She walked into the living room. Gabe followed and sat down on the beige suede couch. Since he was now a guest, she didn’t want him in the family room. The family room was where they’d gathered as a family, and he no longer belonged. She watched him survey the coffee table top, sanitized of all remnants of their married life.
Leaving a gap between them, she sat down.
“See, I’ll take care of everything.” He pointed to a paragraph that affirmed she’d get a sizeable monthly check for each child living with her. He took out his Monte Blanc pen.
“I’m not signing it until my lawyer goes over it with yours,” she said, hoping she’d be able to stall him long enough to find another attorney.
Gabe seemed to be fighting to remain calm. “You’ve got to sign it tonight so I can transfer the house to you.”
“Why so urgent?”
“It’s been four months since I moved out,” he said caustically. Then he smiled at her. “Besides, I want to protect you and the boys.”
“How’s signing this right now going to do anything for me and the children?”
“Remember Townsend, one of the partners in the practice?”
“Gabe, I haven’t forgotten everything about our life together.”
“Then you recall how Townsend’s divorce got ugly. His wife’s attorney demanded financials from all the partners as well as all of the records pertaining to the practice.”
“Gabe, I remember.”
“So you know the partners would sooner fire me than go through another audit. I’m working so hard to become a partner, and I don’t want to lose because of this.”
“You should have thought about that before you started ‘this.’”
“I’m trying to take care of you,” he said.
She was no longer concerned about his success and even wished he’d experience the pain and agony he’d imparted on her, but she did need him to be solvent enough to provide for the boys. She felt a stab of fear—an investigation of his practice could uncover things like the time he’d gone to the office on a Saturday and returned home with the office mail. She recalled when she’d asked him why he’d brought home the office mail, he’d told her the partners would never find out if he cashed a few checks. Besides, he’d explained, he was the most junior associate, and he was working harder than the partners and making less.
Alex looked at him and asked, “Are you worried about the checks you took?”
“Shut up!” he yelled, then appeared to catch himself. “I did not take checks from the partners. You are to remember that.”
“You cashed the checks.”
“That never happened. I went in on Saturdays to work extra hours to impress the partners. There never—I repeat, never—were any checks.”
“You bought the boat.”
“Babe, I worked extra hard to give you the things you deserve. I promise I will continue to take care of you and the boys.” His voice turned like a switch, from harsh to soft and caring.
She couldn’t let him hoodwink her, sweet-talk her. “Why are you suddenly so concerned about me after you couldn’t wait to leave?” she asked.
“Love,” he said.
“Love?” She stared at him, knowing love didn’t include her. Love now meant the boys and, of course, Linda.
“Yeah, I love those boys,” he said.
She shifted away from him.
Again, he appeared to catch himself. “And of course, I still have feelings for you. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you to accompany me to Kaplan’s son’s bar mitzvah.”
“Dr. Kaplan? He was so weird when I brought Jon to the hospital for the burn the other day.”
“Yeah,” Gabe said. “He said if there were ever a problem in the divorce, he’d testify about the burn, but I told him it was an accident, like you said.”
“Testify?” Alex asked, thinking about Dorset’s warning.
“Kaplan thought we were going through a nasty divorce. He didn’t know we were both so upset about Jon that we were tense,” Gabe said. “But, I’d like to take you to the bar mitzvah.”
“Gabe, why not take Linda? You remember her, the one you left me for.”
“I’m asking you.” He moved closer and stroked her back.
His familiar touch warmed her while repulsing her. She wondered aloud, “Why do you want to take me?”
“The partners can’t know about Linda. If they even suspected that I’ve been dating one of the hospital administrators before they make me a partner, I’d be out.”
She considered calling the partners to tell them the truth about Gabe and Linda or, worse, about the checks he’d cashed. She could threaten him, but she had to find an attorney first, and she couldn’t jeopardize his generous child support proposal.
“Besides, you look so sexy when you wear your black evening gown.” Gabe cleared his throat and moved closer to her.
Drawn to him by their history but repelled by their reality, she froze. Dizzy, she closed her eyes, and they almost kissed. Then she looked up. Eric was standing at the living room entryway. Without a word, Eric turned and ran back upstairs.
Alex stood up. “I’ve got to go up to him.”
“You always baby them.” Gabe patted her hand. “Please sign this.”
“No,” she said and folded her arms across her chest.
“Alex, if you don’t sign, then all my money could be tied up. I wouldn’t be able to pay for anything for the boys, not even their team uniforms.”
“Gabe, I can afford to take care of my boys.” She refused to let him coerce her.
“Maybe I wouldn’t even be able to sign the boys up for football camp next weekend,” he said. “You know how annoyed they’d be with you if I had to tell them they couldn’t go because you lost their permission slips and didn’t give them back to me.”
“I gave them to you,” she said.
He shrugged.
True, she could go online and print out the permission slips, but any threat to the boys’ happiness, no matter how empty, scared her. She took Gabe’s pen. Then she hesitated.
Gabe touched her arm. “Sweetie.”
She cringed. “Don’t call me Sweetie.”
“Alexandra, if we go to court, you know the partners would fire me, and that would be even worse for you. I might just have to have Dr. Kaplan discuss how you burned Jon so badly he wouldn’t even let you take him to nursery school.” He looked at her. “Kaplan saw how I had to assure Jon you wouldn’t hurt him. Now, I just don’t know.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked. “You know I’d never hurt the boys.”
Jon clomped down the stairs and landed on the bottom with a thud. “I got ’noculars to see the elephants at the circus tomorrow.”
“You won’t need them. We’ve got great seats.” Gabe drew Jon to him and then turned him around to face the stairway. “Now, leave us for a few minutes.” Gabe patted Jon’s bottom, and the boy scampered upstairs.
Gabe held out his pen.
Alex started to take it. She paused and sat motionless, depleted.
The phone rang.
Gabe yelled up to the boys, “Answer the phone.”
“Mom,” Eric called down. “It’s a man for you.”
She got up and rushed to the kitchen, almost colliding with Daniel as he was putting his backpack next to the stairway.
“Hi,” she said into the phone.
It was Luke, and he asked whether she still wanted him to pick her up tonight, the question she’d been asking herself for two days.
Gabe walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and helped himself to a Coke.
“I gotta get to my game,” Eric yelled as he came down the stairs.
She looked at Gabe and spoke into the telephone: “Eight o’clock will be fine.”
After she hung up, Gabe gave her a conspiratorial wink. “I was counting on you to be my date for the bar mitzvah, but you’ve obviously met someone. At that tennis club, huh?”
“Yes,” she said, wondering how he could’ve heard about Luke. It could have been from Judi. Although Judi hadn’t been at today’s First Friday Book Club meeting, she had to have heard about Luke from Meredith or Terrie. Alex had never trusted Judi, especially since her husband worked at Gabe’s hospital.
“What does he do?” Gabe asked.
Knowing Gabe considered any profession other than a physician to be beneath him, she answered, “He’s a … actually, he specializes in hydraulics.”
“What’s that?” Daniel asked, walking into the kitchen.
“Someone who studies water pressure.” Gabe chuckled, seemingly amused by her description of Luke’s profession.
Daniel scrunched up his nose. “How would anybody do that?”
“Scientists study how water flows. It flows from areas of high pressure to low,” Gabe said, raising his eyebrows, an expression of superiority with which she was all too familiar. “Do you boys know what percentage of the earth is water?”
“Eighty,” Daniel said. “Why is so much of the earth water?” he asked, eyes widening.
Alex watched as the boys and their father fell back into the family routine—Gabe as the authority and the boys in awe of him as he imparted his wisdom.
“My game’s in ten minutes,” Eric said.
Gabe held out his pen to Alex. “You wouldn’t want Dr. Kaplan to talk about how our little Jon got hurt.”
“I’ll have to think about it,” she said.
“Mom, you’re making me late again.” Eric glared.
She bit her lower lip. She couldn’t let the children see her cry. Gabe was offering a significant amount of child support; however, his threat was quite clear. If she refused to sign or caused an investigation of his practice, he’d use the accidental burn against her. Fear deep within her made her reach out and take Gabe’s pen. She signed.
Then, like a magic act happening right before her, she watched Gabe change. He snapped up the document, folded it, placed it in his jacket pocket, and hurried the boys out the door. “They’ll be home late on Sunday.”
The boys scrambled to kiss her good-bye.
When Gabe slammed the door shut, the echo reverberated throughout the house.
Alex wanted to run after them, to be part of them.
Suddenly, the doorbell sounded. She imagined it could have been Gabe returning to say, “Let’s rip up the agreement. Let’s try again.” But she knew that would never be. She also hated the man Gabe had become. He wasn’t the man she’d fallen in love with, or maybe he was and she’d never seen this side of him. No, she couldn’t have been that naïve all these years. But love often clouds our ability to see people as they really are—that is, until it’s too late.
“Jon forgot his bear,” Eric said, elbowing past her to the stairway. He went upstairs and returned with the bear with the missing ear. Mimicking his father, he said, “We’ll be home late.”
After Eric slammed the door, the sounds of the empty house enveloped her. She wondered how she was going to get through another weekend without the boys. Weekends were for families. The family knot had been tied so easily—one string slipping over the other, then another over that one, and the knot was secure. It was the untying that was devastating.
CHAPTER 13
Alex glanced at her watch. She thought Luke had said eight, but with Gabe listening to the conversation, she’d been too anxious to pay attention.
Looking at the contents of her closet, Alex wished she’d borrowed something from Meredith. Then she’d look alluring. Pushing aside all of the professional and casual outfits, she finally decided on a white angora sweater and red skirt.
At 8:50 p.m., she opened the door and stared at Luke Jackson. This man who seemed to take such care in his selection of tennis clothes was just as fastidiously dressed now: starched white shirt, beige slacks, and preppy loafers. Although mustached, he did look like Denzel Washington and exuded sensuality.
“Wow,” he said in a deep baritone as he appraised her.
She looked into his amber eyes.
“Alex, I’m sorry about being late. I would’ve called, but we aren’t permitted to use the company cell phone unless it’s an emergency.”
She waved him inside. “Why can’t you use the phone if you’re the franchise owner?”
“Franchise rules,” he said and closed the door behind him. “Even in my position, I’m obliged to obey them.”
“Want a drink?” she asked, moving her hands behind her back to hide the tremble.
“A scotch would be great.”
“I don’t have scotch. Want a glass of wine?”
“No, that’s okay.” He smiled, his lips lush.
He glanced at the picture of her boys on the entryway table. A few strands of gray hair glistened through his thick black hair as he leaned over to pick up one of the photos. “How old are your boys?”
“Eric, my oldest, is thirteen. Daniel’s only eleven, but he’s my grown-up. Jon’s just four.”
“Little ones,” he said.
“What about you?” she asked. At the club, he never talked about his family.
“Four girls, and there’s always something.” He shook his head. “Tonight, my second-to-the-oldest, Darlene, really pushed my button.”
“My oldest pushes my buttons too,” she said, and suddenly, they were both just parents, sharing stories.
She led him into the living room. He sat down on the beige suede couch and stretched out his legs. She watched him run his hand over his thigh.
“Can I use your phone for a second?” he asked. “Then my mind’ll be at ease.”
She went to the kitchen, grabbed the phone, and handed it to him.
He dialed and waited. “Darlene, just leave my truck when you’re done.” Without raising his voice, he sternly said, “We’ll talk about it when I’m ready. Good night.”
He handed the phone back to her. “After you and I talked, I was all set to go home, but then my daughter called the office. I had to switch cars with her.”
“Is she okay?”
“Sure, but she told me she needed my truck right away.” He shook his head. “Darlene’s landlord threatened her: if she didn’t move her stuff out of the apartment by tonight, it would all be donated to Goodwill in the morning.”
“Why such short notice?” she asked.
“Oh, it’s been coming on for a while, but she kept ignoring it. Couldn’t pay the rent.”
She watched him touch his tongue to a corner of his mouth, leaving a sheen of moisture on his lips. They talked about children and marriage. It was simple—their lives condensed into a few sentences. He told her how, after fifteen years of marriage, he’d fallen in love with another woman. He’d been crazed. It was like the other woman had cast a spell over him. When he’d come to his senses, his wife wouldn’t take him back.
Alex understood a wife never trusting her husband again. She’d trusted Gabe, and he’d betrayed her. She also doubted she’d ever trust any man again, and certainly not one who’d had an affair.
“Believe me, I’m done with that sneaking around. I’ll never do that again,” he said.
Alex looked at him, wondering whether all men said that after they’d been found out. Do men always think it’s okay to destroy a woman’s life? Is sex always that powerful? Does it always leave such a devastating path of destruction in its wake?
Curious about what happens to a discarded wife, Alex asked about his former wife.
“Oh, my former, she’s happier without me. She remarried,” he said softly.
“Are your children okay with your former wife’s remarriage?” Alex asked, the pairing of the words “form
er wife” with “remarriage” sounding odd to her, an oxymoron.
Then he got quiet, appearing pensive.
Alex thought maybe he was sad about the splintering of the family and the fact that he’d caused it. Trying to control her nervousness, she crossed her right leg over her left, inadvertently exposing the tops of her pantyhose. She pulled her skirt down.
Luke looked at her legs. He seemed comfortable, possibly from the physical proximity on the court for the past several weeks.
“Sure you don’t want some wine?” she asked.
“Alex, we’d better be going if we want to get into the club. And thanks for putting up with me going on about my problem.” He reached for her hand to help her up from the couch.
His touch felt warm and wonderful. She kept his hand in hers until they got to the entryway. Deciding to forgo a raincoat despite the forecast of rain, she reached for her purse and keys, the latter slipping free and clanging onto the black marble floor.
As Luke bent down to retrieve her keys, she stared at him. His perfectly fitted beige slacks outlined his taut buttocks. His body could have belonged to a college athlete, but considering the fact that he had an adult child, he had to be fifty or so.
After she locked the door, they walked to his car, the click-clack of her heels and the firm beat of his shoes on the pavement the only sounds. Once they got to his car, he held open the passenger door for her. While he walked around to the driver’s side, she leaned back against the pristine charcoal-gray headrest and breathed in the new-car smell.
“We’re going to the hottest black club in Orange County,” he said.
“Are there many clubs in Orange County?” she asked, leaving out the word black.
“You’ll love this place,” Luke said.
Fifteen minutes later, they cruised down Bristol Street, five miles east of her office.
“We’re here.” He pointed to an orange neon outline of a couple dancing on a huge concrete wall with the “Sweets” sign above them.
“Nice, she said, nervous about her first date, especially at a club. But there was something exciting about it, almost like being another person. Since her own life wasn’t working—except for the boys and her practice—she decided this was what she needed.
Sex Happens Page 9