Chapter Thirty-Seven Before—Poppy
| Thirty-Seven |
Before—Poppy
I have another show coming up in four weeks.
Part of a group exhibit, and I plan to include a few pieces that focus on the exploration of the evolution of time, incorporating old pocket watches, calendars, clock radios, and modern technology.
A few of my friends will be coming from New York, and of course Henri and Victor will be there too.
Bennett invited Felicia, but she said she was going to visit her sister that weekend.
But I knew it was because she doesn’t like me.
Despite my best efforts, she hasn’t warmed up to me.
Or maybe my efforts had been less than stellar, but she’s an employee, not a friend, and I find her familiarity off-putting.
But she’s been with Bennett forever, so we pretend to like each other for his sake.
Things have gone back to an even keel with Bennett.
I talked to Isabel about the way he reacted after the show, and she gave me more context for why he behaved the way he did.
I didn’t realize he’d lost his sister and that his father blamed him for it.
Then having his fiancée leave him out of the blue further eroded his confidence.
You’d never know how vulnerable he was by looking at him.
His confident and stoic front is just that, and I knew as well as anyone how easily scars bleed when cut open again.
I was on my way to meet Henri for coffee. I decided to see if Bennett wanted me to bring anything back to him. I was about to knock on his office door, when it opened.
“Hi,” he said, smiling.
I was struck by the sudden urge to show him how much I loved him. I leaned in and kissed him, and he returned the kiss, his arms encircling me.
I started to push him toward the office, thinking it would be spontaneous to make love there, but he stopped me.
“What are you doing?”
“What does it look like? Ravage me on your desk.”
He frowned and pulled back. “You know how I feel about my writing space.”
“Maybe it’ll inspire you to write a sexy scene,” I joked, trying to push my way in again.
He shoved me. Hard. I slammed into the wall. My mouth dropped open in shock. “What’s wrong with you,” I asked, rubbing my arm.
He was immediately contrite. “I’m sorry. Look, I need to get back to work.”
I glared at him. “I’m meeting Henri. I’ll leave you to your privacy.”
“Poppy, please don’t be—”
I walked away before he could finish.
An hour later I was complaining to Henri. “He practically knocked me over. What the hell is the big deal?”
Henri cocked an eyebrow. “I told you, he’s hiding something there. You need to get in and find out what.”
“You think he’s holding someone hostage?” I was joking, but I thought about all the true crime stories where that actually happened. “Don’t answer that. I didn’t mean it,” I said, shaking my head.
“If it was the basement, I’d be worried.
Seriously, I’m sure there’s not a body in there, but something’s strange.
I mean, to have a deadbolt on the door? It’s not like he’s got confidential patient files in there.
It’s creepy AF.” Henri poured me another cup of coffee.
“On second thought, maybe he killed his two fiancées. And he is hiding their bodies.”
My head snapped up. “Two? What are you talking about?”
“That’s what Isabel said. I was giving her the third degree when you were still getting dressed when we were in the city. She told me he’d been engaged twice before, but both women ended up leaving him before the wedding.”
I shook my head. “No, that can’t be right. He was engaged to a woman named Angela, but he would have told me if there was another woman. Two? You must have heard wrong.”
He shrugged. “Call Isabel. But in the meantime, I’d find a way to get into that office.”
I nodded. “There has to be a key somewhere. I mean, he can’t sleep with it.”
Henri grinned. “I’m guessing he’s not wearing any pj’s with pockets in bed.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know very well he’s not wearing anything.”
“TMI,” Henri said, then laughed because we told each other everything.
I finished my coffee, then stood. “I should get going. I need to stop by the gallery and go over the logistics for the upcoming show.
“Vic and I will be there with bells on.”
I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I know you will.”
I called Isabel on my way to the gallery.
“Hey you, how’s it going?” she asked.
“Okay. Just running around getting ready for the show.”
“I’m sorry I can’t be there. I have to go to my dad’s tomorrow for a few weeks. He’s not doing well.”
“I hope he feels better. Listen, I was talking to Henri, and he mentioned that when we were in the city you told him Bennett was engaged twice before. Bennett told me about Angela, but that’s it. Is it true? Was there another?”
My stomach churned as I waited for her to answer.
“I didn’t think it was my place to say anything. It slipped out when I was talking to Henri. I was hoping he wouldn’t say anything.” She paused. “There was Angela and then a couple years later he met Devon.”
My heart sank. Why would he keep that from me? “What happened with her?”
“I never liked her. She was an aspiring model. Full of herself. A few weeks before the wedding she texted him saying she couldn’t marry him. She was moving back to Chicago.”
“Another text?”
“The digital age. The coward’s way out.”
“Iz, seriously. That’s very weird. Don’t you think?”
“I mean Bennett tried to call her, but I guess she blocked him. Her father called him a few days later. Apparently, she never made it to Chicago, and when they checked the flight, she hadn’t gotten on.
It was really hard on Bennett. Maybe that’s why he didn’t say anything.
After that he didn’t date for a long time. Actually, until he met you.”
“That’s so bizarre. She was never found? Do you think something bad happened? People don’t just disappear. Were the police involved?”
“Of course. They never figured it out. It’s been around four years now. So sad. It really messed with his mind. It’s up to you, but I think I’d let him bring it up. Not sure it’s a good idea for you to ask him about it.”
“I’ll think about it. Talk to you later.” I ended the call, shaken. So heartless of both women to end things like that. But then a little voice nagged at me. Why?
When I got home, he was at the stove, stirring something delicious-smelling, a glass of wine on the counter next to him. Jazz streamed on the speaker and the atmosphere was cozy and inviting. He beamed when he saw me, making me feel like his favorite person in the world.
“There’s a glass waiting for you,” he said, pointing to the island. I slid out of my coat, threw it on the chair by the sofa, and sat down on the stool in front of the island.
“Something smells good,” I said, trying to disguise my mood.
“Shrimp scampi over linguine, your favorite.”
“Making up for your boorish behavior earlier?” I asked, my voice light.
He turned and came over to me, kissing me on the lips. “Yes. I’m sorry. I get so involved in what I’m working on, it’s like I turn into a different person. But all good now.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” I replied, arching an eyebrow.
“Everything all set at the gallery?”
“Yes. Not that much to do since I’m only bringing a few pieces, but Elena wanted me to choose which part of the room I wanted.”
“I’m so proud of you, my talented wife.”
We finished dinner and opened another bottle of wine.
A thought occurred to me. Maybe if Bennett drank enough, he’d fall asleep before I did, and I could look for the key.
Between the two of us, it wasn’t unusual to finish a bottle and a half or even two on special occasions.
I decided to make tonight one of those nights, only I’d nurse my glass while pouring more into his.
“Let’s celebrate,” I said.
“That sounds nice.”
We moved over to the sofa, and I brought the bottle.
We finished the bottle, or I should say he did. We went upstairs and made love and he quickly passed out. Once I was sure he was out for good, I slipped from the bed and began to search for the key. I needed to get into that office. I wasn’t going to sleep until I found it.