Jackson Airport to pick them up, only to discover they were still in Vegas. I'd received a text from Kat saying they'd missed their plane, but I didn't see it until I'd already been circling around the pick-up area for fifteen minutes. I drove home cursing them and climbed back into bed. Kat and Parker had to catch a cab home from the airport once they finally landed. "That's water under the bridge now, honey," I assured her. I also remembered the faint bluish purple circle around Parker's eye when I'd seen him at work a few days later, but at the time I'd thought better of asking him where he'd gotten the shiner. You know, 'what happens in Vegas', and whatnot.
On their way from the hospital to the airport, Kat and Parker had agreed to never utter a word of what happened to anyone—even me. They planned to annul the marriage as soon as they were settled back in Atlanta. Once they were home, however, it was hard to turn off the hot and heavy switch from Vegas. Before long, they were having mid-day make-out sessions in their offices and sneaking off together after work.
Kat kept her last name and her own apartment—but for a while, all thoughts of officially ending their marriage were forgotten. Kat confessed that she'd spent many of her late nights at work being with Parker in his office, and on the nights when she'd leave the bar after our pool games she often found herself heading to his place to spend the night. They always took separate cars to work the next day so that nobody would get suspicious.
"I knew it was temporary," she blubbered. "Eventually, we were going to call it quits and file for the annulment. The more time I spent with him, though, the more I started to see what a wonderful man he really was. I loved him, Ame. I still do."
I sunk back into the couch next to her, shocked. How could I have been so oblivious? My best friend's secret romance had been happening for months just a few yards away from my own office. I couldn't help but think that if Parker had been so wonderful, he wouldn't have been cheating on her with Laura, but I didn't have the heart to say that at a time like this. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked softly.
"Oh, Ame!" she wailed. "I should have! I wanted to. I just…didn't know how to tell you. We really did plan to end things. That's why we agreed there was no point in telling anyone. The whole 'secret lovers' thing made being with him so much hotter—like a forbidden love or something. We couldn't keep our hands off of each other. He just kind of grew on me after a while. I didn't want to end things. When we were alone, he called me Katy," she smiled sadly down at the tear-soaked Kleenex in her hand. "It was like I could be a different person when we were together. You know Parker, though—he's never been one to settle down. We've seen him jump from one girl to the next so many times over the years. As much as I'd hoped things would be different with me, I kept bracing myself for the day that he'd take an interest in someone else…and then Bronwyn told me last night that she'd seen him with Laura…" Her voice trailed off and she hung her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
A horrible thought occurred to me. I hated myself for even thinking it, but I had to know for sure. "Kat, when was the last time you saw Parker?" I asked gently.
She lifted her head and gazed at me with red-rimmed eyes. "When I broke up the fight between Reese and him last night. Hearing what he'd done with Laura hurt like hell, but I still didn't want Reese to beat him to a pulp. I ducked into the restroom next to the green room and had a good cry in the handicapped stall. Then I pulled myself together and came out to look for him so that we could talk. I bumped into Reese in the hall right about the time that we heard you start screaming."
Had Kat narrowly missed seeing what happened to Parker? There could only have been a short window of time between when he left the green room for the tower and
On their way from the hospital to the airport, Kat and Parker had agreed to never utter a word of what happened to anyone—even me. They planned to annul the marriage as soon as they were settled back in Atlanta. Once they were home, however, it was hard to turn off the hot and heavy switch from Vegas. Before long, they were having mid-day make-out sessions in their offices and sneaking off together after work.
Kat kept her last name and her own apartment—but for a while, all thoughts of officially ending their marriage were forgotten. Kat confessed that she'd spent many of her late nights at work being with Parker in his office, and on the nights when she'd leave the bar after our pool games she often found herself heading to his place to spend the night. They always took separate cars to work the next day so that nobody would get suspicious.
"I knew it was temporary," she blubbered. "Eventually, we were going to call it quits and file for the annulment. The more time I spent with him, though, the more I started to see what a wonderful man he really was. I loved him, Ame. I still do."
I sunk back into the couch next to her, shocked. How could I have been so oblivious? My best friend's secret romance had been happening for months just a few yards away from my own office. I couldn't help but think that if Parker had been so wonderful, he wouldn't have been cheating on her with Laura, but I didn't have the heart to say that at a time like this. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked softly.
"Oh, Ame!" she wailed. "I should have! I wanted to. I just…didn't know how to tell you. We really did plan to end things. That's why we agreed there was no point in telling anyone. The whole 'secret lovers' thing made being with him so much hotter—like a forbidden love or something. We couldn't keep our hands off of each other. He just kind of grew on me after a while. I didn't want to end things. When we were alone, he called me Katy," she smiled sadly down at the tear-soaked Kleenex in her hand. "It was like I could be a different person when we were together. You know Parker, though—he's never been one to settle down. We've seen him jump from one girl to the next so many times over the years. As much as I'd hoped things would be different with me, I kept bracing myself for the day that he'd take an interest in someone else…and then Bronwyn told me last night that she'd seen him with Laura…" Her voice trailed off and she hung her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks.
A horrible thought occurred to me. I hated myself for even thinking it, but I had to know for sure. "Kat, when was the last time you saw Parker?" I asked gently.
She lifted her head and gazed at me with red-rimmed eyes. "When I broke up the fight between Reese and him last night. Hearing what he'd done with Laura hurt like hell, but I still didn't want Reese to beat him to a pulp. I ducked into the restroom next to the green room and had a good cry in the handicapped stall. Then I pulled myself together and came out to look for him so that we could talk. I bumped into Reese in the hall right about the time that we heard you start screaming."
Had Kat narrowly missed seeing what happened to Parker? There could only have been a short window of time between when he left the green room for the tower and
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