It would be a happy house, not stilted and tense like the one next door. She shook off the mood with a sigh.
“You’re an ambitious man, Ed.”
“Why?”
She smiled and turned back to him. “No dishwasher. Come on.” She offered her hand again. “I’ll buy you a drink.”
K ATHLEEN SAT IN HER chair, her eyes closed, the phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear. This one wanted to do most of the talking. All she was required to do was make approving noises. Nice work if you can get it, she thought, and brushed a tear from her lashes.
She shouldn’t let Grace get to her this way. She knew exactly what she was doing, and if she needed a little help to keep from losing her mind, then she was entitled to it.
“No, that’s wonderful. No, I don’t want you to stop.”
She bit off a sigh and wished she’d remembered to fix herself a pot of coffee. Grace had thrown her off. Kathleen shifted the phone and checked her watch. He had two minutes coming. Sometimes it was incredible how long two minutes could be.
She glanced up once, thinking she’d heard a noise, then gave her attention back to her client. Maybe she would let Grace take her to Florida for a weekend. It might be good for her to get away, get some sun. And stop thinking for a few days. The trouble was that when Grace was around she never stopped thinking about her own faults and failures. It had always been that way, and Kathleen accepted that it always would be. Still, she shouldn’t have snapped at Grace, she told herself as she rubbed at her temple. But that was done now and she had work to do.
Jerald’s heart was beating like a trip-hammer. He could hear her, murmuring, sighing. That low laugh washed over his skin. His palms were like ice. He wondered how it would feel to warm them against her.
She was going to be so happy to see him. He dragged the back of his hand over his mouth as he moved closer. He wanted to surprise her. It had taken him two hours and three lines of coke, but he’d finally worked up the courage to come to her.
He’d dreamed about her the night before. She’d asked him to come, pleaded with him. Desiree. She wanted to be his first.
The hall was dim, but he could see the light under the door of her office. And he could hear her voice coming through. Beckoning. Teasing.
He had to stop for a minute, rest his palm against the wall. Just to catch his breath. Sex with her would be wilder than any high he’d pumped or snorted into his body. Sex with her would be the ultimate, the pinnacle. And when they’d finished, she’d tell him he was the best.
She’d stopped talking now. He heard her moving around. Getting ready for him. Slowly, almost faint from excitement, he pushed the door open.
And there she was.
He shook his head. She was different, different from the woman of his fantasies. She was dark, not blond, and she wasn’t wearing filmy black or lacy white, but a plain skirt and blouse. In his confusion, he simply stood in the doorway and stared.
When the shadow fell across her desk, Kathleen glanced up, half expecting Grace. Her first reaction wasn’t fear. The boy who stared back at her might have been one of her students. She stood, as she might have stood to lecture.
“How did you get in here? Who are you?”
It wasn’t the face, but it was the voice. Everything else faded but the voice. Jerald stepped closer, smiling. “You don’t have to pretend, Desiree. I told you I’d come.”
When he stepped into the light, she tasted fear. One didn’t have to have experience with madness to recognize it. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” He’d called her Desiree, but that wasn’t possible. No one knew. No one could know. She groped on the desk for a weapon as she gauged the distance to the door. “You’ll have to leave or I’ll call the police.”
But still he smiled. “I’ve been listening for weeks and weeks. Then last night you told me I could come. I’m here now. For
“You’re an ambitious man, Ed.”
“Why?”
She smiled and turned back to him. “No dishwasher. Come on.” She offered her hand again. “I’ll buy you a drink.”
K ATHLEEN SAT IN HER chair, her eyes closed, the phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear. This one wanted to do most of the talking. All she was required to do was make approving noises. Nice work if you can get it, she thought, and brushed a tear from her lashes.
She shouldn’t let Grace get to her this way. She knew exactly what she was doing, and if she needed a little help to keep from losing her mind, then she was entitled to it.
“No, that’s wonderful. No, I don’t want you to stop.”
She bit off a sigh and wished she’d remembered to fix herself a pot of coffee. Grace had thrown her off. Kathleen shifted the phone and checked her watch. He had two minutes coming. Sometimes it was incredible how long two minutes could be.
She glanced up once, thinking she’d heard a noise, then gave her attention back to her client. Maybe she would let Grace take her to Florida for a weekend. It might be good for her to get away, get some sun. And stop thinking for a few days. The trouble was that when Grace was around she never stopped thinking about her own faults and failures. It had always been that way, and Kathleen accepted that it always would be. Still, she shouldn’t have snapped at Grace, she told herself as she rubbed at her temple. But that was done now and she had work to do.
Jerald’s heart was beating like a trip-hammer. He could hear her, murmuring, sighing. That low laugh washed over his skin. His palms were like ice. He wondered how it would feel to warm them against her.
She was going to be so happy to see him. He dragged the back of his hand over his mouth as he moved closer. He wanted to surprise her. It had taken him two hours and three lines of coke, but he’d finally worked up the courage to come to her.
He’d dreamed about her the night before. She’d asked him to come, pleaded with him. Desiree. She wanted to be his first.
The hall was dim, but he could see the light under the door of her office. And he could hear her voice coming through. Beckoning. Teasing.
He had to stop for a minute, rest his palm against the wall. Just to catch his breath. Sex with her would be wilder than any high he’d pumped or snorted into his body. Sex with her would be the ultimate, the pinnacle. And when they’d finished, she’d tell him he was the best.
She’d stopped talking now. He heard her moving around. Getting ready for him. Slowly, almost faint from excitement, he pushed the door open.
And there she was.
He shook his head. She was different, different from the woman of his fantasies. She was dark, not blond, and she wasn’t wearing filmy black or lacy white, but a plain skirt and blouse. In his confusion, he simply stood in the doorway and stared.
When the shadow fell across her desk, Kathleen glanced up, half expecting Grace. Her first reaction wasn’t fear. The boy who stared back at her might have been one of her students. She stood, as she might have stood to lecture.
“How did you get in here? Who are you?”
It wasn’t the face, but it was the voice. Everything else faded but the voice. Jerald stepped closer, smiling. “You don’t have to pretend, Desiree. I told you I’d come.”
When he stepped into the light, she tasted fear. One didn’t have to have experience with madness to recognize it. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” He’d called her Desiree, but that wasn’t possible. No one knew. No one could know. She groped on the desk for a weapon as she gauged the distance to the door. “You’ll have to leave or I’ll call the police.”
But still he smiled. “I’ve been listening for weeks and weeks. Then last night you told me I could come. I’m here now. For
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