Matt.
I stomped across the office for a cone of water. Fletcher walked in carrying a half-eaten chili dog. I crushed the cone and tossed it to the trash. I missed. Fletcher bent to retrieve it and threw it in the trashcan along with the rest of his hot dog.
“Mari, what’s wrong?”
Scanning the empty room, I sat on the couch to catch my breath before I found Matt. “My life. That’s what’s wrong. First, my marriage falls apart after what I thought were eight happy years, but no, Jack had been restless the whole time. Never really wanted to settle down. Just married me right before Hattie was born because he got me pregnant, and he didn’t want to leave me like ...”
Fletcher squirmed.
“Well, you know.” I fought the tears, my head straining under the pressure. “I thought midlife crises came at forty. I thought I had another six or seven years before I needed to worry about Jack. I did everything I could to make sure he didn’t trade me in for a newer model. Who knew his new Egyptian mistress would be so old?”
Fletcher put his arm around me. I didn’t shrug him off. Instead, I let my body melt into his, indulging in the comfort of a man, something I hadn’t experienced in years.
“Mari …” Fletcher paused.
I stiffened, not sure I was ready to hear what he had to say, but not ready to leave his arms.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there before. But I’m here for you now.”
Sitting up, I faced him. “It wasn’t all your fault. I’m sorry I blamed you. I was so hurt and you were right. I did push you away.”
“What’s done is done. We can’t go back. But we can move forward.” He reached for my hand.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to move forward with Fletcher. I stood and stepped away. He remained in front of me, hands in his pockets, the perfect picture of self-control. “So now what?”
“I’m not sure.” I smiled. I was starting to like this honest, in-control Fletcher. Maybe he had changed.
I left Fletcher in the lounge; my steps lighter. His attention had almost made me forget my real problems. I swung open the door to my office. Matt sat in my chair, his feet propped on my desk, listening to music from his earbuds.
“I thought I took away your iPhone.”
“You did, this is my iPod Touch.”
I inhaled deeply, contemplating whether to take it from him. “I thought you left.”
“Well, I’m back. Couldn’t find a place to work.”
“I can see you’re getting a lot of work done here. Mind moving and turning that down? I have a lot of work to do.”
He harrumphed as if I’d asked him to move the Great Pyramid, turned up his music, and plopped down on the floor in the corner, though a very comfortable chair sat in front of my desk. The beat from his music pounded in my head, nibbling on my last nerve.
“Matt, lower that!” He ignored me. The tension inside me built. I plodded to him, yanked the earbuds out, and threw them on the ground.
He gawked at me like I had morphed into the Mummy. “Chill! Stop going psycho on me.”
“I can’t think with all this noise.”
“You gonna take away my tunes, too?” His glare chilled me. “It’s not my choice to be here, ya know.”
I quelled my rising temper before it blew the top off my patience. We both needed a time out. “Do your homework in Jack’s office.”
“But I can’t—”
“Please, Matt. I’m in no mood for an argument.”
“Fine.” He grabbed his earbuds and backpack, and left.
I sat in my chair and pulled off my boots. Was this day a bad dream? Surely soon I would wake in my nice warm bed, snuggled under the down comforter, nestled between the smooth satin sheets. Who was I kidding?
Reaching into my bag, I searched for my secret stash of Rolos. Where were they? I needed chocolate. I dumped the contents on my desk, pushed Henderson’s love letters to the side, and hunted through a wad of receipts and gum wrappers. Stuck to a piece of paper was the last Rolo. I removed the tattered gold foil,
I stomped across the office for a cone of water. Fletcher walked in carrying a half-eaten chili dog. I crushed the cone and tossed it to the trash. I missed. Fletcher bent to retrieve it and threw it in the trashcan along with the rest of his hot dog.
“Mari, what’s wrong?”
Scanning the empty room, I sat on the couch to catch my breath before I found Matt. “My life. That’s what’s wrong. First, my marriage falls apart after what I thought were eight happy years, but no, Jack had been restless the whole time. Never really wanted to settle down. Just married me right before Hattie was born because he got me pregnant, and he didn’t want to leave me like ...”
Fletcher squirmed.
“Well, you know.” I fought the tears, my head straining under the pressure. “I thought midlife crises came at forty. I thought I had another six or seven years before I needed to worry about Jack. I did everything I could to make sure he didn’t trade me in for a newer model. Who knew his new Egyptian mistress would be so old?”
Fletcher put his arm around me. I didn’t shrug him off. Instead, I let my body melt into his, indulging in the comfort of a man, something I hadn’t experienced in years.
“Mari …” Fletcher paused.
I stiffened, not sure I was ready to hear what he had to say, but not ready to leave his arms.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there before. But I’m here for you now.”
Sitting up, I faced him. “It wasn’t all your fault. I’m sorry I blamed you. I was so hurt and you were right. I did push you away.”
“What’s done is done. We can’t go back. But we can move forward.” He reached for my hand.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to move forward with Fletcher. I stood and stepped away. He remained in front of me, hands in his pockets, the perfect picture of self-control. “So now what?”
“I’m not sure.” I smiled. I was starting to like this honest, in-control Fletcher. Maybe he had changed.
I left Fletcher in the lounge; my steps lighter. His attention had almost made me forget my real problems. I swung open the door to my office. Matt sat in my chair, his feet propped on my desk, listening to music from his earbuds.
“I thought I took away your iPhone.”
“You did, this is my iPod Touch.”
I inhaled deeply, contemplating whether to take it from him. “I thought you left.”
“Well, I’m back. Couldn’t find a place to work.”
“I can see you’re getting a lot of work done here. Mind moving and turning that down? I have a lot of work to do.”
He harrumphed as if I’d asked him to move the Great Pyramid, turned up his music, and plopped down on the floor in the corner, though a very comfortable chair sat in front of my desk. The beat from his music pounded in my head, nibbling on my last nerve.
“Matt, lower that!” He ignored me. The tension inside me built. I plodded to him, yanked the earbuds out, and threw them on the ground.
He gawked at me like I had morphed into the Mummy. “Chill! Stop going psycho on me.”
“I can’t think with all this noise.”
“You gonna take away my tunes, too?” His glare chilled me. “It’s not my choice to be here, ya know.”
I quelled my rising temper before it blew the top off my patience. We both needed a time out. “Do your homework in Jack’s office.”
“But I can’t—”
“Please, Matt. I’m in no mood for an argument.”
“Fine.” He grabbed his earbuds and backpack, and left.
I sat in my chair and pulled off my boots. Was this day a bad dream? Surely soon I would wake in my nice warm bed, snuggled under the down comforter, nestled between the smooth satin sheets. Who was I kidding?
Reaching into my bag, I searched for my secret stash of Rolos. Where were they? I needed chocolate. I dumped the contents on my desk, pushed Henderson’s love letters to the side, and hunted through a wad of receipts and gum wrappers. Stuck to a piece of paper was the last Rolo. I removed the tattered gold foil,
Similar Books
