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“Consider it done, love. Are you having a good day?” I asked as I pulled the ingredients from the refrigerator and pantry.
“My day is going quite well, thank you. I’m actually on my way out the door. Valen is nearby, and we are going to grab a quick lunch.” The excitement in his voice made me giggle.
“Well then, don’t let me keep you. You get to your lunch and enjoy it, sweetheart. I love you, Jamie Day.” I stopped for a moment, letting my love for him wash over me.
“And I love you, Sadie-bug.”
I set my phone down on the counter after we hung up, turning back to the mess of ingredients spread out over my counter. Time to get to work.
The time went by quickly as I lost myself in the making of dough, in the kneading and combining of ingredients. I was just putting the final touches on the delicious treat; the peaches arranged in a beautiful spiral pattern, sprinkled with sprigs of fresh rosemary from the herb garden on the back porch, when Danielle burst through the backdoor.
“Sadie.” Her voice, out of breath and panting, was full of dread.
“What’s wrong, Danielle?” I asked, concern etched on my voice. “Is everything okay?”
“Not in the slightest. We need to talk.” She rushed past me, opening the doors to the liquor cabinet and pulling tequila from the shelf, along with two shot glasses.
“A tequila day? It’s that bad?” I laughed lightly, the sound dying on my lips as she turned to give me a look.
“Yeah. It is.”
“Shit.” I turned to put the galette in the oven, setting the timer, and joined her at the counter where she was pouring a healthy amount of liquor into each shot glass.
“Drink first.” She tossed back the drink, hissing as she exhaled after swallowing.
“Okay. Bottoms up, then.” I shot the stinging liquor, my eyes watering at the bitter taste. “So, tell me.”
“I don’t think you’re ready. Again.” She poured two more shots, sliding mine over to me with a slosh of liquid spilling onto the counter.
“Really, Danielle. I don’t think this is —”
“Drink!” She tossed her drink back again, coughing lightly as she inhaled the fumes a little too harshly. I shook my head, but followed suit, thanking my lucky stars I’d had a good breakfast and had nibbled my way through lunch as the liquor hit my stomach.
“Okay, now tell me. Enough putting it off.” I demanded, wiping my lips with the back of my hand.
“So, Lisa saw you. I thought she didn’t. I thought I had her convinced. And maybe I did —”
“Wait, what are you saying, Danielle?”
“I’m saying that she saw you running back into your house after leaving Thatcher’s that morning. I thought she didn’t. Maybe she didn’t. But if she eventhoughtshe had seen that, it was confirmed when she saw the two of you kissing at some restaurant, Biancheria, I think, the other night.” She winced as she finished the horrible truth.
I stood there, mouth agape, as I tried to process what I had just been told.
“Okay. So, she saw us. I can just go talk to her and explain. And maybe she’ll keep her mouth shut about it. I mean, surely she can be reasoned with.” In truth, I was trying to reason with myself as panic gripped my chest like a vise.
“Yeah, that’s not going to work.”
“Why not?”
“Because she already told everyone.”
“WHAT?” My pulse thundered in my chest. Panic was no longer swelling inside of me. It was eating me alive from within.
“Yeah. She told anyone who would listen that you are part of some sinful, amoral swingers’ club. That you cheat on your husband right under his nose by sleeping with other men, but that Jamie knows about it.”
I was dying. My breath was leaving my body, my heart refusing to beat. That was the only explanation for the absolute disaster my body had become in those few moments of truth Danielle had uttered.
“Sadie?”
