Page 23 of First Date: Divorce (Wyoming Marriage Association #1)

“…And here is your room.” The still smiling young woman opened the door, stepping inside to hold it for them as they wheeled in their small suitcases.

K.D. followed her, so she saw the issue before Eric did.

One bed.

Not a king size, either.

Not a queen size, even.

More like a runt-among-princesses size.

“This is fine for me. Alone,” she said. The speculation about cameras and audio rattled around her head.

“Oh, no,” said Ms. Smiley. “It’s a firm policy that our couples share a room.”

“Two beds—”

“None of our rooms have two beds.” Did she ever stop smiling? “Settle in now, then in thirty minutes, you’ll meet with Melody downstairs for your preliminary session. If you need anything, let us know. I’m Lily, by the way.”

Was it significant that she’d told them her name, considering what Orion and Izzy said?

The receptionist named Lily closed the door with herself and her smile on the hallway side of it.

“What we need is separate rooms,” muttered K.D.

She became aware Eric hadn’t said anything. She looked over at him and met an intent look. He held her gaze a moment then shifted his focus to the upper right corner of the room, then, slowly, to the upper left.

He wondered about the possibility of cameras and audio, too.

In addition to the cameras in the entry areas, she’d seen them in the hallways, a group meeting room, hot tub area, and dining room. And in the elevator that brought them upstairs. All easily visible.

But she hadn’t seen any on the second-floor hallway leading to this room. Would they have hidden those?

Putting cameras or audio in the bedrooms crossed lines — ethical and legal. But if the whole organization was corrupt and serving up clients to Gail Bledsoe, crossing lines clearly wasn’t an issue.

She picked up her suitcase and set it on a rack, using the motion to check the upper left.

Of course, if cameras were obvious in the bedrooms, they wouldn’t be rumored , they’d be known.

“I get the right side of the bed.” She pointedly looked away from Eric, which let her check the upper right.

Nothing there, either.

Without a thorough search, which would never look natural, she couldn’t be sure. They had to keep up the charade of being a married couple during every moment they were in this room.

“You always do take the right side.” He sounded irked. “Don’t know why you have to say it every time.”

She huffed.

He turned his back.

Pretending to be estranged, so not being cozy in bed made sense. But … in bed . And, what about casual, everyday intimacies?

She swallowed a curse and took her toiletries into the compact bathroom.

Surely they didn’t wire the bathroom. But cameras in the bedroom could catch activity and probably sound, especially with the door open, as it was now.

He entered the bathroom with his dopp kit. Without knocking.

It felt more closed-in than their encounter in the bathroom on the first morning at his house.

“I could use privacy,” she said sharply.

He stepped close and spoke right into her ear. “Good. We can’t be sure in here, either. The only place large enough to talk without being seen or overheard is the shower.”

That was not happening.

He backed away and said in a normal voice, “Besides, K.D., I’ve seen it all when it comes to you.”

*

The counselor named Melody Samelson was calm and pleasant. The room where they met her was calm and pleasant.

It had the same nearly floor-to-ceiling windows as along the front porch, though these faced the back garden. Despite the windows being closed — presumably for privacy — they let in appreciable late afternoon light through sheer curtains.

“This is simply a get-acquainted session. A chance for us to meet before the hard work starts tomorrow. We’ll go over the schedule for your stay, including available activities. First, however, I understand you expressed issues with the sleeping arrangements,” Melody said with warm concern.

Or possibly concerned warmth.

So Ms. Smiley was a snitch. Yes, the receptionist’s name was Lily, but Ms. Smiley fit.

K.D. said to Melody, “I wouldn’t say issues . Displeasure.”

Melody didn’t blink. “How is your sexual relationship?”

“Nonexistent,” Eric murmured.

Despite herself, K.D. felt a chuckle rising up her throat, along with warmth in her cheeks. Neither suited her role. She said, “Whose fault is that?”

The counselor intervened. “Now, now there’s no fault here. All of Marriage-Save is a no-fault zone. We must adhere to that the entire time we’re here.”

K.D. barely withstood the temptation to ask if Melody was also going through counseling, what with the we ’s she tossed around.

“But there’s no need to feel any pressure about physical intimacy during your stay at Marriage-Save. We strongly — strongly — encourage our guests to refrain from such activity here.”

“That won’t be a problem,” K.D. said firmly.

Melody flicked a look at her, softened with another smile.

“I see from your material that you’re both runners.

But we ask that you not run together. If you’re on solo time and want to run, that’s fine.

But when you’re sent on an activity together, we’ve found running far less conducive to conversation.

We will ask you to walk together at specific times.

We also have movies and dancing for all our guests.

Of course, you are welcome to use the facilities — the pool, the hot tub, massages — whenever you have an open spot on your schedule.

“Here’s our list of the approved activities.

I will assign some or give you a choice between two, while other times are free.

In addition, you each will select an activity for you both to pursue.

Don’t share what you’ve picked. I’ll tell you when it’s time to do the activity.

No thinking, no debating, you’ll just do it.

” Her smile seemed to say they’d have a great time, too.

“Both of you doing one person’s choice, then both doing the other person’s choice. ”

With less enthusiasm than their counselor, each checked a box and handed the slips to Melody.

None of the items on the list included investigating.

Tucking away their slips, Melody said, “Now, let’s talk about what brought you to Marriage-Save — your marriage.

“There are those that say no one truly knows what goes on inside a marriage, unless it’s the two people involved …

and sometimes they don’t either.” Melody paused, checking that they each smiled, which they did dutifully.

“And I don’t expect to be an expert on your marriage when we’re done here.

But I hope each of you will know a great deal more about it, each other, and yourselves.

Let’s start at the beginning of your relationship— How did you meet? ”

“My assistant introduced us,” Eric said.

Their eyes met. She saw amusement in his and felt her mouth lifting.

“Tell me more about that,” Melody invited.

Her attentive expression, indicated she’d picked up on their reactions, though she likely took their mutual amusement as mutual good memories.

That couldn’t hurt. In fact, it might help.

Sure, K.D.’s role was to make it clear she wanted a divorce. But if she made it too blatant from the start, that might raise suspicions about why they bothered to come. Also, having someone nudge her toward divorce could indicate whom to look at more closely.

She let Eric carry the narrative of how they met and started dating, contributing now and then.

“You found you had similar values?” Melody asked.

“No,” K.D. said, at the same time Eric said, “Some.”

The counselor didn’t miss that, but didn’t comment.

“Did you become intimate immediately?”

“No,” K.D. said, at the same time Eric said, “Pretty quickly.”

K.D. followed up with, “But not immediately,” sending him a look she thought Melody would be used to seeing between couples not getting along well.

“Sometimes becoming sexually intimate before a firm foundation’s been set for the relationship can complicate advancing emotionally.

Sometimes we find it requires backing up and reconnecting.

Going through those initial phases again, in a way.

That’s why we strongly encourage couples to abstain while here. ”

“We got married quickly, too. In addition to having sex pretty quickly.” K.D. added enough emphasis to the last two words to make them a quotation of Eric’s statement.

“But not immediately,” he murmured.

His expression remained neutral and K.D. thought Melody was trying to figure out how he’d meant that — as a dig at his supposed wife?

K.D. suspected it was a dig at himself.

Though whether because he thought his mistake was marrying Hilary too close to immediately or because he thought he should have spotted problems before they married…?

She cut off those questions. Not their reason for being here.

“I wonder,” she said with emphasis to Melody that indicated irritation at Eric’s contribution, “if the same concept applies to marriage as to sexual relations. Requiring backing up, returning to the beginning.”

He picked it up immediately.

“Backing up all the way to not being married, is that what you mean, K.D.? You said you’d give this a real try. Be open — for once. Doesn’t sound like it.”

“Let’s not explore that just yet,” Melody interposed. “It’s an interesting question, K.D., but let’s lay more groundwork before we get there.”