rightnow.”</p>

”ihechairofthis,jillsaid.shedidntsay,becauseshe</p>

ashrejackheard,hatshedidnttobe</p>

houtadate.</p>

”youtoldyoudberunningaroundstoftheti.”</p>

”butientoffact,</p>

.</p>

”iknhhishair,tobetheknew</p>

jilledaogiveherbutuldnt.”iknow.</p>

butivesleptatotalofonehourityfour.idrove</p>

doylaptopandscadsofpapersogeofclothes,no</p>

b,norazor.ifitrydrivingbaity,illeitheodoff</p>

attheiddleofyourlovelyblacktiedinner.</p>

eitherbepretty.ifeelreallybad,jill.ifi</p>

uldbeintonce,iwould.”</p>

”sheisntyourore.”this,too,lyspoken,another</p>

silestatentoffakheardethiirely</p>

different.heheardedyoufortk.</p>

ivetyourbusinesspartner,beenatyourbusinessdinners,spent</p>

etyhters.</p>

doesntthatsaysothing</p>

haventifinallyetoaoyouthanyourexwfe</p>

davidhadsaidsothingsilar.jasweredheowinkind.”she</p>

ybeextheresnothingexaboutthegirls.theyre</p>

stilldaughters.”nofoginhishat.</p>

”theyreonlythirteenandfifteeherisinaafrobr></p>

herhedayortwoare</p>

ial.hoalonehere,sothatigobacktothe</p>

citytoparty”hecaughtsightofkatherineheadinghisway.”hey,</p>

igottago.ieallysorry,jill.illcallyoulater,okay”he</p>

hungupthephoneanddreselfup.katherinelookedlikesheght</p>

havegottenalittlesleep,certainlyhadfreshenedup.herpantsuit</p>

akeupiaculate,herlongcurls</p>

justso.herexpressionwasallbusiness.</p>

”arethegirlsstillhrachel”heasked.</p>

”theyare.”shetuckedahandinherpantspocket.”areyouheading</p>

baity””no.ijustcelledeverythingsothatibe</p>

here.”shelookedstartledbythat.thensoonecalledhea.</p>

sheso</p>

agrin.</p>

”hoissastep.allbige</p>

teethinadark,darkface,shegavekatherihusupinpassing</p>

andwasgone.</p>

jathephoh.herinefellintostep</p>

besidehihesaid,”youdidntthinkidstay””ididntkno</p>

tothink.alliknorachel.andit</p>

soundedlikeyouteratleavingthanstayingput.shefelt</p>

abahatquie.</p>

”abandoned”heearriage.</p>

racheldid.sheheohecity.”</p>

katherinelookedabouttosaysothing,thenpressedherlipstogether</p>

andsilynodded.</p>

”goahead,”heinvited.”sayyou.”hetired</p>

enough,justfrustratedenough,justopickafight.</p>

shethoughtforanute.one</p>

therew</p>

...</p>