In Love With My Bully-Chapter 31: Public Appearances

I found myself sipping tea with Mrs Numero in the garden on Saturday asking for her help. Mary had handed me an itinerary that felt ridiculous but according to her, this was the only way to turn the situation around in our favour. People had to see us, know us, and believe in us. And if all goes well, it will shine a positive light not just on our marriage but on Numero companies as well.

"So, you have been the target of the media once more," she said before taking a sip of her tea, looking at me from over the rim of the cup.

"Someone must really not like me. But that’s not the problem, the problem is this list that Mary gave me, even the Queen of England doesn’t have so many public appearances," I sighed heavily feeling deflated. "I am not a socialite! I don’t know how to do this,"

"You poor thing and so soon after your marriage too?" she placed her tea cup on the table and I noticed the slight tremor in her hands. "I hope all this drama isn’t stopping the both of you from making me grandchildren,"

I laughed, already feeling lighter. She had that effect on people.

"Mom! focus. How can I bring a baby into this craze?"

She smiled but it was a different kind of smile, one that noted she was thinking about something else.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. It’s just nice to hear you call me mom,"

"Well, you are my mum too now, aren’t you? You should get used to it," I responded grabbing my tea cup.

"Well, so your press advisor says you need to go out more, I agree. Remember when I once told you that a Numero wife can make or mar her husband, this is part of what I was talking about... I didn’t have smooth sailing either especially when Richard – my Richard wanted to take the company public." She relaxed further in her chair and gestured to continue.

I waited for a couple seconds and she seemed to be finding her words. "--- your husband wanted to take the company public?"

"Right! We were attacked on every side. Allegations and accusations were flying about us. But we loved each other and we believed in each other. That’s what helped us. We stood by each other,"

"I didn’t know you had such a hard time. I thought you would have had it easier, I mean you being pretty and all. I mean look at you, perfect at this age,"

She laughed and chuckled at the same time, holding her chest to keep steady. "I hear the compliment, my darling. But beauty will get you to the top, there is no doubt about that but your effort and tenacity, your determination will keep you there,"

"I have the wrong order there."

"throw that self-doubt in the gutter. You are beautiful, naturally beautiful. The rest of us; me – that skank Richard was sleeping with before your engagement,"

My eyes widened in surprise, "You know about Gwen?"

"I suspected but the real question is ’Why do you know about Gwen?"

"Ah--- well ---- he told me!" I didn’t quite lie but I couldn’t tell her the truth either.

She stared at me suspiciously and then continued, "Yeah, where was I?" she clicked her fingers trying to remember again.

"the skank Richard was sleeping with?"

" ah, ah, women like her and I, we rely on beauty treatments and makeup. You – you pull off pretty and sexy effortlessly. And your secret weapon, people take your innocence to be a weakness,"

"thank you," I said to her and I meant it.

"Don’t thank me yet, thank me when you pull this off. All you have to do is be yourself, be formidable, and dress to kill,"

"Please don’t tell me this conversation is going to end with a shopping marathon! I haven’t recovered from our last shopping experience!" I threw my hands in the air to show my faux exasperation.

Mrs Numero laughed again. "I would love to torment you but I am waiting for Richard – your husband. He told me he was coming for tea too,"

"My husband? Didn’t he tell you?" I asked, my face quizzical.

"Tell me what?"

"He traveled on business. He won’t be home until next weekend,"

"Oh! Ah! My memory is not too great anymore. I can’t believe he traveled without you. How are you guys supposed to make me grandbabies!"

I chuckled but a bad feeling nagged at me. Mrs Numero was a sharp woman, something was wrong.

*****

I pattered barefoot around the kitchen, wearing nothing but my husband’s t-shirt, making myself a cup of coffee when my phone rang with the ringtone I had assigned to Richard. I channeled my inner Usain Bolt, almost tripping over furniture before grabbing it from the coffee table in the living room.

Grabbing the device, I hit ’accept’ and his face filled the screen, handsome as ever.

"Hello, gorgeous," he drawled. Warmth spread through me at the sound of his voice. I plopped on the couch, laying with my head on one end and my feet dangling on the other end, holding the phone camera positioned to my face.

"Hello, stranger," I shot back at him.

"What you have been up to?" he said, leaning closer to the screen.

"Nothing much really. I had tea with your mum earlier today and have been thinking of how to navigate Mary’s expectations of me,"

His eyes smiled before narrowing, "Is that my shirt?"

"Yeah... I sort of missed you and thought it might bring me some comfort,"

His voice dropped and his eyes darkened even further, "You’re not wearing anything else"

Heat flushed my cheeks, as I looked down and saw that the shirt was see-through and my nipples were noticeable. "Well, it’s not like anyone else is here to notice."

"Let me see the rest of you," he murmured, his tone sending a shiver down my spine. It was demanding and raw.

I moved the phone camera down my body slowly to my thighs.

"You’re not wearing underwear either," I heard him say. "Pull up the shirt,"

Okay, that was enough. I wasn’t going to give him a strip tease over the phone.

"Don’t get any ideas," I warned, "You can see all of me when you get back home," I put the phone back to my face.

"Nita? Come on! Give me this,"

"Nope!"

"Sugar, you do not give me this, I am going to torture you until you are out of breath, on your knees, begging me to fuck you,"

My heart caught in my throat. Sweetie, I would beg you right now! "You’re a thousand miles away, Mr. Numero. You can’t do anything about it." I smiled feeling cocky but he reached on his screen and ended the call.

What the fuck!