Chapter Six

While my soup warmed up on the stove, I made my way to the front door to get the mail, hoping that having something constructive to do would stop my pity pout. I started opening envelopes and sorting them into piles: bills, junk mail, etc.

My heart skipped a beat when I opened a letter from Gary's kidney specialist. I figured it was a reminder letter of his upcoming appointment, one he had waited several weeks for to determine if the sharp pains he has been feeling in his back from time to time are kidney-related. But when I unfolded the sheet, I saw a bill for services rendered. It was dated for Tuesday – three days ago. This can't be right!

My heart and mind were racing as I dialled Gary's private line.

“Shardonay, how are you, baby?” His nicknames were usually endearing, but it did nothing to put me at ease today.

“Good, Honey, how's your day going?” I wanted to skip the small talk and figure out what the hell was going on, but I didn't want to appear anxious or suspicious.

I could hear the sigh in Gary's voice as he answered, “Oh, alright. It's been a bitch of a week and I'm so glad it's Friday. I thought I was getting ready to retire but I feel busier than ever.”

“That's because you refuse to delegate to others. If you keep that up, you'll be there until the day you die. But I have a feeling that's your secret plan. You love that place and wouldn't know what to do with your time if you were retired.”

“You know me too well, Babe!” Gary chuckled. “But I am going to be home at a decent hour tonight. I wanna make it up to you for being gone every night this week. That appointment really threw a monkey wrench into my week.”

“Yeah, I wanted to ask you about that. I got a bill in the mail, but I thought your appointment was a few weeks from now.”

“Did I not tell you about that? Shit, I really have been consumed by my work. Sorry, ShareBear, I didn't mean to keep that from you. The office called and had a cancellation. They recommended I come to see them right away since my appointment was still weeks away. If I had known how busy my week was going to end up, I wouldn't have gone.”

“So when was your appointment?” I asked tentatively, realizing I was holding my breath waiting for the answer.

“Tuesday afternoon, at around one-ish, I believe. It was pretty basic testing at this point and she says we should have the results back by early next...”

I didn't hear what Gary was saying as my mind raced with thoughts of the last two days. If his appointment was at one o'clock on Tuesday, there was no way he could have been here teasing and tantalizing me. Which raised the question – who the hell was here with me?

I felt queasy as I recalled the intimate details of the last two afternoons. Fingers in my pussy, slaps on my ass, mouth on my breasts, relentless teasing. All with a complete stranger. Or maybe it was someone I know. Somehow that prospect didn't make me feel any better, because either way it wasn’t my husband.

“Sharlene, where are you? You've been drifting out of this conversation like a shipwrecked sailor, are you alright?”

Gary's voice brought me back to the present. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, Hun, I think I'm just tired.”

“Well, don't be too tired, I'm looking forward to finally seeing you tonight. I should be home by no later than seven thirty.”

I needed time to sort through this new information before facing Gary. “Don't rush home on my account, get done what you need to, even if it takes a bit of time. I'll be here waiting for you.”

I could hear the smile in Gary's voice as he said, “You're my best gal, thanks for being so understanding.” The fact that Gary loves me without question made me feel that much more guilty over what I'd done.

“Say, Gary? Did we have a service guy here on Tuesday? Or was one supposed to come?” I hoped my voice sounded casual as I asked.

“Oh, shoot! How could I have forgotten? Someone from Floppy Disck was going to come in to set up an office for me so I could work from home. With the upheaval of my day, it completely slipped my mind. I'll have to ask Lacey if they called to reschedule. For the amount they charge, I sure hope they don't bill me for the no-show, although I wouldn't blame them if they did.”

“You know, if you're going to try to be so independent, you really should either get a smartphone or concede that organization isn't your strong point and rely more heavily on Lacey to keep you in line. She's a great secretary, so use her!” It was a bit of a running joke between us, how forgetful Gary was, but today I hoped I didn't come across as snarky as I felt. It's not like it was Gary's fault that I let a complete stranger become so intimate with me. I guess it wasn't really my fault, either, but I certainly played a huge part in this fiasco. At least I knew where he was from. Or she. Oh, God. This thought hit me like a Mack Truck and suddenly I couldn't get off the phone fast enough.

“...Hey, Gary,” I interrupted his explanation, which I didn’t hear anyway, “can I call you back? I think someone's knocking on the door.” I hated telling even small lies to Gary, but given the events of the last few days, this was mild in comparison and I needed to sort out my thoughts.

“Sure, Love. Why don't we just continue our chat over wine and take-out tonight. I know how you need to blab and I promise I will be all ears!” His seemingly rude remark was said with a laugh, and I knew he was just ribbing me. Ever since he heard that women speak three times as many words per day as men, he loved teasing me about it, particularly since it was definitely true in our case.

I smiled in spite of my conflicted feelings. “That sounds great, Gary. I can't wait.” I was looking forward to seeing him, I just needed some time to sift through the events of the last few days.

“OK, then, I'll see you in a few hours. I love you.”

“Bye Gary, I love you, too.”