Moving Out

The drive to Edensville was exciting and scary. Getting married to a stranger was one thing; living with him was another. Clay had sent his assistant, Mark, to drive Lorraine to his house in Edensville. The gated neighborhood had remained secluded because of its policies. No public vehicle could have access, and neither could anyone who didn't have the permission of a resident living in the neighborhood.

Mark parked the car in front of Lorraine's apartment in The Bay and immediately detested the neighborhood. Although belonging to the middle class, he had grown to fancy the life of the top one percent in the city and often wished to belong to the exclusive society.

Shortly, Lorraine arrived, and they drove to the ultra-rich neighborhood, a mere twenty minutes drive from The Bay. Lorraine was dropped off, and when she descended the vehicle, she stared at the massive estate which would be her new home.

She had anticipated her new husband was rich, but as she stared at the massive contemporary designed estate, her curiosity grew more on what he did as a profession.

Grabbing her luggage, she made her way up the stairs leading to the front entrance, unlocked the door and stared at the vast space that sprawled out before her eyes. Her first impression was that the estate would have a minimalist modern style, but as she walked around the area, scanning the room for furniture, decor and all, she wondered if anyone had ever lived there.

For such a beautiful house, the place was barely furnished and appeared empty. She set her suitcase beside the only couch in the living room, and continued her tour of the house. Lorraine walked towards her room which had only a single bed, a table and a chair, but the sunlight that shone through the balcony illuminated the room, making her glad that she could at least go about her painting in her privacy. Also she felt relieved that it was far from the master's bedroom, as such she would not feel pressured to have any relations with Clay.

Quickly, Lorraine pulled out her phone and went online. She had been saving for unsettling eventualities like her parents refusing to pay her rent, but now that she had a space to live, she didn't mind directing some of those savings to bring life to her new home.

She started with plants, put up some artwork, kitchen accessories, and everything she could afford under a budget to turn the house into a home.

When she was exhausted from all the decorations, Lorraine went into the kitchen; that was when she realized she had not made food plans. With only a single carton of milk and cereals in the freezer, she wondered how Clay ever got by living here.

Store-bought food was her last resort, Lorraine strongly believed that home-cooked meals were more nutritional, but after the day she had, cooking was the last thing she could do. Besides, the kitchenware she ordered online was delayed to be delivered the next day. She only had one option. Scrolling through her contact lists, she found Clay's contact.

Lorraine felt reluctant to disturb him; the last time she saw him, he seemed uninterested in her, and she knew he would hate to be disturbed, particularly if he were still in his meeting. She second-guessed calling him, but against her better judgement, pressed dial.

The phone rang for a minute before Clay finally picked up,

"Who's this?" He asked,

"It's Lorraine", her feeble voice answered

"Lorraine, who?" Clay replied, already growing impatient. He hated being disturbed during meetings, and after Edith's call, he did not wish to entertain any further interruptions.

Lorraine felt agitated by his response. Did he have to be so arrogant? How could he not remember the woman he just married moments ago? No wonder he couldn't find any girl wishing to settle down with him without having to bribe her with a sum. It was her fault that she wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth. She inhaled deeply and exhaled her frustrations. With a passionate tone, she replied

"It's your wife, Lorraine" "Please, could you buy some food from the store on your way back?", She said fervently, and Clay flared up; he couldn't believe this was what she called to ask. Was this going to be his life from now on? He thought. He had heard stories from his work colleagues about their wives who dallied on about basic needs throughout the hour. This was one of the reasons he wished not to be married.

"Why don't you cook something?", He responded, massaging the space between his eyes from exhaustion. Lorraine's patient was quickly fleeting,

"Did you know that it is incredibly difficult to cook something without any supplies or kitchenware?" She replied sarcastically, and Clay immediately recalled that he had not bothered to furnish the place or stock up on food as the building was a last minute buy. Feeling defeated in their little ripostes, he gave in,

"Fine, I'll be back in an hour", he said and quickly hung up the phone, returning to the meeting.

An hour later, Clay returned. As he walked into the house, he instantly noticed the transformation. It wasn't the cold, lifeless place he had once inhabited, and immediately he called for Lorraine. Getting no response, he decided to check for her in her bedroom. Barging through her bedroom door, his eyes settled on her in a skimpy nightgown which exposed her thighs and cleavage. Clay immediately averted his eyes like an awkward sixteen-year-old.

"Why are you dressed like that?" He asked, getting more uncomfortable by the minute,

"What?" "I'm not naked!" Lorraine quickly defended herself, hiding her embarrassment.

"Put on some actual clothes!" Clay ordered and rushed towards the door but stopped as her image flashed before him again; she was beautiful and slender with curves in all the right places. He fought the urge to glance at her and ultimately chose to respect her privacy. Before he left the room, he noticed a ring on her nightstand placed in a little box and was conflicted about how she had gotten it. He couldn't remember giving her a ring after they signed their marriage license, and the mystery behind it got more intricate.

Shortly after, Lorraine approached the living room wearing sweatpants and a tee shirt. Before he could say anything, she quickly apologised for letting herself get too comfortable. She understood this was still his place, and she was merely crashing. Knowing how disturbing it might have been for him to see her that revealed, she did not argue to prove how regular her outfit was.

"Lorraine..." Clay called more relaxed,

"There was a ring on your nightstand," he said. Lorraine took the hint of what he was asking and replied

"It belongs to my ex; I'm sorry if it bothered you. I'll throw it away",

"It does not bother me", he replied, and Lorraine's face sunk low

"Why do you still keep it?" "I realise I never gave you one, but why do you keep it?" "What happened between you two? Why didn't you marry him instead?" Clay asked, reclining himself into a more comfortable position.

Lorraine heaved a sigh and took a seat beside him on the couch, keeping a considerable distance

"Shawn and I dated for five years, he was my first love, and we were to get married" "but on the eve of our wedding, I caught him in bed with another woman", she broke the silence, finding it hard to look him in the face, and focused on the only piece of art on the wall. Clay realised then that he had been too hard on her and reached across and placed his arm on her shoulder; it was the least comfort he could show

"I'm sorry" "But that doesn't explain why you still keep his ring" "I mean, if he did all the things you said he did, why do you still hold on to his ring?", He asked and Lorraine searched for an answer. She knew no reason she could give would make him understand why she still felt something for Shawn. Five years was too much memories and time to let go of,

"Do you still love him?" He asked, and Lorraine was surprised by the question. It seemed like he had been reading her mind,

"I don't", she lied, and Clay smiled. He was an expert at concealing truths and could spot a lie from a mile away. It was one he told himself too often, an excuse he believed in, not to face the harsh reality that it wasn't so easy to let go. He stood up and walked into his room and shortly reappeared; reaching out his hand, Lorraine looked up at him

"It takes exactly six months to fall in love," he said, holding her hand gently and gazed into her blue eyes as he placed the ring on her finger. Lorraine smiled and blushed,

"I don't think that is accurate, Mr Winston", she replied casually

"I'll prove it to you" "Six months, Raine, I dare you" "Six months and you'll fall in love with me".