Chapter Fifteen

 

 

Mitch dressed quickly and paused at the bottom of the stairs. He set one foot on the steps, but hesitated. Should he go upstairs and make sure Jane was okay, or should he do as she asked and let himself out?

A little voice in his head told him to leave, give her space. He ice-danced down the sidewalk and onto the driveway. The wheels spun as he backed out of the driveway and headed to the theater to pick up his son. Arriving twenty minutes early, Mitch sat in the parking lot with the engine idling. What the hell had he been thinking? He wasn’t sure what his purpose for going to the house had been, but it sure as hell wasn’t to have sex. Though it was the best sex they’d had for a long time since he prevented her from giving one single suggestion or direction.

It was like being with the old Janie, the girl he’d fallen in love with. The woman he’d married. Before she morphed into Janelle DuMonde—writer, producer, director. Mitch sighed and dragged a palm down his face. He had managed to take advantage of her vulnerability tonight and complicate things so far beyond what they already were.

Why had he told her about the counseling? Invited her to join him? He didn’t want Jane thinking their marriage was over. He didn’t know that, didn’t really want that to happen. Hell, he didn’t know what he wanted. Hence, the decision to talk to someone.

Making love with Jane earlier had taken him back to when their marriage was fresh, new—fun. Before he could consider what that meant, the back door of the SUV opened and Rob and Ashley jumped in.

“Hey, Dad. Can we stop somewhere for pizza or something?”

“Sure. Where to?” Food sounded good. He’d worked up an appetite.

Rob and Ashley agreed on Denny’s where she could a salad. Mitch recalled his last visit to Denny’s and winced. He parked in front of the restaurant and opened his door.

“Thanks, Dad. About an hour?”

“I…uh… Sure. You two go ahead.” Mitch gave them time to be seated, then entered the restaurant and asked for a table for one far on the opposite side of the dining room. He certainly wasn’t going to sit in the SUV with the engine running for an hour while Rob and his girlfriend had dinner.

After placing his order, he pointed to where Rob and Ashley were seated. “Put their dinners on my bill, too.”

The waitress hesitated. “Uh….”

“That’s my son and his date.”

She smiled. “Giving them privacy, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m the chauffeur.” He watched as Ashley said something and Rob laughed, remembering when he and Jane had been that young and carefree. Once upon a time, when they delighted in one another.

A hand settled on his shoulder and a feminine voice spoke his name.

Mitch looked up into the face of Gail Hampton.

“Mitch, are you eating all alone?”

“Gail. What a surprise.”

She slid into the chair opposite him. “I’m so glad to see you. I just hate to eat alone. I don’t usually eat here, but I had some shopping to do and this is close to the mall.” She was removing her scarf and coat, giving him a very full view of her low-cut sweater and cleavage.

“I’m not staying long. I just brought—”

Gail gave a dismissive wave. “It never takes long here.” She studied the menu.

Mitch glanced nervously toward his son, relieved to see Rob was engrossed in whatever Ashley was talking about. He shifted his gaze back to Gail.

She placed her order and then locked her eyes on him. “You look really good, Mitch. Retirement agrees with you.”

Gail always seemed to doing a bad Marilyn Monroe impression. It both annoyed and fascinated him. “I didn’t retire.”

Ignoring his response, she leaned closer and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry about your marriage.”

He pulled his arm away, but not before he realized that Rob had seen them. “What about my marriage?”

“Why, the separation. You are living somewhere else, right? I mean, you were picking up the boxes I had delivered to your house.”

“I put them in storage.”

He exhaled gratefully when the waitress delivered their food orders, though his appetite had begun to fade. Mitch tuned out on Gail while she babbled on about what was happening in the office. He nodded and focused on his dinner.

“Oh, thank you. And you’ll know everyone there already.”

His fork half-way to his mouth, he looked up at her. “What?”

“The Kennedy Christmas Party. I just hate going to those things alone. Thank you, Mitch.”

“For…?”

“Going with me, silly.”

His fork hit the plate with a resounding clatter. “I can’t go with you.”

“I know, you think it’ll be uncomfortable with Liam. But he’ll be fine, I assure you. It’s a party.” She rummaged in her purse for a pen and jotted something on a paper napkin, pushing it across the table to him. “There’s my address. Friday. Pick me up around seven, okay?” She dabbed her mouth and slid into her coat. “It was providential running into you. Oh, let me….”

She pulled a wallet from her purse, but Mitch waved her off. “It’s okay. I got it.”

“Thank you. You are such a sweet man.” She bent and kissed his cheek.

Mitch’s eyes widened and met his son’s stare. Oh, shit. He alternately felt heat followed by cold as the blood drained from his face. He waved to the waitress to bring the checks.

Ashley disappeared into the ladies room. Rob strode toward him, his hand out. “Give me the keys. We’ll wait in the car.”

“I just called for our checks.”

“All three of them?” Rob shifted his gaze to the chair Gail had occupied.

“You remember Gail, the receptionist at Kennedy. She just happened to stop in for dinner, too.”

Ashley came up beside Rob. “Like I said, we’ll be in the car.”

When Mitch climbed into the SUV, Rob and Ashley halted their whispered conversation. They rode in silence until they reached Ashley’s house. Rob walked her to the door and Mitch glanced away as his son leaned in for a goodnight kiss.

Rob returned to the SUV and sat staring out the side window.

“Rob, that was just a chance meeting with Gail. I didn’t even invite her to sit down. She invited herself.”

“If it’s no big deal, why’d you look so guilty?”

“Because you’re looking at me like I committed a crime.”

Silence hung between them for a moment and then Rob asked, “Is that why you and Mom aren’t living together?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

Rob slouched down in the seat. “Just take me home, Dad.”

Mitch hesitated. “Home? Back to my place or—home? I thought we were spending the weekend together.”

“I just want to go home, okay?” Rob snapped.

Surprised by his son’s sudden moodiness, Mitch turned around headed toward the house. When he pulled up into the drive, he put the SUV in park and turned toward Rob. “Ashley seems like a nice girl.”

“She is.” He reached for the door handle.

“It might be best if you didn’t mention Gail’s showing up to your mom.”

Rob glared at him. “Why? I thought it didn’t mean anything.”

“It didn’t. Doesn’t. There’s nothing going on and it will only hurt your Mom if she thinks there is.”

Pausing, Rob seemed to consider what he said.

“I’m sorry if it spoiled your evening.”

Rob shrugged. “It’s okay. Do you think we could go out tomorrow and get a tree?”

“No need. Your mom got one today, all on her own.” As soon as the words were out, Mitch wished he could draw them back.

Frowning Rob asked, “How do you know?”

“I stopped by a while ago, before coming to pick you up.” As he remembered his ‘stopping by,’ heat rushed into his face.

“Kristi comes home tomorrow.”

“I know. I’m getting her from the airport.”

“This is so weird. Are you coming home for Christmas? I mean, we’ve always had Christmas morning together as a family.”

Mitch hadn’t thought that far ahead. If things were strained between him and Jane before, he was pretty sure the tension would be magnified times ten after their earlier lovemaking session. “I don’t know. That’s up to your mom. We’ll see.” He glanced toward the house to see the blinds of one of the front windows part and Jane peer out. “Your mom’s wondering what’s going on. You better go on inside. I’ll see you tomorrow when I bring Kristi home.”

Rob opened the door and got out, then said, “Kristi and I aren’t little kids any more, you know. We have a right to know if you and Mom are getting divorced.”

The word ‘divorced’ zinged around in Mitch’s chest like a ricocheting bullet. “No one’s talking about divorce. And, for the record, I know you’re not a kid anymore. You’re a young man and I’m proud of you.”

Rob ducked his head and mumbled, “Night, Dad.”

Mitch watched as the front door opened and Jane stepped back to let Rob inside. He wanted to get out of the SUV and follow, go back into his home, have a late-night cup of tea with Jane and hear about her day. He wanted to go back, further than the point at which he’d left. Back to when they were happy.

~ * ~

“Rob? I thought you were spending the weekend with your dad. What happened?” Jane followed her son to the kitchen.

Rob opened the fridge and removed a can of soda, popping the tab and taking a long drink before belching. “Excuse me.” He headed for the stairs.

“I asked you a question.”

He stopped and mumbled, “Nothing. I just didn’t want to be with him.”

“What? Why not?” He shrugged and Jane grabbed his arm before he could hurry up the stairs. “Robbie, what happened between you and your father?”

He faced her, his face flushed, fighting tears. “Ask him.” He pulled away and raced up the stairs, slamming his bedroom door.

“Don’t worry. I will.” She fought the urge to pick up the phone and call Mitch right away. She’d rather to confront him face to face. Tomorrow would be soon enough when he brought Kristi from the airport.

Wide awake now, Jane retreated to her office. But assumptions about what must have happened between Rob and his father swarmed her head like angry bees. She did what she did best—she wrote it all out, every possible scenario. Next thing she knew, three chapters had been written and her book was suddenly back on track, after one little plot change.