The sound of the car starting was loud enough to wake up all the sleeping dogs at 3:00 am in the morning. Where would she go? She could do nothing but drive around….unless…..

The rain was pouring down something fierce as she pulled up to the house of the only man that ever loved her. She managed to get her three piece suit soaking wet from the driveway to the front of the door. The pint up hysteria in her mind made her pound on the door more frantically than she thought. Tralang, Michael’s’ wife, answered the door. The silk purplish night gown she wore with Japanese print native to her birthplace made her plain straight black hair and her hazel almond eyes more accentuated and attractive than usual. Angela had never seen her with her hair down. It’s the deliria talking… she’s not that attractive…

“Angela! Oh my God, get in here…” Tralang pulled Angela in, taking her coat off as she entered the door. “You look like shit… let me get you a drink.”

“Water would be good…….”

“What happen to you…?” Angela sat on the couch and poured her heart out... relasing all the anger, the frustration, the past three years her and Jenna have shared and built together. Gone in 30 minutes.

“Oh my God… Michael’s going to flip when he hears this…”

“Where is Michael…...?”

“I don’t know….” Tralang said as she set both sat up straighter in the chair, letting go of the comforting, nurturing grip she had on Angela.

“You know, she didn’t deserve you anyway….”

“No…..” Angela said as she shook her head with tears…”You got it wrong… I didn’t deserve her… I couldn’t keep her…” she hung her head down and stared at her drink on the coffee table. She debated drinking something stronger.

“You deserve someone who will make you their priority, make you their world and make you feel like the most incredible person every night….” Angela noticed movement on the couch and turned to see Tralang inching closer to her.

“You need someone who can add a little bit of spice and excitement to your life…” Tralang took her fingers and ran it through her Angela’s hair. “Someone, who can excite you, turn your world upside down every night…” Tralang moved in closer, almost on top of Angela. Angela could do nothing but sit there in puzzlement. The night was turning out to be too strange. Something out of a twilight zone. Is Tralang really hitting on her…Tralang leaned in even closer to Angela, close enough to whisper in her ear?

“Why don’t we get you upstairs and get you out of these wet clothes” Tralang seductively whispered as she took a hand and ran it across Angela’s breast. Angela jumped up, startled at the subtlety and briskly walked towards the door.

“Make love to me, just as I’ve always wanted you to …….I know you’re worth the wait.....”

“Tralang . I can’t… Michael……he’s”

“It’s not fair he got to sleep with you and I didn’t…… come on, It’s just sex…. No commitments, no attachments…. “

“But Michael,”

“Michael has his fun on the side, and so can I….” Angela stood there wide eyed. She was shocked the Tralang found out about Michael’s girlfriend. For a brief moment she wondered how the two of them even made this relationship worked, but the quick force of Tralang’s lips pressed on her neck broke her thoughts.

“Tra – get off of me!” Angela shouted as she tried to shrug her off.

“Relax, just give in, it’ll make you feel better” Tralang tightened the captured grip she formed around Angela’s waist and tried to kiss her again.

“No Tralang, get off” but Tralang wasn’t listening. She pushed Angela against the wall and began biting on her neck. Her hands fought with Angela’s as she tried to rip the buttons off her shirt to get it off. Angela pulled herself into herself and pushed with all the force she had to knock Tralang off. Fortunately enough, the force was strong enough to knock Tralang on the floor and give her enough time to run to the car. Not a minute after she started the car, Tralang ran out after her …

“Wait, wait… let’s talk about this… I ….” But the words were lost in the pounding of the rain on the windshield as Angela drove away.

Damn cell-phone Angela mumbled as she struggled to get her ear piece in her ear. She held down the button and sternly said “Michael” so that the phone would automatically dial his number. Thank goodness for voice commands.

The phone rang long enough that the answer machine should have picked up, but because of small miracles, Michael actually picked up…

“Hello…” Michael said. He sounded a bit drunk, a bit out of sorts, a bit … busy…

“She’s gone… I don’t know what to do…..and then your wife tried to rape me….the whole world is shot to hell….”

“Um… I wish …I could …… help Angela……damn baby…..” the words were mumbled in short breaths. His mind seemed pre-occupied. As though something else has gotten his attention. His thoughts weren’t really there, he sounded like he was struggling to maintain all composure. From the tone of “damn baby” she knew it wasn’t the alcohol he had in his system. “I’m a little…… hmmmm…. Ahhh…busy…..” the last thing she heard before she hung up was a female voice letting out a muffled moan, one caused by having something in her mouth.

Across the street from the stop light Angela miraculously managed to pay attention too was a motel 8. A perfect to spend a crummy evening. As she paid for the room and walked to door number 7, she could only think of one person who would care….

“Hello…”

“James….. I’m sorry to wake you, but I couldn’t think of anyone else…. I need you right now…”

“Uh, yeah… do you know it’s 6 in the morning here…. And 4 your time..?” No matter how sleepy she sounded, Angela was just overjoyed she answered.

“I’m flying you out to see me tomorrow…”

“Whoa, what? Is this for business? I can give you the reports over the internet”

“No,” Angela interrupted as she started to cry again...

“Angela…. What’s wrong? I know you wouldn’t wake me this early for business…. What happen? “

“She left me….. she’s gone…… he took her…”

“Wait a minute…..” Ashley cleared her voice a little more and woke herself up. “Start from the beginning,”. Through streaming tears, anger, and pain, Angela recreated the events from the whole evening that lead her to this phone call.

“I didn’t know who else to call…. I need to see you… you’re the only friend I’ve got.”

“I’m not flying out to see you…”

“James, Ashley, please…I’ll buy your ticket”

“You can’t buy people Angela…. You should know that by now.” Ashley said in a firmer voice. “You fly out here. You can write it off as a business expense, take a look at the branch of business I’m running out here and make sure I’m doing it right.” Angela held back a little bit of her tears and took a tissue to blow her nose.

“Thank you James. I’ll be out their first thing in the morning.”

The flight from Vegas to Austin was a grueling 3 hours, or perhaps it was the situation back home that made it worse. Ashley’s promptness was a valuable asset, and it was a reminder as to why Angela put her in charge of the Austin unit for her company.

“Ashley James, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you in person.”

“I know. I’m also thinking subway. But I have to be back to work in an hour.”

“I know I trusted my division to the right person.” They arrived at subway, practically empty, quiet, and small. Perfect for a chat between friends. Angela sat down as Ashley ordered for the both of them. She sat and stared at her…. Ashley James, artistically talented, beautiful, hazel eyes, 5’3 curly black hair, incredible smile…. Once again, the deliria talking she thought to herself.

“So, what are you going to do about keeping this out of the public eye?” Ashley said as she sat down with both their orders.

“I figured, “Angela started after she swallowed back her arising tears, “that since the public doesn’t really know about my wife…… ex-wife…… that it will be real easy to downplay. I just have to pretend that nothing happen.”

“I see,” she said as she nodded her head. “So, what did you do to push her away?”

“Me?” Angela said in shock. “How do you figure it was me? She left me for some guy,”

“Who probably offered her time and not just money?”

“I gave her time,”

“All the time you could spare. Not the time you made for her. And then tried to make up for it with pretty gifts.”

“Whose side are you on anyway,” Angela began as she cowered defensively. She was right. She was rarely their, but she tried.

“You love this company so much, that you tend to forget the people in your life who aren’t involved in the company.”

“Speaking about me with time, how are you and your boyfriend?” Angela said hoping to change the subject. “Or have you not seen him lately?”

“We’re not talking about me,”

“You love this company just as much as I do. She didn’t leave me because of the company. He just gave her something I couldn’t.”

“Like...”

“I don’t know,” Angela said aggravated. She picked up her cup and stared at the door, looking past Ashley.

“I wouldn’t leave you, if I were gay,”

“You sure you’re not? It’s not a bad gig? I’m back on the market now….. I guess…” they both laughed half heartedly.

“Angela, I’m not gay.”

“Ok, but you don’t know what you’re missing. We’d be a great team,”

“We already are…..” for the first time within the last 24 hours Angela honestly smiled.

“So, you’ve lost your wife, your ex-fiancée’s wife tried to rape you, you had to fly thousands of miles to get your mind straight, what are you going to do next?” Ashley played like an enthusiastic news reporter, holding an imaginary mike to her mouth before passing it to Angela. Angela sat for a moment and thought.

“The only thing I can do…… get even.”