One Night Love Affair *COMPLETED*

Chapter Twenty Four - part two

Involuntarily Lana gasped, and quickly covered her mouth with her hands, trying to hide her reaction - but failing miserably. Her reaction made James smile.

"My secretary had the exact same expression when she heard the crash. Don't ask me how I know this. Because I might have watched the security tape once, or twice. It was hilarious. But didn't hear that from me..." The hushed conspirator voice transformed James from a drunk person to hilarious drunk person. It didn't matter she just reacted like she had been caught doing something illegal, she was suddenly in a surprisingly good mood for the day she had been through.

To top the ridiculousness of the situation, he winked at her, like they just shared the code to unlocking nuclear bomb - a secret, more secreter than top secret.

"Anyhow, after I broke that vase, I must say, my secretary must have thought I was going insane - honestly, later on, she told me, she was about to quit. Which would of been such a shame..." For a second James got lost in his own thoughts, but he got back on track in no time. "So, I broke the vase and was about to pick up my computer and throw it as well, because hearing the glass breaking had been the most satisfying sound in, well, let's just say, since that night."

Lana blushed from head to toe. She knew exactly what James was talking about. After all, she wasn't exactly known for being quiet at 'exciting' activities.

"Before I could do exactly that, my secretary was standing at the doors. She didn't ever knock, if memory serves me right, but of course I might have just overheard it. It wasn't one of my best moments, I was in a really bad place..." The last few words came out as a stutter. It was obvious he was struggling with telling the story. Little did Lana knew it was only the beginning.

"She marched into the office like she was the CEO, not a secretary. Chris surprised me, she put me back into working order."

The silence that followed made Lana think he wasn't going to finish the story. After all, what does his secretary has to do with his wife?

"You're probably thinking: 'What does all this has to do with me getting married? What does it have to do with my wife?"

Lana was too embarrassed to answer, but the blush on her cheeks answered for her.

"My wife is Chris's half-sister. Gina and Chris don't exactly get along, not then, not now. But when Gina found out Chris was working for me - which I still have no idea how she did, because the information certainly hadn't came from Chris, she forced her to introduce us. I was blinded by her fake beauty, and I was in a serious need of distraction. Gina was fun, and I felt like I needed that."

All of the sudden James looked at his hands, like he was embarrassed.

"One thing lead to another and we ended up in one of the hotels on Upper East Side, even though we were partying in Tribeca. That should have been the first sign she was high maintenance, exactly the type of woman I wanted to stay away since I moved to New York. But obviously I was thinking with my other head. Or I just wasn't thinking, since I was super drunk. And I mean super drunk, because my drunkenness right now is nothing compared to how drunk I was then. Either way I wasn't exactly the best version of myself then. I slept with her, and when I sobered up I regretted it, but it wasn't enough. I have fallen into the net of Gina. She tricked me into taking her out on a date again and again, and each time we ended up in a hotel. After a two weeks I was ready to call things off and move on with my life. I told her we were over when she went on full crazy and said I knocked her up."

The urge to hide under the rocking chair or disappear into thin air was becoming stronger with each passing second. There was nothing more he could say to make Lana wish she had never asked him about his wife.

"I didn't believe her at first, I didn't want to believe her. After all I came to New York to start fresh, not to start a family." He nervously smiled at Lana and combed through his ruffled hair with his hand. "But the next day she came with the ultrasound and I had to face the reality - I made a baby. Even if his mother was a high maintenance, spoiled bitch, who only cared about money and status. I knew I had no choice, but to marry her. After all, I was kind of excited to become a father. After a while I really wanted to become one. We got married the next week. It was a big event, even though the bride to be only had a week to put it together. Little did I know she has planned the entire thing, she just wasn't planning on me trying to get rid of her so fast."

"So your marriage wasn't the dreamy fairytale your wife wanted the world to believe?"

One simple question from Lana and James's mood became even more depressing.

"It was more a nightmare than a dream. The first few weeks had been OK. I was busy with the company and Gina threw herself into trying to achieve the goal of becoming the most recognized Manhattan socialite. And spending my money. It seemed we could actually make it work, when after four months, when Gina was supposed to be about a month away from the last trimester, and she was still not showing. No baby bump, no odd cravings, no nothing. I was becoming more and more suspicious, until one day I cornered her, and demanded the truth from her. She had denied everything I just said, and insisted the pregnancy is real. I dragged her to the doctor of my choice and the ultrasound confirmed my suspicious. Gina wasn't pregnant, and she never was. She only lied about the pregnancy to get me to marry her."

Lana opened her mouth, like she was about to say something, then changed her mind and closed them again.

"Sad part is, I was really excited about becoming a dad..."

Again Lana wanted to say something, or at least give him some sort of comforting feeling. She wanted to comfort him, because the memories that came into light because of her curiosity weren't bright and shiny, but dark and sad.

While Lana tried to make herself do something to comfort James, he was imagining how different his life would have been if he wouldn't sleep with Gina. If they hadn't had sex, then there was no way she could trap him into marriage. He wouldn't be married at the moment and he wouldn't have to deal with all her bullshit and the impending and invertible divorce. His life would probably be so much simpler at that exact moment. Talking to his one night stand about his marriage. But note that James believed Vivian, ups, Lana had some sort of connection that shouldn't be messed with.

"From that moment we barely speak. I stayed married to her because all of the sudden I was swiped with work and I barely had any free time. At that time, it was just easier to stay married. I waited for years for her to find herself another target, file for divorce and let me live my life. A week ago I found out some old, wealthy guy caught her eye and she was ready to get serious with him. Like getting married serious. When I heard the news I opened the bottle of champagne and drank to the moment I will finally be a single man again."

James's eyes refused to stay away, constantly closing, and staying closed longer and longer.

"Single..."

Before he could finish the sentence and make sense of it, his eyes stayed open way too long for a person who's just tired to close their eyes for a few moments, so he can get on with his day, or night. He fell asleep on the sofa in the living room of Lana Jones and Gabe Reed.

Lana slowly got up from the rocking chair and tried to lift James's feet, so he could be in a more comfortable position, and so he could sleep off all the whiskey he had consumed this evening. When she was sure he was deep asleep, she touched his cheek and when he didn't even stir at the contact, she slowly traced his facial features. When she reached the forehead, she leveled herself with the sofa and gently kissed his cheek.

"You have a son James. He's about to be six years old."