Selby locked the door to the bookstore and made his way to his car. However, after stowing his briefcase in the passenger seat, he decided he wasn't ready to go home just yet. Three nights walking into an empty house had been bad enough. He wanted to postpone the fourth as long as he could. He glanced over at Joe's Bakery, but decided he really wasn't in the mood for company either. Scanning the downtown, scene he decided clubs were out, as well.Shoving the keys in his pocket, Selby crossed New Haven and decided to see where his feet would lead him. Maybe he just needed to walk.The afternoon—early evening? He never knew which category five o'clock fell into—held a slight breeze that tugged at the small maples that lined the street. Selby walked with his hands in his pockets, watching the people as they browsed the antique shops and specialty stores. Couples walked hand-in-hand as they leisurely strolled the sidewalk. Some sat whispering at small tables outside the cafés that lined th
Edwin stared at his glass as he shrugged. "Cherish has lost her drive and ambition. Work has become a bore to her, which she tries to avoid at all costs now. It wasn't as obvious while Faith was here, because Faith picked up the slack and was eager to do it. She loves to work and throws herself into it."Selby smiled. He could picture Faith working at a feverish pitch. "I've always thought Faith found her identity in her work.""I can see that," Edwin said as he nodded. "However, her sister doesn't, or at least, not anymore. Cherish used to be like Faith, but that ended several months ago. Cherish felt entitled and soon stopped caring as much about work. As Faith underwent her metamorphism and came out of her shell, Cherish grumbled and withdrew even more.""Glen thinks she's jealous." Selby had been staring at the table in front of him when he said it and hadn't even realized he said it out loud until it was too late to retract it."Glen? Cherish's husband? What would she be jealous o
Her phone rang for the third time that night, and as she did the first two times, Faith allowed it to go to voicemail. She was not in the mood to deal with Selby right then. This was her last night away, and she planned to enjoy it without worrying about anyone's consequences. Tonight was not about Selby or Edwin or Cherish or Rutherford Construction or her family. Tonight was about Faith. Fuck the rest of them; at least for tonight.Morgan took her to a sports bar close to the hotel, and she did not waste time ordering drinks. She had two Rum Runners before their meal arrived with no intention of slowing down. Televisions blared as well as music, and Faith teased and joked with Kent and the two laborers who caught up with them. Patricia finally showed up, her eyes glued to Kent, and it was a proper sendoff. They finished working and would return home in the morning. However, tonight, Faith planned on having fun.By the time dinner was finished, so was her third drink, and Faith wanted
The morning came early. Faith hit the snooze button three times before she forced her eyes to creek open and tried to focus on the popcorn ceiling. Each time she silenced the screeching wail, she negotiated with herself in order to remain in bed. She didn't need to wash her hair. She could wear her Polo pullover, instead of her beige top, so she didn't need to iron anything. She would risk sandals and forget socks and shoes. Finally, there was nothing else to cross off her morning routine. She had to get up.Her head throbbed as if one of those silly wind-up monkeys clanged its cymbals behind her eyeballs. She slammed the alarm off as she squeezed the bridge of her nose between two fingers. Groaning, she pulled herself into a sitting position, the blankets bunched around her waist. Oh god, what did I do to myself?Faith left the warmth of her bed and trudged her way to the bathroom, holding her head with her right hand. With her left hand, she turned on the shower, avoiding the mirror.
Selby stared at the clock on the wall. Faith had been on the road for two hours with another hour to go. He gave up stocking shelves and just sat behind the counter staring at the rotating hands of the clock. They didn't move. Time wasn't just dragging; it had stopped altogether.There had been no morning call, just a text saying she was leaving and she loved him. He wanted to keep texting her on her ride home but didn't. She had ignored his calls last night and hadn't called that morning. She was making a statement, a loud one, and Selby had gotten the message. She needed some space, and he forced himself to give it to her.His fear, however, was what might happen on the other end of that space. Would Faith continue to see Edwin just for spite, even after Selby had asked her to stop? Then, the next question was how much Selby would continue to allow. This went beyond their sexual exploration. Faith's relationship with Edwin had the potential to explode in her face and rain down into h
Faith was quiet for most of the trip, her thoughts sinking in the quicksand that became her life. Morgan remained stuck on his phone conducting business, making Neal money as he liked to say. Their conversation, when they had it, was light, him telling her what a great job she had done and how he appreciated all her hard work. He intended to head back to Orlando when they returned, and it'd be at least a month before he was in Brevard again."To be honest, Neal's thinking of taking me to Mississippi with him," Morgan said as they finally entered Brevard County. "Seems, he's ready to branch out more, and there's still quite a bit to rebuild after Katrina.""Where in Mississippi?""Right around Biloxi. I was thinking you did such a great job this week, I'd take you with me to train a brand-new office."She couldn't help but smile at the thought, and she hoped some of it was true. Of course, knowing Morgan as she did, he was also probably hoping to finish their little tryst. She had to ad
Selby's arms wrapped around her like a familiar blanket, keeping her warm against the coldness of her thoughts. She told him everything about her trip, including how Morgan had went down on her a couple of nights ago. Selby hadn't been mad she did it, only that she waited to share it with him. "I'll ask for the kinky details later when we're naked in bed," he said while he smiled at her. He kissed her on the forehead and tightened his grip on her. She just dropped her head on his chest and breathed in the scent of him."Tracey says I'm not to hog you all weekend. She needs some Faith time, too."Faith gave him a tiny smile. "Tomorrow. Tonight, I want it to be just us."He kissed the top of her head. "I like that."So did she. It seemed like forever since it was just the two of them. If someone wasn't visiting, then someone was texting. Faith knew she allowed her fascination with Edwin and the chase to consume her. Selby hadn't complained; at least, not until he discovered Cherish's aff
Selby groaned as someone persistently pushed the doorbell, sending its ding-dong chime throughout the house. Through blurry eyes, he tried to focus on the time. Eight twenty-seven. He dropped his head back on the warm pillow. He wanted to kill someone.He glanced over at his wife who was totally unaffected by the constant chime. They had talked way into the night and made love in front of the fire and once more when they finally slid under the covers. They had not decided the future of their game, but at least, she wasn't still angry with him. And she was home. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face as he smiled at the pillow marks on her cheek. He had needed her back home. The doorbell screamed again. Selby slid from his side of the bed and grabbed his robe. As he covered his naked body, he stumbled to the front door, forcing himself awake and out of a murderous rage for the intrusion. As he peered through the peephole at the perky face on the other side, all he could think
Dropping the arm holding the towel to his side, he walked over to where Cherish sat and joined her on the bed. He reached out, placing a hand on her leg and gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry you're having to deal with this," he told her. He gave a weak shrug. "I guess we never know the full extent of our actions and their consequences until it's too late." He quickly held a hand up, stopping her from saying anything else. "That wasn't a judgment. Promise."She offered him a weak smile. "I didn't take it that way." She shrugged. "Besides, you're right. I didn't realize while I was...you know...how it would hurt you or Jordie, and I sure as hell didn't realize how it would follow me to another job. I was too caught up in what I was doing to even think of anything else." She reached out, placing her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry I was such a selfish bitch."Glen leaned over and kissed Cherish's forehead. When he pulled away, he grinned. "You're my selfish bitch, so it's all good.
Cherish shoved her phone into her purse, closed the final file folder, and shoved herself away from her desk. This day was over, and she was more than happy to see it go. As she stood, however, she realized the day was not completely over. She stood at the edge of her desk, adjusting her purse on her shoulder, as Mary Overton stepped into her doorway, arms crossed over her chest, looking as if she had a corncob shoved deep up her ass. What Bernie saw in the woman, Cherish would never know. Cherish sucked in a deep breath as she paused, waiting to hear what had brought the grump of a woman to her door. "Is there something I can help you with?" Cherish asked.Mary glanced over the room, scowling as she took in the changes Cherish made to the small office. "I see you've rearranged. Making the place more to your liking." Cherish could have sworn the woman gave a disgusted sniff as she said it. "I thought the way Kim had it set up was quite efficient." She glanced around the room with a sn
Glen soaked in her naked body, making no qualms about devouring her with his gaze. He had always thought Cherish was gorgeous and hated when she started to hide her body in baggy shirts and shorts. He wanted to see more of her flesh, more of her body tempting him under tight clothes or low-cut tops. He wanted her to be seductive, sultry, sexy. Hell, he even wanted her to dress slutty for him.Reaching out, Glen ran a hand over her freckle-covered shoulder, up her neck, and into her strawberry-blond hair. Gazing into her eyes, he sucked in a breath as he stared at her. "You, Cherish Lansky, are beautiful."He saw her cheeks redden with her blush, felt her squirm under his touch as his words embarrassed her, but he didn't care. While he thought the words often enough, he failed to say them out loud for her to hear. She needed to hear them. He needed to say them. They needed to get back to the spark that was them when they first ignited each other's passions. Looking at her right then, he
Cherish took a deep breath, deciding to tackle the topic of Rutherford even if Glen hadn't brought it up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Jed. It's been a pretty emotional week all around, and I swear, it just slipped my mind."Glen cocked an eyebrow at her. "A lot of things have slipped your mind lately. I should probably do something about that, eventually."She bowed her head. "Yes, sir," was all she said, but she couldn't deny the tingle between her legs at the thought of Glen punishing her again. She would never have thought the idea of him spanking her would have such an effect on her.He took a sip of his coffee as he studied her, and Cherish just stood there under his scrutiny. After a stretched-out moment, he said, "So, tell me about the conversation now. You said you weren't interested in returning. Is that the truth?"She shrugged. "I don't know, to be honest. And, in the way of full disclosure, it was sort of a mixture of him asking if I would want to return and me aski
Cherish placed the last of the glasses back in the cabinet, her back screaming at her due to the lengthy day she just endured. Jordie was already sound asleep in his bed, his tired little body crashing as soon as everyone left, and the constant energy faded away. She could relate as exhaustion tugged at her as well. She had to admit, however, Glen's idea of having the party at their house opposed to her parents' was definitely a winner, minus the cleanup part afterward. Jordie loved every gift he opened, and he and the other kids made full use of the bounce house. Even a few of the adults climbed inside to get their inner youth on while they made the little ones stand outside the giant inflatable while they took over. The children, of course, were far from happy about not being permitted inside, but they laughed like crazy as they watched their parents bouncing around, trying to do flips, and falling on their asses.Valerie surprised Cherish with how she interacted with everyone else a
Cherish felt the tears streaming down her cheeks, felt the anguish clutching at her heart as she sat there, staring at her mother, the woman crying openly now as she stared back at Cherish. How could her mother ever doubt Cherish's love for her? Because I did a shitty job of showing it. I pushed her with everything I did. Cherish reached out, taking her mother's hand in her own, squeezing it tight. "I've always loved you, Mom. You did nothing wrong. It was all me; I was the selfish bitch who never seemed satisfied and happy. I'm so sorry I ever made you feel that way." She squeezed her mother's hand again. "I should never have treated you that way."Her mother gave her a weak smile, squeezing her hand back before pulling it away. "I love you, too, and I'm sorry I ever made you feel as if you couldn't tell me you were pregnant." She shook her head. "Not a very good mother, huh?"Cherish settled back in her chair. "I think we both made mistakes, but that was then. This is now. I need to
Cherish left the others and walked over to her mother, taking one of the remaining chairs beside the other woman. "Why don't you come join the rest of us? Has to be better than sitting over here all by yourself."Her mother didn't even look at her, keeping her gaze on the children. "Why is she here?" she asked, her back stiff, hands clasped in her lap."There are a lot of shes here," Cherish said, even though she knew to whom her mother referred. "You'll have to be a little more specific.""Your sister's new friend," her mother said, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Why did they have to bring her to a family event? It's rude."Cherish glanced over and watched as Tracey Williams laughed at something Arni said, her feet barely touching the ground from where she sat in the chair. "She's close to Selby and Faith," Cherish said with a shrug. "We permitted Brent to bring Bonnie; why wouldn't we allow Faith and Selby to bring Tracey? She seems to be getting along with everyone all right."
Glen stepped back out into the yard, two camp chairs in his hands. Valerie Driscoll was accustomed to calling all the shots, and he knew she set up her area far away from his mother to try to force a division in the party, drawing the crowd to her, so she could show off. That was one of the reasons he wanted the party at his house, so she wouldn't be able to pull a stunt like this. Yet, she still wrecked division wherever she went.Glen moved to the middle of the yard, close to the bounce house, and set up the two chairs. He turned to find Cherish near her mother, two beers in her hand as she watched him, one eyebrow raised and a smirk turning up the corner of her lip."Excuse me," he heard her tell her mother. "I think I'll go join my husband." She then left her mother's side, Valerie's mouth ajar as she gawked at her daughter's retreating back. When Cherish reached him, she handed him his beer as she slid into her chair. "Your beer, sir," she said, smiling at him.He glanced over at
Glen just needed a few minutes to calm his temper. He knew he had acted rude since returning home, and he didn't mean to snap at everyone, taking out his frustration with Cherish on everyone but her. He shoved his way inside the house and headed for the bedroom at the back of the house. Just a few minutes, that's all he needed.However, what he needed and what he received were two different things. As soon as he plopped down on the bed, his hands clasped together as he rested his elbows on his knees, doing his best to take deep breaths, Cherish walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. He didn't even turn to look at her. He couldn't right then. She had lied. Again. That's all she ever did lately.Cherish walked in front of him and dropped to her knees, sitting back on her heels, her hands on her thighs as she stared up at him. She said nothing. Just knelt there, waiting.Glen closed his eyes, taking another fortifying breath. Before opening them again and staring at his wife.