SWNOVELS Class Act: Chapter 22
walked out of the kitchen, my heart ached in the worst way to go after him. To take him away from all this and bring him to a place where it was just the two of us. But that was only a pipe dream, wasn’t it? Even if we had a divorce, Teresa would always be a part of my life through the daughter we shared.
Was I being unfair to Emery by including him in this mess? He was just nineteen. He should enjoy things teens did, not worry about being caught in the middle of a divorce and a cheating scandal.
I put the popcorn box back into the cupboard and made my way up the stairs. A boyfriend downstairs and a wife upstairs. How had my life come to this?
When I entered the bedroom, Teresa wasn’t there, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I walked over to the closet to change my clothes. I didn’t want to be around her. Not after what I’d heard her saying to Emery earlier, and I couldn’t be around Emery without giving away how I felt about him. My best bet to get through tonight was to leave the house until everyone was asleep.
I had my jeans up, unbuttoned, and was shrugging on my shirt when Teresa came in. She had a towel wrapped around her body, but the second she saw me, she removed the knot and dropped the towel to the floor. Her naked body was on full display.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Out.”
She glared at me. “I can already tell that, Abe.”
“Possibly Lynn’s.”
She pulled a face. “Why do you like that bar anyway? It’s tacky.”
“It’s friendly. The people who frequent there remind me of me. It’s where I feel comfortable.”
“You’re not them. You have a good life. Why not go to a better place?”
I tucked my shirt in and buttoned my jeans in haste. The sooner I was away from her, the better. Emery had said he could take care of Teresa and her offer himself, but he shouldn’t have to. What good was I to him if I couldn’t address this issue?
And if she suspects the nature of your relationship with Emery?
So be it.
“You’re just going to walk away?” she asked. “You won’t even try to work things out anymore?”
“What’s there to work out, Teresa? You’re not the woman I fell in love with. Your greed and ambition changed you. How dare you suggest to Emery what you did tonight?”
Silence fell between us. At least she had the grace to blush.
“He told you about that?” She cocked her head to the side and frowned.
“No, he didn’t. I overheard you talking to him about it for the second time. What were you thinking?”
She shrugged. “Oh, Abe, grow up. I’m trying to help the boy.”
“You know damn well most of these men you represent are criminals.”
“You didn’t think that way when we went on cruises, family vacations, and parties with them.”
“It always made me feel uncomfortable, but it’s your job. I told myself you were networking and not to take it too personal. You’ve completely crossed the line to pitch such an idea to Emery. What are you hoping to achieve from this? To gain favor from your clients by sacrificing an innocent boy?”
“Sacrificing an innocent boy?” She scoffed. “I can’t tell which part of that is more hilarious. Does he look like an innocent to you? You’re missing the part where he’s the one who will live a better life for this. As someone who’s enjoyed the things my money has bought this family for years, you, of all people, should be able to understand.”
My chest tightened, and I clenched my teeth. She’d made these quips about her money before whenever we had tiffs, but lately, she’d been intimating more often that she was the one providing for the family.
My coaching salary didn’t stretch far—could never compete with what she made at the law firm—but I did my part. I contributed to Mandy’s college fund. I paid the bills too. We’d only moved to a more affluent neighborhood and upgraded our house because she’d wanted to. I’d been just as happy in the small two-bedroom house we’d lived in when we got married.
“If money is the reason for you threatening to contest this divorce, you needn’t bother. I don’t want a penny from you. Just stop pushing your agenda at Emery. He’s made it clear to you twice now that he’s not interested.”
“And why are you interested in this? What’s it to do with you?”
“You mean other than not wanting to see you land in prison for pimping out a teenager to criminals?”
I didn’t wait for her to respond. I grabbed my keys and wallet and took the stairs two at a time. Maybe Emery was right that Teresa would look at us skeptically now, but finally confronting her about this felt good. That should stop her from pushing the boy at her rich friends.
The need to go to the den and take Emery with me was strong, but I forced myself to leave him with my daughter. I hopped into my Bentley—the car Teresa had bought for me two birthdays ago. She’d claimed that I deserved it for being a wonderful husband and father, and I’d accepted that reason, but now as I stared at the dashboard with all the high-tech features, the expensive leather seats with temperature control, my stomach turned over.
As someone who’s enjoyed the things my money has bought this family for years, you, of all people, should be able to understand.
Before she’d bought me the car, she used to make random comments about the one I’d driven. Whenever we went to the events she carted me off to, I always had to drive her Jag instead of my modest car. Thankfully, I hadn’t sold my other car. I’d kept it for sentimental reasons.
Instead of switching on the engine, I got out, climbed into my older model RAV4, and backed out of the driveway. It felt like getting a piece of my soul back.
“Hey, man,” Lynn greeted when I sat on a stool at her side of the bar. “Two nights in a row. There really must be trouble in paradise. What can I get ya?”
“Surprise me.”
She chuckled, grabbed a glass, and started mixing. I glanced around the bar. Although there were a few women here, the majority of the patrons were men. None of them made my heart race just by looking at them.
“Here you go.”
I nodded my thanks and took a sip from my drink. Scotch. “Not a terrible choice.”
“You look like you want it rough.”
I shook my head at her and she laughed. “What have you been up to lately?”
“I think we should focus on you. Things aren’t looking up for your marriage, is it?”
“Nope. I’m going to make it official and visit a divorce lawyer this week. I already made the appointment.”
“No shit. You probably should talk to Mandy before doing that.”
“I plan to. I thought if I gave Teresa a few days to process this, she’d calm down, and we would present a united front when we inform Mandy.”
“Talk to her before Teresa. It’s better that she’s on your side.”
“Nah, I don’t want her to pick a side. We’ll both love her and be there for her. There’s still so much to figure out, though, especially the living situation.”
“Yeah? Remember that apartment I rent out? Well, it’s your luck that it’s available. It’s yours if you want it.”
I rubbed at my temple. Shit. “I need to give this some more thought.”
“About divorcing Teresa?”
“No, that part is definitely going to happen, but I don’t want to leave them alone to deal with the aftermath, you know. Would it be better to stick around until Mandy leaves for college? That might be best.”
But Emery’s dad continued to assault Emery, and I wanted to get him away from the prick. If I had an apartment in another neighborhood, he could move in with me. We’d just have to be careful that no one knew we were living together. We could manage that. It wasn’t long before he would graduate.
“Gimme a sec. Be right back.”
Lynn served a group of men at the bar. When she returned, I’d drained my glass.
“Should I get you more?” she asked.
I shook my head. “I’m driving.”
“Okay. Although I can always call you a cab, or you can even crash at my place. It’s been a long time since you’ve done that.”
“Don’t you have a pretty curvy redhead running around your house somewhere?”
“We broke up. You know they never last long. I take care of them, but they’re never satisfied. They’re always looking for more.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s easy to wrap your head around. I’m in my forties. They’re young women in their twenties. They’re not only looking for a good time but also for someone to take care of them.”
“Surely, they’re not all like that.”
“I would hope not. I just haven’t found anyone yet.”
Emery wasn’t like that. He refused to take money from me. “Then why do you bother going after that type?”
“What can I say? I have a weakness for that type of woman. I like taking care of them. Don’t get me wrong. That’s not the problem. Just want their heart to be in it too, you know.”
Was I just like Lynn? Emery was like the young women Lynn enjoyed dating. Maybe she would understand.
“Do you have a minute to step out from behind the bar?” I asked. “I want to talk to you about something.”
“Gimme fifteen.”
She got me a glass of water, and I downed it, my gut twisting with indecision. Could I trust Lynn enough with this? I knew without a doubt I could. We went way back to high school. It was the one friendship Teresa hadn’t been able to shake. When she’d found out Lynn was a lesbian, she hadn’t been able to use jealousy as a reason for me to stop talking to Lynn.
Lynn took longer than fifteen minutes, but eventually, she gestured for me to follow her to an empty booth at the back while her assistant took over. I slid across from her.
“Jesus, you’re a mess,” Lynn said. “What the hell’s going through your mind? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have woman trouble. The kind you get when you’re juggling two of them.” She widened her eyes and cupped a hand over her mouth. “No, shit. Is that the reason you’re pressing for a divorce? There’s another woman?”
“Kind of. There’s someone else. Someone I love, but it’s not a woman.”
“Not a woman? You mean you’re fucking around with a man?”
“Yeah. Took me by surprise too.” Heat rushed into my cheeks, and I scrubbed the back of my neck. “I’m still not sure how it happened.”
“Well, fuck, who is it? Anyone I know? Some teacher from your school? That makes sense.”
I shook my head, unlocked my phone, and scrolled to the picture of Emery and me I hadn’t been able to delete. If anyone found it, we could get in a heap of trouble.
Emery had been in my office that day, scolding me as he usually did about not putting back my files right away when I used them. He’d been flitting from my desk to the file cabinet, and I’d pulled him down onto my lap and told him to stay still for a minute. He’d snapped the picture of himself, his eyes bright with laughter.
“Isn’t this Mandy’s friend?” Lynn asked.
“Yeah.”
She passed me back the phone. “Shit.”
“Aren’t you going to lecture me about how wrong it is?”
“I could, but I know you. You’ve already lectured yourself about this several times. If you’re at this stage, it’s clear you’ve made your decision.”
“I have, but it’s scary. It’s different in so many ways. He’s a student, a teenager, and my daughter’s best friend.”
“You left out the part where he’s a guy. I didn’t know you swung that way.”
I shrugged helplessly. “I didn’t know either. He’s different, very femme. I think that made me notice him. And then he kept getting into trouble, and we kind of got close. I admit his appearance got to me first, but then came the need to protect him and keep him safe. Before I knew it, I was falling hard. He’s so sweet, Lynn.”
“Are you sure you’re not thinking with your dick? Because he is a sexy little thing.”
I scowled. “No, it’s not just my dick, though that’s a part of it. I can’t keep my hands off him now that I’ve had him.”
“You mean you’ve already…?”
“Yeah.”
“How was it? Your first time making your way around another dick.”
“Mind-blowing. It feels different. I thought it would be weird, but as soon as I kissed and touched him, everything fell into place.”
“Yeah, you’re definitely in love with this guy. But what are you going to do? Your job will be in jeopardy, and if Teresa finds out you’re dumping her for this guy… your wife’s vicious, man.”
“I know, and I’m still trying to work through it. Right now, the most important thing is Emery and protecting him when all this blows up.”
“Well, good luck. If you ever need somewhere to take him just to hang out, you can always drop by my place.”
“Thanks, Lynn. I appreciate it.”
She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “I hate asking this, but are you sure he’s not after your money? Good-looking guys like him usually bounce around for a sugar Daddy.”
I frowned. The thought would have weighed me down if I hadn’t heard him turn down Teresa’s wealthy friends more than once. “I’m positive he’s not.”
“Okay. Just checking. Well, keep it on the down low until your divorce is final. No use stirring up drama that might draw out the divorce. You want that shit done with as soon as possible.”