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I’m no longer joking when I round the table and place a hand against her stomach. “I don’t want you upsetting yourself for no reason. She’s nothing.” I receive a quick nod and the ghost of a smile before she leaves the room, and another moment passes before her footsteps ring out in the kitchen. Elena is due in a few minutes, and the woman of the house has to at least make it look like she’s used to serving up our dinners.
I gaze down at the flowers she so carefully arranged and reflect on the effort she took with her hair and makeup tonight. It strikes me as sad in a way. This is all a show, an act. She might wish it wasn’t. What girl doesn’t want to show off her new home to a friend?
But this isn’t the average marriage, and Elena is no average friend.
I only hope Alicia can put on a good performance—then again, I, of all people, should know how good an actress she is when she puts her mind to it. The memory stiffens my spine in time for the pealing of the doorbell. I cannot afford to forget who she is and what she’s put me through.
Alicia is wiping her hands on a dish towel as she hurries through the living room, breezing past me without so much as a glance. The girls do the typical squealing and hugging at the door while I busy myself opening a bottle of wine. A glance at my reflection in the mirror hanging over the sideboard tells me I’d better loosen up. Right now, I look like I’m ready to kill.
“And you can see through to the kitchen.” Alicia sounds upbeat, cheerful, happy as she gives Elena a tour.
“Wow, this is gorgeous!” She can’t hide how impressed she is. “You got lucky, babe. Really lucky. Does he have a brother?”
Alicia’s laughter is light and teasing, and the sound grows louder the closer the girls get to the dining room. I wait with my wine, smiling. The spider seated in the center of the web.
“Wow,” Elena breathes once she enters the room and sees the elaborate table, flowers, and candles. “All this for me?” Her smile is a bit disbelieving as she turns my way.
And then it hardens until it’s almost brittle. She sees what she wants and is determined to get it. “We meet again,” she announces in a decidedly softer voice.
“So we do, but now we’ll be introduced.” I hand her the wine, and she brushes her fingers over mine upon accepting the glass. “Elena, my name is Enzo. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise. I’ve been looking forward to this.”
“As have I.” I raise my glass to her. “You have no idea.”
Alicia clears her throat, now wearing a brittle smile of her own. “I’ll see about bringing out the antipasto.” I nod but maintain eye contact with Elena. She’s a beautiful girl—curvaceous, too, and dressed to accentuate the fact. Her neckline is low enough to almost be indecent, and if she bent over, I’d have a nice view of her ass and perhaps her pussy, as well. Her diamond earrings and bracelet, and the designer label on her purse, all send a message.Your wife isn’t in your league, but I am.
She catches me checking her out and flashes a knowing smile. “I hope I look okay. Alicia told me you usually get dressed up for dinner.”
“You look great. That’s a nice dress.”
“You like it?” She treats me to a slow turn. “I bought it for tonight.”
“It was a good choice.” And now I’m glad Alicia has those expensive clothes from the shopping trip I took her on. I’m glad she looks just as good as her so-called friend—no, better. This little slut looks trashy. Eager.
Alicia enters carrying a platter of meats, cheeses, marinated vegetables, and crackers. “Dig in, please. I think I went overboard.” She sets the platter down in the center of the table before taking a seat at my right while Elena settles in on my left. “I never know how to estimate how much people are going to want to eat at once.”
Elena either doesn’t notice the way Alicia avoids the wine and soft cheese, or she doesn’t care. “My appetite changes all the time, anyway. I can never predict what I’ll be hungry for or how much.” She pops an olive into her mouth, her attention focused on me.
Then she turns to Alicia. “Where did you find him? Where can I find one?”
Alicia blushes but says nothing, her glance at me speaking volumes. Right. We never planned how to respond to that question. “I first set eyes on her at a club in town,” I explain, grinning her way but placing most of my attention on our guest. “It was… one of those things.”
She lifts an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Love at first sight, huh? You usually only hear about stuff like that in the movies.”
“I would never have imagined it, but it happened.”
“I hope the magic stays alive through real life.” She swirls the wine in her glass, eyeing me all the while. “Sometimes these sudden romances get sour once enough time passes. My dad’s been married four times, and my mom is between husbands right now.”
“There’s been… drama in my family, as well. Relationships take work.”
“You’d better be careful.” She winks at Alicia. “He’s right. Relationships can take work. Which means your ass better not get fat. I can give you my personal trainer’s number if you want.”
Who does this bitch think she is? I cannot believe the intensity of the desire to slap the smirk off her face. And Alicia thought she was a friend? Did she ever have one before this? I’ll have to ask her about it when we’re alone.
“He never lets me skip leg day,” Elena continues. “And check out the work he’s done on my arms and shoulders.” She takes my hand and places it on her bicep before flexing.
“I’m impressed.” I allow my hand to linger, no matter how it repulses me to do so. She isn’t who I want. I could find a hundred women just like her here in Miami.
