No Such Thing As True Love (9 page)

            It was late when Maritess finished her last drink. She looked at Markus. He was bleary-eyed, and his face was flushed from smiling for so long. Cassandra had just returned from the bathroom, and Maritess rose to leave. She hugged Cassandra and told her how happy she was to have her back around. Then she hugged one arm around Markus. She kissed him on the cheek, looked into his eyes and smiled.

            “If you don’t show up for training tomorrow, I will bust through this door at six am with a bucket of ice water for each of you. Then, you’re both going to run on the treadmills until you beg for mercy. Do you understand me, Markus?” Maritess said. Her voice was stern, but her smile gave away her warm emotion. Markus nodded his head and smiled in return.

            “Oh, screw that,” Cassandra interjected. She looked at Markus with her eyebrows raised and said, “Your ass is getting up for training in the morning. The hell with you if you think I’m gonna let her come in here with ice water, then make me run. She’s serious, too.” Markus laughed along with Maritess and promised to be at their session. When she left him there alone with Cassandra, he couldn’t help but give up on ever trying to understand her.

…

CHAPTER 15

            The next morning, Markus made it to training on time, but not without being groggy and dehydrated. Maritess rolled her eyes and laughed at him. She chastised him and lectured on proper nutrition as she forced him to drink a liter of fluids before they started. When Markus got on the treadmill to warm up, he thought he would puke. However, he couldn’t tell if it was just because he was hung over, or because he felt guilty in front of Maritess. She seemed to catch on to his uneasiness, and decided to console him a bit. After all, she felt like she could call him her friend.

            “Markus,” she said in her trainer voice, “if you’re going to be sick, please go do so in the bathroom.” Maritess paused to look at him when he shook his head. “Okay, then,” she continued, “If you’re worried about me being angry with you for staying the night with Cassandra, please don’t be. I’m not.” Markus almost fell out of step on the treadmill and nearly lost his balance. Maritess rolled her eyes at him again, and adjusted the speed buttons.

            It took a moment before Markus could process a thought. He couldn’t let go of the fact that Maritess was not only completely free of jealousy, but seemed totally in favor of anything that might develop between him and Cassandra. He reminded himself that he had given up trying to understand her before he replied. “Thank you,” he said. It was the only thing he could really think of to say. Maritess smiled at him and nodded. True to her word, she showed no sign of any negativity at all. Markus forced himself to relax, and took comfort in the fact that he had gotten to know her pretty well.

            Soon, he had worked up a sweat and they went to go lift weights. Markus’ muscle tone had greatly increased over the past few weeks. Even he was a little surprised with his reflection. Maritess noticed him admiring his physique in the mirror, and joined him in admiration of what she’d helped him accomplish. He wasn’t scrawny anymore. Still slender, there was definition in his arms, chest and abs. Even his thighs were more toned and well-worked.

            When he was comfortably into a lifting rhythm, Maritess decided to pry a little bit into what had happened after she’d left the night before. She made sure that there were no other members, or trainers, close by as she started to speak. “So,” she said, “what do you think of Cassie?” Maritess had a big smile on her face, just like any other female would if they got the chance to talk to their friend's new beau.

            It took Markus a few moments to get comfortable talking about Cassandra to Maritess, especially since he had been so intimate with her just a few days prior. He couldn’t help but confess the guilt he felt for getting to know Cassandra in that way. Maritess assured him, again, that she was fine with it. “Remember,” she said to him, “I told you to keep looking, you know. So, tell me what you think you’ve found… because I know she’ll have a lot to say about you.”

            As always, Maritess was able to at least taunt Markus into spilling his guts to her. After a few stammered statements, he was almost gushing about Cassandra. Maritess listened intently as he told her about the things they talked about and how he found himself completely enamored by her friend. For once, however, Markus was hesitant to call it love. He tried to explain himself to Maritess, but he felt like she didn’t believe him. In her mind, she was sure he was falling in love, and thought he refused to say so to spare some idea he had of what her feelings should be. Maritess simply shrugged her shoulders. As they finished their post-workout shakes, he told her that he had plans to take Cassandra out to dinner that night.

            “Well, in that case, I’d better get over there and tell her every word you said to me,” Maritess replied. Markus looked up in horror, but she laughed at him. “Don’t worry,” she continued, “I won’t make you look like a sap. Besides, she and I are going out shopping for the afternoon, so I’ll make sure she’s in a good mood for dinner.” Maritess smiled at Markus. He gave her a big hug before he left. He didn’t have to say how thankful he was, and Maritess didn’t have to say ‘you’re welcome’.

            She had a few more clients to meet with before lunch. When Maritess wrapped up her work for the day, she met Cassandra at her apartment. Much to Maritess’ surprise, Cassandra had put almost everything away, even her clothes. Cassandra planned to find a small bookcase for the things still left unpacked. She needed some more office supplies, and wanted some things for her bathroom. Maritess knew just where to take her, and soon they were filling up shopping carts and having a great time.

            It wasn’t long before they had everything perfectly set up. Cassandra’s apartment looked like it could be photographed for a home magazine. The two of them sat in the living room, sipping on light cocktails when Maritess decided to ask about Cassandra’s plans for dinner with Markus.

            “Well, this will shock you,” Cassandra said to Maritess, “but I did actually learn to cook. After you made such a fool of me, I figured I would prove you wrong. So, I’m going to cook dinner for us here, and we’re just going to hang out… see where it goes, you know?” Maritess was a little surprised that Cassandra seemed so hesitant. So, she asked her about it.

            “I don’t know, Tessie,” Cassandra said, “I think it’s just because I think Markus really is a great man, and I think that you might not know what you’re missing. I don’t know. Like I said, I understand that you don’t want a partner, but Markus seems really special. I just feel a little guilty about taking him from you, I guess.” Maritess hugged her friend, and thanked her for her concern, but reassured her that she had no romantic feelings for Markus. She used the opportunity to tell her a few of the things Markus had said about her earlier. Like a pro, Maritess had Cassandra eating up every word she spoke to her. By the time Maritess left to let Cassandra get ready for her date, they were both as giddy as school girls before a dance. Maritess was happy to return home to Tike, a bath and a quiet night’s sleep.

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CHAPTER 16

            Cassandra wasn’t joking about having learned to cook. She created a fabulous meal for her and Markus to share. She had quite a few handy kitchen gadgets. The asparagus was delicious after it sizzled on an electric counter grill. The steaks were perfectly rare, and the sautéed mushrooms wonderfully complemented the bottle of wine that accompanied dinner. While she still couldn’t quite believe it, Cassandra forced herself to take Maritess’ wish of good will. She finally felt fully relaxed with Markus by the time they finished eating. Her apartment had a small balcony, and it over-looked the main drag. There was a good amount of traffic on the street below for a weekday night. They sat cuddled under a blanket upon an old garden bench Maritess had spotted while driving by a yard sale. Cassandra rested her head against Markus’ shoulder, and absorbed the start of something new.

            Markus was starting to feel like a new person. Every day, whether he started it training at the gym, or cuddling with Cassandra, turned into an opportunity for something new. Markus was soaring at work. The team he led had won their case, and his boss had moved him to an actual office. Markus had sat back in pride, and couldn’t decide whether to call Maritess or Cassandra first. He ended up texting them both which gave them all a reason to meet for celebratory drinks; something that was quickly becoming a weekly tradition.

            Maritess and Cassandra were basking in the glory of modest achievement themselves. Cassandra’s deal was turning into a massive contract, complete with proposed plans for the property once it is acquired. The estimated earnings on the entire project were estimated to be in the millions. Cassandra had every reason to be proud of herself. Maritess, too, was experiencing success at work. Her summer full of marketing had paid off heavy in the fall. She was packed every day and considering transforming one of the meeting rooms into a space for a spinning class. As the month passed, the three of them became permanent fixtures in each other’s daily lives.

            Markus and Cassandra were having a dizzying ride into full blown love. Together, they rediscovered the city in their free time. Cassandra, with Maritess’ help, was able to show Markus many of the places she used to call home. Markus showed her everything that was new, and enjoyed every moment of her company. Cassandra was quickly becoming a necessity in his routine. While they kept mostly to their own homes, they shared most of their meals together. Maritess would join them when the urge struck her, but, for the most part Markus and Cassandra were drifting into a chrysalis phase in their relationship. Maritess watched with wonder, but cared little for the times when, separately, they would go on and on about one another.

            Maritess had felt the need to introduce a ‘no love talk’ policy during her training sessions with Markus, which had drastically cut down on the gushing at least from his end. While she still saw them on the weekend when the three of them met for drinks, Cassandra was much more involved with Maritess than Markus was. Since Cassandra’s daily schedule mostly revolved around meetings, she had a lot of free time to stop by the gym. Maritess found herself delegating more and more tasks to her managers. To her relief, the club ran like a well-oiled machine. Maritess was free to enjoy some of the benefits of her success.

            Maritess found herself taking some afternoons off even without Cassandra or Markus in tow. She had forgotten what it was like to walk in the park by the river when everything was sparkling with ice. Winter was almost upon them. Maritess was in the midst of plans to accommodate the increased business New Year would bring. Everyone was a health nut for the first quarter of the year. It was another aspect of human behavior that amused Maritess.

            During her time to herself, Maritess thought a lot about the things she and Markus discussed. Since there was no talk of love, their sessions had become filled with talks of philosophy, religion and any quirky politics they both decided to care about. Maritess couldn’t help but feel a gentle sting that accompanied their absence. She was happy for them, but her return to a more solitary life was proving to be more difficult than she imagined.

            One night in particular, Maritess felt her heart sink with loneliness while she was out grocery shopping. She passed a small cantina and glanced through the windows. She spotted Markus immediately and wasn’t surprised to see Cassandra sitting across from him. She smiled, but didn’t wave or try to get their attention. She carried her grocery bags back to the bus stop, and sat down to wait. They finished eating and made their way to the same bus stop before any bus showed its headlights. Maritess had to face the awkward silence when they declined an invitation to hang out. They were headed to crash over at Markus’ instead. Cassandra could tell that Maritess was starting to feel left out, but she knew better than to draw attention to it.

            Maritess had always been very realistic about how her emotions affected other people. If she were able to look Cassandra in the eyes and say that she was fine with everything, then that’s the way Maritess wanted things to be; whether she really felt that way, or not. Cassandra did her best to spend some more time with Maritess, but between work and Markus, there was barely enough time for sleep. Maritess understood, and found herself throwing her attention into work. Soon, she found an amended rhythm, and was able to sail into the harsh winter months. She met every week with Markus and Cassandra, continued training and everyone seemed extremely happy. Maritess found herself looking forward to the holidays.

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CHAPTER 17

            The weeks were ticking incessantly towards Christmas. For Thanksgiving, Markus, Cassandra and Maritess had their own, small celebration. They were each expected to attend their families' celebration. Cassandra told Maritess that she had brought Markus to meet her parents, and she had been invited to his Aunt’s for their dinner. Maritess had no doubt that they both blended beautifully within each other’s families. Cassandra had offered to help her decorate the club. She didn’t trust Maritess to put enough festivity into the environment. Together, they hung wreaths, lights and a basketful of other sparkly things Cassandra had picked out.