The Real Thing

by Linda Rettstatt

  “There’s always a last-minute rush. Forty-five.”

  “Forty,” she countered.

  He hesitated, then let out a breath. “You got yourself a tree.”

  Jane removed one glove to dig a couple of twenties out of her wallet. When she handed him the money, he offered her the tree.

  “Would you tie it onto the car for me, please?”

  “Lady, I sell trees. I don’t tie ’em up or deliver ’em. Besides, I got another customer.”

  She shoved her hand back into her glove. “Fine. I can do it myself.” She reached in through the branches and took hold of the trunk. When the salesman released the tree, Jane felt the full weight of it and swayed, then regained her balance. She dragged the tree toward her car, then stood, trying to figure out how to haul it onto the roof and hold it there to tie it down. After three attempts, the last of which sent the tree onto the roof and off the other side, Jane stood and blew back a loose strand of hair in exasperation.

  Opening the trunk, she removed a flannel blanket she carried for emergencies. She draped it over the tree, then rolled until the blanket held the branches secure. Returning to the lot, she picked up the twine the salesman had removed and worked it under the bundle, tying it off. She watched the couple who had pulled in after her. The man easily hoisted their tree onto the roof of their car and held it in place while the woman ran twine over the tree and through the open car doors to tie it in place.

  The man smacked his gloved hands together to shed the needles stuck in them. The woman said something to him and pointed toward Jane. He walked over. “You need some help?”

  She wanted to say, “No, I’ve got it.” But she didn’t have it. “Yes, please.”

  He lifted the tree effortlessly and held it on the roof of the car while she secured it with her rope.

  “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas to you, too.” She watched the couple drive away and was surprised by the ache in her chest. She missed being part of a couple. The snow had changed to ice and pellets bounced off the hood of the car as she slowly made her way home. She was exhausted and still had to get this tree into the house and in the tree stand. Perhaps she’d just leave it in the garage on top of the car until Rob came home tomorrow.

  But once she pulled into the driveway, she resolved that the tree would be up and decorated before he came home. Before Mitch brought him home so he could see she was just fine on her own.

  It took two runs to get the car up the driveway through the ice and snow. She would have to take the tree in through the front door to the living room. After opening the door, she undid the knot on the rope and pulled it loose, tugging the tree toward her. The base of the trunk slid around and the weight pulled the tree downward. Before she could register what was happening, Jane was flat on her back, snow caked around her neck and ears, and a very healthy Douglas Fir on top of her. She pushed at the branches without success. As she worked herself sideways, snow continued to build up inside any opening in her clothing.

  Jane was sitting up and digging the icy stuff out from under her coat collar when Mitch’s SUV pulled into the drive. “Shit. He had to pull in right at this moment,” she mumbled. As if nothing was unusual, she got to her feet, grabbed the base of the tree trunk and began to haul it toward the porch. Her boots slipped and she struggled for purchase up the sloping lawn.

  “Jane, wait. I’ll give you a hand with that.” Mitch stomped up the snowy drive.

  “I’ve got it. Thanks.” But she didn’t have it. Her feet slipped and she flailed one arm in the air before hitting the ground on her backside. At least the tree wasn’t on top of her now.

  Mitch stood over her, extending a hand. “You okay?”

  “I’m fine.” She refused his outstretched hand and slid around before getting onto her knees, then up on her feet.

  Mitch picked up the tree, shook off the snow, and carried it up the steps. “Can you hold the door?”

  She stomped past him. “Of course I can hold the door. I’m not helpless.”

  Inside, she knelt and steadied the tree stand while he lowered the tree. Then she held the tree steady while Mitch lay prone beneath it to fasten the bolts on the stand. He got up and stepped back, admiring the tree. “You did a nice job.”

  “Thank you. Freshly cut.” It was only a little white lie.

  “You did that yourself?”

  Technically, she had. “You’re not the only one who can go out and get a tree.” Eager to change the subject, she asked, “Where’s Rob?”

  “I dropped him and his girlfriend off at the movies. He wanted to drive, but the roads are a bit icy. I have to pick them up in two hours.”

  Jane was speechless. Girlfriend? “Uh, what’s her name again?”

  “Ashley. Nice girl.”

  “Yes, Ashley. That’s it. She lives…uh….”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t know about her, do you?”

  “I know about her. I just don’t remember exactly….” She paused. “Fine. I don’t know about her. Rob hasn’t said anything to me about having a girlfriend.” She shrugged out of her coat. “He hasn’t said much of anything to me at all,” she muttered.

  “She’s a junior and a cheerleader. Her mother teaches at the middle school and her father is some corporate exec downtown.” Mitch unzipped his jacket and removed the scarf from around his neck.

  “Did you need something?” Jane asked.

  “Actually, I stopped by to see if you wanted me to get a tree. I’m glad I didn’t just presume and get one.”

  “It’s never safe to presume. As you can see, I don’t need a tree.” She tugged her soaking sweatshirt away from her neck.

  “You should get into dry clothes. Why don’t you go change and I’ll put on the kettle for tea?” Mitch waltzed past her and into the kitchen.

  Too cold, wet and exhausted to argue, Jane headed upstairs. She changed into a dry pair of jeans and a sweatshirt she’d purchased a few years earlier when they took a family ski trip to Aspen. She dried her hair with a towel and let is hang loose around her face.

  When she returned downstairs, two steaming cups of tea sat on coasters on the coffee table. Mitch had begun to sort the decorations.

  “What are you doing?” Jane asked.

  Bent over a box, he turned his head. “I thought I could give you a hand until it’s time to pick up the kids.” He stood, holding a tangle of lights. “Speaking of kids, when does Kristi get home?”

  “Tomorrow afternoon. Her flight gets in at four fifteen. I hope the roads are clear and there aren’t any delays.”

  “I’ll pick her up,” he said.

  “I can do it.”

  “I know you can. But my SUV has all-wheel drive. I’m less likely to get stuck if this snow keeps up.”

  “Fine. You pick her up.” She sat and sipped the hot tea, relishing in the warmth as it spread through her. “You don’t have to do this.”

  Mitch stopped fussing with the strand of lights and stared at her. “I want to, if that’s all right with you.”

  She stared back at him, trying to figure out why he couldn’t live with her, but wanted to be here with her now. “It’s confusing, you being here.”

  He dropped the lights and sat beside her on the sofa. “All of this is confusing. I’m sorry about that.”

  She swallowed hard and then cast him a furtive glance. “Are we going to be able to work this out?”

  He waited for a few beats before saying, “I don’t know.”

  Jane nodded, unable to look at him. Then she began to cry, all the grief welling up and spilling out of her.

  Mitch wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. He didn’t say a word, just held her.

  “I don’t know what I did wrong, Mitch. I don’t understand what you want from me.”

  “It isn’t so much anything you did wrong, Janie. It’s how you’ve changed. We’ve changed.”

  “
But that’s what people do. They change. It’s not always a bad thing, you know. I can’t just change back to whatever it is you want me to be just because you want it.”

  He held her and pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I miss you.”

  She took in a shuddering breath. “I miss you, too.”

  Mitch gazed into her eyes for a moment and then pressed his lips to her forehead. From there, he moved down to kiss her closed eyelids, her cheekbones, settling at last on her mouth. A soft kiss, not demanding. A familiar kiss.

  Heat erupted as her body responded and she leaned into him. In the next instant, they were like two horny teenagers, fumbling with buttons and zippers, tossing clothing. They started out on the sofa, but ended on the floor. Any time Jane tried to utter a word or make a sound, Mitch’s mouth closed over hers. He was clearly not open to suggestion. His hands did all his talking and he clearly did not need suggestions. Jane hadn’t felt this kind of passion between them since they were first married.

  She arched against him when an orgasm gripped her, curling her toes. Still, he didn’t stop. He tortured and teased her until she once again shook and cried out.

  They lay spent looking up at the bare tree standing over them.

  “Did I tell you that’s a really nice tree?” Mitch asked.

  The laugh started from her stomach and rolled up through her. She lay nestled in the crook of his arm, laughing until tears blurred her vision. And then she cried. “This doesn’t mean you’re coming home, does it.” It was not a question but a statement of fact.

  “Ah, Janie. If it were only that simple.” He turned his face toward her, his eyes dark with pain. “I love you, but I can’t live with you right now. I’m going to start seeing someone.”

  She gasped and her heart skipped. “You’re having an affair?”

  “No, no. I’m going to talk with a counselor. Maybe we could there together sometime.”

  She turned away and closed her eyes. This was promising. Maybe she’d finally discover what the hell had made him leave in the first place. “I think that’s a good idea. I also think you should go now.” She couldn’t bear to look at him, try to be casual and act as if everything was normal. He’d said he couldn’t live with her but he’d had no problem making love to her. This hadn’t been just sex. They’d made love in a way they had not for years. Maybe this was a step back to one another, but she couldn’t have him coming by for sex and leaving again. It was too painful and too confusing.

  She reached for her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head, then stood and gathered up the rest of her clothing. “You can let yourself out.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Mitch dressed quickly and paused at the bottom of the stairs. He set one foot on the steps, but hesitated. Should he go upstairs and make sure Jane was okay, or should he do as she asked and let himself out?

  A little voice in his head told him to leave, give her space. He ice-danced down the sidewalk and onto the driveway. The wheels spun as he backed out of the driveway and headed to the theater to pick up his son. Arriving twenty minutes early, Mitch sat in the parking lot with the engine idling. What the hell had he been thinking? He wasn’t sure what his purpose for going to the house had been, but it sure as hell wasn’t to have sex. Though it was the best sex they’d had for a long time since he prevented her from giving one single suggestion or direction.

  It was like being with the old Janie, the girl he’d fallen in love with. The woman he’d married. Before she morphed into Janelle DuMonde—writer, producer, director. Mitch sighed and dragged a palm down his face. He had managed to take advantage of her vulnerability tonight and complicate things so far beyond what they already were.

  Why had he told her about the counseling? Invited her to join him? He didn’t want Jane thinking their marriage was over. He didn’t know that, didn’t really want that to happen. Hell, he didn’t know what he wanted. Hence, the decision to talk to someone.

  Making love with Jane earlier had taken him back to when their marriage was fresh, new—fun. Before he could consider what that meant, the back door of the SUV opened and Rob and Ashley jumped in.

  “Hey, Dad. Can we stop somewhere for pizza or something?”

  “Sure. Where to?” Food sounded good. He’d worked up an appetite.

  Rob and Ashley agreed on Denny’s where she could a salad. Mitch recalled his last visit to Denny’s and winced. He parked in front of the restaurant and opened his door.

  “Thanks, Dad. About an hour?”

  “I…uh… Sure. You two go ahead.” Mitch gave them time to be seated, then entered the restaurant and asked for a table for one far on the opposite side of the dining room. He certainly wasn’t going to sit in the SUV with the engine running for an hour while Rob and his girlfriend had dinner.

  After placing his order, he pointed to where Rob and Ashley were seated. “Put their dinners on my bill, too.”

  The waitress hesitated. “Uh….”

  “That’s my son and his date.”

  She smiled. “Giving them privacy, huh?”

  “Yeah, I’m the chauffeur.” He watched as Ashley said something and Rob laughed, remembering when he and Jane had been that young and carefree. Once upon a time, when they delighted in one another.

  A hand settled on his shoulder and a feminine voice spoke his name.

  Mitch looked up into the face of Gail Hampton.

  “Mitch, are you eating all alone?”

  “Gail. What a surprise.”

  She slid into the chair opposite him. “I’m so glad to see you. I just hate to eat alone. I don’t usually eat here, but I had some shopping to do and this is close to the mall.” She was removing her scarf and coat, giving him a very full view of her low-cut sweater and cleavage.

  “I’m not staying long. I just brought—”

  Gail gave a dismissive wave. “It never takes long here.” She studied the menu.

  Mitch glanced nervously toward his son, relieved to see Rob was engrossed in whatever Ashley was talking about. He shifted his gaze back to Gail.

  She placed her order and then locked her eyes on him. “You look really good, Mitch. Retirement agrees with you.”

  Gail always seemed to doing a bad Marilyn Monroe impression. It both annoyed and fascinated him. “I didn’t retire.”

  Ignoring his response, she leaned closer and placed a hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry about your marriage.”

  He pulled his arm away, but not before he realized that Rob had seen them. “What about my marriage?”

  “Why, the separation. You are living somewhere else, right? I mean, you were picking up the boxes I had delivered to your house.”

  “I put them in storage.”

  He exhaled gratefully when the waitress delivered their food orders, though his appetite had begun to fade. Mitch tuned out on Gail while she babbled on about what was happening in the office. He nodded and focused on his dinner.

  “Oh, thank you. And you’ll know everyone there already.”

  His fork half-way to his mouth, he looked up at her. “What?”

  “The Kennedy Christmas Party. I just hate going to those things alone. Thank you, Mitch.”

  “For…?”

  “Going with me, silly.”

  His fork hit the plate with a resounding clatter. “I can’t go with you.”

  “I know, you think it’ll be uncomfortable with Liam. But he’ll be fine, I assure you. It’s a party.” She rummaged in her purse for a pen and jotted something on a paper napkin, pushing it across the table to him. “There’s my address. Friday. Pick me up around seven, okay?” She dabbed her mouth and slid into her coat. “It was providential running into you. Oh, let me….”

  She pulled a wallet from her purse, but Mitch waved her off. “It’s okay. I got it.”

  “Thank you. You are such a sweet man.” She bent and kissed his cheek.

  Mitch’s eyes widened and met his son’s stare. Oh, shit. He alternately felt heat followed by cold
as the blood drained from his face. He waved to the waitress to bring the checks.

  Ashley disappeared into the ladies room. Rob strode toward him, his hand out. “Give me the keys. We’ll wait in the car.”

  “I just called for our checks.”

  “All three of them?” Rob shifted his gaze to the chair Gail had occupied.

  “You remember Gail, the receptionist at Kennedy. She just happened to stop in for dinner, too.”

  Ashley came up beside Rob. “Like I said, we’ll be in the car.”

  When Mitch climbed into the SUV, Rob and Ashley halted their whispered conversation. They rode in silence until they reached Ashley’s house. Rob walked her to the door and Mitch glanced away as his son leaned in for a goodnight kiss.

  Rob returned to the SUV and sat staring out the side window.

  “Rob, that was just a chance meeting with Gail. I didn’t even invite her to sit down. She invited herself.”

  “If it’s no big deal, why’d you look so guilty?”

  “Because you’re looking at me like I committed a crime.”

  Silence hung between them for a moment and then Rob asked, “Is that why you and Mom aren’t living together?”

  “No. Absolutely not.”

  Rob slouched down in the seat. “Just take me home, Dad.”

  Mitch hesitated. “Home? Back to my place or—home? I thought we were spending the weekend together.”

  “I just want to go home, okay?” Rob snapped.

  Surprised by his son’s sudden moodiness, Mitch turned around headed toward the house. When he pulled up into the drive, he put the SUV in park and turned toward Rob. “Ashley seems like a nice girl.”

  “She is.” He reached for the door handle.

  “It might be best if you didn’t mention Gail’s showing up to your mom.”

  Rob glared at him. “Why? I thought it didn’t mean anything.”

  “It didn’t. Doesn’t. There’s nothing going on and it will only hurt your Mom if she thinks there is.”

  Pausing, Rob seemed to consider what he said.