Chapter 66: The visit
I heard the sound of an engine revving first, then a female voice laughing. She was here.
I looked at Dave, expecting him to look stressed and as usual see frowns on MY forehead, but it was a smooth expanse of skin. How could he be so relaxed when I could barely sit still? There was another question troubling me but I had found myself unable to ask it. Suddenly I just blurted it out.
'Why did you not tell me you had a fiancee?'
Was he finally a two-timing cheater? I know he had told me that he barely met her, but still.
There was a deep sigh and while Martha went over to greet the guest, Dave said, 'A relationship is not just a name, it is a connection that we choose to nurture. In this case, it counts as a mere acquaintance. I cannot even say that Natacha is a friend.'
Put like this, I could partially understand why he didn't say anything, but there was still something bothering me.
'Why do you still call it an engagement? If you're not close, why not just end everything?' Or is it that he had the hope that he would have a fiancee from a good family when he was done having fun? At the mere thought of this, I felt that it could not be the case, but then you never knew what someone could be thinking. For sure, I was wearing his shoes and walking in them, but his psyche still belonged to him.
'It's more complicated,' Dave said, standing up. And I followed him.
Before I could ask him further questions, we had already reached the hall. A beautiful woman with ivory skin and ebony black hair, reaching down to her waist, walked in. Her pale skin was in sharp contrast with her red lips and highlighted her exotic beauty. Sharp black eyes peered at me, offset by curly lashes that gave a soft look to the face. She was wearing a pale pink dress, with a bow around the waist, that swirled around her ankles when she walked. The look should have been girly but it looked seductive with her curves.
Slowly, a smile bloomed on her face and she walked towards me. Why was she smiling as if she knew me, I wondered before it struck me that she was smiling at the face that she was familiar with.
'Hi Dave,' she said with a soft smile. Hesitantly, I smiled too and to my shock she leapt in my direction and gave me a tight hug. Aghast, I looked at Dave who was harboring a small smile. His eyes seemed to be saying that he was enjoying the moment.
I closed my arms around Natacha and smiled brightly at Dave who was behind. Two could play at this game.
'Hi Natacha, I'm happy to see you,' I said in the deepest voice I could muster. I released her and looked at her. She seemed really nice, as compared to Estena who was so snide.
Natacha seemed quite surprised by my enthusiasm and it oddly made me feel better as it confirmed what Dave had been telling me, that they were not that close.
She looked around her and it was then that she noticed Dave, that is, the ex-me. She smiled and extended her hand in greeting.
'Hi, I'm Natacha,' she said. Just Natacha, not Natacha, Dave's fiancee.
'Hi,' Dave replied. 'I'm Ash.' Just Ash, Not Ash, my friend, my girlfriend, the love of my life.
Natacha then turned to me and urgently whispered, 'I need to have a word with you Dave. Alone.'
Oh, she wanted to talk privately to Dave and I would be in the first row, Wow, that was wonderful.
'Of course,' I said and led her to the living room, but not before casting a backward glance at Dave and giving him a small wave. I could see that he wanted to follow me and couldn't as he didn't want to generate any suspicion concerning our identities. I felt bad temporarily, but it all went away when Natacha took a seat and I perched on the sofa in front of her.
The fact that Dave claimed that he didn't know her well would hopefully help me bluff my way through the conversation.
'I'm back from a visit at Grandpa's place,' she begun and my heart started beating rapidly. I just remembered that her grandfather and Dave's were good friends. I hoped she wouldn't expect me to refer to any of them.
I mumbled vaguely and she continued, 'He wants you to come and meet him urgently.'
My heart nearly exploded with tension. Why would he want to meet Dave all of a sudden, if not to talk about the engagement? He could have called, but no. Instead he chose to have his granddaughter deliver the message personally.
'There have been some new developments and he wants you to come and meet him tomorrow, if possible.'
Natacha looked at me with her hands knotted tightly in her lap and I could see the tense set of her shoulders. She seemed to be expecting me to reply, but I couldn't give her an immediate answer as I didn't even know if Dave would be free or not.
I just looked at her and nodded, and she seemed satisfied with my response. She jumped to her feet eagerly and said, 'Okay, we'll meet tomorrow at Grandpa's then.' Then as quickly as she had come, she waved goodbye at me and left from the hall. I walked behind her to the hall where I saw her wave at Dave and Martha. The sound of the car engine fading announced that she had really left.
I looked at Dave and muttered, 'You have a meeting with her grandfather tomorrow.'
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