The Other Other Woman (42 page)

I stood there and took a close look at him. First of all, his hair looked absolutely terrible. It was getting so long on top that it was causing all kinds of havoc up there, almost like a bad comb-over. He was also wearing an older black sport coat, and coupled with this wispy hair stuff he had going on, he looked like he had aged ten years.

“Dear, it’s Saturday. Why are you wearing a jacket?” I teased. “Do you want me to go change into my cocktail dress to grab a burger with you?”

“Very funny, I told you I was going to go see a client. I don’t want to show up looking like I’m homeless. Figured I should clean up a little bit. You look great by the way…” he said, kissing me again. “I meant to tell you that yesterday too. I loved that plum color on you.”

“Thanks babe, glad you liked it,” I replied, kissing him back. I loved how he noticed the little things. He really was just like a girl in some ways. “But I think you would look just as handsome without the coat.”

“Okay, little Miss I-Wear-Heels-Everywhere,” he said, shooting me a sideways glance.

“Ahh… touché.”

I had already packed my car so we walked over to his. He opened the car door for me. I loved that, too. We jumped in and headed over to the restaurant. This time, however, he did not rest his hand on my thigh. I would have given anything to feel that again.

The place was completely empty except for us. We definitely did not have to worry about being seen there. As we sat down, he reached for my hands across the table. Seeing my eyes grow surprised, he quickly realized his error, giving them a quick squeeze and letting them go. Old habits die hard, I guess. He ordered my burger for me, “She likes it still mooing, please.” He got a fish sandwich and a beer for himself.

“So, how was last night? Seems like you had fun from your drunk text,” he said.

“Whoops, sorry about that.” Luckily, I hadn’t sent him anything embarrassing. “We had fun, but that place you sent us was a strange crowd.”

“Oh, really? How so?”

“I don’t know, just seemed like an odd mix of people. We just felt out of place. And you could barely hear the music at all. Even by the dance floor.”

“Well, that’s a bummer.”

“Yeah, I guess not every club can be like Miami.”

“Most definitely not!”

“It was fine though. It doesn’t take much to entertain us. We’re sort of our own traveling circus,” I said, changing the subject. “So what’s new with you?”

“Not much, you know. I’ve just been trying to throw myself into my work as much as possible. Have they hired anyone else to help you guys yet?”

“No, I think they’re working on it. But you know that process takes forever, and that’s assuming they have all the licenses we have already.”

“So, babe, where do you see yourself in five years? I mean, as far as this job goes?” he asked.

“Well, right now, probably right where I am. Maybe as more of a supervisor if Robin or Miranda should leave, but otherwise, I have no big plans to change jobs. I like what I do.”

“Don’t you want to make more money?”

“Well, more money is always nice, but right now I like the stability and flexibility more, because of the kids. And I do okay. At least I know I can take care of them without Nate.”

“Yeah, but babe, you need to be like a branch manager or a broker or something with more income potential!”

“Why do you think so?’

“Well, don’t you want to have a bigger house and be able to travel and things like that?”

“I don’t care about bigger houses, no. Traveling would be great, but I like having a job that isn’t my entire life.”

“See, I love working. I don’t think I will ever stop.”

“Yes, but you are sort of running your own business, essentially. And you also love money. You are always looking for ways to make more of it. But, I mean, you can’t take it with you. I love me some money when it comes to shoes and maybe an expensive pair of jeans or two. Otherwise, I don’t really care about it that much.”

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying the finer things in life.”

“Oh no, I don’t either. Don’t get me wrong. I’m just saying, I’m not interested in wasting my entire life working just so I can say I made more money. I’d want the time to enjoy it too. And being a broker or a branch manager would definitely mean working a lot more. Look at you. You barely take any time off. Wearing a jacket on a Saturday,” I winked.

“Okay, okay, I just think you’d be really good at it,” he said, smiling, “You’re so damn smart.”

“You think I’m wasting my brains away in Risk Management, huh?”

“You know what I mean. I just want the best for you and the girls.”

“Thanks, babe, but right now I’m pretty happy where I am.”

Our food arrived and he laughed at me when I immediately cut my burger open to make sure it was rare enough. “They always cook it too long! Nobody has any love for e-coli these days.”

It looked pretty good though, no complaints. Better than his fish. Blech.

“So, how do you think Brooke would do as an advisor?”

Ahhh, here we go…

“You know, I’m not sure. She’s definitely more of a people person than I am, at least as far as engaging strangers in conversation. But I think she would have an uphill battle out there on her own, especially here.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, demographics for one thing. Most of your clients, the company owners, the directors, the board members, they are all older men, right? Of course, you are going to have some exceptions, but most of the time it’s old men who have lots of money to invest. What are the chances that they want to give that money to a young woman who is brand new to the business?”

“Yeah, I guess I can see that.”

“Plus, you’ve lived here your whole life. People know you, your family, your church, everything. I think most people want to put their money with someone they know or at least know of. She doesn’t have that here.”

“Right, but she is trying to join civic groups.”

“I know. I do think she wants to give it a good try. I just feel like she needs a better support system in place first. Maybe if she was in Raleigh, where she grew up, it would be different,” I explained. “Plus, I think she feels the same way I do as far as not missing out on her kids’ lives just so she can work more.”

“Well, I definitely missed a little league game or two at first, but it got better, eventually.”

“But you also had a stay-at-home wife and mother to handle everything else while you focused on growing your business. She doesn’t have that. Most working women don’t.”

“That’s true.”

“I just think it would take years and years for her to ever reap real financial benefits from it. I’d take a set salary over that stress any day.”

“Yeah, I guess you make some good points. I just wondered.”

He quickly changed the subject to Florida. “You know I’m going to be spending more time in Miami over the next few months?”

“Yeah, well, you told me that was the plan eventually.”

“I’m really looking forward to that. I’m already tired of the cold. I can’t even ride my bike around here until March.”

“Yeah, I bet so, not the way you are about bundling up!” I smirked, “Are you planning on getting another condo?”

“I am, and I’m still working on getting the other ones rented too.”

“But where the heck are we supposed to stay if you rent all your properties out!?” I teased.

“Sweetie, I will make sure you have a place if you need one. If I don’t already have another one, I’m sure I could get one of my friends to put you up in theirs.”

“Well, I’m mostly kidding anyway. I don’t see me and Brooke going together again anytime soon. She was lucky to get home alive last time. Travis will never fall for that ‘I have to go to Miami for work’ BS ever again.”

“No, that will be a tough one, but I hope you will get to go again soon.”

Did he mean with him? My phone started going off like crazy with some texts from an old friend, so I made sure to check it really quickly and smile. See how he liked it.

“Everything okay?”

“Oh yeah. Just making sure it’s not my mom.”

The waitress came back with the check and we continued to chat for a few minutes while he paid it. He stopped just short of telling me that he was leaving Atlanta and moving to Florida. Maybe he assumed that Brooke had already told me, but it would have been nice to hear it straight from him. We definitely didn’t discuss “us” at all. Again, I found myself toeing the line between wanting desperately to ask him what the fuck was going on and wanting to pretend like I could handle being his friend, even though he was becoming more of a stranger every day. It was stupid and pathetic, and I knew it. But I still wanted to grab him around his ankles and beg him to come back to me.

He drove me back to my hotel parking lot, but as we sat together in his car I knew I wasn’t about to go quietly. I sidled up right next to him, placing my hand around his bicep and laying my head against his shoulder, and batted my eyelashes up at him with my most innocent, yet flirtatious, expression. “Thanks for lunch, baby,” I said.

He looked down at my face and smiled sweetly.

“My pleasure, sweetie…”

“Matt, I…” Before I could say anything, his mouth was on me and we were kissing again. Toe curling, cold sweating, hair standing on end, undeniably passionate kissing, at least for me. I squeaked out a meek little, “I miss you,” and he just kissed me harder. When he finally stopped, I was so completely exasperated with him that I slapped him lightly on the chest and snapped, “My God, Matt! When are you going to stop being so dumb?!”

He laughed, kissing my hand. “I know babe, I’m working on it. I know it doesn’t seem like it, but I am.”

“Well, are you going to fill me in?”

He brushed across my lips again. “I don’t really have anything to tell you right now. But I’ll be back, babe.”

“But when?! I feel like I’m going to go crazy.”

“Soon, hon.”

“You are so incredibly frustrating.”

He just continued to smile and hold my hand, making it clear that today he would be offering no further explanation on this subject at all.

After a short silence, I spoke. “Hey babe?” I said, gazing up at him adoringly.

“Yeah?”

“Can we talk about this hair?”

He started laughing again and furiously patting it down. “What?! What is there to talk about?”

“I don’t understand the look you are going for here.”

“I don’t know. I just want something different. I want to go into the conference and create a buzz, cause a stir.”

“So… you want people to make fun of you? Honey, it makes you look older. You look so cute with short hair, or even like you had it back in October, but this is way too long.”

“You think it makes me look older!?” He didn’t care for that at all. “People tell me all the time that they like it!”

“Crazy people? That’s probably because you ask them, ‘Hey what do you think of my hair?’ Of course they’re going to lie when you put them on the spot like that!”

“Naaaw. I know for a fact that several people like it.”

“Russo pulled me in the kitchen yesterday and begged me to tell you to cut it! And he doesn’t even know about us, Matt.”

“Are you serious!?”

“Mmm hmm. Look.” I grabbed my phone and had him pose for a picture. Oh gosh, it was terrible. I didn’t think my boy could take a bad picture but he looked like a greasy used car salesman. “Okay, this is now. And now look at this one you sent me from Ukraine in the summer…” I said, showing him my favorite picture of him, ever.

“Wow. You know, you’re right. I do look a lot older here. But I’ll cut it right after the conference. I just want to see people’s reactions.”

“So, basically, you care more about the opinion of strangers that you might see once a year over mine? That’s just fabulous,” I sulked.

“Okay, I will trim it up, but I’m still keeping it longer until after the sales meeting.”

The thought occurred to me that some other woman must be telling him that she liked it, why else wouldn’t he listen to reason? We sat there for another minute or two, but he was starting to get fidgety. I knew he had to get going soon to see his client. “I guess I’d better let you go, huh?”

“Yeah, I need to get over to the hospital. Are you heading home now?”

“No, not yet. I need to get with Brooke and see what her plans are, and I may see if CeCe is around before I go. I’m not going out with Brady and Justin until late tonight, so I don’t need to leave right now.”

“Oh, okay. Well, I’ll check on you later to make sure you got home okay.”

“Glad I got to see you, babe,” I said, going in for another deep kiss.

“Me too, sweetie. I’ll talk to you soon. Be careful going home.” He wrapped his arms around me tightly in a hug and I whispered again that I missed him as he pecked my lips one last time. He didn’t say it back.

“Bye, Matt.”

“Bye, Mal.”

I got out of his car and walked back to my own. I met Brooke and her daughter at the mall for an hour or two of shopping but then hit the road for my six hour drive home. I had planned to go home so I could go out dancing that night, but about halfway into my trip I got a text from Brady that he had the flu. Shortly after, Matt texted to check on me.
Did you arrive home yet?

No, just passed Charlotte, left later than expected, long way to go.

Stay safe, don’t party too hard tonight.

I didn’t bother to tell him I wasn’t going. When I let my mom know that my plans were canceled, she told me to go home, relax, and not to worry about picking my kids up until Sunday.

Once I got home and got settled in, I figured it was as good a time as any to get caught up on some work. I booted up my laptop and was easily a half hour into resolving emails when I saw it. Her name again. I was just as surprised as I was upset because I was positive he had warned her not to email him. It had been nearly six months since I had seen one single item come through from her. But there it was. A very short message.

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From: Katya Batsevich