Felicity’s Visit

When he approached the manor, there was a car which he didn’t recognize parked in the gravel driveway. He got out of his Porsche and parked it. As he walked towards the other car, the door opened and Felicity stepped out. His heart sank. What on earth was she doing there?

She was dressed in a suit and the skirt was extremely short, revealing her long bare legs clad in shoes with impossibly high heels. There was no smile. Just a dour expression on her face. “Hello, Gerhardt.”

“Hello, Felicity. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?”

“How come you didn’t invite me to your fancy gala? Why did I have to hear about it on TV and read about it on Social Media?”

“I wasn’t the organizer of the gala. I was merely the host and MC.”

“I saw a photo of you and Lexie dancing. You two seemed very cozy.”

“Look, Felicity, I just got home from the office. I’m tired and I want to take a shower before dinner.”

“What was Lexie doing here?”

“She was one of the organizers of the gala.”

“Really! Then, why didn’t she invite me to it? We’re supposed to be friends.”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

“I will but I have an idea why I wasn’t invited.”

“What do you think the reason was?” he asked wearily.

“She didn’t want me around so she could throw herself at you.”

“She didn’t throw herself at me.”

“I saw the way she was looking at you when you were dancing, Gerhardt.”

“And how was she looking at me?”

“Like she wanted you. It’s the way I used to look at you when we were together.”

The idea of Alexandra wanting him thrilled him, of course, but he couldn’t allow himself to believe it unless she made it crystal clear. Until then, they were friends with the potential of becoming more. “You’re mistaken,” he said to Felicity. “We’re friends.”

“No woman in her right mind would want to be your friend, Gerhardt.”

“Felicity, why should it matter to you whether or not Alexandra and I are friends?”

“She’s supposed to be my friend and I don’t like her hanging around you.”

“I enjoy her company.”

“Is that all you enjoy?” she demanded.

“What are you implying?”

“Have you slept with her?”

His mouth tightened. “I don’t see how that is any of your business.”

“You’re still my business, Gerhardt even though you dumped me.”

“I had to break up with you, Felicity.”

“I thought you and I were for keeps. I thought that you wake up one day and realize that you had made a terrible mistake marrying her and get a divorce. And then, you’d come back to me and we’d pick up where we left off. Even get married.”

“I couldn’t get a divorce and pick up with you again because I loved Helena.”

“I thought you loved me.”

“I cared for you but, I’m afraid I didn’t love you. I’m sorry, Felicity.”

“You made me think that you did. And I thought we would get married.”

“We never talked about marriage.”

“No, because I wasn’t rich and lived in a big fancy house.”

“I’ve already told you that I didn’t marry her for her money.”

“You didn’t marry her for love either.”

“No, but I ended up falling in love with her and that’s why I had to–“

“Dump me. It’s happening again. You throwing me over for Lexie.”

“Even if Alexandra weren’t in the picture, you and I would never have gotten back together.”

“So, you admit that it’s Lexie you’re after this time. And don’t bother telling me again that you’re just friends. I’m not blind. I saw the way the two of you were looking at each other. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.”

“You’re mistaken about Alexandra. She’s your friend–“

“No, she’s a Judas and I want nothing more to do with her. And you, you can go straight to hell!” With that, she turned and stomped off.

He stood there, arms folded as he watched her get into her red sportscar, slam the door and speed off, raising dust as she went. No doubt that it was the last time he was ever going to see her. He sighed.

It was obvious that she was still very hurt. He wished now that he had handled things differently. He should have ended their relationship after he got married but he wanted to have his cake and eat it too. For a time, he was juggling a wife and a mistress until he fell in love with Helena.

In retrospect, he knew that even if he had never met and married Helena, his relationship with Felicity would not have lasted. He didn’t love her and he couldn’t see himself spending the rest of his life with her although in the beginning she had been for him a fiery and fascinating woman who added excitement to his otherwise dull life.

They had some really good times together but things changed when he realized that he wanted something different. He found that “something” with Helena and now he had found it again with Alexandra. He found himself hoping that what Felicity said about Alexandra was true–that she wanted him too.

As he turned and headed towards the steps leading to the manor, it occurred to him that he should call Alexandra and let her know about Felicity’s visit.