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“I’m sure your practice keeps you very busy,” Poppy says. “Must be very gratifying being married to such an important man,” she says to Dani.
“Oh, my wife’s no slouch,” Nick says before Dani can think of a suitable response. “You ever in need of a top-notch dentist, she’s the one to call.”
“Count me out. I hate going to the dentist,” Poppy says.
“Now she tells me,” Norman says. “After I paid a small fortune for that mouthful of veneers.”
Poppy flashes a brilliant smile of perfect teeth. “Only the best for my guy.”
—
“So, did you have a good time?” Dani asks her husband on the drive home after dinner.
Nick keeps his eyes on the road and says nothing.
“They’re kind of a strange match,” Dani continues. “I mean, they’re nice enough, I guess, but…”
“I don’t recall anybody asking your opinion,” her husband says.
Dani’s breath catches in her lungs. “You’re still mad,” she acknowledges.
“Why on earth would I be mad?”
“You tell me.”
“Maybe because you deliberately stood in my line of sight?”
“It wasn’t deliberate….”
“Because you made fun of my slow play…”
“That was Poppy, and she was makin’ fun of my accent as much as anythin’….”
“You didn’t laugh?”
“Well, itwaskinda funny.”
“I’m glad you thought so.”
“Okay, I’m sorry.” Dani waits for Nick to accept her apology. “I’m really sorry,” she repeats when he doesn’t. Then, “Are we good?”
Nick says nothing. They drive the rest of the way home in silence.
—
Dani goes upstairs to check on the boys while Nick pays Erin for babysitting.
“Oh, that’s way too much,” she hears Erin say. “Really, you don’t have to…”
“No. I insist. Please, I’ll be insulted if you don’t take it.”
“That’s so nice. Thank you so much.”
“My pleasure.”
Dani hears the front door close, watching from her bedroom window as Erin disappears inside the house next door. “How much did you give her?” she asks as her husband walks into the room, closing the bedroom door behind him.
But the words are barely out of her mouth before his open hand comes crashing against her cheek.
She collapses to the floor.
“Now we’re good,” he says.
