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“Well,” she said. “It all started with me making the mistake of falling in love with the wrong person.”
Mark laughed. “What did you go and do that for?”
“He was charming. And persistent. And he said he loved me.”
“Oldest tricks in the book,” Mark said and Laura had to laugh a little. She watched his profile in the moonlight. He turned to study her and she felt the weight of his attention.
“So what made him the wrong man?”
“For starters?” Laura took a big swig of beer for courage. Here goes nothing, she thought. “He was married.”
Mark coughed, and for a second, Laura feared he was judging her, like she knew her sister did, like she knew everyone would who ever found out. Only two people actually even knew about the affair: her sister and Dean. She realized she had no idea how a stranger would react. Derision? Probably.
She deserved it, too, she thought. She could feel the heavy weight of guilt pressing against her shoulder blades. Why had she shared this information? With a man she barely knew?
She could see his shoulders shaking a little in the moonlight. Was he angry?
Then he broke the silence with a laugh, and she realized with a start he’d been laughing at her.
“You?” he managed to sputter. “You had a torrid affair? Miss Noise Pollution?” He laughed a little harder and slapped his own knee.
Well, this wasn’t the reaction she’d been expecting. A lecture, disapproval, maybe. But laughter? “What’s so funny?”
“It’s just… I can’t imagine you… You’re so buttoned up. So prim and proper. You, breaking one of the Ten Commandments? I just can’t imagine it.” Mark swiped at his eyes. The man laughed so hard, he actually started to tear up.
Laura felt a prickle of indignation run down her spine. She wasn’t that straitlaced. Was she?
“It’s not funny.”
“It is, though. Have you met you?” He shook his head. “Today, you were wearing a muumuu to the beach, like head-to-toe covered. Not exactly the type to have an affair.”
“Well, I did. I mean, I didn’t plan on it exactly, but it happened, and I take responsibility for it, but…I mean, it’s not something anybody I know would ever think I’d do, probably.” Laura thought about her small circle of girlfriends, most of whom were married and none of whom she could ever confide in about this. None of them would understand, she knew that for certain.
“Well, then, you are full of surprises. Here’s to bold women who aren’t afraid to break the rules.” He offered up his beer bottle for a toast. Reluctantly, she clinked the neck of her bottle against his.
“It’s not something I’m proud of. I don’t even think I should be toasting.” Now, Laura felt weird about it. Was he mocking her? “I mean, have you cheated?”
“Nope,” he said, taking a big drink. “Was cheated on, actually. My wife slept with my brother. They’re together now. They’re even…” He bit off the last of his sentence, as if regretting even bringing it up.
Laura felt the blood drain from her face. Now he’d hate her. He’d have to.
“Oh… I am so sorry. You must…must hate me. I’ve got to be the kind of person you hate the most. A cheater.”
“Why? You’re not my brother. Or my wife.” He shrugged one shoulder and took another long drag of beer. “They’re the ones who betrayed me.”
“But—”
“Look, your sins aren’t against everybody. I’m sure, Miss Noise Pollution, you had a very good reason for cheating.”
That was kind of him, she thought, not to plunk her in the category of horrible person automatically. She knew many people who would.
Laura thought about Dean’s silky words, about his gentle hands. “Not really. I mean, I thought…I guess I thought it was true love. I thought we were going to be together. But in the end, I’m not going to make excuses. I just wanted to, I guess.”
“I’m liking you more already,” Mark said, turning his head and grinning. “That’s more than my wife ever admitted.”
Still, Laura felt rotten. She felt as if she’d wronged him, too, somehow, just being in the camp of women who wore scarlet As on their chests.
“Come on. I don’t hate you. So what? You had an affair. I mean, I don’t think cheating is right, but at the same time, you’ve got a little bit of an edge to you. One I didn’t expect. I kind of like it.” Mark studied her in the dark and she felt a little unnerved by his gaze. Was he flirting with her? Surely not. Mr. Surly Boat Building Guy? “So did he leave his wife? What happened with Mr. Wrong?”
