“It’s not art, and Nicholas loves when I read to him from my tablet. The stories interact with him more.”
“His parents should interact with him more. I’m just going to eat at Panino’s and stop at the book store and maybe the library.”
“Why do you have to go to both? You know what? Never mind. Just go. I’ll see you in two hours,” Drew agreed, looking at his watch.
Yes!
I got one of the two books first, figuring I’d say they didn’t have the other one yet, needing an excuse to go again the following week. I wanted to scope this guy out, maybe talk to him or something. Once I’d checked out three novels and two baby books for Nicky. Taking the booth closest to the counter, I ordered my sandwich and an ice tea.
I should have come sooner. All I got to do was watch him work. A lunch crowd entered, taking up all his time. Observing him, I watched him, speedily take orders, get trays, drinks, and repeat. Drew said two hours. I could stick around for forty minutes. Hopefully the crowd would dissipate by then. He didn’t sound like Drew at all. His pitch was a lot higher than Drew’s. He really didn’t look like Drew at all. His nose was wider and his lips were thinner. Drew’s eyebrows were more stylish too, of course he paid someone to make them look like that. I wondered if he’d have a makeover to look more like Drew, have his eyebrows done and cut his hair like Drew’s. Sure he would, money talks. If I’ve learned anything about having money from Drew, it would be that money can buy anything, and I do mean anything.
I wanted to search my phone about the regulations of having a deposit box at the bank. I didn’t know these things. Drew took care of that stuff. I didn’t dare do it on my phone. Drew would know. I didn’t search anything that he didn’t think I needed to go to. Like Facebook. He wouldn’t even let me join a book club where you could chat with people that liked the same genre of books as you. I could research a book or surf for new releases, but I couldn’t talk to someone about them.
Thinking about not being able to do what I wanted without having my husband furious with me led me to thinking about our last appointment with Deidra. First, I thought about the way Drew controlled everything that I did. I knew he did it out of love and worried about me constantly. He blamed it on my two years of him not knowing where I was, but I knew it was more of a control thing. For whatever reason, Drew had to be in control of everything, and he was obsessive compulsive when it came to controlling me.
Looking at the time on my phone, I knew I had to leave in ten more minutes in order to make Drew’s two hour rule. Drew’s twin did a good job rushing the long line through, maybe he could get the last two out of there long enough for me to order a gourmet coffee for Drew. Standing I gathered my things and got behind the last guy.
“Can I get a large, butter toffee, premium coffee, please?”
“Coming right up.” He smiled. That was it. His smile and his eyes; that’s why he looked so much like Drew. This could work. Couldn’t it? UGH! Was I stupid or what? Did I think I was going to be able to walk up to a perfect stranger and say what? Hey, how are you? Would you like to have a makeover, impersonate my husband, fraudulently open his safety deposit box, and maybe take a chance on going to prison? What was I thinking? Sure he’d do that, why wouldn’t he.”
“Ma’am,” I heard, shaking my internal rant.
“Oh, sorry,” I apologized, handing him my card.
I should have just let it go. I couldn’t. I felt like there was something in that deposit box that would give me something about Drew. It didn’t make sense. Drew had a hidden vault system at the house with more technology than a bank. It had to be his finger print and a thin beam of light shined in his eye before it would even let him put in a combination.
Why would Michael or Drew get a deposit box at the bank? I knew how sophisticated the vault was. Drew explained it to me one afternoon, telling me how if anyone got into it without his physical traits, they would be sprayed with a massive amount of teargas. I couldn’t understand the purpose of the lock box, I thought as I headed home.
“Hey, where’s my little man?” I asked, seeing Marta setting the table.
“Drew heard him whine a little,” she explained, rolling her eyes. I smiled and went to find him in Drew’s office, I was sure.
Opening the door, I laughed when I saw Nicky. He was no doubt Drew’s son. Drew had him in the middle of his desk, covered in paperwork, wearing nothing but a diaper. He was having a ball, crumpling up papers.
“I hope none of that is important,” I said, taking Nicholas as he lunged for me.