liar, Jack Watson. You're trying to kidnap me and hold me for ransom, I just know it
What a good idea, he said, laughing with her. What are my chances?
Now? Tonight? It was already five-thirty, but the store was open till nine so their customers could shop for Christmas. You gave me lunch today, you don't have to feed me tonight too. I have another idea. Why don't you come out to the house a little later on, and I'll cook you dinner. Nothing fancy, just whatever I find in the fridge, more or less. I owe you one, a big one, for getting Paul to go to the doctor.
I'd love it. He accepted her invitation instantly, and promised to be there at seven o'clock to help her. And as soon as she left, he picked up the phone and canceled the date that he had set up weeks before for that evening. He claimed to have the flu, and the girl he called just laughed at him. She didn't really care, but she knew him a lot better than he suspected.
What's her name? The girl he had called couldn't resist a little teasing.
What makes you think it's another woman?
Because you're not gay, and you probably haven't had the flu since you were two. You sound fine to me, Jack ' good luck with whoever she is. She was seeing someone else anyway, and he thanked her for being so understanding.
He arrived at Amanda's door at exactly seven o'clock, and she was wearing a pair of gray slacks with a pale blue sweater set and a string of pearls. She looked like a young heiress, but she was wearing an apron.
Very domestic picture, he commented as he came in and set down a bottle of very fancy wine he had bought for her, and she laughed at his comment.
I hope so, after twenty-six years of marriage.
You know, I never thought of you that way before, domestic I mean, Jack confessed as he followed her into the kitchen and she thanked him for the wine. It was an excellent wine, and an impressive vintage. I only thought of you in terms of being a movie star. It's hard to forget who you were before. You even look the same. In fact, in my mind, I always think of you as Amanda Robbins, and not Amanda Kingston.
Matt hated that, she said simply. A lot of people used to say that.
Is that why you never went back? He was curious about her.
Probably. Matt wouldn't have wanted me to anyway. We talked about it a lot before we got married. I hadn't been at it long, but I was ready to give it up ' for something better ' a man I loved and a family.
And was it better? Were you happy? he asked, as he watched her.
I loved being with my kids, and with Matt. It was a good life. She looked pensive for a moment then, as she thought about it. It's hard to believe that it's over. Everything shattered so quickly. One minute he was leaving the house with his tennis racket in his hand, and the next he was gone, just two hours later. It's hard to adjust to.
Jack nodded. It sounds dumb to say it, but at least he didn't suffer.
I guess that's true, but we did. I wasn't prepared at all. He seemed so young. We never even talked about what would happen if one of us died. We never had time to think about it, or say good-bye, or ' Tears filled her eyes and she turned away, and suddenly Jack was behind her, holding her shoulders.
It's okay ' I know ' that's how it was for me with Dori. She had a car accident on the way to meet me. Head-on. She never knew what hit her. But I did. I felt like that goddamn truck had hit me. For a long time, I wished it would have. I kept wanting it to be me, and not her ' I felt so damn guitly.
So did I, Amanda said as she turned to look at him. He had kind eyes, they were a warm brown, and his hair was a sandy blond peppered with gray. He was astonishingly good-looking. For the last year, I kept wishing I had died instead of Matt. But for the last week or two, I'm suddenly glad I didn't. I've been enjoying my kids again, and doing little things' . It's funny how things change just the smallest bit, and it makes a difference. He nodded, and put on one of her
What a good idea, he said, laughing with her. What are my chances?
Now? Tonight? It was already five-thirty, but the store was open till nine so their customers could shop for Christmas. You gave me lunch today, you don't have to feed me tonight too. I have another idea. Why don't you come out to the house a little later on, and I'll cook you dinner. Nothing fancy, just whatever I find in the fridge, more or less. I owe you one, a big one, for getting Paul to go to the doctor.
I'd love it. He accepted her invitation instantly, and promised to be there at seven o'clock to help her. And as soon as she left, he picked up the phone and canceled the date that he had set up weeks before for that evening. He claimed to have the flu, and the girl he called just laughed at him. She didn't really care, but she knew him a lot better than he suspected.
What's her name? The girl he had called couldn't resist a little teasing.
What makes you think it's another woman?
Because you're not gay, and you probably haven't had the flu since you were two. You sound fine to me, Jack ' good luck with whoever she is. She was seeing someone else anyway, and he thanked her for being so understanding.
He arrived at Amanda's door at exactly seven o'clock, and she was wearing a pair of gray slacks with a pale blue sweater set and a string of pearls. She looked like a young heiress, but she was wearing an apron.
Very domestic picture, he commented as he came in and set down a bottle of very fancy wine he had bought for her, and she laughed at his comment.
I hope so, after twenty-six years of marriage.
You know, I never thought of you that way before, domestic I mean, Jack confessed as he followed her into the kitchen and she thanked him for the wine. It was an excellent wine, and an impressive vintage. I only thought of you in terms of being a movie star. It's hard to forget who you were before. You even look the same. In fact, in my mind, I always think of you as Amanda Robbins, and not Amanda Kingston.
Matt hated that, she said simply. A lot of people used to say that.
Is that why you never went back? He was curious about her.
Probably. Matt wouldn't have wanted me to anyway. We talked about it a lot before we got married. I hadn't been at it long, but I was ready to give it up ' for something better ' a man I loved and a family.
And was it better? Were you happy? he asked, as he watched her.
I loved being with my kids, and with Matt. It was a good life. She looked pensive for a moment then, as she thought about it. It's hard to believe that it's over. Everything shattered so quickly. One minute he was leaving the house with his tennis racket in his hand, and the next he was gone, just two hours later. It's hard to adjust to.
Jack nodded. It sounds dumb to say it, but at least he didn't suffer.
I guess that's true, but we did. I wasn't prepared at all. He seemed so young. We never even talked about what would happen if one of us died. We never had time to think about it, or say good-bye, or ' Tears filled her eyes and she turned away, and suddenly Jack was behind her, holding her shoulders.
It's okay ' I know ' that's how it was for me with Dori. She had a car accident on the way to meet me. Head-on. She never knew what hit her. But I did. I felt like that goddamn truck had hit me. For a long time, I wished it would have. I kept wanting it to be me, and not her ' I felt so damn guitly.
So did I, Amanda said as she turned to look at him. He had kind eyes, they were a warm brown, and his hair was a sandy blond peppered with gray. He was astonishingly good-looking. For the last year, I kept wishing I had died instead of Matt. But for the last week or two, I'm suddenly glad I didn't. I've been enjoying my kids again, and doing little things' . It's funny how things change just the smallest bit, and it makes a difference. He nodded, and put on one of her