30. More than friends but less than lovers -3

Walter spent about an hour on the phone with Rachel, and so I decided to go for a run because my jealousy was getting the better of me, I needed to calm down. When he came back I was in the middle of wearing my running sneakers.

"Oh, I didn't know you ran?", he commented

"Yeah, sometimes", I said indifferently

"Oh! but why are you going for a run when you have a visitor? at least invite me as well", I knew he was joking and just making small talk, but I was not in the spirit of conversing especially after what I witnessed

"Same reason my visitor would spend an hour on his phone talking to his ex without paying any mind to my presence. Anyway, I am out, you will see yourself out!", I banged the door behind me. Anyone who could see me could see that I was furious.

Two hours later I was back from my run, I found a bouquet of flowers already placed on a vase with an apology note that simply read:

"I am sorry for this morning, I didn't mean to offend you. I promise to make it right...", 

Next to the flowers, was a morning-after pill, thank God he remembered because I forgot that we didn't use protection the previous night, so I didn't waste time, I took it as soon as I saw it.

I took a day off because my friend was coming to visit so I had to pick her up from the airport. I saw a text notifying me that she would land in two hours. I took the opportunity to clean the place up and change the sheets. One would swear I was trying to erase every trace of Walter, and based on how pissed I was, I think a part of me was. I then took a shower and headed to the airport, and indeed, in two hours, there was Sandra Maggot in the flesh, waving and smiling at me still in her military uniform.

Sandra was the eldest of six children, and she was one of the most ambitious women I know. She decided to join the military right after high school, her parents did not approve at first because of the dangers of the job and it was known as the "men" profession. But after seeing her determination, they slowly warmed up to the idea. She finally took a three-month leave after 3 years of no rest, and she wanted to grace me with her presence for a month before going to her parents. She had a beautiful smile, it was one of those genuine-looking smiles, she was very fit, despite being short, and she could outrun anyone, she had always been like that since high school. She was not the smartest in the room but not the worst either. She had a heart of gold, but her loyalty beats everything else.

When I saw her smiling at me, I saluted her, "Welcome home Ma'am!", she laughed at my posture, "You are not even doing it right you pig", she said while reaching in for a hug. We got into a car and she took off her cap, I was surprised at her new look, "Sandra, what happened to your long hair?". She was obsessed with her golden hair.

"Oh, I was getting tired and it was tiring to maintain it, so I decided to make it short, do you not like it?, she was playing with it and she had a shy look on her face

"No ma'am! The bob suits you even way better!", it suited her, it made her neck look gorgeous and slim, and revealed her gorgeous jawline. Before we knew it, we arrived at our destination, I took Sandra's bags from the boot, "I bet you are tired, the shower is ready for you and I will make you something to eat", I opened the door,

"Thanks, Thandie", she said gratefully, while heading to the bathroom with the bag now in her hands

Although the plan was to cook, I felt lazy so I ordered Indian curry and a bottle of wine, I know Sandra loved spicy food. After 30 minutes she was done and the food was also delivered. But her attention was drawn to the flowers on the kitchen counter than the smell of the Indian curry, which honestly broke my heart, just a tiny bit.

"Whose flowers are these?", she said while reading the card, "Why is this person apologizing and wanting to make things up?", she had a blue towel wrapped around her head,

"They are mine, please come eat and stop being nosy", I said teasingly

"No! Is this the person you have been hiding?", Sandra suspected I was seeing someone, but I never told her about Walter. No one close to me knew about Walter, and even if I wanted to, I didn't know how to explain our relationship, oh, 'we are friends who are not really friends, like we are more friends, but not dating', even saying it in my head sounded very confusing.

"Sandra, no man. Eat first then I will tell you about him", i guess it was time I told someone

"Okay, oooh! Indian Curry! Don't remember the last time I had this and it smells so divine. Fill me in on this mystery guy while I eat", she excitedly said while heading towards the couch where I was waiting for her, 'at least she finally noticed the curry', I thought.

I told Sandra everything about Walter and what was happening with Rachel.

"Wait, he did what??", she exclaimed after I mentioned the incident in the morning

"Yes, that was my reaction as well", I explained

"But friend, you guys may be hooking up but you are not dating, so he can do whatever he wants, I think he messed up by bringing his personal business to your space", she explained, and what she said made sense, still it did not make me feel any better.

"I know, you don't have to remind me! I just don't get why I am mad, I am mad at myself for being mad?", I cried out of frustration covering my face with a throw pillow.

"Don't you think that maybe, just maybe, You may have fallen for this guy?", she looked at me dead serious while smelling the glass of wine in her hand. 

"No...no, I doubt. Yes, I am sexually attracted to him? It is however too soon to call it love", I said firmly.

She put the glass of wine on the coffee table and started explaining herself:

"No friend, you are into deep, your jealousy is not the sexual attraction type. I mean you said you miss him when you don't see him, you are sad when he doesn't call you and you are happy when he does simple sweet gestures. Does that sound like 'just' sexual attraction to you?", she gazed at me for a long second, then sipped her wine

Now that Sandra was breaking everything down to me, it was not just jealousy I felt towards Walter. I got worried when he was unhappy and I wanted to make him feel better, I felt excited every time I was around him, not just sexually, but the idea of having him around me made me happy.

"Sandra, what am I going to do?", I was really confused and I didn't expect to fall so quickly. If it had been 3 months back, the answer would have been simple, I would have called him and told him that I wanted us to try and be exclusive, but now things are complicated because his ex is in the picture.