Note to self: Don’t give Franz and Anya cellphones—ever.
But really, screw Toby, his psycho daughter, and his heartless wife … I had bigger issues. Adrianne made it to my driveway without asking me for my address or assistance in navigating. And when I asked her about it … she brought up TOBY!
“I should come inside and say hi to Evelyn. I feel like we didn’t get to say much to each other at the restaurant when we met.” She put her BMW in Park.
“How did you know where I live?” I unbuckled my seat belt and opened the door, staying in the seat until she answered me.
Adrianne gave me a soft smile. “Calm down. It’s not near as interesting or suspicious as what you’re clearly thinking.” She rolled her eyes. “I was behind you a few weeks back.” She jerked her head toward the main road. “You pulled into your driveway. I assumed you lived here. I guess this could have been really embarrassing had it not been your home.” On a wink, she lowered her voice, “Like … had it been your mistress’s house.”
“I don’t have a mistress.”
Her mouth quirked into a half smile as she lifted a single shoulder. “Well, that’s why I figured this had to be your house. Sorry. I wasn’t trying to spook you. Just an honest coincidence.”
Had Adrianne not shared part of her story, had Evelyn not told me about her home-wrecking past, would I have been so distrusting? Probably not.
As I started to climb out of the seat, my wife, peeking through the kitchen window, snagged my attention.
“I’m sure Evelyn would love to say hello to you.”
One hundred percent not true.
“Please, come inside for a few minutes.”
My options were all terrible. Not inviting her inside would have made my innocent plea to Evie much harder. Who invites their mistress into the house? Adrianne was not my mistress, but perception meant everything at that point. Evelyn could be upset that I let Adrianne give me a ride home. But if I invited her into the house, she couldn’t accuse me of anything more. Right?
Fingers crossed.
“Sounds great!”
It didn’t. It sounded like a horrible idea. All the good ideas vanished when I agreed to let her give me a ride home.
“Hey,” I peeked my head in the back door, laying it on the chopping block for my wife. “I had two flat tires, so Adrianne gave me a ride home.” Adrianne followed me as I stepped into the house.
“Hello again.” Adrianne waved at Evelyn.
Evie wiped her hands on a dishtowel, more like strangled the towel. I predicted my neck would be next. “Hi,” she replied through clenched teeth and a forced smile.
“We didn’t get to talk much the night we met. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate you loaning me your husband when I need an ear. I don’t have that many friends.”
I stood on the sideline between the two women with my hands shoved into the pockets of my jeans.
Evie didn’t offer Adrianne anything more than a slow nod and an unblinking inspection like a fighter sizing up her competition.
“Well, thanks again for the ride.” I took a step toward Adrianne, herding her toward the door. But she didn’t budge one inch.
“Anytime. It was quite…” she bit her lip and fluttered her eyelashes “… fun.”
Fun? No, it wasn’t fun. It was a ride. A ten-minute ride. I had no idea why she insisted on giving me a flirty grin while doing weird things with her eyes.
“I wouldn’t call having two flat tires fun. Still … thanks for the ride.” When she still didn’t budge, I stepped around her and opened the door. What could I say? See you later? The voice of reason in my head whispered not to say that. The last thing Evelyn would want to hear was that.
“I’d love to have coffee sometime.” Adrianne ignored the open door behind her as she addressed my wife again.
Evie shrugged. “You don’t need my permission to have coffee.”
I loved that woman, even if she refused to let me say the actual words.
Adrianne chuckled. “I meant, I’d love to have coffee with you sometime.”
“I don’t drink coffee.”
Lie.
“Oh. Well, how about tea?”
Evie returned a tightlipped smile and shook her head.
“Wine.”
“I don’t drink alcohol.”
Another lie.
“Water?” Adrianne curled her hair behind her ears.
“Yes, I drink water. But who gets together over water? Thank you for returning my husband to me. Goodnight.” Evie turned, resuming her cooking.
Adrianne pivoted, shooting me a sad smile. “I guess friends are overrated,” she mumbled like a rejected child on a playground as she stepped out the door.
“Goodnight.” I refrained from saying anything else because I couldn’t read Adrianne, but I could read my wife.
“I could have picked you up,” Evie said with her back to me as I shut the door. “Noah probably would have picked you up. They also have these people called cab drivers or Lyft drivers that will drive you home for a small fee.”
On a sigh, I toed off my shoes. “She was insistent. I just wanted to get home. I didn’t want to stand in the parking lot arguing with her over a ten-minute drive.” Before she could say another word, my arms slid around her waist and my chin rested on her shoulder. “Are Franz and Anya playing in their rooms?”
She nodded to her phone on the nanny cam app and the split screen video footage of their rooms.
“Did Franz have a good first day?”
Another nod.
“Are you going to speak to me tonight? I need to call and get my car towed, but I need to know we’re good first.”
Evie dropped the bread knife on the cutting board and wiggled out of my arms to turn toward me. “Fun. She called the ride fun. What happened in her car that was so fun? Because she bit her lip like she wanted to eat you.”
“Evie … I don’t know.” My hands fell to my sides. I had to work in the morning. And two flat tires weren’t going to get me there. But I didn’t want to miss eating with my family. I just wanted to have a nice dinner and skip the third degree. More than that … I wanted to not feel so damn depressed, and I wanted my head to stop hurting. My left eye still felt like it was going to explode. “I’m going to go see the kids.”
As I started to turn, Evie grabbed my wrist. “That’s it? That’s the best you have?”
Yes. That was the best I had. Not feeling the urge to plead my case—to beg for her to tell me she wasn’t mad, that she understood—was proof that something was seriously messed-up in my head. “What do you want from me?”
“I want you to kiss me like you missed me. I want you to back me into the nearest wall and put your hands in places that would confuse the kids if they caught us. I want you to whisper in my ear all the incredibly dirty things you can’t wait to do to me when the kids go to sleep.”
I wanted to want to do all of those things. I just … didn’t. Not with Evie. Not with Adrianne. Not with anyone. It was like someone reached into my body and ripped my sex drive right out of me, leaving behind a pathetic, limp man with the world’s sexiest wife.
“Maybe another night when I don’t have to figure out how I’m going to get my car fixed and back in the garage by morning. I’ll check on the kids while you finish up, unless you need me to do something else.”