Side chick

Still, in a room of silence, the door is opened by someone. Once Apriva meets her gaze, her eyes dart to the table as she hastily put the food down so she could leave while the others stare at the strange face.

"Oh! That's the lady I was telling you guys about. Rose" Katty walks over and pecks her cheeks.

"Welcome to my house. You came just in time" Katty announces.

"Your house?" Rose inquires with a frown.

"Yeah, I live here"

"This is my boyfriend's house."

Katty chuckles while Brithney and Ciara look at each other confused.

"Did you mean this house looks like your boyfriend's house?"

She shakes her head "No. I've been here...twice before I went out of town."

Katty tries to reflect on when she started living here and realizes it has been a whole year.

"You can ask your friend..." Rose gestures to Apriva.

"She once saw me around the corridors of this building. That's where I met her"

They all bring their gazes to Apriva who is presently stiff. They could see the hair on her body erect.

"Is this true?" Katty questions Apriva, her voice almost cracking.

"Wait a minute. Are you the Katty his ex he has been talking about?"

Katty brings back her attention to Rose whose forehead is deeply folded.

She starts understanding the reason behind her fiance's act and every discussion they had in the mall.

"She's not his ex. She's his fiancee" Ciara announces

"We don't even know who she's talking about. What's his name?" Brithney askes

"Fred"

"That's his other name," Katty said with tears forcing their way down.

"I can't believe he lied to me!"

They give her a frightening look and she adjusts.

"I'm so sorry"

Katty is already making her way from her to the floor. While Apriva is still as a statue.

"You knew about this the whole time and didn't care to tell me" Katty brings her teary eyes to Apriva.

"I-I don't know what came over me. I didn't know how to tell you"

"Even after you knew she will be coming over..you didn't bother to get me informed. You left my fiance's side chick shows up in my own house"

"He's not married to you so don't mention me as a side chick because you are too"

"Mind your words," Ciara says

"She's right." Katty cuts in

"We are not married yet. He fooled us all. So I'm not very different from her."

Her friends didn't know what to say. They just left whatever they were doing and sat next to her. While Apriva was hesitant and Rose had sympathy.

"Why will he leave you for me? Did you guys fight?"

"He always showed signs. I just couldn't see that he...wasn't comfortable with me having friends."

"Are you certain that is the only reason that made him cheat on you?" Rose questions

"What else? He always complains about that so of course, it's just that" Katty says above her normal tone and they comfort her.

"The last time you mentioned my attitude in the car...did that have something to do with him" Katty gestures towards Apriva.

Apriva hesitate

"Answer me!" Katty yells and she trembles

"Yes. He told me you don't listen to him. And that you're always right about everything. He said you don't give time for both of you except he askes."

Katty clenches her jaws "You're a backstabber Apriva. I can't believe you did this to me."

"I'm sorry... I was giving you time to understand."

"Hush...I don't want to hear any more from you"

"He has been acting strange towards me too" Rose mutters

"He has been acting strange towards you because of her" Ciara says

"What if, he's having someone else apart from us?" Rose let out

"Yeah, what if?" Brithney utters

"Men are so desperate," Ciara says ruffling Katty's hair and she leans into her touch

"I know exactly what I'd do" Katty cites.

...

Katty worked in hand with Rose and told her to contact Eliot for dinner.

The sun was down and just the light of the beautiful Italian deli was visible. While Rose was sitted were she prearrange, Katty was at the far end waiting for him to arrive.

Soon after he came and she started feeling her heart aching as though she knew about this now.

He walked majestically and she rose to kiss him on the cheek. He was taken aback by her reaction but wiped it off and made her sit before he did.

"You look pretty" he compliments staring at her dress and she doesn't take much time to look at him.

"Same to you"

A waiter approaches them with two menus. He smiles and hands one to Rose and the other to Eliot. Rose barely goes through it and commands while Eliot takes time and does the same.

"I haven't heard from you since you came." He breaks the calm mood

"Yeah, I returned today and went to the mall to get some stuff before heading home. I was super tired so I took a nap. Well, I did meet an interesting lady in my journey and she ended up inviting me to a party."

"I see...you met new friends?"

She composed herself on her seat "Yep. Unfortunately, the lady I met had a heartbreak because of her Fiance so the party didn't work out so well"

She paused looking into his eyes while he nodded gently.

"I felt sorry for her you know. Like how could her fiance be this stupid to leave a very precious gem-like her just because she spends more time with her friends and he claims she doesn't listen to him"

He blinked his eyes abruptly, feeling very uncomfortable with the topic. He tapped his fingers on the table while peeking everywhere.

The waiter suddenly approached them with prepared food and it was a perfect moment for him to change the theme.

"Uhh...I was thinking of spending time with you in Miami. I've been so busy with work that I barely have time for myself"

Her brows furrow and she loosens up at his game.

"Why Miami?"

He looks up at her while his hands reach for the bottle of beverage on the table.

"You don't like it there?"

"Of course I do. I just don't see why you'd suddenly ask me to go with you. Remember the last time I told you to come with me you said you-had work"

"Yes, I did. And now is the holiday. So, why not?" He poured the alcohol and took a long sip before dropping the glass to refill.

She just watched him diligently then her phone rang. The caller ID was Eliot's Katty and when he saw it, he froze.

She looked at him apologetically "I forgot to tell you. The lady I met will be joining us for dinner very soon. That's why she's calling"

He gulps and his heart almost left his chest to the ground. He took a moment and breath in while she answered the call.

"Sure"

"I love the dress you gave me"

"He's right here."

"Oh. You're outside?"

"Ok, Come right in. The fifth row and second table on the 13th floor."

She ends the call while he stares at her blankly. She brought her gaze to him and gave him a faint smile.

"Why did you store her name that way and is she coming here?"

"Business. She has a business to propose to you so I thought you'd be interested. As for the name, she said it's her stupid fiance's name"

"Why didn't you inform me?!" He yelled and she flinched with a frown.

Some people gave them a confused look for a second before regaining their conversations.

"Relax. I didn't inform you because it was meant to be a surprise. Trust me, it's a life-changing proposal"

He lost appetite and started feeling extreme heat even though the AC was on.

Everything was evidence it was his Katty. From the dress, Roshee wore which he bought for Katty on her birthday. To the explanations of her disappointment.

He needed to get the hell out of here. Like right now!

"I-I need to have the bathroom. I'd join you shortly" he rose up

"Oh she's already here" Rose announced and Katty who was already in the building seated in a distance hurriedly met with him before he could leave.

"Not so fast," Katty said

He shrugged and cursed "Fuck!" Then slowly made 180°.

To be continued...