Chapter 9 Don't You Have a Wife?
Cecil looked exactly like he did back in college—time hadn't touched him at all.
I was stoked. "Cecil! It's been forever. Haven't seen you since you went abroad."
Cecil Lewis was my senior in college and Christopher's childhood buddy. They used to be tight, but something happened, they drifted apart. He looked out for me a lot back then, so we were pretty close.
Cecil made a call, and the club manager showed up. "This guy's harassing women. Get him out of here."
"Yes, Mr. Lewis!" The manager, sweating bullets, quickly escorted the guy out.
Seeing my surprised look, Cecil chuckled and ruffled my hair. "Scared you?"
The gentle prince of our college, now a decisive man. Quite the change.
"No, it was cool."
Cecil paused, his eyes softening. "Ivan Garcia and the gang are throwing me a welcome party here. Wanna join? Lots of old faces."
I grabbed Elissa, and we headed to Cecil's room. Ivan Garcia saw the male models leaving and snarked, "Living the good life, huh?"
Elissa, annoyed at Christopher's buddy, snapped, "None of your business. And don't you dare tell Christopher Hope's here."
"Who says? I'm a good guy," Ivan shot back.
I looked at Elissa, puzzled. "You know him?"
"A fling. It sucked," Elissa said bluntly, not caring that Ivan was right there.
Ivan, fuming, said, "That was my first time! What do you know?"
"Stop, stop. I can't handle this. Spare me the 'innocent playboy' act. Please. Your first time was probably with your left or right hand," Elissa cut him off, pointing at his hands.
Ivan's usual swagger faded to a blush.. I finally got their deal—one-night stand. Ivan was chasing Elissa.
"Sit, sit," Elissa pushed me next to Cecil. "You two go way back. You'll have plenty to talk about."
She then dove into the crowd with Ivan, having a blast.
Cecil and I chatted easily, no awkwardness despite the years apart.
"Cecil, you leaving for abroad was a surprise. Even though you haven't been back, I've heard a lot about you. Must be making waves out there, huh?"
"You've been keeping tabs on me?" Cecil looked surprised, his green eyes twinkling.
"My assistant," I admitted, a bit embarrassed. "She's a big fan."
Cecil's smile faded a bit. "You and Christopher must be happy together, right?"
I hesitated. Christopher's reputation as a doting husband was well-known. I dodged the topic.
Cecil didn't push, instead sharing funny stories from abroad.
At Jacquar University, Christopher and Cecil were the golden boys—handsome, kind, steady. But now I saw they were nothing alike.
Cecil was genuinely gentle, while Christopher was a facade. Cecil didn't pry out of respect; Christopher wouldn't because he didn't care. Christopher had no heart.
The party went on till almost dawn. Ivan wanted to keep it going.
Elissa, knowing I was pregnant and couldn't stay up late, offered to take me home. Ivan suggested, "Let Cecil take her. He doesn't like late nights either."
Elissa agreed.
I felt awkward. "Cecil, I live on Honor Road. Is that on your way? If not, I can get a cab."
"Don't be silly," Cecil joked, handing me his phone. "Help me with the GPS. Haven't been back in years."
"Sure," I took the phone.
I worried it might be awkward, but Cecil kept the conversation flowing.
Being with him was always refreshing. Trusting him, I asked, "Cecil, what do you do when you face tough problems?"
Cecil frowned slightly, stopping at a red light. "You face them head-on."
His words eased my tension.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at my place.
Cecil handed me a gift bag. "A little something for you. Hope you like it."
"Thanks, Cecil!" I smiled, feeling much better. "Let's have dinner sometime."
A leaf fell into my hair, and Cecil gently removed it. "Deal. Take care of yourself."
"Got it," I said without much thought.
In the shadows, Christopher had been watching. As I turned to leave, he spoke coolly, "I'll take care of my wife."
Christopher walked over, wrapping an arm around my waist, then looked at Cecil. "Cecil, you care so much about someone else's wife. Don't you have one of your own?"
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