"Is your marriage really over? I know you said it was, but you are waiting a long time to end something you say is already over. So what is the deal between you and what's his name again, that male Barbie doll-looking husband of yours?"
"Male Barbie doll husband? You mean you think Bennett looks like a Ken doll?"
"Yeah, Bennett, that was his name. And yeah, I do. With all that blond hair and prep boy good looks, don't you?"
At this, Taylor could not help but laugh as she said, "No, I have never thought he looked like a Ken doll, and he would die if he heard you say that."
"Oh, well, he does. So what's the deal? I know you said something about an election, but is that really why it is taking so long, or is it something else?"
"Yes, that is what it is. I can understand why you would question it, but the simple truth is Bennett is being vetted for a cabinet secretary position. A divorce now would kill any chances he has of getting it."
"Why do you care if he loses? Obviously, the guy is a loser. After what he did to Poppy and now to you."
"I appreciate the sentiment, but Bennett is not a loser. Just because we aren't a couple anymore doesn't mean I don't care about him or want what is best for him. He has worked hard to get to where he is politically and will do a wonderful job. It would be a shame if he lost his dream of serving his country because we made a mistake years ago. As far as what he did to Poppy, I will tell you that he would never have abandoned a child he knew about. She kept his son from him for years. What she did to him was muchworse. I am not privy to what happened with them, but I know Bennett well enough to know there is blame on both sides."
"Wow! I have never heard a woman defend her ex before. Are you sure it is over? You called it a mistake. Is that why it fell apart?"
"So, we are getting into all of this, huh? It's a really long story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
Nodding, Greer said, "More than you can imagine."
Sighing, Taylor said, "Well, okay then, but we will be here a while."
Over the next two hours, Taylor told him the whole sad story. She left nothing out. She began when she and Bennett were kids and explained how they had grown up like brother and sister. With tears in her eyes, she recounted how her brother and parents were killed and how Bennett jumped in and saved her from drowning in a vat of grief and depression.
From there, she explained how they had meandered into a marriage of convenience. She quietly told him about their fruitless efforts to conceive and their long, painful ordeal with one doctor after another. In agonizing detail, she explained how the loss of each baby had driven them further and further apart when it should have been drawing them closer together.
Finally, she detailed the last few months' events, including the roles his infamous Aunt Edna and Poppy, the Absent Artist, as she had begun to think of her, had played in it all. She concluded by explaining that her main reason for agreeing to help Bennett was because he had always been there for her.
By the time she finished her story, she realized that she had bared her soul, and Greer had never let go of her hand once during her spill. It was as if he could not stand being so near and not able to touch her.
They sat looking at each other, exhausted as much from the activities and heat of the day as from the emotional drain of the tale. Greer sat silently, thinking for several minutes.
The silence made Taylor nervous. "Okay," she said, "say something."
He took the hand he was holding, lifted it to his lips, kissed it slowly, and said, "I was just thinking how amazing you are. You have suffered so much heartache and pain, yet you are not bitter or angry. Your husband cheated on you, and yet you still defend him. If you were mine, I would never give you up for anything. And the fact that he did shows he is a fool."
"Yes, a fool in love with another woman. But it is okay because I am not in love with him. I never was. That was our problem. So, now you know my whole sordid tale. Next time, I want to hear all about yours.”
"I've told you some of it already, but I am willing to tell you anything you want to know, but not here. Let's get out of here and walk on the beach."
Chapter 18
Taylor’s Apartment
Miami, Florida
June 2012
It was nearly midnight. Taylor could not keep her eyes open. Yawning, she said, "That sounds lovely, but I am about to drop. I think I will need to take a rain check."
"Oh, I am so sorry. I was having such a good time I lost track of time. I don't have a hotel yet, but I have stayed at a hotel just down the street before. If you don't mind dropping me there, I will see if they have a room."
Taylor was silent for a minute and said, "I have a couch you are welcome to use. And, by the couch, I really mean the couch. I know that is backtracking from where we have already come, but given the circumstances, that is all I can offer you. But it's yours if you want it."
"Are you sure? I don't want to put you out or make you uncomfortable."
Smiling, she said, "I'm positive."
