Chapter 22: The substitute 2
* THE NIGHT BEFORE *
Jerry poured some whiskey into his glass cup of ice just in time to see his phone ring.
"Cam...", he thought seeing the caller ID that appeared on his phone as it continued ringing.
Cam and his two other friends had been his eyes and ears for sometime now; or better still for few years now but Cam has to be the only one talking to him directly so as not to raise suspicion.
Everything in his complicated life was finally falling in place and he was greatful he could finally come out as himself.
"What's good Cam?", Jerry asked as he picked up the phone.
"Trying to be good here Jay. I'm trying my best to speed things up while risking my life for you bro. I almost got caught carrying out the assignment you gave. Get a professiinal as soon as things are sorted with you Jay. I still want to make use of my dick you know", Cam bombared with a smirk.
"Be good to me Cam. Or else you want me to be the one to shoot you in the head through the phone", Jerry replied with a grimace only for Cam to burst into laughter.
He had always wondered how Jerry was always able to crack jokes with a serious tone.
He could bet his life on the fact that Jerry said the joke with a serious face. The man really lacked some sense of humor and he really pitied whoever would get married to him at times.
"You can do better than that Jay", Cam replied only to hear the man scoff and he smiled.
Jerry took a sip from a sip from of his whiskey and hit the bottom on the table annoyed.
Cam always behaves like a woman when it came to arguments and he had never for once won again him but he always had the upper hand when it came to annoyance.
The only way Cam could annoy him way try to be late or do something which was against his principle. Apart from that, he was the master in the game.
"It seems you love my voice so much that's why you've decided to continue hear me speak rather than feed me up with info", Jerry said and took a sip of his drink.
"What...?!, hell no", Cam said disgusted. "I'd rather hear a woman moan all day rather than keep hearing you voice", he said with irritation again and Jerry smiled obviously enjoying the moment.
"Then let's get this state", Cam heard Jerry say from the other line and nodded his head affirmatively.
"Everything is almost ready. We're just few steps ahead to fuilfilment. You just have to be patient Jay", Cameron said as he noticed the frustration in his voice.
"Patient...? For how long?. I can't take it any more Cam. I feel suffocated every time I remember how complicated my whole life is", Jerry said again in frustration.
Cameron felt for him. He understood him so well because they all had been friends for years.
He felt his pain and knew of his darkest sides and moments. Every one has their own issues, including he himself because life was built as a bed of roses.
"And about Megan...", Cam said with a purse wanting to know his friend's reaction. He wanted to know if Jerry still felt something for her or not.
No one has to tell him Jerry was an unpredictable man. He knew how to hide his emotions with a blank face.
You can't know his thoughts or try to guess them. The moment you do, he does the complete opposite of it making you blame yourself for a wasted effort so why waste your time.
"And what about her....?", Jerry said nonchalantly.
"Just as you said, there's something up with her that i can't seem to pin point. I can't say exactly what but I know she is up to something", Cam said with a yawn.
He had been running errands for Jerry and also managing the company at the same time since he couldn't hire anyone because the case at hand was a confidential one.
Jerry didn't want anyone hungry for money trade him or the plan he had been building for years now. The person he was up again was hiding so well and seems powerful too.
Any reckless move now would cause him his life and he was sure of it. He knew he was been monitored twenty four seven.
"You've done well Cam. Thanks for everything bro. I really appreciate", Jerry said with a little bit of emotion. The alcohol was already making him splutter something he'd end up regretting when he awakes.
"You're making my stomach turn Jay. This isn't you. Its tge alcohol. We talk when you're alcohol free", Cam said and hunged up.
It was a surprise to Cam anymore. It had became an habit for Jerry to always drown himself in alcohol whenever he felt lonely or he and Rick couldn't understand how he felt no matter how he tries to explain.
Jerry stood up from his chair and staggered to the room hiccupping.
His house was dark only with few lamps on.
His last lecture for the week was tomorrow and all he would do was revise all he had taught.
He was ahead of the lesson plan and the college exam was in a month and few weeks time so he didn't need to teach but only give out projects and rate presentations.
He got to the edge of the bed and fell on it and slept off immediately.
* * PRESENT * *
"I called mom last night and talked about your thought for my birthday celebration and she agreed. She said it was about time i became social and this was a good avenue to began", Maya said while she drove.
"See...?", Ann said with a smile.
"Blah.... blah...", Maya replied rolling her eyes.
It was time for Professor Doyle's lecture and everyone including her was looking forward to it.
It was her favorite part of the day and lecture hours.
The hamdsome professor walked in smartly with his long legs and well ironed black shirt and trouser.
She had never seen him wore a bright color cloth before. It was either red, deep blue, ash or black.
It seemed he had alot of clothes in the same design. Maya heard a girl comment behind her and she instantly felt jealous.
They acknowledged the presence of the professor by keeping silent and the lecture started.
Few minutes into the lecture, one of the dean Maya recognized gossiping about Professor Doyle walked in.
"Sorry to interrupt your lecture professor Doyle. Mrs Wright called in sick three days ago and we had to get a substitute for her as soon as we found out. The substitute is here now so I've come to introduce her to the class she'd be starting with", the dean said and Jerry nodded.
"I couldn't wait to make an official announcemtebt so I thought of introducing her now", the dean explained.
"No problem", Jerry said with his usual serious face.
"You can come in miss Jones", the dean said again and a tall, red haired beautiful woman walked in.
"Megan....?", Jerry thought he whispered without knowing it came out loud.
Irking a brow, the dean who was around her mid forties asked; "Do you know each other?".
"Yes... He's my fiancee", Megan answered immediately and Ann suddenly turned to Maya.
There were murmurs in the lecture room but that was none of Maya's business as the news made her feel dizzy that she instantly felt like collapsing after hearing that.
"He has a fiancee...?", Maya thought, questioning herself. "And here i was thinking about him every second, every day and every night even to the point of fantasying about him", Maya thought again, feeling like the ground should open up to swallow her.
"Do i know her...? Fiancee...?", Jerry who felt like speechless like a cat got his tongue repeated those words before regaining his composture.
"So this was what Megan was up to. He knew she always had something up in her sleeve to suddenly take some actions like that but she had beat him to it this time as he was not able to predict her. He had thought about it all night and couldn't come up with something meaningful. Was she spying on his movements or what....? What is her next move and what would she gain from all this. What this all so she could get him back...?", Jerry kept on thinking.
Asking himself lots and lots of questions he couldn't answer. He was totally oblivious to his surroundings.
"Professor Doyle...?", he heard the dean called and immediately came to his sense.
"Pardon my manner Ms. Powell", Jerry said and immediately dragged Megan with her left hand out of the lecture room.
Megan on the other hand was happy she had finally succeeded. She beated Jerry to it this time.