I wanted answers now, and I wanted him to give them to me.
Sitting around and waiting for him to walk in the door was a surefire way for me to drive myself absolutely batty with nerves, so I busied myself by heating up the dinner that Gretna had made for us that evening.
When I entered the kitchen, I found it was still warm and redolent ofcoq au vin, a rich French poultry dish made with red wine, mushrooms, cognac and pancetta. It was one of Gretna’s specialties, and the perfect meal for a cold autumn evening, full of carrots, sautéed onions, and garlic. But I could barely manage to appreciate her efforts as I pulled the large pan back out of the oven, our dinner now piping hot and ready to be served. I was getting frantic.
Where was he? Every minute that ticked by made me squirm.
My phone vibrated with a text and I bolted toward it, slamming my shin painfully into the coffee table as I lunged for my cell. But it wasn’t Stefan. It was Gavin.
How’s my favorite Latin tutor hanging in there?he had texted, along with a winking emoji.Our study room at Regenstein just isn’t the same without you.
Before I could respond, another text popped up.WE MISS YOOOOOOOU!!It was from Lila. After that, a series of heart, flower, and book emojis appeared from Diane’s number.
I couldn’t help smiling.That’s ex-Latin tutor to you, Gavin,I replied.And I miss you all, too. Just trying to play catchup on my assignments at home. This semester’s whooping my ass.
OMG me 2,Audrey texted.Midterms were not kind. I need to seriously ROCK my finals.
After reassuring them all that I’d be back as soon as possible, I went back to the kitchen to warm up the dinner rolls that Gretna had made. The crusty homemade bread smelled so good, I couldn’t help dipping one of the rolls in the wine sauce and eating it as an appetizer.
I was just setting the table in the dining room when I heard a key turn in the lock. Dropping the silverware in my hand, I ran to meet my husband.
Stefan was taking off his shoes in the foyer, and I could barely stand to wait for him to shrug out of his coat and put his laptop bag down.
“I need to tell you something,” I blurted, just as he was unbuttoning his shirt cuff and rolling it up. “I met Irina.”
He froze. He’d been looking down at his sleeve, but when he lifted his head, I was startled by what I saw.
I honestly hadn’t expected much of a reaction. Stefan was excellent at hiding his emotions. At hiding everything. I figured he’d be surprised that I’d met someone from his private circle, but the expression on his face was one of shock, and…what almost looked like fear.
“Irina?” he said slowly. “I’m not sure who that is.”
He was obviously lying, but I wasn’t going to play that game. I kept my gaze focused on his face—needing, wanting the truth.
“You know her,” I told him. “She showed up at the coffee house where I’ve been studying all week and told me she wanted me to give you a message. Though I guess if you’re the wrong Stefan, I shouldn’t tell you what it is.”
I gazed levelly at him, noting the way his mouth twitched. He knew he was caught.
“Tell me what the message is,” he finally said.
Nodding my head, I relayed it. “She wanted you to know that everything worked out. She said she couldn’t get word to you anymore, but she was very grateful. She also said that you’re a good man. And that I was a lucky woman.”
“Hmm,” is all he said in response.
I watched his face very closely as I said, “Is this—did you have a relationship with her?”
There. That got a reaction from him.
“We’ve been over this before,” Stefan said, blatantly annoyed. “As difficult as it is for you to believe this, I haven’t been unfaithful.”
But he wouldn’t look me in the eye.
If he hadn’t been cheating on me, what was he trying to hide?
“Is that dinner I smell?” he said, attempting to change the subject.
As he walked out of the foyer and into the living room, I trailed behind him, refusing to play along, to just let the whole thing drop.
“Who is she?” I prodded. “And what’s the meaning of that message I was supposed to give you? What did you do for her?”
