Did
I tell you how happy you’ve made me?”
This flattery tugged at my heart. I
could only smile.
“Shawna’s sending all of the
breakfast customers my way. You’d think she was getting commission or
something.” She leaned against the freestanding register counter and counted
this new money the man handed to her.
“Treat Shawna with the respect she
deserves, and that girl will bend over backwards for you.”
“She tells me you are close.” She
looked up at me with a coy arch to her eye.
My cell rang. Jessica calling on her
lunch break. I dismissed the call and looked back up into Ruby’s angel eyes.
“We take care of each other.”
“She admires you.”
I held Ruby’s gaze. “We’re just
friends.”
“What a shame for her.”
My heart galloped. “She deserves
someone less complicated than I am.”
“You don’t look complicated to me.”
Ruby eased her sweet voice out and landed on a smirk.
“You don’t know me.”
We shared a quiet moment.
My body buzzed to a new level. Even
my tongue tickled.
“Maybe we need to do something about
that,” Ruby said.
“Maybe we do,” I said, running right
over the consequences of employer/employee relations or of my wife for that
matter. I didn’t do this. I didn’t flirt with pretty women.
Shawna rounded the corner and saved
me from committing to anything stupid. “Got another one for you.” She turned
behind her and ushered in a middle-aged lady wearing a taupe suit. “She’s the
one with the magic touch.”
Ruby greeted her with a hug. “Nice to
meet you. Come right over here, and I’ll take good care of you.”
I waved and followed Shawna back to
the lounge, leaving her to sprinkle some of her magic dust on someone else for
the time being.
* *
I got back to my hotel room by two
o’clock that afternoon to refresh for a meeting. Not more than ten minutes into
a quick nap, Jessica called again. I groaned, then answered.
“I missed you earlier. Where were
you?” she asked.
“Working.” My tone was too dry. “It’s
been so crazy busy,” I said with a little more life.
“Everything okay? You don’t sound
like you.”
“I’m just tired.” I sat up now and
fanned myself with a brochure about Block Island. “I had to sit in on an
important meeting.” My first lustful lie. “Did you have something important you
needed to tell me?”
“Not really. I just wanted to say
hi.”
That’s all we ever said to each other
anymore. “Hi,” I said, trying out my best light-hearted tone.
“Hmm.”
The typical dreaded silence seeped in
on us.
“So, did you read the email I sent to
you?” she asked.
“Not yet.” I rolled my eyes. Fucking
bible passages.
“It’s a good one. Really opens up the
mind.”
All of her emails were these long,
drawn out passages about the mystery and awe of God. I believed in God, but I
didn’t want to read about man’s interpretation of Him in an email from my wife
who spent the better part of her life sinning up on a stage.
“I’ll read it. Right now I need to go
back to a meeting.”
“Okay.” she said. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I lingered,
feeling guilty. “I really do.”
“I know, Butterfly.”
“I’ll call you later on after the
meeting.” I hung up and then took a nap.
* *
A few hours later, I visited Shawna.
I avoided the foyer area. I didn’t want Ruby to think I was checking up on her.
I couldn’t help but to sneak a peek at her as I snuck around the backside of
the lounge. She sat in her chair looking up at the grand lights above with a
look of awe and joyful curiosity.
I snuck one last peek and entered the
lounge.
I sat at the bar. Shawna fed me three
glasses of iced tea within half an hour. “You seem lighter tonight. Doesn’t
have anything to do with that cute blonde Ruby does it?”
“I’m married. Remember?” I arched my
eye at her.
She laughed. “Yeah. Yeah. You’re a
good girl. I remember.” She refilled my glass again.
I chewed on
I tell you how happy you’ve made me?”
This flattery tugged at my heart. I
could only smile.
“Shawna’s sending all of the
breakfast customers my way. You’d think she was getting commission or
something.” She leaned against the freestanding register counter and counted
this new money the man handed to her.
“Treat Shawna with the respect she
deserves, and that girl will bend over backwards for you.”
“She tells me you are close.” She
looked up at me with a coy arch to her eye.
My cell rang. Jessica calling on her
lunch break. I dismissed the call and looked back up into Ruby’s angel eyes.
“We take care of each other.”
“She admires you.”
I held Ruby’s gaze. “We’re just
friends.”
“What a shame for her.”
My heart galloped. “She deserves
someone less complicated than I am.”
“You don’t look complicated to me.”
Ruby eased her sweet voice out and landed on a smirk.
“You don’t know me.”
We shared a quiet moment.
My body buzzed to a new level. Even
my tongue tickled.
“Maybe we need to do something about
that,” Ruby said.
“Maybe we do,” I said, running right
over the consequences of employer/employee relations or of my wife for that
matter. I didn’t do this. I didn’t flirt with pretty women.
Shawna rounded the corner and saved
me from committing to anything stupid. “Got another one for you.” She turned
behind her and ushered in a middle-aged lady wearing a taupe suit. “She’s the
one with the magic touch.”
Ruby greeted her with a hug. “Nice to
meet you. Come right over here, and I’ll take good care of you.”
I waved and followed Shawna back to
the lounge, leaving her to sprinkle some of her magic dust on someone else for
the time being.
* *
I got back to my hotel room by two
o’clock that afternoon to refresh for a meeting. Not more than ten minutes into
a quick nap, Jessica called again. I groaned, then answered.
“I missed you earlier. Where were
you?” she asked.
“Working.” My tone was too dry. “It’s
been so crazy busy,” I said with a little more life.
“Everything okay? You don’t sound
like you.”
“I’m just tired.” I sat up now and
fanned myself with a brochure about Block Island. “I had to sit in on an
important meeting.” My first lustful lie. “Did you have something important you
needed to tell me?”
“Not really. I just wanted to say
hi.”
That’s all we ever said to each other
anymore. “Hi,” I said, trying out my best light-hearted tone.
“Hmm.”
The typical dreaded silence seeped in
on us.
“So, did you read the email I sent to
you?” she asked.
“Not yet.” I rolled my eyes. Fucking
bible passages.
“It’s a good one. Really opens up the
mind.”
All of her emails were these long,
drawn out passages about the mystery and awe of God. I believed in God, but I
didn’t want to read about man’s interpretation of Him in an email from my wife
who spent the better part of her life sinning up on a stage.
“I’ll read it. Right now I need to go
back to a meeting.”
“Okay.” she said. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I lingered,
feeling guilty. “I really do.”
“I know, Butterfly.”
“I’ll call you later on after the
meeting.” I hung up and then took a nap.
* *
A few hours later, I visited Shawna.
I avoided the foyer area. I didn’t want Ruby to think I was checking up on her.
I couldn’t help but to sneak a peek at her as I snuck around the backside of
the lounge. She sat in her chair looking up at the grand lights above with a
look of awe and joyful curiosity.
I snuck one last peek and entered the
lounge.
I sat at the bar. Shawna fed me three
glasses of iced tea within half an hour. “You seem lighter tonight. Doesn’t
have anything to do with that cute blonde Ruby does it?”
“I’m married. Remember?” I arched my
eye at her.
She laughed. “Yeah. Yeah. You’re a
good girl. I remember.” She refilled my glass again.
I chewed on
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