A Family Affair

by Marilyn McPherson

Chapter Twenty-one

  Tom was in the office when he received Ellen's angry text messages ending their relationship. She had somehow found out about his daughter with Colleen, and now didn't want anything to do with him.

  Things with Ellen had seemed a little strained after she’d first returned from visiting her parents. But Tom had given her some space, and their relationship had returned to normal soon after.

  He should have been honest from the start. That was obvious now. Ellen was taking the news harder than he had imagined she would. He felt so stupid for deceiving her this way.

  Ellen had sent three messages and then nothing. She must have turned her phone off after that, because his calls went straight to voicemail. Tom left five voice messages, begging her to forgive him.

  Elizabeth came into his office to collect him for a meeting. She was looking a little concerned, “Tom, you are five minutes late for the teleconference.”

  He shook his head. “I'm heading home, Liz. Please cancel my day.”

  “Is everything okay? Anything I can do?”

  “That will be all, thank you.”

  Elizabeth left quickly, and Tom started to feel a dreadful weight in the pit of his stomach. He had lost Ellen's trust. It hurt like a forceful blow. On the way out, he stopped by Chloe's desk, and saw that she was busy typing an email.

  “Chloe, how did she find out?”

  She looked surprised and confused. “Sorry, Tom. Who? Find out what? Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?”

  She didn’t seem to know anything. “Never mind. I'm going to go home early, so don’t...” He didn’t finish the sentence, and just walked off quickly and erratically.

  “Maybe I should walk you out, Tom.” Without a word to Elizabeth, Chloe grabbed her bag and raced after Tom, catching him in the lift. “What's wrong, Tom? You can tell me anything, you know.”

  “It's Elle. She broke up with me.” The lift closed. The two of them were alone.

  “She did?” asked Chloe, in a surprised tone.

  Tom wondered why Ellen hadn’t told Chloe anything, her supposed best friend.

  “You said something about Elle finding something out. What did you mean by that?” Chloe asked.

  “It’s a long story.”

  They arrived at the basement level. Tom was moving fast but was visibly shaking and breathing erratically. He could hardly see because of his tears, which were quickly forming, despite his best efforts to hold them at bay.

  Chloe must have noticed. “Tom, how about I drive? You don't look like you should be behind the wheel right now.”

  Tom stopped and turned to Chloe. He looked a little uncertain.

  “I don’t mind,” Chloe reassured him.

  “Um, yeah. Okay. Thank you, Chloe. I appreciate it.”

  Chloe drove Tom's black sports car carefully and slowly out of the basement, taking particular care around corners. She listened to his directions and before long, she pulled into his driveway, and parked at the front entrance.

  Tom noticed that Chloe’s eyes were wide and her mouth open as she surveyed the house and grounds. “Um, thanks for driving, Chloe. You can leave the car here. There is Robert coming towards us now.” Tom pointed towards the sandy haired man approaching them from the garden. “He will drive you back to work and put the car away. Thank you again.”

  “What are you going to do, Tom?”

  “Me? I am going to find some scotch.”

  Tom headed inside quickly without looking back. He ran up the stairs and into his office. He had a well-stocked bar in the corner, and quickly poured a double shot of scotch into a tumbler, without adding any ice, as was his normal habit. Tom drank quickly and put his head down on the bar, hoping that the pain would pass quickly. Of course he was too old for Ellen. He knew it. And now she knew it too. Why had Ellen called him ‘gramps’? He had never seen any kind of mean spirit in her before today. But of course, she was just upset at him for keeping such a huge secret. It was all his fault. He knew he should have been truthful about his daughter with Colleen. He poured a second glass and drank that quickly too.

  Once the third glass was poured, he noticed Chloe sitting on the couch. “What are you doing in here?” he growled at her. “Please leave, Chloe.”

  “I don't think Ellen would like me to leave you alone right now.”

  “I don't think Ellen particularly cares if I am alone at the moment, Chloe.” Tom quickly sculled the third drink and poured a fourth without thinking.

  The alcohol was already starting to numb the ache. He took the fourth glass and sat on the couch with Chloe. Maybe she could make sense of what was happening. “I don't understand, Chloe. She told me she loves me. She found out something. I don't know how. And suddenly, that's it. She doesn't love me anymore. Bam! Just like that.”

  “What did she find out, Tom?” Chloe asked slowly.

  “I mean, how can someone love you one moment, and not love you the next?” Tom started crying a little and leant on Chloe’s shoulder. “I will always love her no matter what mistakes she makes.”

  “Tom, please tell me what Ellen found out.” Chloe asked again.

  “It’s only a small thing. But I wasn't completely honest about it with her.”

  “Keep going.”

  “When I was younger, I did something stupid, and got my teenage girlfriend pregnant.”

  “You did?” Chloe seemed surprised and maybe a little shocked.

  Tom noted that Ellen had obviously not said anything about it. “My girlfriend gave the baby up for adoption. It was a girl but I never even got to see her.”

  “What was your girlfriend’s name Tom?”

  “I don't understand how Elle could have found out. You must know, Chloe. How did she find out?”

  “Tom, this is important, what was your girlfriend’s name?”

  “Colleen.”

  Chloe sank back into her seat.

  Tom kept trying to explain, “Col threatened to tell Elle, but Hayden said she died at the bank, so she couldn’t have told anyone. But how did Ellen find out then?” The alcohol was really kicking in now. Tom's vision blurred and he sank back into the couch too, sipping his drink now. The pain and the light were both starting to fade. Tom’s eyes were closing, and at last the drink provided its numbing comfort.

  “I would never break up with you, if you were my boyfriend,” Chloe said quietly, watching him.

  Tom didn't register her words properly. “How could she do this? How could she leave me?” he whispered back.

  Chloe slid closer to him on the couch and Tom felt her warm arms around his middle. She smelled nice, and it felt good to have someone there. He rested his hands on her shoulder, and felt the glass being slowly extracted from his hands.

  Suddenly, Tom felt lips pressed against his. Young sweet lips. It must be Ellen. She'd returned. Ellen kissed him vigorously, parting his lips with her tongue.

  “I want you, Tom,” she whispered. “I've wanted you for so long.”

  Tom had dreamed about this moment, and here she was, finally ready at last. Tom felt his shirt being unbuttoned and his belt being removed. He picked her up, and groggily carried her to his bedroom. She kissed him the whole time.

  He laid her down, noting that she was removing her own clothing quicker than he. His vision was still blurry, and his body very heavy. Ellen, who was now naked and soft, was removing his pants and kissing his chest. She pulled him down on top of her and wriggled underneath him, directing him with her hips and her fingers until he was finally within her.

  “Oh Ellen, I love you,” Tom murmured in between her passionate and blinding kisses. “I love you so much.”

  Ellen didn't respond verbally but kissed him harder until it was finished. Tom rolled off her and onto the other side of the bed. His mind was so heavy. It felt so good to just lay there with his eyes closed, exhausted but happy.

  At some point later that afternoon, Tom started to stir. Light from the fading afternoon sun started to
penetrate his eyelids, and he opened one eye to look around. The light burned and he quickly shut it again. Was Ellen gone? He searched his memory, trying to remember what had happened. His head was throbbing loudly and his throat was dry.

  With all the force he could muster, Tom pulled himself into an upright position in bed. He opened his eyes. The room was spinning and he felt groggy, but was finally able to see. Chloe was here. What the hell? He looked down, and realised he was naked. He pulled the sheet over his nakedness. “Chloe, what the hell are you doing in my bedroom? Where did Ellen go?”

  She looked over, with a disappointed but knowing sort of look. “You knew it was me, Tom. Let's not pretend any different.”

  Tom lay back down in bed, and remembered. “Oh, fuck.”