A/N:Not sure if the disclaimer is necessary. If you don't know which characters I don't own, please slap yourself repeatedly. Xx Ella
P.S. I'd like to specially thank all of my reviewers for leaving amazing comments. Thank you to wintertwist87, SinisterShadows, Arinna Black, not-so-average-07, TragicCure, Leave your hat on, Kermitfries, SleepWalks, Neith4Weiss, Hayley Jean, lovelylinds, Kris Death, casadora22, LacedWithLove, Obsessedfan13, Bookworm 305, QuietOne364, ILuvOdie, Ravvy B, babyicequeen666, blackwolfgirl87, and imaGi.NatiOn.X.x!
Chapter 11
Things are never what they seem.
Cee and I were going over the finance book one last time. Our store, White Rose, was opening in only three weeks. Everything was already done, but I couldn't stop feeling as though I was forgetting something. The clothes had come in. Personal shoppers, cashiers, and sales girls had been hired. The store had been set up and was ready for Opening Day, but it still felt bare.
"Do you think we've missing anything?" I bit into a stale blueberry muffin.
"Like what?" Cee pushed back her trendy black rimmed glasses and stared up at me. She still looked 21. I almost hated her for it.
"I don't know, but it just feels like something's not right."
"Everything feels okay to me." She shrugged. "But I could go for a manicure right about now."
"Oh!" I clapped my hands in delight. "I love Teddy's. They serve you win while you wait."
"Teddy's it is. Shall we?" She stood up and extended an arm. I gleefully took it and nearly hopped as I walked. I don't think any woman on their way to Teddy's could control that extra skip in their step. I couldn't, at least.
xx
"So, tell me something exciting." I said as we were seated in our chairs, flipping through magazines, as the two older Chinese women painted our toenails. "I haven't had excitement in years."
"Really?" She looked shocked. "I always thought you and Reid made time for that."
I laughed. "We do, but not so much anymore. Having three children run around all day tires me out. By 8 o'clock I'm passed out cold."
"Well didn't you talk to him about that stuff when you were back in Ipswich?" She sipped on her wine. I swirled my diet coke in the glass and watched it fizz.
"We talked, but that's all Reid does lately. Talk. When he's not working, or spending time with the kids, he's telling me how the case is coming along."
"Well that's good, right? He's trying to keep you informed."
"I feel like a business partner, not his wife." I spoke bluntly. "I'm not happy anymore."
"Whoa, wait!" She nearly spat out her wine. "You're not thinking of getting a divorce?"
"Maybe." I answered truthfully. "He promised he would change after the trial, and the trail isn't even happening for another two weeks, I feel like I'm being placed on the back burner. The kids are acting up because he's not around, I feel abandoned, and I feel like he doesn't care."
"But the trial isn't for another two weeks, he's stressed. You've got to give him that."
"He chose work over his family. Who's side are you on anyways?"
Cee turned her upper body to face me. "Eliza, you know I'm your best friend and will be there for you no matter what. But as your best friend, I've got to be honest with you. Reid has been your life since you were just a little girl. Just because he's working long hours now doesn't mean that you have to divorce him. This thing happens with every relationship, being married isn't smooth sailing. You have to roll with the punches, you know?"
I sighed. "It's not just the long hours Cee." I avoided her gaze. "I'm pregnant again."
"You're what?!" Cee shouted, scaring the poor Asian woman at her feet. "Sorry" Cee mumbled, and then looked back at me. "It's his, isn't it?"
"Of course it's his." I answered quickly. Almost too quickly. "It's just after Ava was born, we sort of said three is enough."
"You're afraid he's going to be mad, aren't you?" I didn't have to answer her for Cee to know the answer. "Shit happens." She laughed, before finishing off her glass of wine.
xx
"Reid, it's Eliza," I spoke into the receiver. I was half a block away from home. "I know you're busy but you need to call me ASAP." I cut through a group of tourists and ignored their angry remarks. "It's important that you're home before 8 tonight. We need to talk."
I turned the corner, nodded at the doorman, and stopped at the mailboxes. I opened up mine and instantly noticed a pink envelope. It was addressed to Reid. I hit the elevator button and studied the front of the envelope as I waited. It was written in feminine cursive and smelled like perfume old woman would wear.
My curiosity was getting the best of me. Both of Reid's Grandmother's had passed away, and Natasha, Reid mother never wrote in cursive. The lack of willpower finally had gotten the best of me. I hit the stop button and tore the envelope open.
"Dearest Reid,
Last weekend was lovely. I do hope we can do it again sometime soon.
Best Wishes,
Violet."
I don't think I've cried so hard yet so fast in my entire life. Once I stepped off the elevator, I quickly composed myself and opened up the front door to the penthouse.
"MOMMY!" The kids yelled in unison. And for a moment, just a moment, all of my worries melted away.
"Hey Sweetheart, I'm flying off to Berlin for the weekend. Peterman's mother is supposed to be in very bad health so I've got to fly over to meet with her for the deposition. I'll call you when I get the chance-" I automatically deleted his voicemail without listening to the rest. I didn't need to. He was never home anymore.
"Momma, when's Daddy going to be home?" Andy asked me, his mouth full of food.
"Do not speak with your mouth full of food." Miriam, the nanny, scolded before I could.
"Daddy's on a business trip for the weekend. He'll be back soon." I forcefully cut into my chicken.
Ava started crying. "I want Daddy!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.
"I'm sorry honey," I took a huge drink of water, silently wishing it was a cold martini. "There's nothing I can do about it."
Miriam shot me a worried look, but I pretended not to notice. "Who wants to go to the Zoo this weekend?" The kids cheered in excitement and I relaxed.
An hour later there was a knock on the door. Miriam had left for the night, and Ava was already in bed. Andy and Ahna were playing video games in the play room while I flipped through the channels on the TV. I answered the door, almost wishing I hadn't. Tyler was standing on the other side.
"Hey, come in." I spoke finally. "Why aren't you in Berlin?"
"Berlin?" Tyler looked just as confused as I was. "What's in Berlin?"
Before Reid had come home I shredded the card in the office and threw it away. I had known something was going on last weekend when Reid had mysteriously flown off to Berlin to visit the mother of the man he was trying to put behind bars. It didn't make sense at the time. But now it did. Reid was having an affair. He was cheating on me.
The kids sat down at the table as Miriam and I brought out their plates from the kitchen. Miriam, the kids, and I ate dinner almost silently. The kids could tell something was going on. I was a horrible liar.
"Mrs. Garwin, is something the matter?" Miriam said in her thick Russian accent.
"Miriam, I'm fine." I snapped, placing the dishes into the dishwasher. "Will you please check on the kids one last time before you leave."
"Of course. But if you need anything, I'm always here." She said, before she rushed off to tend to the children.
I felt bad for snapping at her. She was really a great nanny. But it was now 8:45 and I had asked Reid to be home at 8 o'clock. I started wondering if he was with her. Violet. "Ahh!" I screamed as I threw a dirty plate against the marble floor.
"Whoa, Eliza!" A male voice echoed, "What's going on?"
I turned around and looked at Tyler. "What are you doing here? Where's Reid?"
Tyler looked down at the ground sheepishly. "He said he's sorry but it's going to be a late night."
"So what, he sent you to be the messenger? He couldn't pick up the phone to call me?" I turned back around and started wiping the rest of the dishes dry.
I felt a warm body push up against me. "He doesn't know what he's missing." Tyler's voice came out husky and I tried to compose myself as best as I could.
"The kids are still up." I reminded him.
"They can't hear us." He spoke softly as he bit down on my earlobe and placed his hand on my belly. "How's my baby doing?"