Page 87 of Try Easy

Lou nodded. His response was hardly an answer to her question.

“Anyway,” Paul said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the conversation. “I hope you’ll feel back to yourself by the dinner Wednesday night.”

“Back to myself?” Lou asked. Her head felt like there was a drummer trapped inside banging his sticks against her skull. “What do you mean?”

“Recovered from your trip,” Paul said. “You seem a little frazzled.”

“Frazzled? I’ve had a hard day is all.”

“And your hair, babe. What’s going on with your hair?”

“My hair?” Lou asked, running her fingers through her hair. “What’s wrong with it?”

“I haven’t seen you wear it like that in years.”

Lou had woken up late and hadn’t had time to do anything with her hair. She’d worn it loose today, instead of tied up in an intricate knot.

“You don’t like it?” Lou asked Paul.

“It’s not that I don’t like it, babe. It just isn’t you.”

Lou drew in a calming breath. The waiter came back to the table with Paul’s drink and asked Lou if she wanted another martini.

“Do you have any beer?” she asked.

“Certainly,” the waiter said.

“Bring me one of those,” she said.

“What kind, miss?”

“Any kind,” she said.

The waiter raised an eyebrow at Lou and then turned away.

“A beer?” Paul said. “Since when do you drink beer?”

Lou stared at Paul, hardly hearing his question. He was incredibly handsome, like a leading man in a Hollywood movie, or a walking ad from a magazine. She looked at his mouth. He had a thin, serious mouth, but it was generous. He was a good kisser.

A wave of guilt washed over Lou. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was met with the blue steel of Paul’s penetrating gaze. He’d asked her a question, but she couldn’t recall it.

“I slept with another man,” Lou said.

The color drained from Paul’s face, and then two red splotches appeared on his cheeks. The waiter put Lou’s drink on the table and went away. Paul cleared his throat and reached into his suit jacket. He drew out his gold cigarette case and popped it open. Plucking a cigarette from the case, he placed it in his mouth.

“Did you hear me?” Lou asked, watching him light the cigarette with his matching gold lighter.

Paul took a deep drag on the cigarette and looked at Lou as he exhaled. “I heard you, babe.”

Lou folded her hands in her lap, attempting to stay calm. She felt tears threaten and she pushed them back, knowing Paul wouldn’t take her seriously if she cried.

“I think you should wear your hair up when we go to dinner Wednesday night,” Paul said, bringing his glass to his lips and watching Lou as he sipped.

Lou clenched her fist in her lap and leaned forward across the table. “I just told you I let another man touch me, and you want to talk about my hair?”

“Keep your voice down,” Paul warned, smiling with false brightness. His eyes flicked over her. “You had a moment of weakness,” Paul said. “It’s not like we’re married yet, babe.” His teeth flashed in a smile, and he sipped his drink, signaling the hovering waiter back to their table. “We’ll have an order of crab cakes,” he said.

The waiter left.

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