The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
AFFLICTION
BY TROG |
CHAPTER
10 |
CHAPTER 10
As Tea made her way down the hospital corridor, her arms loaded with magazines, she noticed Antonio coming out of Carlotta’s room.
“Hi, chica, you’re looking mighty fine this morning!” he said smiling at her. She looked casual and youthful in blue jeans, boots, and an oversized lavender sweater. Her hair was carelessly pinned up and her lips were glossed in a deep, sultry red as they broke into a beautiful smile for him.
“Are you trying to pick me up? May I remind you I’m a married woman!” she said, feigning disapproval as she looked up into his exotic, handsome face.
“It’s true...all of the good ones are taken.” he said, kissing her cheek. “How about I take you to dinner tonight...let’s catch up, okay?”
“I would love that, Tonio...it’s been too long. How’s your mother this morning?”
“Actually, I think she’s in pain, Tea, but she won’t tell me much. She’s in a lousy mood. Anyway...I gotta get to the station. I’ll call you later,” he said, as he walked off.
Carlotta was sitting up on the bed looking listless and tired. Her eyes were half closed when she noticed Tea entering and smiled weakly.
“Good morning, mija, you look so pretty today. It’s amazing what a little time in the company of the man you love can do for you,” she said.
Tea stared at her, taking in the irony of her words, and smiled.
“When you first came back, Tea, I worried that you weren’t happy in your marriage to Aaron. There was something in your eyes...but now I see it again...that spark you always get when you’re happy.”
Tea looked away from her and busied herself by placing the magazines on her bedside. She felt guilty listening to her words--lying by omission--and she tried to change the subject. Sitting down on the bed beside her she put a hand up to Carlotta’s forehead. Her skin felt cold and clammy.
“Are you okay...you look very pale. I’m going to call the nurse.”
“No, Tea...please don’t. I’m fine, really. They poke and prod me all night long...let them be.”
“But, Carlotta, if you’re in pain...they can give you something.”
“I know, querida...but I’m okay...now tell me about Aaron.”
Tea stared into Carlotta’s eyes knowing that she wanted happiness for her.
“Well, Aaron is an international business consultant...he deals with multi-national corporations...with acquisitions and mergers...international trade laws...”
“No, Tea...not what he does. Tell me how you two met...how things are between you.”
Carlotta wanted to hear about their romance and Tea did her best to accommodate her and cheer her up.
“Well...we met at a party of a mutual client about six months ago. It was a black tie affair at a lovely house on the water in the Hamptons. I noticed him right away, his being so tall and every woman in the room panting after him, but I really wasn’t that impressed--he wasn’t really my type. But apparently I was his because he watched me the whole evening, even though I came with a date. Eventually, when I found myself alone on the terrace he came up beside me and gave me the oldest line in the world, he said “I’m going to marry you.” That’s how we met.”
Carlotta smiled.
“Well...that certainly sounds romantic to me. What did you say?”
“I told him I had no interest in getting married...so he said he would settle for living in sin until he persuaded me to marry him. I told him I wasn’t interested and walked away. He pursued me until I relented and in a few months we were living together and ...here we are...married,” she said, looking pensively at her rings. “He wants to have a baby...”
“Oh, Tea that’s wonderful!” said Carlotta, giving Tea a hug.
“I just don’t know if I’m ready for that. I mean we’ve only been married a month. Aaron has no family and he wants to start one right away...but..I...I just don’t know. It all seems so...rushed.”
“Well I think it’s a perfect time for you, Tea. Don’t wait too long...children are such a blessing.”
Tea got up and walked to the window looking out at the gloomy April sky. It had been cloudy every day since she came to Llanview.
“I use to think that’s all I wanted...now I’m not so sure. I‘m not sure I want children.”
Carlotta watched her closely. Again she felt a sadness emanating from deep inside Tea.
**********
Todd sat behind his desk at The Sun and picked up the phone to call her than put it down again. She had made it clear that she wanted to make her marriage work and he should respect that...but...he needed to see her. It was agony knowing she was so near.
Last night he had laid awake, his body restless, activated by their kiss. This latest bout of celibacy had been easy to maintain with Blair around--she just didn’t turn him on sexually--her tawdry cloths, her cheesy seduction schemes had little affect on him. She was the mother of his children, but as a woman, compared to Tea, she was truly a common creature--without accomplishment, without ambition, without essence.
When Tea was around him all he could think about was loving her. Touching her. Laying back in his chair and closing his eyes he touched his mouth remembering how good she tasted yesterday, and recalling how he couldn’t get enough of her physically when they finally got together. Tasting her mouth, her hair, her breasts, her nether world. It was never enough the constant need to possess her, to absorb her into his skin, to get closer to her. His love for her was incurable , insidious, and irrational. Tea Delgado...his beautiful and terminal disease, this lovely affliction that he would willingly die of --rejecting all treatment.
In his belly his demons scratched and clawed at the lining of his stomach, warning him to keep away from her. Hopping out of his chair and digging into his pocket for his little purple pills he swallowed a couple with a glass of water, trying to feed his devils, to keep them quiet as he fought the urge to run and find her.
“Make your marriage work...and raise your children,” Tea had said to him. Is that what she really wanted for him? He wondered. Could she just walk away from him and have a life with that man and have his children...and make love to him every night? The thought of it made him queasy and made the pain in his stomach burn and flare. If he called on everything inside him he could be strong enough to stay away from her....let her have the life she insisted on wanting, but when he looked into her eyes...he didn’t believe her.
“Hey, pal...how are you feeling?” asked Sam as he walked through the door of Todd’s office. Todd looked up with annoyance at having his thoughts interrupted.
“What the hell are you doing here? Next time call for an appointment...I’m a busy man, Sam, I don’t have time to gossip with you.”
Sam smiled. Their relationship had become strained with Sam having known about Blair’s lies and not telling him but they went back a long way and he still cared about Todd.
“Vicki called me and told me you collapsed. A bleeding ulcer is a serious medical condition...I hope you’re taking care of yourself,’ he said, sitting on the sofa.
Todd got up angrily and walked over to the door, slamming it shut.
“What...did she publish it in her newspaper? I wish Vicki would stop blabbing to everyone that I’m sick. Word gets out that I’m a freaking invalid...and I’ll have no leverage in this lousy town...I’ll lose my intimidating edge! It‘s like if Dracula had hemorrhoids, or Frankenstein suffered from constipation. Monsters don‘t get sick or no one will take them seriously!” yelled Todd waving his arms for effect as he paced around the office.
Sam laughed at his friend‘s fantastical ravings.
“I’m serious, Todd, how do you feel?”
“I’m fine...never better.”
“And how are things with Blair?”
“None of your fucking business. I think you’ve interfered enough with me and Blair...you lied for her.”
Sam got up.
“I didn’t lie for her...I kept her secret...that’s what friends do for each other.”
“Oh...now you’re HER friend? You’re suppose to be MY friend...not hers! You fucked her a few times...that makes you HER friend?” he yelled.
“For God’s sake, Todd! That was years ago...and I’d like to think I’m a friend to both of you.”
Todd stared at him than walked to the window.
“Well...you’ve been a lousy friend to me!”
Sam walked up behind him.
“You’re right....I have been. I’m sorry, Boomer!”
Todd turned around, moved by Sam’s effort.
“Hey, if you really want to be my friend, don’t call me Boomer!”
Todd walked back over to the sofa and sat down. Sam sat beside him.
“How are things between you and Blair? Really?”
Todd raked his hands through his hair and leaned his head against the back of the sofa.
“They suck! But we took care of that last night....everything is just fine now.”
Sam smiled and slapped Todd on the shoulder.
“That’s great....I’m glad you two...um...made up.”
Todd sat up and looked at Sam with a confused expression.
“Made up! What are you on...crack? Last night I told Blair to stay the hell away from me. We’re married for the kids...that’s it. I don’t want anything from her accept for her to act like a mother to our children!”
Sam stared at Todd and shook his head.
“Well, I’m sorry to hear that, Todd. Blair loves you and you owe it to her to make it work!”
Todd stood up and pointed at him.
“Oh, like you did, Sam? You were married with two kids...did you love Lindsay for the sake of your children? Don’t spout your hypocritical, philosophical do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do crap to me!”
“That was different, Todd, I married Lindsay when I was in love with someone else...someone I thought I would never see again.”
Todd stared at him.
“And how is that different from me?” asked Todd.
Sam looked at Todd and put his hands in his pockets.
“Yeah...Vicki mentioned that Tea was back in town.”
Todd turned his back on him and walked over toward the window.
“But Todd...Tea’s married.”
Todd turned around sharply.
“So was Nora when you came to town...you took care of that pretty quickly.”
“That’s not what happened, Todd!”
“Whatever....just don’t preach to me...okay?”
Sam sighed in frustration.
“You’ve seen her...haven’t you? That‘s why your so...so...manic,” asked Sam.
Todd nodded and looked down as he shuffled his feet.
Sam shook his head in disapproval.
“Let her go, Todd. You can’t make her happy.”
Todd threw Sam an evil look before going back behind his desk.
“Go to hell! Get the fuck out of here! I didn’t ask for your advice. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say about Tea. I already took your advise about Blair and look how great that turned out.”
Sam shook his head and walked to the door.
“You’re playing with fire, Todd. You know that, don’t you?” he said before walking out the door.
Todd reached into his desk and pulled out his father’s old cigarette lighter. Flicking it open, he watched the orange flame dancing before his eyes and he stared at it hypnotically. Fire. Heat. Light.
“I like fire.”
to be continued...
2001 Copyright by Trog
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