“I . . . umm . . . I usually eat pancakes at the diner.”
“Pancakes it is then.”
Ashton began collecting ingredients from different cupboards, pulling out everything needed to make pancakes. Unlike the “just add water” kind I usually bought from the store, he was making them from scratch. While the pan heated, he brought over a cup of coffee.
“I wasn’t sure how you liked it. Pancakes will be done in a few minutes.”
The coffee smelled delicious. Taking hold of the cup, I took my first sip. It was unlike anything I’d ever tasted before, the flavor rich and sweet. Ashton had made it just right.
“Thank you. This is delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
My knee started to shake under the table. Not many people went out of their way to be nice to me, except Gretchen. Many times, she’d tried to talk me into leaving Dominic, and while I understood that she was just trying to help, she didn’t get it. She didn’t see what Dominic did for me. He helped me. He wasn’t the easiest of people to get along with, but that was just his way. It had crossed my mind to get her to spend some time with him, show her the other side of him, but when I mentioned it he’d said, “If you have time to have friends over then you’re obviously slacking,” so I’d let it drop. In truth, Gretchen hadn’t seemed all that enthusiastic either, so it had likely been for the best.
Ashton came back to the table with two plates stacked high with pancakes and sausage. Definitely more food than I could, or should, eat at one time.
“Oh my God, that’s so much food.”
“Sorry. I’m used to making big portions. Eat as much you want, leave what you don’t.”
He dug into his pancakes while I picked up my fork slowly, my mind focused on his apology and the ease with which he delivered it. Sorry wasn’t a word I heard very often, especially from a man’s mouth. I didn’t know what to do with it.
“Is everything okay?”
I looked up to find him watching me. “I’m not used to people apologizing to me.”
Ashton dropped his fork to his plate and leaned back in his chair. “I guess we need to have our talk now, before we eat.”
I swallowed hard. “Our talk?”
He rested his elbows on the chair and steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. He sighed. “About the next three months.”
My stomach became queasy, and I set down my thus far unused fork.
“Elena, I’m not sure how to say this so I’m just going to put it out there. Your husband is a world class asshole.” My mouth dropped open in shock, but that didn’t stop Ashton from continuing. “I’ve seen men like him before. Ones who aren’t good enough to keep a woman like you, yet they manipulate you into believing that they are the only one who will ever want you. Let me tell you, it’s all bullshit. Every word he says to you is complete shit. No decent man would ever consider giving their wife up to save their own ass; much less, tell her to be another man’s fucktoy. That’s not okay and I will not treat you that way. I agreed to the deal in hopes of getting you out of his clutches long enough for you to see that you deserve better than a fucker who makes you feel lower than the dog shit he scraped off the bottom of his shoe.”
That was a lot of information to take in. My eyes burned with the effort of holding back the tears, but Ashton words rang loud in my head, every word cutting deeper than the one before. Could he be right? It did hurt to know that Dominic was willing to leave me with a stranger, to not care if I slept with another man. The tears fell in earnest as my shoulders shook.
“Please don’t cry. I don’t want to see you upset, but you deserve to see how a real man treats a woman.” He reached over and covered my hand with his. “Let me help you.”
He handed me a tissue to wipe my eyes and I swiped at my tears, desperately trying to find my self-control. There couldn’t be any truth to his words.
“My husband loves me.”
He shook his head. “If your husband loved you, you wouldn’t be here right now. You’d be home having breakfast with him. Let me ask you a question—when was the last time Dominic did anything for you?”
“He takes care of me, works to pay our rent.”
“Prick hasn’t taken care of you a day in his life. But that’s not what I asked.” The look he gave me was unnerving, like he could see down to my soul.
“He married me and stays with me when no one else would ever want me.” I gestured down at myself, pointing out the obvious.
“That man has you completely brainwashed.” He sat back and pointed at my plate. “Finish your breakfast and I’ll show you what I mean about doing something for you.”
My stomach rolled at the thought of putting anything in it, but I wouldn’t disobey Ashton and risk something happening to Dominic because of my behavior. Taking ahold of my fork, I picked at my pancakes until I couldn’t fit any more in my stomach. Ashton finished his own breakfast and stood from the table, holding a hand out to me.
“Come on. I want to show you how women should be treated by their husbands.”
“You don’t have to take me anywhere. I’m sure you have to work—wait . . . do you go to work?” My face heated. I just asked a loan shark if he had a job.
He laughed. “Yes, I work, and, no, it’s not all collecting debts for my dad. I own three different restaurants downtown, but I took today off to get you settled. I can deal with the books tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry about me. I can hang out in my room. I won’t get in your way. I just need to make one quick phone call and then I’ll disappear. I left my phone at the apartment, if you wouldn’t mind letting me use one of yours?”
“You can use my phone, but these are the things I’m talking about. This is your home for the next three months. You don’t need to stay in your room, or hide from me.”
“I don’t? I thought you’d want me out of your way as much as possible?”
“No. I want you to enjoy your time here and realize there is another way to live. Now let’s get you a phone.”
He waved his hand, which was still outstretched, and I took it, silently following him down the hall to his study.
“I figured you might want some privacy. I’ll be in the living room when you’re done.”
“Thank you.”
The second the door closed behind him, I picked up the phone and dialed Gretchen’s cell.”
“Hello?” she answered, her voice unsure.
“Gretchen? It’s me.”
“Oh my God.” Her scream was so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. “Elena, are you all right? They said you quit. No one could tell me anything. I didn’t know how to find you.”
Her concern ate at me and I felt the tears slip down my face. “Oh, Gretchen, I’m helping Dominic pay off a debt he owes.”
“What did that fucker do now?”
Telling her seemed like more trouble than it might be worth. I couldn’t have her interfere, but she was my friend and deserved the truth. “He made a deal with the loan shark he owes money to.”
“And what’s the deal?” I could tell by the tone of her voice that her brows were narrowed down over her eyes.
“I . . . umm . . . I have to stay with the loan shark for the next three months,” I rushed out, fumbling over my words.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she yelled. “That’s it. I’m calling the police.”
“No!” I panicked. “Please, Gretchen, I need to do this.”
“So he trades you like that chick off Indecent Proposal and you think that’s okay?”
“It’s not like that. Ashton doesn’t expect me to sleep with him. And if I don’t stay, they’ll do awful things to Dominic.”
“Asshole deserves it,” she mumbled.
“Please, Gretchen, you have to promise me you won’t say anything. If you’re my friend, you’ll do this for me.”