This story is pure fiction. Any resemblance to any people real or imagined is purely coincidental.
Chapter 1: I'm Only Sleeping
My name is Natasha Hospes. And I want to tell you a story, A story about love.
I grew up in a small town just outside LA. I got good grades at school, Especially in maths, I've always been good at maths. Which is lucky because I've always wanted to own a business. But my mother tried to tell me "A woman's place is in the kitchen, not the boardroom."
That attitude made me sick, A woman's place is wherever she wants to be. I was only five when I first shouted at my mother about how I was going to be rich one day, and I earned my first lecture straight out of the "good book" about how money is the root of all evil and we should just be grateful for what we already have.
After a few years of such lectures I made the best decision of my life. I would knuckle under and learn to be a good wife for my future husband. No don't leave, Because while I learned how to cook with my mother I spent every other moment I could learning about maths, science and English. So that when I was at the age to go to college I was smart, And a good enough liar to say to my mother "Why don't I learn about Home Economics at college?"
"Really?" She said "They still teach that?"
"Oh yes." I lied "It's not as popular as it was because of feminists complaining."
And that did it, she agreed just to "show those lesbians!" I was on my way to study business at college. What? You didn't think I would really go and study Home Ec did you? It was embarrassingly easy to keep up the charade. I won't bore you with how, but trust me it was easy.
It's now I should bring up Chaz. My first and only boyfriend. We've known each other since we were barely able to walk. We went to the same schools, He was the hot jock, I was his arm candy slash lead cheerleader. We lost our virginity to each other not an hour after having won homecoming king and queen. It you ask me the whole experience was very anti-climactic. He though it was the best night of his life.
Oh I haven't described myself have I. That's usually the form isn't it. I'm 5'7'', I'm thin but I've got curves in all the right places. My ruby lips have been described as "Kissable" my bum as "A supple peach" by various people. I've got shoulder length brunette hair and my breasts are big but not huge, Anything more than a handful is a waste if you ask me, I'm not sure what men see in huge breasts.
But anyway, me and Chaz. Like I said we came up together, known each other forever. So when he asked me to marry him it was no surprise, And needless to say I was ecstatic and screamed my yes' at him.
But it was during college I met David, One of the most important people in my life.
David was an engineering major and simply brilliant. He was my ticket to the big time. He had invented an improvement to the jet engine that improved fuel efficiency, made the engine run harder and faster and reduced noise all in one. Don't ask me to explain the science I swill simply never understand. But poor old David had a mind like a sieve and he wasn't very popular, a classic nerd.
Don't worry, I didn't steal his invention or anything. I made friends with him. I thought I would need to use my feminine whiles on him but I was surprised to find that, No I didn't. He was one of the few people I had ever met who just wanted to hear what I thought about something, Anything. In those early days we used to stay up all night and talk about stuff. I knew I had found more than a business opportunity. This was a friends for life.
Eventually I did find myself attracted to him, he wasn't much to look at, But he was genuine. When I threw myself at him one night (which involved sneaking into his dorm and waiting naked on his bed) I was shocked to discover he thought of me as no more than a friend. He let me down gently and reminded me how good I had it with Chaz. I didn't go nuts on him and we continued to be very good friends.
The next night Chaz proposed. And I said yes.
It was just after my honeymoon that me and David went into business together making and selling his new invention. Within a year we were making money hand over fist, Rich and getting richer each day. It was around this time my mother cut me off, I barely even noticed. It was around this time that Chaz's football career took off. To the lowly depths of the minor leagues. Needless to say he was rather uncomfortable with his wife being the major bread winner. And especially uncomfortable with the fact my business partner was another man. He often accused us of having an affair but he never found any proof (because there was none) but he didn't dare to try and divorce me. My lawyers would hang him out to dry. The arguments are probably the reason we never had kids, I didn't want to bring a child into a house filled with vitriol. So to cope I threw myself into my work. And the company grew into one of the largest aeronautical parts suppliers in the world. David and his R&D team kept coming up with new and astounding inventions and soon we were rich beyond the dreams of avarice.
By the time I was 27 (the company was almost 8 years old by this point) my marriage was falling apart at the seams. My husband drank. But he was a rich alcoholic so no one gave a crap. He was writing a book about being a football player but he could barely even spell football so it was going nowhere fast. We were even sleeping in separate beds at this point. I don't know why I didn't get rid of him. Actually I do, He was still hot and I was still a woman with needs. I thought he could satisfy them. I would later find out how wrong I was.
By now David had married a sweet girl from the Caribbean named Marie and they had the most lovely little daughter named Hope. I'm even her godmother, And she's like the daughter I never had. You know, It's almost tragic how I spend more of my free time with her than I do my own husband. This is only made easier by the fact me and David live so close we almost share a driveway.
But that isn't why you came here is it? I bet you came to hear about Clare didn't you?
It was in the summer that I had to go to England, not for the first time. But the first time in a good few years.
"Why do you have to go?" Whined Hope as she bounced on the foot of my bed.
"Because an important client in England needs me to renew a contract I made." I said. I was packing my bag, I was only going for a few days at the most. So only the bare essentials.
"But you've never even been to England."
"I have." I told her, faux annoyance creeping into my voice.
"When?" She asked, genuinely curious. I always loved that about her.
I thought about it. "I haven't been in 5 years." I said.
Her face scrunched up in concentration. Hope was good at most things, but maths was almost completely beyond her. I was only 2!" she said with triumph. I gave her a loving pat on the head.
"Your taxi's here." Announced a gruff voice from behind us. Chaz. I could hear the tink of ice hitting the side of a scotch glass. "Where you going this time?" He asked me with barely concealed annoyance.
"England." I grunted as I turned to him, My bag full.
"You've never been to England before." He said with surety.
"Yes she has! 5 years ago silly!" Shouted Hope.
This only earned her an annoyed look from Chaz, which in turn earned him a look to curdle milk from me. He might treat me like crap but he knew he couldn't treat Hope like that with me around.
I walked briskly to the front door where David was waiting, to pick up Hope and send me on my way.
