The Deception (10 page)

"I took it to Taylor's too. Did you think I wasn't smart enough to have them in matching frames? Heaven forbid your precious photos should be less than perfect. They'll be back up on the wall by the time you get home tomorrow night. If you don't like the frames I picked out, then you can take them back to Hanson Sisters yourself."

At least Scott was buying her story.

"Call me when dinner's ready," he said as he made his exit.

Maggie turned her attention back to the meal she was preparing. She couldn't wait to see the look on Scott's face when he found out exactly what she'd done to his mistress. Maybe then he'd finally learn to respect her.

"Yeah, we'll see who's stupid then," she mumbled to herself.

Scott headed into the den. He glanced at his watch as he took a seat in front of her computer. Thirty-six hours. It would all be over in another thirty-six hours.

* * *

"Are you sure this is what you want, Scott?"

He was standing in his supervisor's office. He'd just submitted his letter of resignation, effective immediately

"Yes, Howard, I'm sure. I'm really sorry to give you such short notice, but the firm in Kansas City wants me to start right away, and I need to head home to start packing. Don't worry. I've already brought John and Marcia up to speed on all the projects I'm working on. They'll take over where I've left off."

"You know, Scott, I wish you'd spoken up if you were that unhappy here. Maybe we could have worked something out."

"Thanks, Howard, however, this has nothing to do with Morton-Evans. It's me. My home life has been less than happy for some time now, so my wife and I have decided to go our separate ways. I need to make a fresh start someplace else."

"I understand. Good luck, Scott, and don't be a stranger."

The two men shook hands before Scott left Howard's office. He went back to his cubicle and threw his personal belongings into a box, saying a quick goodbye to his coworkers before rushing out the door. It was Maggie's day to volunteer at Ben's school and he wanted to be sure he was on the road before the last class let out.

He raced home, parking in the driveway and popping the trunk open. He quickly gathered up the pieces of new luggage he had stashed away, taking it inside to the master bedroom. He began hastily packing his clothes and other personal items. As he zipped up the last bag he looked at the wall over the bed. At least Maggie had picked out some halfway decent replacement frames. He took down the two photos of Carrie. They'd be something for him to remember her by. He brought them downstairs, along with all his bags, and quickly loaded his car. He came back for his laptop. He'd have to stop at the first out-of-town hotspot he could find to email the kids. He smiled to himself as he slipped the computer into its case. His only regret was that he wouldn't be there to see the shocked look on Maggie's face when she was served with the divorce papers. No doubt it would be priceless. He set the computer case down at the foot of the staircase and made one last trip up to the master bedroom. He deposited his house keys and garage door opener on the dresser. Coming back down, he stopped to look around the family room one last time.

"Well, Maggie, thanks for everything--not. It was fun, for about the first six months, and then you became a total bore. No wonder you had to get yourself knocked-up in order to keep your hooks in me. But as of today, my dear, it's all over, and I'm going to fight for custody of the kids too. I'll be damned if I'm going to sit back and let you turn them into a pair of snot-nosed, annoying whiners like you."

He picked up his laptop and opened the front door, carefully turning the bottom lock behind him. His fully loaded car was waiting. He tossed his laptop into the passenger seat, slipped behind the wheel, fired up the engine and drove away. For the first time in nearly seventeen years, he could savor the sweet taste of freedom. It was exhilarating. He would enjoy every moment of it. As he merged onto the freeway he began debating with himself. His route would take him past her exit, and he knew her studio was close by.

"Oh well, what the hell."

He took the exit and soon found the industrial park. There was an empty parking space in front of the suite with the words, "Carrie Daniels Photography," painted on the front door. Upon entering, he stepped into a small reception area with poster-sized samples of her work proudly displayed on the walls. He hadn't realized just how talented of a photographer she really was. He rang the bell on top of the counter and heard her voice calling out that she'd be right there. She appeared a moment later, obviously surprised to see him.

"Well hello, Scott." Her voice sounded somewhat tentative. "I guess it's been awhile. How have you been?"

"I've been well, Carrie. How 'bout you?"

"The same."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Scott spoke up.

"I know it probably appears to you like I've fallen off the face of the earth, but there was a reason for it. Shortly after our last date my old girlfriend contacted me. I hadn't heard from her in a long, long time."

"Yeah, I figured you had another girlfriend, but it's okay. There were never any strings attached."

"Thank you for understanding. However, Nancy was more than just another girlfriend. She's the love of my life. Unfortunately, at the time I first met her, she was married to someone else. She didn't think the time was right to leave her husband, so she ended it. Then one day out of the blue, she called me at work. She said she'd moved to Kansas City and she's now happily divorced. I'm on my way there right now. I just wanted to stop by to tell you goodbye."

"Thanks, Scott, I appreciate it. You came into my life at a time when my self-esteem desperately needed a boost, and now I'm back on track. I never expected anything more from you than what it was, and I'm genuinely happy for you. Take care and good luck."

"You too." He extended his hand; giving hers a final squeeze. "Goodbye, Carrie. Like I said to you before, you're an amazing woman. Some guy will be very, very lucky to have you."

Scott left the building. Both were happy, and relieved, that it had ended amicably.

E
ven though Carrie had lived in Phoenix for most of her life, she never quite got used to the intense, stifling heat of the Valley summers. Even at ten o'clock at night it was likely to be over one hundred degrees outside. Steve and Allison, however, seemed to take it in stride. This year they were hosting a Fourth of July dinner party at their home, with most of the festivities taking place in, and around, their backyard swimming pool.

"To you, from Allie," said Carrie as she presented Steve with a platter of hamburger patties and hot dogs. He thanked her and loaded them onto the grill. On her way back to the kitchen, she overheard a bit of a conversation between two of Steve's coworkers.

"Too bad Alex couldn't make it tonight."

"Yeah. He's a lot smarter than the rest of us. He's spending the holiday on some beach in San Diego."

Alex. Just hearing the name brought back memories of her long-lost other best friend. Over the years Carrie had deeply regretted losing touch with Alex. She often wondered whatever became of him. No doubt he was probably married by now, and he had a family as well. Wherever he was, she hoped he was happy. She wandered back into the kitchen.

"Penny for your thoughts," said Allison.

"Huh?" 

"You look like you're a million miles away, girlfriend."

"Oh, sorry." Carrie set the empty platter into the sink. "I just overheard a couple of the guys from Steve's office talking about someone named Alex. It got me to wondering whatever became of our Alex."

"Alex Montoya?"

Carried nodded.

"Good question. I have no idea. I've wondered about him from time to time myself, although he was more your friend than mine. But he spoke Castillian Spanish..."

"What's that?"

"His dialect," replied Allison. "Don't you remember? His father's family came over from Spain, so they spoke a different kind of Spanish. It would be like you talking to an Englishman."

"You're right, Allie. There's nothing sexier than a guy who speaks with a foreign accent, so admit it. You did have a crush on Alex."

"No, I did not," said Allison with a smile. "I just said I liked his accent."

"Sure you did."

After a good laugh Allison decided to change the subject.

"You know, I really don't know a lot of Steve's coworkers either, and I certainly don't recall ever meeting one named Alex. Since we work in different parts of town, I'm rarely near his office during business hours, and this is the first time we've invited any of them to our home in a good two or three years."

"I see. And I've also noticed that you've had a happy glow about you all evening. What's going on?"

"Nothing," she said, coyly.

"Allie?"

She opened the refrigerator door and grabbed a beer. "Would you like something to drink, Carrie? I've got sodas, beer, wine..."

"I'll have a glass of white wine, thanks."

She pulled a plastic cup from the stack and poured some wine for Carrie.

"Let's go join the others," she said as she handed her the glass.

Carrie kicked her shoes off and followed her outside. She found an empty spot at the edge of the pool where she sat down and dangled her feet in the water. Sipping the wine, her mind kept wondering back to Alex. Steve soon announced that dinner was ready to be served. As Carrie ate her burger she made small talk with the other guests, but her mind kept wandering back to Alex. She thought about looking him up on Facebook or Google when she got home, but then again, if he was married, an online reunion might not be such a good idea. Steve's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if we could have your attention for just a couple of minutes, Allison and I have an announcement we'd like to make."

Allison walked up and stood next to Steve. Carrie noticed her left hand was concealed in the pocket of her sundress. Steve wrapped his arm around her waist.

"We've invited all of you here tonight, because we have some news that we would like to share."

"You're pregnant," shouted one of the guests. Allison blushed and giggled as she shook her head.

"Not yet, although we are working on it," replied Steve, "but since you brought it up... Allie and I have been living together for four years now, and we really are getting to be like an old married couple, but in a good way. We've decided that we're ready to start a family."

"Here, here," shouted one man.

"I can help you out with that," shouted another.

"We don't need your help, Stan, but thank you for asking," replied Steve. "Where were we? Oh yeah. Anyway, Allison and I have decided that maybe before we do the baby thing, we should do the marriage thing, so I've asked this lady to marry me, and she said yes. Welcome everyone, to our engagement party."

A chorus of hoots, hollers and cheers broke out as everyone gathered round to congratulate the happy couple. Allison pulled her hand from her pocket, revealing her flashy diamond engagement ring. Carrie ran up to congratulate her friend.

"Oh Allie, I'm so happy for you. So when's the wedding?"

"This fall, after the weather cools off, probably sometime in late October. We haven't decided on the exact date yet, but we have decided that the wedding it will be fairly small. Just family and close friends, and I want you to be my maid of honor."

"Oh wow, Allie, I'm honored, I really am, but I can't. I just don't have the money for the dress."

"It's okay, Carrie. I thought about that too. Since you'll be my only attendant, we have some leeway. We can go to a regular department store and pick out a nice party dress. One that isn't overly expensive, and that you could wear later on to a holiday party."

Carrie appreciated the sentiment, but with Doug, and now Scott, out of the picture, she no longer had much of a social life. She didn't anticipate being invited to very many parties, before or after the holiday season.

The party began to wind down. All of the guests congratulated Steve and Allison as they left. Carrie stayed to help with cleanup before saying goodnight. Steve and Allison walked her to her car, each giving her a long, lingering hug while she congratulated them again. She felt mixed emotions, driving back to her apartment. On one hand, she was sincerely happy for Steve and Allison. Their wedding was long overdue. But on the other hand, their engagement was a bittersweet reminder of everything she no longer had. It had been nearly nine months since she and Doug had gone their separate ways. In hindsight, she'd come to realize she'd wasted the best years of her life on him. As she parked her car and headed up the stairwell to her apartment she began to consider the possibility that she could very well end up alone for the rest of her life.

C
arrie slammed the phone down in disgust. It was the third crank call she'd received that morning. The calls had all come to her office number, posted on her website. She wondered if her website had somehow been hacked. She called her webmaster, asking him to investigate. He called back a short time later, saying that other than heavier than usual traffic that morning everything appeared to be normal. In the interim, she'd received yet another obscene phone call, so they decided to take her phone number off the website. Within an hour the harassing calls had stopped.