That One Night Stand

24.

I batted my eyes, surprised on how calm Tiffany is about it all but still slightly shocked.

"Conrad told me afterwards and I just want to tell you that-"

"Oh god. I'm so sorry. I didn't expect it to go so far and I don't sleep with men in relationships and I knew he was in one and I ripped it up him about it and one thing led to another and oh, Tiffany I'm so sorry. I didn't expect for it to happen again but it did and I've been feeling so guilty because that's not what I do. I don't sleep with married or taken men. That's why I've gone off men. No more."

Tiffany stared at me, waiting for me to finish.

"I'm really sorry and it won't happen again. I know I told myself that, but, it did happen again back in Australia but it definetly won't happen again. I haven't seen him since then."

"Two times?" Tiffany asked me. I felt so ashamed of myself but to my surprise, Tiffany didn't look angry at all, or upset.

"Throw something, yell, hit me, but don't just stand there like you're okay with this." I demanded. Her calmness was really getting to me.

Tiffany let out a small chuckle, shaking her head.

"Maya, I'm okay with it. Conrad told me about it. He tells me everything. Just not the second time. We are good friends and we are married, but, he knows I don't feel anything towards him, romantically." Tiffany said as she stepped closer.

I was gobsmacked. My jaw was open and eyes were wide. "You wanna say all that again?"

I saw the amusement in her eyes as she led me to a seat. "I've known Conrad since I was about fifteen. He use to visit America often as a teenager to see his grandfather. We were both in the same university as we became adults and he moved to America. Then we both moved to New York. I had this business and he had his grandfather's. We are very good friends and know everything about each other."

"But I slept with your husband." I muttered out.

"Husband in name, yes. Everything else, no."

"I don't understand. Why are you so calm? I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Tiffany sat across from me, placing her hands on the table and intertwined them.

"We got married to appease my great aunt, Lorraine. She thought that it would look better that a married woman will be more successful at this. I don't know what gave her that idea since she never married." That's when I heard the slight bitterness in her voice. "We rushed off the other week because my aunt is very sick and dying and there is nothing I can do but to please her so Conrad and I got married."

I stared blankly at her. I remembered the other month Conrad telling me something about his relationship with Tiffany, but I didn't want to hear it. I didn't know what to say.

"I love Con, I do, but as a friend, the same way a sister loves her brother. I can't force myself to love him romantically. Con understands that and he still went through with this, charade. He is a real gentleman. Very thoughtful."

I studied Tiffany, trying to comprehend the words she was telling me. "Why are you telling me this?"

Then her eyes lit up. "Oh, right. Well, originally, I knew about you, just not your name when Conrad told me. We did split up and he took the blame, stating it was an affair or whatever he said, but in reality, I was the one that left, I was trying to deal with what Lorraine threw in my lap, rushing me and all that. Then Con returned back to New York and told me it was you he slept with and he didn't know that you were his sister's best friend. What a small world."

"Yeah." I whispered out. Very small.

I watched Tiffany fidget with something that was on her desk before looking back at me.

"So I wanted to meet you again. Then  this job came through and I pushed for you to have it. I wanted to talk to you personally but then I had to leave."

"So you wanted to tell me that you knew about me and Conrad?"

Tiffany nodded.

"I told him that you were working for me on some advertisements and he seemed very interested. I actually thinks he likes you. I want what's best for my friend and I'm fine with him having an affair." The words affair were air quoted as Tiffany spoke but it made me laugh.

"I'm sorry. I'm not doing this. You are playing matchmaker with your husband. I just can't wrap my head around this. Besides, I swore off men. No more men."

"So you're going all, nun?" She asked me, interested.

"Oh, no. I never said sex. Just men." I assured her.

Tiffany frowned before the realisation of what I said dawned on her. "Oh."

"Yeah." I nodded. "Besides, don't get me wrong, Conrad is a hot looking man. How can you not feel anything towards that?" I asked her, still highly confused, emphasizing the word that.

Tiffany blushed at my question and I didn't understand why. Did she feel something towards Conrad and is trying to deny it?

"Not many people know. Conrad does and a handful of my closest friends, but that's it."

I waited patiently for Tiffany to answer. Many questions floated in my head on what I wanted to ask.

"I know his sister doesn't like me. I don't know why. I know I can be bitchy at times, but I don't think I've done anything wrong by her. But to answer your question on why I feel no attraction to my husband and he knows this, I'm gay."