Dumping Billy by Olivia Goldsmith Read Free Book Online Page B

raise and love.
    Michael was standing in the vestibule. He was wearing pressed chinos, a white Oxford shirt, and a tweed sports coat. It was a little heavy for the season, but Kate had noticed that he was always careful to dress conservatively and just a little “scholarly.” He was both a good-looking and a nice-looking man, just slightly taller than Kate was in her heels, and she liked his abundant curly brown hair. “Hi,” she greeted him, trying to put away her concerns the way she had stuffed Bunny’s wedding invitation into her bag. They kissed, just a peck on the lips. “You’ve had a haircut,” she said.
    “Nope, just had my ears lowered,” he replied.
    Kate wished he hadn’t cut his hair, especially just before meeting Elliot and Brice. It made him the tiniest bit geeky looking, but she put that thought out of her mind as well. Michael looked fine, and he was a decent human being. He had put himself through undergrad and graduate school on scholarships and various jobs. He’d already published papers in important journals and was poised for a brilliant career in academia. He was well-read, well-informed, and well-intentioned, as far as she could tell. The fact that he’d been married—but for only one year, when he was too young to know any better—made him look even better in her eyes. He knew how to commit, even if it had been to the wrong woman.
    Now he looked at Kate, and his deep brown eyes sparkled behind his glasses. “You are breathtaking,” he said, and Kate smiled. The cost of the dress was well worth it.
    “We’d better go,” she said. “Brice hates late guests when he’s cooking.” Despite her words, Michael pushed her gently against the doorway and kissed her. He was a good kisser, and Kate let her tongue and mind wander. Then Max, clothed for the gym, came bounding down the stairs. They pulled apart, but Max, of course, had seen them. He raised his eyebrows as he walked past them, Kate’s lip gloss still on his cheek.
    “Dinner at Elliot’s?” he asked as he walked by and down the stoop. Kate felt a twinge of guilt. Of course, she
was
going to dinner at Elliot’s, but by withholding the information that she was going with an escort, she now looked like a liar. Michael, unaware, took her hand and they walked outside and down the steps.
    Kate couldn’t help but think of her two years in Catholic school. Sins of omission and sins of commission: She thought she remembered they were equal. She promised herself she would find some way to apologize to Max later.
    Now she took Michael’s arm as they walked down the shady street. Chelsea was very pretty west of Eighth Avenue. “Let’s walk through the seminary garden,” Michael suggested. Kate smiled her agreement. At this time of day, the block-size park enclosed by the church and seminary buildings was at its most lovely. They walked arm in arm.
    “Kate, stop for a minute,” Michael said. “I have something for you.”
    He fumbled around with his briefcase straps for a moment. He had given Kate a gift before—an out-of-print English psychology book by D. W. Winnicott. It had been very thoughtful, and just now she expected another book. But instead he took out a small, oblong box wrapped in silver paper. Unmistakably a jewelry box. “Do you know today is our three-month anniversary?” he asked. Kate actually hadn’t, and she was really moved that he had. “I saw this and thought of you,” he said. He handed her the box, which she unwrapped. Once she opened it, a thin silver bracelet with a tiny K hanging from it was revealed. She looked from it to the expectant expression on Michael’s face. It wasn’t anything she would have chosen for herself, but it was very sweet nonetheless.
    “Oh, Michael. Thank you.” They kissed again, and this time there was no interruption.
    “Do you like it?” he asked.
    For a moment, Kate thought of sins of omission again, but even Sister Vincent couldn’t believe they would extend to