The Ultimate Betrayal

by Annette Mori

  As she was walking out of her office, she started to punch the number on her phone to call Rachel. “Hey, honey, I just called to tell you that I’m coming home on time. I wanted to spend as much time as possible with you since I need to leave tomorrow. Oh, you are? Okay. Well, then when will you be home? That late? Um, no, I’m not mad. I just thought with me leaving, you’d want to spend the evening together. No, I understand. Yes, I know your work is just as important to you. Yes I would be a big hypocrite if I didn’t understand. No, of course I’ll wait up for you. No, it doesn’t matter when you get home. Yes, wake me up if I’ve fallen asleep. Okay, I’ll see you later tonight. Bye. I love you.”

  Lara frowned. Something wasn’t quite right. Rachel hadn’t even said goodbye. That was the first time she hadn’t said I love you back. Maybe she was still angry about the lie she’d told to enable her to whisk Sophia away before the two could talk more.

  She didn’t know whether to head back to the office or head home and hope that Rachel was able to get away earlier than she had indicated. She couldn’t remember Rachel ever having to work until midnight. What could she possibly need to do that required her to stay that late?

  Something unthinkable passed through Lara’s brain. Rachel wouldn’t be cheating on her with someone else. Would she? Sure, Rachel was a very beautiful woman, but she was dedicated to Lara, wasn’t she? That double standard that she felt should not apply to her was not something she believed should extend to her wife. She expected her to remain one hundred percent faithful.

  Lara’s heels echoed loudly on the sidewalk as she walked to her car. The angry staccato punctuated every distrustful thought Lara had.

  Normally, Lara left much later, so when she eased into the Seattle traffic, she grumbled at the line of cars waiting to enter the freeway. The highway had an equally long queue as far as she could see. It would probably take her more than two hours to get home in this mess. So much for leaving on time. “Damn Seattle traffic. Why can’t they approve a decent public transit system?” she grumbled.

  By the time Lara arrived home, she was in a rotten mood. She was too tired to make anything for dinner—besides cooking for one was depressing—so she ordered a pizza and read the Wall Street Journal.

  After several failed attempts to call Rachel back, Lara crumpled into her favorite recliner and tried to relax. The phone startled her from her thoughts and when she glanced at the screen she smiled. Maybe Rachel was on her way.

  “Are you coming home now? Sophia and Joy? You offered to tour them around? You didn’t tell me that. You shouldn’t have felt obligated to do that. You took both of them to dinner? Sophia? So why are you still there? Joy is a shameless womanizer. I absolutely forbid you to have drinks with her tonight. I’m sorry I didn’t quite mean it the way it sounded, but it’s really not a good idea. I think we need to settle this right now. Right now you’re acting like a petulant child—”

  Lara heard the dial tone on the other end of the phone and ground her teeth. She and Rachel had argued in the past, but Rachel had never hung up on her before. She’d handled the situation all wrong. She knew that now.

  Lara paced the floor after Rachel’s disturbing phone call. She knew she had overreacted to Rachel’s plans for the evening, but right at this moment she felt like she was playing Russian roulette and any moment that bullet would land in the chamber. She could take Sophia out of the equation, but Joy was a whole other wrinkle in desperate need of a hot iron.

  Lara got up, fixed a drink, and then settled back into her chair. When midnight came and went, Lara’s exhaustion from the past few days overtook her body and she fell asleep in her recliner.

  †

  Rachel couldn’t remember a time when she’d felt so comfortable around someone she’d just met, especially when that someone was the other woman. It wasn’t Sophia’s fault that the two-timing female version of Warren Jeffs had hoodwinked her into marriage. Rachel didn’t know the legal ramifications to her situation—she hadn’t explored that with Sophia yet. She suspected that since Sophia married Lara first, her own marriage wasn’t legal.

  Miraculously, she managed to keep it together while Sophia had her emotional meltdown, and when Rachel’s emotions finally poured from her soul, she felt Sophia’s arms embrace her in a protective hold as she softly cried on her shoulder.

  After Rachel explained phase one to Sophia, she was ready to fill Joy in on the plan. “I think it’s time we called Joy and got her involved. Do you mind heading back to the hotel? We can have them send up an early dinner. You must be hungry by now, considering we missed lunch.”

  “I know I should eat something, but I just don’t have much of an appetite right now. You haven’t had anything to eat either. God, what a pair we are.” Sophia sighed.

  “I promise to eat something if you do. I’m glad we walked here. I think the fresh air and exercise has done both of us some good. You can tell me all about your life in New York while we walk back to the car. Just one rule.”

  “What’s that?” Sophia asked.

  “Until we get to the hotel and have to bring Joy into the mix, we follow the Harry Potter rule.” Rachel clasped Sophia’s hand and pulled her to her feet, but didn’t let go when she began to walk back to the car. She needed the human connection of someone who could empathize with her.

  Sophia scrunched up her nose. “The Harry Potter rule?”

  “Yeah, we can only refer to the two timing bitch as she who shall not be named, because that is how evil she is. Better yet, I’d prefer to leave her completely out of the conversation until we get to the hotel.”

  Rachel saw Sophia glance at their intertwined hands, but didn’t feel her pull away. She hoped Sophia needed the connection as much as she did.

  “I think I can adhere to that rule,” Sophia agreed.

  †

  The drive back to the hotel was relatively short and Rachel didn’t learn nearly as much as she wanted to about Sophia. She racked her brain for a way to spend more time with Sophia.

  Rachel tossed her keys to the parking attendant and strolled confidently into the lobby. She was anxious to bring Joy into the plan.

  She kept stealing glances at Sophia in the elevator. It appeared as though Sophia’s somber mood had returned and Rachel was desperate to get her to smile again.

  “You can stop worrying that I’ll jump out the window. I won’t give her the satisfaction. I can feel you watching me,” Sophia said as she stared straight ahead.

  “I’m not worried,” Rachel lied.

  “Liar.”

  “Okay, I am worried about you, but that’s not why I’m looking,” Rachel blurted out.

  Sophia turned her head and Rachel recognized the despair that Lara’s betrayal caused. “Aren’t you familiar with proper elevator behavior? Everyone is supposed to face forward and avoid eye contact at all costs,” she teased.

  “Where did you learn that? Don’t tell me. You read Emily Post’s, Etiquette. I don’t remember a chapter on what to do in an elevator,” Rachel noted.

  “Holy cow. How do I know what’s in that book? I don’t see you as the type to have that book on your library shelf. Please tell me that’s not in your collection or your street cred will take a dive and I’ll have to reassess this plan of yours.” Sophia grinned.

  “My grandmother is from the South and that is practically the Bible down there. I don’t have it in my library, but I might as well, because she made me memorize it. She was a tough one, every time she thought I wasn’t paying attention, she’d say to me, I’ll knock you so hard you’ll see tomorrow today.”

  Sophia laughed and it was music to Rachel’s ears.

  Sophia knocked on Joy’s door and an extremely disheveled Joy greeted them.

  Joy raised her eyebrow. “Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in. Where have you two been all afternoon and why do you both look like shit?”

  “We’ll get to that, but first I need to know if you’re alone or is your date, and I use that t
erm lightly, still here?” Sophia asked.

  “Why?”

  “Because we have a situation and we need your help. I’d prefer things stay between just the three of us for now,” Sophia responded.

  “Yes, I’m alone, Bonnie had to go back to her place to get ready for work. She’s a nurse at your hospital. You might know her. Cute redhead. Very flexible. I failed to get her last name, but this one might be worth calling again.” Joy grinned.

  “It’s a big place, but that’s probably Bonnie Harris. She’s a real sweetheart, but I think she’s just looking for some fun. Bad break up not too long ago,” Rachel explained.

  “Perfect. Just my type—for now. If I do break my pattern and settle down, I’d prefer to find someone closer to home. So, what’s this situation? It sounds ominous.” Joy waved her hand and stepped aside while Rachel and Sophia walked into the suite.

  Rachel sat next to Sophia on the love seat and Joy sat in the chair across from them.

  Rachel glanced at Sophia as she opened and closed her mouth. She jumped in and rescued Sophia from having to say the words. “Lara is a two-timing snake who is currently married to both of us.”

  “What? You’re kidding, right?” Joy asked.

  Sophia shook her head and started crying again.

  Rachel gathered her in her arms and rubbed her back. She didn’t take the time to realize that Joy, as her best friend, should be the one to comfort her. It was an automatic reaction to her distress.

  “Oh, shit. I’m going to smack that woman like a Piñata until her teeth fall out as candy. Sophia, don’t you worry because, if revenge is sweet and payback is a bitch, then I’m the sweetest bitch on the planet. I got this, darling.” Joy jumped up from her chair.

  Before Joy reached the door, Rachel ran to her and touched her arm. “Wait. We have a plan and we need your help.”

  “It better be as good as what is rolling around in my head right now,” Joy bellowed.

  “Oh, it is. Phase one is going to make her squirm more than a three year old in church,” Rachel promised.

  †

  Joy had to admit the plan was ingenious. She couldn’t help but appreciate Rachel’s cleverness. Fortunately, she was able to direct all her anger at Lara. She didn’t have any delusions about who the culprit was. It was clear to her that Rachel had previously had no idea who Sophia was. In Joy’s mind, Rachel was as much a victim as Sophia.

  Joy insisted that Sophia and Rachel have something to eat after she learned that the revelation earlier had interrupted their lunch. She felt bad for not being there for her best friend, but maybe if she had, they never would have learned the truth.

  Joy watched, as Rachel seemed to coax a smile or two out of Sophia. It seemed like the focus on the plan was a godsend to both of them.

  Joy was relishing her role in the scheme. She entered her cell phone number into Rachel’s phone and grinned.

  “We’re charging this whole dinner to Lara and several bottles of their best wine,” Sophia declared.

  “That’s a given,” Joy interjected.

  “Time to poke the fire a little,” Rachel added.

  Rachel grabbed her phone back from Joy and touched the screen. “Hi, baby. No, it looks like I’m going to be here a bit longer because I offered to tour your friends around today. Yeah, the ones I met in your office the other day. I felt bad that they came all this way and you weren’t available for lunch. No, I thought for sure I’d told you that I made the offer to take them to lunch and then tour them around. It was fun, but it really ate into my work time and then I took one of them out to dinner.”

  Joy listened to Rachel setting things up and had to work hard to control her laughter.

  Rachel waved her hand in the air and then covered her mouth before answering. “No, just one of them.”

  Joy began making faces at Rachel.

  Rachel mouthed the word stop.

  Joy thought she could almost hear Lara’s stress level kick up on the other end of the phone. She wondered what would be the most disturbing, Rachel having dinner with Sophia or her.

  “No, Sophia decided to head back to the hotel. She mentioned something about a headache, so it was just Joy and me. Sorry, I also promised to meet Joy for drinks after I finish up here. Tell me you did not just forbid me to have drinks with Joy. I am not having this conversation with you right now. Just go to bed and I’ll talk to you in the morning. I don’t want to fight about this right now. Bye.”

  Rachel abruptly ended the call and Joy saw her turn off her ringer.

  Joy grinned at Rachel. “Okay, this is fun. I need to be subtle with my texts, huh? Sophia, you need to help me with that. You know that I don’t really do subtle.”

  Joy thought their plan was a little like the old game of Chinese water torture she played with her brothers, when you kept poking them until it became too much and they exploded.

  “All right. Do you two mind if I hang out with you until about one? I want to stroll in late enough for her to conjure up all kinds of nasty possibilities,” Rachel said.

  “Not at all. There’s good wine and great company. This is somewhat surreal to me. I don’t know about you, but isn’t this strange to team up with the other woman. I should hate you, but I don’t at all,” Sophia confessed.

  “We’ve both been made fools of. I don’t blame you at all for this. I knew right away that you were an innocent victim. No one could have possibly faked that reaction. I’m just glad you recognized that I had absolutely no knowledge of your existence. I swear I never would have gotten involved with Lara had I known. I’m so sorry for whatever part I’ve played in your pain,” Rachel uttered.

  Joy watched as Sophia lifted her eyes and locked onto Rachel’s.

  “There is something about you that is so genuine. I don’t know. I guess I just trusted you from the very start—even after you sort of sniped at me being horrible in the bedroom,” Sophia confessed.

  Rachel groaned. “Oh God. I’m so sorry, that was not one of my finer moments. I let the hurt take control of my good sense.”

  “No need to apologize. You didn’t have to go after me when I had my meltdown in the bathroom, but you were right there—comforting me—even though I knew how much you were in pain yourself. It was incredibly sweet,” Sophia whispered.

  “Damn. You two are just the cutest thing. Wouldn’t it be karmic justice if the two of you were to fall in love and live happily ever after leaving that bitch Lara to dry up like an old prune,” Joy announced.

  “After this experience, I may never fall in love again,” Rachel noted.

  “Never say never is what I always say,” Joy responded.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lara felt the buzz on her watch and blinked her eyes. She’d fallen asleep in her recliner. Her back was killing her. She worried about the reason or reasons—plural—why Rachel hadn’t woken her to go to bed when she’d returned the past night.

  She heard the shower going and walked into the master bedroom. Rachel never got up this early. Rachel’s phone buzzed on the dresser. She needed to know what was happening and if her luck had finally worn out. She didn’t get as far in business as she had without the ability to siphon through every available clue. Without any sense of remorse about violating Rachel’s privacy, Lara picked up her phone and looked at the string of text messages.

  Had a blast last night. J

  Me too.

  Interested in a repeat?

  Absolutely. Lara leaving for New York tonight.

  When the cat’s away….

  Flirt.

  Damn tooting I am

  Careful I’m a married woman

  And….

  Ignoring you…Interested in breakfast?

  You bet! Call me when you wake. A little bit of coffee and I’ll perk right up, especially if I get to spend time with you.

  Sweet dreams

  Ditto

  Can’t wait to CU today…thirty and counting J

  By the time Lara read the
entire stream of text messages, she was fuming. Joy was a loose cannon and she had her sights set on her wife. At least it appeared as though they hadn’t discussed her during their evening, but it was only a matter of time before Rachel discovered her secret. Joy was Sophia’s best friend. It was bound to come up at some point if they kept hanging out. Her only hope was she knew that Joy wasn’t the type to focus on learning anything personal about her next sexual liaison and she was a master at keeping things light. She needed to figure out how to manage this situation without Rachel knowing she’d read the texts.

  Lara heard the shower shut off and walked into the master bath to talk to her wife.

  “You didn’t wake me up last night. I missed you,” Lara stated. She was going for a conciliatory approach after her overbearing declaration absolutely forbidding Rachel to spend more time with Joy.

  Rachel grabbed one of the fluffy white towels hanging on the brass hook next to the shower. “You were sound asleep in the chair and I didn’t have the heart to wake you up. I didn’t want to interrupt your sleep.”

  Lara saw her smile, but it didn’t seem to reach her eyes. Something was definitely amiss.

  “You’re up early, especially for how late you were out last night. I thought we might have a nice leisurely breakfast before I have to leave for the airport today. I’m sorry I reacted the way I did last night. I have no right to control your social agenda.”

  “Apology accepted, but I’m sorry, I have a breakfast meeting this morning,” Rachel answered.

  Lara was seething on the inside, while maintaining her poker face on the outside. “Oh. Who with? Maybe you can cancel. I’m sure they would understand.”