Page 6 of Croc Food

And I should have fucking stopped there, because I heard the hurt in her voice. But I didn’t.

“Maybe I do, Bitsy. I’m just asking you to act like a normal professional wife at work events. Someone who makes sense for a VP to have on his arm. Maybe I’m tired of people laughing at my weird wife who goes to work in a witch’s hat with healing crystals.”

“Oh,” she said.

“God, Bitsy. Why can’t you be more like Kyle’s wife?” I ended irritably. “That’s all I’m asking for. It’s not much is it?”

CHAPTER 3

Chad

“No, I guess not,” she said, and her voice was smaller than ever.

“All right, I’m glad we agree,” I said. “I’m going to go take a shower.”

Maybe when I got out, she’d have seen my point of view and we could have dinner together.

But by the time I was out she’d already eaten and was in bed.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“I’m going to bed now.”

“What? It’s only 7 pm!”

“It’s fine, Chadley. I’m just tired.”

“OK.”

I didn’t push, because Bitsy was not one to carry a grudge, so instead I ate dinner all by myself reading golf news on my phone.

By 10 pm she still hadn’t come out.

Well, if she was going to hold a grudge, we could just talk about it tomorrow.

I absolutely was in the right. This was not too much to ask, Bitsy was just being immature.

Which was just like her, I thought angrily. What grown man wants a skeleton made of rice, for fuck’s sake? If she was going to make me a lunch it had to be something that wasn’t embarrassing.

I got in my side of the bed, and there was a distinct line of pillows in the middle. Whatever. Didn’t she realize how important this promotion was to me? It wasn’t like I had asked her to change her whole damn life. We were talking about two hours at a dinner.

The next morning I overslept, and I only had 10 minutes to shower, get dressed, do my hair, and prep for my presentation.

Fuck fuck fuck

Bitsy was still in bed when I got up, still a silent little mound under the covers, which only irritated me more, because obviously I’d slept like shit and that was her fault for refusing to cuddle.

“I’m not asking for much,” I said sternly. “Just for you to be a little more like Kyle’s wife. She knows how to act appropriately in a corporate office. I’m just asking you to tamp down a few things, that’s all.”

She did not reply.

“I have to go.”

Still no response.

Well, whatever. I’d make it up to her by ordering from her favorite place tonight.

It seemed like a very proper response when I marched off to the office. And also when I got an energy drink for breakfast and stomped into the elevator.