Chapter 36
MAY.
“What’s up?” Ginny asks, watching me keenly as I sort the drinks aggressively. “Breakfast in bed went wrong?”
I cut her a scathing look. “I’m not in the mood.”
She rolls her eyes. “When have you ever been in the mood? Could’ve sworn getting married was the best decision you made, but you’ve been crankier than normal.”
I drop the glass cup hard on the table and the customer; a man in his early fifties with dreamy amber eyes and a clay red suit, flinches. “Sorry,” I whisper, letting Ginny take the bottle and glass from me instead.
After handing him his glass, she turns to me. “What’s happening now? What did he do?”
“Handed me a freakin‘ agreement. Said I couldn’t touch him, or him me. Separate rooms and accounts and even talked about divorce.”
Ginny’s lips part. “No way he did that. That’s hella shitty. He just upped and gave you the agreement without a prior argument?”
I sigh and tell her everything that happened the day before, deliberately leaving out the part where he pinned me to his bed and nearly kissed my soul out of my body.
“You shouldn’t have signed it. Could’ve talked about it first, yelled at him even for insinuating that you were with him for the things he could give you. I understand why you signed it, but you need to stop acting on impulse, May. You’re married. How the hell are you going to live with him without touching or getting the romance going? Demarcate the house?”
I purse my lips. “Actually, that seems like a very good idea at this point.”
“May!” Ginny growls and laughs. “Seriously. Learn to work things out with him. It’s a little difficult since it’s your first relationship–”
“Not a relationship,” I correct.
“Yeah, whatever. All I’m saying is…come with me on a blind date!”
I pause. “Wait. What? No. No. Thought you said you were over the dates.”
Ginny pouts. “Mother won’t let me be. Still on the marriage talk. Come with me, please.”
“Last time I went somewhere with you working back home drunk out of my mind. I’m not going anywhere with you, Ginny. And I’m definitely not going to be your third wheel today.”
“Pretty please?” she pleads, batting her eyelashes cutely at me and I start to refuse when a soft voice calls out behind me.
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“May, my child, you should go.”
I look up at the sudden interruption and I find Ethan’s grandmother leaning against the counter. Harriet smiles at me, reaching for my cheek. “You look well. I trust my boy is making you happy.”
Cheeks flushed, I get off the stool, pinching Ginny who has a funny look on her face as she looks at Ethan’s grandmother. “Could’ve sworn I’ve seen her somewhere before,” she mutters
under her breath.
Definitely not Harriet. The woman could be in a place and you wouldn’t even know. She’d left at some point yesterday morning, and I’d woken up to see her message on my phone, wishing me happiness and lots of babies.
If only she knew how Ethan had thrown the possibility of that happening in the trash.
“What are you doing here, Grandma?” I ask, hugging her.
Harriet shrugs, adjusting the glasses perched on her nose. “I thought I’d come see you since I was in the area.” She looks around. “You work too hard, May. You should let Ethan take care of
you.”
I wonder if I should tell her that he has no plans of doing that because he’s much too bothered about me taking his money.
I discard the thought and smile. “I’m only trying to assist.”
“Why don’t you go on the blind date with your friend?” she suddenly says out of nowhere.” You don’t go out very often. It’d be refreshing.”
Maybe Grandmother doesn’t really understand the meaning of blind dates. That’s two people. On a date. Why do I have to be there as a third wheel, laughing at jokes that aren’t for or directed at me?
“It’d make it very awkward if I went with her.”
“May, please! I don’t want to go alone! Please!” Ginny squeals behind me and Ethan’s grandmother gives me a look that tells me all I need to know.
Jeez. Why can’t I say no to this woman? “Fine. I’ll go.”
Harriet taps my cheek lovingly. “Put on something nice.”
****
ETHAN,
“I’ll send Jared to get them for you, granny. I can’t leave my job right now,” I speak softly, giving apologetic looks to the clients who wait for me.
Grandmother wants me to grab her a couple of desserts from her favorite coffee shop. The
Chapter 36
same shop May and I met for the first time. I wonder if May told her everything and she’s trying to torment me.
“It’s only for a few minutes. Jared doesn’t know what I like the same way that you do. Please, Your grandmother is pleading with you. Do this for me and I’ll be very grateful.”
I groan inwardly. She’s playing her usual cards with me. Why do I have to head there right now? I’m in the middle of an important meeting
“I…Christ, Grandma. I’m on my way now,” I tell her and she coos over the phone, telling me how she loves me so much and I’m her favorite, even if I know she loves all her grandchildren equally.
Getting myself out of the meeting is a bit of a hassle, but Jared takes up from where I stopped. I pull up in front of the Café, staring at it and for a moment, I see May sitting in a tight blue dress, laughing at something. Her eyes are bright with mirth and her hand covers her lips in habit like she’s too shy to let the world see her beautiful laughter.
Smiling, I shake my head. I’ve started to see May everywhere now. It’s been happening this way for a while. It’s the reason I had too much to drink last night. Even at work, my secretary had pulled her hair up in a messy bun, and I’d called her May.
I slip out of the car, leaving my suit jacket behind, and I press my phone against my ear, listening to my grandmother list out the things she needs me to buy.
But as I step into the Café, it dawns on me that I haven’t imagined it. I pause by the door, heart plummeting as I see my wife seated with a man, chuckling about something I can bet all my assets isn’t funny.
Something rattles violently inside me.
Rage.
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