"We don't talk much, we hardly see each other, and... and as a treat, she wants to take a two-week trip to Hawaii." Jay rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "Sometimes I feel like we're strangers, not two people in a multi-year relationship."
"People change. I'm sure you both have."
"Yes, we both have, I suppose. There's added stress in my life, trying to get my business going. There's pressure in her job, and goals she's set for herself that require an insane amount of her time. Time that we used to have together."
Drew looked at the two empty chairs at the table and the plates of half-eaten pie. "They seem to know each other well.
Jenna said they were old friends from college."
"Old friends, yes. Lovers too."
"You're kidding."
"They had an affair one semester, then Jenna decided she wasn't gay after all." Jay made a face. "Likely story."
Drew laughed. "Yeah. The Jenna I know is very comfortable with her sexuality." Drew looked around the formal dining room, shaking her head. "This is so not you." She smiled. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded," she clarified.
"I know what you mean." Jay stood. "Come on. I'll show you my little space here in the house. It's my office."
Drew followed her up the stairs, pausing to take a look back at the closed door of Katherine's study, wondering what could possibly be so interesting about old law books. She shrugged. What did she know? Maybe they were fascinating.
"It's small," Jay was saying as she stood by a door, her hand resting on the knob. "Just an extra bedroom I was able to claim." She pushed open the door, waiting.
Drew stuck her head inside and grinned. "Now this is the Jay I know." She went fully into the room, the desk and computer drawing her gaze as she pictured Jay sitting there working. The desktop was littered with swatches, the bookshelf lined with books. She looked around, seeing the recliner tucked into a corner, an old floor lamp beside it. A frayed rug—a Southwestern design—was thrown on the floor, and under the lone window was a small shelf holding four potted plants. Then she saw it and her eyebrows arched. She glanced quickly at Jay, saw the smile, the nod.
"Where did you get it?"
"You like?"
"Can I touch it?"
Jay laughed. "You can look. Keep your grubby hands off."
Drew bent lower, eyeing the helmet, seeing the scribbled signatures on the side. "Wow."
"I was teasing, you know." She lifted up the glass box and took out the mini helmet, holding it carefully by the tiny face-mask. She handed it to Drew. "Here."
"Wow," she said again. "Troy, Emmitt and Michael. The triplets."
"There are fans, and then there are fans," Jay said. "Which are you?"
Drew turned the helmet, taking in every detail. "I love the Cowboys," she said quietly. "Everything stops on game day." She looked at Jay. "This is awesome."
"Katherine hates football."
"That's too bad."
"Well, in the past, she would tolerate it and get us tickets to a game now and then. But not in the last several years."
"Some of the builders, they've got season tickets. Maybe I could steal you away one weekend for a game. You think?"
She watched Jay's blue eyes soften, saw the wistful look on her face. Then Jay sighed and brushed at the hair covering her ears, tucking it somewhat nervously behind her ears.
"We'll see."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"You want to come in? Have coffee or something?"
Drew was tired and wanted to go home, but she was curious about the evening, about Katherine, so she agreed. "Decaf?" At the look Jenna gave her, she suspected Jenna assumed—and was hoping—she would decline the offer.
"I think I have decaf, yes."
Once inside, Drew settled at the bar, watching as Jenna poured water into the coffeemaker.
"I enjoyed dinner," Drew said after several moments of silence.
"Did you?"
"Yeah, I did. But I'm wondering what we're doing here."
"What do you mean?"
"You and me. Obviously, there's not anything here," she said, motioning between them. "Yet we've been out four times."
Jenna laughed. "Well, I enjoy spending time with you. What? Do you want to have sex?"
Drew shook her head. "That's not what I meant. But what about you and Katherine?" She was surprised at the quick blush that crossed Jenna's face.
"Oh, God, is it that obvious?" Jenna pulled out another bar stool with her foot and sat down. "And I'm sorry, Drew. I mean, you're very attractive. You're extremely charming." Jenna's smile was nearly apologetic. "But I'm really more attracted to the intellectual type."
Drew's laugh was genuine. She could honestly say no one had ever said those words to her before. "I think I should be offended by that."
"Oh, please don't be. It's nothing against you. It's just, well, Katherine and I had a fling way back when. And when we ran into each other again, the spark was still there. Amazing, but it was."
Drew frowned. "But, wait a minute, Katherine and Jay, they're a couple. Right?"
Jenna waved her hand dismissively. "To hear Katherine tell it, they haven't been a real couple in years. In fact, the last time Katherine tried to have sex, Jay would have none of it." She shrugged. "That would turn me off right there."
Drew knew she shouldn't be hearing this, knew she shouldn't ask any questions, knew she should just get up and leave. But...
"So, you and Katherine are having an affair?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.
"Well, I don't know if I'd call it that... yet. I mean, we've talked about it. How could we not?"
"And tonight, I was just what? A buffer?"
"Oh, Drew, I'm sorry. I should have told you. And we never intended to leave you alone so much, it's just, well, you and Jay seemed to hit if off. We didn't think you'd miss us."
Drew chose her words carefully, surprised at her anger. "I don't know if hit it off is the right phrase, but we have some things in common, have mutual acquaintances in common, yes." She tapped the countertop, staring at the coffeepot. "So I take it Katherine has no intention of telling Jay any of this."
Jenna laughed. "Oh, good Lord, no. Like I said, the spark is still there. That doesn't mean we're ready to run off and get married or anything. We're just taking it slow, seeing what happens."
Drew nodded, not at all sure what to say.
"And, well, you know—if you'd be willing—since you two did hit it off, maybe we could continue to see them together. It would make it easier all around."
"Easier for you and Katherine to sneak off alone?"
"I know it sounds terrible, Drew. But really, you saw them. Did they look happy to you?"
"Well, I'm not certain their relationship is any of my business," she said. And despite how appalled she was at Jenna's suggestion, at their plan, a part of her wanted to do just that. What better way to see Jay? Go as a foursome. It would be perfectly innocent. But she shook her head. In good conscience, she just couldn't do it. Because if Jay found out she'd known, Jay would never forgive her.
"But I guess it is premature to assume there will be other dinner dates. Katherine and I have been meeting for lunch, getting to know one another again. I guess that's enough for now."
But Drew continued to war with herself, thinking how alone Jay would be. What if she hadn't been there tonight? What if they'd just invited Jenna? Would Jay have been left alone to tend to dinner, to tend to cleaning up while the two of them hid in Katherine's office? What would Jay have done?
"Well, I guess I wouldn't be totally opposed to joining you in another foursome," Drew finally conceded. She had a feeling she would live to regret that decision.