Chapter Two

But before Eric had a chance to say anymore, Cat cut him off. “Don’t Cat me like that Eric, it will not work anymore. I’m not happy with the way things are.... I have tried to verbalise how I feel to you. All you seem to do is override them or use sex to keep me quiet. We don’t love each other.” oh! how that lie hurt, but she will keep her pride if it was the last thing she did... “maybe that’s what I need to look for. I want so much more than we are giving each other. Eric, Sex on the run is just not for me! there is no point continuing this.... this affair” Cat took another deep breath holding back tears she would not cry, she would not cry... she told herself over and over again hoping that, if she told herself this it would somehow keep the tears at bay. She had just told this man so many lies because she knew if this kept going, he would kill her slowly with his indifference. 

Tears formed around her eyes, even though she tried to hold them back. 

“Come on baby, don’t be silly everything is fine, I’ve just been working a bit hard lately that’s all..” Eric looked at his gold watch before adding “... look, I can’t talk now, I really have to go, we will talk when I get back.”

Seeming to be convinced that she would be happy with this, he stood up, preparing to leave. A single tear rolled down her cheek.....

“Don’t bother coming back Eric, I meant what I said about us being over. I can’t go on like this.” 

“Now Kitty...”

This brought a rumble of anger from Cat’s throat. “No,” she shouted. “NO ... I mean every word Eric, forget the keys I gave you. They will not work after tomorrow. I’m having the locks changed.”

He frowned, “Cat..” he tried again, not silly enough to use the stupid nickname after the last eruption it had caused.

But she still didn’t give him a chance. “OUT,” she cried. She really couldn’t take it anymore. So she picked up his pillow and threw it at his head. It missed ...... Shit!

“I’ll see you when I get back. We will talk then.”  

“No. We. Will. Not.” she screeched back, but all she was yelling at was the closed bedroom door. He was gone seconds later as she heard the front door click closed. Cat curled herself into a tight ball as the first sobs rocked her slim body. 

Cat opened her eyes to a room full of sunlight. Her pillow was still wet from last night. After Eric had left yesterday, she had stayed in bed and cried herself to sleep. 

“God, I'm pathetic.” Sitting up, she pushed her long red hair off her heart-shaped face.... “God, she was pathetic.” she said again. I feel like death. Cat looked at her reflection in the dressing-table mirror.

“Guess what Cat! You look much worse than death. Rigor mortis has set in.” She said out loud. 

It was then that Cat noticed the clock. “Damn, look at the frigging time!” 

Cat slid off the bed and headed for the bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she added the finishing touches to her makeup, which she badly needed this morning. Having not slept until the early hours. Picking up her handbag and keys from the lounge room where she had dropped them last night, Cat headed out the front door of her two-bedroom townhouse she rented 30 minutes from work in a leafy area of Sydney. Cat could never live in an apartment complex. 

Luckily she had taken this week off, needing the time to finish things with Eric she had known there would be things to deal with. It gave her a chance to get her shit together. 

Today being Friday, she had this last business day to get things done before the weekend. The locksmith was due this afternoon after 3pm. Cat sighed. This final break away from Eric was going to be hard. At least the townhouse was her rental and not something she needed to return or move out of. She got into her BMW that Eric had given her and headed for Eric’s company head office in Double Bay. 

Twenty minutes later, Cat entered the top floor, heading straight to the very pretty little blonde sitting behind a desk outside the inner sanctum of Eric’s office. Sometimes she didn’t understand how Eric had never made a move on this pretty woman, No! not just pretty, but gorgeous woman...... who looked something between Jessica Alba and Brittany Snow with beautiful white blonde natural hair and honey brown eyes, only 5 feet 6 inches and I figure of a pocket Venus, she could hold her own against any man.  

Eric had once told Cat that she just wasn’t his type. How could any man look at Joanna and not fall for her? God, if she batted for the other team she would go there.... Cat laughed silently. 

“Jo, honey, are you ready for lunch?”

At Cat’s voice, the blonde looked up, smiling. “Just give me five minutes to finish this letter and I’ll be with you.” Jo reassured her. 

“Jo, I have to write something for Eric. Mind if I use his desk?” It was time she broke free and got on with her life.

Not seeing anything amiss, she waved Cat on saying. “Sure hon, go straight in.” Jo was about the only one at the office that knew about Eric and Cat being an item for the last eight months. 

“Thanks.. I should be done when you’re ready to leave.”

Cat walked into Eric’s office, stopping in the doorway. It smelled like him and she had always liked this room. The wall behind his desk was a wall of glass windows overlooking the Double Bay Area, expensive and very exclusive. It always surprised her how he faced away from that view and people facing him got to enjoy it. 

But understanding Eric as she now did, he would have a good reason or two why he did this ..one to distract people he was meeting with to slip them up or find out information he needed ...two to show anyone and everyone the worth of his business. Arrogant, she knew!

On the left side of the office were two doors, one leading to a personal kitchen and the other to a hidden area that hid his printers and fax machine and anything else that an office needed to run. He only kept his ultra thin MacBook computer on his desk. 

The office was very spacious, lush in taste and very rich in furnishings. On the right side was a brown leather chesterfield lounge with two single chairs to match. Cat looked away from this quickly, remembering a time when she had met Eric here one night and he had taken her from behind as she had leant over the armchair. 

She moved behind Eric’s desk, sitting down in his leather chair, sighing she needed to get this over with and remembering moments in this office were not good! Just too many memories... even being at this desk wasn’t helping! closing her eyes for a moment to clear her mind and focus on what needed to be done....

Cat reopened her eyes and pulled open the desk’s left-hand drawer, removing pen and paper. She really should have done this at home and then just left the letter on his desk, but there just hadn’t been time and even now she wasn’t sure what to write! What should she say? Will he even listen? Maybe not! knowing Eric like she did. Eric was used to getting his own way and getting anything and everything he wanted.

Well, to hell with it! Here goes... 

Cat began writing;

Eric,

I have tried talking to you, but it’s like talking to myself. Nothing I have said matters to you or you just choose not to hear it. You don’t listen. I think it’s best all around if we don’t see each other anymore. All I seem to be is a warm body for when the urge hits. You had a long string of lovers before me, so l’m sure ending things will be no hardship for you and no feelings hurt. Wishing you all the best. 

Cat

Cat sat there for a long time just staring at the letter. She wanted to cry. She told herself, No more, she wouldn’t cry and not here. She wasn’t sure how long she had sat there. When Joanne called her name a few times from the doorway, she hit earth.