Chapter 45 Interesting venture

They christen their babies the following Sunday and Marlon videotaped the ceremony; he was a bit surprised though that Karen didn't approach him, not once that day; usually, she would be all up in his face but not today. She just nods a greeting in his direction and kept on walking; alright, he thought with a small smile, I can live with that.

And she didn't only act like that on Sunday; on Wednesday night he thought Bible class and she was there but again she didn't approach him; even later that night after Bible class he was on his way to his vehicle, he passed her expecting her to stop him for some reason but again she just nods and greet him as Bro Gabriel and continues on her way and all he could do was nod his head with approval and continue on his way. 'Two can play hard to get Gabriel.' Karen thought with a satisfied smile as she got in her Taxi

Diane wasn't well enough to attend church regularly so her sisters would come and help her on Sundays while he and Jasmine attend church. On Friday afternoon Gabriel was relaxing in the swing with the babies when he saw Mike walking across the lawn towards him eating a sub sandwich.

"Well isn't this a picture of peace and serenity?" Mike whispers looking at the sleeping babies. "They really do suit you, you look as though you've been doing this for a long time, so where's Diane?" Mike asks softly, taking a seat beside Gabriel. "She's sleeping, aren't you suppose to be at work?" Gabriel asks. "Yeah, I'm on my lunch break." "You took your lunch break to come and visit me?" Gabriel asks arching his brow. "You could say that but I was thinking I could kill two birds with one stone, eating lunch, visiting you and your little ones while running a business preposition your way, and oh yeah, and of course remind you of my Birthday party tomorrow night." Mike laughs.

"That sounds like three or four birds right there man and don't worry I'll be there." Gabriel laughs. So what's this business preposition you want to run my way?" He asks gently rocking the babies. "Well, I know that you've your hands full at the moment and I mean that literally but I was wondering if you would be interested in buying a half finish apartment complex in Negril?" "Who is the current owner?" "A friend of my employer, he has become ill and can't continue to build the complex, plus he will have to migrate to America in order to get the medical treatment that he needs."

"Do you know anything about the complex?" Gabriel asks. "Well, my employer gave me a file with all the info." He said taking a file jacket from his briefcase. "Now according to this, it has fifty separate units, twenty- three bedrooms, twenty- two bedrooms and ten- one-bedroom and some of the units already has running water and electricity and it's in a well-populated area," Mike explains.

"What's his asking price?" "Twenty million Jamaican Dollars." "Hmm not bad, it does sound like an interesting venture, tell you what, leave the file with me and I'll read it and get back to you; so how do I contact the current owner?" Gabriel asks. "His number is in the file," Mike said placing the file next to him. "Now I've to go, my lunch break is almost over, and before I forget, this's yours." He said placing a bag with a sub sandwich next to the file, I'll holler at you later." Mike said punching Gabriel's shoulder playfully. "Alright, thanks for thinking of me when you heard about this."

"No problem man, you know I got your back, now go back to your loving and cherishing, I'm out." Gabriel smiled to himself as he watches Mike runs across the lawn.

Mike's party was off the chain; he thought with a wide smile as he enters his house Saturday night at about ten pm. Diana and Dana had agreed to say with Diane while he attends the party, Diane wasn't pleased that he was going but her sister's convinced her that he too needs to go out and relax with his friends for a while. He entered their bedroom and saw her and her sisters sitting in various room parts doing their own things while the babies sleep.

"Hi ladies, how's it going?"He asks peeking at his sleeping babies. "It went and you missed it," Diane said scowling at him. "Had fun, Gabriel?" Diana asks ignoring Diane's remark. "Oh hell yes." He said with a wide smile. "Just some good clean fun but it was awesome." He said trying to do Micheal Jackson's moonwalk which made her sisters laugh and cover their mouths hoping they didn't wake the babies.

"Alright we're going to go to bed now, call us if you need anything okay," "Sure will, thank you, ladies." Diane waits until her sisters were gone before fixing him with an angry glare. "What?" He asks still smiling as he took off his jacket. "So you had fun?" "Yes, I did." "Was there a lot of girls there?" "Yes."

"Did you dance with any of them, wait of course you did, I can smell them on you." She said in disgust. "And I guess more than one of them offered to help relieve your sexual tension too didn't they but oh yeah, let me guess, you declined." And he could hear the sarcasm in her voice, the accusation, the disbelief that he didn't take any of them up on their offer. Was she ever going to really trust him?

For a moment he said nothing, he just stared at her, a hurt expression on his face; well at least she did manage to wipe that ridiculous smile off his face. He then sighs heavily and runs his hands through his hair. "You know I won't continue to do this with you right?" He asks softly.

"Do what?" She asks glaring at him. "This Diane, this bickering back and forth, this moment you trust me and the next you don't. For the sake of our marriage and our family, you need to make a decision and stick with it because I won't keep doing this with you. Got that? It's either you trust me or you don't; I already told you, a marriage without trust is doomed to fail. I trust you with my life Diane and all I'm asking is for you to do the same. I'm going to take a shower." He said emptying his pockets, he then walks into the bathroom and closes the door.

She knew he was right she really needs to trust her husband but how could she when he looks and dresses like that? When he has been deprived of sex for so long and he has the ability to get any woman he wants, anywhere he wants them and anytime he wants them. All he had to do was look at them with those gorgeous blue eyes and they just fall at his feet and in his bed.

But what if her actions push him away from her? What if by accusing him she ends up ruining her marriage? The man couldn't possibly be any more open with her, she had access to everything he has, speaking of access, she thought crawling over to his bedside table and taking up his personal phone she put in the code and open it and begin scrolling through his Emails and messages and phone contacts.

And not finding anything suspicious she then took up his business phone and did the same. "Found what you're looking for?" He asks from the bathroom door. She jumps and the phone fell in her lap. She then lifts her eyes slowly and looks at him and a lump suddenly forms in her throat as she realizes that there were tears running down his face and he was biting his bottom lip to suppress them.

"I see you have made your choice." He said softly, he then enters his closet and when he came back out he was wearing grey sweat pants and a white Marina. "Gabriel... I…" "That phone in your hands said it all Diane." He said and walks from the room.

"Gabriel wait please, it's not what you're thinking…." "What I'm thinking." He said cutting her off. "What I'm thinking Diane is the plain truth that no matter what I do or say you'll never trust me. In your eyes I'll always be the disgusting womanizing manwhore I was before I met you but what you fail to realize is that I'm no longer that person; the man you see before you now is someone who has been not only changed but transformed by the blood of Jesus Christ and the sooner you realize that Diane the better it will be for all of us."

He was about to head to his study but the twins beings to cry so he made a u-turn and head back towards them instead. Diane was about to follow him, but Diana grabbed her arm and dragged her further down the passage where Gabriel couldn't hear her and told Dana to help Gabriel with the babies.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Diana growls. "Can't the man go and hang out with his friends without you bitching about it? What the fuck more do you want from him, what more does he have to do to prove to you he isn't cheating?" Diana asks angrily. "You don't understand okay, I love Gabriel with all my heart and a part of me does trust him, it's just that after what Kevin did I..." "Cut the bullshit, Diane." Diana sneered cutting her off, and pushing Diane into one of the spare bedrooms she closed the door behind her.

"Kevin is an asshole and yes he did hurt you I'm not denying that, but does that man in there seems anything like Kevin?" She asks her arms cross. "No…." Diane said tears in her eyes. "No, he isn't, he's open, honest, funny, goofy, sexy, gorgeous, filthy stinking rich, more Holy than the blasted Pope and he loves you to death; blast it, Diane, can you really afford to lose someone like that because you're stuck in the past and still hung up on what Kevin did to you?" Diana asks in a frustrated tone.

"I love Gabriel and I don't want to lose him." She cried. "Oh, but you'll. You're most certainly going to lose him if you don't snap out of this self-destroying behavior you have and see that man in there for who he really is, and that is a wonderful husband and father." Diana said pacing the floor.

"Now I ain't gonna say that he walks on water but he's one of the few good men out there Diane, you got one of the good ones and you need to appreciate him. Let go of what Kevin did, he did it, it's done, over, dead, it's time to fully move on to bigger and better things, it's time to be happy, truly happy Diane; let go of all your insecurities and let that man love you and you love him, put all the love and devotion you have in your heart into this marriage Diane and you'll feel a lot better." Diana said taking a deep breath.

"Are you getting what I'm saying?" She asks looking Diane in her eyes. "Yes, I get it." "Where have I heard that before but you listen and you listen well if you don't snap out of this and wake up and I mean fast and you let that man walk away from you because of your nonsense you'll regret it for the rest of your life and I'll personally take it upon myself to beat the black off your ass, remember that." She said sucking her teeth.

"You may love him Diane but we need him, so wise up and wise up fast, now go feed your babies you blasted fool," Diana said opening the door and stepping out. "You're my little sister Diane and I love you, hell we all love you but you're one of the most insecure jackasses I have ever met," Diana said as Diane pass her, Diana then turns and head back downstairs.

Diane enters their bedroom and saw both him and Dana walking back and forth with the twins and rocking them gently and without saying anything she walks over and takes Gavin from Dana and sitting on the sofa she began feeding him as tears ran down her face.

"What did you say to her?" Dana asks Diana when she found her in the kitchen. 'Ugh…I gave her a piece of my mind, blasted fool, what the hell is he problem anyway, Gabriel is a good man, he's not abusive or stuck up like some rich men I know. He's a little arrogant but that is to be expected considering how rich he is but I swear if she let him walk away from us because of her stupidity I'll never look at her the same again, our lives are a lot better since he came along and I for one am extremely grateful for everything he has done for us, so she had better cut the crap." Diana said pouring herself a glass of milk.

"I didn't leave my kids and my man's bed to come here and watch her act the fool," Diana said sucking her teeth again. "Well if she doesn't wise up soon, one of us may just have to take her place," Dana said biting her bottom lip. "That right there doesn't sound like a bad idea but it wouldn't work," Diana said washing the glass and turning it down. "Why?" Dana asks. "Because she's the one he loves. For him, the sun rises and sets with her, blasted fool doesn't know how lucky she is." Diana said storming from the kitchen.

Food for thought

Our selfish ways can make us blind

So we won't see another's needs;

But when God's love is in our hearts

We'll act with kind and selfless deeds.

thank you all soooooo much for reading, lots of love to you all, and hey here's something new. Happy birthday to all my readers that are celebrating their Birthday in June, Happy birth daaaaay y'all.