TOXIC ATTRACTION

TOXIC ATTRACTION EPISODE THIRTY SIX

Rebekah was stressed at her cafeteria. She finished talking to Mark on the phone then put the phone away and buried her face in her hands and made a sigh. When she agreed to work with Mark, she had no idea what she was getting herself into and it had only occured to her that she had bitten more than she could chew. When she met Richard the previous year, he was with Mark who was busy with other girls and none of them even thought he was paying attention to them. Mark watched Rebekah seduce Richard in his state and even watched the two of them leave for a room. The girls at the club didn't care about anyone's condition, all they did care about was money and if you had money, any other short coming was none of their business.

She asked one of her workers to watch the cafeteria and close up as they normally did when she was away, she then collected her handbag and left for hee house so that she could go prepare herself for another episode of causing disruption into Richard's house. She hated it but she had to do it for the money.

I decided to cancel on Davis and pass by Susan's house because it was getting late and i had to make it back home and prepare dinner for my husband. Davis might not have taken the cancellation nicely but he did that to me alot of times, stood me up in restaurants, never showed up for a birthday i had organized for him. The embarrassment that i faced that day before his few friends and family and where was he? He came back home smelling of alcohol and cheap perfume. I hated him but loved him as much. Me cancelling on him was nothing close to the hell he put me through and besides i wasn't going to be so available to him and go running whenever he called.

Susan told me she was almost home and i decided to buy a few ingredients for dinner so that when i got done with Susan, i would head straight home. While at it, i got a call from my mother and for the first time i picked it up without hesitation, not after learning that my father could have been hitting her and maybe she needed me just as much as she did before i was married off. I had been so upset with my mother but after she stood up for me against Diana and her mother, I realized that she deserved more than the hate even though I was never going to tell her.

Me: yes mum,

I answered and from the silence on the other end i knew something was a miss.

Me: mum, are you there?.

Cleopatra: yes. I'm here Robina, how are you?.

Me: I'm fine mother. How are you?.

Cleopatra: worried. Where are you now, i need to see you.

Me: what is so urgent, why are you worried?.

Cleopatra: your friend Julia paid me a visit again. She showed me some very disturbing photos.

Me: what photos?.

Cleopatra: did you go through with the abortion?.

Me: that witch!.. do you have the photo so that i can take a look at it?.

Cleopatra: no. I do not. Answer my question Robina did you?.

Me: no.. I did not. I could not bring myself to do it.

Cleopatra: and the photos?.

Me: i haven't seen what is on the photo so i wouldn't really know but just know that i couldn't do it. Julia took me to some woman and another lady fainted and died right on my watch.

Cleopatra: that could have been you. What could be so bad about carrying a baby and giving birth to it, i had you and trust me its the best thing that ever happened to me. You will make a good mother Robina i don't know why you hate that pregnancy so much.

I don't know what to tell my mother, not even on the reason why i had badly wanted to terminate the pregnancy. I was confused on who could have fathered the child between Mark and Richard. Richard knew the baby is his and what would i tell him if it turned out to be Mark's?. I was scared out of my mind before trying the termination thing and i still was.

Cleopatra: can i see you soon?.

Me: yeah. You can come visit me at Richard's place.

Cleopatra: i thought you and Richard split and you never wanted to go back there.

Me: he is still my husband mum and i want to do what is right for my child.

Cleopatra: you know i will always be your mother and i will support you through everything. I will see you tomorrow and if you need anything don't hesitate to call me.

Me: okay. Thank you for checking up on me.

By the time i was done talking to my mother, i was closer to Susan's place. I walked down the lane and eventually got into the gate to their apartments. I went up the stairs and when i knocked, Susan opened and she hugged me excitedly and i hugged her back only that i still had ehat my mother had said in mind. What photos had Julia showed her?..

Susan: that face... That face needs a hot chocolate tea then maybe it will brighten up.

Me: i hope your chocolate tea really does wonders.

Susan: you can bet on it, come with me.

I dropped my shopping on the table and followed her to the kitchen. I sat on the stool that's normally in the kitchen the she offered to make the hot chocolate as she also warmed some of the left over food that i was meant to eat the previous night before i left for Richard's place.

Susan: Frank thought you left because he showed up. Were you okay yesterday?.

She turned to me after putting the food in the microwave to warm.

Me: babes, i was okay.. i was glad Richard asked me to go so that we could talk things over. Frank is a nice guy. He seems better than the rest I've met.

Susan: he is quite a gentleman and quite fun to have around. He is very romantic and very adventurous..

Me: i like it when you are happy. We will have dinner with him some other day. It was crucial that i talk to Richard..

Susan: how was the talk?

Me: some woman showed up claiming she had a baby with him after a one night stand. He seemed too reluctant even though he told me the kid is not his. He seems to be so sure.

Susan: maybe he is right. Men usually know when they get a woman pregnant. Majority of them do.

Me: but they also deny even when they know. I don't know what to believe..we talked and we seem to be in a good place but I don't know if I'll fall in love with him because I'm not.

Susan: what is your heart telling you to do?.

Me: that's the issue. My heart is pretty much decided right now. There's Richard, then there's Davis and you won't even believe this but Mark also showed interest in me. I told you about Mark right?.

Susan: mh! The guy who helped Richard keep you hostage?.

Me: yes. He's Richard's friend and was his best man on our wedding day.

Susan: babes, you are playing with fire!..

Me: i know. I don't know who of the two to extinguish.

Susan: you are expecting Richard's child. Maybe that should give you a hint.

I was silent for a moment. I wanted to tell susan that i was not sure who the father was but I wasn't ready for judgement. It was enough that i had told her about Mark.

Diana left the hospital as Mark had promised and Blade had to be the one to come for her. She couldn't help but notice a gun on his waist when he put on his jacket as they walked out of hospital. She was not really scared about him having a gun but she was curious as to why Blade would have a gun in the first place. He opened the door for her and she got in and he got in the driver's seat and started the car. She sat quietly still trying to figure out how she was going to ask about the gun without her sounding nosey.

Diana: I thought I'm the last person you wanted to be around.

She asked supporting her head with her hand and looking outside the window that was halfway open with the evening breeze blowing in her face. She did not hear him say a word and so she turned to him.

Diana: am i that annoying?.

Blade: I don't know you that well so i wouldn't say.

Diana: but you couldn't wait to get away from me..

Blade: not everything revolves around you Diana, some of us have a life. I was in that hospital watching over you the whole night so pardon me if i felt like getting away for a moment.

Diana: wow!.. from your tone, i can tell that if you had a choice I would not be in this car. Why do you seem to hate me, you don't know me as you just said.

Blade: yeah but everyone knows your father. Are you familiar with the saying an apple doesn't fall far from a tree? I've seen you enough times to know you are trouble.

Diana: stop the car..

She ordered taking off her seatbelt but he would not listening.

Diana: I've said stop the car..

Blade: i only take commands from boss and my boss told me to take you home so that's the only place I'm making a stop.

She looked at him then turned her head to look outside and none of them spoke to the other for the rest of that drive home..she never even got to ask why he had a gun but it made Mark suspicious more than it did Blade now that he was only taking orders.

Mark got in the house and when he walked into the bedroom, he realized the reason Robina was upset. He collected Diana's clothes from the floor and put them in a laundry basket. He also pulled the bedsheets from the bed and stuffed it inside the washing machine downstairs before getting in the shower to prepare himself for the evening. Mark had told Blade that he had new developments to see in place and part of that development was to usher in his new manager. The guy who was going to help run his business and this was none other than Johannes. The same Johannes that had told Richard he was going abroad. The underground Casino was Mark's and it was only known to the big shots who drove heavy machine and they went there not only to gamble but to spend their money on alcohol and watch women strip and dance for them. The casino had a club and a strippers club in it. It was a big place with all sort of dirty dealings.

Mark called Blade to ask if Diana was home and he told him they were on the way, he then told him to meet him at the casino as there was a business they needed to take care. Blade was loyal to Mark because Blades father had been an employee to Marks father. Worked for him keeping Elias's secrets and not just him but Jesse and Robert too. Blades father died under mysterious circumstances and that was after It was known that he knew too much. Someone took him out, Blade knew what his father has been doing for Mark's father and Mark had promised to bring his father's death to Justice after the court closed the case for lack of evidence that Blade's father was murdered. Mark's way was not the legal way and with all the promises he made to Blade. Blade pledged his allegiance to him. For better for worse kind of commitment.

Mark finished up talking to Blade then he took a shower and dressed up like the boss that he was. A few rich kid brings and a bullet proof vest that he normally wore every night he was showing up at the casino. He knew that not everyone was happy that he had taken up his father's cement manufacturing business alongside other businesses that remained unknown to alot of people and he knew a bullet could go his way any time.

Mark checked his gun for bullets then c****d it and tucked it on the back of his waist then left the house feeling fresh and smelling nice. His white shirt, back leather jacket and jeans made him look even more appealing to the ladies whose charms he still didn't know how to resist despite identifying a love interest.. something that was so rare for him..

Blade showed up an hour later. The casino was close to getting full to the maximum and now they were waiting for Johannes to show up but first, Mark needed to brief Blade on what mission they were going on that night..

Mark: this is your first but most important mission. It will make me know if you are ready and it will also show me how far you are willing to go.

He said taking a glass of whiskey as the watched the strippers do their thing. How did it not even bother them seeing almost naked women dancing right infront of them?.

Blade: I'm ready.

Blade said without hesitation.

Mark pulled out a photo and dropped it on the table right before him. Blade looked at it and he had this shocked look on his face.

Mark: that woman's name is Nerea..the address to her new apartment is written behind the photo..

Blade: wait, you want me to kill her?.

Mark: no. I want you to kidnap her and bring her to me.

Blade showed a sign of relief..

Blade: this is Richard's and Diana's mother. Your best friends mother. What do you want with her?.

Mark took another sip of his whiskey then turned to him.

Mark: i knew all that before asking you to kidnap her. Do you have a problem with the orders Blade?.

Blade: not at all. Consider it done..

Blade stared at that photo for a while before tucking it into his pocket and taking a mouthful of whiskey before walking out of the club. Mark learned back on the seat and smiled to himself.