Read Online The Deception by Marina Martindale - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marina Martindale
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nice restaurant on the far west side of town. It was near the Arizona Cardinals stadium."
"Really? That's odd," said Allison.
"How so?"
"Do you know where Scott lives, Carrie?"
"No. I've never asked. Come to think of it, I don't think he's ever told me where he lives."
"Mesa," replied Allison, matter-of-factly. "Scott lives in Mesa. I've never been to his house, but I know it's only a half-mile or so from where Steve and I live. So why would a guy who lives on the far east end of town only be taking you to places on the far west side?"
"He says he likes adventure."
"Did he now? You know, Carrie, I think it may be time for you to move on."
"I thought he was your friend."
"No." Allison, shook her head. "He's really more of an acquaintance. I only know him from the library. I know he enjoys working with kids, so I just assumed he was a decent guy, but now I'm thinking he may not be the best boyfriend material for you after all. I'm starting to get a really bad feeling about this. You've had your post-Doug fling. Now I'd like to see you with someone who genuinely cares for you, instead of someone who's only interested in using you for sex."
"But I don't know if I'm ready for another serious relationship yet."
"Just saying."
Allison decided to steer the conversation to a safer topic, but the bad feeling she was getting about Scott continued to gnaw at her for the rest of the day. That night, after she went to bed, she had trouble falling asleep. She woke up in the middle of the night, anxiously tossing and turning.
"Okay," a half-awake Steve finally mumbled. "What's up?"
"It's Carrie. I'm really worried about her."
"How come?"
"For the past few weeks she's been seeing Scott, but something just isn't adding up."
"Like what?"
Allison let out a sigh. "First of all, he's much too aggressive with her sexually. Then he cancels most of their dates at the last minute. He keeps telling her it's an emergency at the office, which is a crock. He writes the software they use in the elementary schools. He's not the guy Morton-Evans would call whenever they have an emergency. Then, when he finally does take her out, it's someplace way on the other side of town."
"He's married."
"What?"
"He's married," repeated Steve with a yawn. "I get these guys in my office all the time. They have to change their will or family trust because they got caught having an affair, so now the wife has filed for divorce. Sometimes they'll talk to me about their mistresses. Some of them even like to brag about how they tricked them into thinking they weren't married. They did all the things that Scott's doing, like canceling dates at the last minute, or taking them out on the other side of town. They figure there's less chance of accidentally bumping into someone they know. Carrie needs to dump the guy, fast, before his wife finds out about her."
Steve rolled over and went back to sleep. Allison stayed awake. She finally got up and wandered into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa. Steve came looking for her about an hour later.
"What's wrong?" He sat down next to her.
"This is all my fault, Steve."
"How so?"
"That night, when Carrie first met Scott, she asked me if he was single. I told her yes he was, and that he was a decent guy too. She trusted me, and now I've thrown her under the bus. So what does that make me?"
"I was at the gallery that night too." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. "I thought he was single as well. Some of these guys are really, really good liars so it's not your fault, Allie. Scott lied to you, just like he's lying to her. What you need to do, right now, is come back to bed and get some sleep. Then tomorrow you'll need to call her and have a long, serious talk with her. After that it's up to her. If she decides she wants to stay with him, fine, but from that point on anything that happens won't be your fault."
Steve kissed her on the forehead and led her back into their bedroom. Once she
"Really? That's odd," said Allison.
"How so?"
"Do you know where Scott lives, Carrie?"
"No. I've never asked. Come to think of it, I don't think he's ever told me where he lives."
"Mesa," replied Allison, matter-of-factly. "Scott lives in Mesa. I've never been to his house, but I know it's only a half-mile or so from where Steve and I live. So why would a guy who lives on the far east end of town only be taking you to places on the far west side?"
"He says he likes adventure."
"Did he now? You know, Carrie, I think it may be time for you to move on."
"I thought he was your friend."
"No." Allison, shook her head. "He's really more of an acquaintance. I only know him from the library. I know he enjoys working with kids, so I just assumed he was a decent guy, but now I'm thinking he may not be the best boyfriend material for you after all. I'm starting to get a really bad feeling about this. You've had your post-Doug fling. Now I'd like to see you with someone who genuinely cares for you, instead of someone who's only interested in using you for sex."
"But I don't know if I'm ready for another serious relationship yet."
"Just saying."
Allison decided to steer the conversation to a safer topic, but the bad feeling she was getting about Scott continued to gnaw at her for the rest of the day. That night, after she went to bed, she had trouble falling asleep. She woke up in the middle of the night, anxiously tossing and turning.
"Okay," a half-awake Steve finally mumbled. "What's up?"
"It's Carrie. I'm really worried about her."
"How come?"
"For the past few weeks she's been seeing Scott, but something just isn't adding up."
"Like what?"
Allison let out a sigh. "First of all, he's much too aggressive with her sexually. Then he cancels most of their dates at the last minute. He keeps telling her it's an emergency at the office, which is a crock. He writes the software they use in the elementary schools. He's not the guy Morton-Evans would call whenever they have an emergency. Then, when he finally does take her out, it's someplace way on the other side of town."
"He's married."
"What?"
"He's married," repeated Steve with a yawn. "I get these guys in my office all the time. They have to change their will or family trust because they got caught having an affair, so now the wife has filed for divorce. Sometimes they'll talk to me about their mistresses. Some of them even like to brag about how they tricked them into thinking they weren't married. They did all the things that Scott's doing, like canceling dates at the last minute, or taking them out on the other side of town. They figure there's less chance of accidentally bumping into someone they know. Carrie needs to dump the guy, fast, before his wife finds out about her."
Steve rolled over and went back to sleep. Allison stayed awake. She finally got up and wandered into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa. Steve came looking for her about an hour later.
"What's wrong?" He sat down next to her.
"This is all my fault, Steve."
"How so?"
"That night, when Carrie first met Scott, she asked me if he was single. I told her yes he was, and that he was a decent guy too. She trusted me, and now I've thrown her under the bus. So what does that make me?"
"I was at the gallery that night too." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close. "I thought he was single as well. Some of these guys are really, really good liars so it's not your fault, Allie. Scott lied to you, just like he's lying to her. What you need to do, right now, is come back to bed and get some sleep. Then tomorrow you'll need to call her and have a long, serious talk with her. After that it's up to her. If she decides she wants to stay with him, fine, but from that point on anything that happens won't be your fault."
Steve kissed her on the forehead and led her back into their bedroom. Once she
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