Reclaiming His Wife

CHAPTER NINE - GAINING PERSPECTIVE

“Mark, did you get a chance to read those documents I gave you?”

Mark was in a good mood as he leaned back against the marble countertop in the kitchenette in his hotel room. It was a little after ten on Sunday morning and Veronica had brought over some important documents he needed to read through in order to make decisions on some upcoming projects. Usually, he appreciated Veronica’s efficiency, thoroughness and attention to detail. She knew he needed these matters addressed and was as invested in his company’s success as he was. Also, he really needed to get caught up with his work so he could dedicate all his attention and efforts toward winning his wife back. However, at this precise moment, he couldn’t help viewing her presence in his hotel room as an intrusion on what should have ideally been his personal time. Jessica and their kiss last night was the only thing on his mind. Anticipation coursed through him as he remembered how sexy she had looked in that skin-tight dress. Soon she would be his in every sense of the word.

“Mark?”

Reluctantly he dragged his thoughts away from his sexy wife and focused on his assistant instead. Veronica was draped (he couldn’t think of a more apt word to describe her posture) over the couch in what he considered too tight clothing. She was in a mid-rift tank top with her boobs all pushed to the top threatening to spill over and shorts so short they shouldn’t even be called shorts. He had hard-working and dedicated employees who always get the job done and give one and ten percent. As such, he had a very laid-back approach when it came to workplace attire. He allowed his employees to dress in whatever made them comfortable and most productive. He was particularly relaxed when it came to them working on weekends and on holidays. So he’d never really paid any attention to what Veronica wore.

In all honesty, he’d never really paid attention to her as a female before. She was his employee. He had strict rules when it came to interactions with his employees. He would never use his position of influence and power to take advantage of his staff or make them feel uncomfortable. But since he suspected Jessica had a misconception as it relates to him and his P.A he had made an effort to pay closer attention to their interactions. He was dismayed to admit he couldn’t say if this was Veronica’s usual style of dressing. He'd never noticed before. Objectively he could say she was a gorgeous woman, one whom once upon a time he would have been attracted to. But since meeting Jessica, his taste in women had significantly changed and he only had eyes for his wife.

In the coming days, he would have to assess how Veronica dressed when around him and make any necessary adjustments. He didn’t want to be a misogynistic d**k and tell her what she could and couldn’t wear. But if it was contributing to Jessica’s reluctance to be with him, he would definitely be making changes.

“Mark? Mark, did you hear me?”

Pulling himself from his musings he answered, “Yes I heard you. I’ve read about a quarter of them and will put the rest in the safe in my room.”

“But why? We need to get this done. I ordered us room service for breakfast and thought we could spend the morning going through them.”

“No.”

“No, you don’t want room service? If not, I can go out and grab us something else,” she suggested, deliberately misunderstanding him.

“No as in no to the entire plan. Call down and have them take the food to your room instead. We won’t be working today. Take the day off. You deserve it. Go and see some of the sights the capital city has to offer. We won’t be in Georgetown for much longer so you might as well use the opportunity now to explore.”

“May I ask why you don’t want to work today? We really need to get this done.”

“I’m aware of the deadline. But to answer your question, I’m going to spend the day with my wife.”

“Jessica?”

Mark was annoyed she felt the need to question him. Perhaps he had given her too much latitude as his P.A. He would have to rectify that.

“Who else would I be talking about? Do I have another wife I’m not aware of?” He questioned sarcastically.

Sitting up on the couch Veronica helplessly raised her shoulders in a shrug.

“No, it’s just that you usually put work first and these projects are important. I’m sure Jess will understand and won’t mind entertaining herself while we work,” she ended lamely.

Coming out of his slouch, Mark stood to his full 6’7” height. His stance, intimidating and aggressive. Veronica’s remarks had pissed him off.

“There seems to be some miscommunication. Let me clear a few things up. I’m the boss – you are the P.A. The fact that I felt the need to point out the obvious indicates to me that maybe you need to be reassigned to another post.”

“Mark –“

With one look, he silenced her.

“I love my job and what I do. It was what I was groomed from birth to do. But there is nothing – NOTHING – more important than my wife. Period.”

Standing and fidgeting in her too tight clothing, Veronica began, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep or imply –“

“You may go Ms Saunders.”

Unsure of how to proceed, Veronica hesitated a moment.

“Close the door on your way out,” Mark added as he made his way to his bedroom.

When the door to his hotel room slammed shut, he took a few seconds to calm himself before making arrangements to spend the day with his wife.

As he was about to call his security team to make preparations for a day of outing, he got an incoming call from his brother.

Answering he said, “Matthew, hey. How come you are calling me on a Sunday? I thought you usually surfaced mid-Monday after your wild Saturday nights.”

“Hello to you too brother of mine. I’m fine thank you. Nice of you to ask. How are you and your lovely wife?”

Laughing, Mark replied, “I’ve got plans with said lovely wife. So let’s dispense with the pleasantries and get on with the reason for your call.”

“Hmm, what do you have planned with my sexy sister-in-law?”

“Matthew!” Mark warned.

He and his brother were only two years apart, but aside from their similar physical appearance, they had nothing else in common. Matthew was the take life as it comes and live it to the fullest kind of person. Mark was a control freak. He wasn’t afraid to admit it.

“Okay, okay. I was just checking in to see if you got a chance to go over the reports I submitted last week. I’m taking some time off and will be going off-grid for about two weeks, so I wanted to make sure everything was good before I took off.”

“Yes, I read them a few days back, but something came up so I didn’t get the chance to contact you.”

“I realize. I went by your house and one of the housekeepers said you’d travelled to Guyana with Jessica. I didn’t know you’d planned the trip so soon. I thought you were waiting for her birthday.”

“The trip was sudden. Jessica decided she wanted to come and I tagged along.”

“You tagged along to an unplanned trip in the middle of major company acquisitions? Since when do you put anything over the business?” Matthew questioned. “Has the world gone mad and I didn’t notice?”

“Well a man tends to reprioritize when his wife suddenly decides she wants to end three years of marriage and asks for a divorce,” Mark reluctantly admitted.

“s**t! Jessica asked you for a divorce?”

“Yes. During a business dinner we hosted a few nights back, I went upstairs and found her packing. She handed me divorce papers and told me to sign them that she wanted to return to Guyana.”

“Wow, I’m sorry bro. I honestly thought you’d be able to fix it before it came to this.”

“Fix it? Fix what?”

“Fix your marriage.”

“Why would you think my marriage needed fixing?”

“Mark man, I don’t know how to say this.”

“Just say it. I’m a big boy. I can take whatever it is you have to say.”

“Bro, I love you. You are a whiz when it comes to business. That’s why you were the best choice to run the company when dad decided he wanted to step down. I have neither the patience nor the fortitude to deal with all you do.”

“But? I’m sensing a but - what does me being a good businessman has to do with my marriage potentially failing?”

“Mark, when you are focused on business – which is ninety-eight percent of the time, you shut everything and everyone out, that includes your wife.”

“I don’t-“

“Plus, quite frankly, you are clueless when it comes to your personal life and the people closest to you.”

“How can you say that? I check in with all of you – you, mom, dad and Melissa.”

“Yeah but on a surface level. You’ve always kept your emotions very close to the vest and have kept everyone at arm’s length. I get it, I really do. We grew up in the same household after all. The way mom and dad are – it affected all of us. Melissa went out and decided to find her one true love; you decided to not love at all, and I’ve decided to love every woman who chuckles at me.”

Mark took a minute to digest everything his brother had said.

“I get what you are saying, but I treat Jessica differently. She is my best friend – my closest confidant. I’ve let her in further than anyone else in my life.”

“Yes, I agree. But does she know that?”

“She should.”

“Let me ask you this – did you know there is a rumour going around the company that you are sleeping with your P.A?”

“What the f**k?”

“Everyone has heard it, except you apparently. I’m sure Jessica has as well. So if you didn’t know before now, I’m assuming Jessica didn’t front you about it and you, in turn, would not have reassured her that the rumours were bullshit.”

“Where the f**k did that rumour come from? Why would anyone think I was sleeping with Veronica?”

“My guess would be Veronica started the rumour herself. I have a feeling she does want to sleep with you.”

“Well, the feeling is not mutual. s**t, one more thing I’ll have to clear up with Jess. God, this is a f*****g mess.”

“Yeah well, while you are adding to your list, you might want to look into the way mom treats her.”

“What do you mean?” Mark asked shocked by Matthew’s statement.

“Dude, I know you can be obtuse at times, but you can’t be this clueless.”

“Matthew, just explain what you meant. I’m in no mood to put up with your crap right now.”

“Melissa might be able to elaborate better, but basically mom has been treating Jessica like s**t behind your back for the past three years. She’d made it no secret that she feels Jessica isn’t a suitable bride for you and that she still wishes you’d married a more appropriate woman.”

“What the f**k? Jessica is magnificent. What does she have against her?”

“Take your pick – she is black, orphan, from a third world country, does not come from money and according to mom – and I quote so don’t kill me – “she has no class or sophistication and she looks like a stripper.”

“I can’t wrap my mind around what you are saying. Why wouldn’t Jessica come to me with this? Why didn’t you or Mel tell me sooner?”

“Jessica wants to keep the peace in the family, and the first time I witnessed mom being mean to her – I blew up. I like Jessica. I was ready to rip mom a new one and tell you. But Jessica made me promise I would stay out of it. She said she could handle it. So I stayed out.”

Shocked, all Mark could say was “wow”.

“I know it’s a lot to process and take in. But I see the way you look at Jessica and the way she looks at you and I know you guys can make it if given a chance to make it work. I hope you can fix it, bro.”

“Thanks, Matthew. Apparently, there was a lot I didn’t know and things are far worse than I thought.”

“Glad I can help. I wish you luck. Jessica is very special, don’t lose her if you have a choice. Now about why I called – “

Mark chuckled and put him out of his misery. “I think you’ve done an admirable job of running the project and it was evident in the report.”

Matthew began to smile with relief even though Mark couldn’t see him. “You do?”

“The intensive feasibility studies, as well as the building site and sustainability analysis reports you’ve put together, are impressive. But then, so were the ones you did for my Vegas hotels.”

Matthew’s grin widened. “It means a lot to hear you say that. I’ve really welcomed this challenge.”

“I can see that. Seriously. I’m proud of you.”

“You getting soft in your old age, Mark?” he teased.

“Probably.”

Mark was proud of his brother and sister. They’d both followed their passions and made great lives for themselves despite the mess which was their collective childhoods.

Laughing they both ended the call.

Mark got to work, he had some serious damage control to do.