She saw him walking towards her and her heart did skip a couple of beats. Claire could not believe that he was actually here but she could not see his car anywhere. She could not understand neither could she believe her eyes that Tristan was actually standing there. She thought to herself that perhaps her desire for him to come over and see her was beginning to cause her certain degree of hallucinations and she was beginning to imagine him there as she could vouch with her life that he would never come for her. He was the big boss so high and mighty. He cared about no one but himself. Perhaps she had just imagined what she had been hoping he would say to her unconsciously. So Claire blinked her eyes twice but he was already standing in front of her looking her in the eyes and trying to act like he was the boss of her which if she was being real, he actually was the boss of her. She still needed to fight for her self respect after all it was none of his business if she decides to kiss the population of Oklahoma men. He too had done the same and worse when he had brought over his dearest actress girlfriend and discarded her. He did not come after her which meant he had no right whatsoever to question her. Hence, Claire cleared the guilt from her face even though within her she was praying that he would not misunderstand the fact that Jake had actually been the one to kiss her. She was sincerely hoping he would see it just as she did, a big misunderstanding that was never to happen.
“What are you doing here?” Claire asked him instead
“That does not answer my question Claire.” Tristan said
“What was your question again?” Claire asked pretending to have forgotten in such a really short time which was technically impossible. Tristan had a dark warning come into his eyes as he looked at her ridiculously. Alright, now she had to admit that his stare was causing her to get and feel vulnerable. She could not do anything to defend herself and she must at the very least tread carefully. He grumbled under his breath but composed himself enough to look her in the eyes. He had decided that he would not play the game she was playing obviously.
“What I want to know Claire is just what had happened here between you and that guy.” he said pointing in the way Jake had left
“Oh you mean Jake?” Claire asked trying hard at pissing him off further
“Oh Claire, do not push it. Why would you go around kissing other men?” he demanded
“Go around kissing other men you say? Tristan listen to yourself. What is it to you if I go around kissing other men now?” she asked having found her voice
“You cannot do that!!!” he yelled
“And why’s that? Why can’t I do that?” Claire asked.
Tristan had not wanted to say it earlier but now he saw the need to.
“Because you are mine.” he said
“I was. I believe the term you were thinking of is was.” she said finding her voice now.
She could not believe that he could be this selfish after all he had done. He had openly flaunted his woman and now he tried to claim ownership over her. That was something Claire found super annoying and also something she would not give him the privilege of attaining. He had already made it clear that she meant nothing to him and she was going to find a way to get by it even if it meant clinging onto Jake until she found the motivation she needed to love him. It was clear that Jake would be more than happy to have her as his woman unlike Tristan whose every actions so far had hurt her greatly. If he had no idea what it meant to her that he had hurt her then she would spell it out to him.
Claire turned away to go back to her house after spitting those words at him when Tristan suddenly grabbed her by the hand.
“Where are you going to Claire? We’re not finished here.” he said.
She turned to look at him with tears in her eyes threatening to fall off. She did not want to appear weak to him but she had to face the reality dawning on her now that she was nothing short of being weak being the basic reason he could toy with her so easily. Claire was hurt beyond measures.
“Oh I think we are finished here.” she said
“No… no we are not. You cannot leave me Claire, not ever.” Tristan said
“Suddenly you think of ever? Tristan I never should have let anything happen between us. So it’s okay for you to mess up with your celebrity woman on the national television but I cannot kiss a guy who loves me for me? Who cares less of my condition and accepts me dyslexic and all? You abandoned me for her.” she said
“No Claire, you ran away from home. What was I supposed to do?” Tristan asked. He certainly was never going to get used to the drama emitting from the female gender. It confused the hell out of him as he could not deduce what she had expected of him when she had been the one that had turned heels and left him. He never asked her to leave his house nor did he say she could not return to her job. She had done all of that herself and now she was blaming him. He realized she had begun speaking and snapped out of his oblivion
“You should have ran after me. You should have stopped me from leaving and even if you couldn’t, you should have called all along!!!” she yelled at him.
It was just the both of them and the night silence. So when she raised her voice, it was so clear into the night that he feared attention. A window from the upper part of her house opened suddenly and Tristan braced himself to make a run for it but realized no one could actually see them. He then stood his ground as an elderly man called out from the window asking Claire if everything was actually alright out there to which she said yes. The man then asked her to say her byes faster and return inside. Claire agreed and turned to Tristan who was already looking at her like he could not fathom what crime he was guilty of. She sighed and asked him to return to his world of celebrities that had the full package and leave her to herself but Tristan disagreed. He had to do something he had vowed never to do for any woman. He told her that he missed her.
There were lots of principles in his life regarding to women but he was soon realizing that he had begun breaking every last bit of these principles since he encountered Claire. Funny enough, he was not worried about anything going haywire. Claire shook her head and told him she was no toy to be passed around. She would not have herself be picked up, tossed aside and only to be picked up again. Tristan said he had never considered her a toy nor did he intend to play any games with her. He just wanted her back to him. Claire was silent and asked him to return to Janet as she had seen him on the television with her. Tristan might not have been expecting the talks of Janet obviously and told her that he had already sent her on her way. Claire shook her head, so she was actually a tossed aside toy. His new plaything was probably broken and now he had time for her. She just could not believe her ears and what she was feeling indirectly. Claire looked up at Tristan, leveling gaze with him and locking them gazes. She now had words for him, bitter words that expresses how pained and hurt she was already.
“I would not be returning to you Mr Jenkins.” she said formally and turned away from him as she knew well that she could not resist his intense gaze. Claire made to turn away now as the tears in her eyes were already running down as freely as they could get when Tristan suddenly grabbed her and drew her into his embrace. He was not certain about what her reaction would be but he needed to show her just how much he wanted her back and it was not about the sex. It was the fact that genuinely for the first time he was actually craving the presence of a woman that was not his estranged mother. Claire wanted to pull away from him but Tristan held her in place, tilted up her jaw and dealt her the most intense kiss ever. She could not believe what had just happened and even though her insides were screaming for her to resist him, Claire remained in his embrace for so long enough to absorb all the kisses and the feeling they came with. Tristan when he eventually broke the kiss did not let her go but held her in place as he stared into her eyes. Claire was dumbfounded as she looked at him still blinking twice to make certain she was neither dreaming nor imagining things.
“So what do you say?” he asked her softly
“I’m dyslexic.” she said suddenly as that was the first thing that came out of her lips
“Well I’m childish if that counts.” he said and they both laughed before she became serious again.
“But I do not fit into your world Tristan.” Claire said
“I had no idea there were different worlds for both of us. Remind me which was mine again?” he asked her.
Claire could still not believe this was happening. Whatever had happened to the wild high and mighty Tristan that was arguing with her a couple of moments ago. This part of him had swept her off her feet with a single kiss. A kiss more real and relaxing when compared to that of Jake. Claire had not intended the comparison but it felt seriously different with Tristan. She felt very well like she belonged with him by his side. He had said there was no more Janet but she still did not believe him. Come on, she had been following him longer than he might have thought and knew enough that he did not care about women he hung out with more than twice but Janet’s had happened twice than had been expected. That was going to be a problem and since he was asking about the worlds she had been referring to, she decided to chip in about his lover. Perhaps that would get him to understand even better what she wanted with him if ever she goes back to him.
But come on Claire, it was already established that she would be going back the moment he kissed her. Whatever she wants trying to do now was just a little damage control to how she had fallen flat when he pulled her in. However, there was nothing so wrong about a little damage control now. So Claire answered his question.
“Come on, your world with other celebrities like… like Janet.” she said.
The sound of that name gave him irritations as he never wanted to hear anything about the woman again. Tristan was hoping by the time he returns that she would already be out of his home as he could not deal with such melodramatic display of an individual any further. Claire might have a little drama but hers he found amusingly endearing.
“Shall we bury every thoughts about Janet tonight?” he asked her.
Claire nodded and smiled showing that she was already burying thoughts of the other woman. Just then, her father opened his window and yelled that she had just a short moment to get inside or he was coming to get her in himself. That was the least of things she needed now, a confrontation from her father should be the least of her worries. She quickly bade Tristan a rather hasty goodnight and made to run from the house only to realize that he was still holding her by the hand. She stopped and turned to look at him again and then at her hand when he asked if she would be resuming work the next day. Claire asked what difference it would make as she was still the dummy that she was forever. Tristan asked her to desist from saying such things and she nodded. He asked if she really wanted to see a difference and Claire nodded hence Tristan asked that she comes to work the next day. Claire still could not understand, even if Janet goes things would definitely remain awkward between them as she would not be able to get over her status. He must have read her mind as he suddenly chuckled and asked what she was thinking about. Claire flashed him a cool smile and said it was fine.
“You should come early too as we have a lot to do.” he said.
Sincerely her thoughts had gone into other things.
“Other things?” she asked
“If we want to make a non dyslexic celebrity out of you, I propose we start early.” he said
“But…” she began again
“No buts. Think about it. I should be getting to my car now. It’s around here somewhere.” he said as he started walking away.
Claire was dumbstruck. He had indeed actually come there to see her. He must have driven or had left it with Alfredo. Whichever the case, she seemed glued to the spot for quite sometime until he turned around and gestured with his hand for her to go inside. She smiled and turned back into the house with so much smile on her face. She entered carefully and locked the door and made for her bedroom straight. The thought that the almighty Tristan Jenkins was going to teach her appealed to her even more than the thoughts of Jake all along. She suddenly felt sad like she was two timing on the both of them and was even wondering if what she had done was right actually. She was still there for a while when there was a knock on her door. She already knew who that would be, it was her father and the moment he saw her he asked if he could come inside. Claire agreed and stepped aside getting ready for her query. The man was looking at her for quite sometime and then asked whom she had been with so late and where she had gone. Claire blinked and at first said no one.
“Don’t lie to me Claire Willows, I birthed you. So unless you are now crazy and talking to yourself, I suggest you start providing me with the answers I see as to who you were with. It was that boy Jake was it not?” he asked
“No. I have not seen Jake in a long time father.” Claire said
Rather too hastily.
“And you expect me to believe those lies. Then who was out there with you?” he demanded
“Father it was just my boss.” Claire said
“And your boss pays his visits at night. Perhaps you should start filling me in on your job.” he said coming to sit at the edge of her bed. He was looking serious.