The Transient Wife

Chapter 8

"Did you pack?" she asked him as the chauffeur drove them to her home. She already changed back to the lime green dress her mother gave her that morning.

"Yes, they're in the trunk," he said with heavy eyes.

"Are you sleepy?" His mother had been trying to tell him all afternoon to slow down with the wine. "I think you had too much to drink."

He chuckled sarcastically, his hand busily tugged at his bow tie. "You're acting like a wife, you know that?"

"No, I don't because I don't really intend to do that."

"Then why the sudden concern?"

"I wasn't concerned. I just pointed out that you had too much to drink, that's all."

"Hmm...yeah, maybe..." he trailed off as he started to doze off.

"You might regret drinking when you get on the plane later though," she said with a wicked grin.

"Why?" he asked, eyes closed.

"You'll see..." she replied mysteriously.

She looked at her sleeping husband and smiled.

*****

It was getting dark when they arrived at her house. She woke him up and told him to help her with her bags. He lazily obliged and got out of the car.

"What's all this?" he asked when he saw the suitcases beside the door.

"Just bring them to the car," she said as she went to the phone to listen to her messages.

He grumbled under his breath as he picked up two suitcases. He was about to walk out the door when the message on her phone spoke up, Harrison's voice loud and clear, "Cassy, it's Harrison. I hope you're getting my messages. I wanna talk. Call me back, please?"

Cassandra knew her husband heard it all, but she didn't really care. He could die with curiosity because she was never going to explain anything.

"Who's that?" he asked when she went to pick up the last remaining suitcase.

"No one," she answered and arched her eyebrows at him when he just stood there without moving, eyeing her intently. "What?"

"I told you no sexual encounters in this marriage, right? No boyfriends or lovers," he said coldly.

She sighed. She rather wanted him sleepy than wide awake. "I'm not having any relationships that should alarm your reputation, okay?"

"Then who's that?"

"A friend."

"Didn't sound like it," he said.

"Stop prying. I don't like it. I'm not even asking you about Angie or whoever she is."

"Angelica?"

"Why? You forgot her name? The one at dinner," she said sarcastically.

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Whatever you're doing," he said.

"What am I doing?"

"You're being sarcastic."

"Sarcasm is art. Spent a year in graduate school for it, you know," she said, ending their conversation. "Let's go and I suggest you go back to sleep. I like it better."

*****

She handed him his ticket when they reached the airport. It took him only a second before he glowered down at her.