Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies by Trice Hickman Page A

She’d always seen Debbie as a confident, kiss-my-ass kind of woman who marched to the music playing inside her own head, the rest of the world be damned. She had her own quirky style and a genuine authenticity that made her one of the most sincere and honest people Victoria knew. Debbie’s revelation about how she viewed herself was almost as startling as her admission about having an affair. “Have you talked to Rob about how you feel?” she asked.
    â€œYes, and it didn’t do any good. He’s oblivious.”
    Victoria looked her friend squarely in the eyes. “So, where are you going with this? Where do you want this to lead?”
    â€œVictoria, I honestly don’t know.”
    â€œWell, you better start thinking about it, because, girl, you’re playin’ with fire.”
    â€œWe’re being careful.”
    Victoria shook her head. “All it takes is one small slip. Regardless of how oblivious you think Rob is, you know, just like I do, that even though he’s a good-natured guy, he’s got a little edge. If he finds out you’re cheating on him, he’ll put his tae kwon do lessons to use and kick some ass. The only question is, will it be yours or Stan’s?”
    â€œI told you, Stan and I are being very careful. We’ve stopped meeting in the city.We found a place that’s a few miles outside of town. It’s remote and secluded. Besides, Stan has just as much to lose as I do. He told me that if his wife finds out, she’ll surely take his children away from him.”
    Victoria’s eyes bucked wide. “He’s married, with kids?”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œNow you have two people to dodge. Women have great intuition about these kinds of things.What if his wife is already suspicious? She could be tailing him, for all you know. If you get caught, you’ll have another person ready to jump in your shit,” Victoria said, trying to keep her voice low.
    â€œThis is something I have to do for me.You’re sitting there judging me, thinking, why would I cheat on Rob? I know he’s a good person and that he loves Brandon and me. But sometimes you need more than just love to keep you going. Do you know what it’s like to find yourself drawn to another person who gives you that missing piece? Who electrifies you with just the sound of his voice? Who makes you want to be with him even when you know you damn well shouldn’t be?” Debbie sighed, returning Victoria’s intense stare. “No.” She shrugged. “You don’t know anything about that.”
    Victoria shook her head, feeling her nose grow a full two inches as she thought about Parker’s business card sitting at the bottom of her handbag. All she could do was say a silent prayer for her friend, along with one for herself.
    Later that night, after Victoria tucked Alexandria into bed, she thought about her dinner conversation with Debbie. It had been disturbing on many levels, not only because she felt that her friend was making a potentially life-altering mistake, but also because of what it signaled.
    In Victoria’s mind, Debbie and Rob were the epitome of what a happy marriage was supposed to be. They perfectly balanced each other’s personalities. His stable, conservative demeanor tempered her unpredictable, wild one. If their solid union was now teetering on the brink of disaster, she knew it was very possible that the waters ahead could prove to be choppy for her as well.
    Ready to cap off her long day, Victoria drew herself a hot bath to soothe her tired body and mind. She lit two lavender-scented soy candles, then sank down into the fluffy white bubbles as she relaxed in her Jacuzzi tub. She analyzed her actions, thinking about why she hadn’t admitted the truth to Debbie—the truth that she understood how another man could capture her heart and make her think about throwing all caution to the wind just to be with