Picture Perfect

Chapter 17

Sighing loudly, Andrew rubs a palm over his face, slouching in his chair. He can feel Dr. Meyer staring at him for several moments as the two sit in complete silence, a heavy tension filling the air between them. "I don't know what to do, Ed," he confesses, his eyes adhered to the amber liquid filling his glass. "Cora and I, we were ecstatic when we found out she was expecting, still are. All of this drama with Maria, it..." Andrew pauses, the silence creeping up on him as his words catch in his throat. They sit there, festering, refusing to be spoken; it's as if the words themselves are poisonous, and his body is rejecting them entirely. "This isn't something that I had prepared for," he admits quietly, his heart stuttering in his chest and the unwelcomed panic overflowing in his veins.

"I understand it was unexpected," the doctor replies, feeling wholly uncomfortable with this conversation. In fact, he feels incredibly appalled with this entire situation, now that Maria has tried to acquire him as a pawn in her wicked scheme. "I assume termination is out of the question? Perhaps there is some way to subdue Miss Ortiz, to secure her secrecy?"

"She infuriates me," Andrew says, feeling his anger swiftly consuming him. "I could scare her into submission, sure, but I can almost guarantee that her willingness to comply would be temporary. Maria seems to enjoy tormenting me; I've seen the thrill in her eyes. Blackmail is out of the question; her reputation is practically squeaky clean, judging from the background check I ran when I hired her. She's also relatively resourceful; I'm sure she'd find some way to inform Cora of my indiscretion." Downing the rest of his drink, he adds, "I'm running out of time. Pregnancies don't last forever; eventually, there will be children brought into this mayhem I've created. We're already in the second trimester; the end is closing in on me, Ed."

"I give my word that I won't divulge any of the information I've come to know," Ed promises, wishing he had no awareness of the circumstances at all. His life would undoubtedly be better if he were blissfully ignorant of the situation.

"Have you noticed anything suspicious about Maria?" questions Andrew, his eyes studying Meyer. "I fear I may be too close to her to clearly decipher her intentions. Perhaps a second pair of eyes observing her actions could provide a refreshed perspective."

"So it's true?" Ken's voice floats into the room before Ed can respond; the accusation spat out as if it tasted bitter on his tongue. "You've cheated on your perfect wife and impregnated your harlot of a secretary? I can't even believe this; I knew Maria was easy, and I'd heard the rumors around the office, but I hadn't the slightest idea that the gossip may actually be true. You've really been involved with her all this time?"

With his nerves instantly calmed by the shift in attention, Dr. Meyer relaxes in his seat. He doesn't have the foggiest notion of how he would have replied to such a question without arising suspicion from his dear friend. Allowing relief to flood him, he takes a moment to clear his mind, giving his two poker buddies an opportunity to converse without his interference.

Andrew's skin tingles as he tries to suppress the fear that flows violently through him, filling the very depths of him. He despises that his picture of perfection is being shattered, shame overtaking him at the realization that his failure to maintain it is now more exposed. He had hoped to contain the knowledge of his imperfection, to prevent it from being revealed to others. Unfortunately, he hadn't expected Ken to return from the washroom so quickly.

He should have done something about Maria long ago, then he wouldn't be in this horrendous predicament. Or, perhaps, he should have simply kept it in his pants, to begin with.

Narrowing his gaze at his eavesdropping friend, Andrew attempts to discern the emotions displayed on his face. Among the surprise, he can quite clearly see disdain, and is that amusement? Of course, Ken would find something funny about this mess. Shaking his head, Andrew firmly states, "I expect that the information discussed within this conversation will not leave this room."

Scoffing, Ken drops himself onto the couch and folds his arms over his chest, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Andrew. "Let me get the facts straight. Your wife and your mistress are pregnant simultaneously, and Meyer here is doctoring both of them, I presume; I admit that's a brilliant move. Am I correct in assuming that is the extent of his involvement?" With an affirming nod from Andrew, Ken continues, "And none other know about this?"

The room stays quiet, the tension growing thicker in the air until it becomes stifling. It's almost suffocating, somehow leeching the air directly from Andrew's lungs. Suddenly, loud laughter can be heard from the apartment's front entrance, signaling the arrival of the remainder of the typical poker crew. Clearing his throat, Ken jumps to his feet, plastering a smile on his face as he exits the room to greet his guests. He pats Andrew on the shoulder as he passes him, silently agreeing to guard his secret.

Andrew expresses a sigh of relief and ignores the dark pit growing in his stomach as he follows after his friend, forcing a smile of his own onto his otherwise unpleasant expression. There will be time to worry about Maria later, he supposes, when he isn't in a room filled with such influential men. When he can keep his downfalls to himself. For now, there remains an image to uphold for those who are unaware of his disastrous mistakes. "Meyer?" he asks, turning toward the doctor with a raised eyebrow.

Ed's eyes widen slightly as he hurries to the door, entirely appreciative of the chance to delay any further consideration of the topic. 'If only the distraction could be permanent,' he thinks to himself. There has to be a way to remove himself from this equation.