Enemies and Playmates (14 page)

Lauren tried to smile but her facial muscles wouldn’t cooperate. Empty, expressionless. That was how she felt these days. “Thanks,” she managed to say.

Lauren drove home, trying to keep her attention on the street and the traffic. Her mother was blaming herself for Stephen’s death. She stayed locked in her bedroom, swallowing tranquilizers her doctor had prescribed and crying. Lauren had tried to reach her but her mother rarely even opened the door.

Why didn’t her mother turn against the man who was truly to blame? How could she continue to sleep beside the man who had destroyed Stephen’s life? And who was slowly destroying both of theirs as well.

All these years Lauren had thought that Stephen was indifferent toward the abuse and the fighting. He hadn’t been indifferent at all. He’d been scared, just like she was. He’d tried to distance himself from the pain. Numb the feelings. But it hadn’t worked. Instead it wound up killing him. The ultimate escape.

Lauren swung her car into the driveway. Her mother was gone for the day, spending the afternoon with friends. The first time she’d been out since Stephen died, aside from the wake and funeral. Hopefully, it would be good for her.

Unfortunately, that also meant she had the house all to herself. While she used to treasure that, today the thought made her a bit queasy. She could use some company. Jesse was working. Maybe Carrie or Gina were around and felt like hanging out for awhile.

She trudged up the stairs, her mind on Stephen and the way he’d hide around the corner when they were kids. He had loved to jump out at her, causing her to scream in fright. She’d hated it then. Now she’d give anything to see him jump out at her just once more.

As she reached the top step, voices drifted toward her. She stopped, taken aback. She hadn’t checked to see if anyone’s car was in the garage, didn’t know if her mother had decided to come home early. Or not go out at all.

More sounds, barely audible. Then a female giggling. Lauren quietly made her way down the hall.

“You should not have come here today,” Alex was saying. “Though I am pleased that you did.”

Lauren stood by the door, her heart thumping frantically. Her father actually had another woman in the bedroom with him. How could he be so cruel? So blatant. How could he even think of another woman after only recently burying his son? And in the bed he shared with his wife!

Lauren’s knees were suddenly too weak to hold her up. She leaned against the wall for support, barely able to keep from sinking to the floor. “Why her?”

Gina hadn’t bothered to try and cover herself. She did, however, have the decency to look contrite. “I didn’t want you to find out this way,” she said.

Lauren shook her head. Nothing made sense to her anymore. “Why my father?” she asked.

“I love him, Lauren,” Gina said.

Lauren raced to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She crouched on the floor, vomiting uncontrollably into the open toilet. When at last she could stand, she splashed cold water on her face and rinsed her mouth. Then she opened the door to find her father there waiting.

“This will stay between us,” Alex said.

“Get away from me,” Lauren said.

“You won’t tell your mother. That would serve no purpose, aside from hurting her. And I know you do not want her hurt any more than she has been.”

Lauren pushed past Alex, ran to her room, and slammed the door behind her. Seconds later there was a knock. Gina said, “Can I come in?”

***

Alex stood in front of his bathroom mirror straightening his tie. Gina came in, sat on the closed toilet lid. She said, “She won’t talk to me.”

“What about Kara?” Gina said. “God, I feel so guilty. But it needed to come out. If she had just agreed to give you a divorce like you’ve been asking, then none of this -”

“Stop it.” Alex grabbed Gina’s arm and yanked her up. “Kara will not find out about this. About you and me. Is that clear?”

“I wasn’t going to tell her. I just figured, you know, now that Lauren knows…”

Alex closed his eyes, took a deep breath. Gina had been too easy, too accessible. He should never have allowed himself to succumb to his desires with her. Not in his own house. Now he realized that Gina had grown far too attached to him. He’d need to end this. Soon.

He cleared his throat and adopted a softer tone. “Kara’s state of mind is far too delicate at this time. She would not be able to cope with this.”

“I understand,” Gina said. “But Lauren knows now. What if she tells Kara?”

“She won’t.” Alex ushered Gina from the bathroom. “Now I need to get to work. Don’t worry about anything. This will all fall into place when the time is right.”

Downstairs, Gina wrapped her arms around Alex’s neck. “I love you,” she said.

Alex resisted the urge to bat her away as he steered her out the door.

Once Gina had driven off, Alex climbed into his Mercedes. As he drove, he punched a series of numbers into his cell phone. When Dominic Forenzi answered, Alex said, “Anything new with our problem?”

Alex swerved to the next lane in order to get around a taxi that had double-parked. He ignored the angry driver in the beat up Toyota behind him that he’d cut off. He turned his attention back to the conversation. “As much as that would bring me pleasure, no,” he said. “Not now. It’s too risky.”

“I hear you.”

“Send the message loud and clear this time,” Alex said. “Make him understand the consequences.”

Alex ended the call and dropped the phone onto the passenger seat. He switched on his CD player. Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19 played softly. The music filled the car, calming him.

A mile down the road he got stuck behind a slow moving garbage truck. Alex slammed his fist into the steering wheel, muttered a string of curses, and angrily switched off the music. He lowered his window and breathed in the cold air. Somehow he had lost a bit of control and the resulting actions were like dominos dropping all around him.

Alex finally passed the garbage truck in a no passing zone on a busy narrow road. Horns blasted. He snarled at the drivers. After racing through two yellow lights, he was forced to stop for a red light behind a line of traffic. He grabbed his phone and found the name he needed in his contact list.

“No.” Alex balanced the phone between his shoulder and chin as he made a quick change of lanes, then a right turn. “My schedule’s tight. I’ll have Suzanne get in touch with you later today. Perhaps we’ll meet for lunch tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

Alex disconnected the call and slid the phone into his jacket pocket. He drove three more blocks, then turned onto a quiet residential street lined with brick apartment buildings. He cursed the lack of parking before he found a spot a half block from where he wanted to be. His stride was driven by anger. He didn’t bother buzzing the apartment. No need for courtesies today. He used his key at the security door entrance, then again to let himself into the apartment.

Alex slapped her full force across the face. An angry red handprint erupted on her cheek. She didn’t flinch, didn’t so much as step back. She met his stare and said, “Do you feel better now?”

“Don’t ever make a mistake like that again.”

He grabbed the front of her blouse. Three buttons popped and scattered across the floor. She wore no bra beneath the flimsy shirt. He slammed her back against the wall, tore what was left of her shirt from her. “Up until now it has been all fun and games,” he said. “I am not playing, anymore.”

Despite her angry snarl, she trembled against him. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Okay? No one knew who I was. Lots of people were there to pay their respects. I didn’t say anything to anyone.”

All the anger Alex had pent inside began to boil over. He tugged at her jeans, spun her around and shoved her against the back of the sofa. “You won’t come near me again unless it is at my request,” he said against her ear.

Then he had his own pants undone and, as he entered her, he whispered, “I promise I will not be as forgiving ever again.”

***

Lauren and Jesse strolled hand in hand along the cobblestone paths in Faneuil Hall Marketplace. The air smelled of greasy pizza and Italian sausages. A variety of street performers provided free entertainment to the throngs of people. They passed a magician surrounded by a group of boisterous college students. But Lauren didn’t hear the cheers. Her mind was lost somewhere between the image of Stephen’s last moments and Gina sprawled naked with her father.

Lauren wanted desperately to focus on this moment with Jesse, to enjoy their time together and let the rest go. But how could she? Images kept flashing through her mind. Stephen’s lifeless body on the gurney. Gina’s long bare legs wrapped around her father. A sudden shiver raced down her spine.

Lauren couldn’t help but smile at the warmth in Jesse’s eyes. She hadn’t told him about Gina and her father. She didn’t want to say the words, hear them out loud. Somehow that would make it all too real.

“What you went through with Stephen,” Jesse said, “I can’t imagine what that felt like. But I’m a great listener if you feel like talking.”

“I know.”

“Do you want a drink? Sit inside and relax?”

Despite her best efforts to remain in control, Lauren’s eyes filled with tears. She quickly wiped them away. “I’m sorry,” she muttered.