The Glimpsing (30 page)

Portia drew her legs up on the couch, taking a moment to look down and smooth the hem of her dress, which had pulled away from her thigh.
 
She then peered back at Gabrielle, adding a smile.

This was not Portia’s first encounter with Gabrielle.
 
Since Jack’s disappearance, now two weeks ago, the woman had visited her house on no less than nine separate occasions.
 
Portia had thought that odd.
 
Of course, she had been curious to know how Gabrielle would react to the news of her lover turning up missing, but she never expected her to start showing up here so often.
 
But if criminals always returned to the scene of the crime, she guessed it wasn’t so unusual for the betrayer to draw close to the one they’ve betrayed.

What brought her here was the real mystery.
 
Was it confusion?
 
Outright stupidity?
 
Bold-face arrogance?
 
Portia supposed it didn’t matter.
 
Gabrielle’s presence was welcomed just the same.
 
It was going to make things so much easier.

Seeing Gabrielle that first time, however, had been a far severer exercise in restraint than Portia had expected.
 
She had phoned Gabrielle the very moment the story of Jack’s disappearance broke in the news, pretending to be distraught and asking the girl to come over right away.
 
Less than an hour later, she arrived.
 
When Portia had opened the front door and gazed at her, time seemed to stand still.
 
Gabrielle was standing there, the same familiar form she had seen a thousand times before, and yet it felt like she was gazing into the face of a perfect stranger.
 
Somewhere in there, Portia knew, beneath that wavy brown hair, beyond the warm glow of that sable skin, was the mind of a snake.
 
And Portia would gladly gouge it out with her stiletto if she could.

She did show restraint, however.
 
Pretending great sorrow, she merely extended her arms and gave her so-called “good friend” a big hug.
 
She had to keep in mind that this was not Gabrielle’s time.
 
Patience and restraint was best for now.
 
Besides, it was too soon after Jack’s disappearance anyway.

Portia had expected the woman to show some grief over her lover’s absence, but nothing prepared her for what she saw in the days following.
 
Oh, Gabrielle tried to hide it as
best she could, but despite the woman’s acting prowess, she was perfectly miserable at keeping her heart off her sleeve.
 
Anyone could see how depressed she was.
 
She was much more quiet than usual, and she often sat in a haze, her mind having wandered off somewhere.
 
She didn’t realize it, but grief often consumed her face to the point that it actually sapped some of the woman’s natural beauty.
 
It was incredible.
 
Lovely.
 
One of the most beautiful things Portia had every witnessed.
 
Because finally the treacherous bitch was getting a taste of what she deserved.

She did her best to make Gabrielle feel like things were as good as ever between them.
 
She found pretending to know nothing of the affair frighteningly easy.
 
She never slipped up once, and Gabrielle never suspected a thing—which would make the moment when she revealed that she did know, that she had always known, absolutely priceless.

Portia did wonder, however, just what had happened between Jack and Gabrielle to make her react so strongly.
 
But that musing was easily overshadowed by the sheer pleasure of watching the little rat suffer, realizing that as the days passed, Gabrielle was growing worse, not better.

Of late, Portia had decided to have some fun with those apparently deep-seated emotions.
 
She’d made a point of it to bring up Jack’s name at every possible opportunity, frequently reminiscing about the good times the three of them once had.
 
It was unbelievable fun watching all the color drain from Gabrielle’s face each time she did so.
 
On one occasion, she’d almost brought Gabrielle to tears by asking what the circumstances were the last time she’d seen Jack.
 
Gabrielle had related some obvious lie about it being the night of his birthday party, and that made Portia have to bite her lip to keep from laughing in the woman’s face.

But as much as Portia had enjoyed these past few weeks, she
now growing
anxious for vengeance.
 
Gabrielle’s time was approaching.
 
She’d take Tuesday and Wednesday getting the house ready, and then next Thursday, finally do what she’d been aching to do for so long.

She gazed across to Gabrielle, and felt a thrill in the pit of her belly.

“Would you like a drink?” Portia asked.

Gabrielle shook her head.
 
“No, thank you.”

“You sure?
 
You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine.”

Portia grinned thinly.
“Alright then.
 
You said you needed to talk to me about something?”

“Yes,” Gabrielle replied.

“Okay, I’m listening.”

Gabrielle drew a deep sigh, and nervously folded her hands onto her lap.
 
“Portia, what I’m about to tell you
is
… very serious.”

“Okay.”

“I’m not sure how you will take it… but, um…”
 
She trailed off.

Portia waited, intrigued.
 
Just what had the backstabbing little bitch come here to say?
 
“What is it, Gabrielle?”

Gabrielle offered a pained grin.

Portia assured her, “Gabrielle, whatever it is, it’s going to be alright?
 
Okay?
 
Don’t be afraid.”

Gabrielle’s eyes fell to her lap.
 
She then looked up again, sighing once more.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
It’s just that…”
 
Another sigh.
 
“This is really hard.”

Portia leaned forward, pretending sudden and great concern.
 
She just couldn’t help herself.
 
“They found him, didn’t they?”

“What?” Gabrielle said confusedly.

“Jack.
 
They found his body.
 
That’s what you’re here to tell me, isn’t it?”

"No,” Gabrielle said, a bit thrown by the comment. “No, that’s not it at all."

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Portia leaned back, feigning relief.
 
"Oh, thank God."

Gabrielle grimaced.
 
“But what I have to tell you does involve him.”

Portia turned her head.
 
“How?"

Gabrielle shifted in the loveseat.
 
“Listen… there’s no easy way to say this, so I guess I’m just going to have to say it."

Portia looked on coolly.

"Jack and I… we had an affair."

Portia stiffened.
 
“What did you say?”

Shame had reduced Gabrielle’s voice to almost a whisper, but she would not allow herself to look away.
 
“We had an affair, Portia.
 
I’m sorry.”

Portia frowned very hard, staring off in wonderment.
 
She was surprised, stunned actually.
 
Of all the things Gabrielle could have come to tell her, a confession was the one thing she did not expect.
 
How different of her, she thought.
 
None of the others had had the decency to do such a thing.

She brought her gaze back to Gabrielle, and spoke as calmly as possible.
 
“When did it begin?"

"Almost three months ago now."

"Three months ago?" Portia glanced off briefly, searching.
 
"While Jack and I were still together?"

Gabrielle nodded.
 
"It began the same day he broke up with you."

Portia stared at her for some time, emotionlessly,
then
asked: “How?"

“How?”
Gabrielle echoed.

“Yes.
 
How did it begin?”

Gabrielle answered, though reluctantly.
 
“Jack… came to my house very early in the morning.
 
He was drunk.
 
He’d just left your place.
 
He passed out on my couch and when he woke up, I brought him some coffee.
 
Then he pulled me toward him and…”
 
She trailed off again.

“And what?”

Gabrielle grimaced.
 
“And we… kissed.”

Portia gazed at her in silence for what seemed like an eternity.
 
Then, much to Gabrielle’s alarm, Portia slowly rose to her feet.
 
She strolled toward Gabrielle, showing no emotion, the sway of the white dress making her seem almost surreal.
 
Then she stopped, standing over Gabrielle, who was looking up at her, petrified.

For a moment, Gabrielle was certain Portia was going to reach forward and slap her.
 
But to her astonishment, Portia merely sat down beside her, took one of Gabrielle’s hands in her own, and cradled it.

“What are you doing?” Gabrielle asked.

“Forgiving you.”

“Why?” Gabrielle asked breathlessly.

“Because it's not your fault," Portia said, staring into her eyes.

“Not my fault?
 
Portia, I don’t think you understand what—”

“Yes, I do,” Portia interrupted.
 
“I understand that it’s not your fault.” She patted Gabrielle’s hand, then raised and kissed it.
 
"It's okay."

Gabrielle was shaking her head.
 
"I don’t understand?"

“What’s to understand?”

“You’re not upset?”

“Of course I’m upset.
 
But not at you.”

Gabrielle gazed at her incredulously.
 
“Why not?”

“Because I know what really happened.”

“What do you think happened?”

“Jack seduced you.”

Gabrielle slumped, staring off sadly.
 
"That’s not what happened, Portia."

But Portia would not relent.
 
“That’s exactly what happened.
 
Don’t you understand?
 
He seduced you, to get back at me, because I wouldn’t give in to his sexual demands.
 
He used you, Gabrielle, out of revenge.”

“No.
 
Jack wouldn’t—”

“Don’t try to defend him,” Portia cautioned.
 
“It’s who he is, what he does.
 
I know that, and so do you.”

“Portia—”

“Don’t you remember trying to warn me about him when we first started dating?
 
You knew he was a snake from the start.
 
You do remember telling me that, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she conceded.

“Well, ultimately, you were right.”

“It’s not that simple, Portia.”

“It is that simple, Gabrielle.
 
Think about it.
 
He wanted to destroy the very thing I cherish the most: our friendship.
 
It was the only way, the most harmful way, for him to get back at me.
 
I know your emotions won’t let you see that right now, but you’re a smart girl, Gabrielle.
 
When all the dust settles, you’ll see it for what it really is.”