Page 57 of The Playboy and the Widow
“Two nights in a row, according to Joan.”
“I swear I don’t even like him. He’s a dead bore, but my mother’s got this thing about my remarrying before I shrivel up and become an old woman. To hear her tell it, that’s likely to happen in the next six weeks. Time is running out.”
“Listen, if you want to see this Danny every night of your vacation, it’s fine with me.”
“It is?” came Diana’s stunned response. “I... thought we had an understanding.”
Cliff felt shut out and hurt, but he wasn’t about to let her know that. Yes, they did have an agreement, but apparently it didn’t mean a whole lot to Diana. Obviously she considered herself free to date other men, when he still hadn’t recovered from the shock of not finding a single name in his black book that interested him. The only woman he wanted was Diana Collins, but unfortunately she was with another man.
“If you think I’m going to fly into a jealous rage, then you’ve got me figured all wrong. I’m just not the type,” Cliff said, wondering exactly what this bozo Danny looked like. “The way I see it, you’re on vacation and you’re a big girl. You can do what you want.”
Diana pondered his tone more than his words. She’d been sick when Joan and Katie had told her Cliff had phoned. He wouldn’t understand that she’d gone out with Dan to appease her mother. These two dates had been part of a peacekeeping mission.
“You mean you’re honestly not angry?”
“Naw.”
“If the circumstances were reversed, I’m not sure I’d be as generous.” She made an impatient, breathy sound, then burst out, “I know this is none of my business, but maybe you’re being understanding about this because you’ve been seeing someone... since I’ve been in Wichita?”
Cliff would have loved to let her think exactly that, but he wasn’t willing to lie outright. Misleading her, however, was an entirely different story.
“I’m sure there’s been ample opportunity,” Diana added, feeling more miserable by the minute.
“Well, as a matter of fact...”
“Forget I asked that,” she insisted. “If you’re going out with Bunnie or Bubbles or any of the other girls listed in your bachelor directory, I’d rather not know about it.”
“Do you doubt me?” he asked, trying to sound casual. She had a lot of nerve. He was the one sitting home nights staring at the boob tube while she was flirting with everything in pants on the other side of the Rocky Mountains.
“It isn’t a matter of trust,” Diana answered after a long moment.
“Then what is it?”
“I’m not sure.” The frustration was enough to make her want to cry. “We had so little time together before I had to leave. I’d been looking forward to this trip for weeks and then I didn’t even want to go. There was so much I wanted to tell you, so much I wanted to say.”
A pulsating silence stretched between them.
“It’s ten-thirty here,” Cliff said at last, checking his watch and figuring the time difference. It was past midnight there. “Did you just get in?”
“About twenty minutes ago.”
“Did you have a good time?”
“No.”
Naturally she’d tell him that, and just as naturally he believed her, because it hurt too much for him to think otherwise.
“I will admit that I was a little bit jealous when I first talked to Joan.” He didn’t like telling her that much; it went against his pride. But letting her know his feelings would help.
Diana relaxed and closed her eyes.
“But it wasn’t anything I couldn’t work out myself,” he added magnanimously. “I didn’t like it one bit, if you’re looking for the truth, but beyond anything else, I trust you.”
The line went quiet for a moment. “Oh, Cliff, I’ve been so worried.”
“Worried,” he repeated, realizing Diana was close to tears. “Whatever for?”
“After what happened with you and... Becky, I had this terrible feeling that you’d think I was... I don’t know, cheating on you.”
