Intentional Fallacy (Book 5)

Chapter 2

The next morning I walked into the kitchen and Jeff was sitting at the table drinking a coffee and reading the newspaper.

"You're up early." I said to him. "and you made coffee."

He looked up from the paper. He watched me as I poured my coffee and then stirred in a teaspoon of sugar. I held the spoon still for a moment and kept my eyes on him. "Where did you go last night? After I left for the meeting?"

"I went back to the studio."

I took the spoon out and laid it on the counter. "It just dawned on me that it was strange that you'd come home just for that short time."

"What are you getting at?"

I walked over to the table and took a section of the paper. I sat down with my coffee. "I don't know. It just occurred to me that you were getting home when I left and then you didn't eat your dinner or—"

"To be honest, I'd forgotten you had your meeting. I had hoped we'd go out to dinner together." He shrugged. "So I went out by myself. Then I went to the studio."
I studied him. I'd like to have said I knew when he lied, but it was very possible that he was constantly lying. "It doesn't matter," I said. I looked down at the paper and pretended to read about the oil crisis.

He touched my hand. It sent an electricity through me. I must have been so conditioned by the pattern of his infidelity. He'd make it obvious, I'd grow hurt or angry and then he'd draw me back. But, I didn't even know I'd stumbled into it.

"Eve, look at me."

I turned to him, took a sip.

"I told you it was over. I'm not seeing her."

"Honestly, I wasn't suggesting--"

"You told me you'd do the same with that guy, stop seeing him. Matt."

"I wasn't having an affair. I didn't sleep with him."
"But you told me you weren't going to see him anymore."

I pulled my hand away. "I told him, all right?" I looked back down.

"It sounds like it was very upsetting for you, Eve. The fact is you slept with him for seven years. Going out with him a couple times a week now is worse than sleeping with him."

I shook my head. I wanted to tell him that yes, it was very upsetting, that Matt was a close friend and what I had with him was no where near the same as the affairs he'd had. Instead I looked at him. "I know when you're lying you know."

He let out a breath. "What am I lying about?"

"I know you're lying."

"Well I'm not."

"I don't care."
"It's obvious you care very much."
"Don't be so sure."

He swallowed down the last of his coffee. "I have to go to work."
I shrugged without looking at him. I turned the newspaper page and pretended to read. "Go ahead."

He stood and started to walk away but then stopped. I felt him just behind me. He put a hand on my shoulder and bent over and kissed my cheek. "I adore you, even when you're being a bitch."

I pulled away from him. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

He touched my cheek. "Kiss me." He said. I looked down for a moment and he ran his hand over the back of my neck, guiding my hair to the side. He leaned close to me.