That One Night Stand

50

I avoided every attempt possible in the next week with Conrad. But I had to attend Lorraine's funeral out of respect for Tiffany.

I stayed at the back of the church, not really listening to the priest as I sat mindlessly bored.

I kept picking unseen fluff off my black dress.

"You're going to create a hole in that pretty dress." I heard someone say and I looked up to my left.

Next to me sat a tall and handsome man. I mean he is cute. Short light brown hair, dark brown eyes, stubble along his jaw line. He was wearing a black suit and he was smiling at me.

I gave him a small smile back. "Hi."

"Hello." His voice was soft and quiet and in that minute, I forgot I was at a huge public church funeral.

"I'm Maya." I said boldly to him, extended my right hand for a handshake.

"Hi Maya. I'm Scott." Scott took my hand but instead of shaking it, he kissed the back of my palm.

I didn't take my hand back, leaving it in Scott's warm hand as we spoke.

"So how did you know Lorraine?" Scott asked me.

"Oh, she is my friends aunt. I'm here for moral support, but I decided to stay up the back." And away from Conrad, but I didn't add that or anything else that was in my head that I had been thinking about for the past twenty minutes.

"Tiffany? How is she?"

"You know Tiffany?"

"Yeah, she is my cousin." Scott could see I was confused. "She has a closer relation to Lorraine than me."

"Oh. That explains it." I laughed and someone turned to me, shushing me. "Sorry."

"Hey, let's go outside and talk." Scott said and I agreed as we stood up and excused ourselves. We made a small commotion and I giggled as we quickly left the church, embarrassed that I caught some people's attention.

We stood by the garden, talking, having a laugh when I felt a hand on my lower back, making me freeze, my facial expression changing.

"Ah, there you are." Was the familiar tone and I squeezed my eyes shut. "Scott, how are you?"

I snapped my eyes to Scott. "Hey, Conrad, how have you been?" I watched as they greeted each other in surprise.

"You know each other?"

"Yeah, we went to college together." Was Scott's answer as I felt Conrad's presence right next to me, closer than before. "So how's the sham marriage?"

My jaw dropped as Scott and Conrad spoke openly about Conrad's marriage. Scott saw how uncomfortable I was and laughed at me.

"I know about their marriage." Then he saw Conrad's body language and took a step back. "It was good seeing you again, Conrad. Bye, Maya." Then he left and I was left alone alone with Mr Hunky.

Conrad turned completely to me, his full attention on me.

"Lets talk." Was all he said and took my hand, making me walk with him somewhere private. We entered a small building and the door closed behind us. The whole walk there, I mentally prepared myself for this encounter and even though my heart was beating erratically in my chest, I kept the brave face on and looked at Conrad squarely in his eyes.

Conrad let me go and made no attempt to come closer. "I heard what you said last week, at Tiffany's office." He said blankly. "Last month, I don't know what came over me. I want to apologise for that. That wasn't right of me."

"Of course it wasn't, Conrad. But I really appreciate you apologising to me." There was an awkward silence between us for a few seconds before Conrad spoke again.

"Maya, I'm serious. I was, annoyed that-"

"No you weren't." I interrupted him, folding my hands. "You weren't annoyed. You were being possessive. You can't own me. No one owns me. I'm my own person."

"I get that, Maya." Conrad growled, running a hand down his face. "But I also meant it. I don't want to share you, at all but I comprised."

I scoffed at him. "Compromised? You may have done that to yourself but not to me. You demanded me, Conrad. A full blown demand. It doesn't matter anyway because I'm not changing my mind."

Conrad didn't like what I was saying, it was written on his face but at this point of time, I didn't care. I needed to say it.

"I'm not having any form of relations with you. It's against my own beliefs, and I'm not going to change that." I wanted to tell him, I did, but I couldn't find the right time to say it out loud to him. "Besides, I spoke to Tiff a week ago and I know what is happening."

"You know nothing of the sorts, Maya." Conrad snapped at me and I could see his temper flaring. "From when I last saw you to now, things have changed, dramatically."

I heard the room being filled with a musical tone and Conrad pulled his phone out and stopped it, shoving it back in to his pocket. This happened a couple times before it stopped completely.

"This is why I needed to speak to you." Conrad tried continuing but then my phone started beeping at me. I pulled it out off my bag and saw the text.

"Aww, look, it's your wife!" I snarled as I opened the message.

If Conrad is with you, please tell him to come into the office.

I sighed. "Tiffany wants you in the office. Wherever that is."

I saw then that Conrad was conflicted between me and his best friend. Then another text came through from Tiffany.

You too, Maya.