by Gen Griffin
“Maybe you can be a better husband, but I can't be your wife.” Trish crossed her arms over the low neckline of her silky sundress. She didn't know why she had bothered getting dressed up tonight. “You've destroyed my trust. I can't look at you without feeling disgusted. You're asking me to try but the truth is that trying requires caring. I don't care about you anymore.”
“You're being over-dramatic.” Curtis jammed more fries into his mouth on top of the steak.
“You betrayed me.” Trish purposely avoided watching him as he ate. He was making her nauseous and she had no one to blame but herself. She'd been overlooking, excusing and ignoring his table manners for a long time. She'd overlooked a lot of things for a long time.
“Give me one more chance.” He spit a chunk of gristle back down onto his plate. “I'll buy you that convertible Mustang you've always wanted.”
“You're going to buy me my dream car if I agree to come back?” Trish was skeptical.
“I'll call the dealership right now.” Curtis held up his phone. “You want it to be pearl white, right?”
“I'll buy my own Mustang.” Trish didn't even try to keep the disgust out of her voice. “You can't buy me back. I'm not for sale.”
“Trish-.”
“Are we done here?” She asked him abruptly. “Never mind. I'm done. I was done before you talked me into going out to dinner with you tonight. I shouldn't have wasted my time.”
“You came tonight because you know that deep down, you can't make it without me. You're nothing without me.”
“I'd rather be nothing than be with you,” Trish said honestly. “You slept with one of our bridesmaids the night before the wedding. I wanted to cancel the whole ceremony when I found out. You talked me into giving you a second chance. I won't make the same mistake again, Curtis. We're getting a divorce.”
“No, we're not.” Curtis narrowed his small, piggish eyes as he jammed more fries into his mouth. “I'm getting tired of playing nice with you, Trish. You're not leaving me.”
“I am leaving you,” Trish said. “Correction, I've left you. I left you three months ago after you gave me an STD, cheated on me and then, when I agreed to give you once last chance, you shoved me off the deck of your boat in the middle of a storm.”
“You don't remember what happened on the boat. We were in a storm. You slipped and fell overboard.”
“I remember you pushing me,” Trish snapped.
“If you're so sure I pushed you then why I aren't I in jail?” Curtis sneered at her. “I'm not in jail because you're not sure. Deep down, you don't really think I pushed you. You're just making up an excuse so you don't have to feel bad for leaving me.”
“I can't prove you pushed me, Curtis. You're right. I can't prove anything, but that doesn't mean its not the truth.” Trish took a deep breath and steeled herself. “I know you don't love me, Curtis. In fact, I'm pretty sure you hate me. Please just go away and leave me alone. I'm not taking anything from you. I just want to live the rest of my lonely little life in peace.”
“You don't understand-.” Curtis abruptly stopped speaking as the french doors separating the restaurant's patio from its dining room opened. The entire room was unexpectedly bathed in harsh, late afternoon light.
“Hey! Goddammit. No! Don't open the door. Close the door! Close the- fuck me.”
A blast of summer heat rushed in from the patio outside. The heat was accompanied by searingly foul odor that made Trish choke on her margarita. Curtis spit a mouthful of chewed food back onto his plate.
Trish gagged.“What the hell?”
The short-haired waitress who had opened the door appeared to be frozen mid-step in the late afternoon sunlight. She had a pack of cigarettes in one hand and a horrified expression on her face. She gagged on the odor that was rapidly filling the air.
A small, fuzzy black and white cat came racing into the dining room. It squeaked and darted underneath the first dining booth it came to. The middle-aged couple that had been eating at the table immediately jumped up and bolted away from their food.
The foul odor got significantly stronger. Curtis jumped up from his seat and ran for the exit. He didn't look back to see if Trish was following him as he shoved his massive bulk out through the front door of the building.
Chapter 3
“You just had to open the fucking door, didn't you?” Addison Malone stormed into the dining room holding a long pole with a net on the end of it. His golden blonde hair was plastered to his skull with sweat and his button down uniform shirt appeared to have lost half its buttons. He scanned the room with an annoyed expression. “Where'd it go?”
The couple who had vacated their booth pointed to the abandoned table. Trish abruptly realized that she recognized the foul smell which had completely overwhelmed the restaurant's small dining room. The tiny black and white creature that had taken harbor underneath the booth wasn't a cat. It was a skunk.
A skunk that was presently being chased through the restaurant by the county game warden. Trish debated whether she should stay and watch the show that was almost assuredly about to unfold. The logical part of her brain told her that she should follow the example that her asshole of a soon-to-be ex-husband had set. The smart thing to do would be to flee the scene before she topped off another less than magical night in Possum Creek by getting herself sprayed by a skunk.
Trish stood up and calmly picked up her purse. She wanted to be able to make a quick getaway in the event that the skunk headed her way.
Addison sighed and switched his grip on the net. “All I asked was that no one let the skunks inside. That's all I asked. Simple fucking request. Keep the skunks outside. I would have thought you people would want the skunks to stay outside.”
“I'm sorry,” the waitress squeaked out as she fled the room with the rest of the customers. Trish, Addison and the skunk were now alone in the room.
Addison walked over to the booth the skunk was hiding under. He peered down into the darkness below the table. He eased the net towards the small animal. “Here kitty kitty.”
The front door of the restaurant slammed loudly, startling both Addison and the skunk. He slammed the pole down and accidentally clipped the skunk with the edge of the net. The creature squeaked and bolted out from underneath the table.
Trish stepped backwards as the skunk made an attempt to dart between her high heels. The little animal was undoubtedly aiming for the door that would lead it out into the freedom of the parking lot.
Addison lunged for the skunk, swinging his net down like a baseball player trying for a home run at the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded. He hit the hardwood floor with a thud. The net slammed down on top of the skunk right as the skunk ran past Trish's feet. A foul smell filled the air surrounding them, taking Trish's breath away.
“Oh my God.” Trish clasped her hands over her nose and mouth as she gasped for air.
“Fucking skunks,” Addison cursed.
Trish looked down to see Addy laying at her feet with the pole for the net still clasped in his right hand. The skunk growled angrily from its prison underneath the net. Addy rolled over so that he could look up at her.
“Hi Trish. Love the dress. You finally come around to my way of thinking about our relationship?” He grinned as he made a point of looking up her skirt.
“You're not quite as sexy when you smell like skunk,” Trish lied. She glanced down at the dark blue belted sundress she was wearing. It was soft, gauzy and fell perfectly against her curvy figure. She took a careful step backwards, interrupting Addison's view of her favorite pink lace panties. “And we don't have a relationship.”
“No, we don’t. But we could.” Addison winked one bright turquoise blue eye at her as he rolled onto his side. Addison was careful to keep the net snugged down on the skunk as he stood up. A bus boy was hurrying across the dining room with a plastic dog kennel his hands. “You know you want me, Trish.”
“Sleeping with you isn't the worst idea I've hear
d tonight.” Trish pursed her lips thoughtfully.
Addy laughed. He made a scooping gesture with the net, flipping the little skunk onto its back and then dumping it unceremoniously into the open crate. He grinned and shook his head at Trish, sending his blonde curls flying in all directions. “I knew you'd come to see my charm eventually. You have low standards.”
“Don't remind me.” Trish cast a sideways glance towards the front of the restaurant. She couldn't see where Curtis had run off to but she was all too certain he hadn't gone far.
Addison slammed the lid of the crate shut and passed it back to the clearly disgusted bus boy. “Put this in my truck, will you?”
“Why not?” The bus boy asked while rolling his eyes. “Already been sprayed twice.”
“Good man.” Addy clapped him on the shoulder once and then turned his attentions onto Trish. He made a point of running his gaze from the top of Trish's carefully curled ponytail, down the neckline of her silky dress and then past the short hemline of the same dress and onto her pretty, strappy high-heeled sandals. “You have a hot date tonight that you didn't tell me about?”
“Not hardly,” Trish said. “Curtis insisted on meeting me for dinner tonight. He's still trying to talk me out of divorcing him.”
“You're here with your ex?” Addy asked.
“He offered to buy me a new car if I'd go back to him.”
“You do need a new car,” Addison mused.
“Not badly enough to stay married to Curtis,” Trish said.
“Where is the douche bag?” Addy scanned the empty room with obvious curiosity. “Don't tell me he ran off when the skunk ran in?”
“He did.” Trish gestured to the front door. “I think he might have trampled a few women and children on his way out.”
Addison smirked. “With any luck, he drove off and left you?”
“I couldn't get that lucky.” Trish pulled her car keys out of her purse. She dangled them in the air in front of Addison. “He rode here with me.”
Addison opened his mouth, closed it again and frowned at her. “You drove your ex-husband here?”
Trish sighed tiredly. “He showed up in my front yard and demanded I go out to dinner with him so we could talk. I don't even know how he got my new address.”
“Why didn't you send him back on down the road?” Addy was clearly bewildered. “You told me you never wanted to see your ex again.”
“I told him to leave. He said he would if I listened to what he had to say. I didn't want to get into a screaming argument with him in my grandfather's front yard. Not that the neighbors wouldn't have enjoyed the show.”
“I am the neighbors,” Addison reminded her. “And if he'd shown his ass in your driveway, I would have kicked it all the way to the county line for him.”
“You weren't home,” Trish said. “Your Granny Pearl was home. She's not much help for getting rid of crazy exes. Not to mention that my own grandfather decided to improve the situation by bringing his shotgun outside and offering to put a few new holes in Curtis's rather ample posterior.”
“Ample posterior?” Addison repeated.
“His backside does make for a pretty generous target,” Trish laughed. “I'm guessing he's been surviving on extra large fast food value meals since I left him.”
Addison laughed. “You want me to go out front and stick my boot up his ass?”
“No. It would only cause more problems. We go in front of a judge in three weeks. As satisfying as it would be for me to watch you kick Curtis's ass into next week, it won't do me any favors in court if he tells the judge I had my neighbor beat him up. I want my divorce.”
“You should have filed for divorce in Possum Creek,” Addison told her. “You wouldn't have to worry about what dick-face said to the judge. You'd get your divorce whether he liked it or not.”
“I'd never set foot in Possum Creek until a week after I filed for divorce,” Trish said.
“True,” Addison shrugged. “But back to the original conversation. Explain to me why you offered to play chauffeur for a guy you can't stand?”
“It was easier than listening to him bitch about how much gas money he was spending. His car is a lease with limited mileage. He's always complaining about how much money he spends in gas and how close he is to being fined for running over his miles.”
“So you offered to drive?” Addison pushed the issue.
“I didn't want to fight.” Trish intentionally looked away from his bright turquoise eyes. “I figured we could go out to dinner, I'd listen to his latest round of excuses and then he would leave.”
“You are entirely too nice,” Addy informed her.
“I know,” Trish admitted. “I was trying to be kind. Despite all the horrible things Curtis did during our marriage, he really seems genuinely upset about the divorce. I was hoping I could make him understand that I just need to move on with my life.”
“Why do you care if he understands that you want to move on with your life?”
“Because he's not cooperating with the divorce proceedings,” Trish explained. “He's going to go in front of a judge in three weeks and say that he doesn't want to get divorced. I'm scared the court proceedings are going to drag on forever if I can't convince him to cooperate.”
“Can he actually stop you from divorcing him?” Addison appeared genuinely baffled.
“Not long term, but I don't want to spend the next two years fighting him in court. I was hoping we could decide to end our relationship on agreeable terms. I really want to be done, Addy. You have no idea how badly I want to be legally single.”
“And you wonder why I have commitment issues?” Addison smirked and then shrugged. “I'm assuming dinner was a disaster?”
“It wasn't going well. Even before the skunk came running in and cut our conversation short.” Trish ran her fingers through her dark hair. “Actually, I'm kind of glad you let the skunk in. I was getting tired of listening to the same old lies.”
“I did not let the skunk in.” Addison frowned at her.
“Don't worry, your skunk was the highlight of my night.” Trish knew she sounded bitter but she didn't care. She reached into her purse and pulled out her e-reader. She held it up to him. “Why is it that the only place I can find a good guy is in a book?”
Addison reached for the e-reader and plucked it out of her hands. “Been reading romance again, have you?”
“Maybe.” Trish blushed with embarrassment.
“You know I'm on the cover of these things.” Addison poked at the tablet. “Which technically means that I'm a good guy and you can find me in a book.”
“You're hot. I've never denied that.” Trish reached to take her favorite electronic toy away from him before he could find a way to embarrass her with her own taste in book smut. “I'm just not interested in dating a guy who has slept with more than half of the available women in the county.”
Addison typed something into the electronic keyboard and a moment later he held up the screen to show her the cover of a book she didn't recall buying. The male model on the screen was all golden tanned muscle and raw sex appeal. He was also shirtless and clearly displaying a very familiar deer head tattoo on his right shoulder blade. Trish narrowed her eyes at the image as she took her tablet back from him.
“You're seriously on the cover of a romance novel?” She asked in disbelief.
Addison grinned. “I'm sexy and I know it.”
“No wonder your ego is so out of control,” Trish replied. “Which of your adoring groupies wrote the book?”
“Not quite an adoring groupie.” Addison smiled cheekily. “Not adoring at all, actually. Katie wrote the book and she said she needed the sexiest man in town for the cover. I volunteered for the job.”
“Of course you did.” Trish laughed as she looked around the now empty dining room. “The waitress seems to have run off. I wonder if I still have to pay for the food I didn't eat?”
“Nah.” Addy straightened the hem on his shir
t. “I think nearly being sprayed by a skunk qualifies you for a free meal.”
“Shame that sitting through dinner with my jerk of an ex didn't entitle me to the same privilege.” Trish frowned contemplatively and then reached into the cover on her e-reader and pulled a $20 bill out of the pocket that had been sewn into it. She set the bill on the table she and Curtis had occupied. “This should more than cover my half of the check.”
“You really shouldn't bother paying it,” Addison said. “I know the manager. After this whole skunk mess, he owes me. I should have made him call an exterminator. This kind of shit is what those guys get paid for.”
“Why didn't you make him call an exterminator?” Trish made no move to take the cash back.
“Because he tried to. They told him they couldn't get anyone out here for at least two weeks. He offered me a $200 gift certificate if I'd come tonight.”
“Isn't that a bribe?” Trish asked.
“I prefer to call it a tip,” Addison clarified. “I'm technically not on duty tonight.”
Trish rolled her eyes at him. “You're in uniform.”
“I didn't say I wasn't on-call,” he acknowledged. “But if you're wanting dinner, we could run on over to Canterville and try out that new barbecue place everyone has been raving about. They say the coleslaw is better than Granny's. You know that no one makes coleslaw better than my Granny.”
“Your Granny does make pretty amazing coleslaw,” Trish agreed. “And I don't even like coleslaw.”
“So, dinner?” Addison asked.
“I'm here with Curtis, remember?” Trish poked him in the chest. His shirt was missing three buttons and her finger tip connected with tight muscle instead of the cotton she'd been expecting.
“We'll leave him here,” Addison said. “He can catch a cab back to whatever hole he crawled out of.”
“I can't just ditch Curtis in the middle of dinner and take off with you. It wouldn't be right.” Trish shook her head at him emphatically. “Besides, you smell awful. You need a shower. And a shirt with more buttons.”