Thea
We spent the rest of the day touring the city. It was a total delight being alone with Angel. We decided to have dinner outside before heading home.
Angel had forgotten his card in the car and had just stepped out to retrieve it while I stayed back waiting for him. When we first got in here, we had passed by someone who I felt was watching me as we walked by. I had this sense of familiarity with the man I had just seen but I didn’t look back or pay any attention to him because I was with Angel. He looked like someone from my past and the very reason I had moved back to this city to start my stripping career.
Just when I thought we were getting to the end of our greatest challenge, life seemed not to have been done with me.
It felt like Angel had been taking too long or maybe it was just me feeling too uncomfortable staying here alone. I stood up deciding to know why he was taking longer than I could endure but then I noticed someone walking up to me. I blinked severally to clear my eyes and be certain of the image I had just captured. My jaw drops when I’m certain that I wasn’t mistaken.
His curly hair was what first caught my attention but now that I was seeing him face to face. I had no doubts that he was him.
Alfred….
The first man who said the words “I love you” to me and I believed him. I knew he meant it but then he wasn’t mine to have. It was all business and pleasure till he started treating me like I were a real person and woman and not some whore who was a tool for pleasure. I enjoyed the way he loved me until the day I was confronted with a truth.
I was destroying a loving family. Alfred was a married man and his wife was pregnant at that time. I knew he was married but I didn’t care because it was business even though I meant a lot more than that to him. He was willing to divorce his wife to be with me, claiming I was his other half but the first day I was confronted by a bitter wife who was heavily pregnant, I knew I had crossed the line.
Despite building a life there, I left it all and ran back to my mum in this city only to cross the line again but this time with my stepfather Scott.
“Alfred?” I barely made the sound when we came face to face. My entire being was shaken. I had made sure that Alfred couldn’t contact me ever again. I knew he must have looked for me but I wanted to believe this was a coincidence and not him in his search for me.
“Thea….” He called expressing the amount of shock I felt as well. “How….?” He paused unable to voice the words completely.
“What are you doing here?” I found myself saying. His eyes squinted looking at me with hurt filled eyes.
“You’ve been hiding here?” He spoke like he were forcing words out of his throat. The way he looked at me, it seemed unchanged. He should have moved on.
“I asked a question first.” I said but he doesn’t seem to be listening, instead he took details of my body with his eyes like he were still in disbelieve that I was right there with him. He tries to touch me but I pull away immediately.
He looks visibly hurt but I’m being cautious. Angel could walk in here any minute and I knew it was a bad Idea to be caught standing with another man. I needed a quick way to discharge Alfred.
“Are you with someone?” Alfred asks noticing that I was watching out for someone. I take my gaze back to him.
“Yes.” I quickly answered. He needed to step away for real, I was getting too tensed and nervous thinking of the moment Angel would step in.
“Who is he?” Alfred asked. A glint of annoyance on his face.
“You don’t need to know and since you wouldn’t answer my question, I’d best be leaving.” I try to leave but he grabs my hand and pulls me slowly to face him.
“Please don’t let go of my hand.” He begs. His eyes still had the same affection it once used to have for me. It feels unbelievable. How could he still harbour feelings for me when he had an entire family.
“I searched for you but you left without any trace Thea. What did I ever do wrong?”
“You are a married man Alfred?”
“We had something beautiful going on.” He said and I could tell he actually believed that.
“I was never in love with you.” I said seeing where this was headed.
“Lies…. You were afraid you’d fall in love with me.” He said.
“No, I was afraid I was liking the way you loved me but that’s in the past now.” I said but he seemed to find it hard to believe.
“You left the city because of me because you knew I would do anything to be with you.” He really wasn’t giving up. I didn’t have the luxury of listening to him because now Angel had just walked through the door and our eyes locked in that moment.
“I have to go now Alfred and don’t follow me…. Please.” I said desperately but he wasn’t listening instead he grabbed my hand stopping me from leaving again. When Angel saw this, a frown appeared on his face and he began walking hastily towards us. Angel stands beside me and that was when it dawned on Alfred that I was indeed with someone. His eyes scanned Angel, he looked shocked and quite intimidated. I remained speechless as both men stare at me for an explanation.
“Thea?” Angel calls, his tone serious and an essense of defense. He probably thought Alfred was harrasing me. He touches Alfred’s hand on mine and forcefully pulls it away from mine.
I needed to say something before he misunderstood so I did the introduction.
“Angel this is Alfred someone I used to know.” I said and Alfred looked hurt but how was he expecting me to introduce him. As my client back in the first club I worked? The man who fell in love with me despite having a wife and children? That was the last thing Angel needed to hear.
“Alfred this is Angel, my boyfriend.” I said, my voice sounding a bit firm. The both men wouldn’t acknowledge each other. Angel wasn’t hiding his dislike and Alfred wasn’t going to play pretend. I trailed gazes at the both of them and the situation looked very intense snd awkward.
The Alfred I knew wasn’t a saint but he wasn’t a mafia man just like Angel. Angel was a dangerous man and I was naturally scared for Alfred. I didn’t know what Angel’s thought process was at the moment but I needed to drag him out of here.