The Grey Patch (BWWM)

Part 20- Curbing Shadows.

"She's fucking Gerald?! How the ef did that happen?!" Christian asked as he and Maldives roamed the floors of the Manhattan hall.

"Trust me Chris, even I still can't believe it myself. It all felt so...unreal, when I opened that door, there was literally nothing that could have prepared me for a sight like that, I felt like I was in a movie scene" Maldives explained as she remembered feeling numb and perplexed at the entire scenario.

She hadn't exactly been sure which she felt worse about, that she had seen her best friend and her co-worker bare and naked together? Or that her co-worker and her best friend had been secretly having an affair behind her back.
"...you know, now that I think of it, I wonder how long they've been at it for" she wondered.

"Hmm...me too...Dios mio, I still can't believe this! I mean I knew she had always been attracted to him, just like I was also attracted to him the first day he came, but I honestly honestly never expected that she'd act on her feelings--or lust--or whatever it is that they have going on. I actually felt he was just one of the usual crushes, cause you know, minutes after you two had left, she began texting some dude, after which she stepped out. I assumed she was going to go get some...you know..."

"Hmm, wait a minute, do you maybe think it's possible that they met that night?"

"What? During the dinner night?"

"Yeah...I mean, if you look at it, it does add up. Remember how I told you he ditched me for hours citing personal reasons? Maybe that was when they met up" Maldives suggested.

"Oh.no, I don't think so, what are the odds that they, in the whole of New York City, met up that night? It's not like they had each other's contacts prior remember? And I seriously hope it wasn't the case that they met up that night, because girl, that would have been really sneaky of them both"

"Sighs You're right...besides, he wouldn't use something as personal as family as an excuse, right?"

"Of course not, but just to be clear though, you don't happen to stillhave feelings for him, do you? "Christian asked as they stopped in front of the makeup section to check out the new Jeffery Starr eyeshadow collection.

"Whaat? No! Of course not, never! You know I never did. God, I was never even physically attracted to him, and if I'm mad now, it's not because I'm jealous or anything like that, I'm only mad at the betrayal of it all. They should not have kept that away from me, cause now I'm thinking, if she could keep that away from us, for God knows how long, what else could she possibly be hiding" she stated.

"Hey hey hey, don't start having extreme negative thoughts, okay? This was just a slip up, a major one yes, but I'm sure you two will work it out--or you three in this case" he joked and Maldives scoffed at his remark. "...just kidding! And I know you don't wanna talk to her now, but you know you're going to have to do it someday. She told me you haven't been picking her calls or replying her texts, which I know you have every right not to, but you can't just ignore the situation forever, cause tomorrow you resume work, and like it or not, you're going to see Gerald, and unless you wanna deal with office side talks and assumptions, you're going to have to straighten it out with him"  Christian pointed out as they left the makeup shop and made their way through the next one. Maldives sighed as she contemplated all that he had said, "I guess you're right...but I will think about it "

"Honey, I'm always rightj he winked, earning another scoff from her. "I think we should go grab lunch, I'm hella starving!"

"You're a fucking mind reader missy"

"Or you just never say no to food" Maldives teased.

"Wha—no, that's Bree's thing, not mine"

"Mmhmm, of course"