The gall of this man was honestly quite impressive, I must admit.
I hadn’t missed feeling like my wishes were an inconvenience.
I had missed him during those first weeks. His ridiculous commentary during crime shows. The way he warmed my car on freezing mornings. I’d even missed the sound of his keys hitting the kitchen counter.
But I hadn’t missed feeling like my wishes were an inconvenience.
He glanced through the doorway.
“You painted the kitchen?”
“Last Saturday.”
Then his eyes settled on the lock.
“Blue?”
“I like blue.”
He frowned. Gary had always hated blue.
Then his eyes settled on the lock.
“That’s new too.”
He looked offended, as though I’d changed something that still belonged to him.
“I had it changed.”
“Without telling me?”
“You weren’t living here.”
He looked offended, as though I’d changed something that still belonged to him.
“Can I at least have some water?” he asked.
Under the workbook was a folder from the attorney’s office.
“Sure.”
I closed the door and returned to the kitchen.
Beside the leftover pasta sat my accounting workbook. I’d started taking classes after Gary left, partly to keep busy and partly because I wanted something in my life that had nothing to do with him.
Under the workbook was a folder from the attorney’s office. I’d finished the paperwork last month but hadn’t bothered to put it away.
“But tell me something. Why exactly is Gary back?”
I filled a glass with water.
My phone rang.
Linda.
“I was about to come over,” she said. “But tell me something. Why exactly is Gary back?”
“His girlfriend threw him out. Now he wants to move in with me.”
“Debbie, that’s strange.”
There was a pause.
“Debbie, that’s strange.”
“Which part?”
“Carol told me yesterday that her friend Rachel had just thrown her boyfriend out. She’d caught him changing his stories about their relationship. He’d been telling her he was divorced.”
“Rachel threw hers out, and now Gary shows up because his girlfriend kicked him out.”
Carol was Linda’s sister. She lived two streets away and belonged to a book club with Rachel.
“Lots of men lie about being divorced,” I said.
“I know. But Rachel threw hers out, and now Gary shows up because his girlfriend kicked him out. The timing made me wonder.”
I looked toward the front door.
“You think they’re the same man?”
“That’s why I want to check before we accuse anyone. Keep Gary outside until I call you back.”
“I don’t know. Rachel’s at Carol’s house right now. She went over after the breakup. I’m going to ask Carol for a picture.”
“Linda, this could be a coincidence.”
“Exactly. That’s why I want to check before we accuse anyone. Keep Gary outside until I call you back.”
She hung up.
I stood there holding the water, trying to understand why Linda suddenly sounded concerned rather than amused.
“So, are we going to talk like adults?”
Outside, Gary knocked.
“Deb? You making that water from scratch?”
I opened the door a few inches and handed him the glass.
“Thanks.” He took a drink. “So, are we going to talk like adults?”
“Depends. Are you going to answer a question?”
“How long were you seeing her before you moved out?”
“What question?”
“How long were you seeing her before you moved out?”
Gary twisted the glass between his hands.
“Why dig all that up?”
“Because you’re asking me to pretend it never happened.”
He looked toward Linda’s house.
“I told you, it was a mistake.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
He looked toward Linda’s house.
“Maybe we should go inside.”
“Why?”
“Did you tell your girlfriend we were divorced?”
“Because Linda’s nosy.”
“Linda isn’t even home.”
“Still, I’d like a bit more privacy.”
I watched him take another drink.
“Did you tell your girlfriend we were divorced?”
“I told her we were separated.”
His hand stopped halfway to his mouth.
“What?”
“It’s a simple question.”
“I told her we were separated.”
“Were we?”
“Look, you’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
“Debbie, you know things were difficult.”
“We’re separated, this isn’t some brief spat.”
He set the glass on the porch railing.
