Once Upon a Project (34 page)

“It's too cold.”

He chuckled. “You're right about that. Come up for a little while, or as long as you'd like.” Without waiting for a reply, he opened the car door and got out.

Elyse did the same, trying not to think about his seemingly open-ended invitation.
Stay as long as you'd like.

An invitation to trouble if she ever heard one. But she'd rather risk it than go home.

Chapter 56

E
lyse entered the apartment, taking a look around as Kevin closed and locked the door. The faded-brown brick building looked dingy and old on the outside, but the apartment was clean and bright, courtesy of spotless white paint. It was furnished simply, if inexpensively, with a furry brown living room set and thin glass accent tables. The computer center looked new, but the entertainment center that held his TV, DVD player, speakers, and sound system had peeled in spots. Both pieces obviously came out of a box and had to be assembled, no doubt made of corkboard with wood strips pasted on the outside. Two crates full of albums flanked each side of the entertainment center. The sofa was against the wall, with the chair and loveseat facing each other in front of the sofa. A swirly print area rug lay neatly beneath the coffee table, filling most of the space in the seating area. Two windows were framed by checkered curtains, and to one side stood a black pole lamp. The apartment looked more like it belonged to a kid a few years out of college than to a middle-aged man, but she admired his neatness.

Kevin put on a Peter White CD, then went into the kitchen while Elyse took a seat, at his invitation. She chose the side chair rather than the sofa or loveseat. Best to keep some distance between them, and this way he wouldn't be able to sit next to her.

Kevin approached, holding two small blue-tinted stemmed glasses, the shape of which reminded Elyse of a small can of tomato paste.

“I thought you could use some wine,” he said as he handed her the glass.

“Thanks. Your apartment is very comfortable.”

“It's a dump. But I've lived here for over twenty years. It's clean, and it's cheap. Nothing like Pat's boyfriend's place, but then I'm not a big-bucks attorney. I'll move once I open my Laundromat. Once the money starts coming in I'll be able to afford it.” He sat on the edge of the sofa and held up his glass, his eyes meeting hers. “Let's drink to . . . happiness.”

“To happiness,” she said softly, but she cast her eyes downward, even as she touched her glass to his. These days she didn't think she'd ever feel that emotion again.

“I feel real bad about what's happened, Elyse. If I hadn't moved to sit next to you at that exact moment your stepdaughter came in the restaurant, you wouldn't be having such a hard time now.”

“It's not your fault, Kevin.”

“I can tell you're stressed. You've lost weight.”

“That's because I haven't had much appetite. It's hard to eat when you're continually being derided for, among other things, being too fat.”

“On you it looks good. But try to understand that it's hard for a man when he becomes ill. We're raised to think that we have to be strong, that we have to be the providers. Being sick is, well, unmanly in the eyes of society. Unable to go out and make a living, to unscrew a tight lid on a jar, to perform sexually—”

Elyse broke in, not comfortable with the direction the conversation was heading. It was true that she and Franklin hadn't made love since shortly after his remission ended and probably would never do so again, but she wasn't about to discuss that with Kevin. “I spoke with Franklin's primary care doctor a few weeks ago. He explained that it's not all that unusual for both men and women to resent that the end of their lives is near and to take it out on those closest to them. Tonight Franklin was especially nasty to me, but he was also unpleasant to his daughter from his first marriage, and his first wife . . . although, in my opinion,
she
had it coming.” Picturing the stunned look on Carolyn's face when Franklin reminded her of the reason for their divorce and again when he asked her to leave the room brought a rare smile to Elyse's face.

“Did the doctor make any recommendations?”

She made a face. “A support group, but that's not for me. I'm not much for sharing tales of woe with complete strangers. His other suggestion was counseling, but I'd prefer not to do that. It's pretty much the same thing, except the stranger is a professional.”

“Hang in there, Elyse.”

“Yeah. Dr. Obi said the same thing.”

“Obi? What is he, Japanese?”

“No, he's from Nigeria. He's been Franklin's doctor for years.”

Kevin put his glass on the coffee table and got up. Elyse thought he was going to change the CD, but when she felt strong hands on her shoulders, she knew he'd gone to stand behind her.

“You feel so tense. Relax.” He repeated it, this time as a whisper. “Close your eyes and relax.”

Elyse felt the stress start to drain out of her. “You're actually pretty good at massage.”

“I used to work with a guy from Korea who was an expert. He showed me his technique. I'm glad it works for you.”

Her eyes closed. His fingers felt wonderful, invigorating her flesh. Hell, she'd pay for a massage this good. She hadn't felt so alive since she'd seen a chiropractor a few years back, who did wonders with her spine....

Her eyes flew open, and she drew in her breath with a loud sucking sound when she felt warm lips against her skin on the back of her neck. Kevin didn't miss a beat.

“Just relax,” he repeated.

Elyse's breath came in short gasps. The gesture had been so unexpected, and she knew what it would lead to if she didn't stop him, but what was her alternative? Try to do the right thing and go home to her husband, who would no doubt berate her with taunts that grew more brutal with each passing week? Franklin had practically sent her here into Kevin's arms with his relentless verbal attacks. He'd actually called her a whore.

She tensed at the memory, then allowed herself to relax once more. Maybe it was wrong for her to be here, but it felt so right. Kevin's hands continued to work their magic as his lips moved toward her throat and higher still. In an instant Elyse made up her mind. She'd moved her body forward when she first felt him nuzzling her, but now she leaned back again, her face lifted toward the ceiling.

It made it that much easier for him to kiss her.

Her mouth opened to draw in his tongue. When was the last time she'd been kissed with such tenderness? Kevin's palm cupped her chin, holding her in place, but if he was worried about her trying to get away, he had no need to.

 

 

Elyse, lying naked on the way-too-soft mattress of Kevin's bed, inadvertently shivered.

“Are you all right?”

“I'm just thinking . . . I should probably go.”

“Already?”

“It's after midnight, Kevin.”

“I hoped you'd stay until morning.”

She bit her lip. “As much as I'd like to, I do have responsibilities at home.”

He moved on top of her, and this time, instead of arousal, she felt repulsion.

“I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did.”

Elyse was able to get away with a sigh as he planted little kisses on her throat while squeezing one of her breasts.

Kevin moved his face opposite hers. “And I hope you'll slip down here to see me every chance you get.”

An old R&B song immediately began playing in Elyse's head. She didn't even remember who sang it; she just remembered the refrain:
“Slip away . . . slip away . . . slip away-ay-ay-ay.”
Kevin kissed her, and as he did she wondered how she'd be able to take a shower without anyone noticing. If she used the bathroom she shared with Franklin he would notice and would give her more grief than ever. If she used the one upstairs, the kids would notice.

Maybe she could slip down to the tiny shower stall in the basement....

She felt his erection against her thigh. It would be so easy for him to slide it inside her for another session. She had to stop him, and not just because he didn't have a condom on.

“We can have one more quick one before you go,” he murmured against her mouth.

“Kevin, I really do have to go. It'll take me a half hour to get home. My kids are probably frantic with worry.” She'd left her cell phone in her purse in the living room.

“All right. I know you have to get back.” He rolled off her.

 

 

Elyse lowered the window and waved good-bye to Kevin. She didn't want to honk her horn because of the late hour.

Her body felt satisfied—okay, more than satisfied—but her heart felt heavy. It was just like Susan had said it would be. She'd just committed adultery, and it didn't feel good. In fact, she felt lower than Death Valley. And now she had to go home and lie beside her husband, a husband she loved but who was making her miserable.

During the drive to Lake Forest she vacillated about whether to sleep in bed with Franklin or spend the remainder of the night in the spare room.

It was quiet in the car—she didn't even have the radio going—and Elyse jumped when her cell phone started ringing. Brontë had loaded it with songs from movie musicals as her ringtones, and the warbling of “Some Day My Prince Will Come” struck her as particularly ironic, given what she'd just done. She knew it had to be one of the kids. “Hello.”

Todd's voice filled her ears. “Mom, I've been trying to call you for hours. Where've you been?”

“At Pat's party. I put my purse away, and my phone was in it. Sorry. Is everything all right?”

“Yeah. Dad's sleeping. I sent Brontë upstairs a couple of hours ago. She's going to hit the electronics store for that predawn shopping tomorrow, so she has to get up in a few hours. I'm kind of dozing off myself.”

“Was Daddy asking for me?”

“Every five minutes until he fell asleep. What'd he say to you, Mom?”

“He called me a whore.”

Elyse's declaration met with shocked silence. After a few seconds' pause, Todd said, “I'm going to talk to him in the morning. This time he's gone too far.”

“Todd, would you mind terribly sleeping down there tonight?”

“No, I'll stay here. I can't blame you for not wanting to sleep in the same bed as him.”

“I'll check on him when I get home, which will be in about fifteen minutes. I hate to put his care in your hands, but I really do need to take a break.”

“I understand. Did you have a good time at the party?”

“Oh . . . yes. It was wonderful.” A faint vision of her and Kevin furiously making love appeared before her on the highway, and she blinked it away. “I'll see you in a few minutes.”

 

 

With heavy steps, Elyse entered her bedroom. The dim night-light helped her make out Franklin's form beneath the down quilt.

She headed for the bathroom, confident that he was fast asleep.

“Elyse.”

She froze, as if she'd been shot with a stun gun.

“Come here. Please.”

Her eyebrows shot up.
Please?
That didn't sound like the Franklin who'd been lashing out at her every chance he got.

She turned around and approached the bed as he turned on the light. Her heart did a little somersault at the sight of him lying with the covers up to his chin. Only his head showed, propped up on two pillows.

“I didn't think you were coming back.”

“If you don't want me here, Franklin, I don't have to be,” she said wearily.

Someone—it had to be Todd—knocked on the door.

“Come in,” she called.

Todd entered the room. “Just wanted to make sure everything's all right in here. But Dad, since you're awake, there's something I have to tell you.” He cleared his throat. “Mom told me what you said to her. That was a terrible thing to say. How could you? You know she's always been here for you. We're the most important people in her life. You've treated her like a dog these last couple of months, and she still insisted that taking care of you is her responsibility. She doesn't deserve the terrible things you said. You know you've been the only man in her life for years, and that she'd never cheat on you. . . .”

Elyse swallowed and averted her eyes, wishing she could vanish into thin air. She felt like she was worth two cents as she listened to her son defend her against Franklin's endless verbal attacks, knowing that she was still carrying the scent of another man. And even now she felt torn—measuring physical pleasure and the emotional need to be desired against the wrongness of adultery.

Todd, clearly fueled by nervousness, finally concluded his speech. “I wouldn't be any kind of a man if I let you get away with talking to Mom like that.”

Franklin closed his eyes and nodded. “You're right, Son. I said terrible things to your mother, especially this afternoon. I was afraid that she'd walked out for good, that I'd never see her again. I was just about to tell her how sorry I am and beg her to forgive me.”

Elyse sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand in hers.

“I'm dying,” Franklin stated simply. “I tried to accept it when I first found out I had cancer. I thought I'd been successful, but when it came back so quickly I felt angry. When Frankie told me that Rebecca had seen your mother and a man embracing on the same side of a restaurant booth, it hit me that I'd be dead and your mother would be seeing other men.”

Elyse opened her mouth to protest, and he gestured for her to be quiet. “Don't deny it. You're still young and great-looking. I knew you weren't stepping out on me, and when you explained what happened I understood perfectly, but I know there'll come a time after I'm gone when you'll be seeing men and it won't be so innocent. That was too much for me.”