put in and will bring your drinks out shortly.”
“Thanks,” Paige said.
When the young man left, Camille breathed deeply and shook her head. “I just don’t know what I’ll do if my marriage is over. I don’t know what the kids or I will do, because you know how much they love their father.”
“You haven’t told them anything, have you?”
“Not the truth. Pierce and I agreed that it was better if we simply told them he was going to be away on a business trip for a while.”
“Actually, that’s probably the best thing for now. And what about Mom and Dad?”
“No, because I don’t wanna upset them. Plus, I’m so ashamed.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t do anything,” Paige said, although she was glad Camille hadn’t told their parents the news, because this way her evil mother wouldn’t suspect that Paige was up to anything.
After the waiter brought their food, they ate, but Camille didn’t say very much. Now they were finished and ready to pay the check.
“I’ll get this,” Paige said, taking the slip of paper from her sister.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“You pay all the time, so please let me do this.”
“Okay, if you insist,” Camille said, placing her wallet back inside her bag.
“I do.”
“Thank you again for meeting me.”
“No problem, and if you want me to drop by later I will.”
“I think I’m going to take the kids out to dinner, but I’ll call you if I change my mind.”
Paige took care of the bill, and they went outside.
“I’ll see you later,” Camille said as they hugged.
“I love you,” Paige said. “And please don’t ever forget that.”
“I won’t. I love you, too.”
Paige got into her car, dialed Pierce’s cell phone, and waved goodbye to her sister.
“Hello?” he said.
“Hey, I know you’re working, so I won’t keep you. But how are you today?”
“Hurt. Angry. Stunned. You name it.”
“I could tell how upset you were last night, and that’s why I wanted to call and check on you.”
“Have you spoken to Camille?” he asked.
“Yeah, we just had lunch.”
“I’m glad to hear she’s going on with business as usual.”
“Maybe you should try to call her.”
“I don’t even wanna hear Camille’s voice, and I certainly don’t wanna see her. I do miss my kids, though, and it’s killing me to be without them.”
“I’m sure they miss you, too.”
Paige waited for him to respond but when he didn’t she continued. “Like I said, I know you’re at work, so I’ll just check on you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Paige. You take care now.”
“You, too.”
Paige dropped her BlackBerry onto the passenger seat, slipped her sunglasses back on, and zipped out of the parking lot. It was only two o’clock, but by golly, her work was already done for the day. Boy was she good.
Chapter 18
P aige separated her whites, darks, lights, and towels into four different piles and poured liquid detergent into the washer. Then she added a full scoop of powdered OxiClean and the appropriate amount of fabric softener and tossed in all her white clothing. She turned the washer on, closed the top of it, and went back into the kitchen. She’d eaten lunch with Camille about five hours ago, but she was starting to get hungry again.
Poor, poor Camille and all the trouble she was dealing with. Having an affair, lying about it, and then trying to figure out what she and her children were going to do now that Pierce was gone. If things had been different between them, and Paige had loved her the way most sisters actually loved each other, she might feel sorry for her. But the truth of the matter was, she didn’t. She did care about Camille, she guessed, and she loved her niece and nephew for sure, but she couldn’t and wouldn’t allow Pierce to go back to them. She couldn’t let him slip through her fingers after all the hard work she’d put in, not to mention all the waiting she’d done. Plus, PJ and Crystal would be fine. They would
“Thanks,” Paige said.
When the young man left, Camille breathed deeply and shook her head. “I just don’t know what I’ll do if my marriage is over. I don’t know what the kids or I will do, because you know how much they love their father.”
“You haven’t told them anything, have you?”
“Not the truth. Pierce and I agreed that it was better if we simply told them he was going to be away on a business trip for a while.”
“Actually, that’s probably the best thing for now. And what about Mom and Dad?”
“No, because I don’t wanna upset them. Plus, I’m so ashamed.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t do anything,” Paige said, although she was glad Camille hadn’t told their parents the news, because this way her evil mother wouldn’t suspect that Paige was up to anything.
After the waiter brought their food, they ate, but Camille didn’t say very much. Now they were finished and ready to pay the check.
“I’ll get this,” Paige said, taking the slip of paper from her sister.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“You pay all the time, so please let me do this.”
“Okay, if you insist,” Camille said, placing her wallet back inside her bag.
“I do.”
“Thank you again for meeting me.”
“No problem, and if you want me to drop by later I will.”
“I think I’m going to take the kids out to dinner, but I’ll call you if I change my mind.”
Paige took care of the bill, and they went outside.
“I’ll see you later,” Camille said as they hugged.
“I love you,” Paige said. “And please don’t ever forget that.”
“I won’t. I love you, too.”
Paige got into her car, dialed Pierce’s cell phone, and waved goodbye to her sister.
“Hello?” he said.
“Hey, I know you’re working, so I won’t keep you. But how are you today?”
“Hurt. Angry. Stunned. You name it.”
“I could tell how upset you were last night, and that’s why I wanted to call and check on you.”
“Have you spoken to Camille?” he asked.
“Yeah, we just had lunch.”
“I’m glad to hear she’s going on with business as usual.”
“Maybe you should try to call her.”
“I don’t even wanna hear Camille’s voice, and I certainly don’t wanna see her. I do miss my kids, though, and it’s killing me to be without them.”
“I’m sure they miss you, too.”
Paige waited for him to respond but when he didn’t she continued. “Like I said, I know you’re at work, so I’ll just check on you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, Paige. You take care now.”
“You, too.”
Paige dropped her BlackBerry onto the passenger seat, slipped her sunglasses back on, and zipped out of the parking lot. It was only two o’clock, but by golly, her work was already done for the day. Boy was she good.
Chapter 18
P aige separated her whites, darks, lights, and towels into four different piles and poured liquid detergent into the washer. Then she added a full scoop of powdered OxiClean and the appropriate amount of fabric softener and tossed in all her white clothing. She turned the washer on, closed the top of it, and went back into the kitchen. She’d eaten lunch with Camille about five hours ago, but she was starting to get hungry again.
Poor, poor Camille and all the trouble she was dealing with. Having an affair, lying about it, and then trying to figure out what she and her children were going to do now that Pierce was gone. If things had been different between them, and Paige had loved her the way most sisters actually loved each other, she might feel sorry for her. But the truth of the matter was, she didn’t. She did care about Camille, she guessed, and she loved her niece and nephew for sure, but she couldn’t and wouldn’t allow Pierce to go back to them. She couldn’t let him slip through her fingers after all the hard work she’d put in, not to mention all the waiting she’d done. Plus, PJ and Crystal would be fine. They would
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