silence for a few minutes, then Allison asks, “It doesn’t bother you?”
“What’s that?” Paul asks, never taking his eyes off Kate
.
“That he’s in love with your wife.”
Paul chuckles. “Everyone loves Kate. Besides.” Paul glances at Allison before turning his attention back to Kate. “It shouldn’t bother you, either. He married you, didn’t he?”
There is a groundswell of noise billowing out of the house and the screams of “Happy New Year” reach their ears. Kate runs to Mike and flings her arms around him, as he lifts herinto the air and swings around. When her feet are back on the ground, she pulls his head down and hisses him. In seconds, Kate is running toward Paul. She reaches the railing and smiles up at Paul, saying, “Happy New Year, baby. God, I love being home!”
Paul reaches down, scoops her up in his arms, and brings her over the railing. Still holding her, he brings his lips to hers for a hungry kiss. As Paul carries her into the house, he says over his shoulder, “See you guys in the morning … Happy New Year!”
Mike is still standing in the middle of the yard. He hasn’t noticed Allison come out, and is now surprised to see her. He hurries to the porch. “Alli! I didn’t know you were out here.”
“Obviously. Happy New Year, Mike.”
“Happy New Year, Alli.” He leans forward to kiss her, but she backs away
.
“What’s this about?” he asks
.
“Can’t you guess?”
He draws a breath. “I warned you about Kate.”
Allison locks her eyes with his. “But you didn’t warn me about you. I’m going to bed.”
Mike sees the party out to its bitter end. The last couple departs around one-thirty, leaving Mike to turn out lights and lock doors. As he pads past Paul and Kate’s door in bare feet he can hear their bedsprings creaking, but no other sounds come through the thick walls and heavy door. He’s heard it before. It always tortures him
.
Mike slips into the guest room. Allison has left the small art-glass lamp on and it casts an amber glow in the far corner of the large room. He undresses quickly, turns off the light, and makes his way into the four-poster bed. No movement comes from Allison’s side of the mattress, but he knows she’s not asleep
.
“Alli?” he whispers, tentatively touching her shoulder. There is no response. “Alli, please?”
Her voice is rigid with anger. “What is it, Mike?”
He moves closer to her, kissing her hair. She stiffens when he tries to pull her next to him
.
“I will not be your substitute for her,” she says through clenched teeth. “I will not be your second choice.” She hears him sigh and tears spring to her eyes. “Have you ever once made love to me when she wasn’t in the bed between us?”
A few seconds pass before he says, “I’m sorry, Allison. I was really hoping … I wanted it to work. For what it’s worth, I love you.”
“But not enough to make you forget her.”
Mike was in Williamsburg on a consultation with the College of William and Mary the day she moved out. He knew she’d be gone when he came home, but the quiet house hurt just the same. Paul had called a few days after the party. When he’d asked after Allison, Mike told him she’d gone. There had been a long silence on the line. Paul finally said, “You wanna talk about it?” But Mike had declined. “Okay, buddy. But it’s a new year. It can only get better, right?”
His divorce became final just six months later.
Now, turning off the lights in his kitchen in the house on High Street, Mike muttered, “Yeah, right,” remembering the next few years. “You really called it there, Paul.”
Forgetting to lock the door, he went upstairs to bed.
C HAPTER
THIRTEEN
K ate held the phone to her ear as Mike’s departing words echoed through her mind.
“It’s you, Kate … Just you.”
She’d been staring, dumbfounded, at the door Mike had walked out of when Donna Estes said, “Hello,” for the third time.
“What’s that?” Paul asks, never taking his eyes off Kate
.
“That he’s in love with your wife.”
Paul chuckles. “Everyone loves Kate. Besides.” Paul glances at Allison before turning his attention back to Kate. “It shouldn’t bother you, either. He married you, didn’t he?”
There is a groundswell of noise billowing out of the house and the screams of “Happy New Year” reach their ears. Kate runs to Mike and flings her arms around him, as he lifts herinto the air and swings around. When her feet are back on the ground, she pulls his head down and hisses him. In seconds, Kate is running toward Paul. She reaches the railing and smiles up at Paul, saying, “Happy New Year, baby. God, I love being home!”
Paul reaches down, scoops her up in his arms, and brings her over the railing. Still holding her, he brings his lips to hers for a hungry kiss. As Paul carries her into the house, he says over his shoulder, “See you guys in the morning … Happy New Year!”
Mike is still standing in the middle of the yard. He hasn’t noticed Allison come out, and is now surprised to see her. He hurries to the porch. “Alli! I didn’t know you were out here.”
“Obviously. Happy New Year, Mike.”
“Happy New Year, Alli.” He leans forward to kiss her, but she backs away
.
“What’s this about?” he asks
.
“Can’t you guess?”
He draws a breath. “I warned you about Kate.”
Allison locks her eyes with his. “But you didn’t warn me about you. I’m going to bed.”
Mike sees the party out to its bitter end. The last couple departs around one-thirty, leaving Mike to turn out lights and lock doors. As he pads past Paul and Kate’s door in bare feet he can hear their bedsprings creaking, but no other sounds come through the thick walls and heavy door. He’s heard it before. It always tortures him
.
Mike slips into the guest room. Allison has left the small art-glass lamp on and it casts an amber glow in the far corner of the large room. He undresses quickly, turns off the light, and makes his way into the four-poster bed. No movement comes from Allison’s side of the mattress, but he knows she’s not asleep
.
“Alli?” he whispers, tentatively touching her shoulder. There is no response. “Alli, please?”
Her voice is rigid with anger. “What is it, Mike?”
He moves closer to her, kissing her hair. She stiffens when he tries to pull her next to him
.
“I will not be your substitute for her,” she says through clenched teeth. “I will not be your second choice.” She hears him sigh and tears spring to her eyes. “Have you ever once made love to me when she wasn’t in the bed between us?”
A few seconds pass before he says, “I’m sorry, Allison. I was really hoping … I wanted it to work. For what it’s worth, I love you.”
“But not enough to make you forget her.”
Mike was in Williamsburg on a consultation with the College of William and Mary the day she moved out. He knew she’d be gone when he came home, but the quiet house hurt just the same. Paul had called a few days after the party. When he’d asked after Allison, Mike told him she’d gone. There had been a long silence on the line. Paul finally said, “You wanna talk about it?” But Mike had declined. “Okay, buddy. But it’s a new year. It can only get better, right?”
His divorce became final just six months later.
Now, turning off the lights in his kitchen in the house on High Street, Mike muttered, “Yeah, right,” remembering the next few years. “You really called it there, Paul.”
Forgetting to lock the door, he went upstairs to bed.
C HAPTER
THIRTEEN
K ate held the phone to her ear as Mike’s departing words echoed through her mind.
“It’s you, Kate … Just you.”
She’d been staring, dumbfounded, at the door Mike had walked out of when Donna Estes said, “Hello,” for the third time.
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