Page 9 of Jealous Wife

Rollo showed them their invitations, which one of the men scanned using an electronic card reader before ushering the couple inside. Rollo nodded at them, silently thanking them. Past the heavy metal doors, the rooftop opened in front of Ava’s eyes.

All around there were sparkling lights. Red, green, yellow, orange, and white. She could see streaks of white and red trailing across the highway. Yellow and orange street lights glinted, shining bright beams down onto the road below.

A couple of fountains had been erected in the corners of the roof. Lights were embedded into the fountain, sparkling as the water trickled past them.

Scantily clad waitresses floated around the rooftop, passing out bubbling glasses of champagne and taking away empty glasses. Ava felt as though she was dreaming as she wafted around the roof, listening to the ambient electronic music playing in the background. She was surrounded by the sounds of tinkling glass and carefree laughter.

It took a moment for Ava to realize that Rollo had walked away from her. She could see him ahead of her, storming toward the bar. A pit opened up in Ava’s stomach as she looked at him. His back was hunched and his arms were tense, hanging tightly at his sides.

Ava had done that to him and she knew it. Everything was her fault.

Gripped by self-loathing, Ava meandered around the rooftop, looking at groups of people that stood around talking to one another. Most of them were chuckling into the champagne flutes, their faces flushed and their eyes glistening. Clearly, Ava and Rollo had missed happy hour. Everyone here already seemed tipsy.

Her eyes went back to the bar for a moment, making sure that Rollo was still where she’d last seen him. Her stomach dropped through her body as she realized he wasn’t there.

Panicked, Ava turned around on her heels as she searched for her husband. Fear crept up her throat, sending cold shivers up and down her spine. She opened her mouth to call his name out but stopped herself, not wanting to make an idiot of herself in front of Rollo’s coworkers.

A hand gently brushed against her back, right between her bare shoulder blades. Ava whirled around, ready to slap whoever it was who had dared to touch her there.

To her surprise, she was faced with Rollo. He frowned at her, his skin pinching together above his nose.

It took Ava a moment to move her eyes from her husband and, when she did, her night turned a whole lot worse. Zoey was hanging off his arm, her fingers stopping inches away from his palm. They were basically holding hands, right in front of her.

Zoey’s tight, young body was barely covered in a skin-tight dress. Once more, she seemed to have decided against wearing a bra. The peaks poking through the fabric of her dress drew attention to her plunging neckline and barely covered anything at all.

“Ava,” Rollo said, his voice cold and distant. “Remember Zoey?”

This was Ava’s cue to be good. This was Ava’s chance to redeem herself. She grinned at Zoey as widely as she could.

“Of course,” she said sweetly. “How could I forget? How are you, Zoey? Finding your way around the city yet?”

Zoey nodded her head, making her unsupported globes jiggle up and down, the weight of them rubbing against her husband’s upper arm.

“I am, thank you,” she said, her voice so sweet it was like drinking pure honey. “Of course, your husband has been a big help. Not only is it because of him that I’m here, but he’s showing me all the best spots in town.”

“I’m sure he is,” Ava said as politely as she could, forcing a smile onto her lips.

Rollo gave her a sharp look. Before he could say anything to scold her, his eyes snapped to someone across the roof.

“Excuse me,” he sighed. “I have to go shake some hands.”

Ava looked over her shoulder, feeling her chin brush against her soft skin. A group of men had just come onto the roof, looking around as if they were lost. Rollo rushed over to them, his hand extended out.

Ava looked away, wanting to give him a chance to do his job without her eyes boring holes into his back. Zoey was still standing opposite her, watching Rollo as well.

“You’re a lucky woman,” Zoey said, her voice suddenly husky instead of sweet.

Ava was too shocked at the change to ask why.

“Rollo is a great man,” Zoey continued, still staring at Rollo.

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, biting it hard as her eyes drifted up and down Rollo’s body. Everything inside Ava was screaming. Somehow, she managed to keep her cool.

“Rollo thinks highly of you as well,” Ava said. “He’s always talking about how you’re doing a great job.”

“He’s a great boss,” Zoey said, still staring at Rollo unashamedly.

Ava tried not to get angry. Why would Zoey be so blatant in front of her? Surely that would only make her life harder. She was probably just young and inexperienced, unable to understand how inappropriate she was being towards a happily married man.