“I doubt it, but if you want to try, by all means, do so.”
“You think you’re hot stuff, don’t you?”
He nibbled at her ear. “Hmm . . .”
***
So this is Carla Stevens, Gloria thought. Under ordinary conditions she was the kind of woman Gloria would naturally gravitate to. Self-assured, aggressive, no-nonsense. A woman who knows where she is and where she’s going. A woman on her way to the top.
But there was something about Carla that caused unrest in Gloria. Carla Stevens was also the kind of woman that caused envy to well up in other women. The woman was drop-dead gorgeous. She couldn’t be more than five-four and probably didn’t weight one hundred and fifteen pounds soaking wet. The pounds were, Gloria noticed, well distributed. No, Ms. Stevens wasn’t lacking in any endowments. Gloria was grateful for one thing though. Carla didn’t play up her good looks. On the contrary, she played them down. The severe cut of her suit, the hair pulled back in a bun, with only a hint of makeup. Clearly, Carla was all about business.
“It was good meeting you,” Carla said in a voice that sounded caring and friendly. Gloria could imagine this woman as a caregiver—a doctor or a nurse. “We’re happy that you and Josh decided to join the Carolina Microelectronics family. If there’s anything we can do to help you get settled, just let us know.”
“Thank you,” Gloria said. She knew she should have gone on more about how they were so happy to be here, but she couldn’t.
“We’re looking for temporary housing this afternoon,” Josh added, “so we’d better get moving.” With that, he and Gloria said their goodbyes and headed for the elevators.
“Good going, Gloria,” Josh said when they were out of Carla’s earshot. “What’s the matter with you? You could have shown a little more enthusiasm.”
Gloria knew Josh was right. She was being a bitch and she had been since the interview yesterday. It had turned out to be a total waste of time. To say she was overqualified for the position was an understatement. And then to come here and see this woman that her husband was going to be spending more time with than he spent with her, well that made her angry. “What did you want me to do? Kiss her feet?”
Josh punched the button for the elevator and put his hands in his pockets. “You know how important first impressions are. What were you thinking?”
The opening of the elevator doors saved Gloria from having to answer that question. The ride down the four floors was quiet since there were others on the elevator. Gloria was glad for the reprieve.
The elevator doors opened again and they got off. Josh raced through the revolving exit doors ahead of her. She had to hurry her steps to catch him as he crossed the street to the car. Once they were in the car and buckled up, he asked, “Are you sure you want to look at the townhouse? Maybe it would be better if you went back to the hotel.”
She knew he was upset. “Of course I want to see the townhouse. That’s why I came up here, isn’t it?”
“I’m beginning to wonder about that myself. So your first interview wasn’t what you expected. Hell, I’ve been having disappointments like that for almost a year.”
“And you’ve handled them so well,” she replied, the sarcasm heavy in her voice. The nerve of Josh to complain about her attitude, given the way he had acted.
“What’s it going to be? The hotel or the townhouse?”
She didn’t want to visit this place that her husband would be living in without her, but she knew she had to go. “The townhouse, for God’s sake. I’ll be living there too. Rather, I’ll be living there every other weekend.”
They drove the remainder of the trip in silence. Josh decided to focus on his new job. He couldn’t believe Gloria’s attitude. Especially since their week had gone so well until now. Hell, it had gone better than well—it had been great, until she’d gone on that interview. He knew she was upset, but it wasn’t the end of the world. It really wasn’t. He was confident she’d find something. Soon.
Well, he wasn’t going to let her ruin this opportunity for him and he wasn’t going to let her ruin his good mood.
He was excited about this townhouse. It reminded him of the one he and Walter had shared when they started work in San Francisco. The one Gloria had helped pick out. He had been excited about showing her this place, wondering if she’d remember. Now he just wondered if they’d make it through the rest of the day without a fight.
When he turned onto Sycamore Street, he saw the owner’s car parked on the street in front of the townhouse. He had intended to pull up behind the owner, but when the garage door began to go up, he pulled into the driveway and into the garage.
The owner greeted them when they got out of the car. Josh introduced Gloria and the owner led them through the garage door into the kitchen.
Though the tour was for her, Josh didn’t think Gloria was interested at all. After they were done with the walk-through and were once again in the kitchen, the owner produced a contract, which Josh promptly signed. All the formalities completed, the owner left Josh and Gloria to enjoy their new home.
“It could be the same place,” Gloria whispered.
“Did you say something?” Josh asked. He wondered what she wanted to bitch about now.
“I said this could be the same place. It’s almost identical to the place you and Walter had in San Francisco. The exterior is different, but that’s to be expected, East Coast, West Coast stuff, but the interior—it could be the same place.”
She had remembered. Some of Josh’s anger began to fade. “I noticed it right away.”
“Is that why you decided to take it?”
Josh nodded, hoping that some of her anger was beginning to fade as well. “I knew immediately. It seemed like an omen of sorts. Maybe this will be a new start for us. Our love survived my six years in San Francisco with visits and telephone calls. Surely, it can take this commuter marriage for six months.”
Gloria turned away from him to walk to the bay windows in the breakfast room. “That was actually a good time for us. Even though we were apart, I didn’t feel separated. We had such a strong bond.”
“Had? What about now?”
She turned around to face him. “I’d almost forgotten that we’ve spent most of our relationship apart. I always felt that you were there with me.”
“What about now?” Josh asked again. He wanted her to stop talking in the past tense.
“I don’t know. For the past few months, I’ve felt apart from you a lot of the time even though we were sharing the same house and the same bed; that is, until you moved out of our bedroom.”
She was right. He, too, had felt more distant from her in the last months than he ever had during the separation before the marriage. Maybe the difference was being married versus only being engaged. Maybe their expectations were different now. “I felt closer to you when we were in Bermuda than I have in a long while. I thought you felt it too.”
She smiled and the tension between them lessened. “I did, Josh. And it made me so happy. It’s just that the interview yesterday was a real letdown for me. I don’t want to be separated from you.”
He went to her and pulled her into his arms, soothing them both with his touch. “I don’t want to be separated from you either. But our love has survived a separation before and it will again. Finding this townhouse was a sign. Do you like it?”
She pulled away from him and walked around the room. The contemporary furniture was even to her liking. “You knew I would. My tastes haven’t changed much since then.”
“You’re right, I did think you’d like it. Since it’s furnished, there’s not much decorating to be done, but we have free rein in my office. How about we decorate it before you leave?”
“I’m ahead of you there, Mr. Martin—I packed the items from your old office. I figured you’d want to use them.”
Josh walked over to her and pulled her into his arms again. “You think you’re smart, h
uh?”
“Very smart,” she said, “and don’t you ever forget it.”
***
Josh watched the seven men file out of the conference room. Their reactions had been predictable. A couple welcomed him as their new boss, three others were ambivalent, and two of them resented him. “Why didn’t you prepare me?”
“I wanted to see how you’d handle it,” Carla answered from her seat across from him. “They let me see their . . . ah . . . displeasure. . .when I told them we were going outside to fill the position. You handled it well.”
“I know how they feel and in their positions I’d feel the same way. They’re good men. As long as they do their work, we’ll get along fine.”
“Good. Now that you’ve met your team, it’s time to meet the corporate people. I’m hosting a dinner party for them Thursday night. You and Gloria are the guests of honor.”
“Thank you, we’ll be there,” Josh said, though he wondered if Gloria would be able to make it on such short notice.
“Don’t thank me so quickly. I get something out of this too. Though the brass let me run this facility as I see fit, I like to give them the opportunity to commend my decisions.”
“Well, I won’t argue with you there. The more I learn about this job, the more I like it. I don’t think I could have asked for a better match with my skills and interests. And,” he added, “I know you couldn’t have found a better candidate.”
Carla stood and Josh did the same. “I’m glad to hear it. Now, I’d better get back to my office so you can get on with your day. My secretary will get the details of the party to Debbie.”
Josh remained standing after Carla had left the room. He wasn’t just blowing smoke when he told her how much he liked this job. It was a better fit for him than the job at General Electronics had been. He shook his head at the thought that it took getting fired and being out of work eight grueling months to get to this point. Maybe one day he’d be able to say that it was worth it. Not today, but maybe one day.
He picked up the phone and dialed Gloria’s office. Her secretary answered. When she told him Gloria was in a meeting, he asked, “What’s her calendar look like for Thursday and Friday?”
“A department meeting Thursday afternoon and a division meeting Friday morning.”
Not exactly good news, he thought. Josh thanked her and hung up. Gloria’s meetings complicated things. Should he tell her about the party and let her make the decision or should he not mention it?
“Mr. Martin, your wife is on the line,” Debbie said after she poked her head into the conference room. “I can transfer the call in here if you like.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m on my way back to the office.” Josh followed her to his office. He picked up the phone and pressed the blinking button. “That was a quick meeting.”
“Not quick enough. You were hanging up when I walked through the door. Was there something special you wanted to talk about or were you just missing me?”
Josh smiled. Her flirting caused him to remember the last night they had spent together. It had been less than a week, but he missed her. “Both. Carla’s hosting a dinner party for us. A really big event. All the corporate guys are coming.”
“That’s great. This means a new dress.”
Josh paused before speaking. “Thursday night.”
Josh felt her thinking. “Not this Thursday?”
“Yes, this Thursday. Do you think you’ll be able to come?”
Again she was thinking. “There are a couple of things on my schedule. It’s going to be hard to move them around, but let me see what I can do.”
She would try. That was good enough for now. “Thanks, Gloria. I know this isn’t much notice.”
“I should know something in a couple of hours. I’ll talk to you then.”
***
Gloria stared at the handset she had just placed on the phone. Why hadn’t she told Josh she couldn’t make it? She had two important meetings this week—Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. How was she going to get into Raleigh for a Thursday night dinner party? It was obvious she couldn’t make the meetings and the party. The most sensible thing to do was to call Josh and tell him about the meetings. He’d understand. She picked up the handset and dialed three numbers before hanging up.
This is a very important dinner party for Josh, she thought. At his level these parties were as important as board meetings. She knew it and she knew he knew she knew it. Unfortunately, her meetings were just as important to her career. How could she explain her absence to attend a dinner with her husband? She hadn’t been in her new job long enough to give a reason like that.
Maybe the party could be rescheduled. This was pretty late notice anyway, she reasoned. His company would understand problems with the date better than hers would, since her meetings had been scheduled for over a month and Josh’s had only been scheduled today. Yes, Gloria thought, that’s the reasonable thing to do. She’d call Josh and see if he could get the party rescheduled. Next week would be perfect.
She picked up the phone to tell Josh her suggestion. This time he was in a meeting. She hung up and breathed a telling sigh. She was actually nervous about his response. She didn’t want him to think she didn’t want to come, especially after the way she had acted after her interview the last time they were together.
Now was too soon in their commuter marriage to make these types of decisions, she thought. She wondered if she and Josh would ever get a break. They seemed to move from one crisis to another. Just when it seemed they were getting it together, something else happened. It wasn’t fair.
Gloria laughed at herself. Fair? What’s fair got to do with it?
A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. “How’s the VP today?” Foster Dixon asked. “You have a few minutes for a friend?”
“Sure. Come on in.” She welcomed the interruption.
Foster swaggered into the room. There was no other way she could think to describe the way he walked. The man obviously had no problem with self-confidence, although sometimes his self-assuredness rankled. Today was one of those days. “What are doing down here today? More gossip or is this actually official business?”
Laughing, he took a seat across from her desk. She had known he wouldn’t be offended. The man didn’t get insulted easily. “I wouldn’t call it gossip exactly,” he said.
“Okay, then, let’s call it news. Have you heard any more news on my career? Am I up for another promotion so soon?”
“Ambitious, aren’t we? That’s consistent with the other news that I’ve heard.”
Gloria strummed her fingers on her desk, impatient for Foster to get his news out. “Come on, spill it. I can see you’re dying to tell me.”
“Well, the word on the street is you and Josh are separated.”
Gloria’s fingers stopped strumming the desk. She knew the gossip mill was notorious, but she’d never expected this. “Where did you hear this?”
“Doesn’t matter. Is it true?”
“Of course it’s not true. You saw Josh and me at Portia’s party. I’m surprised you didn’t nip that rumor in the bud yourself. You’re slipping, Foster.”
Foster shrugged. “That was then, this is now. So you’re telling me Josh hasn’t moved to North Carolina?”
Gloria knew she shouldn’t be surprised that the details were out, but she was. She and Josh had decided to keep their commuter marriage quiet for a while. Well, it seemed the while was over. “Josh is in North Carolina, but we’re not separated.”
Foster’s frown showed his disbelief. “Unless I’m mistaken you’re still here in Georgia.”
“Don’t be smart, Foster, it doesn’t become you. Josh was hired by Carolina Microelectronics. He’s working there, but we’re still very much married, very much together. It’s called a commuter marriage.”
Foster lifted a finger to his chin and began to move his head up and down as if he were pondering som
e deep philosophical problem. “A commuter marriage? That Josh is a strange guy. If you were mine, you can bet I wouldn’t be in North Carolina without you.”
“Well, now, that’s a moot point since I’m not yours.”
“Not for lack of trying on my part.”
Every conversation they had ended this way. “Foster . . .”
Foster must have sensed his time was running out so he stood up to leave. “Let me know if you get lonely in that big house all by yourself.”
She raised a questioning brow at him. “The door, Foster.” He gave her a puppy dog smile, and God help her, she returned it. “Leave. Now.”
When he opened the door, Portia walked in. “Fancy seeing you here, Foster.”
“Don’t make anything out of it, Mommy. I’m leaving.”
Portia watched him leave and closed the door behind him. “Josh hasn’t been gone a month and Foster is already making a move on you.”
“He’s not making a move on me. He’s flirting like he always does. You know Foster.”
Portia took the seat Foster had vacated. “That’s the problem. I do know Foster.”
Gloria knew of only one way to keep Portia’s determined mind off Foster Dixon and his intentions. “How’s my godchild doing today?”
Gloria knew her ploy had worked when Portia placed her hand over her stomach and adopted a look that could only be described as glassy-eyed. “Of course, it’s too early for me to feel any movement yet, but I do think I’m getting bigger. What do you think?”
Gloria held back the grin that threatened to spread across her face. Portia’s stomach was as flat as it had always been. “I think I can see a little thickening around your waist.”
Portia nodded her head in agreement. “I thought it was too early to start with the maternity wear, but I may need to. I don’t want to look like I’m bursting out of my clothes.”
Gloria picked up a pencil and began striking through some words on the pad in front of her. She didn’t know what she was striking through, but she knew if she looked Portia in the face, she would laugh and Portia would be hurt. In that moment, Gloria realized that she had finally adjusted to Portia’s pregnancy. She no longer envied her friend’s good fortune. She was happy for Portia and that happiness was in no way colored by the problems she and Josh were having. “Well, I wouldn’t say you’re bursting at the seams yet. You have a few more weeks at least.”
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