Surprised
After arriving at Norman’s place, Diano stored the ice cream and the wine in the fridge. Then he set about cleaning the mess Norman had made. Diano wanted to put things where they belonged. The wet towel was hung from the clothesline in the balcony. The shoes went into the shoe cupboard. The dirty clothes went into the basket in the washroom. He’d wash them in the morning.
He mopped the floor. He did the dishes left in the kitchen sink. He made the bed. He set the clothes in order in the wardrobe; similar colours went together.
He hid his own stuff away so Norman wouldn’t spot them. Diano wanted to surprise him. He had bought a very sexy two-piece lingerie ensemble, which he wanted to wear for Norman. After he showered, Diano put it on. Then, he dabbed a few drops of Norman’s favourite body spray behind his ears, on his neck and wrists. Norman would love it.
Just as he was about to get into bed, he heard the main door open. There was no time to switch off the lights in the living room. Shit.
“Shit.” It was a girl’s voice.
Unable to think of anything else he ran into the washroom and closed the door behind him, leaving a gap wide enough to see who was outside. The light inside the washroom hadn’t been switched on. Thank God.
He couldn’t see her face but he could see her reflection in the window to the balcony. She was moving from one point in the living room to another.
“Everything has been moved around!” Although her hands hung by her sides, she could have been talking into a handsfree mic.
She went into the kitchen and spent some time there. As she was heading towards the bedroom, there was a noise. Somebody had inserted a key into the lock on the main door.
“Shit,” the girl said.
Expecting her to come into the washroom, Diano projected a map of the washroom in his mind. Using feline skills, he tiptoed into the wet bathtub and hid behind the damp shower curtain.
The door opened a bit, making the room brighter. The girl tiptoed into the washroom. From her footfalls, Diano knew she had her shoes on. Dirty!
She closed the door and crossed over to sit down on the toilet. Diano remembered having put down the cover. He wished he hadn’t. She deserved to fall into the cistern!
Norman was back. He had brought someone with him. Diano could hear their faint voices. It was a girl. The manner in which she spoke sounded familiar, but the voice wasn’t loud enough for him to identify her.
Norman slid the balcony door open and said something to the girl. He must have asked her to step outside and enjoy the view. Norman was proud of it. But who was the girl with Norman? And who was the girl sitting on the toilet? He could hear her rapid breathing. His own heartbeat was several notches higher than normal. It was beating so loudly he was afraid the Potty Princess would hear him.
Norman had never mentioned a sister or a cousin. How and why did she have a key to his apartment?
Diano felt horrible; he was standing there almost naked. His clothes and shoes were stashed away on top of the wardrobe. So much for the surprise he had planned for Norman. It would be embarrassing if the girls discovered him in the negligee. He cursed his luck.
Diano had a bad feeling. He knew this wasn’t going to end well but he was prepared to wait it out for as long as he could. He was sure the Potty Princess would react before he did. Should he run away from the house? No, not until he put some clothes on! He remembered the laundry bag. It had Norman’s shorts and tee shirt. He could borrow them.
But what was Norman up to? Why was the second girl there? Was Norman bringing the girls home for sex? Had he broken the golden rule? If it were so, Diano would walk out of his life. He hoped his fears were untrue. He couldn’t bear another heartbreak.
Norman and the girl moved into the bedroom. Diano couldn’t see them but he heard them walk past the washroom door. The Potty Princess seemed a little restless. Perhaps she was feeling uncomfortable on her throne. At least she’d got to sit down. Diano stood as still as he could, not daring to make any movement. He would have attempted to sit down but was afraid his knees would crack and give him away.
Fifteen minutes passed. Norman and the girl had stopped talking. Diano hoped the girl was one of his friends and not a sex partner.
Why was the Potty Princess hiding? She didn’t look like a thief. She would have passed through two levels of security. Norman had given the key to her. Why did he do that? Diano was his wife. The others were mere concubines. Or was it the other way? How could he let himself get into that situation? Diano was cross with himself.
He had to get out of there somehow. Wanting to stretch his stiff neck, Diano turned his head. Along with the release of tension, to his horror, it popped.
The Potty Princess let out a terrifying scream!
