“Okay. But just because I’m agreeing to go doesn’t mean I’m agreeing to building the addition.”
“I thought you’d be excited about this.”
“Well, I might have some other plans.”
“What in the hell is that supposed to mean, Tess? What other plans?”
Tess put her finger to her lips. “Ssh! The kids have friends over and I don’t want them to hear us fighting.”
I stood and shook my head. “I really don’t get you, Tess. I’m trying, but you’re sure making it difficult.”
***
Tess
Normally, I’d have been ecstatic about adding a family room. Jeremy and I have talked about it ever since we bought the house from his parents. But I was working on a plan that would cost money, and I knew building the addition might mean kissing my plan goodbye. Jeremy’s man cave envy meant figuring out things in a hurry.
I had an important meeting on Monday and I was trying to finish my research. I wasn’t ready to share my plan with Jeremy or anyone else quite yet. I still had a long way to go before I knew if it was even feasible.
Katie walked into the kitchen. “I’m bored.”
“I thought Angie was here.”
“She had to go home.”
“Go play with your brother.”
Katie put her hands on her hips. “Really, Mom. There’s no way I want to hang out with fart face.”
“Who you calling fart face?” John walked into the room.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Katie said.
“Booger brain,” John said.
“Butt face,” Katie flung back.
“Nerd turd!”
“Poopy pants!”
I stood. “Enough. Stop it. How am I supposed to work with you two fighting all the time?”
“You and Dad do it,” Katie said.
I sighed. “You know what? I really need to get some work done. Both of you: go to your rooms until you can figure out how to be nice to one another.”
“No fair. She’s the one who started it,” John said.
“Now! To your rooms. Both of you!”
Katie and John stumped away. I heard them mutter something, but I couldn’t make it out. I wondered if they’d ever like each other.
I returned to my work, but the more I dug into it the more confused I became. Meeting with the mentor again would help. I had some ideas and I was anxious to share them with him. I considered confiding in Gina on the way to her house after the shower, but decided against it. She had enough on her mind and I didn’t want to burden her with my problems or keeping any secrets from Mike. And since Mike is Jeremy’s best friend, I definitely didn’t want him to know what I was planning. I wanted to figure this out on my own and then present it to Jeremy.
***
Jeremy
I was in the garage working on Katie’s broken bicycle when I heard Tess yell at the kids. I love my kids; I do. But, man, do they drive me crazy at times. They also remind me of my older sister, Jen, and me. We were always calling each other names and I was always doing things to piss her off. I’d sing a song she hated over and over or I’d put rubber bugs in her favorite box of cereal. I never thought we’d like each other when we grew up. Turned out we get along really well. Hell, she’s even my office manager.
I wondered what Tess was being so secretive about. I thought about sneaking onto her computer. Maybe check the history to see what websites she was looking at. But as much as I wanted to do this, I knew if she found out she would be pissed. She’d think I didn’t trust her. I kind of wondered if there was another guy, but I knew Tess and she would never cheat on me. It was the one thing she made clear early-on in our relationship.
She had a boyfriend for a couple of years before we met. Turned out he had been screwing around behind Tess’ back. When she found out, she wasn’t heartbroken because she knew the relationship had been gone sour, but she was mad he hadn’t ended their relationship before starting a new one. Said she’d never do that.
I went back to fixing Katie’s bike. I always loved fixing things, and it killed me I didn’t seem to be able to fix my marriage. I never loved anyone like I love Tess, but I could feel her slipping away more and more every day. Even though we were back sleeping in the same bed, we still weren’t together physically or emotionally. I sort of felt like I was treading water in the ocean and being hammered by big waves. I could barely keep myself from drowning and I definitely wasn’t going anywhere. And damn it, I was tired of treading.
***
Tess
The expo center was crowded. Jeremy and I had never been at the builders’ show before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The kids were staying with Jeremy’s parents. They didn’t want to come, which was good. It seemed like all they did anymore was fight, and I didn’t feel like having to play cop. I wanted to be able to enjoy the show.
There were rows and rows of vendors selling everything from patio pavers to windows to vinyl siding. We found a lot of builders and contractors who specialized in home renovation.
There was one builder Jeremy wanted to make sure we checked out. He had made some calls and several people recommended Yorktowne Builders. It was a family-owned business that had been in the area since it began sixty years ago.
Jeremy opened the brochure he had gotten when we walked in the door. He pointed to a layout with numbered squares. “It looks like Yorktowne is right here.” He pointed to a block numbered 172. “So it’s two rows over.”
I followed Jeremy, weaving through the crowd. Along the way we ran into a couple of his patients who, of course, insisted on chatting.
“I just love your husband,” old Mrs. Mulberry said. “Of course, I loved his father. Was sad to see him retire. But Jeremy does a good job.”
Jeremy smiled. “Thank you, Mrs. Mulberry.”
“And I like the new hygienist you hired. Very attractive. Can’t believe she has a teen-age daughter. She doesn’t look more than a teen herself. Shame about her husband and all.”
Jeremy nodded and we made it past Mrs. Mulberry.
“You didn’t tell me you hired a new hygienist,” I said.
“I didn’t think it was important. Besides, you don’t tell me things.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just how it sounds. You don’t tell me what you’re doing on the computer all the time.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Look, Tess. I don’t want to fight. And it is fair. You don’t tell me things, so why should I tell you things. What’s that saying? What’s good for the goose is good for the gander?”
I grunted. I definitely didn’t want to get into a fight in front of booth number 172. We walked over to the booth and a tall, dark-haired man turned around. He was gorgeous and I recognized him immediately. It was Cole from cycle class.
Chapter 11
Jeremy
When the man turned around, I saw by the way his eyes widened and his smile he recognized Tess.
“Hi, Tess,” he said. “I almost didn’t recognize you without your gym clothes on.”
Tess’s face turned flamingo pink and she smiled. “Hi, Cole. This is my husband, Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Cole. He’s in my cycle class.”
I extended my hand to shake his. “Hi. I’ve heard a lot about that cycle class. I’m going to have to try it sometime.”
Cole pointed to me. “Well, from what I understand, Tess will soon be teaching, so you’ll have to check out her class. She works harder than anyone I know in class.”
Tess’s face turned a deeper shade of pink.
“So what can I do for you?” Cole asked.
“We’re interested in building an addition,” I said. “Yorktowne Builders has been highly recommended.”
“That’s good to hear,” Cole said. “We’ve been around for six decades. My great-grandfather started the business. I’m the third generation to be involved.”
“So you run the company?” Jeremy asked.
“Pretty much. My dad is semi-retired.”
“I see.”
“Tell me what you have in mind,” Cole said.
I noticed when Cole spoke, he looked at Tess and me, shifting his gaze between us. I knew that would be a plus in Tess’s book. The last builder we had talked to looked at me the entire time and Tess was furious. When we walked away, she called him a “complete idiot” and said she wouldn’t contract with him if he was the last builder on earth.
“What is it about some men?” she said. “It’s like they think my opinion doesn’t matter, that I have no say? I mean, I was standing right in front of the dick and he acted like I wasn’t there.”
I briefly explained to Cole what I was looking for. “Of course, I’m open to ideas.”
“Probably the best place to start is for me to come over to your house and check out the property, take some measurements and go from there.” Cole pulled up his appointment log on his laptop. “Okay, give me some dates and times that work for you.”
“I think you should come when Jeremy is there,” Tess said.
“Do you have Saturday appointments?” I asked. “During the week is pretty much out for me.”
“Sure,” Cole said. “Whatever works for the client. How about next Saturday?”
I looked at Tess.
Tess checked the calendar on her phone. “It looks like Saturday will work. How about one?”
“One works for me,” Cole said. “I guess we have a date.”
***
Tess
I couldn’t believe when the tall man turned around it was Cole. God, he was even more gorgeous in his dark suit, white shirt and red power tie. If Hillary had seen him dressed like this it would have made her pant even harder than she does in cycle class. The woman would like nothing more than to fuck Cole every which way, or so she’s told everyone in the locker room. My guess is it pisses her off that Cole’s not interested. I get the feeling that what Hillary wants, she gets.
I wasn’t expecting Cole to make my insides tickle, and I didn’t like that someone ten years younger could make me feel this way. I was definitely attracted to him and that scared me. I’ve never been attracted to anyone since I started dating Jeremy. Not that I don’t look at guys, but none has made my insides flutter. For the first time I found myself wondering what it would be like being with another man. And I never wondered that, not even once, since Jeremy came into my life. I felt horrible even thinking such thoughts. I wasn’t a tramp. And I would never screw around on Jeremy. But I felt like I was cheating on him even thinking about it.
When Cole suggested coming to the house to take measurements, I thought it best Jeremy be there. It’s not that I didn’t trust myself, but I didn’t like the effect Cole had on me. And with how I’d been feeling about Jeremy, I didn’t want to be alone with Cole. There was obviously a mutual attraction. I felt it and I was pretty sure Cole felt it, too.
“Cole seems like a nice young man,” said Jeremy as we walked away from the booth.
I noticed how he stressed the word “young” as if he were trying to make a point.
“Yes, he is. I had no idea he was a builder. Funny the stuff you don’t know about your gym buddies.”
“Do you have other gym buddies I don’t know about?”
“Not really,” I said, ignoring that he stressed ‘buddies’. “I pretty much just keep to myself.”
“Except Cole.”
“Except Cole what?”
“You talk to him.”
“Look, Jeremy. I’m not sure what you’re insinuating.”
“I’m not insinuating anything. You must feel guilty about something if you think I’m insinuating something.”
“I don’t feel guilty about anything. I have nothing to feel guilty about. I met Cole in cycle class. His cycle was next to mine. End of story.”
“Do you want to stop and get a bite to eat on the way home?” Jeremy asked.
“No, you just killed my appetite. I want to go home.”
“Come on, Tess. Quit acting stupid.”
“Stupid? Stupid? Do you think I’m acting stupid? You’re the one who’s acting like a dick!”
We were right outside the entrance to the expo center and I noticed people were looking at us but I didn’t care.
“Tess,” Jeremy whispered. “Be quiet. People are looking.”
I rolled my eyes and walked off toward the car.
***
Jeremy
Sometimes Tess drives me crazy. Like now. She’s pissed because I asked about Cole. But why should she be pissed if there’s nothing between them? I know Tess wouldn’t cheat, but I know guys and Cole seemed definitely interested in Tess. I could tell by the way his eyes lingered when he looked at her.
By the time I got to the car, Tess was already inside. I slipped behind the wheel and eased out of the parking space.
“Well, aren’t you glad we came?” I asked.
Tess didn’t say anything.
“So you’re going to give me the silent treatment now?”
Still, she didn’t speak.
I stopped the car and looked at her. “Okay. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insinuate anything.”
Tess looked at me. “Apology accepted. Let’s start over. Yes, I’m glad we came. I’ll be interested in seeing what Cole comes up with. But remember, I’m not one hundred percent convinced now is the time to add the room. I’ve agree to explore options, but I haven’t agreed to build now.”
I nodded. “Now, do you want to get a bite to eat?”
“Yes, I’m starving.”
I smiled.
"What’s so funny?” Tess asked.
“You were willing to starve instead of get something to eat because you were pissed at me.”
“I wouldn’t have starved. I would have gone home and eaten a peanut butter sandwich.”
“Okay, then. You were willing to eat a peanut butter sandwich rather than get something you really wanted because you were pissed at me.”
"Yeah. That sounds about right.”
“Women,” I said. “You really are crazy.”
***
Tess
“So what are you hungry for?” Jeremy asked.
“That’s a tough question. Not sure.”
We were driving down the highway, passing restaurant after restaurant. Nothing really appealed to me.
“Sushi? Mexican? Thai?” Jeremy asked.
“Mexican sounds good. We haven’t had Mexican in a while.”
We pulled into the restaurant and walked inside.
“Would you like to sit at a booth or a table?” the hostess asked.
“Booth, please,” I said.
We followed her to our table.
“Looks like we had perfect timing,” said Jeremy, pointing to the growing crowd in the waiting area.
The waitress brought salsa and a basket of warm tortilla chips. “Would you like to place a drink order?”
I nodded. “A margarita with no salt on the rim,” I said. “And a glass of water with a wedge of lemon.”
“Same for me,” Jeremy said. “Except I want the salt.”
I heard her voice before I saw her. It was Maniac Maggie. What was with running into cycle class people today?
“So this must be the lucky guy,” said Maggie, walking over to the table.
I smiled. “Jeremy, meet Maggie, my cycle instructor. Maggie, this is my husband Jeremy.”
Maggie smiled. “Did Tess tell you she’s going to get certified to teach?”
Jeremy nodded. “That’s what she says.”
“About time, too,” Maggie said. “I’ve been trying to get her to teach for months now.”
Maggie looked at me. “I missed you the other day, Tess. First class you missed in a long time.”
My heart started to race. Jeremy didn’t know I hadn’t gone to class, even though I pretended to go. I went to a meeting instead. I wasn’t sure if Jeremy knew my schedule or if he would put two and tw
o together, so I just smiled and told Maggie I’d see her tomorrow.
“She seems like a nice woman,” Jeremy said after she walked away.
“She is. But she’s a tough instructor. Her class is definitely not a class for beginners.”
“So you missed class?” Jeremy said.
I nodded. I was going to add I had gone but then felt sick in the stomach, but I didn’t want to lie. So I didn’t say anything else, hoping Jeremy would drop it.
The waitress returned with our margaritas and we placed our order—chicken enchiladas verde for me and chicken enchiladas and beef burrito combo for Jeremy.
Jeremy lifted his glass. “To a great future.”
I lifted my glass and touched his, hoping he was right.
Chapter 12
Jeremy
Dad was showing Gina his vintage postcard collection when Mom cornered me in the kitchen.
“Katie says you two have been fighting,” Mom said. “Is that true?"
I sighed. “Kids.”
Mom pursed her thin lips. “They usually don’t lie about that kind of stuff, Jeremy.”
“Okay. It’s true. We’ve been having some problems.”
Mom patted my arm. “It happens to everyone. You’re at the age when the kids are getting older and your lives are changing.”
I rubbed my neck. “That’s just it. I don’t want things to change. I like things the way they are.”
“But I take it Tess doesn’t.”
“No. She wants to work.”
“But she does work,” Mom said.
“Outside the home, Mom. She wants a job that she gets dressed up for and goes to every day.”
“Oh. I see. And you don’t want her to work.”
“You didn’t work.”
“That’s true. I didn’t. But, my God, don’t compare your mother with your wife, Jeremy.”
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