say? She’s crazy! Always trying to relive the glory days.”
“Glory days? What glory days?” The question nearly distracts me, but I push on, “Don’t lie to me! I heard your phone call!”
“What?” He shakes his head and I wonder if I’m going insane. “What are you talking about? You’re scaring me. This is nuts.” His eyes are wide and flooded with worry.
“She was on the phone! Elaine! On the Bluetooth. It came into my car when I was behind you.” My volume and ferocity are fading because he seems so lost.
“Oh shit.” He closes his eyes for a second. “You heard Elaine being crazy at the turn for the Bedford Highway.” He says it like this is a normal sentence.
“I know what I heard.” My tone is a warning.
“No, you don’t. That piece of shit car. I did notice my Bluetooth wasn’t picking up and then it cut out a couple of times. I think my phone attaching to your piece of crap is becoming an issue.” He stares at me, mesmerizingly with a wide and captivating expression.
“There is no excuse, Rod. You’re caught. I knew it! You made me think I was way off in Mexico, but I knew it!” Redemption at last.
“Oh Jesus, not this again. Lil. You didn’t hear me talking on the Bluetooth, did you? You didn’t hear my side of the conversation where I told her no for the hundredth time. She does this every single Christmas. Says she and Brent are miserable and she misses me.”
“You mean misses your cock!” I spit the words.
“Oh God, she didn’t?” He pinches the bridge of his nose. “They fight over money because she has spent far too much. He cuts off the credit cards and she does this to torture him. We had a thing before Brent and Elaine even met. It was short-lived and she chose Brent. Then I met you. End of story. Nothing has happened since. I swear to you.” The story doesn’t make sense, but he’s saying it in that confident way that normally convinces me. But this time is different. There was something in her tone. A realness.
“She wanted to meet at the mall, Rod. This week!” He’s not getting away with this. I knew I saw them kiss in Mexico and the phone call tonight only confirms that.
“She gets this way every year, tries to tempt me into an affair to piss him off. That’s all you heard.” He grimaces and I swear to the gods of all that is holy he means it. He believes the story he is telling me. “I would never do that to you. Or to Brent. Ever. I love you.” He pulls me in but he might as well be hugging a statue.
“I know what I heard. She wasn’t drunk. She was driving. I heard a horn in the background like someone honked at her.” I’m basically talking to myself. I can feel him not listening.
“You clearly misheard. She was loaded. I’m not having this fight with you. Elaine is an unstable mess. You yourself have said it a hundred times that you think she’s emotionally unbalanced.”
He has me there. I try to come up with a retort but I’m not like him. I don’t have fancy answers and stories on the tip of my tongue.
“Are you going to believe an alcoholic who you don’t even like over me?”
There is no answer for that. My heart says yes, but my analytical brain says, Where’s the proof? He has a point. Several in fact.
I didn’t hear his side of the conversation.
I don’t like Elaine.
She does drink too much.
And on more than one occasion I have called her emotionally unbalanced and manipulative.
There’s no way for me to prove my accusations are anything more than my own thoughts and feelings.
Oh my God. He’s weaseling out of any blame.
“Did your family really tell you not to marry me?” he murmurs, pulling me back with a wounded stare.
“No,” I say, trying to catch my breath. What do I do now? Do I ask for a divorce on the grounds that I suspect something is up? Do I phone Shawnee and drag her into this?
“Then why would you say that?” he asks coldly.
I have no answer. My mind is whirling in circles.
“Were you trying to hurt my feelings? Mission accomplished. Firstly, I have to deal with Elaine and all her nonsense and now this. Accusations and cruelty, as if it wasn’t already a bullshit day. Merry Christmas to me.” He lets