I also know I’m a hopeless romantic, and I have to be careful with this woman. She’s tough as nails, but I don’t want her to have to be tough to withstand me. With Mia, it’s different. I want to be the place where she can fall down, where she can be herself.
The fact she’s almost submissive in bed is thrilling to me. Not because I want her submission - I’m not some young lad thatneeds his ego stroked - but because she wants to give it to me. Because she trusts me. I know better than to ruin that.
“How’s Grandpa?”
The voice tears me from my reverie, heat rising in my cheeks. Archie walks into my office, and here I was thinking about how his wife was submitting to me in my bed just two days ago.
Ex-wife. She’s his ex-wife. Stop guilt-tripping yourself.
“He’s fine. Cranky as ever about being fussed over, but fine. He can stay at home for now.” I lean back in my chair as Archie wanders in, taking a seat opposite me. “He said you’d been to see him the other night.”
Archie shrugs, looking out the window at the training field. “I guess I needed some support, and I knew I wouldn’t get it from you.”
“I was more than willing to support you if you’d actually shown up.”
Archie laughs cynically and gives me a side-glance. “Yeah right.”
“So, Libby Mills?”
Archie’s head snaps to look at me. “What about her?”
“What about her indeed?” I raise my eyebrows, and Archie shrinks in on himself just a little. “Is it true?”
“Which part exactly?”
“The year-long affair?”
Archie sinks further into his chair, like a petulant little boy, and huffs out a sigh. “I mean, it wasn’t quite ayear.”
“Are you having a fucking laugh?”
“Oh my god.” Archie springs to his feet, resuming the same pacing from Barry’s sunroom. “Yes, alright. It… it started last year. It wasn’t meant to be anything. It was just casual fun at first.”
“Casual fun while you’re married?” I shake my head. “There’s a word for that.”
“You don’t get it.” Archie turns to face me, throwing his hands up. “Mia never made me feel special. She’s always so judgemental. I never felt good enough for her.”
“And you thought you’d just prove her right by going out and cheating on her?” I cock an eyebrow. “Good plan.”
“Well what was I meant to do?”
I stare at him blankly, wanting to slap him upside the head and wondering if that’d jolt his brain into a position where it would start functioning.
“I don’t know, Archie? Maybe, hmm, let’s see… Divorce?” I give him a bright smile. “That’s usually the idea when you’re not happy anymore. I think that’s why it exists.”
“Yeah, you’d know.” Archie glares at me. “How would that make me look? Divorcing the poor little foster kid from Leeds for the wealthy blonde actress? Yeah, that’s great for my image isn’t it, Dad?”
“You stayed with Mia for visuals?” I ask incredulously.
“Everyone loves her!” Archie explodes, like a spoiled little brat throwing his toys out the window. “Everyone admires her! They like who I am with her, they like what it makes them think about me. I’m the good guy, right? I’m not a fucking snob who looked down on the shopgirl. If I leave her, I’m the demon.”
“And you thought running off to Spain with the rich blonde actress would make you look better?”
Archie’s nostrils flare, and he rakes a hand through his hair. “I-I told you, it was just a casual thing at first. But then… Libby told me she wanted a family, and, well, you know Mia can’t have kids.”
Rage bubbles in my chest. “So you finally found a good enough reason to leave her.” I laugh harshly. “Nice. Really nice, Archie. Let me guess, you were going to make it public that Mia was infertile?”
Archie’s indignant expression instantly drops into something sheepish and pathetic, and I want to kill him.
