Late that afternoon, a Synergy administrative assistant brought a huge vase of flowers to Carmala’s office. A dozen yellow roses. She quickly opened the card. Who’d sent flowers? Guido? As another apology?
“Carmala, you are the one of the most insightful business people I’ve encountered. I wanted to send you these flowers as a way of thanking you and letting you know that I value your services and look forward to working with you. You are integral to the growth of Maddox Industries. I remain your friend and confidant, if you ever need me. Yours truly, Michael.
Whew! That sure was a close one. So she didn’t lose the client. Nor, apparently, his friendship.
Ah, Michael. Truly the epitome of class. Why couldn’t she be with a guy like him? How many more humiliations did she need to suffer at Guido’s hand before she learned her lesson? People must think her a simpleton. How could she expect to be taken seriously in the business world with someone like Guido in her life?
Her phone rang. She recognized the number on caller ID. “Hey, Margo, what’s up?” Carmala’d already shared the sordid story about the wedding with her friend.
“How are things?” Margo asked.
“Uh, okay. I can’t concentrate at work. I keep thinking of Guido and how I’d love to call it quits.”
“What else is new? So why don’t you?”
Margo voiced the same question that echoed in Carmala’s head ever since the wedding reception.
“I don’t know what’s holding me back. It seems like we can’t even do the simplest things together sometimes before his temper gets in the way. It’s almost laughable. So get this. After Sunday brunch, we went to a photo center to develop pictures for an album, as a postwedding gift for Bill and Jane. Our camera disk had hundreds of shots, and the store had a machine that scanned the SD card. From there you pick your pictures. The episode ended up in a ridiculous heated battle.” Carmala laughed as the scene came to mind.
“Tell me. I could use a good laugh.”
“Guido and I sat in front of a touch screen, selecting pictures. He pressed hard enough to make the screen advance, but nothing happened. The store clerk demonstrated how the machine responded to the warmth of your fingertip.”
“Yeah, just like those self-check grocery scanners. Technology can be temperamental.”
“You’re telling me. An hour later, we had fifty pictures. All cropped to our satisfaction. When we got to the summary screen and went to check out, the machine wouldn’t go forward. In frustration, Guido pushed the cancel button and erased the entire order. We had to start all over again.” Carmala and Margo simultaneously cracked up in laughter. When the chuckling stopped, Carmala added, “The pictures will be ready by tomorrow.”
“Okay, so you’ll get the pictures. What’s the big deal?”
“Yeah, but look at the pain it took to even get some lousy photos printed? Right now, I’m hyperaware of our incompatibility on so many levels.”
“You have to decide if the bad outweighs the good. Write a list of pros and cons, and see which one dominates.”
Another call rang in on Carmala’s second phone line. “Hey, I gotta go. Work calls. Talk with you later.”
“See ya. You’ll figure it out, girl. Call me if you need me.”
****
After work, Carmala stopped off at a coffee shop on the way home. She purchased a skinny latte and sat at a table. The quiet, soft-lit atmosphere cocooned her. At the same time, worry trickled through her consciousness. She didn’t want to deal with Guido but had to. She’d canceled their workout, using work as an excuse.
Something wasn’t right. Something other than his irascible behavior. He’d been acting a little too nice. Overly sweet. She realized it had started shortly after she’d returned from Palm Beach. Maybe that’s why she’d become hypersensitive to the relationship flaws. He was trying too hard. Well, other than his stupid show of anger at the photo center and at the wedding. But in other situations, Guido seemed desperate to make her happy. It was as though he was reaching for a lifeline in their relationship. Did he somehow sense her withdrawal?
As for example, after years of her asking him to pick up his clothes instead of leaving them in piles all over the house, he’d started picking them up. And he cleaned each glass and coffee mug he used, instead of leaving them in the sink. It seemed as though he wanted to make sure she didn’t get her angry. Despite his anger-management issues, he acted supportive and sweet. Confused and sick of the emotional roller coaster, she knew she had to end things. How would she kick the man out of her apartment? The man she, at least in part, still loved? What if he directed that bad temper toward her and became violent? Dammit! She wouldn’t keep him around because she feared him!
Maybe she just needed a break from Guido. But would he give her that?
How easy it would be to be single, to go out and have fun without worrying about how Guido would react or if he’d follow her and start another fight. She hadn’t had sex with him since the wedding. She didn’t want it. And this shook her up because, above all other things, their sex life was what they had going for them.
Lost in her thoughts, she jumped when her cell phone rang.
She pulled it out of her bag and answered without checking her caller ID. “Carmala speaking.”
“Carmie, how are you, darling?” Jon’s lighthearted voice greeted her.
“Hey, Jon, I haven’t heard from you in quite a while. How are you?”
Now Jon, he was one who knew how to live a carefree lifestyle. She should follow his example.
“Busy, busy. We’re preparing for the spring trunk show. I’m actually calling because I desperately need some one-on-one time with you. It’s important. Can you meet me at the Plaza tonight?”
“Jon, it’s only Monday and I’m tired.”
“Where are you now?”
“At a Starbucks on Broadway.” She’d finished her coffee.
“Have you eaten yet? We could have dinner.”
“I have a lot of work to get done. I’ve had a really unproductive day, and I need to make up for it tonight.”
“Carmie, it’s urgent. I desperately need to discuss something with you, and it simply can’t wait.”
Curiousity got the best of her. “Is everything okay?”
“No. I’ve been meaning to get with you since you returned from your trip to Palm Beach. I’ve had a real hard time of things, but I need to talk with you, with a strong martini for sustenance.”
“Can it wait till Thursday? I’ll be able to give you my undivided attention then.”
“Okay, I guess it can wait a couple of days more. Sure, see you at, say, six at the Oak Room?”
Carmala agreed. What could be so urgent Jon needed to talk to her right away?
****
By Thursday, Carmala had wrapped up her small client payroll center, and realizing it would be an easy Friday, she looked forward to the weekend. She checked her watch. It was already four. She’d better get ready for her dinner with Jon. Carmala went to the bathroom, fluffed her hair, freshened her makeup, spritzed on perfume, and reapplied her lipstick. She caught a cab right away, but on the way they hit a wall of traffic.
Breathless from sprinting from the cab, she arrived at the restaurant and located Jon at a table.
He stood to greet her and air-kissed her cheek. Before sitting down, she took a couple of breaths. “Okay, now that I’ve caught my breath, let’s get on with the show. I’ve been wondering all week. What’s the big emergency?”
“It was about your new future, cherie.” He poured her a glass of champagne from the bottle he’d opened.
She raised her eyebrow. Was there ever a time when they didn’t drink? Oh well, it was almost the end of the week, what the hell?
“Come on, Carmie.”
The smooth liquid slid easily down her throat, and she drank half the glass. Jon refilled it as soon as she put it down. Was he trying to get her buzzed?
“That’s my girl, you relax.” He drank
some champagne. His hand trembled. “Mind if I order for us? The filet would be nice.”
“Fine with me. I’m famished.”
The waiter approached the table.
“Two martinis straight up. We’ll also each have the filet, medium rare,” Jon said.
Carmala started to protest about the martini but relented. If she had a big, juicy steak, the martini shouldn’t affect her.
The waiter jotted the order down and left their table.
“Okay, Jon,” Carmala said. “Spit it out. I’m dying of curiosity.”
“Carmala, your friendship means the world to me. What I’m about to tell you is very difficult. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“What are you talking about?” Carmala laughed. Jon seemed melodramatic, ridiculous, even.
The waiter served their martinis, and Carmala pushed aside her unfinished champagne and took a deep pull from the martini. The strong bite of the alcohol with just the right amount of olive juice went down easily. “What’s going on? With all the buildup, you’d think you were going to tell me you’re straight and you’re madly in love with me, after all.” She laughed at her own little joke.
“You’re not far offtrack.” Jon tossed back his martini in one gulp. He glanced at Carmala’s still full drink, then motioned for the waiter and held up his empty glass for another.
Carmala buttered a roll and ate half of it, though she never ate bread. But the drinks would go straight to her head if she didn’t. “Jon, just get it out. It can’t be that bad.”
“Carmie, listen to me. When you were in Palm Beach with your big client, Guido and I met at the Thai Bistro on Friday night.”
“Okay. I understood you were going to hang out together. He didn’t mention it.” She shrugged. “Whatever…” Jon said life altering. She thought of Guido’s recent behavior, and her heart dropped. Crap. “What are you saying, Jon? Did he have sex with some random girl?”
Jon gulped down half of his martini. “The problem, sweetie, well, it’s not really a problem, per se. The situation, you might want to say…”
The waiter arrived with their dinners. Jon ordered another round of drinks.
She didn’t want another drink and stopped the waiter from getting hers. “Dammit, Jon. Spit it out already. I can’t take much more.” And she couldn’t. Tension gripped her so hard she thought her head might pop off.
Guido wouldn’t dare cheat on her with another woman. She’d kill him.
Jon kept his eyes averted while he twirled the martini.
She couldn’t make him talk until he was ready, so she might as well dig in. The steak smelled good, and it would only get cold. Plus, she wanted to stave off the effects of the alcohol.
Jon fidgeted and moved the food around his plate, eating very little. When he finished his martini, he ordered another one. That would be his fourth. God. He’d be smashed soon.
If Guido had cheated on her, it might be the easy way out of the relationship. She’d been thinking of ending it, anyway. How ironic it would be if he did cheat, considering all his jealous tirades.
Carmala finished half of her meal, which went down surprisingly easy, considering her nerves. “Seriously, Jon. Please. I can’t take it anymore. Tell me what’s going on.”
“Okay, Carmie, darling. Guido got extremely inebriated that night. He originally refused a ride. I feared he’d fall and end up with a concussion. I insisted that he get in the limo…I didn’t take no for an answer. And then I took him to my place.”
“All right, so he spent the night. Did you hire a couple of prostitutes or something?” She smirked.
“No, Carmie. I’m so sorry. I’m having a hard time getting this out. I’m afraid I’ve botched it all.”
“I see that.”
“No. You don’t understand. I botched your relationship. One thing led to another…Guido gave me a blow job,” he blurted.
“What?” Her heart pounded in her chest as the words reverberated in her ears. No. Not. Possible. Guido was straight as an arrow.
“Yes. And that’s not all. I got excited, and I thought with my cock and…we had sex.”
“Mr.-Macho-Possessive-I-Can’t-Breathe-Without-Him-Following-Me made a move on you? Or did you take advantage of him, Jon? Tell the truth.” She just couldn’t imagine Guido…
“I’ve never taken advantage of anyone. And certainly not Guido. Yes, the man was drunk as a skunk while we were out. I’ll give you that. But he sobered up during the limo ride. We went to a diner and had breakfast before we went to my place. I offered to give him a ride home, but he insisted on staying at my place. Said he felt lonely with you gone all week. Who was I to deny him?”
She racked her brain. No way. She calculated the sexual encounters she’d had with Guido since she’d been back from Florida. Yes, they’d made love more than once. Not since the wedding. But, God, she’d definitely had had sex with him since she’d returned from Palm Beach and that would mean…
“Please try and understand, Carmala. We had a lot of drinks and laughs. At the beginning of the night, we went to dinner and hit a couple of straight clubs. He asked if I’d take him to an after-hours men’s club, and initially I hesitated, but he insisted. I thought it odd. Then, he backed out at the last minute and didn’t want to go. I suggested the breakfast, and he agreed. Afterward he wanted to go to my place. I made the couch up for him. I have no idea what got into him. It could have been an isolated instance of bi-curiosity. I swear to you, I didn’t mean for this to happen. I felt bad for him, poor thing. He kept going on and on about not feeling good enough for you. That you would leave him and get a rich Wall Street guy. He put his head on my shoulder and whimpered like a little puppy dog. What else could I do but comfort him?”
Carmala pushed her plate aside. Nausea threatened to take over. She sipped her water. “You must have done something to entice him. You called him beautiful when you first met him. And I always knew you had a secret crush on him.”
“Maybe, a little. But I never intended to hurt you. You’re my friend. As I said, I made up the pull-out couch. We had a fabulous time, as friends, all night long. I said goodnight and went to bed alone, with the door closed. And, then, completely out of the blue, he slipped into my bed stark nude and started spooning me.”
“I don’t believe it. No matter how drunk he could have been…I—I can’t imagine this. You’re lying. You had to have seduced him. Did you slip him a date drug, like a roofie?”
“Carmala, I don’t go where I’m not wanted. And I certainly don’t force anything on a straight man. It’s extremely difficult giving you these details. Anyway, he got in bed, he’s spooning, and it felt so good. I couldn’t help myself. I got aroused, he grabbed me and started going down on me, and the rest just happened…but it definitely was a one-time thing. He acted embarrassed the next morning. He apologized and said he loved you very much but repeated that he just felt inadequate next to you. He swore me to secrecy. He absolutely begged me with tears in his eyes. He said it wouldn’t happen again, with me or anyone else, for that matter. I believed him.”
“Right. I’ve heard enough! How do I know he’s not sneaking around Greenwich Village searching for a good time on other nights?”
“Carm, I understand that you’re upset. I couldn’t keep my promise to Guido. Your friendship means too much to me, and you deserved to know. It’s been eating at me ever since.”
“I’m so glad you were able to get this off your chest. Why did you betray my trust? How could you?” She shook in her seat but attempted to calm her voice. “This has to be the vilest act you could have committed against me, and you have the guts to tell me how much our friendship means to you?”
“Okay, Carm, vile is a little strong. Yes, it was a betrayal. I’m deeply sorry for that. I’m trying, with all my heart, to come clean. Please forgive me.”
“How was it different that night? We party every time we get together. You’ve seen Guido and me get drunk. You’ve been with him alone before. Yet
you never lost control of your cock. You couldn’t contain yourself for the sake of our friendship? Jon, you knew he missed me and yet you poured liquor into him?”
“Carm, it will never happen again. We’re not perfect. We all make mistakes.”
Yeah, and who was she to cast stones here? She’d gotten pretty hot and heavy with Michael Maddox. Yet she’d chosen not to cross that line. She hadn’t had sex with someone else.
And she didn’t betray her man with his best friend.
“Has he called you since?” Carmala demanded.
“No, he’s asked me to keep it quiet. He told me I wouldn’t hear from him again.”
“You know, I don’t care what he said. He’s followed me around and has been suspicious of my behavior and intentions, when I’m simply trying to conduct business. Then, the lousy bastard has had the audacity to betray and defile me—our relationship!”
Jon sneered. “You keep using the word ‘defile.’ It sounds like you’re more bothered by the fact that he had a homosexual encounter than anything else.”
“Let’s not get into the gay thing. I’m defiled because he had sex with someone else and then had it with me.”
“Okay. Carm, I will do everything in my power to make it up to you. However, the two of you have many other issues going on. Frankly, you haven’t been happy with him for a long time. You know it’s true.”
“Don’t preach to me about my relationship.” She paused. The incredulity of the situation muddled her mind. “I guess he’s not totally straight. That has to be what’s been going on with him.”
“Let’s not get carried away here. People experiment all the time. Didn’t you, Carmie?”
She searched her mind for some justification for Guido’s behavior. “Come to think of it, you did encourage him, practically flirting with him right in front of me. From the moment you asked him to walk you to the bathroom to ‘powder your noses’ like two schoolchildren. Really, I find it hard to believe he made all the moves.”
Having Fun with Mr. Wrong Page 24
