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By the time I arrive home just after six thirty, I’m exhausted.
“Good evening, Mrs. Fox,” Jeff greets me when I step out of the elevator.
I smile. “Good evening, Jeff.”
He doesn’t say anything else. He simply welcomes me home and allows me the space to begin winding down for the night. Jeff is a quick study of character and has quickly picked up on the fact I don’t like people doing things for me all the time.
I change into leggings and a pink T-shirt, throw my hair up into a ponytail, and make my way into the kitchen. Since I don’t have to go out tonight or entertain, I’ve decided to bake. It’s one of my favorite go-to’s for stress relief and relaxation. There’s something about measuring ingredients and creating something from scratch that makes me feel good. Tonight, I’m baking Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting.
I’ve just gathered all the ingredients when Natalie arrives.
“Hey,” I say with a smile as she places her bag on the table. “I thought you had a date tonight.”
She joins me at the island. “He canceled at the last minute. Something about his sister needing his help.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“Yeah, but I get it. And I like that he’s the kind of man who’ll cancel a date to help his sister, you know?”
“Absolutely.”
She eyes all the ingredients on the countertop. “Big day, huh?” Natalie knows what baking means.
I give her a look. “Big week.”
“Okay, what’s happened that I don’t know about?”
I release a long breath. “What hasn’t is more the question.”
“Jesus.” She rolls up her sleeves. “We better get to work. I need to hear everything. Do not leave a single thing out.”
We spend the next hour baking and talking through my week. Since we’ve caught up most nights, she already knows a lot of it, but I don’t leave a single thing out that she doesn’t know.
She’s not surprised to hear I slept with Jameson. I mean, I’m not surprised it happened either. I just wish it hadn’t, and not only because I don’t like the man. It’s already changed things between us, and I’m left wondering what it will mean for the year ahead and our ability to succeed with this marriage.
Sex always muddles things in my experience. And since this relationship is already muddled, I don’t think we have room for any more.
“So, where does that leave you guys? Do you think maybe you’ll add sex to this marriage? It could be a solution to the no-sex rule MA has insisted on.”
I stare at her. “You’re not joking, are you?”
“No.”
“Has an alien taken over your body? Jesus, you know what I think of MA. I can’t fuck that man ever again and certainly not for a full year.”
“Oh, sister, you can. You really can. It’s not like it would be a hardship.”
“Trust me when I tell you it would be.”
She nods like she’s just decided something. “Right, I see how we’re going to handle this.”
“How? What do you mean?”
She circles her finger in the air at me. “We’re using denial. I’ll support that for a little while if you need me to.”
A text comes through for me.
Mario: Are you free for a call?
