Page 21 of The Bad Husband

“I’m checking a couple of places for a summer job. And then I’m having lunch with Keira, waiting for her to finish work, and going shopping with her later.”

“Good for you. Would you like me to give you a ride?”

I’m about to uncap my bottle and take a sip of water.

“No, no.”

That was a rushed answer, but I couldn’t help it. Being stuck with her in a car even for a short drive is the last thing I want to do.

“I need to go,” I say quickly. “I scheduled a car to pick me up.”

No, I did not.

I flick my eyes to the man in the room who can’t peel his eyes away from me.

“It was nice meeting you, Mr. West. Damon, you said?”

He tilts his chin slightly and looks at me as if he’s about to rip my clothes off with his teeth and punish me in questionable immoral ways.

“Okay,” I say, moving my eyes back to her, smiling and feigning a trickle of enthusiasm for being with the two of them, when I’m about to puke the breakfast I have never had. “I’ll see you tonight,” I say to her.

“Not tonight, honey. I’ll be away for the rest of the week.”

“Oh. Okay.” Honey. “I’ll see you when you return.”

With not much brain power left to mull over the consequences of her absence, I slip past her, open the door to the refrigerator, grab a second bottle of water, spin around, and whisk myself away as if propelled by hurricane-force winds.

It’s not even seven in the morning, and I’m ready to go to bed.

I’m spent.

4

LILA

Man, what a strange day.

‘A mixed bag,’ my mother would say.

I left the house on foot, could not open the gate because I forgot to ask someone to give me the damn code––had to call Henrietta and ask her about it, ignoring her dislike for people calling her phone.

She reminded me I could call Livia at any time, except at night, of course. That’s exactly when I need it the most. The code.

What is wrong with these people?

Perhaps she should’ve offered me her husband’s phone number instead.

He seems to be the most reliable person in the house.

Silly stupid code.

Then, I called a cab outside the property. By the time my driver showed up, I was covered in sweat.

Later, I checked out a couple of possible workplaces, filled out applications, got an interview on the spot, and had to return in the afternoon for a meetup with the manager.

In the meantime, I stopped by Keira’s workplace, which is a gift shop with the cutest candles and handmade soap I have ever seen, and we had lunch.

After my second interview, I picked her up from work at the end of her shift, and we went shopping.