Page 160 of Perfect Satisfaction

And she has no idea how we’re all interconnected.

Snatching her laptop away from me, she shoves in her earbuds before pressing and holding a number on her phone. “Oh, I figured he’d call you.” Pause. “I don’t give a damn! He’s... don’t you dare tell me what I do or don’t know. The more he pulls shit like this, the more... It’s going to backfire! Then he’s going to wind up just as miserable as I am!”

Cold spears through me. I whisper, “Excuse me?

She doesn’t spare me a glance as it’s likely she didn’t hear me over the conversation she’s having through the noise-canceling buds. “He stepped so far over the line. This is unacceptable. Deal with him. Get him to see reason since I can’t.” Then her head snaps in my direction in horror. “No. Not now. I’ll call back later.”

Hanging up, she yanks out her buds before powering down her phone.

We ride in silence, her with her arms wrapped around her middle, trying to find her inner serenity and me trying to make sense of something I don’t understand. Finally, I gather my courage and ask, “What did Basset do?”

Sula dispenses a glare so hot it could fry an egg. Then her face relents into strong amusement. “I appreciate what you’re doing, Arek, but ask me what you really want to know.”

“Are you miserable with me?”

“Absolutely not.” Her answer is firm.

Relief surges through my veins. I try a different tactic. “Then what has you so upset, sweetheart?”

“Joshua acting like a complete arse.”

“Because of work?”

“I wish.”

I swallow hard and whisper, “Because you love him?”

Sula leans forward and squeezes my hand briefly. Her reassuring smile does wonders for my blood pressure. “It’s not like you think, Arek. He’s never been anything but a friend.”

“But you’re pissed about what happened at a bachelor party?”

“Ridiculously.”

“Why?”

She stares at me intently. “Joshua was dating a woman, Liki, for a long while. He was preparing to propose to her—had his mother’s stone reset, the whole nine yards. Then she broke up with him. He’s never gotten over it.”

Oh. My. God.

Her head turns to the side. “They managed—somehow—to get back together. I washesitant about it. But happy for him. So happy for him.”

“And?”

I feel a churning in my gut that has nothing to do with the way the car is being driven.

Sula’s breathing increases noticeably. “He called me. There was a picture of her in the paper with another man. He lost it, justifiably in his mind. He figures this was her paying him back.”

“Why? Why would she do that?” I choke out.

“Because she accused him of sleeping with me.” That’s when she faces me. Her eyes are hard, daring me to not believe her when she’s already denied it.

“Christ.” How many lives did Liza screw up by her misinterpreting what she saw?No, I amend.How many lives didIscrew up by not believing in my wife? “Thus, the bachelor party.”

She nods. “He claims it was all in ‘jolly good fun.’ Schmuck.”

We ride again in silence while I try to think of more ways to pry clues out of her. “Enough with the twenty questions, Arek. I’m not ready to share.”

“Can I ask a completely unrelated question?”