“Why hasn’t anyone scooped you up yet?” Maggie asked.
Bobbi shrugged and smiled. “Guess I’m too picky.”
“Has there ever been anyone serious?”
Bobbi stopped working a moment and sighed. “Yeah. I was involved with someone a few years ago. We lived together for several years, and I thought we were happy, but he never brought up marriage. When I finally asked him if he’d ever consider marriage, he said he didn’t want to. After that, we started to drift apart, and he moved on. I wanted the whole package—marriage, kids, a house, and a dog. But he didn’t.”
Maggie frowned. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”
“No, that’s okay. The worst part is he ended up married to someone else a year later, and they have a kid on the way now. I guess I just wasn’t the right one for him.”
Maggie smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure you’ll meet the right man soon. You have so much going for you. You deserve a great guy.”
Bobbi looked up and stared at Maggie in the mirror, her expression serious. “What about you, Maggie? You have it all, yet you’re here and your family is in Minnesota. Is marriage not everything it’s cracked up to be?”
Maggie sighed. “Marriage is wonderful. Except sometimes, people get lost in their roles of husband, wife, mother, and father, and forget to be their real selves. I was lost in my marriage, and that’s what I’m doing here—trying to find the real me again. But that doesn’t happen to everyone. You have a great sense of who you are. You won’t let marriage change you like it did me.”
“I hope everything works out for you, Maggie. You’re a good person, and after I’m done with you, you’ll be the hottest mom on the planet. Your husband won’t be able to keep his hands off you.”
Maggie laughed. Being with Bobbi was just what she needed. It was therapeutic.
Two hours later, Maggie and Bobbi were heading down to the private banquet room, wearing their new dresses and shoes. Maggie’s hair had turned out beautifully, and Bobbi had trimmed it to softly frame her face. She’d then curled it lightly to give it some bounce, and Maggie looked years younger, as promised. Bobbi had talked her into adding more makeup and outlining her blue eyes. She also gave her some sample lipsticks to enhance her smile. Maggie was shocked when she finally looked in the mirror. She had to admit—she didn’t look bad at all.
Like two giggly teenagers on the way to the prom, Maggie and Bobbi entered the banquet room and began to mingle. Chandeliers sparkled overhead, and the tables were set beautifully with gold tablecloths, silverware, and crystal goblets. Waiters walked among the crowd, offering champagne and wine to the guests, and a bar was set up for those wanting mixed drinks.
Bobbi picked up two glasses of champagne from a tray and handed one to Maggie, who looked at it and frowned. “I don’t usually drink,” Maggie told her.
Bobbi just laughed. “Enjoy it. It’s free.”
Maggie accepted it and took a sip. The bubbles tickled as they made their way down her throat. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had champagne, but with each sip, she enjoyed it even more.
Bobbi introduced Maggie to a few people she knew from past conferences, and soon, they were all sitting down, enjoying the delicious food and the entertainment the conference officials had hired. A band started tuning up after dinner, and the tables were cleared away to make room for a dance floor. By the time the band started belting out popular tunes from the seventies and eighties, Maggie had drunk a bit more champagne than she’d intended, and she didn’t resist when a young man—he couldn’t have been older than his late twenties—asked her to dance. Maggie just let herself go and enjoyed the moment.
Bobbi and Maggie each took several turns around the dance floor with different men. At one point, the two women stopped to catch their breath.
“I really shouldn’t be dancing with strange men,” Maggie said loudly over the band to Bobbi.
Bobbi laughed. “Don’t worry too much about it. Most of the guys here are gay.”
Maggie practically spit out her champagne as she tried to hold back a laugh. She hadn’t realized the young men asking her to dance were gay. Knowing that, she felt better about being out and having a good time. For the first time in years, Maggie felt young, attractive, and feminine, and she wanted to hold on to that feeling for as long as possible..
Andrew lay in bed that night feeling good about the way the day had played out. He felt he’d made a strong connection with Kaia over the past several days. Even though Kyle seemed distant with him, he thought that if he asked him to be home more often, maybe they could become closer, too. He decided to talk to Kyle tomorrow about coming home for dinner at least a couple of nights a week so the three of them could spend time together as a family.
The only missing piece was Maggie. He thought about how he could talk Maggie into coming home. Maybe if he told her he’d give up some of his committee work and spend more time with the family, she’d consider forgiving him for his affair. It had been more than a year since Maggie had found out about it and he’d ended it, though a bit reluctantly. But now, he was actually relieved that she’d found out and made him end it. The woman he’d been having the affair with wasn’t someone he’d have wanted to lose his marriage over, or someone he’d want to spend the rest of his life with. She had just been there, convenient and willing, and despite knowing it was wrong, Andrew had given in to temptation.
He’d been seeing the other woman for almost a year when Maggie had told him she knew about the affair and that he either had to end it or lose his family. Though he’d been embarrassed at being caught, he’d resented her ultimatum. But he also hadn’t wanted her to leave him. So he’d ended it. They had never discussed it again, but they also had never reconciled their marriage completely, either. Maggie stayed distant, no longer asking him to join her and the kids for family activities or even something as simple as a meal out together. He’d gone his way, and she’d gone hers. He’d immersed himself even more in his volunteer activities, and he’d paid little attention to how Maggie and the kids spent their time.
His resentment grew and he figured hers did, too, but they didn’t know how to get past it. It was easier to ignore than to rehash the past. Their marriage had been teetering on the edge for so long, he’d been afraid that if they actually talked about their problems, they’d fall over the cliff. He knew that Maggie hadn’t forgiven him and he really couldn’t blame her. And now she was gone. After being home with Kaia and seeing all that Maggie did for the family, Andrew realized that he missed her—not only for everything she did but also because she made their family complete. And the sooner he told her that, the better.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Maggie awoke slowly, her head throbbing, and her body feeling as if she’d run a marathon. Squinting, she looked at the clock. One thirty p.m. She turned her head slightly and saw a thin ray of sunshine through a crack in the drapes. She couldn’t believe she’d slept so late. But then again, she and Bobbi had stayed out until three in the morning, going from one casino to another with a small group of people from the banquet. At each spot, Maggie had only one drink, but along with the champagne earlier in the evening, it was much more alcohol than she was used to. By the time she’d returned to her room, she was feeling queasy, and she’d collapsed into bed, only taking enough time to remove her shoes and dress.
Maggie tried raising her head from the pillow, made it only a few inches, and then dropped back down as she moaned in pain. Her stomach churned. Now, she remembered quite clearly why she rarely drank alcohol. It just wasn’t worth feeling this miserable the next day.
The room’s phone rang at an earsplitting volume, startling Maggie. She put the pillow over her head, trying to block out the noise. Then, her good sense returned, and she realized it might be important, so she forced herself to roll over and pick up the receiver.
“Hello.”
�
��Hey, are you still alive in there?” a cheerful voice rang out over the phone. “I knocked on your door around eleven to see if you were up and ready for breakfast, but there was no answer.”
Maggie moaned again. How in the world could Bobbi be so wide-awake and cheerful after the night they’d had?
“I tried calling your cell phone, but it went right to voice mail,” Bobbi continued. “Did I wake you?”
Maggie squeezed her eyes shut, trying hard to fight off the headache. “My head feels like the band is still playing inside it. I’d kill for some Tylenol.”
Bobbi laughed heartily. “I’ll come over now and we’ll fix you right up. It’s your last day in Reno. You don’t want to spend it in bed.”
Maggie couldn’t think of anywhere else she’d rather spend today than in bed.
Spying her cell phone on the nightstand, Maggie pulled it to her and tried switching it on. Dead. The only charger she had was in the van, so she’d have to recharge it in there. The last call she’d had was from Kaia, who’d phoned during the banquet when the band had been playing an old rock song. They’d talked for a few minutes, but since they couldn’t hear each other very well, Maggie said she’d call her the next day. Kaia had been excited about beating Andrew in bowling, and Maggie definitely wanted to hear more about it.
An hour later, feeling more awake after a long shower, and her headache almost gone after two Tylenol, Maggie headed off with Bobbi in search of a late lunch. After plugging her phone into the jack in the van, they found a decent café nearby. Being out in the sunlight and away from the constant clanging of slot machines also helped relieve Maggie’s headache. Once she’d eaten, Maggie felt a little better, and the two women walked through the casinos and played the slots here and there, not winning any money but having fun. When Maggie’s headache returned a couple of hours later, she told Bobbi that she had to go back to her room and sleep it off.
“I’m still driving you to the airport tomorrow in my new Mustang,” Maggie said as they parted at the elevators back at Circus Circus.
“I can take the shuttle if it’s too much trouble,” Bobbi said.
Maggie shook her head. “You have to ride in the new car one more time. After all, I never would have bought it if it wasn’t for you.”
They settled on a time to meet the next day, and Maggie went up to her room. As soon as she slipped into bed, she realized she’d left her phone in the van. She had no desire to walk all the way back to the parking garage to retrieve it. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Andrew awoke in a cheerful mood. He showered and dressed and headed downstairs to the kitchen with plans of what he and the kids could do together that day. Kyle and Kaia were already sitting at the kitchen table, eating bowls of Cheerios and watching cartoons on the small kitchen television.
“Wow. Some things never change,” Andrew said with a chuckle. All he got in return was a grunt from Kaia. Pulling out a carton of eggs from the refrigerator, he asked, “How about some scrambled eggs for breakfast? Or maybe fried?”
Kaia and Kyle both shook their heads, keeping their eyes on the television screen.
Andrew pulled out a frying pan and started making himself two eggs over easy. He certainly wasn’t a chef, but he was adept at making eggs of all styles, and cooking on the grill. “Why don’t we all do something together today? Then we can grill steaks for dinner.”
Kyle looked up at his dad. “I can’t. I’m going over to Ashley’s for the day. I already told her I’d be eating there with her family.”
Andrew frowned but tried not to sound discouraged. “Well, why don’t you and Ashley hang out here today? She’s more than welcome to have dinner with us.”
“Naw, that’s okay. I’ll just go over there. Maybe we can hang out here some other time.” Kyle got up from his seat, rinsed out his bowl in the sink, then headed upstairs to his room.
As Andrew flipped the eggs, he wondered why Kyle seemed so distant. He and his son once had been close, watching football on weekends together, working on model cars, and playing video games. Of course, that was years ago, and Kyle was nineteen now. He decided not to take it personally. Kyle was just growing up and building his own life.
Andrew slid his eggs onto a plate and buttered his toast. He sat down in the chair Kyle had vacated. “Well, it looks like it’s just you and me today,” he told Kaia. “What do you want to do?”
Kaia shrugged. “I have a lot of homework, so I should just stay home.” She passed the TV remote over to her dad and took her bowl to the sink. “I’m going to spend the night over at Megan’s house Monday. Her mom will pick us up after school. We have a history report we’re doing together and need to work on it.”
Andrew’s eyebrows rose. “Don’t you mean ‘May I spend the night at Megan’s house’?”
Kaia grinned. “Don’t be silly, Dad. You weren’t invited.”
“Ha, ha. I guess it’s okay, but I’ll need Megan’s mom’s phone number first, so I can confirm she’s picking you up.”
“You’ve figured out this dad thing pretty fast,” Kaia said, still grinning, and then walked out of the room.
Andrew sighed. Keeping up with these kids was a lot more work than he’d thought.
Later, after doing a couple of loads of laundry and going for a walk around the neighborhood with Kaia and Bear, Andrew grilled two small steaks along with some corn on the cob wrapped in tinfoil. This was one task he knew how to do, and it made him feel competent at something around the house.
Earlier, he’d tried calling Maggie to check on her, but his call had gone directly to voice mail. After a couple of tries, he began to worry. He didn’t know which hotel she was staying at in Reno, or if she’d already left there. He hoped she was okay. Maybe the battery had died. Did she even have a charger with her? He hoped so. He figured he’d try again later. He was beginning to enjoy their conversations, now that they weren’t arguing.
After dinner, as Kaia started rinsing the dishes and putting them into the dishwasher, Andrew stared at her in disbelief. A few days ago, she hadn’t offered to help him with anything. Now, she was doing it on her own. He’d always thought Maggie spoiled the kids by not making them do chores, but now he knew differently.
“What?” Kaia asked, sounding annoyed.
“Nothing,” Andrew said, smiling, and headed to the laundry room to finish folding the last pile of towels.
He tried calling Maggie that evening, but again, his call went to voice mail. Andrew’s worry grew.
“Have you talked to your mom today?” he asked Kaia as she worked on her homework at the kitchen table.
“I talked to her last night,” Kaia said. “But her battery was low, and there was too much noise, so she couldn’t hear me. She said she’d call me back today.”
Andrew cocked his head. “Noise? What type of noise?”
“There was a band playing some old rock music. You know, like the stuff you and Mom listen to. She said she was at dinner with someone named Bobby, and there was a band.”
Andrew stared at Kaia, but she just went back to writing in her notebook. Bobby? Maggie was out with some guy named Bobby, having dinner and listening to a band in Reno?
Kaia looked up and saw her dad staring at her. “Now what?”
Andrew regained his composure. “Did your mother call you back today?”
“No. I figured she was busy doing something, or maybe she left Reno and was driving somewhere else and forgot. I’m sure I’ll hear from her soon.”
As Kaia went back to her schoolwork, Andrew thought about what she’d said. Out to dinner with someone named Bobby. Listening to a loud band. She was probably in some bar in Reno, in one of the casinos, with some strange guy. Oh, my God. He was getting angrier by the second. Here he was, playing house dad and actually starting to feel good about their relationship, and she was out with some guy she’d
met in a casino.
Andrew stormed out of the kitchen and headed upstairs to his bedroom. He tried calling Maggie again, but there was still no answer. This time, he left a message to call him immediately. If she thought she was going to make him jealous, then she was wrong. He might be angry, but he wasn’t jealous. If she wanted to pick up strange men, then that was her problem. All he knew for sure was that when he talked to her, he was going to give her an ultimatum, and she’d better make the right choice—or else.
Maggie awoke once again to sunshine peeking through the drapes. When she saw it was eight in the morning, she was dumbfounded. Had she actually slept from late afternoon until the next morning? Tentatively, she rose to a sitting position and was relieved her headache was gone. She stepped out of bed and opened the drapes. It was another beautiful, sunny day. Then she remembered that she was picking up her new car today. With renewed energy, she hurried to shower and dress, and then headed out the door of her room for the last time.
At one o’clock, Maggie pulled up to the front entrance of Circus Circus in her new Mustang. The top was down, and the car sparkled in the sun. People stared as they walked past, and Maggie felt like a movie star.
When Bobbi came out, a big smile spread across her face and she ran over to the car. “It’s so beautiful!” she exclaimed. Maggie helped her put her luggage in the backseat, and the two of them hopped in and drove to the airport.
The ride was too short as the two women enjoyed the warm desert air whipping across their faces and their hair blowing in the wind. Maggie stopped at the terminal entrance for Bobbi’s flight, and then stepped out to help unload her luggage.
“I’m going to miss you, Maggie,” Bobbi said as she gave her a hug good-bye. “We sure had some fun. Don’t forget to keep in touch.”
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