{"id":253,"date":"2011-02-08T06:00:36","date_gmt":"2011-02-07T19:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/?p=253"},"modified":"2013-09-27T15:57:43","modified_gmt":"2013-09-27T22:57:43","slug":"a-confrontation-over-roast-pumpkin-risotto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/?p=253","title":{"rendered":"Season 1: Episode 11"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ana took a deep breath as she stood outside Marc\u2019s door. She had been successfully avoiding him for weeks now \u2013 ever since she\u2019d decided to get serious with Tom. Well, apart from the run-in by the elevator, of course.\u00a0Replaying what he’d said later in her head, Marc\u2019s words still hit a nerve a week later.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you see in him?\u201d he\u2019d snarled. \u201cHe\u2019s a boy scout. You need a real man, Ana. We both know he\u2019s not right for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

This past week Marc had been attentive \u2013 too attentive \u2013 inviting her for lunch, sending her flowers to the office and to her home, and texting and calling at all hours of the day and night.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a really important job on,\u201d she’d explained to Tom, barely able to contain her anger that she’d been forced to lie to him while Marc repeatedly phoned during a romantic dinner.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s ridiculous<\/i>, Ana thought to herself as she stood outside Marc\u2019s office, that I have to break-up with my married boss to be with my boyfriend.<\/i><\/p>\n

She knocked on the door.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana walked into the familiar office. She knew every inch of it.<\/p>\n

She couldn’t look at his mahogany desk without remembering the way Marc would bend her over it, lifting her skirt with one hand whilst firmly gripping her breast with the other and pushing into her from behind. She remembered the first time it had happened. They\u2019d been working late on a project. The tension between them had been palpable and, well, one thing had led to another. She had been wearing her most \u2018sensible\u2019 underwear that day and was mortified when Marc had pulled them off her and held them up with a bemused expression.<\/p>\n

\u201cAna. Always full of surprises, aren\u2019t you.\u201d<\/p>\n

From that day on she had made sure it was nothing but lace everyday. She became the Imelda Marcos of lingerie. She had changed so much of herself\u00a0for him.<\/p>\n

Ana looked at the photo on his desk of his wife, Nancy, and \u2013 as always \u2013 felt a pang of guilt. Shaking her head in remorse, she directed her attention at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping we could have lunch today, Marc.\u201d<\/p>\n

He laughed. \u201cYou\u2019ve come to your senses, then, have you?\u201d Checking his watch he added, \u201cI\u2019ve got an hour free now. Let’s go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana inhaled deeply to calm herself. What had she ever seen in him?<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Tom had been pacing outside the jewellers on Little Collins Street for about 15 minutes. He had told Ana that he had to fly to Sydney that morning for a week of client meetings, but there was something he wanted to take care of first, something he didn\u2019t want her to know about. Tom had made a decision. He knew that he was probably being rash and impulsive, but he loved Ana and wanted to marry her.\u00a0More than anything he\u2019d ever wanted, he wanted to marry her! He beamed in delight at the thought. Pushing open the door to the boutique jeweller, he stepped inside.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Ana and Marc sat in silence in the small Italian caf\u00e9, tucked just off Little Collins Street. Ana had wanted to go somewhere where they wouldn\u2019t run into anyone she knew. She pushed her pumpkin risotto around the plate. Marc had ordered it for her \u2013 without consultation. Ordinarily, she would have loved it: the sharp tang of Parmesan cutting through the sweetness of the pumpkin.<\/p>\n

Marc ate hungrily, putting large forkfuls of risotto into his mouth. \u201cNot hungry?\u201d he asked putting his hand on her thigh.<\/p>\n

She brushed him off and forced herself to eat a mouthful.<\/p>\n

Grow some balls<\/i>, she chided herself angrily, just tell him it’s over!<\/i><\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t take Tom long to pick the perfect ring. As soon as he saw the 1.25 carat brilliant cut diamond nestled in the simple platinum band he knew it was the one.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd may I ask the lucky young lady\u2019s name, Sir?\u201d<\/p>\n

Tom smiled as he thought of her.<\/p>\n

\u201cAna.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Marc had finished eating and had ordered himself an espresso.<\/p>\n

Ana was folding and re-folding her napkin. \u201cMarc,\u201d she began nervously. \u201cI don\u2019t think that we should see each other any more\u2026 romantically.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marc stared at her, as though she was speaking another language.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just\u2026 I don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair on your family\u2026\u201d. She stammered on for a few more seconds as Marc sat there in silence, watching her with steely eyes.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, he exploded. \u201cFair?\u201d he hissed. \u201cFair? Well, you thought it was pretty fair when you were seducing me at the office drinks with my wife in the next room. You thought it was fair when I left my family on Christmas Day so I could come and fuck you. What\u2019s changed, huh? Why is it now suddenly un<\/i>fair?\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana looked around her, mortified. Thankfully the lunch rush had died down and the waiter was in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve just been spending more time with Tom and, it\u2019s not fair on him either\u2026\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

Marc grabbed her wrist, his eyes narrowing. \u201cWhat\u2019s not fair, Ana, is selling yourself short for a guy like that.\u201d He let out a cruel laugh. \u201cIs this punishment for the Maldives? Come on, Ana. We both know that you are never going to leave me. You can\u2019t. You don\u2019t know how.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana shook her hand loose and shakily walked towards the door of the caf\u00e9, gulping huge breaths of air as she plunged into the street, wiping away tears. Seconds later, Marc followed her out.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t see Tom standing on the other side of the street, obstructed by a group of school children. But he saw everything.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

At first, Tom didn\u2019t understand what was going on. Why was his Ana having a fight with this man? Then he saw the man grab Ana and pull her into a passionate embrace, kissing her neck. At that point, Tom turned around and stumbled down the street.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d seen enough.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Ana used all her force to push Marc off her. Wiping her mouth, she felt back in control.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t ever do that again,\u201d she said in a dangerously low voice.<\/p>\n

Marc tried to grab her around the waist. She fended him off.<\/p>\n

\u201cAna. Babe. I know, I\u2019ve been neglecting you, and this is you punishing me. I get it. Look, why don\u2019t I take you away for the weekend. I can make it up to you just the way you like.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana looked at Marc, not even trying to conceal the disgust in her eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s over. I don\u2019t want you to call me and I don\u2019t want to see you.\u201d She felt remarkably calm as she added, \u201cOh, and I quit. Effective immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Ana dialled Tom\u2019s number as she left her office, a box of personal belongings under one arm. She wanted to arrange a time to tell him everything face-to-face. About quitting her job, about the idea of starting her own agency, and about Marc. For the first time in her life, Ana wanted to be completely honest with the man she loved.<\/p>\n

Tom\u2019s phone went to voicemail. She sighed, left a quick \u201cCall me back. I love you\u201d and hung up.<\/p>\n

Ana felt a pang of melancholy when she remembered he\u2019d left for Sydney that morning. Well<\/i>, she thought to herself, I guess it will just have to wait until next week<\/i>.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Standing on Little Collins Street, the engagement ring in his pocket, Tom stared at his phone, a message telling him Ana had called.<\/p>\n

How could he have been such an idiot?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ana took a deep breath as she stood outside Marc\u2019s door. She had been successfully avoiding him for weeks now \u2013 ever since she\u2019d decided to get serious with Tom. Well, apart from the run-in by the elevator, of course.\u00a0Replaying what he’d said later in her head, Marc\u2019s words still hit a nerve a week […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[197],"tags":[10,67,154],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=253"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1173,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253\/revisions\/1173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=253"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=253"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ravenoustales.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}