Page 38 of The Husband I Left

Something hot and angry flashes through me. Before I can think better of it, I’m on my feet, shoving Leo hard in the chest.

“Don’t talk about my wife like that,” I growl, or try to. The words slur together, and the force of my push throws me off balance. I stumble, nearly pitching forward onto my face. Only Leo’s quick reflexes save me from crashing into the bar. His hand grips my arm, steadying me.

“Whoa there,” he says, his amusement only growing. “Sit down before you hurt yourself.”

I let him guide me back onto the stool, my anger already fading into embarrassment. The bartender glances our way but doesn’t intervene. This isn’t the kind of place where scenes are made; the wealthy just get quietly escorted out if they can‘t handle their liquor with dignity.

“So,” Leo says after I’ve settled back onto my stool, “what have you done to try to find her?”

I glare at him again and don’t answer, because the truth is embarrassing. The fact is, I’m not sure where to find Genny. I’ve called her cell phone countless times, but it goes straight to voicemail. I’ve called her parents’ house, but they won‘t talk to me. They probably know exactly where she is, but her father just said, “She doesn’t want to speak with you, and you should be ashamed of yourself,” and then he hung up.

I’m realizing now that I didn’t do much to integrate myself into Genny’s life. Sure, I went to her parent’s house on the odd Sunday and sometimes we hosted her friends. But really, I just expected her to be absorbed into my life. I know she has friends, but I don’t know who they are or how to reach them.

“You don’t know, do you?” Leo asks, reading my expression. “You have no idea where she might go or who she might be with.”

“She might be with that fucker Evan,” I mutter, the name making me angry all over again.

“And you don’t know where he lives either, do you?”

I don’t answer, which is answer enough.

Leo shakes his head. “Yep. It’s just one big mystery why Genny left you the way she did.”

“I wasn’t a bad husband,” I snap, the words coming out louder than I intended.

“No, no, of course not,” Leo agrees, his tone so obviously sarcastic that even in my drunken state I can recognize it.

“I wasn’t,” I insist. “I gave her everything. Everything she could ever want. I gave her the world, Leo. Anything money could buy was hers for the asking.”

“And I wonder,” Leo muses, taking a sip of his drink, “if Genny actually wanted anything money could buy, or if she just wanted you.”

I glare at him again. I know he’s right. I know I screwed up, but my head isn’t clear enough to sort through all of this now. The edges of the room are still soft, and my thoughts keep slipping away from me.

“I’m not going to lose her,” I say suddenly, standing up with such force that the stool nearly topples backward. I steady myself against the bar, hoping I look more sober than I feel.

“Of course not,” Leo says, not looking at me, sipping his drink.

“I’m going to find Genny,” I continue, ignoring him, “and remind her of why she married me.”

“What could go wrong?” Leo mutters into his glass.

“I’m Oliver Sinclair,” I say, as if the name alone is enough to conjure my wife back to me. “She wasn‘t able to resist me once, and she won’t be able to again.”

“Go get her, tiger,” Leo says with a smirk.

I turn to leave, just as Leo says, “I hope you’re not planning to drive in this condition,” and come face to face with Victoria, her face twisted and flushed with fury.

I blink at her, confused as to why she’s here. Has everyone decided to track me down at this bar tonight?

“Where the hell have you been?” she demands, hands on her hips.

Now I’m really confused. “Getting drunk because my wife left me,” I say, the words coming out a bit more slurred than I intended.

Victoria makes a sound that’s almost like a growl. “The next time you invite me on a romantic vacation, you can damn well show up.”

Through the fog of alcohol, I can feel something tickling at the back of my mind. Something important. “No, wait — that wasn’t—”

“I was at the airport all day,” Victoria continues, her voice rising. “Your staff wouldn’t let me on your jet. They acted as if they didn’t know what I was talking about, said there was no trip planned. You weren’t answering your calls. Do you have any idea how humiliated I was?”