Chapter 21
I n the end, Piedmont lost the argument. Paley assumed her chicken-and-waffles expression and no amount of persuasion on his part would sway her, which was doubly infuriating since rhetorical persuasion was kind of what he was known for. Why was he able to influence a jury of twelve people with the power of his words, but not this one person he paid to do what he said? It was maddening.
As a compromise to Paley remaining in the house, he bought them each a gun and they took shooting lessons together.
“I’m exhausted,” Paley said as they sat side by side on the couch after their first day of shooting.
“But you look cute, and that’s what’s important,” Piedmont said, his tone slightly bitter.
“You have to let it go,” Paley said.
“I’m paying the guy to teach you to shoot, not to flirt with you,” Piedmont said.
“How do you know he was flirting? Maybe he’s merely friendly,” she suggested.
“Oh, please,” he said. “Although he did have a point, you do look cute. Do you know what I want to do now?” He reached for her and pulled her into his lap.
“What?”
“That was it, I just did it. Your turn to think of something.”
“This will do for now,” she said. The last few days they had been hovering in between something yet undefined by either of them. “Are you going to buy a safe like the guy suggested?”
“I don’t think so because we’ll always have our guns on us, which is kind of the point of getting them and learning to use them. A safe is for when there are small children around. Someday I suppose I’ll have to get a safe, if I keep the gun.”
“Oh, right,” she said, suddenly withdrawing into herself and turning pensive.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“What?” he asked, squeezing her thigh.
“I was imagining your future children,” she said.
“And that depresses you why?” he asked.
“Because I’m unable to imagine where I fit in the scenario,” she said. “Will they come visit Weird Aunt Paley, the upstairs maid?”
“Paley, come on,” he said.
“Come on what?” she said.
“You really don’t know where you fit in that scenario?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Would you like me to tell you?”
She nodded, heart thumping. He took her hands in his, and the doorbell rang. With a sigh, he picked up his phone and looked at it, checking the video monitor. “It’s for you.” He held it out to her, showing Aaron on the screen.
She sighed in the same fashion and took the phone, pushing the button to activate the speaker on the front porch. “What do you want, Aaron?”
Aaron frowned. “You really are living here. I didn’t believe it. Wow, okay.”
“Was that all you wanted? To confirm my address?” she asked.
“No, I want to talk to you.”
“Go ahead, I’m listening.”
“Face to face, Paley.”
“I can see your face,” she said. It was still stupidly handsome. Had she been so easily duped by his good looks, or had he laid on the charm so thick she hadn’t seen through it? The thought still bothered her. Where had she gone wrong in her selection of him?
“But I can’t see yours.”
“It still looks the same,” she assured him.
“No, it doesn’t. You got some kind of makeover, and you look…good. You look really pretty, Paley.”
“Thank you.”
“This is fun, thanks for making me a part of it,” Piedmont whispered. She pressed her palm to his mouth, and he kissed it.
“That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
“Aaron, please get to the point. What do you want?” Paley asked.
“I want you to back your lawyer off the assets. I’m going to have to sell the house.”
Piedmont shook his head and whispered, “Equitable distribution.”
“I’m not taking more than my share; it’s equitable distribution,” Paley said.
“I know, Paley, I went to law school. But I’m not going to have anywhere to live, Melinda’s not going to have anywhere to live, and the baby’s due soon.”
Paley held the phone away from her and spoke to Piedmont. “Am I hearing him right? Is he trying to make me feel bad that his pregnant mistress isn’t going to be able to sleep in my bed at night?”
“How can you be so heartless?” Piedmont said. “Next you’ll try to make him believe she’s his responsibility and not yours. The woman is having your husband’s baby. How can you be so cruel?”
Paley rolled her eyes and shook her head, putting the phone back to her face. “Really, Aaron, really?”
“You never even liked the house,” he said.
“All the more reason to sell it and split the proceeds,” she said. “You and your…friend can buy something of your own together.”
“We can’t afford that,” he spat.
“Just like we couldn’t afford the house we bought. I tried to tell you from the beginning it was too much debt. You can rent for a while.”
Piedmont shook his head. “Stop trying to solve his problems. He’s a grown man, presumably,” he whispered.
“I know, but old habits die hard,” Paley whispered.
“While you live here, shacking up in luxury with your new boyfriend.”
Piedmont nodded, smiling now.
“Did you purposely go for him because you knew it would hurt me? I bet you couldn’t wait, I bet you had your sights set on him from the beginning. When did it start? How long have you been together? Because you’re already living with him, and there’s no way you move that quickly, which makes me think it must have started before. Were you seeing him behind my back while we were together?” Aaron demanded.
Paley didn’t answer because she was too busy trotting to keep up with Piedmont as he steamrolled toward the front door. He yanked it open and Aaron blinked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting to see him, even though it was his house.
“You’re going to have to leave now,” Piedmont said.
“I want to talk to Paley,” Aaron insisted.
“You already did. Anything else you have to say can be said to her lawyer.”
“The lawyer you’re paying for, you mean. There’s no way Paley can afford him,” Aaron said.
“Not your business,” Piedmont said.
“She’s my wife,” Aaron argued.
“Not for much longer,” Piedmont replied. “And before you say anything else, I’d like to caution you that you’re coming scarily close to slander, something I and my reputation take extremely seriously.”
“I tried to do this the nice way, but if you want a fight, you’ve got it. And I’m going to win,” Aaron declared.
“Don’t you understand? You sent Paley away; you’ve already lost,” Piedmont said.
Aaron turned and stalked away. Piedmont softly closed the door. “How are you holding up?” he asked Paley.
“I’m fine, it’s just…”
“Just what?” he asked.
“I feel like you’re always rescuing me,” she said.
“You do?” he asked in surprise. He didn’t feel that way. He wasn’t doing anything out of the norm, merely being himself.
She nodded. He opened his arms, and she stumbled into them, snuggling close against his chest. His hand smoothed up and down her spine, and she shivered. “Until this is resolved, I can’t…” she began.
“I know,” he interrupted her. “That doesn’t stop us from being friends.”
“You’re my favorite,” she said.
“Ditto,” he agreed, giving her a squeeze.