MATCHMAKING BABY - CHAPTER 15&16
A knock on the door brought Sebastian and Vanessa’s senses back from their world of ecstasy.
“I heard a knock” Vanessa said
“me too” Seb replied
“should we ignore?” Vanessa asked. Sebastian’s greedy part wanted to tell her to ignore because he hadn’t had enough of the moment. But seeing they were not in their home and that it could be someone important at the door, he decided to let her check on it.
“it might be your mom again. You should go and check’” he said
“okay. I’ll be right back” she said and stepped out of the shower. She took a towel and wrapped herself then left the bathroom. Sebastian placed his hands on his waist and stood directly under the shower. His mind wanted to divert towards the thought of meeting her brothers but he immediately took off his mind from there.
“i can’t ruin this moment with fear” he whispered to himself.
Vanessa’s hair was really wet and it clung to her body. She opened the door and there stood an unfamiliar face.
“yes?”
“madame Claudia asked me to bring this to your room. She said you should get refreshed and come down for a talk in the garden. You and your man” the lady said and raised a basket that was covered with a white napkin.
“ohh. Okay… Thank you. Tell her I’ll be there in thirty minutes” Vanessa said. She received the basket and entered inside then closed the door.
“you and your man” she repeated and chuckled. She knew that was how her mom had put it to the maid.
“my man indeed. Is he really my man?” she asked herself casually and removed the napkin from the basket
“uuuuuh sponge cakes. Bon appetit!” she exclaimed and took a slice of it.
Seb walked out of the bathroom and stared at her back.
“what are you doing?” he asked and she turned and faced him
“nothing” she pronounced amidst munches
“is Rissa awake?” he asked and began to dry his hair with a small towel.
“no. I don’t think so” she replied and stared at him
“what is that in your hand?”
“a basket” she replied
“and what’s in the basket?” he asked
“mother brought sponge cakes for us. And said she wants to have a talk with us in the garden” Vanessa replied
“i thought you didn’t like sponge cakes” he said confusingly
“I do”
Actually he had gotten her sponge cakes when she was pregnant and it made her throw up. She suddenly h@??d it then but now that her body was back to normal, she liked it.
Seb brought out his body lotion and began to apply it on his body. He backed Vanessa and she sat on the bed looking at him.
*You and your man* she heard in her mom’s voice.
“my man huh? Seb who’s man of the women by a woman and for the women. I doubt if he slept with just me since we’ve been together” she thought to herself.
Seb turned around and saw her thinking and sighing. She looked up to glance at him and caught him staring. Both of them didn’t say anything for the first few seconds.
“Seb” Vanessa finally called
“are you all right?” he asked
“i wanted to ask you something” she said,totally ignoring his question if she was fine.
“yeah. Hit me” he said and stood akimbo. She dropped the basket on the bed and walked to him.
“have you by any mean…uhmm…kinda like…had any… Well, any affair” she managed to say. She found it awkward to be saying something of the sort to him because they weren’t in a true relationship and he could have as many affairs as he wanted. But she just wanted to confirm.
“what type of affairs?” he asked. Not really understanding what she meant
“you know…affairs like…having another lady. Whom you do stuff with… You know what I mean” she said with cheeks almost turning visibly red
He smiled after getting what she was driving at.
“you mean, cheated on you with” he said.
“I don’t know if cheated is the ideal word. It’s not like we’re in…”
“I haven’t cheated on you. And I don’t plan to do so. I’m okay with you” he said and backed her again to continue what he was doing.
“ohh. But Seb aren’t we pretending that we’re dating. You know we are not”
“we are pretending? Really?” he asked and chuckled
“I’m serious here” Vanessa said with a straight face
Seb sighed and faced her again
“maybe we’ve not been in an official relationship because we never talked about it. But if you want we can make it official. Or would you rather let us be like this?” he asked and Vanessa forced herself to not smile
“uhmm… I don’t mind if we make it official” she said
“okay then. As of today… Vanessa and I are officially in a relationship” he said and began to clap like he was the audience where the president was giving an inaugural speech.
Vanessa laughed and suddenly ran and hugged him. He hugged her back and they began to laugh happily.
“we are going to make our daughter feel loved like a princess” she said
“point of correction. Not like a princess but as a princess that she is” Seb said and that made them smile more
**
Seb and Vanessa returned to Rio after a week in Vancouver with Vanessa’s family. They were very accommodating and kind. They loved Rissa and they had accepted Sebastian.
Sebastian and the men of the family had had a tete â tete. They loved that he was into business and they had decided to partner with each other. Seb was so happy because that was what he wanted all along.
Vanessa’s brother’s who were in the military had secreted thr_@tened him though. They warned him not to break her heart because she was their fragile gem. Even while she was awhile, they said they had kept tabs on her and knew about the baby before they came. They were also grateful to Seb for making her settle down but knowing fully well how Sebastian Monroe behaved especially with women, they feared he was going to ruin their relationship and make Vanessa worst than she was before.
*
Sebastian was taking coffee in his office when he got a call from Clarissa’s school that she had stayed an extra hour after the closing time without being picked up. He was angry and had told the teacher that he would come himself and pick her.
“Vanessa couldn’t make it and she couldn’t call me or the home driver to go pick her up? Clarissa has been there for an hour?” he asked himself as he picked his keys and headed out of the office.
Vanessa had gone to the hair salon and had lost track of time. It was her day to pick Clarissa and she completely forgot to constantly check what time it was. By the time she remembered, it was already two hours past the time for her daughter’s school closing time.
She called the teacher and was glad to hear her daddy had picked her up. After hurrying home, she met Clarissa in a bad state. She had gotten a fever from staying outside in the cold for an hour and was being attended to by her nurse. She was just a three year old .
“where were you?” Sebastian’s cold voice asked behind her
“I’m sorry I lost track of time and—”
“and what? What’s your excuse this time? For heaven’s sake Vanessa this isn’t the first nor the second nor the third time you’re neglecting your duties”
“I know but I’m trying to be the best in–”
“–trying to be the best? Oh please do not make me laugh. You should be trying to be good while jump over to being the best” Sebastian cut in.
The noise, sensing the rising tension between the two of them decided to excuse them. They were now left alone with Rissa who was just lying there on her bed and staring at them
“what is wrong with Rissa?” Vanessa asked
“she caught s cold and her temperature has increased” Sebastian answered with no emotion in his voice.
“why didn’t the teachers find somewhere safe for her to wait. Why would they leave her in the cold and—”
“—so now you’re blaming the teachers? Vanessa. You can’t even apologize. Gosh, you’re beginning to act like the drunk girl I picked from a club” Seb said and Vanessa gasped. He scoffed at her and left the room. Vanessa looked at Clarissa who was just staring at her without a word. She must be angry because it was unlike her to keep quiet.
“ I’m sorry” she mumbled and blinked her eyes to keep stubborn tears out. She and Seb were nothing but cat and dog in that house. They fought over very little things. Sebastian who had grown mature saw her as incompetent and Vanessa who remained herself saw him as overprotective and too cautious.
If things didn’t change between them she was going to take her daughter and leave.
.
.
.
.
.
Vanessa kissed Clarissa’s forehead and blinked back tears.
“I’m sorry, I’ve not been the best mommy in the world” she said to her daughter
“What if I take you out tomorrow? Will you forgive me then?” she asked and Clarissa nodded
“Will daddy come with us?” Clarissa asked in her four year old baby voice
“Oh…no…it’s just gonna be mommy and daughter. Just we girls, okay”
“Yes mommy. I want to eat Mac and Cheese”
“Today? Or tomorrow?”
“Today, mom. Make it for me”
“All right. Let’s get to the kitchen”
Vanessa carried Clarissa and they went to the kitchen. She was still very angry with Sebastian but managed to console herself, that he was just an arsehole.
Throughout that day, she avoided even eye contact with him. She spent most of her time with their daughter and didn’t come to be because she slept with Clarissa.
Sebastian didn’t even care. He just wanted her to disappear and was satisfied with her avoiding him.
The next day, Seb left for the company without a word to Vanessa. He only kissed Clarissa’s forehead and told her he was going to come home late because of a meeting with the board of trustees. After he left, Vanessa went with Clarissa into the bath to clean up and get ready for their day out.
They wore matching outfits and headed out towards Vanessa’s car.
“Do you think daddy will be able to join us next time?” Clarissa asked as her mother drove out of the premises
“I don’t know, baby. He’s always so busy doing nothing” Vanessa said
“I want us to go to the amusement park next Saturday. The three of us”
“Okay, I will tell him” she lied. Of course she was not going to tell him that. Or anything at all. As long as she was concerned, Seb was nothing but a fool.
They reached the restaurant they were to have breakfast and they ate omelette and pancakes. Then they went to the zoo. They spent hours there before going to the park.
For lunch, they went to a pizza palace and ate pepperoni pizza then headed to the mall to shop. After two hours, they went to an arcade where they played games until they were hungry again.
Vanessa wanted to go home for dinner but Clarissa asked to be taken to the restaurant her daddy always takes her to. Vanessa agreed and they went there.
They ordered pasta and waited for it to come when Vanessa’s eyes caught something that made her jaw drop.
Three tables away, was Sebastian sitting down with a lady. He was no longer wearing his office outfit and looked like he was going to see the movies. His hands were intertwined with the lady’s hands and they were laughing and talking.
A surge of pain, anger and jealousy rushed through Vanessa.
So this was why he said he was going to come home late? Because he wanted to cheat, not because of a meeting?
Vanessa could not believe it. Sebastian was cheating on her.
She couldn’t see the lady’s face because she was backing her but Seb was facing her direction. Clarissa was sitting in her front so she couldn’t see her daddy with another woman other than her mom.
“Well, I don’t care. It’s not like we love each other so he can be with whomever he wants” she thought to herself and gulped down the glass of water in front of her.
“Mommy, you’ve turned pale” Clarissa said and stared at her mother
“It’s nothing, baby. I’m just tired. It was a really long day” she lied.
“I had fun. If only Daddy was with us”
Vanessa felt another wave of anger
“Why do you always mention your Daddy? Forget about him. He’s never going to be available for us” she blurted out and Clarissa whimpered
“Mom… But everyone has a Daddy who takes them out with their Mommy. Look” she pointed at a young girl about her age, sitting at a table with two people who were obviously her parents. Vanessa felt bad and gulped down water again. Her eyes glanced at Seb who was smoothing the strange lady’s cheek.
“There are some kids with single parents, you know. Kids whose Moms are out of the picture or whose Dads leave them for another woman. It happens like that”
“So, you’re saying you are going to be out of the picture? Or daddy will leave us for another woman? What if the woman joins us instead? Then daddy won’t have to leave”
Vanessa almost choked on her water which she was gulping again. She didn’t know whether to laugh at her daughter’s naivety or get angry at the prospect of another woman moving in.
“It doesn’t work that way, honey. Don’t worry. All will be fine, okay?” she said and rubbed her daughter’s cheek.
She glanced at Seb again and scoffed when he collected the food from the waiter and arranged it in front of the lady.
Their own food had also arrived so she concentrated on helping Clarissa with her napkin.
Few minutes into their meal, Seb kissed the strange lady and Vanessa choked on her pasta.
Yes, she was watching them all along. She began to cough so hard, her eyes turned red and watery. Clarissa stopped eating and stared at her mother.
“Don’t…worry…. I’m fine” she stuttered and drank water.
She looked over at Seb and he was eating and laughing.
“I wonder what’s funny” she said to herself.
After they finished, she paid the bill and stood up with Clarissa. They walked to Sebastian’s table and Clarissa squealed and threw herself at him.
“Daddy!!” she called. He was shocked and so was the lady he was with.
“Daddy?” the girl asked with a questioning face.
“Hi… It’s nice to meet you” Vanessa said and smirked at the lady who ignored her
“Clarissa… What are you doing here?” Seb asked as he glanced from the lady to his daughter and to Vanessa.
“I am here with Mommy” she said and smiled
“Wait… Is that really your daughter?” the strange lady asked
“No… She’s a potato sack who is looking for the bigger potato sack that made her” Vanessa reacted
“No…no… She’s not my… She’s my—” he stammered
“I am his wife and mother to his daughter” Vanessa pronounced proudly. People were begining to watch them now.
“You told me your wife died four years ago after being pursued and kicked to death by an elephant herd in Asia” the lady blurted out and Vanessa gasped loudly
“Me? Sebastian, I have never been to Asia!” she screamed and tugged on his hair. The strange lady got up outraged and glared at Sebastian then left.
“Next time, pick men who know how to act and lie well!!” Vanessa yelled after her
“You just disgraced me” Seb spat with angry eyes
“Ignore that, just imagine I’m the ghost from your stampede wife” she said and pulled Clarissa to her side
A waiter was passing by and she pulled him and said
“Are you in need of potatoes for fries here? Because there’s a sack full of potatoes sitting right about here” she said and gestured towards the place Seb sat. The waiter was confused as he stared at Sebastian. Vanessa grinned and walked away with her daughter
For one whole week, neither Seb nor Vanessa said as much as a ”Hi” to each other. Both seemed to think the other didn’t exist and walked right past when in the same room.
Of course this wasn’t easy for Clarissa, their daughter. Whenever she makes mention of Daddy beside Vanessa, she totally ignores it and brings up another topic.
On the following Monday, Seb told Clarissa that he was going on a trip and wouldn’t be back in four days. As usual, he asked if she would need any presents and Clarissa have him a short list of what she would like.
Vanessa had overhead father and daughter talking and she couldn’t hide the burning fire in her.
“A trip? A four day trip, you say?” she sn_gg@ed, coming out from the kitchen to the dining table where they were seated, having breakfast.
Sebastian didn’t answer, he only looked at her for a few seconds then looked down at his plate of bacon and eggs.
“You’re going with a lady. I know you are. You filthy liar!” she boomed and threw him looks filled with disdain.
Clarissa just stared at her mother, as if waiting for more.
“Sebastian, what exactly are you doing? What do you think you’re doing?”
Seb sighed and looked at her.
“What is your problem, woman?” he asked
“Woman? Is that what you’re calling me now? Is that what I am now?”
“What are you then? A tree? Oh sorry, a female ghost” Seb retorted and Vanessa gasped. She was holding a bowl of mashed potatoes and didn’t think twice before stashing it on top of his head. It was still hurt and he began to wince and throw them out of his hair.
Clarissa was laughing heartily.
“Do it again, Mommy! Do it again, Mommy!” she squealed
Sebastian stood on his feet, took a teapot of hot tea and was about to throw the contents at Vanessa, but she blocked it with both of her hands. The teapot upturned and rained tea on both Sebastian and Vanessa.
The dining room was suddenly filled with screams and cries and laughter, coming from the well entertained Clarissa.
Pinkish spots sprawled over their visible skin, with Vanessa receiving more burns because she was wearing a flimsy shirt, not a thick suit like Sebastian.
Angry about her burn, Vanessa reached for the bacon and eggs he was eating and hit him directly on the face with them.
“I’ll ki|| you!” blurted a Sebastian that was reaching for a bowl of gravy. Vanessa noticed late and couldn’t dodge the flying bowl that came thrashing its contents on her face. She screamed when her eyes began to stink badly. She couldn’t open them and didn’t know how to launch another attack on Sebastian.
He began to laugh and feeling suddenly more outraged, Vanessa pushed hard at his chest that he came crashing into another dining chair and straight to the floor.
***
Vanessa’s face was looking raw and pink and a transparent paste had been rubbed upon it to reduce both the pain and reddening. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hands had bandaid in numerous places.
She, however, was looking way better than Sebastian, who was looking like an Egyptian mummy sitting on a bench. His right leg was covered in white plaster up to his knee and his left arm was entirely covered. He was wearing a white T-shirt and white shorts so he looked pretty much like a mummy. His face, of course was just like Vanessa’s.
The both of them were groaning in pain as they waited for the driver to come pick them up from the hospital.
“I’m glad you won’t be meeting up with your newest side chick” Vanessa croaked
“I will reschedule” Seb said.
“It’s a shame, Clarissa looks up to you”
“You are more of the shame. I’m not the one who goes clubbing instead of staying home to read her a bedtime story”
“I have been reading that for a week now” retorted Vanessa.
“Only because you wanted to get back at me for cheating”
Vanessa sat up and glared at him
“You were so stupid to consider cheating” she said and began to breath fast, as if she was a time bomb, waiting to explode.
“Wait, I didn’t even cheat. I don’t have a wife”
Vanessa wanted to say something but stopped when she saw Silva and Saree approaching.
“Hey, what happened? We came visiting and we heard you were at the hospital” Saree said as soon as they reached them.
“Was it an accident? The maids won’t tell” Silva said and sat beside her brother
“No, it wasn’t an accident. It was very deliberate” Vanessa piped
“What do you mean, very deliberate?” Saree asked
“I got pushed by a ghost unto a chair that made me break my arm and leg” Seb said and his sisters stared at him for a few seconds then burst out laughing.
“You still have this assertion about ghosts? Come on, big brother!” Silva jeered and smacked her lips. She reached for her handbag and pulled out a mirror then began to look at her face.
“Your face is perfectly fine” Saree said and Silva sighed.
“I want everything to be perfect” she said and grinned broadly. She arranged and smoothed her hair then returned the mirror to the bag.
“You girls expecting something?” Vanessa asked after reading the dreamy looks on their faces
“Some hot guys are taking us out tonight. They’re so cool” Saree chirped and tapped her lips with her index finger. They were both in the university already, with Silva in her third year and Saree in her first.
Seb sat up and stared at his sisters.
“How many guys?” he asked with a red-eye
“About four. Two of which are bringing other women” Silva answered, absentmindedly
“Four guys? And where are you meeting up?” he asked, with a vein popping out his forehead.
“JJ n’ Three …what? Is something wrong?” Silva asked
“You are not going anywhere!” boomed Sebastian.
The two sisters gave each other confusing looks.
“Non of you are going there. Let’s go home now! We’re leaving in the car you came with” he said aggressively and stood up, wincing as he did.
“Let’s go!’’ he said and began to limp away.
No one knew, and he himself, had just found out, that he was supposed to be part of the four guys his sisters wanted to meet.
.
.
.
To Be Continued.
Written by Hossy