“Is that his wife?” I ask Michael, another sales agent.
He nods. “They fight all the time.”
I don’t know Chuck that well, but what I do know is he is always here. He’s a workhorse and loves his job. I’m certain that can take a toll on a marriage. And now I’m seeing it first hand.
“I’m sure the woman you’re cheating on me with doesn’t mind,” she hollers.
Chuck slams his office door shut, which does nothing to stifle the sound. “Goddammit, Rhonda. I’m not sleeping with anyone.”
“Yeah, right. What was her name? Jocelyn? Jackie?”
My ears perk, trying to listen better. Jackie?
“Rhonda, this is not the place,” Chuck says.
“Our marriage isn’t important enough for you to talk about?”
“Of course, it is.” He blows out an exasperated breath. “Can we do this at home, later?”
Chuck sounds frustrated, and I don’t blame him. Everyone in the office can hear them fighting.
“Fine.” Rhonda leaves Chuck’s office and her heels clack against the tile flooring. She stops by my cubicle. “Paisley, right?”
Her presence is intimidating. Tall with expensive clothes and a big designer bag that hangs off her arm. Her makeup is on point, and her brown hair is twisted high on top of her head. It looks like she had a whole team of people help her get ready today, which she probably did.
I nod with a skeptical smile. “Yes.”
“I’ve never met you before.”
“I don’t come in that often.” I shrug a little. “The office is just a space where I can hang my license. I’ve been busy working, and with this renovation job, I haven’t had time to breathe.” I hate that I sound so snotty, but I don’t like the way she’s looking at me down her nose, casting judgement.
“Ah,” she folds her arms, “Chuck is here a lot?”
“All the time. From what I gather from everyone who works here, he loves his job.”
“I’ll say,” she scoffs, and I’m not really sure how to take her words.
It’s obvious she’s upset with her husband, but he’s still her husband. At least he committed. More than I can say for Vaughn.
Even though we’re taking things slow, I just feel like sometimes I’m on a collision course with love. I can’t stop the hurtling and tumbling. My heart is racing toward love at supersonic speeds. I’m trying to go slow, but I don’t know if I can.
“Have a great day, Paisley. Hopefully, your work week will look up soon.”
I smile and wave as she leaves. I could never be married to someone like that. Her eyes alone shot daggers at me, piercing my defenses and making me tongue tied. Even though she asked normal questions.
I finish up my contracts and head to the back of the office to check on Chuck before I leave. “Hey, boss, I’m heading out.”
“Paisley, I’m sorry you had to see my wife like that.” He scrubs a hand through his hair. “She’s just going through a lot of stuff.”
I hold up my hands. “Hey, it’s none of my business.” And then I stop, before walking out the door. “But, are you ok, Mr. Thompson?”
He smiles at me, but it appears forced. Like it’s taking every muscle in his body to produce such an action. “I’ll be fine.” His eyes look like he hasn’t slept in ages. I hope he means it when he says he’ll be fine.
It’s crazy how much love can destroy us or revive us.
Twenty
Vaughn
* * *
I was invited to Sunday dinner, and now I’m rethinking the whole operation. How am I supposed to sit across the table from Paisley and not pretend I haven’t seen her naked? Or how I still want to see her naked and lying before me. I don’t know how I’m even going to make it through one evening with everyone there.
And to make matters worse, I haven’t seen Paisley since the other day when I basically told her I wanted to take things slow.
I’m an idiot. That’s all it boils down to. A pure fucking idiot that doesn’t deserve to even breathe the same air as her.
I’m scared.
Plain and simple.
Fear has crept in, casting its ugly claws and hooks inside me. I hate it.
But, I can’t tell her the truth. I can’t even admit the truth to myself.
I can’t tell her that somehow there’s something wrong in my genes that’s going to make me fuck it all up.
Just like my father.
He left.
He left us all.
And why? There’s no good reason as to why he left. My mother said something like he had wanted a new life.
He told her that it was in his bones to want more out of life.
Well, I have the same bones, don’t I? I mean, it’s all DNA. It’s in my blood to take after the man. I mean, what if I get her, marry her, start a family with her, and then one day I get up and walk away.