The Affair

by Colette Freedman

  Or would he?

  CHAPTER 31

  Monday, 23rd December

  Robert had been on the treadmill for fifteen minutes and had already worked up a respectable sweat when Stephanie came out of the women’s locker room and hopped on the machine next to his. She gripped the handles and hit the button to turn the machine on. The narrow pad beneath her feet started to move, and she fell into an easy pace on it.

  “Sorry I’m late. The office is closing today, and there were drinks in the boardroom.”

  “No problem. I got your message. Any issues in work about . . . ?”

  “About us? Nothing. No mentions. And I did hear through the grapevine that it looks as if you got the DaBoyz gig.”

  “That’s great! I mean, I think that’s great. Theresa said two of the guys are gay.”

  Stephanie shook her head. “So? Is that a problem?”

  “No. Not at all. But she also said there were lots of tweets that they’re thinking about breaking up.”

  “They were. That’s why this single is so important. There’s been a lot of investment in this group, and the investors are unwilling to cut loose their potential cash cow without one last shot. That’s you, by the way. Do the video right, and you will have saved a lot of people a lot of money. Screw it up, however, and you’ll never work in this town again.” She laughed.

  “I’m not sure whether you’re joking or serious.”

  “A bit of both, I think. You’ll do a great job. Remember, I’ve staked my career on it.”

  “So, no pressure there then,” he murmured.

  “And I’m sorry about yesterday. I really wanted to see you, but I’d already agreed to go shopping with Izzie before . . .”

  Robert glanced sidelong at her and smiled. “Before?”

  “Before us.” She was wearing a simple black sports bra and black, skin-tight yoga pants. He loved the way they showed off every curve of her body.

  Kathy hid her curves behind oversized sweaters; Stephanie showed hers off.

  “It was probably just as well. It gave me a chance to get a lot done in the office. If you and I had gotten together, we would have . . .”

  Now it was her turn to look sidelong. “What would we have done?”

  “Talked. Planned.”

  “I know. You’ve made me so happy. Even Izzie is pleased.”

  Robert bit the inside of his cheek to prevent a comment he knew would only cause an argument. “One of these days I’d like to meet this mysterious Izzie.”

  “She’s looking forward to meeting you too. I’ve told her a lot about you.”

  Robert had never met Stephanie’s best friend and confidante, Isabel Wilson, an old college sorority sister who was an orthopaedic surgeon at Mass General. All he knew was that Izzie didn’t approve of him and had done her best to separate them. “I suppose she was surprised by the news.”

  “More like stunned. I said we’d get together after Christmas and celebrate. She’s paying.”

  “Good.” Robert pressed the controls on the side of his treadmill, increasing the speed. “Why is she paying?”

  “Because she once bet me the best meal money could buy that you would never leave your wife for me.”

  “Well, let’s make sure that’s an expensive bet. I’ll book Top of the Hub myself for this one.”

  “Have you given any further thought to Christmas?” Stephanie asked.

  Robert frowned, wondering where this was leading. “I’ve thought about nothing else,” he said truthfully.

  “Will you spend Christmas Day with me?”

  Robert increased the speed of the machine again. The humming whine would make conversation difficult. “No.” He caught the flicker of disappointment on her face. “Be reasonable.” Realizing that some of the other patrons of the gym were looking in their direction, he discovered that he’d raised his voice. He leaned across to Stephanie. “Be reasonable. I can hardly go to Kathy and the kids tonight or tomorrow and say, ‘Guess what, I’m leaving. Merry Christmas.’ Can I?”

  Stephanie nodded. “No, of course not.”

  “But I’ll see you tomorrow,” he added, though he was not exactly sure what excuse he’d use to get out of the house. Maybe say the office alarm had gone off, something like that.

  Stephanie patted her forehead with the towel draped around her neck. “And when do you intend to tell her?”

  “I was thinking the twenty-seventh, which is Friday.”

  “Why not Thursday?”

  “Well, we’re committed to going over to her sister’s for dinner. It’s a family tradition. All the arrangements have been made.”

  “So what am I supposed to do for Christmas Day? Hang around until you appear?”

  Robert ignored the question. “Look, I’ll tell her on Friday, and I’ll spend New Year’s Eve with you. We’ll bring in the New Year together. Come on—meet me halfway on this. This is a big decision, a huge move for me to make. You’ve only got yourself to think of; I’ve got Kathy and the kids to consider.”

  Stephanie nodded. “You’re right, of course. Absolutely right. Another couple of days won’t make that much difference to us. And Christmas Day is really just another Wednesday.”

  They moved off the treadmills and onto the bikes. Stephanie set a high gear and began to pedal, the muscles in her legs pushing hard as the covered wheel whirred around. Robert pedaled at an easier pace.

  “So, I have a proposition.”

  Stephanie looked at him and smiled. “Another one?”

  “It’s about the company. R&K Productions. You know the K stands for Kathy and that she has a fifty percent share in it.”

  “I know that.”

  “I was wondering if you’d like to join me in the company, take over Kathy’s share. We could call it R&S Productions. That is, if I can buy Kathy out, of course.”

  He thought Stephanie was looking at him in surprise, and she took a long moment before she replied. “I’m not sure I’d want to give up my present position. I would think going to work in your company might be seen as a retrograde step, career-wise.”

  For a moment, Robert thought she was joking. He even started to laugh, until he realized that she was deadly serious.

  “The other thing we’ll have to bear in mind is that, obviously, I won’t be able to send any more business your way. It wouldn’t look good for me to be seen to be pushing business to my partner’s company.”

  He was shocked. “No more business . . .”

  “Not from me. But I’ll keep my ear to the ground. I’ll keep you well up to speed with what’s happening in the industry.”

  Robert felt his head spin. Yesterday, sitting in the cold office, trying to reach Stephanie and only getting her machine, he’d doodled new R&S logos on the computer, interlocking R’s and S’s, symbolically entwined. And with the relationship between himself and Stephanie out in the open, he imagined there would be no problem with her sending him clients. Which was a good thing, because he reckoned he was going to need the extra money to pay off Kathy.

  “Anyway,” Stephanie continued, “I was thinking you might close R&K.”

  “What?”

  “Maybe get a job with one of the big advertising agencies or production companies. You’d be a huge asset, Robert. You have a great deal of experience.”

  Robert concentrated on pedaling. He’d spent most of his adult life building up R&K, and now she was suggesting closing it down!

  “It would be easier on you mentally and physically,” she continued. “There would be a steady paycheck, and you could walk out at six and not have to think about it again until the following morning. Your weekends would be yours again. Ours,” she added significantly.

  “I’d be working for someone. I’ve been my own boss for a long time.”

  “At the moment you’re working for Kathy and the children and the bank. They’re your boss. This way you end up with more free time, time to spend with me. Time to spend with your children,” she added.

/>   And Robert admitted it was a persuasive argument. Ironically, he’d even broached something similar with Kathy a year earlier. Then, it had been her reminding him of the huge investment in time and money he’d put into the firm over the years. He started laughing, a dry rasp, which turned into a cough.

  Stephanie climbed off the bike and thumped his back. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. I was just thinking . . .”

  “Thinking what?”

  “That you’re some sort of catalyst. Change happens around you.”

  Stephanie leaned into him, pushing her pert breasts against his chest. “We make our own changes, but sometimes you just need someone or something to do a little nudging. I’m going to take a shower.”

  Robert watched her move across the floor, hips swaying. One or two of the other men in the huge gym also turned to follow her progress. He was surprised to discover that he didn’t feel jealous of their interest in her. They knew she was with him, which meant that they were jealous of him.

  “So, what are your thoughts about babies?” Stephanie asked, lacing her fingers through Robert’s.

  “I hadn’t thought about it. I mean, I have two teenagers already,” Robert said as they walked across the foyer toward the door that led out onto the street. “But I’m not opposed to the idea. What do you think?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. I mean, I think I’d like children,” she said as they came through the door of the gym and out into the bitter night air.

  “If you did want children, when would you like to have them?” he wondered. Would he, could he, go through the process again? Diapers, sleepless nights, childcare, school plays, soccer games, recitals. He’d spent the last seventeen years being a father. He’d experienced the highs of teaching his kids to ride bikes, throw balls, and make home movies, but he had also lived through the lows: the terrible, heartbreaking feelings of guilt when he missed a game or arrived too late to a concert. Did he really want to start over again? He had a good relationship with his kids, but it was one that he was always trying to improve. Robert worked hard to be a good father to Brendan and Theresa, and he didn’t want a new baby to interfere with his love for his grown children. If—no, when he separated from Kathy, it was going to break their hearts. A new baby was going to confuse them even further. Unconsciously, he shook his head. The precious little spare time he had, he wanted to devote to his teenage children. They were going to need all the support he could give them.

  “Not immediately of course.” She reached for his hand. “Well, it’s a bit of a Catch-22. I’m thirty-three now. My biological clock is definitely ticking. I can’t wait too long, and yet, I need another two years at least before I’m promoted. Then we could start trying for the year after that.”

  Two years.

  Brendan would be in college and Theresa a senior in high school. How would they react to a stepbrother or sister?

  How would they react to a stepmother?

  They’d understand. They’d be adults. He’d be able to explain it to them . . . wouldn’t he?

  A sudden, terrifying thought left him breathless: If he left Kathy, would he also lose the children? He looked quickly at Stephanie. Was she worth it? he wondered.

  Their cars were parked alongside one another in the darkened corner of the street. They hit their electronic car door openers together, and both sets of lights blinked simultaneously.

  Robert opened the door of Stephanie’s silver BMW for her. The roof light popped on, flooding the interior in soft, pearl light, washing over the leather seats. Stephanie threw her gym bag onto the passenger seat, then turned to Robert. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed the palm of her right hand against the back of his skull to bring his head down to a level with hers.

  “Think of all the fun we’ll have practicing to conceive children,” she whispered. Then she kissed him. Robert responded by dropping his gym bag to the ground and pulling her close. He loved the feel of this woman in his arms, the heat of her, the strength of her. He adored the pressure of his lips on hers. He loved her passion.

  Finally they broke apart, and Stephanie climbed into the car. She waved once and drove away. Robert picked up his bag and moved around the front of the car. His phone rang. He fished it out of his jacket pocket and answered without looking at the screen.

  “Hi, it’s me.” Kathy’s voice crackled across a surprisingly clear connection. He thought she sounded like she was in a good mood for a change. “I’m just wondering what time you’ll be home?”

  Robert checked his watch. “I’m just leaving the office. I should be there in about forty minutes.”

  When he hung up, he suddenly found himself wondering why he had told the white lie. She knew he went to the gym; it was no secret. But he just supposed he’d gotten into the habit of lying to Kathy. It was time to start telling the truth.

  But not tonight.

  Book 3

  The Mistress’s Story

  Of course I knew he was married.

  I knew he was lying to his wife, and I knew, in my heart, that he was also lying to me.

  But I loved him.

  Or at least I thought I loved him.

  CHAPTER 32

  Thursday, 19th December

  Stephanie Burroughs ran the back of her hand down the length of the raw silk tie. It felt cool and soft against her skin. She glanced up at the young woman standing behind the counter. The girl was staring at her blankly, a professional smile fixed on her lips, but with that empty, expressionless face of someone who is overworked and underpaid.

  “Long day?” Stephanie asked sympathetically, folding the tie back into its box.

  “Long week,” the girl murmured, glancing around quickly to make sure her supervisor wasn’t around. “With no end in sight.”

  Stephanie put two boxes side by side on the counter and compared the ties—one a deep, powerful crimson, the other a rich gold—and tried to choose between them.

  “You’re not off for the weekend?”

  “I wish!” the girl said, obviously grateful for someone to talk to. Once she started to talk, she didn’t stop. “But with Christmas not falling until Wednesday, we’re working right through until Christmas Eve, and then we’re open again on Friday. But I’ve got the following Monday off,” the girl added with a smile, “and Wednesday, New Year’s Day, of course. Then we’re back to normal. December is seriously the longest month. I’m sorry, I’m babbling, which tie are you interested in?”

  “I’ll take them both,” Stephanie said. She suddenly felt sorry for the salesgirl forced to spend long hours on a shop floor for minimum wage. She’d never really thought about working in a retail environment where you started at nine and finished at five thirty or six, with a late night on Thursday and open on the weekend. She thought it must be like prison. After she’d graduated from business school, she’d been seduced into the world of television research, which had more or less allowed her to set her own pace. Now, as senior accounts manager for one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, she was moving steadily along a career path that often demanded long hours, but equally allowed a lot of free time. And it paid well. Very well. And December, for her, was turning out to be a remarkably short month. There were only a few small projects to complete, then the office closed on Tuesday and wouldn’t reopen until the second of January.

  “Cash or charge?”

  “Charge.” Stephanie handed over her platinum AmEx card.

  The salesgirl rang up the purchase and slipped the two long, rectangular tie boxes into a black bag. “A Christmas present?” she asked.

  Stephanie nodded. “For someone special.” She smiled. “Merry Christmas.”

  “I’m sure he’ll love them. Merry Christmas.”

  Stephanie Burroughs wandered into Copley Place and allowed herself to be carried along by the crowd. She had a few small presents left to get and wanted to pop into Neiman Marcus. She knew Robert would like the ties; she’d seen him wearing the
ones she’d bought him over the past few months. They matched the Forzieri suit he’d initially been so skeptical about. She still hadn’t picked up his “big” present and, as time went by, she was finding him more and more difficult to buy for. He had the unfortunate habit of buying himself whatever he wanted. She’d had her eye on the new iPad and had wanted to get it for him before he bought it for himself. He had the latest in cameras—he’d gotten a new one last Christmas. She was also thinking about the new iPod. The only problem was, he rarely listened to music. She found that inconceivable. For her, music was one of the great joys of life. It went everywhere with her; it played through every room in her home, even in the bathroom, on her computer, her laptop, in the car, in the office. She owned hundreds of CDs; she thought he might own two dozen. For an otherwise remarkable and creative man, she found it a curious lack in his character.

  Stephanie pushed her way into Neiman Marcus. She loved the familiarity of her favorite shop, and despite its often extravagant prices, she felt comfortable there. She headed toward the men’s department.

  The other problem was that she loved to buy him presents. She didn’t need an excuse or an event, and over the course of their eighteen-month relationship, she hadn’t let a month go by without surprising him with something.

  And he had done the same for her.

  But this would be their second Christmas together, and she was determined to outdo herself. So far she’d gotten him some shirts in a nice Oxford weave, and now she had these ties to match. She’d picked up a stunning book of aerial photographs of the world, which she thought he’d like, and The Godfather trilogy on Blu-ray that she knew he’d love, but she needed just one more present, something personal....

  Of course, she could always do as she’d done last year: wrap herself up in tinsel and bows and present herself as his Christmas present. They’d both enjoyed unwrapping that gift.