“Annie, we’ve been together fortwo years and this is only the second time you’ve seen him. I thinkthat’s pretty good odds that we won’t see him for a while.”
That look in his eyes told methat he wasn’t done. He gets bored easily; this is something newfor him. This is a new power he has over me because I’m living hereat the cottage.
“I’ll buy new locks as soon asthe hardware store opens,” I continue.
She nods but says nothing.
I look around the room, at thedebris of the vase and the frame and the potpourri. Our perfectspace feels violated.
We stay up for the remainder ofthe day. The rain is coming down in buckets outside, so Annie sitsat the kitchen table writing in her journal while I drive to thehardware store and buy a new lock for the front door. We don’t saymuch. A few times I try to reassure her that we’re safe and thatanother impromptu visit from Denny probably won’t happen for a longtime, if at all. But as soon as she hears his name, she says thatshe doesn’t want to discuss it. There’s this new look on her facethat won’t go away; cold and unsettled.
Chapter Four
It rains for the next two days,but today is beautiful. The sky is blue with only a hint of wispywhite clouds. I have to go back to work the day after tomorrow, butfor now I’m trying to secure the windows and doors in the cottageso that Annie feels safe when I’m gone. If I don’t have to workover time, I can easily make the last ferry from Nanaimo toGabriola. If I miss it, I’m stuck sleeping in the truck for thenight and will have to turn right around and go back to work thenext morning. I pray that doesn’t happen because I have a feelingthat Annie is nervous being alone now, even in the day. I don’twant her alone at night.
In the afternoon, I take a breakfrom securing the windows and we go for a walk on the beach. I helpher collect shells and little pieces of driftwood in a bucket tomake her windchimes. As we start the walk back home with mecarrying the bucket, she grabs my free hand. I squeeze it,hard.
At home, she rinses the shellsand wood in the sink and I boil water for tea. I’m pouring thewater in the teapot when her phone rings.
She answers it and talks whilesetting the table with cups and a saucer of cookies. I sit down towatch her. There’s one thing that always confuses me when she talkson the phone, her voice always goes up a couple octaves and sheacts all giggly. It’s almost like she changes who she is when she’stalking to someone else. I’ve never mentioned it to her. I don’twant to cause tension.
After she’s finished her call,she joins me at the table. “That was Tom,” she says. Her agent. “Hegot me work on The Vancouver Summer Fashion Show this upcomingweek. I can stay at Sandy’s in Yaletown.” She’s smiling—the firstsmile I’ve seen in days.
I know I should be happy forher, but it’s hard. I don’t want her to go to the mainland for aweek, even if I’ll be working most of the time. What if she meetssomeone that she jives with and decides that she doesn’t want tocome back to me or our home—especially now that Denny has shakenour security here?
I give her my most sincere fakegrin. “That’s great, babe. I’m so happy for you.”
“No, you’re not. Don’t lie.” Shetouches my hand.
I sit back in my chair. “Can’t Ihide anything from you?”
“Nope. You’re an open book.”
She’s right. She knows me toowell. Either that, or I’m just a really bad liar.
“Okay.” I take a breath. “Idon’t like the fact that you’ll be away for the week, and I don’tlike that you’ll be hanging around the vultures of thatindustry.”
“So, you’re jealous?”
“Jealous? Yeah, right.”
She tilts her head as if to say,“Oh come on, Jade, you know you are.”
She’s right, of course. I lookdown at the table and say nothing. Normally, I would fight todefend myself, especially when it’s about something that makes melook vulnerable, but not this time.
I’m being silly. I should berelieved that she’s getting out of her funk. That she’ssmiling.
“Come on,” she says, in a sultryvoice. “Let’s go to bed.”
She leads me into the bedroomand kisses me. “I love you, Jade. I never want to be with anyoneelse but you.”
Her words melt me. “I love youtoo.”
I’m not sure if it’s because ofthe tension we’ve experienced lately or what, but for the next fewhours, we have some of the most primal, raw sex we’ve ever had.Every touch of her lips and hands send electric waves over my skin.When it’s my turn to please her, I let her guide me, first to herlips, then to her supple breast before moving down.
I love to watch her when sheorgasms—the arch of her back on the bed, her hands grabbinghandfuls of the sheets. Finally, we collapse in each other’s arms,exhausted. After taking a few minutes to catch my breath, I go tothe kitchen to get us some water.
When I walk into the front room,I hear a tapping noise on the window.
I can’t move, I can’t evenbreath. I turn my head towards the bay window. I see a faintreflection of me. I slowly walk towards the tapping. Denny, youprick.
Then, I see it. A branch thesize of a pencil is hitting the window. I bend over with my handson my knees, smiling and shaking my head. After I get the water andreturn to the room, I’m too worried that Annie will think aboutDenny again and start to panic, so I don’t tell her about thetapping sound on the window.
* * *
Monday morning comes tooquickly. We both rush around the house packing what we’ll need forwork. Annie packs miniskirts and stiletto heels. I pack work bootsand a breathable t-shirt. I can’t believe that she’s leaving forthe whole week. In the past, when I’ve come
