Page 26 of The Affair
“Sounds about right.”
“If you hated it so much, why did you stay?”
“Because my mom wanted me to try something else—to spread my wings further than the family shop. It was something she’d encouraged both of us to do. It’s worked for Jack but not so much for me, but I still gave it a try. I went to school and got an associate’s degree in business, but after I graduated, office work was all I could find in the area.”
“And you never thought of moving out of the area, like Jack did?”
I shook my head. “I had Reed,” I explained.
Silence fell between us.
“Why didn’t you go back and tell your mom you were miserable?” he finally asked. “Surely, she would have understood?”
I should have been bothered by his constant barrage of questions by this point, but I wasn’t. It was nice to talk to someone, and to my surprise, I liked getting to know Sawyer—the real version of him rather than the elusive version I’d known in the past.
“I tried—or rather, I had planned on it—but on the day I came in,” I explained, “I inadvertently overheard a conversation between her and my father and discovered the store wasn’t doing well. It was right around the time she started renting out space to vendors. She knew if she didn’t do something, she’d have to close.”
“So, you stayed in your dead-end job because you knew your mom couldn’t afford to take you on.”
I nodded my head. “At least, not with a salary. And at that point, Reed and I were already married, and I couldn’t go without the income.”
He shrugged. “You probably could have. I’m sure my dad would have helped you out.”
“Reed said the same thing to me when we talked it over.”
He merely shook his head. “Not surprising. Reed’s never been shy about asking for what he wants.”
I had a feeling there was more to that, but I let it go. I’d had enough Reed talk for the evening. Instead, I shook my head and answered, “I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to become dependent on someone like that, and thank God I didn’t, considering how it ended.”
With both of our burgers finished, we threw the trash back in the paper bag and settled into our seats. He sipped on a soda he’d brought in, and I finished my glass of wine. For once, I didn’t feel awkward with him around, and I wasn’t exactly sure what had brought about the change.
“Is that a cat on your computer screen?” he asked, pointing to the open laptop at the end of the couch.
“Um, yes. I was cat shopping before you came over.”
“Cat shopping?” His amused expression made me grin. “I didn’t realize you could do that. Is that something you can buy on Amazon, or is there a specific online megastore that ships furry pets directly?”
Grabbing the laptop, I began to show him. “It’s the local animal shelter, smart-ass. They list their current rescues, and you can look through them and then contact the shelter to schedule a visit.”
“And this Louisa is the one you’re interested in?”
“Well, I haven’t completely decided, but I was thinking about it.”
He rose from his spot in the green chair and took the laptop from my hands as he motioned for me to scoot over. I did, amazed by his casual attitude. It exuded from him, and I wasn’t sure if it was me that made him feel at ease or if he was like this with everyone, but I was beginning to think the man could make himself comfortable basically anywhere.
He gave the orange tabby a long, hard stare, as if he himself were trying to imagine the cat in his life. “I’m not sure you’re ready for a cat.”
“What?” I blurted out. “Why?”
Giving me a once-over, he tilted his head to the side. “You know this is a live animal, right? Something that needs to be fed and watered?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t seem convinced.
“Of course I do,” I said with conviction.
“Then, why are all your house plants dead?”
