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She’d clearly gone too long without male companionship if any brute who walked her way made her sit up and take notice. Even one with pretty eyes and scowling lips.
And firm thighs snugly encased in nearly threadbare denim. She’d noticed that too.
“You asked why we’re divorcing,” she said, reaching for her empty cup. She stretched her fingers around the leftover warmth and wished she hadn’t drunk it so fast. She would’ve appreciated the diversion. “You’d probably be better off asking him, though I have my opinions. He wanted children. I didn’t produce any. Then when he decided to make up for the lack by changing our lifestyle, he became bored with me. I’m a homebody. Perfectly happy staying in with my movies and my paints. He wasn’t satisfied, in any number of ways.” She smiled faintly. “Preschool teachers aren’t exactly wild.”
Jeff’s jaw slackened for an instant before he recovered. Had she shocked him? Good. She liked having the power to do that to someone. It had been a very long time since she’d said or done anything unexpected.
Her husband of ten years had asked for a divorce and she’d agreed. She hadn’t fought or screamed or even pondered it too much. She’d known they were sliding apart for a long time, tectonic plates that had developed the mother of all faults between them.
They hadn’t been lovers for months before Lon had told her he was leaving and she hadn’t minded that either. When necessary, she could take care of herself. She’d refrained from saying that maybe his technique was the problem and not her libido.
He wouldn’t have believed her, probably. After all, he didn’t do anything differently now than he did early in their relationship, and everything had been fine back then. Or maybe the difference in her feelings accounted for the change in their sex life. How could she know for sure?
Along the way, she lost interest in trying to make things work. Instead of speaking up, she stayed silent. As usual. Anything not to make waves. Why create havoc when she truly didn’t know what she wanted anymore? She hadn’t fought for him because she’d fallen out of love with him years ago, just as she suspected he had with her. He’d taken other lovers toward the end but she hadn’t cared. At least he wasn’t bothering her when he spent time in another woman’s bed.
All she wanted was peace. And she’d succeeded at having a completely quiet, drama-free life. A hollow triumph to be sure.
“You don’t want him back,” he said in a surprisingly gentle voice.
“No.”
“Are you sure? It’s possible you’ve just hit a rough patch. That happens in marriages. You could try to work through it”
“Mr. Maddox,” she interrupted, lifting a brow. “I appreciate your concern, but you should save your breath. Lon and I are not reconciling.”
“But if you’d just—”
“Do you know how many orgasms I’ve had with him in the last three years?”
Again Jeff appeared stunned, his pupils widening as he opened and closed his mouth like a guppy. Then he shook his head.
“Less than a handful. Lucky for him I have minimal needs or I might have divorced him a long time ago.”
She wouldn’t have but Jeff didn’t need to know that. For a little while, she could pretend to be a different person. She could become a woman who loved ’em and left ’em rather than being the one left.
“They have vibrators, you know,” he muttered, his jaw cracking as he flung his gaze toward the window.
She laughed and tilted her head, enjoying the opportunity to study him while he was looking anywhere but at her. “I have two but thanks for the tip. It’s not only about sex,” she said into the awkward silence. “We fell out of love, plain and simple. The saddest thing is we won’t even be friends after. I always told myself I’d be friends with my exes. That everything would be so civil and lovely.” She sighed. “Not so much.”
“Really? I can’t stand the sight of mine. If everything was so hunky-damn-dory, they wouldn’t be your ex.”
“Well, that is true. Ex-wife?” she asked. At her best guess, he was around her age of thirty, maybe a few years older. Certainly old enough to be married and divorced, maybe multiple times.
“Yeah. Two of them.” His frown dug lines around his mouth. “Honestly? Marriage fucking sucks. But it would really help me out if you’d stay in yours.”
Curiosity piqued, Karyn leaned forward and rested her forearms on the table. His attention shifted to her hands. Or more specifically, her rings. They were all silver except for her wedding band, which stood out like a beacon from the rest. She wore them on her thumbs and every finger but her pinkies, her only concession to personal adornment. She had no tattoos and no piercings, not even pierced ears. But her rings, each polished to a high sheen and intricately carved, always grabbed notice.
Sometimes people asked her why she wore silver with gold. The silver had been her choice. She hadn’t picked the dull gold band but Lon had wanted something traditional.
More irony.
“Why?” she asked, curling her thumb into her palm. Still he continued to stare. Maybe he really liked baby-blue nail polish.
He started to answer then cut himself off and shook his head. “Look, I’ll just give you your husband’s phone. Return it to him when you want.”
“Wait,” she said as he set the familiar navy cell on the table. “You’re not going to tell me any more than that? Why do you care if I stay married?” She narrowed her eyes. “Is he sleeping with someone important to you? One of those ex-wives? A girlfriend?”
Jeff didn’t answer. She didn’t really expect him to.
