Read Online Pike's Folly by Mike Heppner - Free Book Online Page A

nice leisurely lunch. I’ll go anywhere you’re not embarrassed to be seen with me.”
    â€œWhy would I be embarrassed?”
    She laughed. “No reason, Stuart. It’s just a saying.”
    â€œNo, it’s not. I wish you’d stop putting yourself down.”
    â€œI’m not putting myself down,” she said. With the same willfully calm expression, she tossed her brush onto the dresser and went to work on her makeup. “By the way, if you’re looking for the cell phone, I left it at home. We’re here to have fun. Let’s not worry about work or money or anything.”
    â€œSounds good,” he said, “but someone may need to call us.”
    He knew that belaboring this would only hurt her feelings, so he didn’t. This holiday was more for her sake than his, anyway. He was perfectly happy to stay in Providence, where at least there were limits to what they could or couldn’t do.
    Once they’d finished getting dressed, she said, “I’m sorry I’m so ugly and fat and bloated.”
    Stuart took her face in his hands and kissed her with as much tenderness as he could muster. “You’re not ugly,” he said. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”
    â€œYou’re crazy,” she said, which was what she always said to him whenever he called her beautiful.
    Taking their coats, they went outside and drove the quarter mile to the town’s only restaurant. Two rooms—one screened-in and open only in the summertime—accommodated the guests of the inn, plus whoever else happened to stop by. With its chipped wooden floors and tarnished wall sconces, the dining room had the look of belonging in someone’s old home.
    All during dinner, Stuart kept wondering about their plans for later. The other couples in the restaurant would probably have dessert and an after-dinner drink, then drive back to their hotel, build a fire, make love and go to bed. Why wasn’t that good enough for him and Marlene? Their expectations were too high for each other. Every night had to be as fresh and exciting as the first night they’d spent together.
    Halfway through dinner, Marlene mentioned going to Martha’s Vineyard in May with Bill and Carla Marshall. “I think we should do it,” she said. For a main course, she’d selected an appetizer of poached quail eggs to go with her bottle’s worth of white wine, which she’d ordered by the glass. “You’ll need a break after dealing with Mr. Pike all winter.”
    â€œThat’s assuming we get the damn thing done on time,” Stuart said. “We might still be working on it in May.”
    Looking down at her empty plate, she wished that she’d ordered something more substantial than just an appetizer. Still, she wanted to feel beautiful tonight, and that meant not having to worry about her weight. “Well, anyway,” she said, “you can always take some time off. I know how hard you work. You work a lot harder than I do.”
    Stuart sulked as she asked the waiter for another glass of wine. He hated hearing her say nice things about him. These things, he knew, were impersonal and based mostly on wishful thinking. They certainly didn’t apply to him.
    â€œI
don’t
work harder,” he said. “There was a time when I did, but that was long before you knew me. I don’t even know
how
to work anymore. I think that’s why Nate likes me. He doesn’t like hard workers.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œWhy not? Because (a) Nathaniel Pike is a complete lunatic, but (b) he feels threatened by people who have conventional views about money. Nate never had to work hard for his money. He had to work
smart
but not hard. There’s a difference.”
    When Marlene’s drink arrived, she poured the little bit of wine left in her glass into her new one, then handed the empty to the waiter.
    â€œI’m not