The ratty couch in Ian’s tract house was hosting Hope and Vaughn.
They were talking, then arguing, then yelling, then back to talking heatedly.
But there was one thing Hope didn’t tell Vaughn.
That Ian would be home any minute.
And in her stupidity, Hope was determined to force one of them to commit to her. Tonight.
“We can’t keep going on like this, Vaughn,” Hope said. “Either you commit to me now or leave.”
“What do you want me to do, Hope?” Vaughn was pleading. “I tend bar for a living. I go to school part-time. How do you fit into my world? I don’t have money to support you long-term.”
“I’ll get a job.”
“A job where?”
Hope was playing around. “I could go back to dancing.”
“This is no time for jokes.” Vaughn was exasperated. “Why don’t we keep things the way they are?”
“Because all I do is sit here all day and wait for you or Ian to come through that door. I’m tired of it.”
“Get a hobby.”
“C’mon, Vaughn. I know you like me.” Hope was flirting to get her way. It was the only thing she knew how to do in this particular situation. Crying was getting her nowhere.
“What kind of relationship do you want with me anyway? I’m not exclusive in a relationship. Fuck Hope, my relationships don’t last long enough to be exclusive. The only reason we’ve lasted this long is that I feel sorry for you.”
That hit Hope hard.
“That’s it? You feel sorry for me?”
“Well, I sure as fuck aren’t in love with you,” Vaughn said.
“I’m not in love with you either, but we can make it work, enjoy each other’s company until we figure it all out. Take me with you Vaughn, please!”
“And do what? Have you come back and live with me in my studio apartment?”
“Just for a while and then we’ll get a bigger place, just you and me.”
“And what happens when Ian Henshaw the III comes nosing around, and he will I guarantee you. And he isn’t some college guy who’s ass I can kick. That guy’s the real thing and he can really hurt people.”
“I can handle him,” said Hope.
“Can you? You’re not doing good job so far.”
“Things will be different when I’m out of here. He’ll cool down. Besides, I think he has a crush on this female shrink he’s seeing. If I’m gone, he’s free to pursue her.”
“And then we’ll be together 24-7.”
“That’s right Vaughn, then we can hang out as much as we want.”
“That’s not gonna work, Hope,” Vaughn said.
“Why not?”
“Because it won’t,” Vaughn said. “I just came by to say goodbye and I’m out of here.”
If you leave, you’re choosing a life without me in it.”
He hesitated.
And that hesitation hurt her worse than anything he could have said.
But Vaughn was tired of playing games. “I might as well tell you, Hope. I met someone else.”
“What do you mean, someone else?” Hope didn’t like what she was hearing.
“I met a girl at the Ascot. Her name is Jennifer, and we are going out.”
“Since when?”
“Since last week. Hope—we are through. Goodbye.” Vaughn stood and turned to leave.
Hope was furious and loud. “You think you can come over and fuck me anytime you want and then just go fuck someone else? I have friends who can deal with you!”
The lock in the front door clicked, and Ian entered the house.
“What kinds of friends, Hope?” Ian said calmly. “And just what the fuck is going on here?”
The room went still. Time stopped.
Hope froze. Her fury with Vaughn turned to the fear of what Ian would do now that he had caught her and Vaughn together. Maybe pitting them against each other was a bad idea. But now they were here, and there was nothing Hope could do about it now.
Vaughn turned toward the door, but couldn’t breathe or move. He had no glib remarks to make to a billionaire about how he didn’t satisfy his wife.
Ian shut the door behind him with slow, deliberate calm.
He didn’t shout.
He didn’t slam anything.
That was worse than him yelling at the two of them.
Making them wait for his next move.
He looked at Vaughn. And then Hope.
Hope was barefoot, flushed, rattled.
Vaughn was standing in the living room, guilty as charged.
Ian was the husband who was supposed to slam Vaughn against the wall and tell his slut wife to pack her bags and remove herself from his sight.
Instead, he remained calm.
“What kind of friends?” Ian repeated, setting his keys in the bowl, taking off his jacket, and hanging it up on the coat rack. “And more importantly, why is this man in my house?”
“Ian, I can explain,” Vaughn spoke up. Ian was blocking his exit, and Vaughn would say anything to leave immediately.
“So you know my name. Funny, I don’t know yours.”
“Ian—"
“Don’t.” Ian held up a hand. “Don’t talk to me like we’re buddies. We aren’t.”
Hope jumped in fast. “Ian, stop. Vaughn’s leaving.”
“So I gathered,” Ian said coolly. “But I’d like to hear him say it.”
Vaughn was trying to collect what scraps of dignity he had left. “Yeah. I was. We’re done here.”
“Good,” he said. “Because I don’t like men in my house unless I invite them. And I don’t remember inviting you.”
Ian was challenging Vaughn.
Hope came to life and stepped between them. “Don’t threaten him.”
Ian gave Hope a cold look that stopped him in his tracks.
“I’m not threatening him,” he said. “I’m protecting my marriage. Something you seem unclear about.”
Guilt flashed over Vaughn’s face. “Hope, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“Save it,” Ian cut in. “You’ve done enough apologizing tonight. Now go. Before I start to enjoy this.”
There was nothing heroic for Vaughn to do. Nothing to fix. Nothing to claim.
He nodded once, ashamed, and slipped past Ian toward the door.
“Vaughn.” Ian’s voice stopped him.
Vaughn turned back.
“If you ever come back here again,” Ian said, “you’d better be wearing a name tag that says plumber or electrician, because those are the only men allowed in my house when I’m not home. Understood?”
Vaughn didn’t argue.
He just left.
The door closed.
Silence.
Hope couldn’t quite catch her breath.
Vaughn was gone. Her protector. Was Ian going to get physical with her?
Ian looked at her.
Not furious. Not wild-eyed.
But controlled. Disappointed.
This was worse than being yelled at. Ian planned things. Terrible things.
“So,” he said calmly. “Do you want to tell me how long you’ve been making a fool out of me in my own house. Or should I start guessing?”
It took Hope a few moments to get up the courage to speak. Why had she been so foolish as to think getting these two men together would solve everything? This wasn’t a romance novel. This was real life.
“What do you want me to say?” she snapped. “You’re never home. I get lonely.”
“Lonely,” he said. “So you invite your boyfriend over, who, by the way, knows my name well enough to use it, to keep you company.” He glanced around the shabby living room. “Cozy choice of venue, by the way. Granddad’s little investment cottage. How romantic.”
“There is no boyfriend anymore,” Hope said. “He dumped me before you walked in. So congratulations. You win.”
“I win,” Ian repeated thoughtfully.
Hope didn’t like how it sounded coming out of his mouth. She felt ashamed and embarrassed, just like she did in high school with Coach Reddin. But, by now, she had gotten over the initial shock of Ian’s entrance.
Obviously, Ian was going to be a jerk to her, but he wasn’t going to hit her or yell at her. This way of scolding was more demeaning, but Hope was used to it.
She could handle this.
Ian took a few deliberate steps farther into the room, reestablishing his territory.
“So,” he said, “were the threats before or after he broke your heart?”
“What threats?”
“You said you have ‘friends who can deal with him.’” Ian smiled. “That sounds dramatic. And resourceful. I wasn’t aware we kept gangsters in the pantry.”
“I was angry,” Hope was getting back her angry self-pity. “I say things when I’m angry.”
“Yes,” Ian said. “You do.”
Ian watched her squirm. “Here’s the part I’m curious about. Did you invite him here because you wanted comfort?” He took a pause and focused his eyes directly on hers for dramatic effect. “Or because you wanted to get caught?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?”
He stared at her, then mansplained to her what she was up to.
“You know what time I come home. You know I’ve been watching the clock on you lately. And yet…” He gestured toward the couch.
“Here you are. Pretending to be upset over a breakup while sitting on my furniture, in my house, where I step through that door every single night.”
“You don’t scare me, Ian.”
He smiled again.
That was when he really scared her.
“Good,” he murmured. “I don’t want to scare you. I want you to know your place.”
He walked past her slowly and unhurriedly, brushing close without actually touching her. He went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and looked inside.
“I don’t see any dinner in here, no groceries, not even a list.
I don’t have to ask what you’ve been doing all day. I know the answer to that. So the question becomes, how stupid do you think I am? Did you think you could stay married to me and sleep with another guy and me, too?”
“No.”
“Could have fooled me. And you would have kept that going as long as you could, I imagine.”
“I’m sorry, Ian.”
“It would be nice if you were. It would be nice if you were honest or even hateful. But you chose to deceive me instead.”
“We can work it out, honey.”
“Work what out? I would have given you a divorce. Even some money to get set up. I knew you were an exotic dancer when I married you. So we go back to how stupid you think I am.”
Ian got right in Hope’s face.
“So just how stupid am I?”
Hope didn’t have an answer.
“I thought so,” he whispered.
He turned away from her and headed down the hall, letting Hope sit and think about what she had done, like she was an errant child.
“Where are you going?” Hope called after him. She wanted to get this over with.
“To take a shower,” Ian replied. “Think carefully while I’m gone.”
He paused.
Looked back.
“And when I come out… we’re going to decide what kind of marriage we actually have. Dr. Prentice would want us to communicate before I made any rash decisions.”
He disappeared down the hallway, leaving Hope in the quiet house to think about what she had done. Ian had meant to put the fear of God into Hope, but the minute he mentioned Dr. Prentice, Hope got angry instead. If that goddamned doctor thought she was going to get away with this, she was mistaken.
Hope didn’t really have any thugs at her disposal, but he would find a way to get back at Dr. Prentice, and when she did, it would be spectacular.