Page 13 of Unleashed

“Okay.”

We head to the elevator as Hadley says, “Hey, Rhonda.”

Not in a friendly mood, I murmur, “Ronnie.”

“Hi,” she says before answering the ringing phone. She then mouths something to Hadley, but I have yet to start that much-needed lip-reading course.

Inside the elevator, I swear to Tommy Hilfiger I still smell Simone’s perfume: Pink Sugar. Goddamn it. My eyes water as the door closes. I should’ve hit the stairs.

The elevator ride downstairs is quiet, and we walk to the cafeteria. I only nod at two women I’ve become friendly with, Connie and Ramona, over the years.

I set down my soda, plop my brown bag next to it, and yank out a chair a little too hard, but it bangs against my crotch before I send it flying. As soon as I sit across from Hadley, the awkwardness of being around her returns, and I toy with the aluminum can instead of opening it. Hadley removes her sandwich from her zippered cooler and says, “So, tell me what happened between you and Simone. And no more side-stepping the issue, Greg Rodwell. I know there’s more to it.”

I sigh and shove the can away. “No, there isn’t.”

“Bullshit,” she argues. She then looks around, swinging her ponytail from side to side, before leaning forward, hissing, “You two got married.”

“Christ. Keep it down,” I gripe, though the cafeteria is too loud for anyone to hear us or care. But hearing the one word that defined my relationship with Simone tortures me. I fucking belonged to her. I gave my entire self to Simone. Every piece and my future, according to a positive pregnancy test.

Hadley shakes her head as she sets down her sandwich. It’s strange to sit here with her when only months ago, I confessed my love to Hadley and begged her to fuck me. And then I was so wrong about Simone. How can I trust my feelings for another woman ever again? “I still can’t believe you picked the nuclear option and married her. You went to a courthouse for a license, right?”

“I told you it was legit. A coworker at the bar married us in five minutes. I returned a favor or two.”

Hadley watches me like I’m the lead suspect in a Forensic Files episode. “Yeah, but you and Simone were frenemies.”

I prop my elbows on the table and lace my fingers together. “Do we have to talk about this shit again? She stood up for me with Morgan—twice. She helped me when I thought Birdy...” She gave me my first pleasurable sexual experience. Exasperated at Hadley’s interrogation and frustrated, I look out the window across the room, but some pocket rockets from IT block my view, and I end up staring at them instead.

“I’m sorry. I’m trying to understand, I guess. You and I have helped each other over the years, but we never got married.”

I laugh, partially from watching the geniuses struggling to open a bag of Bugles and somewhat from Hadley’s selective memory. When I look back at her, I ask, “You don’t remember when you came home from the hospital after your surgery? We were in your bedroom, and I offered to marry you?”

She grimaces and weeds through a bag of baby carrots. “Oh, yeah. Still... You and Simone are fire and ice.”

I mutter, “Unlike you and Wilder. I bet your marriage is everything you dreamed it’d be, right? Wine and roses every night. He proposes to you every day. You hold hands when you sleep. That shit gives me the creeps.”

Hadley rolls her eyes. “No, it’s not like that, Rod. We’re busy with Finley most nights, or he’s working late, and I fall asleep sometimes before he’s on TV. And we argue about stupid things. Finn and I are in love, but marriage is tricky sometimes. You said that you and Simone had a genuine marriage. How was it more than for show?”

Treading dangerous territory, I clear my throat and snap open my can. “Simone and I lived in a house with a white picket fence. We had two-point-five children, two fancy cars, successful careers, and were living the goddamn dream. Like you.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. You took her on a date. Miniature golf?”

I sigh as I check the Bugle Boys’ progress. They had torn open the bag, scattering sad little horns all over the table. Such amateurs. “We already talked about my time in Durham.”

“I love Simone, Greg. But I also know how she is with men.”

Irritated that I’m irritated, I turn back to her. “I wasn’t a random bastard. I was her...”

I frown at my PB&J before taking a bite, and Hadley sighs. “I know, but in name only?”

I shake my head as I chew. When I swallow, I ask, “Why are you hung up on that?”

“Because you seem to be hung up on hiding what happened with you and Simone. She’s my family. Hell, you were my brother-in-law for a minute. Now you can’t be around after she ended the arrangement. What’s missing? How deep were you in this with her?”

I sit back and cross my arms, debating the correct response. “Oh. You want to know if we made sweet love to consummate our lie?”

Her cheeks redden, but she shrugs. “You alluded to it when you stayed in a hotel with her. I hope she didn’t take advantage of you like Shasta did.”

I lean forward. “Do you think I’m incapable of deciding where I want to stick it? Alrighty. Since you’re dying to know, I made the first move on our wedding night. We did it fast and hard on her bed with a rubber until we got off. Some cooking show was on TV in the background. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Anything else you need to know?”

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