Page 95 of Storm in a D Cup

But now things were different. I couldn’t trust him anymore and that was that. Eight years, I’d loved this man. With all my heart, believing that not all men were like my first husband Ira. It turned out that I was wrong.

‘Paulie, just tell me. Had there been any gossip about her seeing another man? Is there even a hint of another guy who could possibly be the groom?’

Paul hesitated. ‘None. But…’

‘And you still believe that another guy she hasn’t even been seen with is going to jump out of the woodwork to marry her?’

‘Er…’

‘Exactly.’

‘Sunshine, come on. It can’t be him.’

‘Well, when you find out who the real groom is, if there is another one, please do let me know.’

*

Two days and two nights of not sleeping later, while I was conjuring up many scenarios, Julian came through the front door, absolutely drained. He was the last person I wanted to see, and the last things I wanted to hear were his lies.

‘Hey,’ he said tiredly, hesitating on the threshold as if I’d booby-trapped it. Seven years and my bedroom was once again iffy territory. I couldn’t believe I was back here again. I’d had my fill of Ira and deceiving men, but this…

‘We need to talk,’ he said as he put his bag down.

I gave him my world-famous hairy eyeball and then turned away. Talk? We were past that.Sopast it.

Damn, if only none of this had happened, we’d be hugging and kissing. Never again. I swiped at my eyes. ‘I’m not interested, Julian.’

Just then Julian filled the distance between us, taking my face in his hands.

‘Erica, it’s me. Remember me, Julian, the bloke who tore your clothes off at first sight? The one who loved you right from the moment you fell off that chair in my office?’

I blinked at him. It seemed like he was talking about someone else and not us a million light years ago. Back then everything had seemed so easy from the moment he’d appeared in my life.

‘Remember, Erica? I’m still that man. I know what you went through with Ira’s betrayal. I was there for you, remember? And you know I would never do that to you, sweetheart. Ever. I’m not like that.’

I looked up at him but couldn’t see my delicious British principal of yesteryear, the one who swore eternal love to me. Had we been happy until then? Absolutely. Julian had fulfilled his vows to love and protect and cherish the children and me. To work so we could prosper. But then it had all gone to hell. And now I couldn’t look at him without seeing Genie Stacie attached to him.

He reached out and took my arm. I looked down at his hand coolly, so composed. I’d die before I let him know how that footage had made me suffer.

‘Do you mind?’ I asked.

He let go out of sheer politeness, but I knew he was dying to slam me down onto a chair and read me the riot act. As ifI’d been the one away playing with an old flame.

‘I think you and I need to discuss a few things, Erica.’

‘There’s nothing to discuss. Can you let me through to the kitchen now? I have to cook my family dinner.’

‘Genie Stacie and I had a huge fight over Joey. She threatened to take her back to the States and never let me see her again if I didn’t get back with her. She then went out drinking. I got a call late at night from a friend of hers in tears, begging me to go retrieve her. What was I supposed to do, leave her drunk in the middle of the road?’

‘So you decided to go pick her up with a limousine?’

‘It was the hotel’s car…’

‘And of course you had to put your hands on her butt…’

‘I was trying to get her into the car; she was putting up a fight…’

‘I don’t believe you.’