Page 81 of First Date: Divorce
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K.D.went back around the corner and into the corridor, as if for the first time.
The other three headed the opposite direction.Lily the Smiler came toward her.
K.D.walked to meet Lily, nodded in response to her requisite smile, then took another step past before saying, “Oh.Lily.”
Lily stopped and turned toward her, which is what K.D.wanted, because it left Lily with her back to the reception area.Which meant she’d have to turn again to resume her trip toward where Eric was and that would give K.D.time to warn him or delay Lily or both.
“Yes?May I help you, Mrs.Larkin?”
K.D.bit her lips, hard, and let tears form in her eyes.“Don’t call me that.”Her broken voice added the perfect touch.“Please.”
“Oh, dear.”Lily’s smile flickered, faded.It left her face blank, as if it had no idea what to do with the smile gone.“I’m so sorry, Mrs.La—”
“K.D.Please call me, K.D.It’s the only way I feel like apersonanymore.He puts me in a box.Treats me like the little housewife.Like I have no other meaning than being hiswife.Because he earns so much money and I don’t as a librarian.It all has to come from him and I feel like I’m begging.And I feel soworthless.”
The words tumbled out and somewhere in her head a voice said this was what she’d been thinking her mother felt.But this wasn’t the time to consider that.
“No, no, you shouldn’t feel that way at all, Mrs.— K.D.”A smile started, then fled.“Of course you have worth.Why, Melody was just saying…”
“Melody talked about me?”She made it sound needy and hopeful.
It worked.
“Why, yes, in only the most general terms, of course, but she said what an intelligent, thoughtful woman you are.And she’s quite optimistic for you and your husband.She feels you truly care about each other and will do the hard work necessary to make your marriage work.”
“She said that?”
“Yes.And how in love the two of you so clearly are on your wedding video.I hope I’m not speaking out of turn.Oh, please don’t cry.She is optimistic, truly.”
Biting down harder, K.D.produced a pair of tears.Her lip was going to hurt like hell.“She doesn’t know, though, does she?She can’t truly know.”
“Know what?”
Over the shorter woman’s shoulder, K.D.saw Eric appear at the entry to the hallway.He gave her a significant look, then turned away, as if, having spotted the two women down the hallway, he’d decided to go another direction — any other direction.
“Know that he’s been saying Gigi’s name in his sleep.Over and over.”K.D.ended on a sob.“I’m sorry.I have to go.I can’t…”
She hustled down the hallway toward the elevator, as if overcome by her tears, trailed by Lily the Smiler’s reassuring platitudes.
In the elevator, she made a show of pulling herself together for the sake of the camera.
When it reached the bedroom floor, she sucked in another breath and stepped out.She caught a glimpse of Eric turning the corner at the far end, well past their room, and followed, emitting a sort of hiccupping sound that might be taken for a sob.
When she turned that corner, a door opened behind her, and arms pulled her back.
“It’s me,” Eric said, directly into her ear.
She let him tug her inside.The door closed and they were in absolute darkness.
“What—?”she asked, barely above a breath.
He answered at the same level.“There’s one of these closets on each floor.I had to see you without a camera on us, even if they know we ducked in here.To tell you that you were amazing, fantastic, awe-inspiring.”
“Shh.What did you find out?”
His voice dropped back to its lowest volume.“Not a damned thing.Not useful, anyway.No financial material or counseling notes.It’s like a third system.Registration details, counseling schedules, activities.No info you wouldn’t expect to be in those files.Beyond names and addresses, nothing a divorce lawyer would want.You’d think there’d have to be a way to access the financial information to confirm registration, although I suppose it could be one-way communication from the financial system to registration, but— Okay, I see you glazing over.I’ll go back to saying I didn’t find a damned thing useful.
