Margo forced herself to focus on the problematic mortgage file on her desk. She could smell defeat in the air. Her experience had taught her that a bad deal never got better, yet her ego wouldn’t allow her to let it go. Regardless of the hour, she wanted to address the last e-mail from underwriting before she went home.
For God’s sake! Now they wanted another biweekly paystub. The paystubs on file were evidently too old. She dreaded calling Mr. Hay. Maybe she’d be able to get a new paystub directly from his employer’s website for job verification. The bank used the website to process his initial application, so she should still have access. She located his name and clicked on pay history. Next to the biweekly paystub for the last pay period a word stood out: terminated.
Wasn’t that just wonderful?
Her office phone rang.
“Hey honey, how are you?” Timmy asked.
“Busy as hell and sinking fast.” She clicked out of the job verification website.
Ah, hell, she’d still have a good closing month, even if she lost the Hay loan. She should just go home already.
“Then it’s time to call it a night. You’ve been there over twelve hours. I have dinner waiting, and I’m saving my appetite for you.”
Irritated over the Hay file, Margo bristled. Why the hell hadn’t he eaten already? “Timmy, you shouldn’t have waited for me. Go ahead and eat.”
“We haven’t had dinner together since last Saturday.”
“It’s my busy season, and we agreed that we would have date night on Saturday nights. It’s only Friday. Come on, Tim. I gotta go, okay?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“I shouldn’t be much longer. You go ahead and eat. See you soon.”
She hung up. Sometimes he annoyed her. After all the years she’d been in the mortgage industry, he just didn’t understand that when she was busy she couldn’t break away. He’d still call and make her feel guilty for not being at home with him. She had to work late in order to make extra money. How else could she afford their home on Long Island or pay for their cars outright? Timmy made a decent salary, and it certainly helped with the bills, but with his student loan debts, she was the one who had come up with the down payment on the house. Sometimes she was hard on him, at least in her mind, but she knew she showed him all her love when it came down to it. Regardless, she needed to finish up the deadbeat file so she could start fresh the next day.
Chapter Four
Carmala had a charity ball to attend on Saturday night. She wanted to take Guido but hadn’t spoken to him since the Delmonico incident. Should she call him?
No, she absolutely refused to. However tempting it was.
On Friday, she immersed herself in the Ross audit wrap-up, and late in the afternoon, she received the long-awaited call.
“Hi, babe. Tonight’s our chest and triceps workout. What do you say we grab a pizza afterward?” Guido! Just like that, he called her with no mention of the fight, as though things were back to normal between them.
He aggravated her to no end. Pissed her off royally. Yet, she couldn’t help melting, even just a little, at the sound of his deep voice. He did it again. Turned her on despite the fact she was still mad at him. She had to be crazy! She begrudgingly and quietly said, “Yeah, that’s fine.” In truth, maybe she should let bygones be bygones. He did try awfully hard to please her. “I need to finish up here, but I can meet you at the gym by six.”
“Okay, I’ll see you then.”
She wanted to bounce back with Guido, forget that he had followed her, yet could it be possible?
****
Guido had hoped that Carmala wouldn’t bring up what happened the other night. He loved her and didn’t want to lose her. But whenever he saw her with another guy, his blood boiled. He focused on their workout, occasionally glancing at her for signs of any remaining irritation from the other night. She concentrated on her repetitions, grunting at the appropriate times. He spotted her for the chest presses, and she smiled at him. Maybe her irritation with him had passed.
Afterward, Carmala returned to her apartment to freshen up, and he picked up a gourmet pizza with peppers, onions, and ham—just the way she liked it.
So far, so good. She needed to understand that he was only concerned for her safety. He trusted her. Really, he did. He just didn’t trust the guys around her. She was gorgeous, and no matter how much she accomplished in her professional life, there remained a naïveté about her. That probably had everything to do with being an Aries.
All she needed to do is give a guy her wide-eyed innocent look and purse those pouty kissable lips, and any man would fall for her. Sweep her away from him. He couldn’t bear that. And he would do anything to prevent it.
They sat at Carmala’s breakfast bar.
“The pizza’s good,” Guido said, feeling cautious. “Sure is nice to get a break from the low-carb diet.”
“Yes, it is good.” Carmala chewed her pizza slowly, her eyelashes fluttering. “I was starving. I skipped lunch because I have so much to do at work.”
She scarfed down three slices. He was relieved to see her eating a good portion of the pizza. She’d been getting a little on the thin side.
Man, it was so nice to be on normal terms again with her. He’d hoped the peaceful mood between them would continue. “Your horoscope in the Post today said you were on a brink of an important career decision that would lead you to much success. On that note, have you made your decision about the job?” Talking about Carmala’s work usually worked like a charm.
“Actually, yes and no. I’ve let Tom know at Synergy Plus, but I haven’t told my manager yet.”
“Why?” He took another bite of his pizza, capturing a large piece of fresh basil. Delicious.
“Once an employee at Banter tells management they’re leaving, they’re immediately escorted out by security. This is because there’s lots of confidential client information. I want to tie up all loose ends before I tell them.”
“I guess they’re afraid you’ll take their clients with them.”
“Probably.” She grabbed another slice of pizza. Her fourth.
“When are you going to start at Synergy Plus?”
What he really wanted to know was just how much overtime would she have to work and how often would she go out of town. He didn’t want to ruin the mood by asking too many questions. He’d get his answers later.
“End of October. I need to get out of Banter in two weeks.”
“I see.” He reached across the bar, took her hand, and kissed it. “You know I love you, Carmala.”
She quickly withdrew her hand, as though she’d touched a burning stove, and wrinkled her nose. God. Did his touch disgust her?
He shouldn’t have said he loved her. He’d bet anything he just opened the door for her to bring up the incident at Delmonico’s. He braced himself for the dreaded subject.
“I know you love me. Maybe a little too intensely at times.” She studied him.
“You’ve got a lot on your plate. Plus, you have your big shindig tomorrow, right?” He hoped she still wanted him to go. She would be honored for her work with a children’s charity. He wanted to support her. But more importantly, he wanted Carmala to know he’d supported her.
“I do. Are you still going to shop with me for clothes?”
“As long as I’m your date.”
“Nothing’s changed.” She leaned in and gave him a kiss.
Thank God! Relief swam through his mind.
They finished their meal, and Guido cleared the table. They spent the rest of the evening cuddling on the couch and watching a horror flick. No sex. They’d get back to it. He was confident of it.
He couldn’t imagine his life without Carmala. She was an exquisite woman. In both the looks and brains departments. He wanted to protect and love her forever. Why wouldn’t she let him?
****
Carmala woke up Saturday with Guido by her side. She glanced at him as he peacefully slept. Their Friday pi
zza night had been enjoyable. The food was delicious, and so was the man despite the storm that had passed between them. She longed for fewer problems in their relationship. She could only hope that he’d let his jealousy go and realize the good they had between them. If only he could be more content and not overreact to nonsensical things, he’d be the perfect man.
Guido must have sensed her looking at him because he opened his eyes, smiled, and pulled her close to him for a deep kiss.
“I can’t wait to see you accept your award tonight. You work so hard at your job, yet you still give back. You’re incredible.”
She cuddled into his strong arms. “Thank you. I’m excited. It’s a good cause. And I finally have an excuse to wear a full-length gown. I’m glad you’re going to be there.”
“I love you, princess. More than you’ll ever know.” He kissed her, immediately making her horny.
“Come on, Guid. We need to eat breakfast and get going. There’s a lot to do.”
“There’s enough time for a quickie.”
She couldn’t refuse. His quickie typically took an hour, but it was so amazing she didn’t mind giving up prime shopping time for it.
Eventually they got out of bed, made a quick breakfast, and were on their way.
Earlier in the week, Carmala had spotted a dress for the evening in a store window near her office. She’d hoped she could still get it in her size. Luckily, she found the dress in the right size, and then they picked up the rented tuxedo for Guido.
After shopping, they went to Manderee’s, a popular spot on weekends, for lunch. As soon as they sat at their table, she spotted Marc Blass.
Oh, no. She so did not want a repeated argument. Still, she’d have to make conversation with Marc in front of Guido.
Marc caught Carmala’s eye and approached their table. He kissed her cheek, and she introduced him to Guido. She prayed Marc wouldn’t bring up seeing him at Delmonico’s.
“Nice to meet you, Guido. Carmala speaks very highly of you.”
Carmala appreciated Marc’s efforts to keep things on neutral ground.
Guido reluctantly took his hand, as if he were touching a diseased person. “Yeah, nice to meet you.”
“Have you decided yet to go with Synergy Plus?” Marc asked Carmala.
“Unofficially, yes. I’m wrapping up my affairs, and I’ll let Banter know by the end of next week. I’ll start at Synergy Plus October thirty-first.”
Marc smiled. “On Halloween. Maybe that will bring good luck. As I said before, you’re going to be a hit. If Tom gives you any trouble, let me know.” Marc winked at her.
Carrmala shot Guido a look. Had he caught the wink? Sure did. He clenched his jaw as his face turned crimson red. He was pissed, all right.
Marc straightened his shirt. “I’ll let you guys get to your lunch.” He kissed Carmala on the cheek again and shook Guido’s hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Guido. See you, guys.”
Carmala braced herself for the inevitable tirade. Once Guido got in one of these moods, she couldn’t reason with him. It was best to keep silent. She scanned the menu quickly and picked her lunch: a turkey club. Guido ordered the same.
“How could you humiliate me like that?” Guido whispered, after the waiter left, his voice angry. “While you two are chatting, I’m left to twiddle my thumbs. You know how supportive I am. Then Mr. Gallant walks in, and you forget all about me. I’m left to sit and wait for your attention. And why is it necessary for him to kiss you so much?”
Carmala scanned the restaurant to see if anyone was watching, and attempted to remain calm. “I told you the guy is married with young children, for God’s sake. He is not interested in me on a personal basis.” The waiter approach with their meals, and she put her finger to her lips. “Shh.”
The waiter placed their lunches in front of them and asked if they wanted anything else. Carmala shook her head.
“Why do you have to chat with Marc so much?” Guido raised his voice.
“I told you several times, we occasionally talk about mutual clients in the industry. It’s the way of doing business. There are clients, investments—”
“Don’t you dare patronize me with your Wall Street talk,” Guido interrupted, more angry and loud.
She didn’t respond, and they ate their lunches in stony silence. When they were finished, Carmala motioned to the waiter for the check. The mood for tonight was ruined. Guido wouldn’t let this go; it would go on all afternoon. “Guido, let’s go home and talk about this rationally.”
“Rationally, there is no rational. That guy is trying to bang you, if he hasn’t already.”
Carmala dug in her purse to find cash for the bill. She left more than necessary so they didn’t have to wait for change or a credit card to be processed.
“In the four years that we’ve been together, there’s never been anyone besides you. You’re imagining things. Come on. We need to go.” Carmala walked out the restaurant door. She glanced back and noted Guido had followed on her heels.
During their counseling sessions, he’d claimed his jealous tirades were because he cared about Carmala. Cared her ass! When they’d argue like this, she wanted to dump him. But she could never bring herself to do it.
They rode the subway home in silence.
Back at her apartment, Guido started up again, pouting like a little boy. “You know, Carmala, I have to put up with a lot of shit with you. Act proper, dress proper, smile and pretend everything is okay when it really isn’t.”
“How can you say or believe these things?” She took a deep breath, counted down from ten to one. “I love you, don’t you know that?” She put her arms around him and kissed him. He tensed and pushed her away. The transformation from Jekyll to Hyde was now official.
“I can’t stand to think of you with another man. Not with that creep Marc or any other man.”
Her body and mind were weary. Her canopy bed beckoned her. “You’re being ridiculous. I am not having an affair.” She stomped her foot.
“It’s ridiculous you can’t see through that guy. Why didn’t you tell me you were meeting him the other night?”
She threw up her hands. “What do you mean?”
“You told me that you were going to meet people. Not a guy. I followed you because you were vague about your plans, and I worried about you.” He paced across her living room floor.
“So you don’t trust me.”
He stopped midway in his pacing and pointed at her. “I told you time and time again, I trust you, but I don’t trust these guys you work with.”
Repeating one of her daily affirmations—that she was in control of her own calm—she moved toward him and stopped his pacing. “There’s nothing to hide. I love you, only you.” It was almost four o’clock, and they needed to be at the affair by seven. “It’s getting late, we should take a nap.” She put her arms around him, but he shrugged her off.
“I don’t like being humiliated. If there was nothing going on between you, why didn’t you tell me you were meeting him?”
“Enough. I went for a couple of drinks with him as a work associate and planned to come home afterward. No big deal.”
“But why Marc? Why couldn’t you meet Bill?”
Even though Bill Cicieri was her ex-boyfriend from college, for some reason, Guido wasn’t jealous of him. Bill and she had history together. Real not imagined. But he wasn’t threatened by that.
“I already explained that Marc knows the president of Synergy Plus. I needed his advice. It’s time to drop this.” She walked into her bedroom and flopped on the bed.
He followed her into the room. “You purposely withheld his name when you met him. You lied, and that usually means a person is covering something up,” he yelled.
She banged her fists into the mattress. “There’s nothing to hide. I know how jealous you get, so I thought it best not to tell you. We planned to meet for a couple of drinks and discuss the job. In fact, he left quickly to go on a date with his wife.
Now please, I need to rest.”
He lowered his head, his chin brushing his chest, sulking in defeat. “I worry about you. These men may not have your best interests in mind. Next time I should pick you up outside Delmonico’s or wherever you are, so I can make sure that you’re okay. We know what happens when you have a couple of drinks.”
“That’s only when I’m with you. It’s you and only you who I want.”
“Why would you put yourself into a position with a man like that? I mean he could have planned to drag you to his penthouse in Midtown.”
“Really, Guido? This isn’t the Dark Ages. He can’t drag me anywhere I wouldn’t want to go. And I wouldn’t have gone with him anyway.” She burrowed her face deep in her pillow. There simply would be no reasoning with him.
He finally gave up his ranting and crawled into bed, pulling her in a spoon against him. “I’m sorry, Carmala. I love you so much and never want to lose you.”
The relationship with Guido was like building a house of cards. She never knew when the weight of her next action would be the card to bring the house to a tumbling collapse. Tonight, all the New York brass would be at the award gala. Would he explode again in front of Marc Blass, who would probably be there? Embarrass her in front of her work colleagues? She supposed it’d be a risk she have to take.
She wished she could fix the broken mechanism in his brain that switched from normalcy to crazy jealousy. When Guido was on, he was a supportive, sexy, and amazing man. But, when he was off, he was an insecure, paranoid, and unbearable little boy. The tidy sum she’d incurred on co-payments for the counseling did little good and provided no concrete solutions. Guido’s putting up the front of being the doting and loving boyfriend in front of the counselor hadn’t helped either.
He fondled her breast and kissed her neck, whispering, “Carmala, please forgive me. It isn’t you. It’s these guys.”
Having Fun with Mr. Wrong Page 4
