Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
“If you say so, I’ll take your word for it.”
“What else could it be? No, you know what it doesn’t matter. Eileen works for me for us now. You’re my woman do the dynamics detective and figure it out. And the next time someone makes you feel uncomfortable about us, and you don’t talk to me about it, I’ll turn you over my knee.”
She looked at him mouth agape as he walked out of the room. “You know where the bathroom is if you want to take a quick shower. I’ll be out back grilling, join me when you’re done. By the way, hello.”
He walked back to her and took her face in his hands to kiss her. A long lingering kiss that went on much longer than he’d meant it to. “I missed you more than I thought possible.”
His mind went to the bed, and he gave serious thought to dragging her there but gave up on the idea unless he wanted to burn their dinner. “Later!” He tapped her on the hip and left the room, leaving her standing there all hot and bothered. Celia shook her head as she walked towards the bathroom, wondering just what she’d gotten herself into with Mr. Riley O’Rourke.
Gil sat in the dark room, staring into space, not quite knowing what to do with himself. Bobby had just left to go pick up some Jack from the liquor store. They were both going to need it tonight. He didn’t think anything of the fact that he was finding solace in the presence of his wife’s lover. Somehow it seemed to fit.
He still couldn’t believe that she was gone. All through the police interrogation, he’d kept asking if they were sure that she was really dead. He’d heard stories of people waking up in the morgue and was hoping against hope that his Mel could be one of those.
He couldn’t believe that the beautiful girl he’d loved for almost half his life was gone, just like that. Who would do something like that to her? The cop had tried to shield him from most of it when he identified the body, but he’d seen what had been carved into her chest.
He knew it wasn’t Bobby. He and the other man might’ve had their differences because of the affair, but he knew Bobby knew that even though he wasn’t in love with Melissa like he was, that he wouldn’t have hurt her. What would be his reason?
He felt numb and confused. His family had tried coming over, but he’d put them off; he didn’t want to see anyone. Funnily enough, it was only Bobby’s company that he wanted right now because the other man had been the closest thing to his wife other than himself these last few weeks of her life.
Maybe I’m going crazy, he thought. Perhaps the grief had broken me somehow. Why else would I want to sit and reminisce with my wife’s lover so soon after her death? But, whatever the reason, that’s the way it is. “Oh Mel, what did you get yourself into?”
He couldn’t help feeling responsible for all that had happened. That’s why in the beginning, when he first found out about her and Bobby, as mad as he was, the guilt had kept him from going overboard.
He knew when he married Mel that he was the luckiest man alive. She could’ve been with anyone else, but she’d chosen him. When he’d promised her to take care of her for the rest of her life, he’d meant it, but losing his high paying job hadn’t been part of the equation.
He knew she loved him in her own way, and that part of the reason for the affair was to vent her anger at him for letting her down. He was sure that she’d had no plans to leave him for the other man, and after all, hadn’t he enjoyed some of the benefits?
His face burned with shame now as he thought of it. Maybe I’m sick in the head. No, Gil knew that there were other men out there just like him, men who liked to watch their wives or significant other with different partners. Men who liked fucking their woman after someone else had spent inside her.
He hadn’t known that about himself until Mel started having the affair though, and it had taken him a while to come to terms with that about himself, but once he got over the shame of it, he’d sure enjoyed himself. He was even giving thought here lately to telling her that it was okay, that maybe someday he’d like to watch the two of them together, and now this.
Don peeped through the security blinds on the windows of his home for what had to be the one-hundredth time in the last few hours. He felt sick and nauseous to his stomach as he paced back and forth in the room. He was expecting a knock on his door any second with the police on the other side.