BLACKMAIL!

The air was a weird orgy of delicious food aromas, designer perfumes and scented candles.The restaurant was full, but as always relatively calm. Chatter levels were barely above whispers. On most tables were couples on their first, second and  tenth dates. Mariam's eyes followed a beautiful slender waitress  gliding between pristine tables draped in fine  purple cloths. The slender girl carried a tray, on it was a steaming bowl of what she assumed was soup. The music wasn't bad. Jazz, always jazz. It was supposed to be soothing. But She was too pissed off to give a crap.




" You've lost your appetite?" Richard asked softly.


She stared at the untouched plate of noodles in front of her.


"Your powers of perception are outstanding" she shrugged.


Richard sighed and  dropped his fork. It clattered unceremoniously into his plate. The music switched to soft rock.  She didn't bother looking up. She knew   he was staring at her with those steady eyes of his.


"I've always been honest with you" he said.
"Is that some supposed to be an apology?" She said sipping  from her glass. The wine was delicious, but it seemed her taste buds were on a time-out.


"We both knew this day would come" he said.
"Now you sound like shitty script for a movie."


Long pause.


"What's wrong with you?" Any other person hearing his voice would've said it sounded calm and steady, but she knew Richard was getting worked up. Her eyes strayed towards his hands. She considered well-manicured nails sexy. It was one of the things that turned her on about him. Then her eyes fell on his wedding band. The 22.Carat gold ring BLINGED mockingly at her it seemed.


"My mind hasn't fully processed everything"  she said  looking away.




"There's nothing to process" he shrugged. "It is what it is"




"Really?" She stared at him. "You want to pull the tough guy act on me?"




"Don't make this any more difficu...."


"Oh please!" She raised her hands in the air.


"Enough with the cliches. I've been replaced by a younger model and that's that"


"Please Don't say that"


"Then tell me," She finally stared at him. "What exactly should I be saying, that you're NOT leaving me for someone else?"


"Its really not like that and you know it"


"So....you HAVEN'T found another mistress?" She arched an eyebrow.


"Don't call her that"


"I don't know what else to call a woman you're fucking behind your wife's back....but then again, I'm old fashioned." Her smile was without humour.




"Leave Elizabeth out of this!"




"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't your wife part of our weird little  foursome?"




"This really doesn't concern her"




"Just because she doesn't know her husband's a dog, doesn't mean it's not her business"




Long pause.




The music had switched again. Classical Music wasn't really her thing. To her it sounded like something  they played in Mafia movies, during gun-fight scenes.




Richard leaned into the chair.




"Stop trying to make me the bad guy" He  was back to his Tough-Guy voice again.




"Ever notice how it's always the bad guys who always say that?" She grinned.




Richard suddenly lunged across the table and grabbed her hand.




"I don't want this relationship anymore. How else do you want me to say it?" He had an intense look in his eyes. It almost turned her on, if not for the fact that he was hurting her hand. He looked like he was about to hit her.




Long pause.




Several people looked up from their plates at them.




Time held its breath.




Enduring the pain, she slowly turned her head towards the table to their left. It was a subtle way of telling him not to make a scene. He slowly looked around, as if realizing where he was. Then he composed himself and let go of her hand. He settled back into his seat and sighed.


Another long pause.


"Do you love her?" Mariam said, nursing her hand.


"Don't be ridiculous" He scoffed and looked away.


"Ridiculous is a married man whom leaves his mistress for a younger one" She poured some wine into her glass. "Ridiculous is that married man denying it"
Richard didn't meet her gaze.

"Should I repeat the question?"


"Yes!" his  eyes finally met hers. "I love her. Infact I love her so much I want to---- I want to leave Elizabeth for her!"


"Are you being sarcastic?"


"No, I'm  being serious"


Mariam felt a shudder run through her. She wished she hadn't asked him, she wished she hadn't heard him say those words.


"You're an idiot" she heard herself say. "You're such an idiot"


She watched him compose himself . It was almost comical to see.


"I'm going to leave you some money in your account." He began. "You'll be well....."
The sound of her laughter cut him off.


He stared at her incredulously as she laughed on.


Several heads turned in their direction again.


"Wait...wait.." She said between giggles .


"You're going to...pay me off?....Should I do you an invoice?"


She giggled some more.






"This relationship is over" He said, rising to his feet. "....And so is this conversation".


"Sit down!" She said rolling her eyes.


"Don't talk to me like that!"


"Sit down, or at least one of our Threesome videos is ending up on You-Tube".


Long pause.


He hovered for  a few seconds.


"You're bluffing"


"If you think I am, then leave."


Long pause.


Like a slowly deflating balloon, he shrunk back into his seat.


"Doesn't this feel better," She smiled delightfully. "Us sitting down having a quiet evening?"


"What do you want?" He was using his sexy voice again, unintentionally of course. She was almost tempted to shag him right there and then on the table. Wouldn't that  be a sight? She thought. But then again, business before pleasure.


"I want to continue being your mistress," she said simply. "Not just because the sex is amazing, but also because you pay well"


"And if I re---?"


"Lemme finish" she waved a well manicured nail at him. He held his peace. He was a gentleman like that. She felt another tinge of arousal. She nibbled at her lower lip and brushed the thought aside.


"You can marry your new mistress. Happy married life by the way,"


He suddenly had a confused expression on his face.


" But I stay on as your mistress with full benefits"


Long silence.


"So lemme get this straight," he placed his elbows on the table. She loved the way his shoulders looked in a suit. "You're----blackmailing me?"


"Yes" she shrugged.


"What makes you think I wont tell you to go screw yourself and walk out of here?"


"Because I wonder what the Press would say about a future a gubernatorial Aspirant whom has a predilection for threesomes with underage girls----and boys"


"You wouldn't dare," he said with very little steam. "You're also in those videos too."


"Try me" she replied calmly.


He stared at her in silence. The music changed again. This time, to what sounded life a cross between Reggae and Rock,--- it was just weird.
What was weirder was watching him contain the volcanic eruption inside him. He said something under his breath.


"What was that?....did you say something?" She leaned forward.


"I was good to you" There was a barely tamed rage in his voice. "I always told you the truth----I always gave generously-----and-- this is how you want to repay me...?"


It was her turn to be angry.


"I have been your sex toy for years,"  she was grinding her teeth. "I have shagged, sucked, swallowed and twisted whenever you asked me to. And---and how do you repay me...?"


He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.


"You want to dump me for a younger mistress?"


"I--Love her!" He was really trying to keep his voice down.


She'd heard enough. Mariam rose from her chair.


"You should've thought of that before you made those videos with me. You've got Twenty-Four hours to think about it, otherwise the videos go viral. Good night!" She grabbed her purse and walked away.


"Wait---"


"Twenty-Four hours, bae. Tick-tock" she said with out turning around.


Long pause.


He stared after her, then covered his face with his hands and began to cry.


LIFE IS A CHOICE MY FRIEND
SO CHOOSE WISELY
ENOUGH SAID