Misconception

by Christy Hayes

  He didn’t lift his eyes from the table, didn’t answer, but continued to play, making shot after shot. When he’d won the game, he turned to the men, completely ignoring his wife. “Who’s next?”

  The tension between them seemed obvious, but everyone in the room was either too polite to comment or too drunk to notice. Pace may as well have never entered the room, never spoken to her husband. She could feel her face flush and a lump form in her throat. With a lift of her brows, she turned and made for the spare bedroom to find her coat and slipped out of the house unnoticed. On the short walk home, she considered the possibility that Jason would never get over this debacle.

  Chapter 11

  Jason knew Pace was pissed. He knew how she would’ve looked if he’d bothered to glance at her, like a wounded animal he’d tried to run over with his car. He wouldn’t allow himself to be swayed by her emotions. He couldn’t.

  He’d spent all night watching her and the men in the neighborhood. Most everyone’s attention was on Kimmy Milsaps and her impressive addition to an otherwise unimpressive body, but that didn’t keep him from looking for clues. Adam’s warning kept echoing through his head, but he couldn’t let go of his suspicions. He knew he needed to get over it, but the seed of doubt was still there, poking at his subconscious. One night spent feeling out the men in the neighborhood probably wouldn’t lead to answers, but at least it felt somewhat constructive.

  Pete’s comment had been too obvious. The guy had a reputation as a leech and Jason knew Pace wouldn’t go near him. Cheaters—the good ones anyway—were always the ones you least expected. He hadn’t seen anyone looking at Pace like they’d been lovers, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet. The more these guys drank, the better chance he’d have for someone to slip up. As soon as he felt sure Pace had left, he’d start the ball rolling. He couldn’t leave until he’d uncovered every stone.

  Greg slapped Jason on the back after his second victory. “You’ve sure got your game on tonight, Kelly.” He filled Jason’s glass with more bourbon. “You may need to use your winnings for a hotel room. If I’d ignored Melissa like that, I’d be sleeping in the yard.”

  “Women.” Jason rolled his eyes and glanced around at the six men in the neighborhood most likely to cheat on their wives.

  Greg, with his happy-go-lucky attitude and extra fifty pounds, didn’t factor into the mix. The others, all around forty, big drinkers and even bigger talkers, topped his list.

  Ken Mason ponied up a twenty for game number three and started with an impressive break considering he could barely stand. “I hear you knocked up your wife again, Kelly.” He dropped a solid into the middle pocket. “Congrats.”

  How the fuck did this guy know about Pace’s pregnancy? “You must’ve heard wrong.” After Ken missed his shot, Jason slammed two stripes into opposite corners and then duffed an easy one to the middle.

  Ken misfired a bank shot to the corner and used his stick to help him keep his balance. “I could’ve sworn Ginny said Pace was pregnant.”

  Jason took his shot and grinned. “You know how women like to talk.” He swallowed a big gulp of whiskey and enjoyed the burn as it went down. Damn Pace and her big mouth. The cue ball sailed into the pocket instead of his last stripe. Shit. No way would he let this asshole take him.

  “My wife keeps nagging me about having another,” said Ben Wikowski. He didn’t live in the neighborhood, but he wanted to. “I’d probably do it if she wouldn’t get even bigger. That woman could kill me if she got on top.” Ben stood all of five-six on a good day. Jason could probably rest his elbow on his head. “Your wife, Kelly, she could ride you all night long.”

  It took every ounce of self-restraint for Jason not to cram his stick up Ben’s ass. What the hell did they say when he wasn’t around? “And she does, Ben.” His comment, spoken through gritted teeth, earned a big laugh and a few slaps on the back. After he finished off Ken, Jason glanced around at the remaining guys. If he wasn’t good enough for a woman like Pace, these guys sure as hell weren’t either. This exercise felt like a huge waste of time.

  After they’d all disappeared to Ben’s car for a joint, Jason left with new respect from the party crowd and little to go on. On the walk home, he considered hiring a private detective. He had no idea how to find one or how much it would cost, but how could he put a price tag on peace of mind? At the moment, with Ben’s flippant comment bobbing around his head, he’d pay just about anything.

  The house was dark and quiet when he arrived home. Pace had either gone to sleep or pretended to be when he came up to brush his teeth before heading to the guest room. He could see her tank top and knew she wore her favorite flannel pants. It’d been two weeks since they’d made love and even the sight of her naked shoulder made him hard. In a strange twist of fate, now that he didn’t know if she’d been faithful, he wanted her like he did when they’d first met and he’d thought he’d never be good enough for the senator’s daughter. What the hell was wrong with him?

  * * *

  When Colin called from Washington, Tori heard the familiar sounds of the rotunda, the echoing drumfire of shoes on marble that told her he was on the move from one meeting to another. Now that she knew what he’d been up to, and with whom, she was convinced he called her when she’d hear in his voice and in the background the pressure he felt. Of course he felt pressured. Imagine trying to make important decisions for their state, wage war against a novice challenger, and bed a school girl. Who wouldn’t feel overwhelmed?

  “How is it going?” she asked as she checked her image in the mirror. She pulled the loose skin around her eyes toward her hairline and contemplated a lift.

  “Crazy. This country is changing, Tor. So fast it scares me sometimes.”

  That’s right, she told herself. He had to have these philosophical conversations with his wife, someone born of the same generation as him, someone who had the experience and mental capacity to understand what he said, who could put his words in the context of the past and what looked to be the future. Certainly his teenaged lover hadn’t paid much attention to the state of the nation when she’d been in high school.

  “Problems with the bill?”

  “They’re ram-rodding their own version through without even considering our side of the issue. It’s like dealing with a bunch of kindergarten bullies.”

  Tori had to bite her tongue from suggesting he use his girlfriend to mediate the argument. Surely she spoke their language. “Keep fighting the good fight, Colin. That’s all you can do.”

  He paused on the line and in that moment she heard muffled laughter and heels clicking on the marble floor. “Is something wrong, Tori? You don’t sound like yourself.”

  She dropped her hand away from her face. She didn’t need a lift. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”

  His affair had nothing to do with her. She pushed away from the bathroom and walked to the window. It looked like rain. She wanted nothing more than to slip between the sheets of their bed, take a sleeping pill, and drift into oblivion. The only thing that stopped her was the certainty that nothing would have changed when she woke up.

  “I’ll be home later in the week; it just depends on the progress we make. If we make any progress at all.”

  She wished he’d stay away longer. It was so much easier to resist him when he wasn’t around. “Take your time.”

  Again a pause where she wondered, not for the first time, what he thought.

  “I miss you, Tori.”

  She wanted so badly to say the same. I miss me, too. Except the me she missed was the person she had been before he cheated, the one who wasn’t so jaded, so cynical about life and love. She had to wonder which of her he missed, too.

  Chapter 12

  Pace could no longer pretend her life remained normal. She felt like she’d been sucker punched and everyone could see the bruise on her face. Her neighborhood friends kept calling, discretely asking how she felt, asking about Jason, asking about their plans for the holid
ays, like they expected her and Jason to announce their divorce any day. And judging by his behavior, she wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

  She couldn’t even think about her and Jason not being married. Not that they couldn’t get divorced—of course she knew it could happen—but she couldn’t even picture it. She equated it to thinking of her parents having sex. She knew they did it. She had her mom’s long fingers and her dad’s nose, but the image of it, thank goodness, refused to form in her mind.

  She deliberately put it all away for a little while and met her friend Amanda for lunch. Concentrating on something other than her disintegrating marriage seemed just what she needed. Amanda already sat at the table dressed in a dark suit and sexy stilettos, the same combination of power and womanhood Pace had always associated with her former boss.

  Amanda looked at her watch as the hostess pulled out Pace’s chair. “I was wondering if you’d show up.”

  “Parking was a nightmare.” She smiled as Amanda raised her brows. Pace felt relieved to spend time with someone outside of her daily bubble.

  “It wouldn’t be if you didn’t drive a tank.” She reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It’s good to see you, Pace.”

  “You too. You look good.”

  “Do I?” she asked smugly. “Maybe it has a little something to do with this.” She picked up her water goblet and wiggled her fingers. On her ring finger perched a startlingly large diamond solitaire.

  “Oh, my gosh.” Pace grabbed her hand as soon as she put her glass down. “Is this what I think it is?”

  “Um huh. Close your mouth before people start to stare.”

  Pace had always thought of Amanda as a devout professional woman, a corporate communications legend whose main goal had been to break the glass ceiling. She never thought she’d get married, never knew she even considered it an option. “Who the heck are you marrying?”

  “His name’s Paul Bryner. He’s an investment banker with Shores & Littleman. He’s worth millions.”

  “Well, that certainly explains the rock.” Pace sat back in her chair to stare at the woman who suddenly seemed like a stranger. Amanda had teased her unmercifully about her devotion to Jason and when she’d decided to quit work and stay home with the kids, in Amanda’s eyes Pace had committed an act of mutiny. “I guess I need to keep an eye out for flying pigs.”

  Amanda laughed and the throaty depths of it caused several men around them to turn in their direction. Her confidence and lack of inhibition had always made her the center of attention. “What can I say? I’m in love.”

  “With his millions or with him?”

  “Don’t be so cynical. He’s an amazing man. One ex-wife and, thank God, no children.”

  Amanda ordered a salad when the waiter came to the table and Pace did the same. She felt too surprised about Amanda’s announcement to even care about food.

  “How old is he? Where did you meet? When’s the wedding?”

  “Oh, Pace, the journalist in you is showing,” she said. “He’s forty-five, we met at a visitor’s bureau function, and the wedding is in two months. We’re having a small ceremony on the island of Nevis, with a fabulous after party when we return.” She eyed Pace’s current ensemble of pants and a sweater and pursed her lips. “We’ll have to go shopping.”

  “Well, to say I’m shocked would be an understatement.”

  “You’re not the only one. When I called my mother, she cried.”

  Amanda’s Korean-born mother could barely speak English. She didn’t drive and had never worked outside the home. “I guess you’re back in the will.”

  “Exciting, isn’t it? One-third share of a nineteen-seventies split level in Northern Virginia.” She sighed dramatically. “Imagine the possibilities.”

  “And here I thought you wanted to talk about me doing some work for you.” Although thrilled for her friend, Pace suffered a pang of sorrow that the work wouldn’t come her way. It seemed like the only thing she had to look forward to.

  “I do. Paul’s accepted an overseas assignment for a year and he wants me to go with him. I’m taking a leave of absence.”

  Pace sat stunned by Amanda’s announcement. Somehow the thought of her leaving work for a year was more surprising than her engagement. “Have you ever thought of giving a person some warning before you hit them over the head? A leave of absence?”

  Amanda’s expression turned serious. “I’m surprised myself, but…” She drew her shoulders up in an uncharacteristically self-conscious gesture. “I’m scared shitless, if you want to know the truth. I figure if I’m going to do this, I may as well give it my all.”

  The insecurity she saw on Amanda’s face suddenly made her want to cry. The strongest woman she knew had put it all on the line for love and at the same time Pace walked a dangerous tight rope. She willed herself to get a grip on her emotions.

  “Obviously I can’t leave without someone on board to pick up the slack.” She quickly returned to business, any hint of doubt gone. “I talked to Jerry and he’s not going to get a replacement considering the company’s budget shortfall, but he’s asked John Stephenson to absorb most of my job while I’m gone. John was hesitant at first, as any person would be who doesn’t want to work an eighty hour week, but then I thought of you.” She smiled like the Cheshire cat. “Problem solved.”

  “What kind of commitment are you talking about? I thought a few freelance assignments were all you wanted.”

  “It’s up to John, but considering he’s immersed in marketing, I’d say he’ll take as much as you can give him. I’d imagine he’ll want you to come into the office one day a week and work on as many clients as you think you can handle.”

  Pace’s mind raced. She hadn’t expected to dive back into the deep end. But with all the drama going on at home, maybe a distraction like Amanda described would be just what she needed. “It sounds doable, but I’m going to need specifics.”

  Amanda slapped the table with her hand as if she’d sealed a deal. “I’ll set up a meeting with John after Thanksgiving to get the ball rolling. I don’t leave until mid-January.”

  “Great.”

  “What?” Amanda asked as her brow furrowed.

  “Nothing. I’m just…impressed, that’s all.” Pace placed her napkin on her lap as the waiter delivered the salads. “You obviously love Paul a lot.”

  “I do.” She took a bite of salad and chewed thoughtfully. “We’ve taken some precautions after what happened to his first marriage and that makes me feel a little better.”

  “Precautions?”

  “Marriage therapy. Couples counseling,” she said when Pace stared at her blankly. “Surely you’ve heard of it?”

  “Well, of course I’ve heard of it, but you’re not even married yet.”

  She smiled slyly and Pace sensed a glimpse of the old Amanda. “We like to think of it as preventative medicine.” She stopped eating and stared at Pace. “Not everyone meets their soul mate in college. What’s with the face?”

  Obviously she couldn’t hide her feelings. No wonder she went into print journalism instead of broadcast. “I’m just…Jason and I…” She looked down at the napkin on her lap as her eyes filled with tears. “We’re having some problems.”

  Amanda carefully placed her fork in her bowl of spring lettuce and grimaced. “The golden couple is having problems on the eve of my marriage. Why do I feel like fate is tapping me on the shoulder?” She placed her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together. “Tell me it’s not serious.”

  Pace told her everything, the blood test, his tests, the phone call, everything. She hated bursting Amanda’s happiness bubble, but it felt so good to share her problems with someone else, someone who wouldn’t judge her.

  “So did you?” she asked when Pace finally took a breath.

  “Cheat on Jason? No, of course not. But I don’t know how to prove I didn’t and now we’re in this weird place where each one of us is wondering about the other. Jason’s just
so proud, I don’t know if he’ll be able to let it go.”

  Amanda waved a hand in front of her face. “All men are proud. I know you like to think Jason is the standard, Pace, but really. Can’t he use a little common sense?”

  “I’m not just saying that.” Amanda scrunched up her face in disbelief, urging Pace to justify her comment. She searched her memory bank for the best example. “When we were in college, he had this professor who was ready to quit. Rumor had it he’d been caught with a student and they weren’t renewing his contract when the semester was over. Jason was very serious about school. He studied all the time, went to class every day.”

  “So did I,” Amanda said.

  “One day about midway through the semester, Jason turned in a paper. I remember he’d stressed out for weeks about finishing this paper, making it perfect. He turned it in and the professor handed it right back, told Jason he didn’t need to grade it because he’d watched him in class and he knew Jason deserved an A.”

  “Well, I’d say good for Jason.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I said. You know what he said?”

  Amanda shrugged her shoulders and looked around. Pace had lost her already. “He was angry. He spent all that time researching, studying, putting the paper together, and the guy didn’t even take the time to read it and grade him accordingly.”

  “So Jason’s a stickler for the rules, so what?”

  “So every day he studied for this class. Every day. He memorized chapters, made flash cards, everything he could think of to immerse himself in the lessons, even after the professor had made it perfectly clear he wouldn’t be grading anything as long as the students showed up and at least acted like they paid attention.”

  “So your husband’s a freak.”

  “Exactly. And if he thinks I cheated on him and there’s no way to prove I didn’t, he can’t just forget about it and move on.”