A MISUNDERSTANDING
Chapter Four
A Business Trip
"Cal, I can’t do this
anymore!" Two months had come and gone. Cal’s visits had persisted, but,
upon each departure, Rose felt hollow.
"What? What can’t you
do?" They were sitting on facing chairs on the balcony of the hotel room.
Inside, Jacob and Jayvelin, Rose’s children, could be heard squealing over the
new toys Cal had brought them.
She broke down and bowed her
head. He rubbed her hand with his thumb. "I can’t keep this stupid charade
going. Everyone thinks we’re sleeping together anyway. They look at me as if
I’m lower than dirt. I wouldn’t normally care what the hell they thought, but
I’ve seen the way they look at my children. My children."
"Rose--Rosie, I know. It’s hard.
But Isabella and I are working through it. We’re all trying our best."
Rose looked at him with wide
eyes. Did he think she was stupid? "Cal, you and Isabella are trying to
work through your marriage troubles." It all poured out. "God, it’s
not them at all. It’s you. You’re the one putting on the charade. You make
promises to your wife and then turn around and do the same to me! You need to
choose. You’re trying to have the best of both worlds and screwing everything
up in the process."
He looked at her. He didn’t want
this moment to come. That was the problem. He couldn’t choose. It was terrible
and made him feel as if he didn’t deserve either of them. And I don’t,
he thought bitterly. But he had to say something. "Okay. We’ll go away
together. Just you and me. I’ll pick then. I promise."
"Cal, you know I can’t. What
about the children?"
"Don’t worry about it. They
can stay with my nanny. I’ll take care of everything."
*****
"Cal, you won’t believe what
Daddy just sent me. Tickets to the opera! It’s been so long since we’ve gone.
Oh, I can’t wait!" Isabella hugged Cal close. He had been so sweet lately,
buying her jewels and taking her to fabulous parties. Honestly, she would
rather just have him home more often, but it made him happy to give her things,
and she didn’t want to interfere. Lately, it was the only way they ever even
talked to one another. This was why she was so happy that her father, George
Tallingsworth, had sent her the tickets.
Cal glanced at the pieces of
paper. "Oh, honey, I can’t. In one week I leave for a business trip. I’m
sorry." The lie naturally seeped out of his mouth, but it still left a
bitter taste.
*****
Cal was at the train station as
Rose’s train pulled in. It was already nearing sunset, but he had purposefully
gotten there earlier that morning to sort through his thoughts in peace. But it
hadn’t worked out. In fact, his thoughts were now in an even more complicated
jumble that seemed impossible to unweave.
She finally appeared. The air
caught in his lungs and he couldn’t breathe. It was worse than when he first
saw her in the park so many days ago. She was wearing a sleek white dress that
fit her body like an angel’s wings fit her arms. The high heels clicked on the
pavement as she walked towards him. He was in heaven. She looked like a movie
star, a princess, a goddess. No. She looked like someone that could steal a
loving husband and father with the snap of her fingers.