She cocked an eyebrow at me as she lifted the glass of champagne to her ruby red lips. “That’s… something I would never think you would do.”
I shrugged feeling slightly defensive. “When I met Carrie and we started dating, I tried a lot of things that I’d never done before.”
I didn’t want to admit it, but Carrie and the entire town of Indigo Falls had started to feel… gauche to me. My mother had always acted disgusted that I’d settled in such a place, but I’d ignored her. But now I was seeing everything through Madison’s eyes. She reminded me of how worldly and sophisticated we used to be. She had made me want that again.
“You look nicer lately. More… yourself,” Madison commented after she’d ordered a salad from the waitress.
After I’d moved to Indigo Falls with Carrie, I’d started using a local tailor and salon. Over the past months since Madison had returned to Atlanta, I’d gone back to the upscale places I’d frequented before. I’d started getting manicures and facials again.
And when I looked in the mirror I was seeing who I used to be. The man I’d been with Madison.
“I’ll have the stuffed salmon with asparagus, please.”
“I’ll be honest with you.” Madison leaned in, providing a nice view down the front of her dress. Her breasts were small, but perfect. Did I prefer Carrie’s much larger breasts? Yes, I did.But I was also realizing I preferred Madison’s sophistication. She fit into my world as a Caldwell so perfectly. She always had. As much as I’d pushed back against that, I was starting to see the benefits of having a wife that fit in so seamlessly. Carrie was wonderful. But she’d never quite fit in the social circles the Caldwells traveled in. It was starting to bother me. “You’re wasted living in that horrid, little town. You need to move back to Atlanta, Thatch. Everyone thinks so.”
I sighed. “I don’t think I could get Carrie to agree to that.”
She smirked at me and whispered, “Who said anything about Carrie coming with you?”
I stared at her for a moment. We’d been dancing around this topic for months, but she’d never come right out and said that I needed to leave Carrie. “What do you mean?”
She rolled her eyes and finished her champagne before answering. “Divorce her, silly. She’s cute and sweet, but the world you live in will eat her alive. According to your mother, it already has. She told me Carrie is an embarrassment to you at events. A divorce was bound to happen eventually. You have to realize she’s just not up to par with your usual standards.”
She meant herself. I studied her perfect face, her luminous skin, her designer dress, and compared it all to Carrie. My heart sank a little. Madison was right. Carrie didn’t fit. Not really. Maybe I’d been trying to force something that wasn’t meant to be. I’d thought I was happy.
Then Madison came back and opened my eyes to what I was missing.
I sat back and looked away. I wasn’t ready to commit to a divorce yet. Carrie was a good person, and I truly cared about her. And the sex was phenomenal. But I had to wonder… had I ever reallylovedher?
Or had she just been a replacement for someone I couldn’t have?
My mother had always said that I liked Carrie so much because she was the exact opposite of Madison. That it was a rebellion of sorts to be with her.
I was starting to agree with her.
Madison suddenly snapped her fingers at a waitress who wasn’t ours.
“Can I help you, ma’am?” the flustered woman asked.
I gave her a quick smile, embarrassed by the way Madison had ushered her over.
“Yes. I need more champagne.” She tapped her long, manicured nail on her empty glass. She barely looked at the waitress.
“Of course. I’ll let your server know that she…”
Madison laughed, but it wasn’t an amused laugh. It was a derisive one. “Are you serious? I need to be servedright now. I’m not going to wait.”
The woman’s face flushed. “I understand.” She turned to head to the bar, but Madison stopped her.
“Excuse me,” she called. “You forgot this.” She gestured to the empty bottle.
The server gave a tight smile and removed the bottle from the table.
“I think she was going to get it when she came back with the new bottle,” I said quietly. I had noticed several diners staring at us.
Madison shrugged. “We shouldn’t have to eat with trash on our table.”
“An empty champagne bottle is hardly trash…”
