Page 38 of Hotwife
The faint ring of the doorbell met our ears. He put out his cigarette on the banister and extended his elbow. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
My husband’s challenge jarred my nerves. Why was he thinking about that?
The sound of my heels clinked inside to the foyer, where Odette stood ushering in Dr. Gregory and Eva. Thank god she was here filling in my ineffectual hostess gaps. Eva kissed both of my cheeks, then Cedric, and without hesitation my sister got the Eva treatment as well. “Good heavens, there’s two of Dolly,” Eva gave a shrill and slow giggle.
She fumbled on her heel for a moment and her husband cleared his throat. “Thank you, Cedric and Mrs. Winslow for having us this evening. I’m looking forward to talking shop with you later, Doctor.”
Cedric beamed and gave Henry a firm handshake. “I’m looking forward to that as well.”
Okay, so far this was actually turning out to be just fine. Maybe I’d actually pull this dinner off without a hitch. My shouldered dropped with relief.
Suddenly, the door opened, and two thick black boots stomped inside. My heart leapt into my throat, bringing along all of my body’s blood supply with it.
“Oh, it’s him, of course,” Eva slurred, rolling her eyes dramatically. Was she drunk? Oh, this was too good. However, I couldn’t even enjoy her uncharacteristically zany behavior because of the brute standing in my doorway.
“Cocktail?” my sister cut in, putting a gentle hand on Eva’s back and drawing her away. Odette shot me a wide-eyed “What the hell?” on her way out.
“Ah yes, Cedric, I thought you’d like to see my son again. He’s in town, maybe he’ll actually put down some roots next to his old man.”
Cedric straightened, peering at Des and tensing his jaw. Des squared his shoulders, eyes traveling noticeably down my body before pulling away to meet my husband’s gaze.
“Wait, you know Des-, I mean, Dr. Gregory’s son?” I asked, looping my arm in my husband’s.
“I do,” he replied, looking at Dr. Gregory and regaining his composure. “Shall we head to the dining room?”
Cedric dropped my arm and struck up a conversation about the hospital with his boss on their way towards the dining room. Des and I were alone in the foyer.
“What are you doing here?” I whispered, crossing my arms. Desmond was in a dark brown leather jacket and jeans.
Looking like a demon prince, he smirked. “I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see you playing little-miss-wife. So this is better than swimming with whales and fucking against trees, huh?”
“Stability is just so boring isn’t is Demond?” I spat. “You know that I love my husband. You’re not going to ruin his chance for a promotion-”
“The fuck? I don’t give a shit about that. I’m here to see you, Queen. And if Cedric were enough you wouldn’t be looking at me like that.” He strode closer and I froze, a hot thrill snaking down my spine. Taking the thin strap of my dress between his thumb and forefinger, he let out a low growl. “This would look better on the floor.”
Heat rushed to my center, and I struggled to hide my shallow breathing. “Des, we can’t.”
“We can and we have.” He leaned down to my neck, breath heavy, raising goosebumps on my skin. “And we will again,” he murmured before biting down. A small moan escaped my lips before my palms hit chest, shoving him back.
“Stop,” I ordered, steadying myself. My red-bottomed heels marched me out into the hallway, leaving my errant lover behind. I couldn’t deal with this right now. The faster we ate, the faster everyone would leave and this night would be over. When I reached the long dining table, I gasped in admiration. A white tablecloth, dark purple flowers, and dainty tea lights dotted every free surface.
“Odie, this is lovely,” I whispered, floated down to the chair next to her. She was chatting with Eva with vivid enthusiasm. While it was odd to behold, I was thankful my sister was keeping her busy. Though, by the looks of her already empty glass, Eva was doing a good job of keeping herself busy, too. Cora had texted earlier that they would be late and to start without them. I was looking forward to her levity at the table, so I hoped she’d show up soon.
Cedric and Dr. Gregory entered the room and sat. Cedric must have been giving him a tour because they were talking about architecture of homes in the Pacific Northwest. My eyes searched for my husband’s, but he wouldn’t meet my gaze. My sister leaned over with a pasted-on smile. “What the hell is going on, sis?”
Just then, Desmond sauntered in, his casual attire of jeans, a black t-shirt, and vintage leather jacket, both irritating me and turning me on. Passing the men, he pulled out the chair right next to me and sat, his arm softly resting against mine. Heat flooded my cheeks as I immediately looked to Cedric. I should have warned him of this possibility. But I’d broken so many rules with Des, I didn’t even know where to start. I’d tried to tell him, but he seemed so happy, so earnest about getting our marriage back on track. I thought maybe this attraction for Des would fade away, but the opposite happened. My stupid feelings only grew.
Now I was sitting at a table with both of them, tongue tied and reeling.
Cedric was looking in Desmond’s direction, jaw tense, as Des leaned back in his chair. A server appeared with plates and more drinks. Des gulped his martini back like a shot and I shook my head, trying to focus on the idle conversation at the table. My sister was regaling our guests with tales of strawberry picking in Georgia. Thankfully, Dr. Gregory and Eva were eating up her charm.
“Dorthea, what is your profession?” Dr. Gregory asked, taking a bite of grilled romaine salad.
“Oh,” I replied, taking a sip of my second drink. “I don’t really have one, honestly.”
“Dory, being a homemaker is a job,” Eva slurred, reaching unceremoniously around my sister and squeezing my arm. Holding back a laugh, I nodded in thanks. Wow, she was sloshed.
“Actually, Dorthea does a lot of work at the local aquarium,” Cedric added smoothly, making me feel like less of a loser.