“So, no coffee, sir?”
“She might want some. I have a meeting.”
He nodded. “I’ll take care of everything.”
I couldn’t get out of the house and into my car fast enough. Once on the open road, I considered driving west until I couldn’t drive anymore. Where would I end up? Washington? Oregon?
But finally, my balls grew again, and I banged my hand on the steering wheel. I couldn’t let that woman get to me like that. I drove out to a secluded area along the river. I got out of the car and breathed in the air. The woman confounded me. I hated her and loved her at the same time. How was that possible? How could the woman who’d been so perfect for me, turn around and try to trick me? And now, she was out to ruin me, for what? Because I didn’t buy into her attempt at duping me?
And yet, being around her, her sweet scent, her lovely green eyes…all that hate turned to need and yearning until I’d fucked her in my office. I yelled out into the Nebraska nothingness at the lunacy of it.
Finally, pulling myself together, I called Marvin who told me her car was fixed and she had left. Thank fuck.
I headed home and straight to my office. Immediately, her scent hit me and I was pissed at myself for not having Marvin clean up in there.
I got a drink and was brooding at my desk when Marvin came in.
“Is there anything you need?” he asked.
“How was she when I left?”
He took a moment to consider his words, as he always did. It was quite a skill. One that I could benefit from mastering, but was too bothered to try.
“Annoyed.”
I laughed. “I bet. She probably had a few choice words about me.”
He nodded. “A few.”
I shook my head. “I don’t understand her, Marvin.”
“I don’t know you’re meaning.”
Of course, he wouldn’t. He didn’t know my history with her, even though he was the closest I had to a friend or confidant, which was pretty pathetic.
“I loved her once.”
Marvin’s brows shot up in the biggest display of a reaction that I’d ever seen from him.
“I’m not sure if you’re surprised that I could love someone or that I could love her.”
“I’m sure you can love someone, sir. Everyone can. No, my surprise is that you’d love a woman who is writing bad things about you.”
“Five years ago, I thought she loved me too. But as it turned out she just wanted money. She even tried to pretend she was pregnant.”
“I’ve heard that some women do that. What did you do, sir?”
“I gave her a chance to change her story and when she didn’t, I kicked her out. Never saw her again until she showed up in Salvation.” I sat forward, feeling like I had his ear and his trust. “We just spent what…an hour together and she didn’t once mention a child.”
Marvin’s expression was impassive.
“You don’t think that’s odd?”
“Well of course, if there was no child, she wouldn’t mention it, but if there was, she still might not mention it.”
“If she wanted money she would.” I frowned, thinking that went against my impression of her. Then again at this point, she probably just wanted to hurt me.
“If that’s what she wanted, yes.”