CHAPTER 2
Work should fill up the void. A diversion from this loneliness, he was feeling. Will the pain in my heart ever subside? A sigh escaped Larry’s tortured soul and a teardrop fell from his exhausted eyes and landed on the portfolio that he was reading. He quickly reached for a napkin on his desk and mopped it up before dabbing his eyes. Guilt was wreaking havoc across his mind as he grappled with his incomprehensible heat-of-the-moment behavior. He’d never done anything like that in all of his nineteen years of marriage. What if Rozene found out? Surely, she would leave him. His shoulders slumped in self-pity, just as the intercom on his office phone buzzed. He leaned forward to press the flashing button. “Yes?”
“It’s going to be an amazing Monday, Mr. Kanate.” His executive assistant's cheerful voice filled the room. “I’ve managed to reschedule all your appointments.”
“Thank you, Marjorie.”
“You’re welcome, sir. On another note, did you see Mrs. Montgomery’s email?”
Immediately, Larry felt a headache coming on. “No. Haven’t checked my email account yet.”
“She’s on indefinite sick leave.”
Suddenly, air was sucked out of his lungs and he couldn’t breathe. In the distance, he heard Marjorie saying something, then silence. “What were you …?”
“I was asking if you wanted me to respond to Mrs. Montgomery’s email.”
“Yes, please,” then he cut off the call. He exhaled loudly, trying to destress.
The day after the incident, Gabrielle had emailed to say that she was out sick. He had tried several times that day to call her, but she would not answer her phone. When there was no sign of her on Friday, he did the board presentation. That evening, on his way home, he also called her phone but it went to voicemail.
“I have ruined her. God, help her,” Larry muttered.
He hadn’t prayed since the incident … couldn’t pray. How could he go before God? He prided himself on being the sort of man that didn’t ogle other women, much less to commit … He couldn’t even bring himself to say the word. Did I suffer temporary insanity? A helpless sigh escaped his parched lips and tears rolled down his cheeks.
The shrill beeping of his cell phone brought him out of his misery. He dabbed his eyes, then cleared his throat. “Hello,” he answered.
“May I speak with Mr. Kanate?” a pleasant voice asked.
“Speaking.”
“This is Gloria Rogers from Dr. John Cerdon’s office. We have managed to squeeze in your appointment for twelve noon.”
“Thanks, Gloria. I’ll be there.” He had called his doctor’s office on the way to work because since Friday, he had been experiencing a burning sensation during urination and his testicles were slightly swollen. He had spent the whole weekend avoiding Rozene’s sexual advances.
The call ended and Larry stared blindly at his cell phone on the desk. What a mess my life has turned into. It then occurred to him that he’d been calling Gabrielle from his work cell phone. Picking up his personal cell phone, he dialed her number, and almost bit off his tongue when she answered.
“Gabrielle, please don’t hang up.” He heard her inhale and knew he had but a minute.
“What do you want?” she asked firmly, her annoyance evident.
He cut to the chase. “I know what happened between us was unexpected. Are you okay?”
She didn’t respond.
“Gabrielle?”
“Is that it?” He could almost see the dead look in her eyes.
Before he could think, he blurted out, “Please don’t tell Rozene.” This was one secret, he was determined to keep close to his heart.
He heard her sharp intake of breath and could have kicked himself. “No. I will NOT tell your wife that you take advantage of unsuspecting females,” Gabrielle said through clenched teeth. With that, she disconnected the call.
Is that what I did? A painful cry left Larry’s mouth and he slumped over his desk, sobbing.