Page 2 of The Gift that Keeps On Giving

“Nope!”

My body temperate is starting to drop.

An artist and a football player. Yale.

Oh God.

A swallow gets stuck in my throat.

This can’t be happening.

“Senior year,” says the redhead, picking up the story. “This cute freshman girl arrives on the scene. Blonde, kind of nerdy. She tutors them for their final semester, because neither one of them can decipher Shakespeare…and they both develop a little crush on her.”

“Alittlecrush?” scoffs the brunette.

“Now, they didn’t cheat on us, mind you. We probably wouldn’t have married them otherwise. It was more of an…infatuation they both had.”

“Basically, this tutor came between our husbands. And now, here we are, six years later, and they still refuse to speak to each other.”

I’m battling the urge not to drop down behind the counter and hide.

These women. They are the wives of Dean and Cameron?

This is a nightmare. Almost worse than the past due notices on the counter.

Please, please don’t recognize me.

“You know, I wish they’d just slept with her and gotten it out of their systems. We’d all be sharing an Aperol spritz by the pool.”

“Seriously, I think the same exact thing all the time,” mutters the redhead. “How much easier life would be if they’d just banged the tutor a few times.”

My face is piping hot.

“We got everything we wanted. Attractive, well-educated husbands. Two beautiful children each. Houses across the street from each other in a nice Connecticut town.” They look at one another thoughtfully. “It was never our intention to marry for love. We were taught to marry for convenience, and that’s what we did.”

“Exactly. But there’s nothing convenient about our husbands refusing to be in the same room. Or even share the same sand.”

“You said it, babe—”

To my horror, the tall brunette cuts herself off with a gasp.

And she’s looking right at me. With dawning recognition.

“Oh my God, it’s her.”

The redhead frowns at the book she’s holding. “It’s who?”

“The tutor.That’show you recognized her!”

I want to melt into a puddle. I think my body could actually pull it off right now, I’m so warm from embarrassment. Both palms press to my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’m…oh my goodness, I had no idea they would…that this would still be going on six years later.”

They’re both standing in front of the counter now, gaping like they’ve seen a ghost.

“Holy shit, itisher. Ruby Lang.”

“Holy, holy, holy shit.”

My face is so hot, I’m worried my skin is melting off. “I promise, I didn’t do anything inappropriate with either of them. I was only there to be their tutor. I didn’t realize a rivalry had formed until it was too late…and I resigned as their tutor right away. It was never my intention to come between Dean and Cameron.”

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