Monday, October 26, 2009

Chapter 17

“Baby, you here?” Robin called out as she walked through the front door.

When the car service dropped her off, she didn’t see Jeremy’s car in the driveway. She figured maybe he parked in the garage, but after checking there, she still didn’t see it.

Robin walked to her bedroom and hung up her hanging clothes case in the closet. She would send the clothes to the dry cleaners later.

She walked to the bathroom and started the water in the shower. She had to rinse off as much of Greg as she could before Jeremy came home.

Where was Jeremy, she thought. He knew she was coming in on the first flight home. It’s 7 o’clock in the morning and he’s no where to be found.

She went back and grabbed a pair of underwear and made sure her bathrobe was on the back of the door before she pushed it partway closed and stepped into the shower.

She had set the water as hot as she could stand it so that she could scrub all the cheating away with her loofa brush. Anything she could think of to get what she had done with Greg all these years off her body would never be enough. She was determined to be the good wife that she hoped was inside of her.

She ran her loofa over her stomach and cringed. She had a whole 4 days ahead of her before she could actually see the doctor. The thought of waiting that long was going to kill her. She made it up in her mind that she would go get a couple of more tests, making sure to check the expiration dates first, and try to satisfy her curiosity. She would tell Jeremy right away if she was pregnant.

She finished up in the shower and got out. She could hear moving around in the other room and it scared her. She quickly dressed and then grabbed a hair brush. Looking in the mirror at her self holding the brush over her head and seeing how ridiculous she looked, as well as wondering what she was going to do with the brush, she put it down and picked up the plunger. At least that way, if she had to swing it, she would be able to put some space between herself and the perp.

She made sure her grip was tight and pushed slowly pushed the door open with her foot. When she rounded the corner to enter her bedroom, she was met face-to-face with Jeremy.

“Babe, what are you doing?” he asked, seeing her with the plunger positioned over her head.

He laughed as he took a step back. There she was standing in her lace and silk robe, hair done up in a towel with a plunger poised over her head.

“I didn’t know that was you. You weren’t hear when I got in the shower. Where were you?”

She eyed him suspiciously. This was the first time that he’d ever given her the impression that he might be cheating also.

He didn’t say a word but reached up and took the plunger from her right hand and guided her down the hall to the kitchen with her left. She stopped him once they got halfway down the hallway.

“Jeremy, I asked you a question, where were you?” she demanded. She was getting frustrated now because this was so unlike him to not answer her when she asked him something.

“Baby, trust me. Just… just come with me,” he answered.

Once again, he took her hand and led her down the hallway. As they rounded the corner, she could see that the table was set for two and there was a bouquet of daisies in a vase in the center. Her favorite breakfast foods were strategically placed around the table.

“When I talked to you yesterday, you sounded so tired, so I wanted to do something nice and romantic for you. You’ve been working so hard lately and I know we haven’t taken a vacation together in a while. I was hoping that this could be the start of us trying to do more things together, more romantic and loving things together,” he told her.

He pulled out her chair and helped her sit down.

“Robin, lately, I don’t know for how long, but I’ve been feeling like the spark is gone, something’s been missing. I can’t put my finger on it, but whatever it is, I want to try to make this work. But only if you’re willing.”

She looked at him, amazed. She had no idea what to say to him. Then she started to panic. Maybe he knew what was going on and this was his way of telling her and that he was ready to start over. Whatever it was he was trying to say, she was willing to do it, for him.

“I am,” she told him.

Then she pulled him close and kissed him to seal the deal.
________________________________________________________________________

After breakfast, Robin went and put on some clothes to lounge around the house in.

Jeremy had mentioned to her that they would spend the day together and get to know each other again, to be like they used to. She wanted to do what she could and he was trying to see if they could.

They sat around all day, just talking about everything. He told her about the jobs his company was working on and what they had lined up in the coming months and she filled him in on her jobs and deals she had lined up.

Eventually, he got around to asking about her parents and how they were. He then remembered something about an emergency with her mom the other day.

Robin told him about how her mom was supposed to go down the bank and deposit money for their anniversary party but got sidetracked and lost it in the store she wasn’t supposed to be in. She explained how some woman helped her mom find the money. She expressed how shocked she was that this woman, who was probably about her age, would turn the money back in, whereas she couldn’t be sure that she would. She also filled him on how the woman didn’t want a reward or anything like that, but asked instead for them to help her promote her business.

Robin, then, went to her purse and pulled out the business card the woman had given her. She told Jeremy how she instantly got good vibes from the woman, especially since the woman was willing to take on the task of dealing with her parents and their anniversary party.

Robin handed Jeremy the card and all the color drained from his face.

Of course, Robin didn’t notice at all. She told him that she needed to remind her mom to call the woman if she hadn’t already. She reached for the phone and mentioned to him that she needed to do it while it was still on her mind, because she was forgetful, too.

Jeremy took that opportunity to excuse himself to the bathroom.

When he got in there, he closed and locked the door. He immediately turned on the cold water and splashed his face.

“They’ve met already,” he whispered softly.

He was freaking out. If Charlotte planned this party, there was no way he could hide their friendship.

He hadn’t really wanted them to meet because he knew how he felt just talking to Charlotte on the phone, but to have to be around her, in person, with his wife? A blind man could see how in love with her he was.

And that, Jeremy was sure, would be the one thing that Robin would notice.

3 comments:

mum said...

Oh, Jeremy. You really are trying - but you know who has your heart! Love this story! mum

sweetpea said...

Jeremy is in love with Charlotte!!! Time to divorce Robin and be with Charlotte your heart's desire!!!

Jen said...

Sorry but i don't think that will happen Jeremy is too good. I think he will find it wrong to do that, the divorce has to come from Robin, IMO