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We've barely spoken since the night at the bar. I've been trying to keep her at an arm's length, but I couldn't avoid her any longer, so I agreed to lunch since today is the only day that I have a mostly clear schedule. I have a meeting with Sadie later to discuss contracts since she'll be my interior designer, but that's two hours away.
"It's just so hard to make time these days. I've been so busy moving my operations from New York to here."
"I understand. Dean has been busy with the construction crew too. You’re both working so much."
I shrug and take another bite of my club sandwich.
It's hard to try and distance myself from Karina when she so often blows up my phone like a virus. I could try harder or even tell her that I'm not interested in a friendship, but I think, in a way, I like torturing myself with the fact she's Dean's wife.
Her Dean. Not my Dean.
Not anymore.
"How have you been?" I interrupt whatever she's saying. Her lips were moving, but I wasn't paying any attention to the words coming out.
"I've been terrific since taking your advice and deciding to take a month off trying to conceive. Dean and I are doing a lot better, and now we're closer than ever. We've been out on a few lunch dates this week,” she says with so much happiness in her big blue eyes, and I resent her. I hate myself for resenting her. She's innocent, just a woman in love.
I think my resentment toward her is toward myself. You know what they say, misery loves company.
I'm unhappy and apparently want everyone around me to be just as unhappy as I am.
"That's great. I'm happy for you." I lie. I'm positive that it's strictly against girl code to be in love with another woman's husband. It's against my vows, too. I'm married, a fact I seem to forget damn near daily. Guess that's what happens when your husband is nowhere to be seen.
Out of sight, out of mind.
"Camille, what do you think?"
What? Is she still talking? Damn, I missed everything she said. I'm too fucking lost inside my head. "About what?" I clear my throat, giving her my attention this time.
Karina smiles, stabbing into her salad. "I said we need to plan a double date. Now that Dean is getting more free time on the weekends, we need to go out. Me and Dean, you and your husband. I'm ready to meet your mystery husband."Fuck.Can we ever have a conversation where Declan isn't brought up? "I'm not taking no for an answer this time." She's only going to continue asking, and I don't think I can put it off any longer. Declan gets home on Monday, and sooner or later, I'll have to bring him around Karina so she'll shut up about him. I'm running out of excuses.
With a heavy sigh and a shrug of the shoulders, I give in. "Okay, fine. Next Friday night? Dinner at Mio's?" She claps her hands excitedly.
"Yes, girl! Finally! Oh goodness, I'm so excited. I'll need to call Dean once I'm home and tell him the exciting news. We've both been dying to meet your husband. A husband you never talk about, what's up with that?" She winks. "Trying to keep him so private that you have him all to yourself?"
"Declan and I just aren't like that. We don't talk about each other twenty-four-seven." I shrug, not completely lying.
"Ahh, he has a name. Declan Lambert?" she asks.
Here we fucking go.
I shake my head with a wince. "No, Lambert is my maiden name. I use it for work. Valentine is my married name." I can practically see the wheels turning in her head with this new information.
"Wait... Valentine? Declan Valentine is your husband?" She drops her fork, the metal clanking against her plate. Her jaw drops, and I nod.
"As in,theDeclan Valentine from Riot?" I nod again.
Yes, Declan Valentine, lead singer of the famous rock band Riot, is my husband.
"Yup, the one and only, that's my husband." I grab my phone from the table, unlock it, go straight to my photo gallery, and select a picture from my favorite’s album. Holding the phone out toward her, I show her a selfie that Declan and I had taken a few years ago when we were happy.
Karina giggles and claps like a child who just discovered they are going to Disneyland.
"I can't believe it! I had no idea! I knew he was married, but there's not much about his family on social media." After we had Luca and got married, Declan's publicist worked overtime to keep our family out of the media. We didn't want our son to grow up in the spotlight, so neither of us posted photos of him on social media. We kept our family very private, which is why none of his fans know about our son or the fact we are married. There are no photos of the two of us together online, and when it comes to my own brand, I use my maiden name. There's been tons of speculation over the years, but nothing has ever been made public, thanks to both of our publicists.
"We both keep our personal life off social media. His Instagram is dedicated to the band, not his personal life." She nods in understanding.
"Okay, now I must know how you two met." The memory of meeting Declan brings a genuine smile to my lips.
