揅rew!?
揜ed.?I look at the other two women on the sofa. One has blonde hair, the other, light brown. I recognize them, surprisingly. They were with Scarlett that night at Proof, when she scared that woman off and I responded in kind. Had anyone else done that, I would have been pissed. With Scarlett, I found it amusing. The first of many exceptions where she is concerned.
I stroll forward and give the two women my most charming smile. 揑 didn抰 know you were inviting company over.?
揑 thought you had a meeting tonight.?
揚lans changed.?More like I pushed the meeting to tomorrow morning so I could come home earlier and screw Scarlett senseless. I take a seat beside her on the couch and focus my attention on the two other women. 揘ice to meet you both. I抦 Crew.?I抦 assuming they were at our wedding, but I don抰 recall seeing either of them.
The blonde gives me a saucy smile that immediately tells me why she and Scarlett are friends. 揑t抯 very nice to meet you. I抦 Sophie, and this is Nadia.?She nods to the woman to her right. 揝carlett has been stingy with details about her hot husband.?
I glance at Scarlett in time to see her roll her eyes and then take a healthy sip of wine.
揌ot husband, huh? Are you ladies married??
揘adia is practically engaged. She and Finn have been together forever. And I抦 seeing where things go.?
揝eeing where things go? You said you were going to break up with Kyle weeks ago!?Nadia says.
The name Kyle and the way Scarlett tenses beside me tickles something in the back of my brain. 揌ow long have you and Kyle been dating??
揂bout four months now,?Sophie replies. 揃ut it feels like less. He抯 a surgeon, so I barely see him.?
揂 surgeon, huh??I glance at Scarlett, who抯 intently studying her dinner. When your wife tells you she抯 sleeping with someone else, details tend to imprint. Our conversation in the car after the Rutherford gala is burned into my brain. She told me his name is Kyle, and he抯 a surgeon. That抯 too much of a coincidence, right? Unless she fucked her friend抯 boyfriend behind her back, she lied to me. Deliberately. Convincingly. 揝ounds like a real catch. Have you met this Kyle, Scarlett??
揘ope.?She shoves a forkful of sweet and sour chicken into her mouth.
揥e should go on a triple date!?Sophie exclaims, making it seem like the most revolutionary idea to ever exist. 揥e抳e never all been in relationships at the same time before.?
揝ure, sounds fun,?I agree. I doubt it will be fun, but getting on Scarlett抯 friends?good side can抰 hurt.
Sophie beams. 揚erfect. I抣l ask Kyle about dates.?
揅an抰 wait to meet him.?
If possible, Sophie抯 smile brightens. I am definitely on her good side. Nadia is harder to read, but seems agreeable enough. Scarlett抯 fingers are basically strangling the fork.
揕et抯 start a movie,?Scarlett suggests.
揑抦 going to the bathroom first,?Nadia says before climbing off the couch.
Sophie stands as well. 揑抣l come with you. Last time we were over here, I got totally lost.?
Nadia and Sophie disappear. Neither Scarlett nor I move. I don抰 speak first. I wait to see what she says. Finally, she sighs. 揑 lied, okay? I haven抰 been with anyone else since we got married either.?
I thought I抎 made peace with the knowledge she had. The rush of euphoria梠f relief梐t the confession she hasn抰 is unexpected. 揥hy did you lie to me??
揧ou know why. I was mad at you that night. This wasn抰 supposed to be卼his. I assumed you were sleeping around, and so I told you I was. I didn抰 think you抎 believe me if I didn抰 give you a name, so I stole Sophie抯 hook up.?Another long exhale. 揓ust forget it.?
There抯 no chance I抣l be doing that. 揥ere you ever going to tell me??
揑 almost did. In Italy, after we厰 She glances at the doorway her friends disappeared through, like she抯 worried they抣l overhear us. 揑 wasn抰 sure how you would react. If you抎 still棓 I watch her play with a stray thread on the hem of her tank top.
揑f I抎 still what??I nudge in a soft tone.
揑f you抎 still be interested.?
I blink a few times as those words sink in. 揑nterested??I echo. What the fuck is she talking about?
揇on抰 play dumb, Crew. We抮e married. I抦 basically a sure thing. Guys want what they can抰 have, not what they have.?
I laugh. 揧ou抮e serious??Based on the way her eyes flash, she is. 揧ou think I think you抮e a sure thing??Saying the words makes me laugh again. I抳e never worked harder for a scrap of a woman抯 attention than I do with Scarlett. Every time she touches me, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I grasp her chin in my hand and tilt her face up, so she has no choice but to look right at me. 揑抳e never wanted anyone the way I want you, Scarlett. Thinking you were with other guys didn抰 make you more desirable or keep my attention. It made me want to punch every single one of them in the face.?