Read Online Deuce's Dancer by Patricia Green - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Patricia Green
Ads: Link
grabbing Stacy by the arm to drag her down the street.
The woman glanced back over her shoulder and wiggled her fingers in Pilar's direction, her smile feral and triumphant.
Pilar sat there, calming her breathing, trying to deal with the idea that Deuce was still carrying on with his ex while having an affair with her. Her eyes lit on the key sitting in the middle of the table. Her first thought was to take it, meet him, and make sure he forgot all about Stacy for the rest of his life. But her second thought was to take the key and have it messengered back to his office that afternoon with a polite note ending their relationship. It was what she ought to do. It was dishonorable, however, to tell Deuce good-bye via messenger. That was one step below doing it on the phone or by text message. It looked like meeting him at his house was the only way to close things off today as she'd planned. She tried to still niggling tendrils of jealousy as she imagined how pleased Stacy would be to have Deuce all to herself again.
She picked up the key. It was cool in her hand. The faint smell of coffee wafted over from a nearby table, and a horn honked somewhere close. It was the right thing to do, she told herself. It was the best way to deal with the problem. A few more minutes with Deuce was all she'd have, but she was aching to have those minutes. She needed them…to do the right thing. The key went into her purse.
* * *
The street was quiet save for some television violence from the neighbor next door and a few desultory crickets. A yellowish light shone from the front porch light as he walked from the driveway up the front stairs. It was a little odd pressing the doorbell on his own door. A brief shadow moved across the stained glass panes in the door, and then it opened.
Pilar gave him a quick smile, one that didn't reach her eyes, and stepped away. He reached for her as the door closed behind him, pulling her into his arms, but she turned her face away from his kiss and stood stiffly in his embrace.
"Pilar?"
"We have to talk."
The words, "We have to break up," were etched on his memory of their lunch, so he figured he knew what she wanted to talk about.
"Okay, sugar. Go on in the living room and I'll take off my jacket and tie. Be there in a minute."
She nodded, silent, and left him standing in the hall.
Deuce tried not to think about the possible reasons she wanted to break it off. Maybe she was the kind of woman who ran when faced with the possibility of commitment. Maybe she had a job transfer and didn't realize that they could make a long-distance relationship work if they tried. Maybe aliens from another planet were calling her to come join them. A wry smile formed on his lips, quickly vanishing as he moved through the house and into the living room to join her.
"So," he said, sitting on the couch with her, his back tucked into a corner so he could face her. "What's your reasoning this time?"
Pilar wouldn't look him in the eye.
"I have been keeping a secret. I know it's wrong, but sometimes…sometimes you can't reveal all your secrets until you know someone well." Her voice got softer and she wove her fingers together primly in her lap. "But the more I think about it, the more I'm sure that you'll understand why we can't stay together. It wouldn't be good for you."
He arched an eyebrow at that last remark. "Wouldn't be good for me ? Why don't you let me decide what's good for me all by myself, sugar? I've been at it for a few years now. I reckon I can figure it out."
Pilar shot him a look, but immediately pulled her gaze back down to her hands. "This is a big deal, Deuce. Really big."
Here came the story about an ex-boyfriend who meant the world to her, had come back from the dead, and was going to sweep her off to Mazatlan to live in his palatial beach home for the rest of their lives. Happily ever after. Deuce braced himself. "Tell me."
"It-it's about my brothers."
He waited. She didn't continue so he
The woman glanced back over her shoulder and wiggled her fingers in Pilar's direction, her smile feral and triumphant.
Pilar sat there, calming her breathing, trying to deal with the idea that Deuce was still carrying on with his ex while having an affair with her. Her eyes lit on the key sitting in the middle of the table. Her first thought was to take it, meet him, and make sure he forgot all about Stacy for the rest of his life. But her second thought was to take the key and have it messengered back to his office that afternoon with a polite note ending their relationship. It was what she ought to do. It was dishonorable, however, to tell Deuce good-bye via messenger. That was one step below doing it on the phone or by text message. It looked like meeting him at his house was the only way to close things off today as she'd planned. She tried to still niggling tendrils of jealousy as she imagined how pleased Stacy would be to have Deuce all to herself again.
She picked up the key. It was cool in her hand. The faint smell of coffee wafted over from a nearby table, and a horn honked somewhere close. It was the right thing to do, she told herself. It was the best way to deal with the problem. A few more minutes with Deuce was all she'd have, but she was aching to have those minutes. She needed them…to do the right thing. The key went into her purse.
* * *
The street was quiet save for some television violence from the neighbor next door and a few desultory crickets. A yellowish light shone from the front porch light as he walked from the driveway up the front stairs. It was a little odd pressing the doorbell on his own door. A brief shadow moved across the stained glass panes in the door, and then it opened.
Pilar gave him a quick smile, one that didn't reach her eyes, and stepped away. He reached for her as the door closed behind him, pulling her into his arms, but she turned her face away from his kiss and stood stiffly in his embrace.
"Pilar?"
"We have to talk."
The words, "We have to break up," were etched on his memory of their lunch, so he figured he knew what she wanted to talk about.
"Okay, sugar. Go on in the living room and I'll take off my jacket and tie. Be there in a minute."
She nodded, silent, and left him standing in the hall.
Deuce tried not to think about the possible reasons she wanted to break it off. Maybe she was the kind of woman who ran when faced with the possibility of commitment. Maybe she had a job transfer and didn't realize that they could make a long-distance relationship work if they tried. Maybe aliens from another planet were calling her to come join them. A wry smile formed on his lips, quickly vanishing as he moved through the house and into the living room to join her.
"So," he said, sitting on the couch with her, his back tucked into a corner so he could face her. "What's your reasoning this time?"
Pilar wouldn't look him in the eye.
"I have been keeping a secret. I know it's wrong, but sometimes…sometimes you can't reveal all your secrets until you know someone well." Her voice got softer and she wove her fingers together primly in her lap. "But the more I think about it, the more I'm sure that you'll understand why we can't stay together. It wouldn't be good for you."
He arched an eyebrow at that last remark. "Wouldn't be good for me ? Why don't you let me decide what's good for me all by myself, sugar? I've been at it for a few years now. I reckon I can figure it out."
Pilar shot him a look, but immediately pulled her gaze back down to her hands. "This is a big deal, Deuce. Really big."
Here came the story about an ex-boyfriend who meant the world to her, had come back from the dead, and was going to sweep her off to Mazatlan to live in his palatial beach home for the rest of their lives. Happily ever after. Deuce braced himself. "Tell me."
"It-it's about my brothers."
He waited. She didn't continue so he
Similar Books
