Afraid to Love
Episode 37
The shock she felt when she met with Ernest a second time hadn’t gone. She still felt it. She recalled everything. Ernest Turner.
Her night wasn’t so good. She’d bad dreams of both Ernest and Jeremy. Both of them fighting over her. Jeremy had lost, Ernest won. She hated that dream so much. She’d choose Jeremy over Ernest.
Ernest wasn’t her dream man, he never was. Jeremy was the kind of man she wanted, she wasn’t sure, but he could take care of her. Ernest couldn’t. He was a drunk. A really bad one. He played a significant role in getting her drunk that night. Why did she do it?
She felt remorse over that. It wasn’t gonna repeat itself. She hoped that one mistake wouldn’t ruin her life.
The ringing of the telephone on her desk jolted her back to reality. She swore as she picked it up. “What!” D–n! Her mood was something else.
“You have a visitor, ma’am.”
No. She didn’t want to talk with anybody. She wanted to be all by herself. Talking would do no good.
Also, she didn’t look presentable. She was all weary. “Tell the person to come another day. I’m not taking in any visitors.”
“He’s insisting. I don’t have the strength to fight with any man. Please.”
Oh, God. What was Jeremy doing here? He’s got more important things to do. It wasn’t a bad idea all together. She might get to tell him the truth. She let out a breath. “All right, Heather. Let him in.”
There was a clanking sound as she dropped the receiver. She relaxed on the chair and swivelled it to the back door. She faced the window. He could come in any moment. He had to. She was expecting him. The few seconds it took seemed like forever. Then the door creaked. She smiled.
“Jeremy, why not call when you want to come see me. I don’t want another scene with Heather.” At last. She was delighted.
“What a pleasant way of receiving your guest.”
The smile on her face melted into a shock. That wasn’t Jeremy’s voice! It was…. It belonged to…. She turned the chair to face him and she was him again. The third time.
“What are you doing here?” She sounded tense and angry. She got up from the chair.
He grimly smiled at her. “You didn’t invite me to sit. I’d invite myself. Please, sit its your office.”
This was serious. No jokes. No lies. No games. “Get out of my office! Leave at once?” She ordered. Her eyes were blazing.
“I came to ask about Melisa.” she had guts.
She placed both hands on her desk and met his gaze. “I do not know who Melisa is. It was just last night you asked about her and I do not know her.”
“Will you stop pretending and speak the truth? I hate lies.” Could she be the Melisa? She was so different in character. The woman glaring at him was full of herself. His Melisa wouldn’t do that. Nevertheless, the resemblance was there. Her eyes, lips, voice-all similar with Melisa. It had to be her.
“So do I. I do not know her. Wait a minute. How did you even get here? How do you know I work here?” If he had found things about her, she needed to know. Things must not get out of hand. She had to handle him.
“Who hasn’t heard of the all mighty Purity Theodore-”
She had lost it. “My name! How-” She was short of words. Oh, man! What has the past come back? She felt frightened.
He laughed loudly. “‘I don’t give my name to strangers.’ The same statement you made after I told you mine at that bar, nine years ago. It was your prom night.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she denied furiously. “I will contact you when I find your Melisa.”
Great liar. The best. “How nice of you to give me a fake name, Melisa. I love that name and I’m sticking to it. You never loved that name, ‘Purity’, you wanted something s*xy, that will endear men to you.” His eyes danced with laughter.
Purity was trying to hold herself. This man was tempting her, making her lose her mind. He should quit trying to make her recall the past she’d forgotten and buried. She wanted to have nothing to do with it. She had to deny it. “Stop this rubbish. Stop this nonsense. Stop-”
“We drank alcohol together. We danced so romantically. You were all over me. You didn’t want to let me go. You clung on to me. We almost made lo-”
This was it. All her manners were sent to h.ell. “Will you shut up! You lying, di$gusting b@stard. Who gave you the right to bring up my past? Who gave you the right to judge me? I want you out of my office and life for good
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