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“But you do recall falling to your knees, begging me to marry your assistant, correct?”
I was starting to lose my patience. We hadn’t discussed her little showdown with Duffy in all the weeks since it had happened, and now she wanted me to fall into bed with her?
Gretchen batted her long eyelashes, and all I could think about was how her eyes were boring blue and not exotically purple. “Yes. As an arrangement.”
“Well, it’s been arranged.”
“Not to save my ass, that’s for sure.” She was starting to drop her sweet charade and show her true colors. “Something else made you say yes. You made it clear you didn’t care about me or my career the night she caught us.”
“The why isn’t important. The fact that I did it is.”
“Again.” She sipped her wine through pinched lips. “How does it matter? The marriage isn’t real!”
“It matters because I’m not going to cheat on my wife, who is waiting for a US visa, just to wet my dick,” I bit out.
Now that I’d verbalized it, I realized I hadn’t screwed anyone other than Duffy since that night she caught me with Gretchen. Not that I thought that the US government was the moral police. Half the politicians had affairs, drug scandals, sex tapes, and DUIs. But there was no need to pile more difficulties on Operation: Getting Duffy a Visa.
Meanwhile, Gretchen’s face looked like it was about to melt into her wineglass.Abhorreddidn’t begin to cover it. She looked like I’d just informed her that I’d given her gonorrhea.
“Don’t tell me ...” She touched her neck delicately. “That you’re having anaffairwith her?”
“Can you have an affair with someone you’re married to?” I wondered aloud. “Kind of like being a fuck buddy with your girlfriend, no? It’s all baked into the cake.”
“So it’s a yes!”
“It’s a ‘no fucking comment,’” I corrected. Then, realizing Daphne might expire if she thought her boss knew she was sampling her leftovers, I added, “I should be so lucky.”
Gretchen flew up from her seat, shaking her head, her eyes wide. “No, no. Don’t give me that. There’s no way you’re not having sex with her. Are you two living together?”
Feeling a little concerned Gretchen was going to out us, I stood up too. I grabbed my wallet and threw notes onto the bar, covering both our bills. “Don’t forget this whole mess started becauseyouwere afraid Duffy was gonna run to the press and rat us out,” I warned.
“You didn’t answer my question.” She blocked my way out with her body. As if that would help if I wanted to bulldoze past her.
“You didn’t answer my unspoken one,” I countered.
Her nostrils flared, and she took a step back. “Are you asking if I’ll do something to hurt Daphne’s chances of being granted a visa?”
“I’m making sure.” I folded my arms over my chest.
“Well, no. I’m not that person. But now that I have a government job and rules to abide by, I can’t chance a scandal. I reserve the right to—”
I raised my hand. “Stop it right there. You have no rights. None whatsoever. You lost your rights when you decided to fuck someone who wasn’t your husband. You’ll keep your mouth shut and stay out of our life.”
Ourlife? Dafuq was I saying? We had no mutual life together.
“Or?” She tilted her chin up, her eyes tapering.
Seriously?
“Or I’ll be the one singing to the press about our affair. I’ll spare no detail, Gretchen. The props, the frequency, the faces you make when you come ...” I let loose a spiteful, sly grin. “Trust me, I can beverychatty when prompted.”
She took another step back, her eyes glittering with rage. “I can’t believe the bitch got you.”
I grabbed my phone, having had enough bullshit for the entire day. “There’s only one bitch in this story, and I’m looking at her right now. Duffy may not be everyone’s cup of tea—hell, who in this world is?—but what you did to her the last day of her job is unforgivable. And the worst part ...” I shook my head, chuckling. “Is that you didn’t even ask for forgiveness. Your narcissism looked really good up close when we were screwing, but from every other angle? It’s really ugly. Have a good life, Gretchen. Or better yet—don’t.”
With those parting words, I shoved the door open and made my way to the subway. I knew Gretchen would never contact me again. Her ego was too big to sustain this kind of blow. Which worked out well, because her ego was also too fragile to survive the tell-all interview she knew I’d give theEnquirerif she messed with Duffy’s visa somehow. I had nothing to lose.
Or so she thought.
