Bad Habits Part 26

"What news?" Keith asked.

"The party. Correction, your coming out party." Maryanne fixed her cold blue eyes back on Keith. "It's this Friday. Everyone that is anyone in our town will be there. Even Daddy is excited about it. He's been bragging at the club about how great you are. Hasn't he, Cain?"

Simone dared a look over. Cain spoke but stared directly at her. "That's right. It's definitely the talk of Castle Rock."

Simone looked away. She caught the look Maryanne gave her husband, then her. It nearly made her open her mouth to explain it all away. Why would he look at her like that in front of his wife? Was he insane? She looked over to Keith who never even glanced Cain's way. He seemed fixated on Maryanne or more so what Maryanne was saying. Of course he was. A party in his honor fed the egomaniac in him.

"This sounds great," Keith said. He finally glanced over to Simone. "Doesn't it?"

Simone nodded. "Still for you to go through so much trouble, Maryanne..."

"Oh I love throwing parties. You'll see. Right, Cain?" Maryanne said a little sternly. He looked away from Simone to his wife, but didn't answer.

Simone felt the ability to breathe once more. This was a disaster. She needed something to drink.

"Can I get you-" the drink waiter began.

"I'll have vodka tonic with a lime," Simone blurted out to the waiter.

Keith frowned at her. She looked around the table, realizing the choice drink for dining was wine. f.u.c.k them. She needed something strong to get through dinner. Cain was making her jumpy. Keith drew Maryanne's attention away, asking her about Castle Rock. Cain reached for the bottle of wine and poured her a gla.s.s.

"I suggest you try this Gris, Mrs. Livingston," Cain offered. Simone looked up to see Maryanne glaring at her. She shook her head.

"No thanks, Cain. The vodka is what I want."

He lifted a brow and set the bottle down. "Okay, maybe I can suggest something for dinner."

"Stop it," she said under her breath to him.

He laughed. Maryanne and Keith both looked over at them. Simone couldn't tell if it was her or the four of them, but she was definitely feeling uncomfortable in her skin. She didn't tell Keith about the lunch. he surely didn't tell Maryanne, and though they may never admit it, they both knew why. That was the deception. But it was a small one, really insignificant. She should just relax and let it all go.

"Try the lobster."

She realized Cain was again speaking directly to her. Maryanne was smiling at her husband saying something else. "Is it good?" she asked.

"Is what good?" Keith asked.

"I suggested your wife try the lobster."

"It's Cain favorite," Maryanne answered, "He only orders the lobster. What's good is the ratatouille," Maryanne nodded. Keith nodded with her. "Then that's what I'll have. How about you, babe? Do you want lobster?"

Simone looked over to Cain, then down to his half eaten plate and then back to his eyes. Cain gave her an easy smile that made her smile as well. "Yes, I like it. I want it. I mean the lobster... I want it too."

He laughed. Everyone at the table did. The Livingstons ordered and joined them first in polite conversation, and then into something actually genuine, friendly almost. They talked over the latest current events, then local happenings in Castle Rock. He listened intently when Keith shared something about his wife. His gaze continued to drift over to her. She didn't seem to notice. A vodka tonic or two and she barely looked his way. This fixation of his was definitely one-sided. Still he couldn't let it go.

"Honey, you okay?" Maryanne inquired.

Cain blinked up. "What? Yes."

Simone and Keith were staring. "It's getting late, right, boss?"

Keith nodded. "Right. This was nice though. Thanks for allowing us to join."

"Oh no problem at all." Cain rose and drew back Maryanne's chair. She smiled down at Simone. "Tomorrow is Bunco at my house, remember?"

"Seven. I'll be there."

"Goodnight," Maryanne said.

"Night," Simone said and so did Keith. He caught her eye once more. She flashed him that shy smile as a reward for good behavior. Leading Maryanne out, it took everything in him not to look back.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Did you have fun?"

Simone thought over the question. Was it the night she had hoped? It turned out to be more. She had fun. She really did. "Yes, thanks. It was a good idea to get out."

Keith leaned forward and looked her in the eye. "You are so special to me, girl. Do you know that? I'm a happy man right now. Everything is coming together, baby."

She nodded. "I am beginning to think so, Keith."

"d.a.m.n, I'm tired," Keith yawned, shedding his clothes before he reached the bed.

Simone worked the catch to the back of her earring, following him in. Keith went about stripping, grinning as he often did when he had too much to drink. Then he started humming. She thought it was cute. Returning to her vanity, she dropped the diamonds in her jewelry box. Her eyes lifted to the mirror. Keith, behind her, scratched his b.a.l.l.s as he padded over to the bed.

"C'mon, baby. I'm ready," he slurred, belly flopping on the mattress and dropping his face in the pillows. The man was sleep in an instant. Shaking her head, she walked over to push him to his side and remove his frames from his face. She set them on the nightstand and fixed the covers around him. He mumbled something reaching for her, but turned over and away. She stroked his cheek. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead.

"Sleep it off, sweetie. I love you."

"Mmm. I love you too," he said with a smile.

She wasn't sleepy. Alcohol never made her sleepy. It made her anxious. So she kicked off her heels and went about collecting his things from the floor. Picking up his trousers, his cell phone dropped out of the pocket. It hit the floor and fell over flat. The LCD window lit to reveal he had a missed call. Simone knelt to pick it up. The number was a New York area code; the digits that followed were ones she didn't recognize. She looked to the bed. He was snoring softly.

The phone beeped twice in her hand. Another check revealed he had a voicemail. It was almost midnight. Who in New York would call this late? Simone walked over to the hamper dumping his things in and then went into the bathroom. Closing the door, she stared at the tiny envelope, indicating a message was received.

"Don't do it, Simone. Leave it alone. Either you trust him or you don't," she said to herself as her hand tightened on the phone. "Don't do it," she warned herself.

Ignoring the warning, she pressed the green b.u.t.ton on the blackberry and listened as it dialed up his voicemail. When it asked for his pa.s.s code she entered his birth date. Keith didn't have an imaginative bone in his body. Her head went back with a soft thud to the door and her eyes closed. She listened.

You have 1 missed call....

First call: Keith! I'm sick of you ignoring me. As usual you think it's all about what you want. Not this time, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. You can deny it all you want but it's yours! I won't let you get away with this. Do you hear me? Who the f.u.c.k do you think you are? You made promises to me, you...you...you a.s.shole! You don't just blow me off. If you don't call me back, the next call I'm making is to your wife! I'm sure she'd like to hear what I got to say. What you think? Call me back d.a.m.n it. This isn't all on me. a.s.shole!"

End of message.

Simone lowered the phone. She didn't bother to open her eyes. She'd know that voice anywhere. It was Stacy, his busty secretary that used to call her house at all times of the night for some late working a.s.signment she needed his sign off on. She could not forget those business trips they took together and her coming to their house to pick up things for him. Simone shook with fury. Stacy was calling, hadn't stopped calling and he hadn't said a d.a.m.n thing. Her rage exploded. She threw the phone at the mirror. It made a loud smack then fell into pieces into the sink.

"Simone! You okay in there?" Keith shouted.

"Shut up!" she yelled back. "Shut the h.e.l.l up!" She put her hands to her eyes.

She heard his hurried footfalls to the door. He turned the k.n.o.b, forcing the door open. She backed away and whirled on him, her heart ablaze in her chest.

"What the h.e.l.l is going on?" he asked, looking from her to the sink. "Is that my phone?"

"That wh.o.r.e is still calling you!"

"You answered my phone?" Keith gasped.

"You are such a f.u.c.king liar! You're still seeing her!"

"Of course not."

"f.u.c.k you! To h.e.l.l with you, Keith! I told you. I told you if you stepped out on me again we were done. I mean it! Done!" She went for the door, but he grabbed her by both arms.

"Stop it d.a.m.n it! Listen to me!"

"You're hurting me," she grimaced, trying to break free.

"Listen to me, d.a.m.n it."

"Get off me!" she shouted.

"Listen-"

"No! No!" she shouted, shoving him hard. She spun to get away but turned wrong. Her feet crossed under her. She shuffled to keep from falling, Keith reached as well, but she went back hitting the floor. The smackdown caused her head to snap back and connect with the bathroom tiles. Stars exploded from behind her closed lids. She felt the dizzying feel of losing consciousness.

"Babe?" He got down on his knees, trying to collect her. Simone, dazed, blinked at first, and then tears slipped free from frustration. She was in too much pain to verbalize anything more. "Where does it hurt?"

"Leave me alone," she managed. She tried to sit upright.

"Tell me where it hurts."

"I'm fine, just get the h.e.l.l away from me."

He swept her into his arms then carried her out against her protests to the bed. As soon as he placed her on top she scooted into the pillows, finding some comfort in the softness of the bed as opposed to the floor. But her head hurt so bad her eyes kept closing.

"Let me see."

"No!" She knocked his hand away.

Keith glared at her. "You think I'm f.u.c.king Stacy? You think I'm that f.u.c.king stupid?"

"I think you're that stupid!" she shouted back.

"After everything I've promised, you think I would hurt you like that?" Keith said in a pained voice.

"You didn't care about hurting me before. Oh, G.o.d, I feel sick. I'm so dumb. So pitiful," Simone said through tears.

"Simone, please hear me out."

"I'm so f.u.c.king easy, aren't I? You can just do what the h.e.l.l you want and there are never any consequences. All those days and nights you spent with her I told myself it meant nothing. But it did, didn't it?"

"We worked through this in therapy."

"f.u.c.k you and therapy! Not this time, Keith. I'll divorce your a.s.s so quick," Simone shouted.

"Don't threaten me over something I didn't do!" He pointed a finger at her.

"What is it she wants to tell me, Keith? What secret? What is it, huh?"

He s.n.a.t.c.hed up the phone and dialed. He pushed in the speaker b.u.t.ton so she could hear the rings count off.

"h.e.l.lo?"

"Stacy, this is Keith."

"You-"

"Shut the f.u.c.k up, and listen. I told you in New York and I'm telling you now. I don't want to see you. I don't want you to call me, and if you f.u.c.king threaten my wife I'll have your a.s.s thrown out of the company. I don't love you, don't want you and don't give a s.h.i.+t about any of your lies. Do you hear me?"

She laughed. "What the h.e.l.l makes you think I would want your sorry a.s.s?"

"Do you hear me?" Keith roared.

"So it's over, Keith? Not hardly. You forget-"

"It's over. I can't make it any clearer than that!"

"You're going to regret treating me like tras.h.!.+ You a.s.shole!"

The phone clicked off. Simone stared at him, her chest rising and falling. Keith waited, expecting some kind of reward. All it did was make her sad. Sad that there was nothing sacred between them anymore. He p.i.s.sed all that away by taking another woman to bed. She was now positive this was something she couldn't easily forget, let alone live with.

"Believe me now? Can we stop this s.h.i.+t, please?"

"I need some s.p.a.ce."

"s.p.a.ce? What the f.u.c.k do you mean s.p.a.ce?"

"Either you give it to me here, or I pack a bag tonight and go home. You choose. But I want some s.p.a.ce from you."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you sleep in the guestroom. It means I don't want you near me. No s.e.x, no nothing. Do you understand that?"