Doublecrossed by Susan X Meagher Read Free Book Online Page B

she’d been through it a few times, it wouldn’t hurt nearly as much.

    *

    Marina answered her cell phone on the first ring. “What happened?”
    “I think you’d better review your other options because the phone call didn’t turn out very well.”
    Anxiety permeated Marina’s voice. “Tell me everything.”
    “Why don’t you come upstairs, honey?”
    “Don’t want to waste time. What happened?”
    “It wasn’t a horrible conversation, but she didn’t seem very willing to give Angela another chance.”
    “Tell me more! You were on the phone for hours.”
    “I was on for about four minutes. She didn’t seem very interested in talking to me and she seemed really pissed off. Obviously, I don’t know her at all, but if I had to bet, I’d bet that she was finished. She said she felt humiliated.”
    “Over a harmless fuck? What is wrong with people?”
    Callie didn’t comment. To have Marina ask that question indicated a complete lack of understanding of human nature.

Chapter Five

    The tension in the apartment over the next few days was just short of unbearable. Marina was short-tempered and edgy, and for the first time, Callie felt nothing but relief when Marina had to leave for San Antonio early on Thursday morning.
    After Marina kissed her goodbye, Callie gave in to her urges and stayed in bed. She had some phone calls to make and she was working on finishing a book cover for a local publishing company, but she always did better work when she was under the gun. Just having Marina out of the house made her feel better than she had in days, and she found that her libido was just as happy as the rest of her. She spent almost an hour fantasizing about random women while she touched herself from her shoulders to her knees, relishing the sensation of her own body. Afterwards, while she was showering, it occurred to her that she hadn’t had one image of Marina in her fantasy film reel. That was odd for her, very odd. Thinking of Marina was always part of pleasuring herself. And when had she ever been glad to get her out of the house? This wasn’t good news. If she didn’t want Marina at home and she was afraid to have sex with her…there wasn’t much left.

    *

    At ten o’clock that night Marina called and Callie could tell that she had good news just by the way she said hello. “They’re not breaking up!”
    “You talked to Angela?”
    “Yeah, of course I did. The girlfriend sure isn’t going to call me.”
    “Right. Stupid question. Did Angela say what happened?”
    “Not really, and I didn’t ask. All she said was that they were going to try to make it work.”
    “I’m glad. Now maybe you can relax a little bit.”
    “I’m the one who’s glad. I think your phone call made a difference. You’re very persuasive when you want to be.”
    “Maybe she just loves her.”
    “I hope so, and I hope if they ever do break up it’s not because of this. I think I’ve dodged a bullet.”
    “Do you…” Callie was afraid to ask the question, but she had to. She had to know. “Do you talk to her much?”
    Marina answered very quickly. “No. We have to talk about work, of course, but that’s it.”
    That was a lie. It had to be. She knew just how it had gone. Marina had been subtly persistent, calling Angela several times, never about work. Marina wasn’t the kind of person to let the chips fall where they may. And she never let chips fall when she could manipulate them in some way.
    Callie went into her office and tried to concentrate on that book cover that was almost due. Thinking about this mess wasn’t helping. It just made her doubt Marina more, and that wasn’t the direction she wanted to go in.

    *

    Callie was in the kitchen making dinner the next night when Marina arrived home from her trip. As soon as she opened the door she called out happily, “Sweetheart? Where are you?”
    Callie went to the doorway and gave Marina a frankly puzzled look. “I’m right here.”
    Without even