Chapter 20
Lights...
Someone pushed open the curtains and window blinds letting the morning sun sweep into the darkroom.
Sophia stirred in her sleep. The bright rays causing her to lose sleep and she opened her eyes.
It was too bright outside, you could never guess after a long cold, and drizzling night that the sun would be so intense.
She sat up on her bed and recalled last night's event. she turned to space next to her hoping to find Jason there. But he was gone.
But the sheets were rumpled indicating someone was once there. She thought when he must have woken and limped back to his room.
If she could remember properly, his injury was very painful because he kept on grunting and trying to ease up his pain.
He must need some help with it. Sophia turned to Sabina who was getting her bath ready.
"Did... Was someone here when you came in?" She asked unsure how to put it. And knowing that Sabina was always the first person to come around on time. Maybe she might have seen him returning to his room.
Sabina seemed confused at the question "No... You were here alone, is there a problem?" She asked while selecting some clothes for her from the wardrobe.
"No just. Don't worry just help me out of this bed I've been lying down for long."
"he must have returned very early for no one to have noticed."
She wasn't sad that he left, just disappointed that she cared more than she should for someone who wasn't worth it.
And what he was doing in her room last night was still a wonder to her. She couldn't figure out a tangible reason why he would be in her room sleeping in the dark. She let herself believe he was drunk as usual and mistakenly thought her room was his.
Then maybe she should remember to lock the door before sleeping off. To avoid such late-night embarrassment.
***
Stan rolled the ends of his sleeves up while he walked back to his little comfortable office. His office was smaller than that of the other consultants.
Surely they were consultants and he wasn't and they required more space for their work and rank. After the long surgery, he was tired and needed to rest a bit in his office,
He sighed when he remembered the failed surgery. it always got to him whenever a patient died in the surgery room but that wasn't the most important problem to him now.
He was becoming fed up with the incessant way Maureen accosted him, especially at home. She didn't let him rest at all.
At first, he took it that she was only playing jokes on him to rile him up and he was ready to ignore her but he was wrong.
She kept on with her sexual advances to his utmost repulsion. How could he even begin to think of such situations or how would he explain to Sophia that her stepmother wanted him in her bed?
He always felt dirty even thinking of it. He knew Maureen was all for the money when she decided Sophia should marry. But he didn't know she could go all the way to sleep with someone young enough to be her son?.
He wasn't at peace in his own home anymore, he couldn't chase her out without a good explanation to Sophia and he wasn't ready to tell her. She'd used the excuse of finding a new home that was to her taste and kept stalling. It wouldn't make him anything to have her thrown away but he was raised better than that.
Maybe his office was his only haven where he could rest without worrying that Maureen might jump his bones in his sleep.
She had tried that before, not too long ago. He came home from work very tired and needed to just put his head on his soft pillow and sleep, but failed because he was just on the verge of it when someone jumped on him and within seconds was all over him.
Every part of him that was accessible at that time she wandered about them.
Stan opened his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. His eyes met hers which were clouded with a strong passion. He would never forget the look in her eyes that night.
He managed to free himself off her hold and sent her out of his room.
And made sure to lock his room whenever he was inside. He avoided her, didn't want to see her face for he might act out of line.
As he walked to his office he sighed inwardly when nurse Jennifer approached him, she'd been giving him the green light and asking when he'd invite her to his home. But Stan wasn't ready for people like her. She was the least of his problems now. The girl was persistent he'd give her that.
"Afternoon doctor..." She purred smacking her lips thinking it was sexy.
"Jennifer right?" He asked nonchalantly knowing it would sore her mood and it did.
She hissed. "Jennifer or jenny I've told you before. You have a visitor in your office" she announced and walked off shaking her derrière.
She seemed to think everyone saw her the same and worshipped the ground she walked on. Stan wondered who the visitor might be. People hardly visited him in his workplace cos everyone hated hospitals.
He swung the door open and Maureen stood from her chair to him.
"What are you doing here?!" She was the last person he was expecting. The woman was tenacious if she could boldly come to his office then he feared he'd have no peace at all.
"I came to get you lunch, you hardly eat at home these days and I know work is hard for you so I thought I might...."
"Get. Out!"
"Stan please just listen to me..."
"I don't want to, am good, I eat lunch at the hospital cafeteria."
"Hospital food isn't compared to home food. you know I cook nice, you once enjoyed my cooking. I know, especially when Sophia was still with us whenever I cooked you'd eat every bit of it and even request for more... I mean you enjoyed my company and I knew I had to make it better for you. You are a good man Stan... You took us in even when we didn't deserve it and you provided for us everything we needed. But you seem to be avoiding me for a while now, just let me pay you back the best way I can me?" She drew closer to him, eyes filled with countless emotions.
"Did it ever occur to you that you might be the sole reason why I don't eat at home anymore?"
Maureen stopped. "Why?..."
"Why?... I should be asking you that. When I was helping Sophia. I needed nothing in return. Nothing! And I don't seem to recall ever asking YOU for anything in return. That's how good I am, so don't bother yourself with trying to please me it sets me off the more. I can't stomach what you want from me" he confessed not quite meeting her eyes.
She watched him with hurt in her eyes, she just wanted to be happy with him. Wasn't he seeing the same thing she saw for both of their future? even a blind man could see it unless he...
"You love her..." Maureen said in realization.
"What?.."
"Oh, don't play that card with me, you love Sophia and that's why you didn't want her to marry Jason."
"What?!... I was only looking out for her as a friend she is to me. I don't know where you got that from" he bypassed her to his chair and loosened his necktie.
Maureen watched as he tarried around in his office and not meeting her eyes.
"I don't care if you love her Stan, she's married now and has her future with someone else but you and I are alone and unmarried. We can do a lot together. I love you Stan just give it a try, you might find out what you need. And I know you hate girls that don't think mature. I've seen the way you pay less attention to all those tiny ugly nurses outside, they don't know what you want."
"And what do you think I want?" He spat.
"If you'd let me, then I'll show you" she drew closer to him placing her hands on his shoulder.
They stared down at each other in that same position. Stan with contemplating eyes while Maureen with admiration, hope, and something else he couldn't figure out.
"Pack the food and take it on your way out I already ate on my way here" he announced and disentangled himself from her hold.
Maureen paled.
She wasn't expecting his response. She thought she saw it in his eyes, she was wrong, he wasn't easy to figure out, unlike the rest.
"You wouldn't want me telling Sophia of imminent sexual advances of her stepmother?.... Then I guess you should take your leave now!" He stormed off leaving her to her puzzle.
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