The Clock Is Ticking – Episode 39
Sequence 39
.
A week had passed since the incidence with Tess, Mattie had not been able to get a hold of her and she had still not been able to get a new nanny for Trinny.
It was a cold Saturday morning and she was working from home, she didn’t have any shoots scheduled for that day she only had photos to edit and some proposals to type.
Trinny was watching cartoons with Theo and Chrissie had gone out. Chard had brought Theo earlier that morning because he had a workshop to attend. Mattie didn’t mind looking after Theo she loved him as much as she loved his father.
Mattie was completely engrossed in her work until the suddenly a light knock at the door broke her concentration.
Irritated, she stood up, walked over to the door and opened it. She was surprised to find Jericho standing on her door step because she thought Chrissie had gone with him.
‘Hey Jericho,’ she said
‘Mattie,’ he said
‘How are you?’
‘I am fine thanks.’
‘Chrissie is not home,’ she told him, eager to get back to her work.
‘I am actually here to see you.’
‘Me?’ she asked surprised.
‘Yes.’
‘You better come inside then,’ she stood aside to let him into the house then she closed the door.
She led him into the living room and asked the children to excuse them.
‘Take a seat please,’ she pointed to the couch. He sat down.
‘Can I get you anything to drink?’
He shook his head, ‘No I am okay.’
Mattie sat down and waited for him to explain the purpose of his visit, she found it strange that he would come looking for her, she and Jericho had never spoken more than five words to each other.
He looked around absently, trying to figure out where to start from. ‘I am sorry for barging in like this but I need your help.’ ‘With what?’
‘With your sister Chrissie.’
‘What about her?’
‘I think your sister is cheating on me,’ the words rushed out before he could stop them.
Mattie raised an eyebrow,’ Jericho!’ she exclaimed, she knew her sister was problematic but to cheat on her fiancé. No.
‘You must be mistaken Jericho, Chrissie loves you.’ ‘That’s what I thought too.’ ‘What changed?’
‘The past few days she hasn’t been committed to our wedding preparations, I have been moving from one place to another to get everything ready, she just never shows up.’
‘She is never home, she leaves this place early and comes back in the evening, as far as I am concerned she is busy with wedding preparations.’
He shook his head, ‘the other day I came here to talk to her and she told me she hasn’t been well. She couldn’t spare me a single moment yet she was too busy texting on her phone.’
‘Well I don’t know what’s happening but I doubt she is cheating. Maybe she is overwhelmed, you know brides stress over weddings.’
‘She needs to communicate at least I need to know if we are on the same page. ‘I know.’
‘Let me try and call her,’ he said
He removed his phone from his pocket and dialed her line. She answered after it rang twice. He put the phone on loud speaker.
‘J,’ she said
‘Babe.’
‘Tsup,’ she yawned.
‘Where are you?’
‘Where else would I be if not home, I am trying to rest.’
Mattie gasped in shock she opened her mouth but quickly closed it.
‘Which home if I may ask?’
‘My sister’s house.’
‘I am at your sister’s house right now and you aren’t here, what’s going on?’
‘What are you doing there?’
‘Where are you?’
‘I had some errands to run, wait for me I am on my way.’ ‘Why is your sister doing this to me?’ he asked ‘I don’t know,’ she said.
*******
She placed her phone on the table and eased from the bed.
‘You have to leave?’ he asked
‘Yes.’
‘I thought we would spend the whole day together.’
‘Well, plans have changed Jericho wants me home I don’t want him calling my mum. I will make it up to you.’
Se scanned the room for her clothes and found them on the floor by the side of the bed she picked them up and quickly dressed.
‘Do you even love this man?’ he asked
She laughed, ’you claim to love my sister and yet we are always having sex do you even love her for real?’
‘This is just sex I love Mattie with everything in me.’
‘Well this is just sex for me too I don’t know though if I love Jericho as much as you love my sister.’
‘Then why are you marrying him?’
‘Marriage is the ultimate goal.’
‘You will make a terrible wife.’
‘And you will be make a terrible husband,’ she laughed
Chrissie scanned the room for her shoes and when she found them, she put them on.
He stood up and followed her, ‘I would like to have some more time with you before I move in with Mattie,’ he said
‘Let me see how I can shut Jericho up so we can go out for the weekend.’ ‘It’s a deal.’
He quickly leaned in and kissed her soundly. He pulled back and frowned, ‘It hurts that you have to leave.’
‘You can always call one of these other girls to satisfy you.’ ‘Nobody does it better than you.’ ‘Oh please.’
She picked up her bag from its spot on the floor under the table.
‘I have to rush back home, I will call you.’
****
When the door of the house finally opened, Jericho looked up.
‘Where have you been?’ he asked annoyed
‘I went to run some errands,’ she said as she sat down on the chair next to him.
Mattie and the kids excused themselves.
‘What’s going on Chrissie? Are you tired of us? Are you cheating on me?’ ‘Cheating on you?’ Her voice feigned annoyance, ‘Why would I cheat on you?’ She shot him a quizzical look.
‘I don’t know, you have been distant and you lied to me just a few minutes ago, where did you go?’
She bit her lower lip and looked up at him, ‘I am not cheating on you babe.’ ‘But?’
‘I haven’t been feeling well I thought I was pregnant, I was really scared so I
decided to get myself checked up today. I didn’t want you to worry that’s why I
lied about it.’
‘Oh.’
‘And?’
‘I am not pregnant,’ she smiled
‘You should have confided in me baby, come on we are a team.’ ‘I was scared you know how my mum is she would skin me alive.’ ‘Maybe we should abstain from sex till the wedding.’ he said ‘Ya that would be a great idea.’
‘I am sorry for assuming the waste,’ he held her hand.
‘Apology accepted,’ she said wrapping my hands around him, I heard him sigh in relief, leaning into me.
‘How about we go out for a movie, that way you will have me all yourself?’ she said pulling away from him
‘Yeah, sure,’ he smiled.
****
Mattie had over head the conversation between her sister and her fiancé, why would Chrissie lie to him, Mattie knew for a fact the pregnancy story was fake, was her sister truly cheating on Jericho?
‘No, she can’t cheat, she knows mum would skin her alive.’
A loud knock startled her out of her reverie. It was 30 minutes past 8, the kids were sleeping and Chrissie wasn’t back yet.
She stopped what she was doing and walked to the door, she opened it surprised to Find Emma at the door.
‘Emma!’ She said
‘Where is my son?’ Emma pushed past Mattie into the house.
‘He is sleeping.’
‘Mattie! Let this be the last time you get my son,’ she angrily said
‘His father brought him here and just in case you don’t know his father and I are in
a relationship hence what’s his is mine.’
Emma shook her head,’ Ati?’
‘You heard me right, don’t come here threatening me as if I stole your child.’
‘My own son ati what’s his is yours, are you sure you are okay?’ ‘Very much okay darling,’ Mattie smiled
‘My dear don’t feel so special, Chard will always be Chard. Women have come and gone out of his life, I am the mother of his child the only one will stay in his life forever.’
‘I will go and bring Theo,’ Mattie said before she turned and went to her room.
She carried Theo and grabbed his bag and walked bag into the living room.
‘Here,’ she handed the child to him.
‘You should stay away from my child I don’t want him getting attached to you when I know Chard will dump you as soon as he finds someone new and fresh to fu.ck.’
And with that said she was out of the house.
*****
TBC
##########
The Clock is Ticking
Ella❣
