Chapter 148

The next morning felt like waking up to a new universe. To a new life. Everything looked different. Not different in a bad way, but in a way that created a sense of finaly achieving some pleasurable purpose in life.

Ariana made to get up from bed. The lovemaking last night was one compared to none. She had hoped it would never ended.

Calhoun held her back, "stay in bed with me. Don't leave me all alone."

Ariana smiled and kissed him. "We've not been at work for a couple of days now my love. People will be asking questions."

Calhoun took out his phone and texted. As he did so, he read what he was texting aloud:

"How's the office?"

"Running smoothly." Came the reply.

"Okay," Calhoun sighed and continued typing aloud, "I'll not be in for a while, do cancel all my unimportant meetings, and reschedule whatever itinery till next week. PS. Miss Ariana will also not be in office as well."

"See?" he turned and drew Ariana to himself, "we've got all the time to ourselves."

Ariana was defenceless. She didn't know how to handle the situation. The same man who was her fiance was also her boss.

"So, I was thinking," Calhoun said, as he drew circles around her chest, "we could set up your own little business. Probably online. That way you don't have to worry about working for me."

"Who said I was worried?"

Calhoun chuckled, "your eyes betray your thoughts my love."

Ariana rolled her eyes. All the while she kept up a smile. "I think that'll just be too much."

"Nonsense! There's not enough that I can do to please you my love. This is nothing compared to what I intend to do for you. Please, just give me your consent and I'll go ahead to start the paperwork."

"I don't know. It all seems too sudden," Ariana drove her hands around his arms.

Just yesterday, he had proposed marriage. Today he's proposing she owns her own business. What other stuff does he have in store?

"I don't want to pressure you my love." Calhoun replied, "just think about it."

Calhoun was moving too fast. Or so Ariana thought. It was like he was inside her head and knew whatever she had in mind.

It was quite different with Ethan. He almost had no single clue who Ariana really was. He always was all about himself. He never truly cared how she felt or what she thought. After all, Ariana was just another trophy on his shelf.

"Do you know any Blake Parkerton?" Calhoun inquired.

"Yes," replied the puzzled Ariana, "why?"

"Who's he to your family?"

Ariana wondered why these questions. "He's a family friend. We grew up in the same neighborhood. His dad and my dad were schoolmates. But why all these questions? What's happened to him?"

Calhoun hesitated for a while. "My sources tell me that he's involved with peddling your parents bad image to the press. We're yet to confirm his involvement. He seems to be evading all attempts to get him questioned."

Ariana could remember him. Blake always acted strange as a kid. He went into places he wasn't supposed to go to and told the other kids about the things that most of the adults did in secret.

But how could he be so cruel to her parents? What have they done to deserve his adversity? Yes, they stepped on people's toes and owed many. But although they treated her unfairly, Ariana still loved them. One would think that Ariana's parents got what they deserved but she would never had wished them ill. Not like this.

"Don't worry much my angel," Calhoun pressed on to her. Their bodies met and each could feel the warmth from the other. "It's all being taken care of."

Calhoun kissed her. His right hand got into the sheets and down her abdomen. Ariana gasped as he placed his fingers inside of her. She opened her mouth to scream as he got busy but no sound came out.

The rains had begun pouring outside and Ariana's moanings were drowned by the gentle thunder roars.

After spending the next half hour exploring different ways to induce pleasure from one another, Calhoun slept off. Ariana barely got out of bed and dragged herself to make a cereal. She was weak and likewise tired. Calhoun was a master lovemaker.

Ethan, on the other hand had been discharged from the hospital. He had gone to Ariana's apartment several times but to no avail. He had even stalked the office for the past two days but couldn't see any sign of her. He was afraid Calhoun had eloped with her. Even more scarier was the thought that Ariana had gotten married to Calhoun.

People at the bar began to see Ethan as someone who was gradually losing it. He was drinking more now and was easily provoked into a fistful. Some even say he often talked with himself. One thing was certain. He would live to regret ever letting Ariana slip away from his fingers.

Ariana picked up her phone to call Lisa. They haven't talked for days now. She decided to apologize first before Lisa could even say anything. The phone rang but no one answered. Ariana made to drop a voice message.

"Hey Lisa, I'm really sorry for ghosting on you. I'm sure you must have been worried sick about me. I'm fine and in safe hands. Calhoun has been too good to me. And I mean in every way. Mostly on bed. We even went on this romantic date and, Lisa, you won't believe it. We've got a wedding to plan some time soon. Yes, he proposed and I said yes. I wish I could see the look on your face right now. Can't say much. Bye for now. Call me when you get this."

It wasn't until Ariana looked at her phone again that she realized the blunder that she had done. She had in fact dialed Ethan's number instead. But it was too late, the message had been sent already.