‘So, what happened?’ Denise asked. ‘You bumped into him for the third time?’
‘Not even close.’ Mary quickly explained what happened in the days following the exhibition – the gift, the note, the invitation, and their first date at the Legion of Honor. ‘And that was when I excelled, Denise.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘My performance,’ Mary explained. ‘I honestly deserved to be nominated for an award that night.’
‘Why?’ Denise got even more comfortable on the sofa. ‘What did you do?’
Mary told her about the first hissy fit she threw when Quaddra had suggested that she wasn’t from San Francisco.
‘You actually legged it?’ Denise’s eyes became two large marbles. ‘Just left him there, right in the middle of the exhibition?’
Mary nodded, a proud smile on her lips. ‘Ran all the way down to the road, like Cinderella leaving the ball at midnight.’
‘That was risky,’ Denise commented. ‘What if he hadn’t come after you?’
‘No chance of that,’ Mary said back, her tone full of confidence.‘I knew he would. He was already firmly on the hook. All I was doing was reeling him in… tight.’
‘Had you two kissed yet?’
‘Nope, but I knew I had him.’ She paused just to heighten the suspense. ‘But my second hissy fit was really the one that was worth the Oscar.’
‘What do you mean “second”?’ Denise appeared confused. ‘On the same evening?’
Mary took her time explaining what happened after she’d run out of the Legion of Honor – how Quaddra had apologized to her, the restaurant in Vista Del Mar, the dinner, the conversation, and what happened when the bill came.
‘That was my chance to play the role of a scorned woman,’ Mary said. ‘Who had just been lied to.’
‘You did not.’
‘I did… and it was an Oscar-winning performance.’
‘This bitch.’ Denise’s lips stretched into a wide smile before she high-fived Mary.
‘To keep me from running off on him again,’ Mary carried on, ‘he came clean and explained why he’d given me a false name when we first met. As a small “quid pro quo”, I told him my story.’
‘Which story are you talking about?’ A hint of worry crept into Denise’s tone.
‘Abusive husband, who I had divorced,’ Mary clarified. ‘I told him that I was trying to start a new life for myself – that’s why I’d been traveling for a while. I also told him that the reason why I had been so skittish about him knowing that I wasn’t from San Francisco and giving me a false name was because my ex-husband wasn’t the type who’d let go easily.’
Denise’s face almost dropped, but Mary was quick to calm her down.
‘It’s alright, Denise. Abusive ex-husband is a very, verycommon story in the USA. You know that. I never mentioned Nelson’s name, or my married name, or Massachusetts, or the fact that Nelson is in prison.’
‘And he never asked about any of it?’ Concern was still cloaking Denise’s words.
‘No,’ Mary confirmed. ‘He’s actually a very understanding kind of guy. He knows that everyone has a past. He also told me that when I was good and ready to tell him about mine, he’d be ready to listen.’ She shrugged. ‘After that… I mean, after dinner, we ended up at his place, and we fucked for the first time. Since then, it’s been pretty much smooth sailing.’
Denise’s eyes avoided Mary altogether.
‘What’s wrong?’ Mary asked.
‘Nothing. He just sounds like he’s a nice guy, and I’ve seen you together. You do look like a very happy couple. Are you sure that you want to destroy his life?’
‘Don’t do that, Denise,’ Mary said, her tone serious.
‘Do what?’
