~Paul~
It had been two weeks since I’d seen Elizabeth. Two weeks in which I had spoken to her on the phone, and spoken to Stefan, but kept my distance. Things had gotten weird since the detective came to their house, but Stefan and Beth were both quiet. I had asked how things were between the two of them, and they had both been evasive.
“We’re talking again,” Stefan had said.
“Stefan and I are being cordial, but things are different now,” Liz had said. I didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t sound good. So I did what I had to do, I made up an excuse to see Elizabeth. I bought a gift for Jeremy and showed up at her house, trying to look friendly.
I knocked, feeling my heart in my throat as I waited. If she is going to be your friend, you have to stop feeling anxious when you see her. I also had to stop dreaming about her calling out my name and writhing beneath me. I needed therapy, I suppose. But a little part of me was hoping I’d never have to get over Elizabeth. If she left Stefan, and I waited patiently, I was convinced we could be together. Stefan would be angry, but he’d accept it. He would want someone he trusted as Jeremy’s step dad, and he trusted me. But for now I had to wait and be completely neutral, not pushing her away from or closer to Stefan. She had to make her own choice.
I heard a male voice behind the door and footsteps approached. Elizabeth opened the door and she smiled as she saw me. I guess that was a good sign. But if Stefan was in rehab, whose voice had I heard?
“Paul,” She said. “What a nice surprise! What brings you by?”
“I saw these rollerblades, and I thought of Jeremy. I wanted to bring him a gift from Uncle Davis.” It sounded genuine, and not at all rehearsed. Jeremy probably would like the gift.
“How thoughtful,” She said. “Would you like to come in?” I nodded and followed her inside.
A man sat at the table, dressed in a nicely pressed suit and looking over papers. He was young, probably in his late twenties, and he was tan and good looking. I felt my temperature rise as my imagination made things up. Was he a friend, a lover, a neighbor who she flirted with? I just smiled and waved.
“Hi,” I said. “I am Paul Davis, nice to meet you.” He smiled and extended a hand.
“Hello, I am Jacob,” he said. “And I know who you are.” As soon as he spoke, my fears disappeared. My “gay-dar” went off, and I knew that this guy was not a threat. I didn’t mean to stereotype, but I suddenly noticed exactly how clean cut and well dressed he was. When Jacob looked me up and down, I just smiled, feeling relieved.
“So where’s Jeremy?” I asked. “I’d love to give him his present.”
“You bought him a present,” Jacob said. “Oh Beth, you are making the right decision.” What did that mean? I looked at her curiously. Beth shook her smacked Jacob and smiled at me, concealing something.
“Jeremy is at a sleepover,” she said. “Jacob here is my attorney, and he was just leaving.”
“Attorney,” I said with a curious tone. “Is everything ok?”
“Yes,” Liz replied. “I just needed some legal advice. It’s sort of personal.” I gave her a look that begged her to tell me the words I wanted to hear, an end to the misery. I am filing for divorce… I’d never wished for anyone to get divorced before, but it seemed inevitable. Even on his best days, Stefan was a liar. I could deal with his quirks because his redeeming qualities were worthwhile as a friend, but as a husband…
Elizabeth just looked away, averting her eyes from my searching. Jacob stood up, gathering his papers. He shook my hand and I smiled, waiting for him to leave. The door shut, and I turned the lock behind him. Elizabeth turned to the dishes, where she washed a cup and I approached her.
“Are you sure everything is fine,” I said. She nodded and smiled.
“It’s good to see you,” she said. “I am sorry you missed Jeremy. But I don’t mind seeing you.” I smiled.
“I miss our Tuesday lunches,” I said, inching closer to her slightly.
“Me too,” she said. “I think we should start them up again. I don’t see why not.”
“I’ll tell Stefan,” I said. “That was our rule right? We’d only met with your husband’s permission.” She just smiled and glimpsed at me, secrets behind her eyes.
“You can tell him,” she said. “But I don’t need his permission.”
“What does that mean? Is there something I should know Elizabeth?”
“Probably,” she said. “But it isn’t final. Stefan and I are separating. I spend all day yesterday finding him some possible rental houses. There is nothing in this neighborhood though, and I want him close to Jeremy.”
“Separated huh,” I said. “What exactly does that mean? And if I can ask, what brought you to decide that?” She set the dish down and turned to face me.
“What brought it on,” she said. “Other than the cheating, the drugs, the lying, and the scheming, there is still more piled on. Do you remember that detective that came here?” I nodded, recalling the strangeness of it all.
“Did they find Isabella,” I asked, genuinely concerned.
“No,” she said. ‘They think she is dead. Three women disappeared that week, two of which are dead. They were both murdered in similar styles, and the three women have only one thing in common…” I already knew where it was going.
“They were all his mistresses,” I said, and she nodded. “So, that could be a coincidence. I mean, what are the chances someone is targeting his lovers?”
“The detective thought it was Stefan. But Stefan has an alibi, what with being in rehab and all. So they are looking into me, they are calling me a person of interest.”
“That’s not a suspect,” I said. “They’ll move on.”
“Maybe,” She said. “But I can’t Paul. I’m being investigated for murder. They had Stefan make a list of every woman he had an affair with; just in case someone is targeting these girls. It was two pages long!”
“So, you’re done,” I said. “Why separate, why not file for divorce? Not that I am pushing you, I just am curious. ” She sighed and wiped her hands on her pants. Her hair was down, loose curls framing her face.
“Because Stefan asked me to give him a year,” she said. “He has this idea that if he gets sober, and I can see him get better, it will fix everything. I can’t ever forgive him Paul, it’s just too much. Two pages long, with just the women he remembers. There is no coming back from that! But he’s Jeremy’s father, and if waiting a year before officially divorcing will get him sober, then I’ll do it. Maybe by then we can become friends.”
“Does he know you feel this way Elizabeth? Because if Stefan gets sober to win you back, and you leave him, he’ll drink.”
“We discussed that,” She said. “And he said he understand I am going to divorce him. But he thinks somehow even if we split up, waiting will give him time to adjust. I guess timing and coping are a big deal for alcoholics. And I don’t know, maybe I need time to be sure. But it won’t change anything. I know that now.” I swallowed.
“Elizabeth, I think Stefan should live with me. It will be awkward, since I plan on pursuing you. But I know him, and he shouldn’t live alone. I can be his friend, if he’ll let me.” She just nodded and I wanted to hold her.
“So this separation thing,” I said, letting my voice trail. “How does that work? You’re not really married, but you’re not divorced.”
“I think people make it up,” she said. “I talked to Stefan about it. He understands that I don’t want to be married to him. We have an agreement.”
“So what’s the agreement,” I asked. She looked away, seeming nervous. Was she? Did she know I was desperately hoping that she would tell me she was available, that I could hold her in my arms forever?
“I agreed to let Stefan take me on a date, once a week,” she said. I didn’t love that part. “I promised to give him a chance to win me back. I mean, we were together for ten years and I love him. I won’t change my mind, but I agreed.” I nodded, understanding.
“And he agreed that I had the right to see other men,” she said. “And if I choose, I can even sleep with someone else. I, of course, gave him permission to see other women. I mean, he’s going to either way so I might as well allow him to be honest about it.”
“The problem is,” she continued, “I’d have to find someone crazy enough to deal with all of this craziness. I mean, who would want to date a single mom, not yet divorced, who is dating her husband? That is just a lot to ask anyone… It’s a lot to ask you, which is why I’ve avoided your calls for the past two days. I couldn’t tell you this, I mean, it’s insane. My life is insane.” I leaned over and grabbed her, kissing her ferociously.
“I’ll take all of the insanity,” I said, “if I get to have you Elizabeth. I’ve been praying for this, for you. And if you decide in a year to stay with Stefan, then I’ll have a year of memories with you.” She kissed my lips and wrapped her arms around my neck.
“So you’re ok with everything?” She said. I nodded and pulled her close.
“So Tuesdays are back on,” she said. “And if you’d like, you can stay with me tonight.” She seemed hesitant, as if she doubted I would say yes. So I I kissed her and lifted her up onto the counter, quickly pulling off her shirt. She gasped and I just laughed, feeling adventurous.
“Finally,” I said. “Let’s go upstairs Liz. It’s about time someone made love to you like you were the only woman they wanted.”