AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’ll be right back,” Alphé said, leaving the kitchen.
There was an uncomfortable moment of silence.
“So, you’re new in town?” Calista asked, looking at her.
“I am. Nine days down.”
“Wow, you work fast,” she said, giggling. “I’m just teasing. I’ve known Alphé a long time, and he moved fast with you.”
“Did he?” Katrina asked, picking up the cup of coffee that she wanted to throw in Calista’s face but took a sip of it instead. “I don’t know him that well, so I wouldn’t know.”
“So, you just started to date?”
“We’ve seen each other every day since I arrived,” Katrina explained proudly. She didn’t mention the brief meetings at the island and the dock.
“Alphé is a family man,” Calista said. “His kids come first.”
“As it should be,” Katrina replied, wondering what she was getting at.
Alphé returned with the kids’ school calendar.
“Lola is going to get them off to school. She’s looking for a job right now, but hopefully she can work around their schedule. If you can see them home on the days that they have school, that would be great, Calista. On the days they’re off for holidays or whatever, I’ll see if I can get Lola to take over.”
“I can watch them on holidays,” Calista said. “It’s no problem.”
“Wow, that’s wonderful that you were able to work this out so smoothly,” Katrina said.
“I’m lucky Calista offered.”
“Yes, you really are. To have someone they already love will be a big help,” Katrina said, meaning it. “I don’t have children yet, but I can see that worrying about them while you’re working could be a real problem.”
“Do you know the story?” Calista asked.
“She does,” Alphé answered for her. “I needed to keep things up front with Katrina because I’m in love with her.”
“You’re in love with her? But didn’t you just meet?”
“It was love at first sight,” he said, looking at Katrina with obvious adoration, and she nodded her head.
“It was love at first sight for me, too,” she replied. “And right now, I feel like I’m the luckiest woman in the world.”
“Gosh, I hope I find that someday,” Calista said, and she burst into tears.
Seconds passed where the only sound was of her weeping. Alphé was paralyzed, looking down at the floor. Deciding to change her modus operandi when Alphé didn’t try to comfort her, Katrina turned over a new leaf, got up, and hurried around the table, embracing Calista.
“You’ve had a terrible shock this weekend. Everything you thought you knew about someone you loved turned out to be untrue. For Alphé, too.”
“I knew Lola was a cheat,” he said.
“But not Rodney,” Calista added. “You never suspected him, did you?”
“Never,” Alphé said. “I trusted him with my life every day that we went out on that boat. And then when he needed me, I couldn’t save him.”
Katrina reached for Alphé while still holding on to Calista.
Is this what I’m in for?she thought. She was trading in that charmed, wealthy, selfish-single life for this.
A tap on the kitchen door ended the commiserating. It was Pris.
