Chapter 11: Muddled

“I told you, you’d like it!” Kelly said as she placed the bag with the wedding album on the chair in front of Herbie’s table. Then she sat on the other chair waiting for Herbie to say something.

Herbie threw a happy look at Kelly. He thought him with her was perfect.

“You still owe me a story, boss!”

“What story?”

“Oh, so you don’t want to tell me the story about your wife, Mr. Molina?”

“Oh, that!”

“Yesss! That!!!… So?”

“Well, what is there to tell? Your aunt and uncle thought we were married probably because we were sharing a room and a bed and we did not have the chance to correct them.”

“Well, I heard a different story.”

“Wait, what? From whom?”

“From my aunt and uncle, whoelse?”

“Did you tell them? Did they find out? Were they mad?”

“No, no and no to all questions. Well, you know that we stayed there two more days after the wedding and they were just telling us that they noticed you two already during the bus ride.”

“And?…”

“Well, they had no doubt you two were in love. They were just not sure if you were boyfriend and girlfriend or already married.”

“You mean I was that obvious?”

“And you have to ask that? Boss, you are so obvious. And if I didn’t witness exactly what they were talking about, I wouldn’t believe them.”

“And they thought she is in love, too?”

“Well, didn’t those pictures tell you she is? I mean, I’m married, Herbie. I mean, boss, but you forkfeeding her…”

“Forkfeeding?”

“That’s because you used a fork, haha!”

“...the way she looked at you. The connection the two of  you have just scream MARRIED.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Kelly.” Herbie stood up still flustered and thrilled at the same time at what Kelly was saying.

“Did you have sex already? I mean you were together in one room on the same bed for a few nights. I mean, something has to happen, Herb…. I mean, boss.”

“We haven’t okay. She still doesn’t know.”

“What? You mean you were alone for a few days. You are practically neighbors and you, my boss, have not told her?”

“I’m scared, okay.” Herbie said as he paced the floor one hand in his pocket, the other gesturing.

“Wow, I can’t believe I will live to see this day.”

“What do you mean?”

“We started together, Herb. I’ve seen you with girls, lots of them. Some of them were really nice ones but not once have I ever heard you having a problem about expressing yourself. That’s one of the things you are so good at. I just can’t imagine you being tongue-tied.”

There was silence between the two of them. Kelly had really loaded him with a bunch of things to ponder.

“Ahm, Sir, Boss. Excuse me. It’s already six. I just stayed because I thought you are gonna tell me some juicy stuff.” Kelly teased Herbie.

Herbie scoffed and waved Kelly goodbye. He then picked up the phone and dialled Mandy’s home number. In his mind, he had thought of a plan.

It took a few rings before someone picke up.

“Hello.”

The voice on the other line was unfamiliar. “I’m sorry I must’ve dialed the wrong number.”

“Oh are you looking for Mandy or Annie?”

“Is that Herbie? Let me talk to him.” Herbie overheard Mandy’s voice asking.

“Are you Herbie?”

“Ah, no!” Herbie ended the call. He did not know what to think. It was a man who answered Mandy and Annie’s phone. He couldn’t hear Annie’s voice. There was just Mandy and that guy in their apartment. He felt like his heart was being ripped.

Herbie paced the floor again. Brushing his hair with his hand. He looked at the clock and realized that he had not worn a watch in a long time. There was something about watches that reminded him of some embarrassing past.

But that was not the time to think about that. If he moved at that moment, he had a better chance at reaching Mandy’s apartment with them still there. He wanted to meet the guy and see what he was up to.

From the halls of the twelfth floor, Herbie could hear Mandy’s voice. It seemed like she was telling a story. He stopped for a while and was trying to decipher what was being talked about in there but he couldn’t. The walls and carpeting muddled the voices. He took a mental note about suggesting to the management to put better carpets or maybe better soundproofing. It was terrifying to think that anybody could hear any personal and private stuff being done or talked about in their respective apartments. But he was glad the carpeting was bad that night. At least he was sure Mandy and whoever the guy was, were just talking.

He straightened himself, made sure he smelled and looked good before putting out his hand to knock on the door.

“Hello! And you are?” Herbie responded with his own question.

“Mandy there?” he asked looking inside the room from outside the apartment.

“I’m afraid I can not tell you that unless you tell me who you are!”

“Herbie!” Mandy excitedly screamed his name from over Mig’s shoulder.

“Hey, Migs, this is Herbie. He’s the one I’ve been telling you about, remember?” Mandy pulled Herbie in by the hand as she usually did.

Migs cleared his throat upon seeing that Herbie and Mandy were still holding each other’s hands.

“Herbie, this is Migs, the magazine editor that gave me some jobs.”

“Migs, this is Herbie, my neighbor, my bestfriend, and the most…”

Migs cut Mandy’s splurge of superlatives for the man in front of him. He just extended his hand towards Herbie, which Herbie gladly took for a handshake. They were examining each other closely, from head to toe, looking for every bit of flaw or impurity.

Herbie was hoping to meet someone mediocre but that was not the case. Migs was  manly handsome, about half a foot taller than him, muscular frame and a really deep voice to match his near perfect physique.

They were all standing for a while and he thought Mandy looked really tiny beside him.

It was one of the most awkward moments he had in his life having to sit there with this Migs guy. “It was actually awkward and scary at the same time.” Migs would tell stories about photoshoots, of models and photographers, which he knew nothing about and he would see Mandy laughing so hard. He tried to recall whether he could make her laugh like that, too. He remembered how mesmerizing her smile was and multiply that by ten, that’s how mesmerizing her laughter was.

He was scared that she was having more fun with Migs than him.

Then he felt a hand on his thigh. He looked to his right. It was Mandy’s hand and she was looking at him smiling. Herbie linked his hand over hers. There was electricity. Their hands stayed together under that table the whole night.

Migs continued to tell stories. He was dominating the conversation but Herbie didn’t mind.Migs was just a muddled voice in the background.