Page 2 of Rugged and Filthy

“Is everything okay? I was worried about you.”

She moved around me, not allowing me to pull her into my arms. “I’m fine. Just fine. Can we sit and talk?”

“Sure. Of course. Did you get that promotion?”

The deep exhale she issued sounded terrible, like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. “Not exactly.”

“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. The hospital is full of a bunch of idiots.” She’d worked hard to become an RN, overcoming a half-dozen obstacles. I was so proud of her.

“It’s okay. Look, we need to talk.”

“I know you hate me being away so much so let me interrupt,” I told her, far too eager to wait for long. “I’m home for good. Well, I’ll be going out on the rig every few months, but that’s only for a couple weeks at a time.” So I was minimizing the time I’d be gone. I couldn’t help myself.

“That’s great, Foxx. Really great, but I need to tell you something.”

“Not yet. Let me finish. Then you can talk.” I was nearly jumping out of my skin, so happy we could finally be together permanently. She could move out of her parents’ house and we’d live happily ever after. I slipped my hand into my pocket, wrapping my fingers around the small velvet box before dropping to my knees in front of her.

Instantly, I heard gasps from behind me, other customers joyful to see romance in bloom. Dierdre pressed her hand across her mouth, blinking several times.

I opened the box slowly, hoping the diamond sparkled in the flickering light. It wasn’t the finest clarity of those top dollar diamonds, but I was proud of what I’d been able to purchase. My baby deserved the world. “Dierdre Janice Cannon, will you do the honor of becoming my wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, until death do us part? Or we retire to Florida.”

The place she’d always wanted to live.

She glanced at the ring then up into my eyes. I knew at that moment something was terribly wrong.

“Foxx. We need to talk.” She slowly pressed down the lid, covering the diamond. I was stunned that she didn’t have an immediate answer but somehow managed to get back to my seat.

“What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t get the promotion, but I did get a new job.”

“O-kay. That’s wonderful. I don’t understand.”

She was nervous, her hand shaking. “It’s in Miami.”

“What?” I had no clue she’d applied for a job in Miami.

“Yeah, it’s an amazing opportunity for my career. You always knew I wanted to live there. It’s a huge increase in salary and so many chances to move up. It’s time for me to do what I need to do to better myself. You know?”

“Sure. Of course. Well, it’s going to be tough to make it work but we can do that. I mean maybe I could find a job there. That could work.”

She placed her hand on the table, shaking her head. “You don’t understand. I don’t want you to go with me.”

“What are you saying?” I was confused, completely drifting into some crazy fog.

The way she turned her head away from me was telling, my nerves raw from the ugliness of what I suspected was coming.

“I’m saying I’m not going alone. Mark is coming with me.”

“Mark… you mean Mark Jameson, the intern you met like four weeks ago?”

“Yes, but it was over a year ago. He got a job at the same hospital where I’ll be working. We’re moving there and into a condo he just bought.” She smiled as if I’d be completely okay with this while she’d just ceremoniously shattered my entire world.

I had no idea what to say but there were several vicious thoughts about what I wanted to do to the asshole Mark running through my mind. “How long?”

“How long what?”

“Have you been sleeping with him?”

---