Page 55 of Dirty Husband

To his credit, he shakes instead of offering some ridiculous hand kiss. Or some attempt to hug her so he can feel her soft body against his. "Jeffery Pace, but most people call me Jeff."

"Nice to meet you, Jeff," she says.

"Mr. Marlowe seems rather excited about your engagement."

"Can you blame him?" Ian chuckles. "I'd be excited too."

"You're going to settle down?" Jeff asks.

Jasmine's eyes go to Jeff's left hand. She eyes his wedding ring. Looks to me for insight.

Somehow, I understand what she's asking. Is he the kind of guy who really believes in true love and fidelity or the type who sees marriage as a business partnership and a status symbol?

The truth is somewhere in between, as far as I can tell. Like many rich men, Jeff has had affairs, but he's also devoted to his wife and children. He had all sorts of emails to his last mistress—a woman twenty-five years his junior, of course—going on and on about how he loves his wife and he'd never do anything to hurt her.

Maybe she knows. Maybe she doesn't care. Maybe she has her reasons.

It's not as if I can promise Jasmine a life filled with love. But I still judge Jeff for his decisions.

He has a devoted wife and a heart with a capacity for love. He should be faithful.

He should be honest.

I'm a hypocrite, yes, but I don't give a flying fuck.

I nodabout what you'd expect.

She smilesof course. Turns to the conversation. Starts asking about Ian's type.

Jeff chuckles as I fill her in on Ian's reputation for inexperienced young women.

Her eyes go wide. She looks at Ian like she's not sure what to think of him. Or maybe she's playing her part. The devoted fiancée, who can simply not imagine her husband-to-be hanging out with a man so promiscuous.

The conversation shifts to business. She's perfect here too. Asking questions as if she's interested in the details. They aren't interesting to most laypeople. Zeroes on a merger. The conglomerate that owns this company has all sorts of say.

"Yes, sometimes, we have strange terms on our agreements." Jeff's statement pulls me back to attention. "Especially when it comes to one of our board members." His eyes flit to me. "He likes to test people. To see what he can accomplish."

"How?" Jasmine leans in, intrigued. Or pretending. Or sensing there's some hint to the truth here.

Ian clears his throat. "Typical things. A rehab stint here. A skipped vacation there. You know rich men. They like to throw their weight around."

"Yes," she says. "I do know the type."

"There have been some strange terms. Some rather demanding ones too. Most people don't play that game. They just move on. But some do." He looks to me. "I don't like it myself. Life is too short."

"It is," Ian says. "It really is."

"But I suppose some people want to win more than they want anything." Jeff holds up his glass. "And it seems it's going well too."

"Hmmm?" Jasmine does her best to hide her curiosity, but she doesn't quite get there.

"One of his latest attempts. I had news about it today. It's quite silly. I'd love to tell you more, but I'm afraid I'm sworn to secrecy," he says.

"Of course." She smiles, demurely, then she looks to me. Asks for an explanation. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen. I need to powder my nose."

"Of course," Jeff says.

I stand. Help Jasmine out of her chair.