The Clock Is Ticking – Episode 24

Sequence 24

 

She snapped another photo and another catching her pose from different angles.

 

By the end of the Photo shoot, Mattie was tired and hungry.

 

‘That was amazing,’ Zita said with a warm smile.

 

‘Thank you.’

 

Mattie flipped through the photos and Zita selected the ones she wanted her to edit. ‘You are good at what you do, I will definitely call again.’

 

‘It was wonderful working with you,’ Mattie said Chard helped her with packing all her equipments. `So when can the photos be ready?’ ‘I will have them ready by Tuesday.’

 

‘Awesome.’

 

‘I will email them to you. You don’t have to come to the office.’ ‘No problem.’

 

‘So my husband and I are going to be leaving now, we have some other place to

 

visit.’

 

‘Great.’

 

‘It was nice meeting you Zita,’ Chard said

 

‘The pleasure is all mine.’

 

They waved her good bye and made their way to the car, Zita told them she was waiting for her driver to pick her up.

 

On the drive back home, Chard was unusually quiet most of the time he talked none stop but not this afternoon.

 

‘You have been quiet,’ she said.

 

‘I’m just thinking.’

 

‘About?’

 

‘How well do you know that Zita girl?’ he asked

 

She shrugged, ‘She is just client i met her for the second time today.’

 

‘Okay?’

 

‘Why?’

 

‘There is just something about her that kinda puts me off.’ She gave her a quizzical look, ‘Something like what?’ ‘My instincts tell me she shouldn’t be trusted.’ Mattie laughed, ‘I think she is harmless.’

 

‘I hope so.’

 

‘What harm could she possibly do?’ ‘Forget it maybe I am just being paranoid.’ ‘Ya.’

 

‘Your Ex has stopped bothering you now?’ he asked

 

‘Ya, I haven’t heard from him for a while now I think I should even start jogging again.’

 

‘I am still trying to get information about him though.’

 

‘Any leads?’

 

‘No.’

 

‘I see.’

 

‘Wait, I forgot to ask, why did that woman think we are married?’ ‘She assumed we were married and I didn’t bother to correct her.’ ‘Oh.’

 

‘Yes last week when she came over to the office you were just leaving and said I

 

had a nice husband so I said thank you.’

 

‘You have issues.’

 

‘I hate explaining myself,’ she said laughing

 

Chard pulled up in front of an Italian Restaurant an hour later.

 

‘Lunch on me,’ he said

 

‘I love food.’

 

She grabbed her purse and they got out of the car.

 

When they walked into the restaurant, they were whisked to a table at the far end of the room.

 

He held her chair as she took a seat then he sat down too.

 

‘This is one of my favourite spots in town, their food is amazing.’ ‘So this is where you bring your women?’

 

A slight smile played on his lips, ‘I am not one for dates I take my women to my room and have sex with them.’

 

Mattie raised an eyebrow.

 

‘I am serious,’ Chard said

 

‘So what are we doing here, why aren’t we in your room having wild passionate sex.’

 

Chard coughed, choking on his own saliva, he couldn’t believe she had just asked him that.

 

‘Are you okay?’ she gently patted her back ‘Did you even hear yourself?’

 

‘Yes. You said you take all your women to your room to have sex with them so I asked what we are doing here instead of being in your room enjoying some intense passionate sex.’

 

Chard Chuckled, ‘We can always skip lunch.’ ‘See your life,’ she laughed.

 

He gazed at her intently, ‘You have no idea what you do to me,’ he thought to himself

 

She smiled nervously trying not to crack under his intense gaze The waiter chose that exact moment to take their order.

 

‘Have you decided what to order yet?’ he asked

 

‘I will take the chicken parmesan,’ Mattie replied smilingly ‘Excellent Choice and you sir?’ he asked Chard

 

‘I will have the same with her. Also bring a bottle of red wine for us.’ ‘Sure, coming right up.’

 

After the waiter left, they continued their conversation.

 

After a little more chatting, the waiter returned with their food and wine. Chard poured a glass of red wine for each of them and they toasted to their new found friendship.

 

They started eating while talking about his mother’s upcoming birthday dinner. ‘Chard! Chard!’ A slender beautiful woman to their table, she was clad a in a tight mini dress and high heels.

 

‘Sarah!’ Chard stood up to greet her.

 

‘It’s been a while,’ she smiled before she pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly.

 

‘You still smell fresh,’ she said before pulling away from her.

 

‘Thabks.’

 

‘So how have you been, lord I missed you.’ ‘Been good.’

 

Mattie cleared her tongue. Sarah looked at her and gave her a scornful look. ‘Sarah, I would like you to meet Mattie, a close friend of mine,’ Chard introduced, a huge smile on his face.

 

‘Mattie, this is Sarah, an old friend.’

 

‘Hey!’ Mattie said extending her hand but Sarah ignored it.

 

Mattie put her hand down.

 

‘Did you just say she is close friend of yours?’ ‘Yes.’

 

‘Since when do you have female friends?’

 

‘Since now.’

 

‘I see.’

 

‘Ya.’

 

‘Anyway here’s my card, call me let’s hang out for old times’ sake.’ ‘Okay,’ he grabbed the card from her.

 

‘I will see you soon,’ she smiled before she marched off without sparing Mattie another glance.

 

Chard sat down in his chair and took a long sip of his wine.

 

There was a short silence between them for a few minutes.

 

‘So, how long did you and Sarah date?’ Mattie asked breaking the silence. ‘Date?’

 

‘I saw how she looked at me when you introduced us.’ ‘I saw how she looked at you?’

 

‘The truth is that we never dated, we had sex a few times and that is all. She was always available to warm my bed and I always gave her money,’ he admitted the truth to her.

 

‘So you never loved her?’

 

‘No.’

 

‘Have you ever been in love though?’

 

He looked at her for short while before answering.’ Yes.’ ‘Tell me about her.’

 

 

Chard smiled as he thought about Nicole and memories of when they first met flashed right before his eyes- she was one tough woman, she had given him quiet a hard time, he had loved her genuinely, he would have given up his reckless lifestyle for her but she left.

 

‘I am waiting,’ she said.

 

‘Story for another day,’ he said, he wasn’t ready to talk about her betrayal.

 

‘Okay.

 

She didn’t push him even though she wanted to know about the woman he loved in the past.

 

‘Tell me about the men in your past, he said She let out a sigh.

 

‘Thomas was my first boyfriend, I thought I loved him.’ He looked at her waiting for her to speak.

 

‘He appeared to be a nice guy but along the way I discovered he was too insecure and controlling, I couldn’t hand being with such a person so we broke up.’ ‘Oh.’

 

‘Then came George,’ she said, with a pained look on her face.

 

‘What about George.’

 

‘He is Trinny’s father. He was my last boyfriend we hit off the minute we met. I thought he was the one for me we had a great relationship, he proposed after some time,’ she shook her head remembering how happy she had felt when he asked her to marry him, George made her feel special, he knew what to say at the right time. She blinked away the tears shocked by their sudden appearance.

 

‘He messed up my life I was two weeks pregnant when he ran off with another

 

woman.’

 

‘What a jerk.’

 

‘He didn’t know I was pregnant when he left but he left me in a really tight

 

position with my family.’

 

‘That’s sad.’

 

‘Ya it is,’ she managed a smile and wiped the tears from her eyes.

 

He pulled her into his arms and soothed her.

 

‘We should haunt this asshole down and beat him up for messing with you.’ She laughed,’ he is not worth it.’

 

He stared at her, ‘No more tears for George, you and Trinny have me now. I will never let anyone else make you cry.’

 

His words made her heart flutter, Chard was a nice man and she was glad he was her friend.

 

***********

 

TBC

 

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The Clock is Ticking

 

 

Ella❣