The Trophy Wife Exchange

by Connie Shelton

  Some emotion flashed across Kaycie’s face, a flash so brief Pen wouldn’t have caught it if she’d blinked.

  “Anyway.” Kaycie sat up straighter and her eyes were suddenly clear. She picked up the brochure again. “I’m doing what I need to, to keep my husband’s interest. My appointment is set for the fifteenth.”

  “Next week. Isn’t this a bit sudden?”

  “It’s not like I haven’t thought about it for a long time.” Her manner stiffened, taking on a you’re-not-my-mother tone.

  “Well, of course. I’m sure you’ll be very happy with the result.” Pen raised her glass and Kaycie smiled as they clinked.

  Pen thought about what she’d heard through Mary’s visit with Clint’s bookkeeper back in Phoenix, that the man was already eyeing younger women again. She wanted to feel sorry for Kaycie, sitting here in a foreign bar drinking too much and contemplating changing her body to please a man who, from Pen’s observations, wasn’t the type who would ever be content.

  When Kaycie excused herself to visit the ladies room, Pen slipped the brochure from the table and hid it in her own purse. A plan began to form.

  Chapter 27

  Sandy stared into her own blue eyes in the mirror, contemplating the latest round of messages from China. She’d stopped at home after work, just long enough to change out of her business suit and tidy up before going back out to meet Mary for pizza. It was Mary’s second payday and she’d insisted on treating Sandy to dinner.

  At her ankle, a black cat rubbed and said mrroww. She knew it was Heckle only because his brother had four tiny white hairs on his chin. Pets—they never failed to remind when dinner was due. She dropped her hairbrush back into the drawer and followed the cat out of the bathroom. By the time they reached the kitchen, Jeckle had joined the chorus of complaints. She opened a can of their favorite, tuna surprise, and scooped portions into two bowls.

  “You guys watch the house for me,” she said, a routine pep talk that never elicited responses from either cat.

  So Clint had met Amber and immediately hit on her, Sandy thought as she started her Mazda and backed out of her driveway. Although it most likely wouldn’t surprise Mary, she didn’t think she would mention it. The bigger revelations came from Kaycie’s candid conversation with Pen. She debated whether to pass the information along to Mary. It really was nothing more than salacious gossip but, then again, Kaycie’s movements might dictate Clint’s actions as well, and all the ladies in the group should be kept up to date.

  She arrived at the Pizza Hut on East McDowell and parked three slots away from the door. Inside, she caught sight of Mary’s red-blonde spiky hair at a table near the windows. Mary waved and smiled hugely when she spotted Sandy.

  “Hey. I can’t tell you how much I’ve been thinking about pizza all day,” Mary said when Sandy dropped her purse on the opposite booth seat and slid in across from her. “I mean, I’m loving the results of my diet but, geez, I’ve missed some of my favorite foods.”

  “I know. It seems I’ve dieted my whole life, not that it does much good.”

  They studied the menu in silence for a few minutes before the waitress appeared beside them. With their order on its way to the kitchen, Sandy brought up the subject that was really on their minds, and ended up mentioning Pen’s news about the boob job.

  “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m kinda feeling sorry for Kaycie,” Mary said, eyeing the plate of Italian breadsticks the server had brought.

  Sandy gave her a surprised look. “Seriously?”

  “Well, look at her situation. She’s willing to have surgery to please Clint and he’s already nosing around other women like some kind of old dog. It’s just sad.”

  Sandy looked at her friend for some sign of sarcasm or disdain, but she didn’t see it. “That’s a generous attitude, Mary, considering what they did to you.”

  Mary succumbed and picked up one of the breadsticks. “Oh, I don’t really blame her. Not her fault she was born cute and blonde and perky. Clint’s the rat in this whole scenario.”

  Sandy couldn’t disagree.

  “What I don’t understand is the part you said about him moving money around. Is this history repeating itself? I mean, if he’s already looking for an exit to get away from Kaycie, maybe he’s doing the same thing to her that he did to me, financially. I thought I knew our business and finances pretty well, but he managed to cheat me. I have to wonder how much Kaycie knows—if she’s completely in the dark about what he does with money, or if she’s in on it too. She could know exactly what he’s doing.”

  “It’s possible. But something else is going on and I think it’s got to do with the Chinese and the job he’s doing over there.” Sandy reached for one of the breadsticks too. “I just wish I knew what.”

  Their pizza arrived just then, smelling of pepperoni and sauce, and neither of the women said another thing about Clint Holbrook for awhile.

  “If we knew what he was declaring on his tax returns, that might help,” Sandy said after she’d wolfed down her first slice. “Do you have copies of joint returns the two of you filed together? If I had his social security number and some past information I could see if there’s a way to request more current data.”

  “I can give you the numbers,” Mary said, “but isn’t there all kinds of protection for personal information the government has on us?”

  Less than you would think. Sandy didn’t voice that concern. She pulled a scrap of paper and a pen from her purse, and Mary wrote down Clint’s information.

  Mary passed the slip back to her and glanced at her watch. “I guess I’d better wrap this up. I told Billy I’d lead his seven o’clock Zumba class.”

  “I can—” Sandy started to offer a ride but Mary had already grabbed the check and was pushing her way out of the booth. “At least take the rest of the pizza for another meal at home.”

  “You keep it. I’ve worked too hard on my new shape to get into a nightly pizza habit. But it sure tasted good, just this once.” Mary gave a grin and headed toward the register.

  Sandy debated the pizza for herself and decided Mary’s argument against it should be hers, as well. She certainly wouldn’t ever lose these extra pounds if she didn’t say no to some favorite foods. She took the last swig of her wine and followed Mary to the door.

  “I’ll get the process started to request those tax forms,” she said when they reached the parking lot. “Let’s touch base again in a few days.”

  She watched Mary sprint for the bus stop as the big vehicle rolled to a stop.

  Chapter 28

  “Hey, baby,” Clint said when he walked into their room. “Look what I brought you.”

  He flashed a huge bouquet of red roses from behind his back. Kaycie looked at them and turned away. After the third time this week, turning down her lunch invitation, yeah, he’d better be bringing roses.

  “I got us theater tickets for tonight, too,” he wheedled, snaking his arm around her waist with the tickets in hand. “We’ll have the whole evening, just the two of us …”

  She turned toward him when she saw the tickets. “Really?”

  “I know you’ve been on your own a lot since we got here.” He seemed genuinely contrite. “Work has been consuming me. I’m sorry, Babycakes.”

  And here she’d been, feeling sorry for herself and getting all weepy over the fact she hadn’t gotten pregnant yet. She hugged him close before taking the roses and setting them on the coffee table in their small suite.

  “So, is there time for me to show you the new black lace teddy I bought today?” she teased. “Or do you want to save it for later?”

  “I’m kind of sweaty, and we’ll need to leave in forty-five minutes to make our dinner reservation. I’d better shower now. We’ll save the good stuff for later.” He patted her on the butt and began tugging his tie loose as he walked toward the bedroom.

  The good stuff? She tossed one of the sofa pillows at him, but it fell short and he didn’t notice. Al
l right, honey, you’ll soon see the good stuff—the really good stuff—she thought. I’m gonna take your breath away with my new curves. She still hadn’t told him about the appointment at the clinic, and it was coming up in only three days. Tonight would be a good time to spring the surprise. A nice dinner … an evening together … plenty of champagne. And afterward, when she got him back to the room she would introduce the subject playfully, tease him into admitting he would be thrilled with the changes. Then she could drop the bombshell that it was happening right away.

  She heard the shower running so she rummaged in the closet until she came across the right dress for the theater tonight—a brilliant blue sheath that accentuated her eyes perfectly. She slipped off her robe and stepped into the dress, located the matching shoes and laid Clint’s tuxedo on the bed. At the small bar in the corner of the living room, she checked the mini-fridge to be sure there was champagne already chilled. Perfect.

  Muttered words came from the bedroom—Clint’s reaction to seeing his tux ready to put on, no doubt. Wisely, he didn’t make an issue of it. He was either still in make-up mode for the earlier neglect, or he knew better than to start something before a night of promised sex. Kaycie strolled into the bedroom, putting a little sway into her high-heeled steps, and crossed to the dresser where she’d left her diamond necklace.

  “Could you fasten the clasp on this for me, Honey Bear?”

  He paused, trouser-less, with his white shirt hanging open, to work the necklace hook.

  “Thank you, darling,” she said, stroking his cheek and blowing an air kiss his direction. His gruff expression melted into a goofy grin.

  They arrived at the restaurant, and Kaycie noticed it had a Western menu. Clint had grumbled about the steady diet of Chinese food for two weeks now. It came as no surprise he would find somewhere he could get steak or chops. She settled in to the pleasant surroundings and ordered a glass of the best Petite Sirah on the menu.

  By the time they arrived at the theater they were laughing together the way they used to, which was a good thing. The tickets turned out to be for a Chinese circus, an amazing display of acrobatics and hold-your-breath balancing acts—but hardly a black-tie affair. Most people wore casual attire. Clint and Kaycie laughed over their social blunder and carried the light-hearted attitude back to the hotel.

  Clint poured the chilled champagne and they carried glasses to the bedroom. Kaycie dangled the black teddy in front of Clint’s face before ducking into the bathroom to put it on. When she emerged he was already in bed.

  She climbed across his lap and pressed her bosom to his face.

  “Say goodbye to the old ones,” she said with a playful grin, “because they’re going in for an upgrade to the bigger version.”

  He practically drooled.

  “You don’t mind if I disappear for a week or so, do you?” She’d intended to show him the brochure from the clinic—the day spa facilities, the gardens and luxury recovery suites—but she’d misplaced it somewhere. “I signed up for the full package. You don’t have to see me until I’m all healed up and gorgeous for you.”

  He ran his hands over her body. “You’re always gorgeous, Babycakes.”

  She sent him a seductive smile and moved against him.

  “Fine with me if you check yourself in and have a blast. Besides, Rudy Tong invited me to go along on a fishing trip to the Philippines. He’s got a buddy with a boat somewhere near Manila.”

  She felt her smile droop. Geez, everything was always about him, wasn’t it?

  Chapter 29

  “Gracie, you took drama classes in school. You can do this.” Amber’s eyes sparkled with fun as she spoke.

  “I did, yeah. But I always got the secondary roles and, trust me, nothing I ever did was Tony Award material.”

  Pen spoke up. The group had met in her room at the Hyatt. “What we’re talking about doesn’t involve anything nearly that difficult. It definitely falls into the supporting-actor category.”

  “Yes, but this is real life. What if I get caught?”

  The room went silent.

  “Um, you run like hell?” Amber looked so cute in her pixie-like innocence, they all laughed.

  “See? That puts it in perspective.”

  “Okay, let’s role-play this,” Pen suggested. “Starting with what we’re doing later this morning. You’ll go to this clinic as a prospective client. Amber is your personal assistant. Do something different with your hair and makeup because by the day after tomorrow you’re going to be an employee at the place.”

  Gracie flopped back on the sofa and rolled her eyes.

  “Just … just wait. We have a plan.” Amber spread the brochure on the coffee table, the one Pen had taken from Kaycie. It showed an employee in a pale sage green uniform handing a female patient a cup of tea. “We know what the uniforms look like and we’re going to try to steal one—that’s plan A. Plan B is we find you a dress or suit in the same color, so no one will question whether you belong.”

  Pen spoke up. “While you’re touring the clinic this morning, getting the lay of the land, I’ll call Kaycie and say I’ve arranged a personal escort for the day of her surgery.”

  “She’ll be thrilled to have an American,” Amber said. “Trust me. You should have seen the look of relief on Clint’s face the day I acted as his secretary. Kaycie’s going to feel the same way.”

  “She will,” Pen said. “She confided to me that she’s felt very much out of her depth in this country, few women to talk to and she can’t seem to comprehend the accents of the Chinese who speak English to her.”

  “So, while she’s dopey from the anesthetic I’m to question her about Clint’s finances and find out where he’s stashed all that money.” Gracie’s expression was skeptical. “Why would she confide that to a stranger?”

  “Remember, dear, you are not a stranger. You’ve come on my personal recommendation and you are her American liaison with the Chinese medical facility. Of anyone in the place, she’s going to trust you most.”

  “Scary,” muttered Gracie.

  “I shall tell her you will meet her at the lobby of her hotel and walk her through the check-in process at the clinic.”

  “How on earth am I supposed to do that?” Gracie looked frantic.

  “That’s what our recon trip today is all about,” Amber said. “I’ll sketch the layout, and we’ll make notes about the procedures, the whole protocol.”

  “This afternoon, we’ll role-play it until you’re comfortable. Everything will be fine.” Pen placed a gentle hand on Gracie’s arm. “Don’t forget, I’ll be right there with you. Kaycie thinks I’m her new friend here. She is under the impression we know each other through common social contacts back in Phoenix. When she learned her husband would be away on a fishing trip, she practically begged me to accompany her. A second American, unrelated to me as far as she knows, will help solidify her confidence in us.”

  Gracie looked only marginally assured.

  “All right,” said Pen. “You two should get going.”

  Gracie went into the bathroom and emerged a few minutes later sans makeup, her hair hanging straight at the sides of her face. She had adopted the look of a woman embarrassed by her features.

  “Hey, I’m impressed with your character,” Amber said with a smile. “You’ll nail this thing.”

  Chapter 30

  Mary Holbrook landed a series of blows on a punching bag at the gym. Dammit, this whole thing with Clint was taking way too long. The bag swung toward her and she met it forcefully with a hard right.

  She thought of Sandy’s plan to request IRS copies of old tax returns. At the pace the government worked, it could be another six months before the Ladies even obtained one scrap of information.

  She danced away from the bag, circled it and punched again.

  Mary appreciated everything Sandy and her friends were doing, truly she did. But now that she felt stronger, as if she was gaining back some measure of control in her life,
she hated the feeling of uselessness. The rest of them were out there doing things, coming face to face with Clint and taking action, while they expected her to sit back and wait for results.

  Left—pow. Right—pow.

  That’s what was making her crazy—the waiting. She didn’t want to wait another day, much less weeks or months.

  “Whoa, Mary. You gonna kill that thing?” Billy stood in the doorway of the otherwise empty gym, grinning at her.

  “Yup.” She panted as she danced around to face him. “Picturing my ex. His face is on this thing and I’m having fun with it.”

  She gave the bag two more slugs before reaching out to stop it from swinging.

  “You must have been here at the crack of dawn,” he said. He came into the room and turned on three more banks of lights. “Jana’s seven o’clock weight lifters will be arriving any minute.”

  “I’m done anyway,” Mary said. She held out a glove so he could unlace it for her. “I’ll shower and get out of the way, but I’ll be back in time to take the afternoon aerobics classes.”

  He handed her the gloves and gave a pat on the shoulder. Last week he’d hinted that maybe one day they ought to be partners running the gym. Said he liked Mary’s work ethic and the way she took charge of her classes and made helpful suggestions to the other trainers. She’d been so surprised by the idea she couldn’t come up with a response. But she’d given it some thought. It might not be such a bad idea—she loved the work, now that she was fit enough to handle it. Only problem was, a partner was expected to invest something. She still had nothing but her weekly paycheck and, although Billy didn’t know it, making the rent and buying groceries was all she could manage right now.

  She dumped the gloves on the shelf with the other rentals and headed for the showers. A couple of the women from Jana’s class were stowing their purses in lockers and they said hello. Mary grabbed a towel. In the shower she thought again about Sandy and the tax returns. A plan came to mind. She let the stinging spray pound all the shampoo from her hair. A smile formed on her lips. Yeah. Why not?