Prologue
It’s not often my wife and I get time alone since our three-year-old daughter is always drawing our attention – along with the long hours I work – but I love our daughter too much to be angry about that. She’s the center of my life, even though I’m madly in love with my wife, Gianna. A man can have both, right? Although ever since Embry came into our lives, Gianna acts as though she’s a bit jealous of her receiving so much of my attention, at times. That’s absurd. Of course she isn’t jealous of a little girl. Yet things have felt different between us since we brought our princess into the world. Or maybe it’s just me thinking that. I’ll admit, I spend too much time at the office and doing paperwork on the weekends to be ready for the next week.
Tonight though, all my attention will be on the love of my life. Champagne, caviar, and hot sex! Now in that department, we’ve never had any issues!
Walking into our home with a chilled bottle of champagne and a sack of caviar, I go into the kitchen, grab the silver bucket and fill it with ice. After setting the bottle down in it, I place the caviar on a small plate and surround it with crackers and a small spoon. Feeling pretty proud of myself and a whole lot horny, I take everything and walk to our bedroom. I open the door quickly, ready to begin our night that will hopefully continue into the morning.
“Honey, I’m home!”
My excitement fades and my heart speeds up when I take in the scene before me. The covers on our bed move down and I gaze at the surprised look on a man’s face. In our bed. With my wife! The look on Gianna’s face is not of surprise but rather flushed cheeks. The look of being – thoroughly fucked? What the hell?
“Oh! You’re home early,” Gianna replies, looking at the nails on her left hand, her wedding ring showing openly as if she meant to do that on purpose.
“What the hell, Gianna?”
Looking up at me, she smirks. “Travis was just leaving.”
Tearing my eyes away from hers, I look at this – Travis. There’s no look of embarrassment or remorse as he pulls back the covers and sits on the side of the bed, pulling up his jeans then standing. I watch him pick up his shirt from the floor and pull it over his head as he walks toward the door. I can’t seem to move, frozen in my spot next to it. He stops beside me and smiles.
“If you kept your wife satisfied, maybe this wouldn’t have happened,” he smirks.
My mouth drops open, my eyes snapping back on Gianna’s, while he brushes against me and walks out of the room. No words are spoken. What is there that can be said? Hearing the front door slam shut causes me to shudder. “Is this the first time, Gianna?” Her brow raises. “ANSWER ME! Is. This. The. First. Time?”
She looks back down at her nails as if bored. “What do you expect, Greer? You’re never home. I’m stuck here with Embry all the time.”
Taking a couple of steps, I stop suddenly, not able to be too close to her. “I expect you to be faithful. I give you everything your heart desires and yet you cheat on me? Is this the first time? Or has there been more?”
She looks up at me in disbelief. “Does it really matter?”
“YES! It matters!” In anger, I throw the bucket with the champagne and the plate of caviar against the wall on my right, creating a hell of a mess – just like our marriage. My action startles her for a brief moment. Not that it matters in the fact that I’m done with her even if this was the only time. How did I not see this coming? True, I work a lot of hours, but it’s not like we don’t have sex several times a week and I give her whatever she wants or needs.
She lets out a long sigh. “I have more needs than you can satisfy, Greer. Desires that need to be fulfilled. I still love you, no one else. Isn’t that what really counts?”
My feet move before I can even think, walking to the closet and grabbing my suitcase. As I begin throwing shirts, suit coats, and dress pants into it, the corner of my eye catches her getting out of bed and putting on her robe. I can’t even look at her.
“You’re being ridiculous, Greer. You still have me. I’m not planning on ever leaving you. What are you doing?”
Picking up the suitcase from the floor, I take it into the room, yet I can’t even bear the thought of setting it on the bed. Our bed. The one she just had sex on with another man. I set it down on the ottoman and go to the dresser, taking out socks, boxers, ties, and anything else I can find. “I’m being ridiculous. I am? You’re the one who destroyed our marriage, Gianna, not me.”
“You’re making a big mistake, Greer.” Her voice grates on my already frazzled nerves.
Grabbing everything I could think of in our bathroom and throwing it into my suitcase, all the while thankful I never removed my suit coat, I close the case, pick it up, and walk toward the door. Stopping, I look over my shoulder. “You’re right. The biggest mistake I ever made was thinking you are someone you’re obviously not. I thought you were a good person. Someone I’d live a long happy life with, grow old together, love each other until our dying days. I thought you were someone I could trust. I was wrong.” I leave the room, picking up my briefcase from the entryway then open the front door. “I’ll be back tomorrow for the rest of my things. Don’t be here!” I yell.
“You’ll regret this, Greer!” she yells from the bedroom doorway. “You’ll never find another woman who loves you like I do!”
Well, that’s the first thing she’s said that is true. I hope I never meet another woman that would love me like she has. A woman who cheats on someone she supposedly loves.
Not knowing where to go, pissed as all hell and hurt, I head to the nearest bar. I need a Jack and Coke and figure out what I need to do. I find a table in the corner and sit down with my double Jack and Coke, taking several sips before I down it. I hate this. Not only the hurt she’s caused me, but what will happen to Embry? I hate that she’ll have parents who are divorced, having to go back and forth to different houses. How confusing for a three-year-old. A broken home.
“Can I get you another?” I look up at a young woman. She’s smiling. I give her a curt nod. “Jack and Coke?”
Looking down at the table, not wanting to talk to anyone – especially a woman, I add. “Double.”
I don’t look up when she picks up my empty glass. When I hear her leave, I let out a sigh. I’ll have to live at a hotel until I can find another house. I’ll order all new things, not wanting anything to remind me of her or our life together. A bedroom for Embry with everything she loves and more. Then, I’ll submerge myself into my work, more than usual, unless I have Embry. Those times will be completely devoted to her. “Dammit!” A fresh drink appears before my eyes, and I pick it up immediately and down half of it.
“Nothing can be that bad.”
Slowly my eyes move across the table and up into a sea of blue. “Just bring me another.” I spit, angrily. She turns around and walks away and I down the other half of my drink, feeling bad I talked to her that way. This fucked up mess isn’t her fault. Pulling out a small notepad and pen from the inner pocket of my suit coat, I begin making a list.
Get hotel room.
File divorce papers.
Look for a house.
“That’s some list.” Startled, I cover the pad with my hand and look up. She sets down my drink and smiles. “I’m sorry you’re going through that. Wanna talk about it?”
“No.” I snap.
“Okay. I get it. I’m here if you change your mind. Sometimes it’s good getting it off your chest, talking to someone can help. I read once that….”
“I don’t care! Just leave me alone. Go take your good deeds and helpfulness to someone else. I don’t want to talk. I won’t change my mind. Be a good girl and run off.” She seems younger than me by a few years or more. I don’t want to talk to her or anyone else, but especially not to a woman. I may never want to talk to one again. Ever.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she lowers her eyebrows. “Well, I understand you’re going through a rough time, but you don’t need to be mean to me. I didn’t do anything. I’m just trying to help and I….”
“Fuck! Get me another drink or find someone else to do it and leave me alone!” I hit the top of the table with the palm of my hand, anger radiating through me.
Her body jars as if I’d slapped her. “No problem, mister. Trust me, I’ll leave you alone.” I watch her storm away, unsure if I hurt her or she’s just angry at my vulgar words. Fuck! When did I become so mean? When did I ever talk to someone like I just did? I’m not that type of person. Should I go to her and apologize? Just as I’m thinking that she walks across the floor along the bar counter, removes the apron that was tied around her slim waist, and without glancing my way, walks out the front door.
I’m such an asshole.