The Wife Stalker

by Liv Constantine

  He was quiet, seeming to consider this. “You really think this kind of stuff works?”

  “I think it can work. I know you’ve been feeling better, but can you honestly say you’re at a hundred percent? The worst that can happen is you waste your day, but it could be the thing that gets you all the way over the hump.”

  He nodded. “I guess it can’t hurt.”

  I was relieved that he was finally going to take a step toward health. Little did I know that it would be his first step out of my life and right into hers.

  5

  Piper

  Piper was surprised and pleased to see Leo’s name on the roster for the meditation workshop—she hadn’t pegged him as someone who’d take the time for such things. She allowed herself a moment to wonder if he’d signed up because he felt the same attraction to her as she did to him, but then dismissed the thought. He’d been nothing but professional when he’d come to the center. Regardless, though she hadn’t even been planning to attend the workshop, she quickly cleared her schedule.

  She made sure to dress more attractively this time, in navy knit pants that showed off her trim figure and a champagne-colored silk shirt revealing just the right amount of cleavage. She spritzed on some Wild Bluebell perfume and checked her makeup before leaving her office and heading to Studio One, where the workshop was being held.

  She entered the studio to find fifteen chairs set up in a semi-circle, but no Leo, and she felt a pinch of disappointment. She hoped he hadn’t decided to skip it. Taking one of the empty chairs, she put a program down on the seat next to her, saving it in the hopes he would show up. She sat and took in the room, which she had redecorated with a mural of clouds on the ceilings and soothing sky-blue walls. The next few minutes crawled by as her eyes darted to the door every time it opened and a few more attendees straggled in. And then, finally, he entered, casually dressed in khakis and a white button-down shirt. He was even more attractive than she remembered.

  She smiled at him and motioned for him to sit next to her, and he returned her smile and strode over, settling into the chair. For a moment his leg brushed hers, and she felt the heat of desire go through her, but she reluctantly turned her attention to the facilitator when he began to speak.

  “Welcome, everyone. I’m Zodiac, your guide for today.” He put his hands together in a prayerful pose.

  Leo looked at Piper, cocking a sardonic eyebrow. She shot him a look that said Behave.

  As Zodiac explained a breathing technique, then prompted everyone to close their eyes and clear their minds, all Piper could think about was the man sitting next to her and how much she wanted to spend more time with him.

  “Okay, everyone,” Zodiac said. “Mindfulness is more than just a—”

  The ringing of a cell phone interrupted him, and he scanned the attendees to see who the culprit was.

  Leo made a face, pulled the phone from his pocket, and silenced it. “Sorry.”

  Zodiac nodded and cleared his throat. “As I said before . . . silence or, better yet, turn off your cell phones. They are a major obstacle to living in the now.” He stood and walked over to a woman across from Piper.

  “You are not your thoughts,” he yelled. The woman jumped.

  “Yes, that’s startling. But true. Your essence has nothing to do with what you’re thinking.” He tapped a finger to his temple. “Clear away the clutter. One way to do that is meditation. We’ll focus on the basics of that soon. But for now . . . sit and be in this moment. Look around you. How does it feel to just be?”

  Leo shifted in his seat, and Piper, feeling his restlessness, had to resist looking at him. She did her best to concentrate on Zodiac and force her thoughts away from Leo.

  An hour later, as they filed out of the studio for a ten-minute break, she turned to him. “So, what do you think?” she asked.

  As they moved to a corner of the hallway, he gave her a measured look. “No offense, but it sounds like a bunch of mumbo jumbo to me.”

  She put a hand on his arm. “It’s hard for everyone at first. It takes practice. But meditation can be very soothing.”

  He held up a finger and pulled his phone from his pocket. “Do I get points for putting it on vibrate?” he joked before answering. Piper walked away to say hello to a few of the other attendees and give Leo some privacy. By the time the break was almost over, he was still on his phone.

  He looked up as the sound of wind chimes came through the speakers on the wall, and ended the call. Piper walked back to him.

  “Sorry. Work,” he said sheepishly.

  “No worries. The next session is only thirty minutes,” Piper told him. “You game?”

  “Why not?” He was quiet as they followed the group back into the studio. Piper found she couldn’t concentrate on the mantras the group was repeating, and the half hour passed slowly again. When the session was over, Leo rose from his chair.

  “Sorry, Piper. All this is doing is making me think of everything I need to get done.”

  She bit her lip. “You’re leaving?”

  “Yeah. I’m sorry, this just isn’t for me.”

  “I understand. Would you like to join me for some lunch here before you go? After all, you’ve already paid for it.”

  He tilted his head. “Tell you what, tofu and green drinks are not really my thing. Why don’t you let me buy you lunch at the Spotted Horse? You do eat regular food, right?”

  She laughed. “That I do. I’d love to. Let me just tell Zodiac that I’m leaving.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “That’s a made-up name, right?”

  She shrugged. “Probably. Good one for a meditation instructor, don’t you think? Meet you in the parking lot.”

  Piper stopped by her office for her purse and to freshen up, and when she exited the building, he was waiting for her by his Mercedes. When she approached, he walked to the passenger’s side and opened the door for her. She slid into the supple leather seat and felt butterflies taking flight in her stomach again. She hadn’t been this attracted to someone since Matthew. Her eyes were drawn to his hands on the steering wheel, his long and elegant fingers, and she found herself imagining what they would feel like on her body. Stop it, she scolded herself.

  They sat at an outside table, under the orange awnings. Piper looked at the menu, but her stomach was in such a flutter she wasn’t sure she could eat anything. “I think I’ll just have one of the small plates,” she said.

  “Really? I’m starving. All that meditating made me work up an appetite.” They both laughed.

  “I’m sorry you didn’t like the class,” she said after they’d ordered. “Have you ever done meditation on your own?”

  “No. I have to say I don’t see the point of it.”

  She nodded. “I think many people feel that way until they try it. I’m sorry this wasn’t a good experience for you today. What were you hoping for?”

  He looked away for a moment and then turned his eyes back to her. “I guess I was hoping for some relief.” He paused. “I’ve gone through a rough patch the last few months. But I’m feeling hopeful again.”

  “I’m glad. Fred is lucky to have you as his attorney.”

  “I’m going to do everything in my power to live up to his faith in me.”

  She wanted to offer him a word of encouragement but didn’t want to seem condescending. Instead, she said, “I’m a great listener. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m just a phone call away.”

  Leo smiled at her. “Thank you.”

  The waiter brought their lunches, the roasted eggplant for Piper and a Reuben for Leo.

  “I feel bad that you wasted your money on the workshop lunch. You must let me pay for this to make up for it,” Piper said.

  “Absolutely not,” Leo said. “I invited you.”

  Piper took a taste of eggplant and watched Leo take a big bite of his sandwich. “How is it?”

  He nodded his head. “Delicious.”

  She leaned back in her chair. “I
know you practice law, and you don’t like meditation,” she said, “but what are some things you do like? What’s your favorite book?”

  “That’s easy. The Count of Monte Cristo. Yours?”

  “The Alchemist,” she said without hesitation. “Your favorite song?”

  “Hmm, that’s a little tougher. Let’s see. Hard to pick one, but if I have to, I guess it would be ‘Black’ by Pearl Jam.”

  “Oh, that’s a great one. Mine would be ‘Moon River,’” Piper said. He looked a little taken aback, and she laughed. “What can I say? I was born in the wrong decade.”

  “A classic,” Leo said. “Movie?”

  “I’m a big fan of old movies. I’ve probably seen every black-and-white film there is, and love them all, but if I had to pick a favorite, it’d be Brief Encounter.”

  Leo frowned. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that.”

  “It’s about two married strangers who meet in a train station and fall in love. Very passionate and very sad. And the music! I still get goose bumps every time I hear Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto Number Two.”

  He was staring at her with those dark eyes, and she shifted in her chair. “You?”

  “Me?” he said.

  “Your movie.”

  “The Godfather, without question.”

  They sat that way, chatting, for over an hour, long after they’d finished eating, and she’d perked up even further when Leo mentioned that he’d become involved with the Save the Sound Foundation in Westport. The organization was now lobbying for a bill that would prevent people from using pesticides on their lawns if they lived within a thousand feet of any waterway.

  “It’s infuriating when I’m walking in the beach neighborhoods and I see those little yellow signs on lawns. Don’t they realize that poison runs right into the water? The same water my children swim in.” He shook his head.

  “I completely agree. Pesticides are one of the reasons I buy only organic produce. And I never use that poison on my lawn, especially since I’m near the water.”

  “A local business owner and a waterfront property holder? We could use another voice like yours at our meetings.”

  “When’s the next one?”

  “It’s in two weeks. Thursday at seven at the Town Hall.”

  She smiled at him. “I’ll be there.” She was thrilled to have another excuse to see him, not that these meetings did any good. It was usually just a bunch of bureaucratic blowhards who loved the sound of their own voices. But she would put up with that if it was a chance to spend more time with Leo. The more she learned about him, the more she saw that he was definitely her type. And she intended to make sure she was his.

  6

  Joanna

  The kids and I had been at Compo Beach since midmorning. Though it was still a week before Memorial Day, the sun was shining brightly, and we had camped out near the water’s edge so I could keep a close eye on the children as they played in the water. Even though there were barely any waves in the Sound, they were drifting on their boogie boards back and forth in the shallows, laughing and splashing each other.

  “Can we go to Joey’s and get burgers and more fries?” Stelli asked. We’d feasted on the famous French fries and hot dogs at the restaurant next to the pavilion a few hours ago, but they were getting hungry again as three o’clock approached.

  “Maybe just some fries. We don’t want to spoil your dinner,” I told him, then held out my hand. “Come on, Evie, we’re going to get a snack.”

  I gave Stelli a quarter for the gumball machine and he stood, transfixed as always, as a brightly colored orb journeyed down the spiraled tunnels and landed in his hand.

  I turned to Evie. “Do you want one, too, sweetie?”

  She shook her head. “No, they’re gross. They’ve been sitting in that thing for who knows how long. Probably since last summer.”

  I laughed. “I certainly hope not.”

  We got fries for Stelli and an ice-cream cone for Evie, and then found an open picnic table under the pavilion. I shooed a seagull away as we sat. The kids dug in, and I tried hard not to snatch a fry from Stelli’s basket. No matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to get rid of the extra twenty pounds that had been plaguing me for as long as I could remember.

  Evie pointed. “Look, there’s Daddy!”

  “Where?”

  “Right there!” She stood and ran to him. His face broke into a smile when he saw her. Holding hands, they walked over to us.

  “What are you doing here? I thought the retreat didn’t end until early evening.” I was happy to have him here, but I had been hoping the workshop would have been useful to him.

  He took a seat across from me at the picnic table and shook his head. “If I had to endure another minute of that baloney, I would have gone crazy. I appreciate the thought, but that scene is definitely not my cup of tea.”

  But the funny thing was, he looked happier. Maybe he hadn’t realized that it had been a little helpful. I tried to press him gently. “You were there half the day; did you get anything from it?”

  “I had a nice chat with Piper, the owner, who, unlike Zodiac, the leader—how’s that for a crazy name?—seems pretty grounded. One thing that did resonate was a quote from Rilke that she wrote down for me,” he said, pulling a card from his pocket. “‘Live the question now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.’”

  I stared at him. I almost said, And by then you’ll have forgotten the question, but I could tell he was serious. Maybe you had to have heard it in some kind of context. And if inspirational quotes gave him a foothold on the ladder to health, I sure wasn’t going to question them. “That’s great,” I said, giving him a big smile. “I’m glad you got something good out of it. So, are you hungry?”

  He shook his head. “No. I grabbed lunch after I skipped out.” He turned to the children. “Are you little stinkers having fun?”

  “Yes!” they answered in unison.

  “Are you going to swim with us, Daddy?” Stelli asked.

  “You bet, buddy. I’ll go change now.”

  The kids finished their snacks and we went back to the beach, where Leo and Stelli splashed around while Evie and I stayed in our beach chairs with our books.

  It was good to see Leo laughing and actually enjoying himself. After a while, he swam back to shore and motioned to Evie. “Your brother wants you to go in the water.”

  Evie looked at her father over her book. “Okay.”

  “Thank you, Evie. You do such a good job of looking after your little brother,” I told her.

  Leo ran a hand through his wet hair as he picked up a towel. Beads of water glistened on his toned body, and I had the urge to reach out and touch him. I knew he wasn’t ready for intimacy, though—I’m familiar enough with depression to know it kills sexual appetite along with everything else. I did feel some hope today—his cheery mood was a small glimmer of light breaking through the clouds.

  He took the beach chair next to mine, and I handed him a Coke from the cooler. He grabbed the can and took a long swallow. “Thanks, Jo.” Looking straight ahead and keeping an eye on the children, he continued. “I’m going to have to go into the office tomorrow. I hate to work on a Sunday, but you know there’s never enough time to prepare for a trial, and—”

  “You don’t have to apologize. I’ve got everything covered. The kids and I will be fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course. How are you feeling about the case at this point?”

  He sighed. “Well, the deposition from the psychologist at the Phoenix Recovery Center will help to show Fred’s commitment to sobriety. I’m rallying the troops tomorrow to give out marching orders. There’s just so much still to do.”

  “You always get it done.”

  He nodded. “I suppose so.” He leaned farther forward in the beach chair, his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped together. Without looking at me, he said,
“I’m thinking maybe we should cancel the Memorial Day party.”

  “What? No, you can’t,” I objected. It was a tradition he’d started years ago, before we’d even met. The party would be a time for him to reconnect with friends and colleagues. Calling it off felt like a step backward in his recovery.

  “I’m not in much of a festive mood, and I’ve got so much on my plate with this case.”

  “But everyone loves the party,” I said gently. “And besides, you’ll enjoy it once it’s here. You shouldn’t make a rash decision that you’ll regret later.”

  He was quiet. After a moment he sat back, and when he looked at me, I saw resignation in his eyes. “Maybe you’re right. But you’ve got a lot on your plate. Especially since Rebecca’s not here.” The children’s nanny had left to care for her father in Michigan after he had had a fall and wouldn’t be returning for another couple of weeks.

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got this,” I assured him. He smiled and nodded.

  I knew he would be glad once the day came. He’d be surrounded by people who cared about him—clients, colleagues, and friends, all of whom looked forward to it and most of whom had already RSVP’d. I’d given the caterer the final count this morning. It was the same menu every year—barbecued beef and all the fixings. And yesterday I’d placed an order with the florist for the table centerpieces. This year, they would be red dahlias, white lilies, and blue irises in round white vases. There were still a few tasks left to do—I still needed to get in touch with the face painter and magician the kids and their friends had loved last year—but I knew I’d be able to pull it all off.

  I looked over at Leo, who had a faint smile on his face as he watched Evie and Stelli splashing around. We were going to come out of this on the other side. I just knew it.

  7

  Piper

  Piper lay in bed, eyes open, wide awake. She turned to look at the clock on the bedside table—two a.m. This had been happening to her every night recently—actually, ever since she’d met Leo.