The March of the Black Queen (book III)

39.) You Won't Understand A Word

Cherie:

I can't believe this! Was this all a ploy to distract me?!

Is he really still hung up over Jim? I mean, I can't say that I blame him, I've done nothing but cause him stress since I've come back into his life. It wasn't supposed to be like this! He's supposed to only love me, want me!

Listen to me, I sound like a desperate loser. Putting the phone back inside his pocket, I rise to my feet watching as now even Anita and Rose are having a blast with the rest of them. Everyone blissfully drunk, forgetting about quarrels and drama. Just a group of friends enjoying each other's company.

"That's enough ignoring me for tonight, darling!," Freddie rushes up to me, my knees buckle as he swoops his arms underneath my legs, lifting and cradling me to his chest.

"Put me down!,"He throws his head back cackling as I try to squirm out of his arms. "You'll ruin my dress! Let me go—no! Freddie, STO-,"

Thinking quickly I shut my mouth from my squealing pleas just in time for him to throw me in the center of the hot tub. The heat of the water fires up my already aggravated feisty feeling. "This isn't funny! Fuck off, the lot of you!,"

Everyone's smiling faces stare back at me, each of them trying to suppress the laughter choking behind their tightly closed lips once I angrily attempt to get myself out of the water.

It's pretty hard to do in a tight dress, but after tearing the side seam I'm able to hop out to the booing of my drunken audience.

"Don't be such a sour puss, get your ass back in here!," Rose shouts out to me before I grab a towel and walk away.

"Hey, wait. I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to make you angry, I was just messing-,"

"What is this? Hmm?," I stop dead in my tracks, curling myself further into the towel when the chattering of my teeth makes me shiver and my subconscious tells me to retreat.

Freddie stares back at me, seemingly perplexed to why I'd be this ticked off at his messing around. "Cherie, you can't really be serious. I'll get you a new dress, darling, a better one-,"

"It's not about the dress!," I hiss harshly, arms flailing in impatience.

"Was this all a joke to you? Did you even mean a thing you said to me tonight?," Freddie's eyes squinted at me, his lips parted and his head tilts as he tries to comprehend my tantrum.

Everyone else has now quieted down, I can see them out of the corner of my eyes. I guess my yells have their attention, too.

"What the fuck are you on about? Of course I meant everything- Cher, what's the matter with you?"

How? How does he use those warm brown eyes to melt my insides, even when in the face of cheating. Okay. So maybe he's not cheating. Maybe. But either way he's hiding something from me, his wife, so he must know he's in the wrong.

"If you have any reservations about me and you at all- you needn't play it up like I'm the only one you see,"

"What the f-,"

"Oh, don't do it to me, Freddie. Don't make me feel stupid or delusional!"

"Are you mad?! We were all just having a good time and now-,"

Now, back at the table with his pile of clothes, I reach down for them at the same time Freddie does. He almost tugs the pair of slacks from my hands, but I'm much quicker than that.

"May I get dressed now, I believe the night is over" His tone is laced with annoyance as he glares at me, mumbling under his breath, absorbing my bad mood.