When We Slumber

3 | Foolish Heart

Each day followed the same routine. I woke up and ran then travel to work. This kept me occupied and I didn't have much time to think about Kandy. When evening came, I found myself making friends with strong liquor at the bar. Somehow, it didn't taste as bad and it made me sleep like a log straight through the night.

Timothy had flown to the Caribbean to see his great grandmother in the hospital and would return in a few weeks with his girlfriend of five years. I had never met her but I knew she had to be an angel to have captured Timothy's heart. He was the lucky one. He still had a family that stuck around him and he had friends who cared about him and not his money. He was the only real friend I had, the only real family I had.

Deep down, I knew Kandy wouldn't stay with me. Even though she still slept beside me, I knew we were over. She just didn't have anywhere else to go yet. Most mornings I would leave her in bed, but by the time I returned from my run, she would be gone. She wouldn't even make me breakfast.

"Maybe she just doesn't know what to say," I said to myself. I was preparing the final touches to a house I was showing to a client in the evening. It was an apartment in the heart of downtown and it took me about forty-five minutes to get there.

"Hello," Someone called at the door after knocking. "Mr. Kensington, it's me, Franseika." The person called again.

Rushing from upstairs, I opened the door and revealed a Latina. "Good day. Come in, please," I greeted.

The woman walked in wearing a wide smile. "Thank you." Her eyes roamed the living room from floor to ceiling and she jumped in excitement. "Oh my God! It's perfect. I love it." She squealed.

Her excitement warmed my heart. If anything, this was the highlight of my day. "Miss Franseika, I believe it would please you to start the tour upstairs and make our way down."

"Yes, yes." The Latina skipped up the stairs while I trailed behind her. As we ventured into each room, I showed her all the changes I had made. She was delighted to find that I remembered everything she said in the interview. 

"This is pretty. Now I can organize all my hair products in my bathroom instead of piling them in my bedroom." 

I smiled. "I remembered you mentioned that you wanted shelves in your bathroom, so I added some for you."

"Thank you," Franseika let out. "I love it and I want it."

"Awesome." I led her back downstairs and then into the kitchen where I left all the paperwork. We sat at the dining table and discussed it before signing the paperwork. "So, Miss Franseika, since you just made the first payment, you have a total of four left. Your next payment is due in five months and the rest, accordingly." I announced and handed her the keys to the apartment.

"Wow! Thank you."

"My pleasure, and welcome to the Kensington Corp family." With that, I made my way out of the building and drove back to the office where I met a young man waiting for me. Sat outside my door and I let him in on my way. I didn't recognize him, but Miss Molly was sure he had an appointment.

"I'm the last person you expect to see in your office, but-"

"Who are you?" I asked. 

"Let's just say, I fucked your girlfriend a couple of times." He said it like it was some kind of great achievement.

I was speechless. It felt as if a dagger pierced my heart. It was the same man I caught Kandy with, and apparently, it wasn't the first time they were having sex. I suddenly couldn't breathe. 

"Look, I just came here to tell you to put a leech on that bitch." The man frowned. "She's pregnant and it ain't mine, so tell her to quit stalking me." He stood from the couch and left, slamming the door behind him.

I was still in shock. My shoulders felt heavy. If Kandy was truly pregnant, the child wasn't mine either, so there was someone else. "How could you?" Tears filled my eyes and I was glad it was time to leave the office. I drove home and took a taxi straight to the bar, knowing I would be too drunk to drive back.

There weren't many people there and the music was mild. I couldn't rant aloud as the old man next to me would think I was crazy. As I took the shots one by one, they burned my throat, somewhat like how the pain burned my heart. It didn't take long for me to be drunk out of my mind and for the bartender to stop serving me.

"How could you? " I cried and cried. "I gave you everything." while the taxi drove me home, I quarreled with myself. The driver kept looking at me with a puzzled expression but I was too drunk to care.

I stumbled inside the house and straight to bed after kicking off my shoes and clothes. I slept through the night like a log and when morning came, I awoke to Kandy, as usual. I contemplated chasing her away, but my heart wouldn't allow me to do it. Instead, I did what I always did. I exercised. I knew by the time I returned she would be gone so I wasn't worried about awkwardly bringing up her mistake.

Still, it puzzled me why she avoided me like the plague during the day but cuddled into me at night. I was complaining, but I just couldn't understand it. Still, with a pounding headache, I set out for another busy day at work. It was a good thing all I had were three interviews in the evening hours. It gave me much time to sleep off the hangover. I instructed my assistant not to disturb me with anything until the first client arrived for the interview, then I sprawled out on the couch and slept like a log.