Page 34 of Single Daddy To Go

“I know who you are,” she says. In her heels, she towers over me almost as much as Rob does. The blonde stares down at me, her voice and eyes judging. “You’re that little something my ex-husband is dating.”

She probably detects the widening of my gaze, but that’s the worst of it. It’s the closest I get to letting her know she’s gotten to me. For the most part, I keep my composure. I don’t like being called a “little something” but I’ve been called worse. I remind myself that name calling reflects upon the name caller, and not the person who gets called the name. I think about Lindsay as if she were a child, because she is acting like one, and keep my cool.

She sneers again, with a toss of her blonde head.

“You poor thing,” she says in a condescending tone. “You think it’s real don’t you?”

“What do you mean?” I say slowly.

She shakes her head.

“You and Rob. You think youhavesomething. You think helovesyou.”

I don’t want to let her get to me, but sheisgetting to me. I feel a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have no doubts about the way Rob feels about me, but then again, I’ve only known him for a few months. By contrast, this woman was married to him foryears. She’s the mother of his child.Theirchild. I feel myself withering under her condescension even as I try to keep my chin up.

“He does love me,” I say, with as much conviction as I can muster.

She laughs, heartlessly.

“You poor little dear. You’re just a prop to him. When he’s done with you, he’ll toss you aside like every other silly little girl who thinks she can keep him.”

“That’s not true,” I say, setting my jaw.

“Please. Grow up, sweetheart, and smell the roses. You’re the rebound girl, and that’s all. Don’t you know what happens to rebound girls?”

I donotknow what happens to rebound girls, but the look in her eyes tells me it’s nothing good.

“It’s not like that,” I say, firmly.

She shrugs.

“Believe what you want. I’m just trying to warn you, woman to woman. I was married to the man. I think I know him a little better than you do.”

The barb strikes me in the heart.

“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “It’s none of your business. You and Rob are divorced.”

She shrugs, those bony shoulders going up and down.

“I’m just telling you how it is. I think I owe you that at least because I don’t like the way he uses women. You’re no one to me, but you’re a person. A human being. At the very least, you deserve some honesty, since you won’t be getting it fromhim. I’m sure you know that Rob gets around. Besides, have you seen the women he normally dates? And have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately?”

Her barbed words draw blood, even though I try not to show it. The sting of her words makes my eyes go hot but I tilt my head back so that tears don’t fall. After all, I don’t want to measure myself by those other women, those supermodel blondes. I know I’m curvy and short and kind of average-looking by most people’s standards. But it doesn’t matter becausehetells me he thinks I’m beautiful. He tells me I’m gorgeous, and shaped exactly the way he likes it. I take a deep breath.

“Rob likes what he sees,” I say neutrally. “Now, I’d prefer to stick to issues related to Katie, if you don’t mind. Did you have a question or concern about your daughter’s education?”

But the other woman won’t let go. She’s already drawn blood and can’t wait to go in for the kill.

“I’m sure he thinks you’re so grateful for male attention, that you’ll take anything,” she sneers with a smile. “Scraps, really. You’re like a peasant to him, so he thinks he can do whatever he wants. Don’t you get it? The only reason that he asked you out at all was that he didn’t want to show up the school’s fundraiser alone, because he knewIwould be there with my new husband. Sheldon is ten times richer and more powerful than Rob, and Rob knows it,” she boasts. “He desperately wants to measure up, but it’s hopeless. No one’s as rich as Sheldon,” she cackles.

What? I don’t want to believe her. Rob has always been so confident and self-assured. Why would he care about measuring up to Lindsay’s bald eighty-year old husband? What difference does more money make, when everyone’s already a billionaire?

But Lindsay just keeps cackling, and the doubts keep creeping in. What if she’s right? Hedidask me out right before the fair. He did tell me how impressed he was that I could “handle” Lindsay. What if he is just using me to play out some stupid drama with his bitchy ex? What if our “relationship” has been based some horrible manipulation?

My heart sinks into the widening pit in my stomach. I feel like the air has become suddenly heavy, pressing down on my chest so hard that I can barely breathe. I feel as if I have grown even smaller beneath Lindsay’s condescending gaze.

I shake my head.

“You’re wrong,” I manage in a shaky voice. “Rob’s not like that. He doesn’t need to compare himself to your husband. He doesn’t need to compare himself toanyone.”