An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen Page A
Authors: Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
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programmed the coffeemaker the night before so it would be readyin the morning. In the bedroom, where his warm body took away the chill at night.
When a marriage is shattered by the ultimate betrayal, physical reactions result: Insomnia. Loss of appetite. The constant worry, as relentless as a pulsing heartbeat:
What drew him to her?
If the man you loved gave you reason to doubt him, could you ever trust him again?
This evening, Thomas blamed awork emergency for the cancellation of dinner plans.
He is also a therapist, so it’s entirely possible a client could be suffering an acute panic attack or a recovering alcoholic could be having an uncontrollable urge to indulge in self-destructive behavior.
He cares deeply about his patients. Most even have access to his cell phone number.
But was his voice excessively flustered?
Doubt surrounds even the most banal of explanations.
This is the legacy of infidelity.
Many women might choose to take their worry to a friend for discussion. Others might accuse; provoke a confrontation. Neither of those courses is inappropriate.
But they may not unearth the truth.
Judgments might also be made about a wife who remained suspicious enough to spy on her husbanddespite his assurances.
But only clinical evidence can determine if insecurity or instinct is driving the suspicion.
In this case, facts can be easily enough obtained. All that is required is a twenty-five-minute taxi ride uptown, to the office space he shares with three other clinicians on Riverside Drive.
It is now 6:07 P.M.
If his Ducati is not parked out front, the facts willnot support the excuse.
The symptoms of anxiety typically include perspiration, a spike in blood pressure, and physical restlessness.
But not for everyone. A rare few present the opposite symptoms: There is a physical quieting, an enhanced mental focus, and a chilling of the extremities.
The cabdriver is asked to increase the temperature by a few degrees.
From a block away, itis impossible to determine if the motorcycle is present. A FreshDirect truck clogs the narrow street, impeding the taxi’s progress.
It is swifter to exit the taxi and proceed on foot.
A flood of relief accompanies the realization that the office is occupied: Light blazes through the slats of the blinds on the ground floor. His motorcycle is parked outside in its usual spot.
Thomasis exactly where he said he would be.
Doubt is banished, for now.
It is unnecessary to proceed any further. He is busy. And it is better if he doesn’t know about this visit.
From a block away in the other direction, a woman approaches. She wears a long, swinging camel-colored coat and jeans.
She stops in front of Thomas’s building. During business hours, a security guard requiresguests to sign in. But the guard leaves at six P.M. At this time of night, visitors must press a buzzer to be admitted.
The woman is perhaps in her early thirties. Objectively attractive, even from a distance. She does not display any outward symptoms of a crisis; to the contrary, her affect is carefree.
She is not the same woman who tempted Thomas to stray from our marriage; that womanwill never be a threat again.
The woman in the swinging coat disappears inside Thomas’s building. A few moments later the blinds that were slightly ajar snap shut.
Perhaps the glare of the street lamp was in her eyes.
Or perhaps there is another reason.
If a guy cheats once, he’s probably going to do it again.
You were the one who issued that warning, Jessica.
Some wiveswould push through the door to get a closer look. Others might choose to wait to see how long the woman remained inside, and if the parties in question emerged from the building together. A few might assume defeat and walk away.
Those are typical responses.
There are other, far more subtle courses of action.
Watching and waiting for the right moment is an essential component of a long-termstrategy. It would be impulsive to swoop in and engage in a
When a marriage is shattered by the ultimate betrayal, physical reactions result: Insomnia. Loss of appetite. The constant worry, as relentless as a pulsing heartbeat:
What drew him to her?
If the man you loved gave you reason to doubt him, could you ever trust him again?
This evening, Thomas blamed awork emergency for the cancellation of dinner plans.
He is also a therapist, so it’s entirely possible a client could be suffering an acute panic attack or a recovering alcoholic could be having an uncontrollable urge to indulge in self-destructive behavior.
He cares deeply about his patients. Most even have access to his cell phone number.
But was his voice excessively flustered?
Doubt surrounds even the most banal of explanations.
This is the legacy of infidelity.
Many women might choose to take their worry to a friend for discussion. Others might accuse; provoke a confrontation. Neither of those courses is inappropriate.
But they may not unearth the truth.
Judgments might also be made about a wife who remained suspicious enough to spy on her husbanddespite his assurances.
But only clinical evidence can determine if insecurity or instinct is driving the suspicion.
In this case, facts can be easily enough obtained. All that is required is a twenty-five-minute taxi ride uptown, to the office space he shares with three other clinicians on Riverside Drive.
It is now 6:07 P.M.
If his Ducati is not parked out front, the facts willnot support the excuse.
The symptoms of anxiety typically include perspiration, a spike in blood pressure, and physical restlessness.
But not for everyone. A rare few present the opposite symptoms: There is a physical quieting, an enhanced mental focus, and a chilling of the extremities.
The cabdriver is asked to increase the temperature by a few degrees.
From a block away, itis impossible to determine if the motorcycle is present. A FreshDirect truck clogs the narrow street, impeding the taxi’s progress.
It is swifter to exit the taxi and proceed on foot.
A flood of relief accompanies the realization that the office is occupied: Light blazes through the slats of the blinds on the ground floor. His motorcycle is parked outside in its usual spot.
Thomasis exactly where he said he would be.
Doubt is banished, for now.
It is unnecessary to proceed any further. He is busy. And it is better if he doesn’t know about this visit.
From a block away in the other direction, a woman approaches. She wears a long, swinging camel-colored coat and jeans.
She stops in front of Thomas’s building. During business hours, a security guard requiresguests to sign in. But the guard leaves at six P.M. At this time of night, visitors must press a buzzer to be admitted.
The woman is perhaps in her early thirties. Objectively attractive, even from a distance. She does not display any outward symptoms of a crisis; to the contrary, her affect is carefree.
She is not the same woman who tempted Thomas to stray from our marriage; that womanwill never be a threat again.
The woman in the swinging coat disappears inside Thomas’s building. A few moments later the blinds that were slightly ajar snap shut.
Perhaps the glare of the street lamp was in her eyes.
Or perhaps there is another reason.
If a guy cheats once, he’s probably going to do it again.
You were the one who issued that warning, Jessica.
Some wiveswould push through the door to get a closer look. Others might choose to wait to see how long the woman remained inside, and if the parties in question emerged from the building together. A few might assume defeat and walk away.
Those are typical responses.
There are other, far more subtle courses of action.
Watching and waiting for the right moment is an essential component of a long-termstrategy. It would be impulsive to swoop in and engage in a
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