After two days of watching Suzanna worry about Gregg and walk around the house like a lost soul, Ida insisted she go back to work.
“I don’t need anyone looking after me,” she said. “But you need to get back to work and keep busy. Fretting over whether or not he’s going to call will not change anything. If you want Gregg badly enough, go talk to him.”
Suzanna shook her head. “That’s not as easy as it sounds. By now he’s probably told Ginger and Phil, and I’d be mortified to face them.”
“Piffle,” Ida said and gave a wave of her hand. “With a new baby in the house, I’m sure they’ve got far more important things to think about.”
Suzanna knew there was merit in what Ida said, but Phil and Ginger weren’t her biggest fear. She was far more worried that Gregg would turn her away, which was something she couldn’t bear the thought of.
Monday Suzanna went back to work. She spent the day creating a display for the new collection of sweaters, answering calls, and waiting on customers. A dozen or more times, she thought about Gregg but didn’t wallow in her misery as she had over the weekend. It was near closing time when Miriam Bergmann telephoned to say she’d be in on Tuesday and would need a gown for the country club spring dance.
At times Miriam could be a test of a person’s patience, but after she’d gotten Dr. Bergmann up in the middle of the night Suzanna owed her. Tuesday afternoon, Miriam arrived later than expected, then tried on a dozen different dresses before she decided on two, both of which needed extensive alterations. Suzanna remained at the shop until well after eight, marking the seams that had be released to allow for Miriam’s ample bosom and pinning up hems that were inches too long. When she arrived home, she warmed the dinner Ida had set on the back of the stove, then went to bed. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep without ever remembering it was the day she’d planned to meet Bobby at the Ellington. Had she thought of it, she wouldn’t have gone anyway, but she might have been a bit more prepared for what happened the next morning.
The shop opened at ten, but Suzanna arrived shortly after nine-thirty. She parked the car in back of the store, but before she could circle the building to unlock the front door someone grabbed her arm from behind.
“Where the hell were you?” Bobby said and whirled her around to face him. “You were supposed to meet me at the Ellington last night! I waited in the bar until one o’clock in the morning.” The muscle in his jawbone twitched, and he tightened his grip on her arm. “You know how stupid I felt, sitting there like some dumb bozo who’d been stood up?”
“Why didn’t you give Brenda a call? Maybe she could have joined you?”
The mention of his wife startled Bobby and caused him to pull back. “What the hell—”
“You having a wife kind of complicates things, doesn’t it?”
“What’d you do, check up on me?”
“No, when I called the office, your secretary mistook me for your wife.”
“Oh, shit. What’d you tell her?”
“I said I was your mistress, and we were planning to shack up at the Ellington.”
“Good god, Suzanna, why’d you—”
For the first time, she saw the truth of who he was and felt nothing but disgust.
“Don’t worry,” she said, “I didn’t blow your cover. I told her I’d call back and hung up.”
“I’m sorry that happened, babe, but it’s not what you think. Brenda—”
“I don’t want to hear it, Bobby. We’re through. It’s over.”
“You could at least gimme a chance to explain.”
“Save your breath. I’m done. I don’t want to see you or hear from you again.”
He smiled and opened his arms to her. “Suzanna, sweetie, you can’t be serious, not after all we’ve meant to each other.”
She stepped back, widening the distance between them.
“I’m as serious as I have ever been about anything,” she said icily. “You’re a liar and a cheat!”
His eyes narrowed, and his jaw twitched. “That’s rich, you calling me a liar when you’re the one pretending to be some old lady’s granddaughter. Rethink this hard-ass attitude of yours, Suzanna, or I might have to tell her who you really are.”
“She already knows. When I realized the harm a lie can do, I told her myself.”
“Bullshit. You expect me to believe—”
“I don’t care whether you believe me or not. I told her the truth because I couldn’t keep lying to someone I love.”
“Is that so?” he said cynically. “Well, how about I stop by the house and see for myself?”
“Go ahead, and say hello to your daughter while you’re there. She’s a beautiful little girl, Bobby, one you can be proud of.”
He hesitated a moment then asked, “So, if I come over to meet our kid, then we can spend some time together?”
“Absolutely not. You’re a married man, and I’m not the least bit interested in having some illicit, back-alley affair with you.”
“If you think that’s all I want, you’re wrong, Suzanna. We had something really good together, and if this works out I might be willing to leave Brenda.”
“Forget it, Bobby. Do what you want about your wife, but don’t make it because of me.”
“Not because of you? Why else would I do it?”
“Same old Bobby.” Suzanna shook her head and turned away.
Again, he grabbed her arm. “Wait. Didn’t you hear what I said?”
She stopped, stood there for a second, then turned back. “Yes, I heard what you said, and I
