Underestimated Too(61)

“That’s because Celeste just called. We have to go to New York to finish up with the transfer.”

“We’re not seeing Deidra today? When are you going to be home? We have the birthday party Saturday.”

“Yes, we’re seeing Deidra. I’m leaving right after that, and I will be home Saturday morning. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I don’t want you to leave,” I whined.

“I’m leaving so I don’t have to leave anymore. After this we won’t have to go back to New York.”

“I don’t want to see Deidra today. Let’s cancel,” I tried. Drew and I had been doing great and had the most amazing sex before getting out of bed. I didn’t want to ruin that. It seemed like one of us always left her office pissed off.

“Get ready, we’re going,” Drew dictated.

***

“Okay, so we’re half way into the marriage. Drew pretty much mostly works and only talks to you when he wants sex? Is that correct?” Deidra asked me.

“Yep, that pretty much sums it up.”

“And Drew, it was only you and Morgan at this point? No more Skyler or Valerie?”

“Well, sort of. I mean no more Valerie. I did see Skyler one more time.”

I shot Drew a dirty look. Three years of being at his beck and call and he was still fucking Skyler.

“Tell me about that.”

“Yeah, Drew. Tell us about that,” I smartly mimicked.

“I guess that’s when I knew I didn’t want Skyler. I wanted Morgan,” Drew began, walking towards the window.

Oh boy. This was going to be good. He walked to the window when he was about to talk about something and couldn’t look at me.

“I was watching Morgan on the camera read a recipe with her finger on the page from California one evening when my phone rang,” Drew began his habitual narration. “I hadn’t talked to Skyler in months, maybe even a year. I answered my phone, sitting up and smiling at Morgan when she made a funny face tasting the batter, she’d obviously left out an important ingredient,” Drew explained, smiling back at me.

I smiled too, surprised that I amused him with my cooking endeavors. I actually remember that day. He was gone for over a week that time, and I knew he was in Los Angeles. I was making chocolate chip cookies.

“I was pleasant to her, asking Skyler, ‘Hi, how are you?’

‘I’m doing well. I just got off the phone with Jena. She told me you were in Los Angeles.’

‘Yes, been here for almost nine days now, leading daily negotiations for this store here,’ I replied, wondering where she was going with this. It was kind of random for her to just call. I’d seen her around a few times over the past year, but we barely spoke. It was best that way. I seemed to always go home and take it out on Morgan when I talked to her.

‘I’m in LA too. Meet me,’ she requested.

I looked back to Morgan, stirring chocolate chips into the bowl that I was now sure were cookies. I hadn’t been with anyone but Morgan in almost two years. I wasn’t really sure I needed to. Jesus. What was I thinking? Of course I needed to. ‘Okay, where?’ I replied. We set up a neutral location at a place she’d recommended to eat.

I smiled, entering the restaurant, and seeing Skyler in red. She did that for me, I was sure. Her lips didn’t feel the way I’d remembered when she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed me. It felt, awkward kissing her, foreign, not Morgan’s lips maybe? I don’t know, it was just different.”

Good, stupid little tramp.

“We sat at a dark corner table and discussed our lives and what we’d been doing.

She looked disappointed when I told her that I was still married and Callaway was doing well. She had been living in France for the past couple years, almost got married, she explained with a sad smile. ‘Seems like somebody else always wants my man,’ she stated, sipping her wine.

I wasn’t really sure how to respond. I felt bad for her and didn’t want her to feel rejected or second best, but Morgan didn’t really choose me. Morgan would have never chosen me.”

You got that right.

“I couldn’t believe I was saying to Skyler, ‘Don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re beautiful, some lucky guy is going to come along and sweep you clean off your feet. You watch.’ I was actually okay with that.

‘But it’s never going to be you, is it, Drew?’

Looking down, I circled my water glass with my finger. ‘I don’t know, Sky.’ I didn’t know. I didn’t know what the hell was happening to me. Something was transpiring, leaving me with an uneasy feeling that I didn’t know how to deal with. I had never felt it before the last few months, and I was fighting with myself more and more to get a handle on it.