errand to run and got back later than expected. Anything exciting go on?”
“Not really,” she said. They had discussed her upcoming trip to San Francisco, but she’d tell him about that later. “Just the usual. We discussed our plans for the upcoming holiday season. We only have a short time to get our drafts off the sketch pads and into the hands of the toy makers.”
“Yeah, I know. I have a couple of clients waiting to see what you come up with this year.”
Tina didn’t know if that was true or not, but at least she had his attention. “Who was that young woman you were with yesterday?”
“What young woman?” Erik asked.
“The one I heard in the background of your phone before you finally came to work.”
“Oh, her. That was a potential client’s wife. I took them to breakfast so we could discuss stocking some of our toys in their new children’s boutique.”
“Oh,” Tina said, noting that he could not look her in the face when he spoke to her.
“Why don’t you go up and change and come down and eat with me before the food gets cold?”
“Okay,” she said. A hot bath was now out of the question so she would have to settle for a shower. She walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs toward their bathroom, passing by her home office. The door was slightly ajar and she distinctly remembered closing it before she left this morning. Maybe Erik had gone in for some supplies or something. She closed the door and continued to the stairs. The house phone rang as soon as she entered the bedroom. Tina put her gym bag on the floor and reached for the receiver. She heard Erik’s voice before she could say hello.
“I thought I told you to never call me at home.”
“But you wouldn’t answer your cell phone,” a woman said on the other end.
“I never heard it ring,” he replied. “It probably needs charging.”
“Oh,” the woman said. “Are you coming over tonight?”
“Did you get your hair and nails done?”
“No,” she said. “I couldn’t. It was too late to go after you brought me the money. I’ll go tomorrow.”
“I don’t know if I can make it tonight,” Erik said. “Tina’s home.”
“Sneak out like you did last night,” she said with a giggle. “She’ll never know.”
“I’ll see,” Erik said. “But I can’t make any promises.”
The young woman said something obscene about what she would do for Erik if he came, and he just chuckled.
Tina looked down at the caller ID and memorized the phone number. She waited for Erik to end the call and hang up before she eased the receiver back down. Tina gathered some clothes and walked into the bathroom to shower. Fifteen minutes later, she sat across from Erik eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy. Everything went down into her stomach like a rock. She had indigestion before the meal ended. Tina said goodnight and went back up to the bedroom to find an antacid, leaving Erik to clean up the kitchen. About an hour later, she heard him tiptoe into the room when he thought she was asleep. He got some clothes and tiptoed back out of the room. A few minutes later, she heard the garage door open and close, and the sound of a car driving away from the house.
Tina sighed. He was back to his old tricks again. The man couldn’t stay monogamous even if she paid him, which she did. Tina yawned, suddenly too tired to keep her eyes open. She went off to sleep. A noise woke her about three in the morning. Erik had returned, and for once, he had the decency not to try to climb up in her bed.
****
Kevin’s eyes opened bright and early the next morning after another restless night. He stepped out of bed, pushed his feet into a pair of slippers, and then he walked to the bathroom to shower and get ready for his second day at the Design Factory. The first day hadn’t been too bad and it would take a lot more on his part to get comfortable working around so many people. He’d like being independent and
“Not really,” she said. They had discussed her upcoming trip to San Francisco, but she’d tell him about that later. “Just the usual. We discussed our plans for the upcoming holiday season. We only have a short time to get our drafts off the sketch pads and into the hands of the toy makers.”
“Yeah, I know. I have a couple of clients waiting to see what you come up with this year.”
Tina didn’t know if that was true or not, but at least she had his attention. “Who was that young woman you were with yesterday?”
“What young woman?” Erik asked.
“The one I heard in the background of your phone before you finally came to work.”
“Oh, her. That was a potential client’s wife. I took them to breakfast so we could discuss stocking some of our toys in their new children’s boutique.”
“Oh,” Tina said, noting that he could not look her in the face when he spoke to her.
“Why don’t you go up and change and come down and eat with me before the food gets cold?”
“Okay,” she said. A hot bath was now out of the question so she would have to settle for a shower. She walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs toward their bathroom, passing by her home office. The door was slightly ajar and she distinctly remembered closing it before she left this morning. Maybe Erik had gone in for some supplies or something. She closed the door and continued to the stairs. The house phone rang as soon as she entered the bedroom. Tina put her gym bag on the floor and reached for the receiver. She heard Erik’s voice before she could say hello.
“I thought I told you to never call me at home.”
“But you wouldn’t answer your cell phone,” a woman said on the other end.
“I never heard it ring,” he replied. “It probably needs charging.”
“Oh,” the woman said. “Are you coming over tonight?”
“Did you get your hair and nails done?”
“No,” she said. “I couldn’t. It was too late to go after you brought me the money. I’ll go tomorrow.”
“I don’t know if I can make it tonight,” Erik said. “Tina’s home.”
“Sneak out like you did last night,” she said with a giggle. “She’ll never know.”
“I’ll see,” Erik said. “But I can’t make any promises.”
The young woman said something obscene about what she would do for Erik if he came, and he just chuckled.
Tina looked down at the caller ID and memorized the phone number. She waited for Erik to end the call and hang up before she eased the receiver back down. Tina gathered some clothes and walked into the bathroom to shower. Fifteen minutes later, she sat across from Erik eating fried chicken and mashed potatoes with gravy. Everything went down into her stomach like a rock. She had indigestion before the meal ended. Tina said goodnight and went back up to the bedroom to find an antacid, leaving Erik to clean up the kitchen. About an hour later, she heard him tiptoe into the room when he thought she was asleep. He got some clothes and tiptoed back out of the room. A few minutes later, she heard the garage door open and close, and the sound of a car driving away from the house.
Tina sighed. He was back to his old tricks again. The man couldn’t stay monogamous even if she paid him, which she did. Tina yawned, suddenly too tired to keep her eyes open. She went off to sleep. A noise woke her about three in the morning. Erik had returned, and for once, he had the decency not to try to climb up in her bed.
****
Kevin’s eyes opened bright and early the next morning after another restless night. He stepped out of bed, pushed his feet into a pair of slippers, and then he walked to the bathroom to shower and get ready for his second day at the Design Factory. The first day hadn’t been too bad and it would take a lot more on his part to get comfortable working around so many people. He’d like being independent and
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