Page 9 of Coming Home

“Really, Tamara?”

“Oh, don’t get your panties in a twist. It’s a block from here, we have a driver and we’ll be escorted in and out of the theater. It’s not like we’re walking the streets after midnight.”

Emily giggled and David just scowled.

“What kind of show are we seeing?”

“That would ruin the surprise,” Emily said. He could practically hear the smirk in her voice. It seemed his wife was in on whatever Tamara had planned.

With a huff, he pulled out his phone and pulled up the events calendar for the theater they were headed for.

“Really, Tamara?” he asked for the second time. “A Golden Girls drag show?”

Emily giggled again. “Not just any Golden Girls drag show. A Golden GirlsChristmasdrag show.”

“You two are lucky I like you so much,” he muttered. “This is not how I planned to spend my evening.”

“I’m sure you were going to spend it working or something boring like that. And Emily would have spent the night on homework. You two have to learn how to relax.”

Tamara wasn’t wrong, and he’d seen a handful of drag shows. But Golden Girls?

He resigned himself to making the most of it while plotting ways to get back at his wife and friend.

5

Emily watched her husband out of the corner of her eye as he laughed. The show they were at was an absolute riot, and she was glad she’d let Tamara talk her into this night out. They needed it. When the show was done, everyone cheered and clapped with a few audience members letting out shrill whistles as the cast took their bow.

David stood and extended his hand to Emily with tender smile on his face. “Let’s go home, lover.”

His big hand engulfed hers and a sigh nearly escaped her lips at how perfectly they fit.

“Excuse me for just a minute,” Tamara said, her eyes on someone across the room.

David detangled his fingers from Emily’s and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they watched their friend make her way across the theater.

“Did she talk to you?” Emily asked.

David nodded. “She did. We’ll talk about it later. Wait here.”

Emily frowned as David kissed her cheek and made a beeline for Tamara.

She watched as he put one hand protectively on Tamara’s shoulder and spoke to a man who looked vaguely familiar. The man looked defensive and upset, but he stormed away and David and Tamara made their way back to Emily.

“What was that all about?” Emily asked.

“Later, Emily,” David said. “Let’s get out of here. We can go grab a drink somewhere close to home.”

She wanted to push, but David seemed adamant that they talk about it later. Emily would just ask Tamara at school the next day, though from the look of it, she didn’t want to talk about it either.

Forty-five minutes later, they were sitting in plush chairs in an upscale lounge sipping drinks.

“I appreciate what you were trying to do back there, David. I fear you’ll agitate the situation, though.”

David leaned forward and set his drink on the coffee table in front of them before he perched his elbows on his knees and steepled his fingers.

“I think in these situations it’s better to just approach it head on. Most people who threaten blackmail are too cowardly to do anything so they just make threats.”

Emily choked on her drink. “I’m sorry? Blackmail? What the hell is going on, David?”

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