Achievements of a Woman ✔

55

Chester had his knees hugging his chest in his studio apartment during the Friday night after work. This was going to be the hardest part. Having no one to talk to know that was the hard part. Maybe he should meet in the middle with Mike. Talk it out. But he wanted this opportunity with Director Scott. This was the first time Mike had even been this angry with him, and this was the first time they had even gone this long without talking to each other.

He remembered the first time he and Mike first met and the first time they kissed at the party.

They were both a little tipsy and drunk at a party. They had left the main party area scene because Mike wanted to talk to him in private.

Mike was leaning against a balcony with an beer in his hand, and Chester was standing in front of him. Chester was rambling on about work, and Mike smiled at him and listened.

"You're the first person from work to actually talk to me, you know—" But Mike interrupted him by kissing him gently on his lips. Chester could smell the hint of beer from his lips and felt a sudden bliss in his stomach.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have done that," Mike said after pulling apart and scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"No...it's fine...I'm okay with that, actually...I'm gay, so," Chester was fumbling his words, happy, shocked, and confused at the same time. Mike gave him a soft smile in return. The first time someone he actually had a crush on kissed him. They started to see each other after that. A secret meeting around thing, or if Mike just wanted to hook up, they would go to his place or a hotel.

They had their on and off moments before, like when Mike was seeing a different person, but it wasn't like this. He could not get rid of Mike's angry face when he stormed out of Director Lee's office. 'Did Mike really think that I was just going to stay hiding behind him forever,' Chester thought to himself.

He could just call him right now. Call Mike to sort it out; maybe Mike is no longer mad at him. Chester looked at the phone beside him.

'NO,' Chester yelled to himself. 'Get a grip and hold your own. Besides, you promised Director Lee you wouldn't let this get messy.'

After Mike had stormed out of the room, Director Lee tried to comfort him by patting him on the back. "I'm sorry for you...." Steven said awkwardly, not sure at all what the hell to say.

Chester whipped a tear from his cheek and shrugged, "Thanks, Director Lee. Please just keep this stuff between Mike and me a secret. I promise not to let this get out of control."

Steven looked at him unsurely but sighed. The poor dude was going through a lot, and he could not pretend that he didn't go through his fair share of drama with Amena.

"Just don't let it cross overwork. This is already hard enough keeping it a secret from Amena," Director Lee. He gave him a look that said it was time for him to leave his office now. Chester was surprised Amena had never known that Mike was bisexual. They were really good and close friends. Why did Mike feel like she would judge him on that?

He wondered the most if Director Lee would hold up his promise because it felt impossible to keep this from Director Scott since now Lee, Mike, and himself work with her.

Chester drew his breath and laid back on his bed, dismissing his phone. Tomorrow was Saturday, and he wasn't going to let Mike get the best of him this weekend.

. . .

Steven was in his kitchen whipping dinner. Amena hadn't said anything since he stopped by Amena from Daniels. He wasn't sure whether to ask her about what had happened. After she left Daniel's, the ride back home was quiet and in silence. Steven didn't say anything knowing it just wasn't the time to ask or disturb her about it.

Steven glanced at her from the kitchen. Amena was thinking to herself and just waiting patiently for him to finish. Steven whipped his hands and started to finish up dinner.

A thousand things were flying in Amena's head all at once, and she had no idea what to explain to Steven. Should she even tell Steven about Daniel or keep Daniel's health private. She needed to tell him sooner or later so he could get tested after the fight they had, which involved blood. But she didn't want Steven to freak or react out of ration.

Disturbing her thoughts, Steven placed a plate of dinner in front of Amena. Amena looked up at Steven, whose face was relaxed.

"Thanks," Amena said under her breath.

Steven nodded and fixed himself a plate before sitting right across from her at his square dining table.

"A lot on your mind?" Steven added as she started to eat. Amena stopped for a second and paused.

Steven watched her closely. It looked like she was going to say something, but her eyes then twitched, like she was going to say something but just switched the topic.

"Well, I've been thinking maybe we could do something fun together. Over the weekend?" Amena brought up.

Steven furrowed one brow, "Something fun?"

"Let's go to the amusement park this weekend. We're both not busy, right?" Amena said.

Steven straightened up in his seat, "Yeah, I'm free tomorrow and Sunday."

Amena clapped and went back to eating her food. "I'll call Mike and Mia to see if they are up for it."

Steven shifted in his seat from hearing Mike's name but didn't bother to argue about it. If he tried to persuade her, she would think something was up, and once Amena finds something fishy, she never lets it go.

"Sure, I'm all down for it," Steven said, stuffing his face. He didn't bother to ask about Daniel. He was keeping his own fair share of thoughts to himself.

. . .

Daniel was in the office at the time that it happened. She had planned this along, and this time she wasn't making empty threats. This time Amena meant business and was out for blood.

A random middle-aged woman came into the office in the afternoon and served him papers. The receptionist called him from his office first and said an investor was waiting in the lobby. Daniel got up to meet the investor and found a middle-aged woman in an expensive neat luxury pantsuit that didn't even bother to say anything else. All she said was, "You've been served," throwing papers in his hands, and walked away, not giving him time to even breathe near her direction.

Daniel turned his head slowly to the receptionist, who witnessed the encounter in shock. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Green. I swear to god I didn't know. The woman said she was an investor with an appointment today. Please don't—" Daniel didn't bother to hear what else she had to say. He went back upstairs to his office, leaving her to self-loathe to herself, and slammed the door to his office.

Daniel paced back and forth in his office slowly before feeling heat rise in his chest and letting out a deep scream. He threw the office light wooden desk and medium-sized lamp and stomped on his mac desktop lying on the floor.

He knew the minute Amena found out the truth, it was game over. How the hell did Samantha manage to tell Amena when he hired the private detective to keep careful watch of her and report back to him about things Samantha was doing or talking to.

"I'm going to have to fire that useless son of a bitch," Daniel said to himself out loud. There had to be something that Amena was hiding. Something that he could use against her in this case. There just had to, no way she had a clean slate when she was so broke one period of time that she would do anything for money after the divorce.

Daniel picked up the phone and started to dial a different private investigator. He also wrote in his memo to remember to fire the investigator that was following Samantha.

. . .