Page 53 of About that Fling
“So what brings you here?” Ellen asked, looking from Adam to Jenna and back again, a hint of amused suspicion on her face.
“I’m in town doing some mediation work at the medical center where Jenna works,” Adam supplied, finding his words first. “Jenna’s part of the bargaining group, so we’re preparing some team-building exercises in advance of next week’s session.”
“Nonviolent Communication,” Jenna supplied, feeling stupid and out of place uttering the words. “With handguns.”
“Right,” Ellen said, frowning. “I’m not familiar with that method.”
Adam cleared his throat. “What brings you here, Ellen?”
“Oh, just came out for girls’ night. I took up target shooting as a hobby last year, so this helps me unwind. Blow off a little steam, you know?”
“Absolutely,” Jenna said, remembering how frustrated Mia had been when she’d learned about Ellen’s new hobby.
“She keeps guns in the house with Katie,” Mia had said, raking her fingers through all that red hair. “Guns! With a twelve-year-old sleeping down the hall.”
Thinking of Mia filled Jenna with a lukewarm mix of fondness and guilt, and she forced herself to turn her attention back to the conversation at hand.
“So, it’s been good seeing you,” Adam said. His tone sounded almost normal now, but Jenna could see the tension in his jaw. “Take care, Ellen.”
Ellen blinked, visibly surprised by the dismissal. “Of course. I hope you’re doing well, Adam. All things considered.”
“It’s water under the bridge,” he answered. “Let bygones be bygones. Forgive and forget and all that.”
He was spewing clichés like some sort of broken motivational tape, so Jenna mustered up the most genuine smile she could, and made her best effort to save him from whatever was troubling him. “It’s great running into you, Ellen. I saw Katie the other day. She’s growing into such a smart, beautiful young woman. You must be so proud.”
Ellen’s eyes narrowed, and Jenna wondered where she’d misspoken. Was it the reminder that Katie had Mia in her life? Another female role model who was nothing at all like Ellen herself?
“Right,” Ellen said, nodding sharply before turning away. “Have a nice night, you two.”
“Shoot hard,” Adam called. “Or shoot well. Or—” He shook his head and lowered his voice. “Whatever the fuck you wish someone at a shooting range.”
Jenna watched as Ellen vanished into the crowd. When she was certain the woman was out of earshot, she turned back to Adam.
“What the hell was that?”
“What do you mean?” His expression seemed less guarded now, but he hadn’t unclenched his jaw.
“You acted like you were being forced to make conversation with a serial killer.”
“Not a serial killer. Maybe someone convicted of chronic jaywalking or a few instances of petty theft.”
“What?”
“It was a metaphor.” He sighed and took a step forward with the line. “There’s some history there.”
“Besides the fact that she used to be married to the guy who stole your wife?”
He flinched at the words, and Jenna regretted them instantly. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he’d already moved on.
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“How do you mean? Mark and Ellen had been divorced for a while when he and Mia had their—” she stopped, cleared her throat of the word affair. “When Mark and Mia got together. Mia told me Ellen and Mark divorced more than a year before that.” She paused as it occurred to her she only knew Mia’s version of the story. “Right?”
He shrugged. “Sort of. Mark and Ellen split up, but they were working on patching things up. Dating again, trying to see if they could make it work. For their daughter’s sake, and because there was a lot of history there.” Adam’s jaw tightened again. “Then Mia came along and derailed things.”
Something flared in Jenna. Defensiveness for her friend, and maybe a touch of annoyance at being in this situation in the first place. “According to Ellen.” Jenna wasn’t sure if she meant it as a question or a statement, and she saw Adam’s brow’s lift ever so slightly.
“You don’t believe it?” he asked. “That Mia would knowingly wreck someone else’s relationship?”
