Shadowed Ménage (Ménage Series Book 3 of 6)

Chapter 2: The Prize - Joe

Joe

A few weeks later, while in my office, I look up and see Mark standing there. He is exasperated with me because I have been moping around here for weeks. Deidre and I have a daughter, but he refuses to allow me to see them and wonders why I'm upset. Only a man like Mark, who has no morality, would not understand the pain I feel daily.

It's like I'm half the person I was. I've lost them, but this is not over.

He pops in and asks, "Joe, are you coming to dinner? Evelyn is looking forward to it and she wants you there by six, ok?"

Mark has been trying to cheer me up for the past few days, but I'm just very depressed. The man is clueless and thinks this will just blow over, but I'm angry.

Evelyn, his wife, has been calling and asking me to come for dinner constantly. Mark put her up to it, but I finally gave in to her request and agreed.

She caught me at a weak moment, and now I'm stuck having an evening with them.

"Yup, I will be there, boss," I say in a tired tone as he nods and then walks back out the door.

Christ, the last thing I want to do is hang out, talking shop with him tonight. I'll just go, eat and leave. I am not spending time there, pretending that he is not the cause of all of my suffering. Mark does not know that I hate him or that I blame him for ruining my life, because that would prove he was right. He would take it out on my family if he knew I loved her. Now, I have to spend my night off at his house with his strange wacky wife. Fuck, my life sucks.

It's six o'clock on the nose. As I pull up to their Gothic Revival Victorian home, a strange feeling comes over me. The Roth Estate is a large mansion, that is striking with its white and gray rock-covered walls, but at night it looks like the Frankenstein or Dracula's castle with its battlements, parapets, and clover-shaped windows. Then I notice the security cameras which are surrounding the house.

Of course, when you piss off as many people as Mark does, you need to be careful. This place is so eerie, but I promised Evelyn I'd come this evening.

Pulling up under the carport, I park the car and hop out. Walking up the steps, I am greeted by a flash of gold as she hops into my embrace. Evelyn does not get many visitors, so she gets overexcited. Mark's wife is rather stunning in her glimmering gold sequence dress and her long golden hair.

She looks like an angel, so lovely and radiant. How Mark does not see this is beyond me.

"Joe, you're here! I was worried that you wouldn't come, but Mark said you promised, so I knew you would. Thank you for coming to dinner. I made your favorite! Lobster and steak, surf and turf! The best of both worlds." She says like rapid gunfire, and I smile at her.

How this sweet, tiny little woman ended up with Mark for a husband I will never understand. She looks deep into your eyes and sees right into your soul. Evelyn Roth is extremely innocent, yet she married the devil himself.

"Sounds great Evelyn, I am hungry and I've been looking forward to this dinner all day, so I ate a little lunch," I say, trying to act like I want to be here.

She smiles at that, grabs my hand, and walks me inside.

Evelyn shouts, "Mark, Joe is here. Where are you?"

As we walk down the hall, she hasn't let go of my hand yet and this feels awkward, but I don't have the heart to pull my hand away. Evelyn Roth is very childlike, she's very gullible and believes everything that comes out of Mark's mouth. They say opposites attract and, in this case, they could not be more right.