AS MY WIFE

by Groovy Lee

  She glanced at her watch and inhaled for renewed courage to face him before turning on her heels and heading inside to get her overnight bag. She had only taken a few steps when she froze at the sight of Indigo standing on the steps, his hands shoved deep in his pants pockets. And judging by the look on his face, this was the last place he wanted to be. She whispered an “Oh, God,” under her breath and approached him.

  “Indigo. You’re early.”

  “I finished my research at the library and thought I’d wait for you. It seems I arrived at an inopportune time.” There was no mistaking the edge in his voice. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I just have to get my overnight bag.”

  “I’ll wait in the car,” was his brisk reply as he walked away for it parked on the side of the street.

  The silence on the way home crackled like static electricity. When the ferry pulled off for the opposite shore, he got out, leaving her to sit alone with her thoughts. She blew out her frustration. Surely, he can’t be upset because he saw her talking to Mickey? Is he eager for their arrangement to end so he can be with Felicia? Is he starting to resent her now? She leaned into her seat and rested her head back against it, wishing how she had gotten on that plane with Heather and Bitsy. When he pulled into the driveway, she jumped out of the car, eager to put as much distance between them as quickly as possible.

  “Wait a minute,” his commanding words halted her from taking any more steps.

  She wondered how long it would have taken before he said anything. She turned and waited for the inevitable confrontation.

  “What were you doing with him?” He slammed his car door shut.

  “Mickey? Nothing,” she shrugged her shoulders with indifference. (That’s what’s got him in a mood?)

  “Don’t tell me the two of you are making plans already?”

  “Plans for what? You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “All I know, is that you agreed not to get in touch with him while we’re here.”

  “And, I didn’t. We ran into one another at the airport, and he offered me a ride back to the hotel. I saw no harm in that.”

  He came closer to her. “And, I guess that close encounter I witnessed between the two of you was harmless as well.”

  “I was just saying good-bye to a friend—for good.”

  “How touching. You mean you aren’t going to meet him as soon as you receive your annulment papers?”

  “What I do afterwards is none of your business. Are you going to tell me your plans?”

  He stepped forward and whispered close to her face. “Do you really want to know?”

  She swallowed at the effects his closeness was having on her. Even though he’s unjustly angry with her right now, she still missed him.

  “Is this the first time you’ve seen him since you’ve been here?”

  “How many times have you seen Felicia?” she shot back and turned away to get inside the house.

  He reached out and pulled her back sideways to him. “Answer me, Gracie,” his demand resounded in her ear.

  She matched his look of anger and frustration. “I don’t owe you an explanation. But, if it will make you let go of me, then no, it’s not the first time I’ve seen him.” A small tremor shook her insides when he exhaled, and his jaws clenched tight. “He and Reid came into a club we were at last night. It was quite by accident.”

  “Accident,” he threw back at her. “You expect me to believe that?”

  “It’s the truth.” She tried to remove her arm from his hold, but to no avail.

  “Since we’re being so truthful, what else happened?”

  She was tired of his interrogation. When Felicia was here, he couldn’t keep away from her. And now he had the nerve to stand there and treat her like a willful teenager. If he wanted to believe the worst, then she’d gladly oblige him. “What do you think?”

  If she meant to feel victorious from that bit of revenge, it lasted all of a second. His anger slowly transformed into a look of wounded hurt, his head tilted a little as he stood looking back at her. She instantly felt bad at the picture she put in his head. How she wanted to take back her hurtful words; To tell him she could never allow another man to touch her; That he was the only man to claim such control over her. As she stood debating whether she should correct herself, he walked around her and headed for the back of the house.

  She watched as he walked away into the distance wishing desperately she could run after him and make everything alright. If only he knew of her true feelings for him; That she would give him whatever he wanted, when he wanted it. How in the world is she going to deal with it being just the two of them when Ella leaves? One moment, he seems to want her. And the next, he’s angry and has to control his impatience with her. The thought of locking herself in her room and sliding his typed papers under her door almost had her laughing out, but the stress of it all wouldn’t allow that. She finally recovered her nerves and went inside to Ella.

  “Here’s a couple of plates,” Ella came into the kitchen after a lunch absent of Indigo and held them out to her. She stood with a secret smile creasing her lips, watching as Gracie fumbled the dishes around in the dishwasher trying to find a place for them. “I’m not the nosy type, mind you. But, I can’t help noticing that the two of you are at odds with one another. Am I right?” She could tell by the painful twist to Gracie’s mouth that she was. “First year’s always the hardest. Disagreements come with the territory. Indigo’s father and I argued everyday but Sundays the first year we were married.”

  “You’re exaggerating,” Gracie exhaled.

  “Maybe. But, I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that making up is the best part. That’s how I got Indigo—and that’s also why I’m leaving in a couple of days.”

  Gracie stood straight, a sudden nervous pound in her chest. “Ella, I wish…”

  “Let me finish,” she held her hand up to quiet her. “What you need is time. I can’t say it enough. And, you can’t get to know one another properly with me always under foot in your space. Don’t look so bewildered, Gracie. It’ll work out, trust me.”

  Under normal conditions, Gracie would have treasured her words like pure gold. But, Ella had no idea that in a short while, she and Indigo would be going their separate ways. How was he going to explain that to her without her poor heart breaking to pieces? The thought of what Ella might think of her once he told her the truth had her swallowing the hard lump in her throat.

  “Whatever you say, Ella.”

  “That’s my girl. Now, it’s time for my medicine and nap. Will you be all right?”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “Good. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  As Ella walked away, the thought came to her that maybe Indigo could talk to her and make her see there’s no need for her to leave. She was sure he didn’t cherish the thought of them being alone any more than she. She threw the dishtowel aside and headed for his room. Her timid steps took her down the hallway toward the double doors, all the while taking deep breaths for courage.

  “Yeah?” he called from the other side.

  Gracie opened the door to dark and medium shades of blue; A silk comforter adorned the huge four poster bed at the far side. (So, this is where he lays his head every night) Indigo came out of his bathroom, his hair damp from a shower, the smell of aftershave whiffing in the air.

  “Come in.” He rubbed the towel through his hair once more then tossed it onto the bed.

  She took cautious steps inside. Her eyes switched from the décor of the room to linger on his shirtless torso as he stood there. “Indigo, can I talk to you for a moment about Ella?”

  “Is she all right?”

  “Yeah. That’s not it. It’s just that—well she just told me she’s leaving in a couple of days. Did you know that?”

  “No. But, why would that be a problem?”

  “Don’t you know why she’s doing this?”

  He shrugged. “She wan
ts to get back to her charity work. Her doctor’s allowing it as long as she continues to take it easy and keep her workload in half.”

  “That’s not the only reason. She’s got this silly notion that we need to spend some time alone to have a,” her eyes once again slid to his toned frame in those black pants. “A proper honeymoon. She feels like she’s in the way.”

  “I see.” He looked away and took a clean white shirt from off the bed.

  “Do you think you could talk to her and maybe change her mind?”

  “And, say what? Do you want me to come clean with her now?”

  “No, I—I couldn’t bear to see the look on her face. It’s just that with her here, I…”

  “What? Would feel safer?” His cynical laugh destroyed what little hope she had in getting him to agree with her.

  “I wasn’t going to say that.”

  “Weren’t you?” He slipped his arms into his shirt sleeves and pulled the shirt over his shoulders.

  She looked away from the critical furrowing of his brows.

  “Look,” he exhaled sharply. “Aside from telling her the truth, there’s no reason I can give her to make her stay. If we protest too much about spending time alone as a couple, she’s bound to suspect something.”

  “I guess. But, I would think you’d want her to stay as much as I do.”

  “And, why is that?”

  “You know why. To keep peace. With her around, we wouldn’t get on one another’s nerves so much, and we wouldn’t argue constantly. When she leaves, there’s no reason for us to pretend anymore.”

  “Isn’t there?”

  “You see,” she lifted her hand out to him. “You’re proving my point by being obstinate and uncooperative. Frankly, I don’t look forward to the tension and constant bickering.”

  He slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned on the bed post causing Gracie to linger on his lean muscles once again under that shirt. When she looked back up, his gaze was trailing over her in a slow intimate move. “We don’t have to bicker, do we? There are other more pleasant things we could be doing, wouldn’t you say?”

  It took her a moment to recover from the seductiveness in his eyes and to get her words to come out. “I—I see I’m wasting my time.”

  “And, I can’t help you,” he began buttoning his shirt. “I’m sorry the thought of being alone with me is disturbing to you. There’s nothing I can do about that, either. But you have two weeks left, and I expect you to keep your word.” He sat down at the edge of the bed and picked up a clean pair of black socks, but he paused for a moment to address her. “How it goes really depends on you—doesn’t it?”

  She just turned away and closed the door tight behind her. The need for air and to clear her mind had her heading for the deck. Her frustrated steps took her beyond it to stroll along the yard and out onto the beach. Patches barking had her turning around to see him following her. She smiled and beckoned for him to come. After a few brisk strokes of his fur, she stood looking out over the vast ocean. A fish soared in the air and plunged back into it, bringing a look of amazement to her face. She tilted her head back to the warm breeze. Starbucks ran up to join them, barking eagerly. Then he and Patches ran a little ways down the beach, their way of urging her on.

  As they sniffed about the hedges and undergrowth, darting around trying to scare out any woodland creature that may be hiding, Gracie relaxed her tortured mind by absorbing the beauty of her surroundings.

  “Come on,” she called as they stalled and poked around with their own agenda.

  The sun’s rays reached through the treetops and reflected the green of the foliage. She glanced in the direction of the cave where Indigo first took her exploring. A bitter-sweet smile tugged at her lips when memories of that day came back to her. She would never forget that beautiful underground lake, the swim—the kiss.

  Oh God—this was going to be the most difficult two weeks she would ever have to live. Besides the tension between them, the idea of Felicia waiting on the sidelines when it was all over only added to the stress. He would probably bring her here and show her his secret hideaway, and the ship he said he would explore with her one day. Now Felicia would have that privilege.

  The sound of Patches intense barking caused her to look over just in time to see him and Starbucks running off into the forest. She yelled for them to come back, but they ignored her for the creature that had been targeted. After the third yell, she realized she had long been forgotten and they had no intentions of returning. She hurried after them, sidestepping the many trees and bushes in her way. When she came to a clearing, she stopped and searched around. A bark came from over a small slope ahead. She scurried to the top, paying no attention to the rock that lay in her path until her foot hit against it. She screamed as she rolled down the other side and came to a stop in a soft patch of grass.

  She moaned and pulled herself to her knees, grateful that no one was around to witness such a clumsy feat. As she looked around, her eyes widened at the scenery before her: The sun’s rays danced on the waters of a beautiful, crystal lake with a small island nestled in the middle of it; deep green mountains hovered way in the horizon. It was gorgeous and serene. It seemed like the only place in the world that managed to escape the wars, pollution, and selfishness of man.

  The dogs’ whining and barking caught her attention. She watched as they stood at the edge of the lake trying to get at a mother duck and her four, fluffy babies who only snubbed the intruders and continued swimming toward the island.

  “Patches—Starbucks!”

  Patches ran to her and showered her face with excited licks.

  “Stupid dog,” she pushed him back. “If it weren’t for you and your cohort over there, I wouldn’t be sitting here lost and hurt.”

  As if he understood the scolding he just received, he sat down and stared at her before he moaned and laid down in an apologetic gesture. Gracie’s soar stomach reminded her how serious a fall she had taken. She massaged at her ankle as it started to throb. It was only a minor twist, so she decided to sit and give it time to regain strength. A tree stump lay a few yards away. She got up on her good foot and hopped over to sit on it. Patches joined Starbucks along the lake’s shore and sniffed about while she continued to study her surroundings. She knew how she got here, but had no idea of how to get out once she topped that hill. She was lost, thanks to them. She eyed them with such scolding then exhaled a weary sigh. Maybe, she could get them to lead her back to the house once her ankle recovered.

  Something moved in the grass from the corner of her eye. She gasped when she caught sight of a small, green snake slithering pass her on its way to the lake. The dogs saw it and charged, darting about and barking loudly. The snake went into the water and swam away. Gracie did a nervous search around her to see if anymore were in the area. To her relief, there didn’t seem to be. It took quite some time before her ankle felt strong enough to stand on. It was still a little sore, but at least she could walk. She limped to the edge of the lake, cautious of any creatures that might be crawling around and gazed out over it. One day she would love to come back and spend some time here, maybe explore that island. It was then a bit of sadness nudged her when she realized how futile the idea was. She would be leaving soon, never to return. Patches came to sit at her side.

  “Stupid dog,” she smiled and rubbed him. “I’m going to miss you.”

  He tilted his head from left to right in an effort to understand what she was saying. All at once, he jumped up and barked toward the hill.

  “Patches,” she cried when he took off and ran over it, leaving her behind. “Oh, go ahead. See if I care.” She stood waiting for a good five minutes to see if he would return before she wrapped her arms around her and looked about. It was getting late and she didn’t want to be there when night fell; It was scary and lonely. She looked down at Starbucks sitting loyally at her side. “We’ll just have to find our own way back,” she said with a determined nod and started for the sl
ope. Patches’ barking had her stopping in her tracks. A sigh of relief escaped her when he reappeared back over the hill and ran to her. “Where did you go?” she chided as he wagged his tail and twisted about like an energetic child. “You left us here all alone. What was it? A rabbit? I’m never taking you guys anywhere again. Do you hear me?”

  He licked her hand and ran to the bottom of the hill and barked.

  “What is it, boy?” she looked to the top.

  Something rustled the bushes; Dead twigs snapped under its weight as it came near them. The image of wilds bears and mountain lions popped into her mind (do they even have those here?) She gulped at the fear rising in her and took a frantic look around. There was nowhere to run for safety except into the lake. Her heart pounded against her chest. She held her breath and waited in dreaded apprehension, but Starbucks stood and began wagging his tail. Her fear was short-lived when she recognized the figure coming over the top of the slope. Her hand went to her heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Indigo made his way down to her. The urge to run to him was quickly stifled.

  “Are you okay?” he asked once he got to level ground and was walking to her.

  She almost smiled at the genuine look of concern on his face. “I’m fine. Just lost. How did you know where to find me?”

  “Ella was worried when she couldn’t find you. She asked me to come look for you. Patches found me on the path and brought me here.”

  “Oh,” she looked down at the quiet animal who was sitting and watching the exchange between them. When she looked up again, he was examining the landscape. “Did you know all of this was here?”

  “No. How did you find it?”

  “Patches and Starbucks took off after something in the woods and I followed them here. Actually, I fell here. I tripped over something up there and rolled the rest of the way.” She tried to make light of it, but was the look on his face cut that short.

  “Did you hurt yourself?”

  “I twisted my ankle a little, but it’s fine now.”

  “Here, let me have a look.”

  “It’s fine, really.”