Page 15
Story: The Wife Stalker
I nodded and maintained eye contact. “Leo tells me that the preliminary work on the case is proceeding well and that you’ve been a big help.”
She just stared at me.
I went on. “He and I were talking about the timing after your meeting the other night. At the Oyster House.”
I watched her carefully and saw the slightest flicker of a tic in her cheek. She took a step back, her face now a mask. She wasn’t going to give anything away. I could see that.
“Well,” she said, backing up even more, “I need to get going. Nice to see you, and thanks for trying us out.”
“One thing,” I called as she was walking away. She turned, giving me an impatient look. “It could put Leo in jeopardy, being seen with a potential witness.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have to go,” she said in a huff and walked quickly to her convertible. Figures it was one of those expensive imports.
I stood alone in the parking lot, thinking about our exchange and berating myself for having handled it so clumsily. I shouldn’t have been so impulsive, should have thought more before I spoke. She worried me, though. Leo was a good judge of character; you hone those skills as a criminal lawyer. But I was seeing something in her that he was missing. When she looked at me withthose cold eyes and unyielding expression, I’d felt a chill in my spine. She hadn’t reacted at all to my words of caution, and even if she didn’t care about me—and that seemed relatively certain—shouldn’t she care about her new “friend” Leo? But it got me an answer: Piper Reynard was not the kind, feeling soul she pretended to be. Of that I was sure.
13
Piper
Piper couldn’t stop thinking about her evening with Leo. She found herself smiling as she replayed it over and over, and couldn’t wait to finish her classes and get home and talk to him. She’d barely been able to concentrate all day, checking her phone for the texts he was sending her, telling her he couldn’t wait to see her, how she made him feel alive again, even trivial tidbits about how his day was going. It reminded her of her high school days, the notes she and Ethan had sent to each other, how much in love they’d been.
The one sour note had been when Joanna showed up at the yoga class. It felt like her eyes would burn holes through Piper, and it had been all she could do to concentrate while she taught. And then afterward, when Joanna had confronted Piper in the parking lot, she’d just wanted to tell her to go away and get a life—and flashed right back to Ava screaming at her in public. Instead, she’d walked away, but as she strode to her car, she was already formulating the conversation she’d need to have with Leo.
When she got home, she called him, ready to get to the heart of the matter.
“Hey there. How are you?” His voice was warm.
“Well, actually, I’ve been better. I’ve just had a visit from Joanna. She came to the center and took a class, then approached me in the parking lot.”
She heard a tsk of disapproval on the other end of the line. “What did she say?”
“It was what she didn’t say—a warning to stay away from you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Leo, listen. You told me you’re ready to move on. She doesn’t seem to understand that. I have very strong feelings for you, too, but I can’t let myself get in the middle of this.”
She heard a loud sigh before Leo spoke again. “She’s having a hard time coming to grips with the situation. I’m trying to be kind. But you have to believe me—I want to look ahead, not back. And when I look ahead, I see you.” He paused, as if to let that sink in. “I hope you feel the same. And I hope you’ll stick around while I sort everything out.”
“I want to, but...” She trailed off, certain he’d prompt her to finish her thought.
“But what?” he asked softly.
She smiled—he wanted to know, wanted to make things right withher. “I... I hate thinking of her living there still.”
Leo cleared his throat. “I’m working on that. She’s going to be gone soon. I promise.”
Piper didn’t answer right away, letting him sweat it out, then finally spoke. “Please don’t make me wait too long.”
14
Joanna
After my terrible yoga class and awkward conversation with Piper, I needed to wind down. I checked on a sleeping Evie and Stelli, whom the sitter had put to bed, then poured myself a large glass of merlot. Whatever was going on or not going on between them, it was clear to me that she was uncomfortable seeing me, a flesh-and-blood reminder that Leo wasn’t actually on the market. Though I’d intended only to make that clear to her, I worried that my confronting her might have forced his hand. What I didn’t realize then was that I was about to take too many false steps and make too many mistakes.
I wanted to look my best when he got home, so I headed to the closet and looked through the dresses hanging there. Each time I’d seen Piper, she’d looked like she’d stepped off the pages of some kind of glossy magazine, and I didn’t want him to compare my more casual style with hers and find me lacking.
My eyes were drawn to a red cocktail dress, which I pulled off the rail, unzipped, and stepped into. It was tight, but if I dimmed the lights, maybe he wouldn’t notice. After squeezing out of it and laying it carefully on the bed, I went to the dresser, found some Spanx, and pulled them on. I squeezed into the dress a second time—it fit better now—and applied some red Chanel lipstick, smoothed my hair, and went downstairs to wait. I was sitting in the corner of the living room, sipping my wine, when my phone rang.
She just stared at me.
I went on. “He and I were talking about the timing after your meeting the other night. At the Oyster House.”
I watched her carefully and saw the slightest flicker of a tic in her cheek. She took a step back, her face now a mask. She wasn’t going to give anything away. I could see that.
“Well,” she said, backing up even more, “I need to get going. Nice to see you, and thanks for trying us out.”
“One thing,” I called as she was walking away. She turned, giving me an impatient look. “It could put Leo in jeopardy, being seen with a potential witness.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have to go,” she said in a huff and walked quickly to her convertible. Figures it was one of those expensive imports.
I stood alone in the parking lot, thinking about our exchange and berating myself for having handled it so clumsily. I shouldn’t have been so impulsive, should have thought more before I spoke. She worried me, though. Leo was a good judge of character; you hone those skills as a criminal lawyer. But I was seeing something in her that he was missing. When she looked at me withthose cold eyes and unyielding expression, I’d felt a chill in my spine. She hadn’t reacted at all to my words of caution, and even if she didn’t care about me—and that seemed relatively certain—shouldn’t she care about her new “friend” Leo? But it got me an answer: Piper Reynard was not the kind, feeling soul she pretended to be. Of that I was sure.
13
Piper
Piper couldn’t stop thinking about her evening with Leo. She found herself smiling as she replayed it over and over, and couldn’t wait to finish her classes and get home and talk to him. She’d barely been able to concentrate all day, checking her phone for the texts he was sending her, telling her he couldn’t wait to see her, how she made him feel alive again, even trivial tidbits about how his day was going. It reminded her of her high school days, the notes she and Ethan had sent to each other, how much in love they’d been.
The one sour note had been when Joanna showed up at the yoga class. It felt like her eyes would burn holes through Piper, and it had been all she could do to concentrate while she taught. And then afterward, when Joanna had confronted Piper in the parking lot, she’d just wanted to tell her to go away and get a life—and flashed right back to Ava screaming at her in public. Instead, she’d walked away, but as she strode to her car, she was already formulating the conversation she’d need to have with Leo.
When she got home, she called him, ready to get to the heart of the matter.
“Hey there. How are you?” His voice was warm.
“Well, actually, I’ve been better. I’ve just had a visit from Joanna. She came to the center and took a class, then approached me in the parking lot.”
She heard a tsk of disapproval on the other end of the line. “What did she say?”
“It was what she didn’t say—a warning to stay away from you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Leo, listen. You told me you’re ready to move on. She doesn’t seem to understand that. I have very strong feelings for you, too, but I can’t let myself get in the middle of this.”
She heard a loud sigh before Leo spoke again. “She’s having a hard time coming to grips with the situation. I’m trying to be kind. But you have to believe me—I want to look ahead, not back. And when I look ahead, I see you.” He paused, as if to let that sink in. “I hope you feel the same. And I hope you’ll stick around while I sort everything out.”
“I want to, but...” She trailed off, certain he’d prompt her to finish her thought.
“But what?” he asked softly.
She smiled—he wanted to know, wanted to make things right withher. “I... I hate thinking of her living there still.”
Leo cleared his throat. “I’m working on that. She’s going to be gone soon. I promise.”
Piper didn’t answer right away, letting him sweat it out, then finally spoke. “Please don’t make me wait too long.”
14
Joanna
After my terrible yoga class and awkward conversation with Piper, I needed to wind down. I checked on a sleeping Evie and Stelli, whom the sitter had put to bed, then poured myself a large glass of merlot. Whatever was going on or not going on between them, it was clear to me that she was uncomfortable seeing me, a flesh-and-blood reminder that Leo wasn’t actually on the market. Though I’d intended only to make that clear to her, I worried that my confronting her might have forced his hand. What I didn’t realize then was that I was about to take too many false steps and make too many mistakes.
I wanted to look my best when he got home, so I headed to the closet and looked through the dresses hanging there. Each time I’d seen Piper, she’d looked like she’d stepped off the pages of some kind of glossy magazine, and I didn’t want him to compare my more casual style with hers and find me lacking.
My eyes were drawn to a red cocktail dress, which I pulled off the rail, unzipped, and stepped into. It was tight, but if I dimmed the lights, maybe he wouldn’t notice. After squeezing out of it and laying it carefully on the bed, I went to the dresser, found some Spanx, and pulled them on. I squeezed into the dress a second time—it fit better now—and applied some red Chanel lipstick, smoothed my hair, and went downstairs to wait. I was sitting in the corner of the living room, sipping my wine, when my phone rang.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85