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Authors: Lacey Alexander
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more now; it sounded so Puritan. “Because we’re not breaking up.”
Another sigh of exhaustion escaped her. “We just did.”
“No, you can’t break up with me, I won’t let you. We’re going to have the perfect life together and I still intend to have it. We’ll be fine, you’ll see. You’ll just have to be patient with me.”
She had no idea what he was blathering on about. She shook her head. “What? Patient with you?”
He nodded. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m having trouble not wanting other women. But you’ll just have to be patient while I get those feelings out of my system. That’s why I’ve been going to Club Venus, darling, for you . So that I can go into our marriage with a pure heart and won’t ever have to cheat on you.”
“Dear God.” She almost laughed. Did he actually think that explanation would make things better?
Then again, maybe he was so accustomed to the old, complacent Liz that he’d thought he could get away with anything .
Well, she was tired of arguing with him about whether or not he “accepted” her breaking up with him. She’d hoped they could have a civil discussion about this, maybe work out living arrangements over lunch, but clearly she’d been too optimistic. “Look, Todd, we’re through. Understand?”
He shook his head vehemently. “No, we’re not. We’re going to have the perfect life, you and I. You’re supposed to be my perfect wife.”
“What?” she said, confused by his rambling.
“The first night I took you home to meet my parents, my dad pulled me aside and said, ‘She’s the one, son, the one who’ll make a perfect wife for you.’ And I realized he was right. You’re going to make a wonderful mother to our children, Elizabeth, and you always handle every situation appropriately, and you listen to what I say and do what I want…” His eyebrows knit tightly again. “Or at least you used to.”
God, he’d wanted to marry her because she was a doormat. And because his daddy had given her his seal of approval—probably because he recognized what a Stepford Wife she would make, as well. Liz let the tiniest smile leak free, wondering what Todd—or his father—would think if they could have seen her last night. Would they have found it “appropriate” for her to get a lap dance? Would they think it was “appropriate” for her to get fucked on an open balcony for anyone to see while she begged her lover for more?
“You know what, Todd?” she said with a knowing smile. “If you knew the real me, you’d never want to marry me. So trust me, I’m doing us both a favor.”
His eyes clouded with bewilderment. “The real you?”
She simply laughed. “Goodbye, Todd,” she said, and then she got up and walked away, out of the diner, up the street, feeling the stretch of lace against her skin and the blessed sense of freedom to which Jack Wade had opened her.
* * * * *
That night she met Jack at Pat O’Brien’s in the Quarter for dinner. They were seated in the courtyard at a pleasantly secluded table behind the fountain. She sipped on a hurricane as they both ate sweet southern-style slices of pecan pie for dessert, and she told him about her encounter with Todd and what she’d figured out about herself.
“That day when we first met, in your office, I was only pretending to be sexy and wild. I was so embarrassed about the idea of Todd cheating on me that it helped somehow if you found me attractive and wondered why he’d do such a thing.”
“I’ve got news for you, darlin’,” he replied with a knowing look. “You can’t pretend to be sexy. You either are or you aren’t. And you definitely are .”
“That’s what I’ve figured out, I guess.” A bit of her old sheepishness tried to sneak in, but she pressed on anyway. “That it wasn’t just an act, that now I truly want to be wild…and I want to take you on the journey with me.” She even went on to admit she’d been wearing Lynda’s clothes in order
Another sigh of exhaustion escaped her. “We just did.”
“No, you can’t break up with me, I won’t let you. We’re going to have the perfect life together and I still intend to have it. We’ll be fine, you’ll see. You’ll just have to be patient with me.”
She had no idea what he was blathering on about. She shook her head. “What? Patient with you?”
He nodded. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m having trouble not wanting other women. But you’ll just have to be patient while I get those feelings out of my system. That’s why I’ve been going to Club Venus, darling, for you . So that I can go into our marriage with a pure heart and won’t ever have to cheat on you.”
“Dear God.” She almost laughed. Did he actually think that explanation would make things better?
Then again, maybe he was so accustomed to the old, complacent Liz that he’d thought he could get away with anything .
Well, she was tired of arguing with him about whether or not he “accepted” her breaking up with him. She’d hoped they could have a civil discussion about this, maybe work out living arrangements over lunch, but clearly she’d been too optimistic. “Look, Todd, we’re through. Understand?”
He shook his head vehemently. “No, we’re not. We’re going to have the perfect life, you and I. You’re supposed to be my perfect wife.”
“What?” she said, confused by his rambling.
“The first night I took you home to meet my parents, my dad pulled me aside and said, ‘She’s the one, son, the one who’ll make a perfect wife for you.’ And I realized he was right. You’re going to make a wonderful mother to our children, Elizabeth, and you always handle every situation appropriately, and you listen to what I say and do what I want…” His eyebrows knit tightly again. “Or at least you used to.”
God, he’d wanted to marry her because she was a doormat. And because his daddy had given her his seal of approval—probably because he recognized what a Stepford Wife she would make, as well. Liz let the tiniest smile leak free, wondering what Todd—or his father—would think if they could have seen her last night. Would they have found it “appropriate” for her to get a lap dance? Would they think it was “appropriate” for her to get fucked on an open balcony for anyone to see while she begged her lover for more?
“You know what, Todd?” she said with a knowing smile. “If you knew the real me, you’d never want to marry me. So trust me, I’m doing us both a favor.”
His eyes clouded with bewilderment. “The real you?”
She simply laughed. “Goodbye, Todd,” she said, and then she got up and walked away, out of the diner, up the street, feeling the stretch of lace against her skin and the blessed sense of freedom to which Jack Wade had opened her.
* * * * *
That night she met Jack at Pat O’Brien’s in the Quarter for dinner. They were seated in the courtyard at a pleasantly secluded table behind the fountain. She sipped on a hurricane as they both ate sweet southern-style slices of pecan pie for dessert, and she told him about her encounter with Todd and what she’d figured out about herself.
“That day when we first met, in your office, I was only pretending to be sexy and wild. I was so embarrassed about the idea of Todd cheating on me that it helped somehow if you found me attractive and wondered why he’d do such a thing.”
“I’ve got news for you, darlin’,” he replied with a knowing look. “You can’t pretend to be sexy. You either are or you aren’t. And you definitely are .”
“That’s what I’ve figured out, I guess.” A bit of her old sheepishness tried to sneak in, but she pressed on anyway. “That it wasn’t just an act, that now I truly want to be wild…and I want to take you on the journey with me.” She even went on to admit she’d been wearing Lynda’s clothes in order
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