Page 8 of Grounded
“Stuart Henderson? Curly blond hair? You’ve got to be kidding. My niece dated him. How do you know Stuart?”
Later, looking back on that moment, Annie could not explain why she said what she did. Before the words could be formed in her mouth, something held her back and kept her from revealing their relationship.
“We met at a charity event.”
“He’s a piece of work. Good looking, but a character.”
“Really? Why do you say that?” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Janice motion for her, needing her help in the galley. She held up her index finger, asking for another minute. Annie was mesmerized by this woman and repelled by her at the same time. Was she talking about her Stuart?
“He and Sandy lived together for four years, dated two before that. Never could make a commitment. Last year, when she turned thirty-eight, she finally got tired of it. Wasted six years of her life with him.” The woman leaned in as if telling a secret. “I don’t know how Sandy expected anything different. He did the same thing with another girl before he moved to New York. I guess she thought she was different.”
Annie held her breath. She must be wrong. Stuart said he had never lived with another woman. Yet the ages matched up. Stuart would turn thirty-nine this year. Her legs went weak, and she crouched next to the woman, unable to move.
“I like Stuart. Charming as they come, successful, a real looker, but he’s got some kind of commitment issue. Sandy tried to get him to go to counseling, thought it had to do with his mother leaving when he was little. I don’t know. I was glad when she finally broke it off. He would have lived with her forever if she could have agreed to it. You know how some women are.”
The woman laughed and her shrill voice bounced around inside Annie’s head like a ricocheting bullet.
Annie tried to stand, to say something intelligent. “It’s the cat she really misses now, not Stuart.”
“Cat?” Annie managed to form the simple word.
“Yeah, a big orange tabby Sandy named Chester. A dog was too much for Stuart, so he agreed to a cat. Her new apartment building didn’t allow pets, so she had to leave him with Stuart.”
Chapter Three
Janice covered Annie’s end of flight wrap up so she could head straight to Stuart’s office. She needed to see him, to hear him admit the truth to her, to explain why he had lied.
“Wait, honey, let me go with you,” Janice had said, sounding like a mother. “You’re too upset.”
“I’m okay. Just cover for me.”
Annie decided to take the subway since it was late afternoon and traffic would be terrible. She got off at the financial district, after what seemed like the longest ride ever. She rode the elevator to the 20thfloor of Stuart’s office building, her travel bag in tow. When the doors open, she flew past the receptionist, who was calling after her as she raced back to Stuart’s corner office. Annie had been here only once before, not long after they first started dating, when he wanted to show her off to everyone.
The lights were out. The office was empty. She took a deep breath and let out the last hour of anxiety.
“Annie?”
Annie turned to see a man looking at her over wire-rimmed readers.
“Greg Stein. We met at the Christmas party.” He shook her hand. “Are you looking for Stuart?”
“Yes, I was …” She couldn’t think of what to say next.
Greg shifted his weight. “I think he left for Florida this afternoon. Have you talked to his assistant?”
“No. Is Martha here?”
“Martha left last month. Felicia is the new girl.” Greg pointed to a desk near Stuart’s office in the maze of center cubicles. “Doesn’t look like she’s there either. Wait just a second.”
Greg stepped deeper into the labyrinth. He asked a woman there about Felicia. “Where is she?”
Annie heard the woman say, “Where do you think? With Stuart, drinking daiquiris in Florida.”
Annie’s face grew hot. She quickly turned to look into Stuart’s empty office. On a table next to a copper lamp was a picture of Stuart in a tuxedo and Annie in a gown, dressed for a charity ball. The perfect couple.
Greg cleared his throat. Annie turned to face him, hoping the color had faded from her cheeks.
“She’s not here. Is there anything else I can help you with?” His eyes were kind, and she sensed what he didn’t say had more to do with her pride than any desire to protect Stuart.
