by Elaina John
****
Denise had a sinking feeling in her gut. She got R.J.’s message about working late. He worked late almost every day now. But something wasn’t right.
If she drove past the office to check whether he was actually there… Denise shook the thought away. She had to learn to trust R.J. He never gave her reason to doubt him. That was, until he stopped making love to her and started coming home after the sun had gone down. He left in the mornings with a peck on the cheek and an “I love you.”
She felt him pulling away from her. Was he getting cold feet? They had mere weeks until the wedding. Was she unintentionally pushing him away?
To put her fears to rest, she’d drive past his office to see whether his car was there. Maybe she’d go in and surprise him. Simple.
“Let’s go, Barkley.”
With the dog in the backseat, she took off to reassure herself. Denise didn’t expect to find anything. She definitely didn’t expect to see a man who bore a striking resemblance to R.J. standing outside of a restaurant only a block away from the law firm with a gorgeous Hispanic woman.
Denise hit the brakes. Someone blew at her from behind. Barkley gave a loud woof. She sped off. If that man was R.J., he’d recognize his dog. She drove around the block. When she came back around, the man and woman were still there.
She pulled into the parking lot and grabbed her binoculars from the glove compartment. She knew they’d come in handy one day. Just not for this situation.
With the binoculars up to her eyes, she watched the woman put her hand on the man’s arm. He shifted his body, stepping forward. Denise gasped. It was R.J. The green handkerchief in his suit jacket pocket gave him away. If you didn’t count his face.
That lying, scheming bastard. He said he had to work. The last time she checked, a seafood restaurant didn’t look like an office. Especially in the evening with a woman whose breasts barely managed to stay inside her blouse.
They laughed and smiled while continuing to converse. Then Denise’s heart ripped in her chest.
The woman reached up and kissed R.J. on the lips.
Denise tossed the binoculars to the floor like they were too hot to hold. She couldn’t watch anymore. The oxygen caught in her throat each time she tried to take a deep breath.
She took a moment to convince herself not to march over there and tear the both of them to shreds. Attacking them would only make her look like a bigger fool than she already was.
Utterly distraught, she drove out of the parking lot, taking care not to glance in R.J.’s direction. Her eyes burned with tears. She believed his lies and look where it got her.
Once again, she lost a man to another woman. This time hurt worse than before, if the pain in her chest could be trusted. She thought R.J. was different. Obviously she was wrong.
Why her? What was wrong with her?