Zara's Safari

Chapter 27

I had no way of knowing that today was going to go down in history as one of the worst days of my life. Perhaps if I’d had psychic abilities I might have had an inkling of the disaster that was about to strike. The disaster that was about to rip my happy bubble wide open and infect it with deadly venom. Break it beyond repair. Destroy everything that was good.

Riaan and I wafted out of the house in a total state of couple-y happiness, with a distinct post coital glow that seemed to be radiating from every pore. We were illuminated, drenched in warm fuzzy love.

But as we reached the lodge, I started getting a bad feeling; perhaps it had something to do with the unmistakable voice that I was hearing and with the ruckus the voice was causing.

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph my babe… YOU”RE ALIVE!” It was Clay and he was definitely over the alcohol limit- not unusual- and although I was shocked to see him, I was happy too. I’d missed him.

“Clay!”

I threw my arms around him and we hugged, he almost toppled over and I had to steady him.

“Babe, You look like Sheila. What have they done to you?”

I burst out laughing dismissing it as a joke, but he leant in and took me by the shoulders seriously.

 “What’s happened to you? I’ve been so worried. I haven’t heard from you and I thought that evil, what’s his name…Ryan, Regan, whatever had kidnapped you”

Upon hearing those words, a knot suddenly twisted in my stomach- I had a feeling things were about to go down hill.

 “Is that him?” His finger went out and pointed at Riaan accusatorily, “Jesus I can see why you called him down right rude, I mean… if looks could kill babe…”

He walked over to Riaan and started him square in the face, Riaan looked so unimpressed “Smile. Life’s supposed to be fun.” Then he stepped back and looked him up and down, very unsubtly, “You were right though, he's a total looker, but like you said pity about the shitty asshole attitude,”

Clay was stumbling around now, and my blood run cold as more and more started pouring out of his mouth. I looked to Riaan and was clearly furious, I wanted to explain that I’d only said those things when I didn’t know him, before I was in love with him, but I could actually physically see the damage that was being done with every word that came out of Clay's mouth.

“Clay, what are you doing here?”

“I’ve come to rescue you from this hell hole like you asked. Sorry I couldn’t be here sooner, I hope they haven’t been torturing you.”

“Clay, Clay, please stop.” I tried to calm him down. Dorcus and Precious did a head shake, which only spurred him on.

“Let me guess, those are the kitchen bitches. What did you call them,” he looked to me and my mind raced. What had I called them, “ The bacon Nazi’s.” Clay screeched with laugher and flopped into a chair.

“Geez what an uncomfortable chair, I can totally see why you hate it here.” He turned and looked at Mary who was just standing there gaping, “What does a gay need to do around here to get a drink babe?”

Mary’s mouth fell open, I doubt she’d ever been spoken to like that before.

“Let me guess,” Clay pointed at her as if she was a piece of meat, “The no-fun cleaning drone,”

Mary turned to me with such a look of hurt in her eyes, she actually had at tear  forming.

“Mary,” I jumped in.