Secret Obsession

by Kimberla Lawson Roby

  Paige went into the living room and turned on Kem’s CD and then walked back into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, pulled out a head of lettuce, an onion, a tomato, mayo, ketchup, and a package of Jennie-O ground turkey patties. She loved almost anything made of turkey, but this particular ninety-three percent fat-free version with natural seasonings was her favorite.

  She turned on one of the burners, pulled a nonstick saucepan from the cabinet, sprayed it with butter-flavored Pam, and opened a package of whole wheat buns. She pulled one of them out, placed both halves in the skillet, and let them brown for a few minutes. Then she removed the buns, set them on a plate, and sprayed them with fat-free butter spray. This product really did taste like real butter, and she was so glad Karla had suggested she switch from one of the other brands to this one. Finally, she placed her turkey burger in the skillet and cut up her veggies. It wouldn’t take more than ten minutes or so for it to cook all the way through, so Paige leaned against the counter, thinking. She thought about how neat it was going to be once she was finally able to fix meals for Pierce. It would be such a joy, having a reason to prepare all the complicated recipes she’d been wanting to try. Of course, Camille was a pretty good cook, too, and Paige quickly gave credit when it was due, but she wasn’t better than Paige. Camille even admitted it herself, so this was yet another way Paige would be able to satisfy Pierce more favorably.

  When her burger was ready, Paige melted a slice of lowfat cheese on it, removed it with a spatula, and placed it on the bun. As soon as she did, her doorbell rang. She wasn’t expecting anyone but grinned when she realized it might be Pierce and rushed to the door.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t him.

  “What do you want?” she said and Owen brushed past her without being invited in.

  “Is that any way to talk to the man who loves you? The man who was interrogated by the police and willingly gave them a DNA sample? The man who still wants to marry you?”

  “I can’t believe you came by here without calling,” she said, closing the door.

  “Oh, so now I need to ask permission?”

  Paige sighed and went back into the kitchen.

  “You’re too much,” he said, following her. “So, I guess I don’t even exist now.”

  “I was just about to have dinner, Owen, so what is it you want?”

  “The same thing I’ve always wanted. For you to be my wife.”

  Paige took a bite of her sandwich and wished he’d leave her alone.

  “So, you’re not going to say anything?” he asked.

  “What is there to say?”

  “A lot.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Okay, look, baby. I’m sorry I came over here unannounced, but I can’t help how I feel. I’m in love with you, Paige.”

  As hungry as Paige had been, her appetite suddenly vanished. “Owen, we’ve already been through all of this. The night you proposed and then again a few days later.”

  “I know,” he said, moving in front of her. “But I really wish you’d reconsider.”

  Paige sniffed her nose a couple of times and frowned. “Have you been drinking?”

  “Well, if I have, it’s because of you.”

  “Owen, I’d really like you to leave.”

  “No. I’m not leaving until I get what I came for. I won’t go until you agree to marry me.”

  His words were a bit slurred, and Paige didn’t like where this impromptu visit was going.

  “Owen, I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you and me, but you and I are over.”

  “You lowdown trick.”

  Paige raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard me. You lowdown, connivin’, schemin’ trick. You used me and played me like some childish knucklehead, and I want back every dime I spent on you.”

  “You must be out of your mind.”

  Owen grabbed both of her arms, squeezing them with all his might.

  “Owen, stop it! You’re hurting me.”

  “I’m not playing with you, Paige. I want my money, and I’m not leaving here until I get it.”

  “Let me go!” she said, trying to escape, but she couldn’t.

  “Give me my money, and I will.”

  “I said, let me go!” she demanded, and this time she broke free. “You’re nuts.”

  Owen looked at her with glazed eyes and left the kitchen.

  Paige rushed behind him. “Where are you going?”

  Owen kept walking until he entered her bedroom.

  “Owen, get out of here or I’m calling the police.”

  “Go ahead,” he said, snatching her purse from the bed, unzipping it, and tossing out every item inside of it.

  “What in the world are you doing?”

  Owen ignored her and opened her wallet. “Is this all you have?” he said, pulling out four twenties. “Well, at least that’s a start.” Then he pulled out a folded picture. “Whoaaaa, now what do we have here?”

  “Give it to me,” she said, desperately reaching for it.

  “No,” he said, slightly staggering. “Now, why would you have a photo of you, your sister, and your brother-in-law with your sister’s face crossed out in black marker? And why is there a heart drawn next to Pierce?”

  “That’s none of your business,” Paige said, still trying to recover her property.

  “I thought you and your sister were close.”

  “We are, and you know it.”

  “Doesn’t look that way to me. No, what this looks like is you hating your sister. It also looks like you have some sort of infatuation with your brother-in-law.”

  “You’re sick.”

  “No, I don’t think so, and maybe this is the real reason you don’t want me.”

  Paige snatched the photo from him, hurried back into the kitchen, and grabbed her phone.

  But Owen charged after her, half staggering again, and took it away from her. “You’re not callin’ anybody.”

  “You’re drunk,” she said and thanked God her phone rang.

  Owen blinked a couple of times. “Now, let’s see who we have here.”

  “Give me my phone, Owen.”

  “Hello?” he said. “Sure, she’s right here, Karla. And how have you been doing? . . . Good . . . So have I. Well, actually, that’s a lie, because I just found out your girl here hates her sister and has a crush on her husband. But I’ll let her tell you about that.”

  Paige grabbed the phone. “Girl, Owen is over here acting like a madman.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, so will you please call the police?”

  “Okay, I’m goin’,” he said, walking toward the kitchen doorway. “But I’m tellin’ you now. I want every dime of my money, or I’ll have to tell your sister what I saw.”

  “Owen, please go.”

  “No problem. Oh, and I hope you don’t forget what I told you the other day. People should be very careful when they play with other people’s emotions.”

  Paige stared at him, and thankfully, he left.

  “Girl, Owen is crazy,” she told Karla. “First he came over here without calling, and then he started rantin’ and ravin’ about all the money he’s spent on me. He’s so pissed off because I won’t marry him.”

  “After hearing him like this, I guess so. And what in heaven’s name was he talking about when he brought up Camille and Pierce?”

  “I don’t have a clue, and I don’t think he does either. He practically reeked with alcohol.”

  “Geez. He almost sounds like some kind of fatal attraction.”

  “I hope not,” Paige said, even though Owen was starting to worry her. He was acting way out of character and not like the man she’d known for many months.

  “Still, I think you should take every precaution, and if he bothers you again, I would call the police and file an order of protection.”

  “Hopefully, he won’t be back and won’t ever call me again.”

  �
�Man, I guess you never know people, do you? The Owen I met always seemed so nice.”

  “Yeah, I thought the same thing until now.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “I will be.”

  “Do you want me to come over?”

  “Do you mind?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Thanks, Karla.”

  “See you soon.”

  Paige was glad Karla was coming by, but what troubled her was that photo Owen had spotted. How could she have been so stupid, carrying such a tell-all item in her wallet and risking someone seeing it? But what had been the odds of Owen bursting into her room and searching through her personal property? She hoped he was planning to keep his mouth shut. Although since he was noticeably intoxicated, there was a chance he wouldn’t even remember.

  This was the most Paige could hope for, anyway.

  Chapter 19

  TJ, one of the morning anchors on CNN, gave a rundown of what they’d be covering at the top of the hour, and Paige revved up her treadmill. She hadn’t used it since the morning of her “rape,” and she was starting to feel the effects. She hadn’t gained any noticeable weight, but she felt sluggish and like her tummy wasn’t as flat as usual. So she was glad to be back on track and working up a heavy sweat the way she should.

  Paige pumped her arms and strode at a speed of 4.8 miles per hour and thought about Owen. She’d tried to push the idea of his seeing that photo completely from her mind, but she hadn’t been able to. She’d tossed and turned and tossed and turned again, until finally she’d found herself up surfing the Internet until three a.m. She’d almost been tempted to call him just to see if he’d bring it up, but then she’d figured it might not be a good idea since he likely wasn’t sober yet.

  Everything had been going so well for her when it came to Pierce, but now Owen gave her plenty of reason to worry. He hadn’t taken the photo with him, and not long after he’d left, she’d torn it into a hundred pieces, but if he still remembered what he’d seen, his words could certainly do damage. They would ease suspicion into Camille’s mind, and while she wouldn’t want to believe him, she might start second-guessing Paige and suspecting something was wrong. She might begin piecing things together and would soon discover that the problems in her marriage hadn’t started until after Paige had moved in with them. Sure, she’d changed the outgoing times on some of those email messages, so it would seem there was no way she could have sent them. But at the same time, Camille might begin doubting her, and Paige couldn’t have that. At least not yet, anyway, and she prayed to God that this would pass and not become an issue.

  When Paige finished her full sixty minutes, she did a five-minute cool-down, went into the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of water. She drank the entire sixteen ounces and was thinking about having another when her phone rang. It was only seven o’clock, so she wondered who was calling so early. She was relieved and ecstatic, however, when she saw it was Pierce.

  “Hey, how’s it goin’?” she said between breaths.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked.

  “Everything’s great. Just finished working out is all.”

  “Oh. Well, I know it’s early, but I really need to ask you something.”

  “Of course.”

  “Are you absolutely positive that Camille has been having an affair?”

  Paige wondered why he was questioning what she’d told him. “I’m very positive. But why do you ask?”

  “Because I guess it’s still so hard for me to believe Camille would do something like this and keep a straight face the whole time she was seeing this man.”

  “I understand that, and I know this has to be very difficult to fathom, but Pierce, please know that I would never, ever lie on my sister. Although now I regret telling you anything. I knew it was wrong, and I should have stayed out of it.”

  “No, I’m glad you did tell me, but it’s tough when someone just ups and becomes a totally different person than what you’ve known all these years.”

  Paige listened quietly.

  “But,” he continued, “I do know one thing. You of all people would never make up something like this.”

  “No, I wouldn’t. I’m just not that kinda person.”

  “There is one other thing, though. Camille told me that a number of those emails were sent at times when she wasn’t even home.”

  Paige had known it was only a matter of time before Camille finally paid attention to detail. Especially since she was desperate and looking for anything she could that might prove her innocence.

  “I don’t want to say anything against my sister, but you know as well as I do that any of us can access our email accounts from any computer we want. Anytime, anyplace.”

  “Yeah, I know. Anyway, I won’t keep you, and I promise not to bother you about this anymore.”

  “It’s really not a problem. Everyone needs someone to talk to when they’re going through the kind of thing you’re dealing with.”

  “Very true.”

  “So, will you see PJ and Crystal this weekend?”

  “Yes, and since I now know for sure that I won’t be moving back home for a while, if ever, I’m going to tell Camille it’s time we sit down and explain things to them. I need to do it before I leave on Sunday for a banking conference next week in Vegas.”

  “Wait a minute. You’re going to Vegas on Sunday?”

  “Yes.”

  “Wow, now this is too weird, because I’m going there on Monday. One of my clients has two major media interviews on both Tuesday and Wednesday and then a seminar he’s speaking at on Thursday.”

  “Oh really?”

  “What a coincidence, huh?” she said.

  “That’s for sure.”

  “So, where are you staying?”

  “The Palazzo. What about you?”

  “The Venetian,” she said, remembering Karla had stayed there in the past.

  “That’s right next door, so maybe we can have dinner or at least a drink one evening.”

  “Maybe,” she said, trying to sound uninterested. “It’ll depend on how much time I’ll need to spend with my client, since I’m still pitching other media outlets.”

  “Of course. Business comes first, so we’ll just play it by ear.”

  “Hey, it looks like I have another call,” she said, making an excuse so she could hang up and begin making her travel arrangements. “But I really hope you get to spend some quality time with the children.”

  “Thanks, and I’ll talk to you later.”

  Paige held the phone against her chest with both hands and shouted with joy. This was all too good to be true, and while she’d had no plans whatsoever of being in Vegas or in any other city on business next week, she was glad she’d been quick on her toes. The lie had entered her mind and eased out of her mouth so naturally. She hadn’t stuttered or hesitated in the slightest bit before telling Pierce she would be heading to Nevada one day after he was. She hadn’t even had to think before speaking, so she knew this trip was meant to be.

  Paige zoomed into her extra bedroom, which was actually her office, and pulled up The Palazzo’s website. She knew she’d told Pierce she was staying at The Venetian, and if he asked her why she’d changed her mind, she would simply tell him that since he’d mentioned The Palazzo and she’d never stayed there before or even been to Vegas (which was true), she’d decided to check it out. Also, now that she’d had a chance to read some of the hotel information, she could see that The Palazzo was newer than The Venetian, so that was even more reason to give it a try.

  Paige browsed The Palazzo website and saw that it housed suites only and that the prices were determined by square footage. Of course, she would need to go with the smallest and most economical one, which was the Palazzo Luxury Suite at seven hundred twenty square feet, but that was more than enough room for her. As she read down the list, though, she was willing to bet Pierce was likely staying in either The Palazzo Fortuna or The Palazzo S
ienna, which were nine hundred forty and one thousand two hundred eighty square feet, respectively. They were huge, and if Paige got her way, she’d be hanging out in one of those big boys with him.

  After reserving the hotel, she searched for the best flight prices and was floored when she saw that the lowest available was just over seven hundred dollars. She knew it was because of last-minute booking, but it wasn’t as though she had other options. Not when she needed to be in Las Vegas Monday through Friday. So, if the fare had been two thousand, she would have maxed out one of her credit cards to purchase it.

  When she’d chosen her flight times, selected her seats, and paid for her ticket, she thought about Camille and called her.

  “Hey, sis,” Paige said. “How are you?”

  “Okay, I guess. What about you?”

  “I’m fine, but I was sitting here trying to remember if I told you I had to travel next week.”

  “No, where are you going?”

  “I guess with everything that’s been going on, I forgot. Anyway, you know my speaking client, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, he has media and events in New York, so I’m going to meet him there on Monday.”

  “I haven’t been to New York in years, and wish I could go with you.”

  “I wish you could, too.” But it’ll never happen, sweetheart.

  “I would, but Pierce will be at a conference out in Vegas all next week. It’s been planned for a couple of months, and I don’t want to leave PJ and Crystal.”

  “I understand. So, have you spoken to Pierce this morning?”

  “I actually just hung up with him not long ago, but things aren’t good.”

  “Why?”

  “He’s decided to stay at his hotel indefinitely, and he wants us to tell the children.”

  “Gosh, Camille, this whole thing really breaks my heart, but I gotta believe Pierce will eventually come around. Either the truth will come out or he’ll just forgive you at some point and you’ll be back together in no time.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “You sound so down.”

  “That’s because this is the hardest and most painful thing I’ve ever had to deal with, and I’m so out of sorts. I’m in tears all the time, I can’t sleep, and the thought of losing the only man I’ve ever truly loved terrifies me.”