But Alicia wasn’t impressed. She hadn’t come all the way into the city to get the brush-off. “What happened last Thursday night, Kat? Eliot explained everything, but we’re best friends. Tell me in your own words. Then we’ll put this incident behind us permanently.”
Kat picked up a thick leather notebook off her desk and quickly placed it inside the drawer, then continued shuffling papers.
“Katalina!” Alicia said sharply. “Why did you have your hands all over my husband?”
Kat fingered her gold necklace and paused for a moment. Then she said, “You want the sad, pathetic truth? Here goes. I thought something was going on between Richard and one of the lawyers at Tillerson Brenner who attended the party. I saw them together. Later on, as I chatted with Eliot, Richard approached. I wanted to hurt him, make him jealous. So, I…”
“You thought a provocative display would do the trick,” Alicia finished.
“Yes. I’m so sorry, Alicia. I’m a terrible friend, and if you never want to speak to me again, I’ll understand.”
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t have bothered wasting my time trying to reach you. I don’t condone what you did, although I do understand. Imagine the hurt and jealousy I felt when I saw you and Eliot.”
“I looked up and caught a glimpse of you disappearing. I had too much alcohol. Not that it’s an excuse.”
Kat clumsily brought her coffee mug to her lips, fingers trembling. She took a sip, then said, “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Alicia. What I did was inexcusable and shameful. It won’t happen again.”
“Make sure it doesn’t. What made you think Richard was cheating?”
She shrugged. “Body language. The way he stuck to her most of the night. She made him laugh. He seemed infatuated with her.”
“Did you ask him about her?”
“He told me her father is dying of Alzheimer’s. She came to the party to get her mind off things. Turns out she and Richard knew each other in college. They hadn’t seen each other in years until last Thursday night.”
She took another sip of her coffee and placed the mug on the desk. “I feel like such an idiot. What I mistook for a romantic interlude was my husband being the nice guy that he is, trying to comfort an old acquaintance.”
“We all make mistakes,” Alicia said. She jiggled her foot, thankful it was out of Kat’s line of vision. She had to believe Kat that it would never happen again. Believe Eliot when he said Alicia was the only woman for him, and that he would never step out on her with anyone, let alone her best friend.
“You know me and my temper,” Kat said. “If something doesn’t smell right to me, I react, no matter the facts. I knew it was wrong, and I felt so awful— I couldn’t look you in the eye. The next day was too soon. And the next. I just didn’t know what to say.”
“It’s a good thing I barged in on you then.”
Kat said nothing for a moment, her body having curled itself into a sheepish ball. “Look, I’m in no position to ask for a favor, but please don’t say a word to Richard.”
Alicia waved a dismissive hand at her friend. “Eliot and I talked it over and figured you knocked back a few too many and had a terrible lapse in judgment. I mean, what were you even thinking? But you don’t have to worry about either of us saying anything. Just as long as this was an isolated incident, never to be repeated.”
“Thank you. If the situation were reversed, I wouldn’t be so quick to forgive.”
The women broke into a mirthless laugh as a printer spurred to life and spat out a few pages.
“I’m not as brazen as you to do something so ballsy. No pun intended,” Alicia offered.
“That’s because you’re Eliot’s perfect angel.”
The women exchanged a knowing glance.
“He wouldn’t think so if he finds out what I did.” Alicia crossed her legs. “I have this recurring nightmare that Eliot finds out. He’s full of rage. Then he collapses and won’t stop sobbing. He walks out afterward, saying he’s never coming back.”
Kat pushed back from the desk, stood, and then walked around. “You want to hear a funny story?”
“Go ahead.”
“When I first met you, I thought, ‘This chick is too good to be true. She must have dead bodies buried in her backyard or something and tries to cover it up by pretending to be a saint. With her perfect little family, immaculate home, and charity work.’ Your kids looked up to you, and just when I’d convinced myself it must all be an act, that nobody was that good a human being, you told me you were a virgin on your wedding night. I wanted to knock that stupid halo right off your head.”
Alicia couldn’t help but smile. Kat had always been her staunchest defender and supporter.
“But even angels’ halos slip sometimes,” Kat continued. “When you told me about your bouts with depression, I thought, finally, she’s human like the rest of us. I don’t know… I stopped feeling as if I didn’t measure up. Your struggles somehow freed me from believing I was the Wicked Witch of the West.”
“No one thinks that, Kat.”
“Some of my former employees may disagree with you. Anyway, my point has three parts. A, your secret is safe with me. B, you can’t undo it, so let it go, and C, it doesn’t change who you are. Human.”
Kat always knew how to keep Alicia focused on the big picture whenever she beat herself up or had doubts. Kat came close, leaned in, and stared at Alicia without blinking. “Let the past stay in the past, amiga. Don’t go looking for trouble. People who do, usually find it.”
“You’re right. How about the present then? How are
