Jane Bites Back

“Well, one of you is,” Lucy reminded her.

Before Jane could answer her, the phone rang. Jane went into the office and picked it up.

“Jane, it’s Kelly.” His voice sounded odd—shaky and sniffly

“What’s the matter?” Jane asked, worried.

“Bryce is having an affair,” Kelly sobbed. Jane could hear him hiccuping as he burst into tears.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“I’m sure,” Kelly said. “Besides, I confronted him and he told me.”

“Oh, Kelly,” said Jane. “I’m so sorry.”

“The worst part is, he met the guy when we were in Chicago.”

“How did he have time?” Jane asked, realizing as soon as the words were out that it was probably not the right thing to say.

“They met in the gym at the hotel,” Kelly explained. “In the sauna, of course. I knew I should have gone with him instead of watching pay-per-view”

“If they just met that one time, it can’t be much of an affair,” Jane said.

“That’s the best part,” said Kelly. “The guy was a guest at the hotel. He actually lives here in New York, at least part of the time. Bryce has already seen him once. He lied and told me he was at his bowling league.”

“I’m truly sorry,” Jane said. She’d run out of things to say that wouldn’t sound forced.

“He says he doesn’t know what he wants,” said Kelly, ignoring her. “He says he needs to sort things out. Well, let him sort them out at Grayson’s place.”

“Grayson?” Jane said.

“That’s his name,” said Kelly. “Grayson? How am I supposed to compete with that?” Jane heard a muted trumpeting sound as Kelly apparently blew his nose. Then he was back on the line. “Oh, and your book is going to be number one on the Times list on Sunday.”

“That’s too—” Jane started to say. “Excuse me?”

“Your book. The Times list. Number one. Congratulations. I’m sorry, I should be more up. Congratulations!”

“Number one,” Jane repeated, letting the news sink in. “My book. Number one.”

“You debuted ahead of the new Rebecca Ingstrom,” Kelly said. “I hear she’s furious. It’s the first time she hasn’t had the number one spot her first week out.”

Jane wasn’t listening. Her book—her book—was number one on the most important bestseller list in the world. She could barely breathe.

“Do you think Bryce loves him?” Kelly asked.

“Loves who?” Jane asked, confused by the question.

“Grayson,” said Kelly.

“Oh,” Jane replied. “I don’t know. That sort of thing is difficult to tell.” They really do all think only of themselves, don’t they? she thought. It doesn’t matter which sex they favor.

“I need to get away,” Kelly announced. “Take a break from all this drama. I wonder if I have enough frequent flyer points to get to Paris.”

“Why not come here?” Jane heard herself say.

“There?” Kelly said, his tone suggesting that he couldn’t imagine any possible reason for doing such a thing.

“Yes, here,” said Jane. “If you get on the train, you can be here in time for supper. You can stay with me. It’s lovely here, and there’s absolutely nothing to do. We can talk all night long and figure out what to do about your situation.”

Kelly was silent for a long moment. “You know what? I think I will,” he said. “A few days in the country is exactly what I need.”

“Well, it’s not exactly the country,” said Jane. “We do have electricity and running water.”

Kelly ignored her joke. She heard him typing. “I’m looking at the schedule online now,” he said. “If I hurry, I can catch the eleven o’clock,” he said. “It gets in at five. Can you pick me up at the station?”

“Absolutely,” Jane answered. “Assuming I can get the team harnessed to the wagon by then. You know how mules are.”

Again Kelly ignored her jest. “I’ll see you then,” he said. “And thank you, Jane. I knew you’d make me feel better.”

Kelly rang off, and Jane left the office. “Anything exciting?” Lucy asked her.

“I’m having a visitor,” said Jane. “And my book seems to be number one.”

Lucy’s shrieking startled her. She was further disarranged when Lucy picked her up and spun her around, continuing to squeal joyfully. “You’re number one!” she shouted as she set Jane down. “Number freaking one!”

Jane looked at Lucy’s face. “Oh, my God,” she said. “I’m number freaking one!”

Their combined shrieking was deafening.

At seventeen minutes past five, Amtrak train number 281 pulled into the Brakeston station. Approximately two dozen passengers emerged onto the platform, among them the unmistakable figure of Kelly Littlejohn. Jane waved to him, and he greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.

“This is charming,” Kelly announced as he looked around the station. “I was expecting barns and cows and barefoot children rolling hoops.”

“Contrary to what you may have heard, there is civilization outside the island of Manhattan,” Jane said.

“I thought those were all old wives’ tales,” Kelly teased.

On the drive back to her house, Jane refrained from asking about Bryce, and Kelly didn’t mention him. But he seemed to be in better spirits, for which Jane was glad. She would have had a difficult time enjoying her newly blossomed romance with Walter if she felt Kelly would be saddened by her happiness.

“I thought tonight we would have dinner out,” she told Kelly. “With Walter and Lucy.”

“Lucy’s your assistant at the store, right?” Kelly said. “I think she’s answered the phone once or twice.”

“That’s right,” Jane confirmed.

“And is Walter her boyfriend?”

Jane hesitated. He’s going to find out anyway, she told herself.

You might as well be done with it. “No, Walter is my boyfriend,” she said.

Kelly looked surprised. “Really?” he said.

“You sound shocked,” Jane said.

“No,” Kelly said quickly. “It’s just that I never thought of you in that way.”

“In what way?” asked Jane. “As a human? As a woman?”

“Don’t take it the wrong way,” Kelly said. “It’s just that you seem so … I don’t know. Proper, I guess.”

“Proper,” Jane said. “And that precludes my having a romantic life?”

“I suppose not,” said Kelly. “Anyway, I can’t wait to meet him,” he added hastily.

Jane made a vague noise. Proper, she thought. I’ll show him proper.

Once at her house, Jane installed Kelly in the guest bedroom, which had never before been used for an actual guest. She made sure that he had enough towels, then left him to rest and get ready for dinner. She’d made a reservation for seven-thirty at a sushi restaurant she hoped would get Kelly to see the more sophisticated side of Brakeston. Walter and Kelly were to meet them there.

“Come Up and Sashimi Some Time?” Kelly said ninety minutes later, seeing the restaurant’s name. “They didn’t.”

Jane had been hoping he wouldn’t notice. “I think it’s rather clever,” she said as she opened the door to the