hadn’t
picked a fucking psychopath to pretend with, you might have pulled it off. Man,
you’re a shitty shrink.”
The doctor shot him a
condemning stare, and pointed at him with the spatula. “That’s it. No bacon for
you.” He turned back to me. “So, after I came clean over beers one night, the
truth about my marriage came out. Marco immediately volunteered.”
I looked at Marco. “It was really that easy for you?”
Marco sat forward. “Yes. I get to fuck a beautiful woman
and help X at the same time; I didn’t even have to think about it.” He let out a little
whine. “Ah, come on X, I take it back. You’re not a shitty shrink. Give me some
bacon.”
X chuckled. “I’m letting you fuck my woman, I think that’s
enough. Get your own.”
His woman? His statements of possession on some crazy
level gave me comfort, and on another scared me to death. “What about
Sebastian?”
They both looked at
each other. Marco snickered. “You could say…he had a little encouragement.” He jumped off the seat and made for
the pile of bacon and scolded the doctor, “You’re just jealous and getting old
and cranky. You’ll pay for that at your next workout.”
“Marco doubles as my personal trainer. I figured it best;
since I need his mind on my research, I’d better put his annoying habits to
good use.”
There was a friendly rapport between the two without a
doubt. “How did the two of you meet?”
The doctor smiled. “When the university called and asked
that I take an annoying know-it-all under my wing, I never imagined what I was
getting into. He was at the top of his class and already had two revolutionary
patents. The kid thought he ruled the world.”
“Kid? I was twenty-one. Besides, you’re only ten years
older than me, or should I start calling you pops?”
The doctor shot him a scolding glance. “Anyway, I think I’ve
said before I’m a pretty good judge of character and even though I wanted to
drown him in the Rhine at times, I knew he was loyal and one of the most brilliant
minds of our time. So I kept him. Now I don’t think I could get rid of him.”
“Was it the same with Sebastian?” I had to know.
“No. He’s an esteemed physician here in France as well as
a close family friend.”
Marco spoke up, “I met Sebastian at the gym. I’m also his
trainer.”
“Wow, researcher, genius, personal trainer, is there
anything you can’t do?”
With his plate filled with bacon and a whole grain muffin,
he stopped in front of me, bent down and placed a kiss on my cheek. “Sweetheart, you have yet to
witness my finest talent.” He winked.
I looked at the doctor. “And he’s modest too.”
“Nobody’s perfect.” Marco placed a plate in front of me
along with a small glass of juice. He leaned in so close I could feel his
breath on my ear. “Eat up. You’re going to need your strength.” He then took a
seat beside me.
I swallowed hard, but the creaking of the front door
interrupted my moment.
“Hello, Xavier. Xavier, Xavier, where are you?” A female
voice with a thick French accent called.
The doctor folded his napkin and rose. “Excuse me. I have
to greet our guest.”
I glanced over at Marco. “Isn’t Sebastian coming for
breakfast?”
He chewed, swallowed, and then wiped his mouth with a
napkin. “That’s him, well his other half anyway.”
“That can’t be him. That’s a woman’s voice.”
Marco started to choke on a laugh. “No. That’s not him. Though
it would be really funny if it was. That’s Miriam.”
“Miriam?”
He gulped. “His wife.”
“Wife!” The word came out as a bellow. I quieted my voice
to a forced whisper. “Oh my God. He’s married. I can’t believe… I didn’t… Oh
God… I’ve wrecked someone’s marriage.”
“Settle down. Has anything turned out like you expected
since you got here?”
I paused. “No.”
“Then what makes you think this is any different?”
Just then a squeaking caught my
Karen Michelle Nutt
Cheyenne McCray
Kyra Davis
May Sarton
Barbara Freethy
Antoinette
Frederic Colier
Cassandre Dayne
Arin Greenwood
Jaime Manrique