CHAPTER TWO
CLAIRE’S GIFT
Claire didn’t think she could pull it off, but she was a determined woman when she pulled into her two-car garage at 4:15 p.m. She went over the game plan in her head and then started barking orders.
“George, hurry and get up to your room. Change out of those school clothes and get started on your homework—”
“But what about my—”
“I’ll bring a snack up there.” She spun in her seat. “Nikki, you guys are eating early tonight.”
“Can we eat pizza?”
“There’s a tuna casserole in the fridge. I need you to put it in the oven for me—and some rolls. How much homework do you have?”
“A lot.”
“What about you, Stacy?”
“I just have to read this dumb story.”
“Okay, I need you to make a salad for me.”
“You said you were giving her more homework,” George Jr. reminded his mother.
Stacy kicked the back of his seat.
“That’s right,” Claire said. “All right. I’ll make the salad myself. Did y’all get the cards?’ she asked her daughters.
“Yes,” they said at the same time.
“Well sign them,” Claire instructed. “And write whatever you’re going to put in there. Your father will be home at six-thirty. I want y’all fed and smiling and ready to get out of our way when he gets here.” No one moved, so she clapped her hands. “Chop chop! Let’s go! Let’s go!”
Everyone exited the car and headed in separate directions once inside. Claire went upstairs and replaced her slacks and button-down with shorts and a T-shirt. When she got back to the kitchen, Nikki was putting the casserole in the oven like a good girl.
Claire grabbed a Lunchable from the refrigerator and headed back upstairs to George’s room. On the way, she stopped in the office and found a worksheet that would help Stacy with her double negatives. She got a multiplication worksheet for George. She dropped these items off and barely stuck around long enough for a response.
“Thanks, Mom!”
“Aww, man!”
When she got back downstairs, Nikki was still in the kitchen.
“What are you doing?” Claire asked her.
Nikki took a large serving bowl from the cupboard. “I’m making a salad.”
“I thought you had a lot of homework.”
“It’s not that much,” Nikki said and looked away sheepishly.
Claire went to her and pulled her close for a sideways hug. “See, you do love me!”
Nikki grinned.
* * *
With two women in the kitchen, things didn’t turn out so bad after all. Claire had her lobster tails thawing in the fridge already, and they looked perfect when she took them out. She put her large pot on the stovetop and grabbed a smaller saucepan for the wild rice. She skewered the lobster tails with wooden pins while waiting for the water to boil.
Behind her, Nikki sliced up tomatoes, mushrooms, and ham for their salad. Afterwards, she baked dinner rolls to go with the casserole.
At five o’clock the children’s supper was ready. Claire thanked Nikki and then shooed her away so she could get started on her homework. Claire popped her lobsters in the colander and slid two potatoes in the oven before going upstairs to check on the terrible two. To her surprise, both Stacy and George Jr. were in their rooms working obediently. She praised them briefly then ran back downstairs to set the table.
* * *
By 5:45 the house smelled of deliciousness. Claire called the kids down for dinner, and she took a shower while they ate. When she got out, she slid into her hot red dress and did her hair as quickly as possible. She put on lipstick and a little blush for this special occasion and spritzed Fendi perfume on her neck, wrists and chest.
She checked herself in the mirror one last time at six-fifteen. The dress was perfect. It was strapless, and her bare neck and shoulders just begged for kisses. Her strapless bra pushed her breasts up, and they were full and inviting. Claire had more cleavage than a sixteenth-century aristocrat.
When she got back downstairs, the kids were already done eating and gone—except for Nikki. Not only had she cleared the table, but she had most of the dishes washed already. Claire walked up to her and put a hand on her forehead.
“What?” Nikki asked, backing away.
“Are you sick or something?” Claire asked good-naturedly.
“No.”
“Why are you being so helpful?”
Nikki shrugged. “It’s your anniversary,” she said. “Aren’t I supposed to do nice things for you today?”
“Who told you that?” Claire asked with a grin.
“You did,” Nikki said. “You tell us that every year.”
“But I didn’t have to tell you today,” Claire said. “I’m proud of you. You’re becoming quite a mature young lady.”
Nikki turned away from the sink and looked at her mother’s outfit. “Wow. You’re busting out, Mama.”
“Busting out?”
“Like, like, your, your breasts. They’re like, like,” she looked closer. “Are they gonna fall out?”
“Oh, yes,” Claire confirmed. “But not till I want them to.”
“Ugh!” Nikki said with a sour expression. “I don’t want to think about you and Daddy—Ah! Now it’s in my head!”
“Love is a beautiful thing,” Claire said and wrapped her up for a longer hug this time. “One day you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.”
* * *
At 6:42 p.m. Claire finally heard her man pull into the garage. She lit a candle on the dining table and went to down to meet him. She smiled and licked her lips when they made eye contact.
George Hudgens was definitely the strongest, purest, and most handsome man Claire had ever known. He wasn’t in the military anymore, but he still did five hundred push-ups every day; usually half in the morning and the other half right before bed. He was a tall man, and he was stout. His torso was like the trunk of a mighty oak. His chest was carved like a sculpture.
He stepped out of his Navigator wearing black slacks with a blue golf shirt tucked in neatly. In one hand he toted the briefcase Claire bought him just a few months ago. In the other arm he cradled a huge vase stuffed with what had to be three dozen roses, some white, some pink. He looked up at Claire as she emerged from the back door and an eager smile lit his face as well.
George was thirty-six years old, like his wife. His skin was the color of a freshly baked croissant. He liked his head shaved completely bald, and Claire liked it like that too. George never allowed any facial stubble to mar his features. He had thick eyebrows and a stern countenance most of the time, but he looked seriously vexed as he eyeballed his woman this evening.
Claire stepped to him and put both arms around his neck. He was one of few men she had to look up to. George’s gaze went from her eyes to her cleavage then back again.
“I would marry you all over again. Right now if you wanted,” he said.
Claire grinned and closed her eyes as they kissed. “Same here, soldier. Same here…”
* * *
When they got inside, the kids were eager to spend as much time with their father as possible, but Claire already had a strict schedule in her head, and she aimed to stick to it. She let them read their cards and say how happy they were to have such great parents. She let them ooh and ahh at her flowers, and she even let them see the nice meal she prepared for their wonderful daddy, but after that they had to go.
When the kids went upstairs, the night took on the romantic aura Claire envisioned. The lobster was succulent, the rice was soft, and the flickering candlelight reminded her of their first anniversary dinner at the Italian Inn, exactly fifteen years ago. They weren’t so well-off back then, and Claire’s ten-dollar lasagna dinner was nowhere near as tasty as today’s lobster, but she loved George just as much now as she did then. Even more so.
After their meal, Claire led her husband to the bedroom for phase two of the evening’s festivities. George hadn’t seen their wedding video in years. He watched the whole thing on the edge of his seat, totally in awe of the digital work Claire had done on it. When the new commentaries started to play towards the end, George held on to his woman and laughed and almost cried at times.
When it went off, Claire popped in a CD so they could listen to their wedding song. George took her hand and brought her to her feet. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her very close. He buried his face in her neck, and inhaled her scents, and they danced slowly.
They were still rocking quietly long after the CD player went mute.
* * *
At 9:30 Claire left the bedroom to make sure everyone was getting in bed as they should be. No one was getting in bed as they should be. Nikki was on the phone in the den, Stacy was on her computer, and George Jr. was down in the kitchen picking at the leftover lobster.
Claire sneaked up behind him and startled him purposefully. “Whatchoo doing down here, boy?”
He jumped, and then cracked a smile when he saw Mommy was happy. “How come we didn’t get lobster?” he asked, his lips glistening.
“You’re getting lobster tomorrow.”
“Really?”
“No! Now go up there and brush your teeth.” She gave him a soft swat on the heiney to get him going.
“Hey!”
She followed him up and was glad to see that everyone was bathed and in their pajamas at least. She shooed them to their respective rooms, but Claire wouldn’t retire for the night until they were physically in the bed and under the sheets. She kissed her little goblins goodnight one at a time and thanked them for their good behavior today. She set the sleep timers on the girl’s televisions so they could watch one more hour of High School Musical.
“You’re still busting out of your dress,” Nikki said when her mother turned off her lights.
“I thought you said you wanted another little brother,” Claire teased.
“Eww!” Nikki shrieked. “Get out of here! I’m getting another mental picture!”
Claire left the room laughing.
Her good spirits didn’t go away when she got back to the bedroom.
George was in his pajama bottoms only. He sat on the corner of the bed breathing deeply, and Claire knew he’d just finished his push-ups for the night.
Look at my man, she thought.
George’s neck was massive. His traps were swollen like two small hills sitting atop his shoulders. His pectorals were huge and rippling, hard and smooth.
“Come here,” he said. He stared at her like he was hypnotized.
Claire closed the door behind her and stepped to him. She stood between his legs and put her hands on those well-defined traps. George put his hands on her waist then slid them down to her hips. He looked up at her and grinned.
“This is a new dress?”
She nodded. “How do you always know?”
“I never forget anything,” he said. He reached up and touched her breasts delicately, and then he slid his fingers down her stomach. Even after sixteen years, he still had the power to send a tingle down her spine.
“I love the dress,” he said, “but how do you get it off?”
She turned so he could see the zipper running down the back. He reached up for it then stopped himself.
“Wait,” he said. “Turn around.”
She did. George took her hands and looked up at her like he was going to propose again.
“You know, baby, I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you.”
“When was the first time you saw me?” Claire asked. She knew the story, but it was never a bad time to hear it again.
“I was in detention,” he said with a smirk. “It was after school, and most of the students were already on their way home. Mr. Jensen opened the door ’cause it always got stuffy in his room, and about twelve seconds after he opened it you walked by.”
“Twelve seconds?”
“I know it was twelve seconds because I was watching that damned clock,” George said. “But I didn’t care about that clock anymore when I saw you.”
Claire put a hand on his cheek and grew a little misty-eyed.
“When he let us go,” George went on, “I ran out there looking for you, but ten minutes had already passed. I couldn’t find you anywhere. I must’ve run around that school three times.”
Claire giggled.
“But I saw you again two weeks later.”
“At assembly.”
“I didn’t let you get away that time.”
“No,” Claire said. “You didn’t.”
George reached behind his back and came up with a black jewelry box. It was too big to be a ring, but just the perfect size for a necklace. Claire took it with trembling fingers.
“I really loved that video,” George said. “I can’t believe you went through so much trouble for me. I want you to know I love you more than anything in this world. I know you’ve had your eye on that for quite a while. I’m giving it to you tonight because this day reminds me of how special you are, how you mean the world to me. You’ve given me everything I’ve ever wanted, so I want to do the same for you…”
With all the build-up, Claire almost couldn’t get the box open in her excitement. But she managed. And although the item inside was beautiful, expensive and exquisite, Claire felt a brief pang of let down when she saw the necklace.
George got her a curving journey pendant with five diamonds set in white gold. The diamonds grew in size as they descended from the chain, but for the life of her, Claire couldn’t remember ever requesting anything so extravagant.
But it was beautiful.
“It’s wonderful,” she said.
George stood and wrapped her in his arms. He kissed her deeply and pressed his body into to hers. Claire felt him growing against her.
“Turn around,” he said. “Let me put that on for you.”
Claire returned the pendant and turned her back on him. She raised her hair, and George secured the latch quickly. Claire stepped away when he was done so she could admire the necklace in the mirror over their dresser. George followed. He stood behind her and unzipped her dress while she leaned in for a closer look.
“Oh, my God, George. This is incredible!”
“Nothing’s more beautiful than you,” he said.
She turned to face him. He slid the dress down her frame, and Claire stepped out of it gingerly. She didn’t feel self-conscious at all with his eyes on her. She even felt comfortable with her belly. She peeled off her undergarments slowly, and George’s eyes grew larger by the second.
“Wow,” he said when she was down to everything but his gift. He put his hands on her sides then held her hips and caressed her butt. Claire backed him towards the bed with a hand on his throbbing member.
“Why don’t you take your pants off?” she suggested.
He jumped out of the britches like they were poisonous and sat down on the mattress. Claire climbed on top of him like a leopard. She put her hands on his neck and looked him in the eyes as she eased down and took him into her. George grabbed her hips again and she moaned, already close to climax.
“I’ve been thinking about this for too long,” she whispered. “I’m already ready…”
He cupped her left breast and suckled the nipple delightfully.
“Go ahead,” he said. “I’ll make sure you get another one.”
And he did.
* * *
Claire woke up at 3:43 a.m. That was odd because she had wine with dinner. Alcohol coupled with the pipe work George laid down last night should have had her knocked out until the alarm went off. But Claire wasn’t tired at all. She didn’t even feel like she’d been asleep.
She sat up carefully and looked over at her husband. George lay on his stomach, snoring lightly. Claire slid her legs over slowly and crept out of the bed, though she had no idea why she needed to be sneaky.
But then again, she did know why. She just didn’t want to accept it right then because thinking about it made her nauseous.
Claire never put much stock in the idea of women’s intuition, but she couldn’t deny the other-worldly vibes she felt. George’s words played over and over in her head until they didn’t make sense anymore. And yet they did make sense.
I never forget anything.
I know you’ve had your eye on that for quite a while.
I never forget anything.
you’ve had your eye on that
never forget
If she was married to any other man, Claire would have thought nothing of this faux pas. What husband doesn’t give his wife the wrong gift every once in a while? But George was no ordinary man. He really did have a memory like an elephant. And if he said she had her eye on it for quite a while, then she did have her eye on it for quite a while.
The only question was; who was she?
Claire tied her robe closed and slipped out of the room with pin-needles pricking the bottom of her feet. Her underarms were moist. Her mouth was dry, and her heart jack-hammered in her chest. In sixteen years she never felt like this. Maybe she was wrong for feeling this now.
Or maybe she was right.
Claire really didn’t want to know. But she kept moving.
She navigated the hallways like a ghost and found herself in George’s office almost unintentionally. She was afraid to turn on the lights, so she fumbled through her husband’s belongings like a cat burglar, flipping papers, scrutinizing little post-its.
She didn’t know what she was looking for, but she knew it would be in his office, and she knew it wouldn’t be hard to find. Claire never invaded her husband’s privacy, so he wouldn’t keep his secrets in a safe.
She found George’s briefcase on the floor next to the coat rack. She took it to the desk and opened it slowly. The small clicks sounded like firecrackers to Claire. She stopped and listened to the darkness several times. She held her breath as she opened it.
Then she closed it again.
This was ridiculous. Was she going to throw away all these years of trust over one misunderstanding? There were a million explanations for what she was thinking.
But Claire was no fool.
I know you’ve had your eye on that for quite a while.
She never once told him she wanted a diamond necklace.
I never forget anything.
She opened the briefcase again and found what she was looking for in the first pocket she searched. Claire pulled out the Hallmark card and read it slowly in the darkness. It was nothing, really. It was innocent. It definitely wasn’t something she could shove in his face as hard evidence.
But it was enough; enough to make her start crying on what was supposed to be a very special day.
It was a Thinking of You card. Written in blue ink were the words:
Good luck with your meeting today.
I believe in you.
You make me proud.
Kim
Claire’s face folded in on itself, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to remain strong. This card didn’t prove anything. Kim could be anyone. If Kim was Asian, he could actually be a man.
And the handwriting wasn’t necessarily feminine. Calligraphy was originally a male-dominated field. Surely there were men out there who still wrote this beautifully…
I know you’ve had your eye on that for quite a while.
I believe in you.
I never forget anything.
You make me proud.
I know you’ve had your eye on that for quite a while.
Kim.
Claire breathed fire from her nostrils. She decided right then and there that if her suspicions were true, she was going to murder her husband. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. If George was cheating on her, she was going to kill his sorry ass.