off Rob."

My gaze landed on each of the guys,

"Boys, l'm in deep trouble. My mum has landed the most uncouth, the messiest, the most unruly girl on my lap. Guys, on Monday l'm getting hitched."

The guys rose to their feet as one,"What.?" They chorused.

"Yes, you heard me, so next Saturday l might not make it to our usual gathering. My bride to be is a jealous bit.h. Today she ambushed my meeting. She spied on me with Zoey."

The boys roared into laughter. Shad hit my biceps,"Welcome to hell's view dawg, is she at least passable?."

Passable, our code word for 'was she beddable'

l lightly punched Shad on his silly head," Hey, that's my wife moron. She is beautiful as a ramp queen, with a curvy figure that makes me want to jump her bones. But l won't. I'm going to go through her emotions with a chainsaw. I want her to voluntarily divorce me."

We rounded our outing at midnight. l went home, tossed and turned in bed, visions of Nora in my bed tormented me. A surprise awaited her on our marriage day, not wedding day, see the difference?.

On Monday, we met at the City Hall, got our marriage certificate without a problem. My elder brother Ron and Cathy were our witnesses. Nora surprised me, l thought she would rant and make a fuss, none of those happened. Instead she looked serene, maybe she decided to accept her fate.

It was apparent she made an effort today, her hair shone, with light makeup she was gorgeous. I perked her cheek and we raced out of there. Nora and Cathy went shopping while l went back to work to tie up loose ends.

On Saturday when l got home l sent Nora a limitless card. At City Hall when l saw what she bought, l realised her handicap was money not a bad dress sense like l thought. She had chosen beautiful clothes, shoes and accessories.

In the afternoon we went to my mum's restaurant, had a lovely lunch with my family, my brother and my sister. Nora's grandmother could not make it. My dad chose not to come and l knew why. We stayed until late and then hit the road to start our marital bliss.

We arrived home in the evening, my staff hauled bags after bags of stuff up the stairs. I held Nora's hand after i took her on the house tour. We ascended the stairs hand in hand.

We toured the upstairs rooms and stopped at my bedroom,"This is my bedroom, your room is the next one, come in and take your stuff to your room."

Her smile disappeared in an instant.

"What? You thought we were sharing a room? Nora, l don't find you attractive, your behind is too big, l like a butt that l can hold with one hand. You will have our baby through artificial insemination, got it?." l lied through my teeth.

I watched as she deflated like a pierced balloon. Her mouth opened and closed, then opened again but she opted to say nothing, good.

She appeared totally defeated. My plan was coming together. I wanted her to loathe me, to vomit when my name was mentioned, to curl into a corner when she heard my voice and footsteps.

I wanted her gone from my life. She was a spirited girl, my conditions would choke her in no time. I was not ready to marry anybody but my inheritance hung on this marriage.

My gaze tracked her as she shuffled into my room like an old woman and plopped herself on my bed.