She’d more likely get an excuse. Was that what she wanted? And even if she got the apology or the excuse, was it enough?
She pressed the button on her phone and pulled up the pictures she’d taken. She tapped the screen and spread her fingers to enlarge the image.
He looked perfectly happy. Not even guilty. You’d think he’d have had the decency to at least find a new restaurant, not recycle her favorite lunch spot with that woman. Was nothing sacred?
She was pretty. Katherine wanted to think she was ugly. Pretty is as pretty does, Mom had always said. Did she know he was married? Did she even care? Must be nice to have such long manicured nails. She glanced at her own nails. Void of polish. It was too hard to keep them looking nice with all the typing she did.
Maybe that woman didn’t even work. Maybe she had all day, any day, to spend with Ron. How do you compete with that?
Katherine brought up Shaleigh’s number on her phone. She’d know what to do, but Peggy had said they’d been gathering things for weeks to get ready for her separation from Tucker.
There was no way Katherine was going to keep her cool that long. Peggy probably deserved an Oscar. Besides, why suffer through even one weekend of silence when she could face Ron head-on and be done with it.
She tossed the crumbling package of biscotti into the trashcan. He didn’t need to bother coming home tonight. Late or otherwise.
Katherine made her way back to Ron’s office on heavy legs. She paused to lean against the hard concrete of the black-glassed building she’d always called Darth Vader. Weighing her options, her mood was as ominous as the dark building.
She stood there in Vader’s shadow. May the force be with you. The words echoed in her head as she pushed herself onward.
She pushed through the spinning doors and right into the same elevator to Ron’s floor that she’d almost gotten on earlier.
Two o’clock. Too much to take in.
The receptionist smiled politely when Katherine walked in, but Katherine didn’t bother to stop to chitchat or ask her to announce her arrival. She whisked right by her instead.
Katherine knew the way to Ron’s office. She’d helped him hang the pictures she’d picked out for it when he got his last promotion.
“Mrs. Barclift,” the receptionist called as she closed in on her from behind, her high heels making little scuffing noises in the plush carpet as she ran down the hall. “I’m sorry. I can’t let you just come back here.”
Katherine put her hand on the knob of Ron’s office door, and threw it open without so much as a glance back at the girl.
The office was dark. Not a paper or laptop on the desk. Not a darn paper clip out of place.
She turned and stared at the receptionist, tilting her head as if the thoughts in her head would just somehow inform the girl what she was thinking.
With a quick intake of breath, like someone getting ready to dive into icy waters, the girl said, “He’s been gone most of the day.”
“The meeting?” Katherine choked out.
She shook her head. The lie creeping in in the form of a red rash up her neck. “I’m sorry. I don’t know. He said he wouldn’t be back in today.” The girl looked afraid. Probably afraid for her job. Maybe afraid of what Katherine was going to do. It was probably wise, because Katherine wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do either.
“Can I have one minute?” Katherine tried to sound calm.
“Of course,” the girl said with a look of panic. “Just don’t break anything. Please?”
Katherine stepped into the office and closed the door behind her.
The smell of Irish Spring soap and Ron’s aftershave intermingled in the air. She walked over to his desk.
The picture of the two of them on their honeymoon wasn’t on his desk anymore. Neither was the one where they’d been in the Caribbean celebrating Christmas island-style.
Slowly looking around the room, there wasn’t one picture of her. It was like she’d
She pressed the button on her phone and pulled up the pictures she’d taken. She tapped the screen and spread her fingers to enlarge the image.
He looked perfectly happy. Not even guilty. You’d think he’d have had the decency to at least find a new restaurant, not recycle her favorite lunch spot with that woman. Was nothing sacred?
She was pretty. Katherine wanted to think she was ugly. Pretty is as pretty does, Mom had always said. Did she know he was married? Did she even care? Must be nice to have such long manicured nails. She glanced at her own nails. Void of polish. It was too hard to keep them looking nice with all the typing she did.
Maybe that woman didn’t even work. Maybe she had all day, any day, to spend with Ron. How do you compete with that?
Katherine brought up Shaleigh’s number on her phone. She’d know what to do, but Peggy had said they’d been gathering things for weeks to get ready for her separation from Tucker.
There was no way Katherine was going to keep her cool that long. Peggy probably deserved an Oscar. Besides, why suffer through even one weekend of silence when she could face Ron head-on and be done with it.
She tossed the crumbling package of biscotti into the trashcan. He didn’t need to bother coming home tonight. Late or otherwise.
Katherine made her way back to Ron’s office on heavy legs. She paused to lean against the hard concrete of the black-glassed building she’d always called Darth Vader. Weighing her options, her mood was as ominous as the dark building.
She stood there in Vader’s shadow. May the force be with you. The words echoed in her head as she pushed herself onward.
She pushed through the spinning doors and right into the same elevator to Ron’s floor that she’d almost gotten on earlier.
Two o’clock. Too much to take in.
The receptionist smiled politely when Katherine walked in, but Katherine didn’t bother to stop to chitchat or ask her to announce her arrival. She whisked right by her instead.
Katherine knew the way to Ron’s office. She’d helped him hang the pictures she’d picked out for it when he got his last promotion.
“Mrs. Barclift,” the receptionist called as she closed in on her from behind, her high heels making little scuffing noises in the plush carpet as she ran down the hall. “I’m sorry. I can’t let you just come back here.”
Katherine put her hand on the knob of Ron’s office door, and threw it open without so much as a glance back at the girl.
The office was dark. Not a paper or laptop on the desk. Not a darn paper clip out of place.
She turned and stared at the receptionist, tilting her head as if the thoughts in her head would just somehow inform the girl what she was thinking.
With a quick intake of breath, like someone getting ready to dive into icy waters, the girl said, “He’s been gone most of the day.”
“The meeting?” Katherine choked out.
She shook her head. The lie creeping in in the form of a red rash up her neck. “I’m sorry. I don’t know. He said he wouldn’t be back in today.” The girl looked afraid. Probably afraid for her job. Maybe afraid of what Katherine was going to do. It was probably wise, because Katherine wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do either.
“Can I have one minute?” Katherine tried to sound calm.
“Of course,” the girl said with a look of panic. “Just don’t break anything. Please?”
Katherine stepped into the office and closed the door behind her.
The smell of Irish Spring soap and Ron’s aftershave intermingled in the air. She walked over to his desk.
The picture of the two of them on their honeymoon wasn’t on his desk anymore. Neither was the one where they’d been in the Caribbean celebrating Christmas island-style.
Slowly looking around the room, there wasn’t one picture of her. It was like she’d
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