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C
crazy
Guest
Deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance.
-- Oscar Wilde
~
â??But mommy, why canâ??t we come and see daddy too?â? Susie whined, yet again. Irene was beginning to lose her temper. Still, she kept her head, and turned around to look at her two children, who were sitting close together in the back seat of the car.
â??Because mommy and daddy need some special time together. Youâ??ll be able to see daddy when he gets home from work tonight,â? she explained patiently, for the umpteenth time. â??We were with Nana and Papa for an entire week, so Mrs. Jennings is going to help you catch up on your schoolwork. Do you want to fall behind?â? Both children shook their heads. â??Thatâ??s right. And youâ??ll get to play with Freddie and Sara. Itâ??ll be fun. Now go on,â? she nodded her head toward the car door, and the children let themselves out, as she turned around in her seat again. â??Thanks again for taking them, Annette,â? she said to the woman standing on the sidewalk.
â??Oh, itâ??s no problem,â? Annette replied with an easy shrug. She brought her cigarette to her lips and took another a deep pull. â??You tell Randal I said hello. Harry and I would love to have you over for cards this week, catch up a little.â?
â??Weâ??d like that,â? Irene said with a smile. â??Iâ??ll give you a call tonight. Goodbye, Annette.â? She waved, then pulled the car away from the curb and drove away. She was excited to see her husband. Their trip to Myrtle Beach had been fun, even though it was unseasonably cool, and it had been great to see her parents, but it wouldâ??ve been so much nicer if Randal had been able to goâ?¦ Irene understood that he was a busy man, an important man, and that it wasnâ??t always a cinch for him to get time off work. Still, she wouldâ??ve liked to take a family vacation with the entire family, dad included. She wondered, for a moment, what heâ??d been doing while she was gone. He was used to coming home to a home-cooked meal already on the table, so he must have survived on sandwiches and beer for the past seven days. No, no; he could have asked Maureen, their caretaker, to make him something. Thatâ??s right, Irene had told her to run the house while she was gone, she remembered now. Randal wouldâ??ve been reasonably well taken care of. The food might not have been as good, and he certainly wouldnâ??t have had all the comforts that a wife can give (at least hopefully not), but his suits wouldâ??ve been cleaned and pressed, and Maureen wouldâ??ve kept everything clean and tidy for him.
Irene found that, as she pulled into the parking lot of the Rhodes & Freeman ad agency, she was growing more and more excited by the minute. Truth be told, sheâ??d missed her husband terribly. Her mother was quite right when she said that once you marry, you become two halves a whole. Irene didnâ??t like being separated from her other half for very long.
â??Mrs. Huntington! I wasnâ??t expecting you, what a pleasure,â? Randalâ??s secretary, Charlie, exclaimed as Irene approached. She stood up and walked around the desk to greet the other woman. â??Heâ??s a little busy, but Iâ??ll buzz him. Iâ??m sure heâ??ll be happy to see you. May I take your coat?â?
â??No, Iâ??m fine, thank you. Will he be long?â? Irene asked.
â??No, not at all. He was just entertaining Mr. Casey for a fewâ??â?
Just then, as Charlie was about to put her finger on the intercom and inform Mr. Huntington that his wife was here to see him, the door to his office opened, and a rather dapper, dark-haired young man emerged. â??My goodness, Irene, you look a vision today!â? Casey said, looking her up and down discreetly, but appreciatively. He took her hand and kissed the top of it.
Irene blushed, and smoothed the front of her beautiful blue dress. The few times sheâ??d met him, sheâ??d always found Robert Casey charming, perhaps even a bit too charming. From what Randal had told her, he could come off a bit strong with the ladies, as wealthy bachelors often do. Still, she smiled at him. â??Thank you, Robert. How are you?â?
But Irene wasnâ??t really listening to him. Over his shoulder, she happened to witness an exchange between Charlie and Randal, who had just come out of his office. The young woman was speaking to him in low tones, probably talking to him about upcoming meetings or conferences, but in Ireneâ??s mind, there was clearly nothing remotely professional about the conversation they were having. Charlie was standing too close to him. Furthermore, who had permitted her to wear a blouse that tight to the workplace? It was just desperate. She had her hands on the lapels of Randalâ??s jacket, smoothing them down, and when she reached up to straighten his tie, her fingertips brushed the side of his neck and lingered there just a bit too long.
Irene didnâ??t like it. She didnâ??t like it all. More than once, in recent months, she had suspected her husband of infidelity, but never had she really taken her suspicions seriously. It was quite obvious that this girl had a crush on Randal, Irene could tell from the look in her eyes. It was soâ?¦ inappropriate. Irene knew that she was jumping to conclusions far too quickly for her own good, but she couldnâ??t help but look at Charlie with distaste as she sat down at her desk once more.
â??â?¦ and my sister, Alice,â? Casey concluded with a laugh. Irene smiled faintly and gave a little chuckle, though she didnâ??t know what she was supposed to be finding so funny. â??Well, it was truly a pleasure seeing you, Irene.â? He grinned at her, and left.
The moment Irene saw her husband, most of her uncertainties melted into the back of her mind. She threw herself into his arms and embraced him tightly, giving him a little peck on the lips. Usually she had to get on her toes to do so, but her white high heels gave her some extra height this afternoon. â??Itâ??s so wonderful to see you,â? she said, looking up at him with a radiant smile. â??I missed you so much, we all did. I wish you couldâ??ve been there. It was a little cold, but beautiful. The kids had a great time. My parents send their love, as always. My mother even sent us home with a tin of those shortbread cookies you like so much,â? she told him. She could feel somebodyâ??s eyes on her, and she glanced to the side, only to see, of course, Charlie watching them from the corner of her eye. The girl, realizing she was caught, flushed and looked back to her typewriter immediately. Irene was instantly unsettled. The warm glow of their reunion was quickly turning into something sinister.
She cleared her throat and looked back up at Randal. She took a step away from him, toward his open office door. â??Could we have a quick drink?â? Irene asked hopefully. â??Or are you too busy? I just wanted to come by and see you myself. I donâ??t have to stay.â?
â??Mr. Huntingtonâ??s three oâ??clock meeting was switched to four, so youâ??ve got a few moments,â? Charlie interjected, almost mindlessly, without removing her eyes from the page she was typing.
â??Alright. Thank you, Charlie,â? Irene said, and she was trying so hard to sound polite that it had quite the reverse effect. She walked into the expansive, well-decorated office, and her first stop was the mini bar. Damn it, she needed a stiff drink. She poured herself a stout glass of vermouth and turned around to stare at her husband. She put her free hand on her waist and cocked her hip. â??You and Charlie are certainly friendlier than I remember,â? she remarked dryly, and knocked back half of her drink. â??I hope Iâ??m not interrupting any plans the two of you mightâ??ve made.â? Her tone was unmistakably bitter. Irene was usually a sweet and lovely housewife, but she had a decidedly ugly jealous streak, and for good reason. Randal worked in an office full of beautiful women, all waiting on his beck and call. She was sure that she wasnâ??t the first wife of a Rhodes & Freeman employee with concerns. Irene watched him closely, and swirled the contents of her glass before downing the rest of it. â??She shouldnâ??t touch you like that,â? she added, almost as if she were trying to back up her case. â??Itâ??sâ?¦ itâ??s unprofessional.â?
-- Oscar Wilde
~
â??But mommy, why canâ??t we come and see daddy too?â? Susie whined, yet again. Irene was beginning to lose her temper. Still, she kept her head, and turned around to look at her two children, who were sitting close together in the back seat of the car.
â??Because mommy and daddy need some special time together. Youâ??ll be able to see daddy when he gets home from work tonight,â? she explained patiently, for the umpteenth time. â??We were with Nana and Papa for an entire week, so Mrs. Jennings is going to help you catch up on your schoolwork. Do you want to fall behind?â? Both children shook their heads. â??Thatâ??s right. And youâ??ll get to play with Freddie and Sara. Itâ??ll be fun. Now go on,â? she nodded her head toward the car door, and the children let themselves out, as she turned around in her seat again. â??Thanks again for taking them, Annette,â? she said to the woman standing on the sidewalk.
â??Oh, itâ??s no problem,â? Annette replied with an easy shrug. She brought her cigarette to her lips and took another a deep pull. â??You tell Randal I said hello. Harry and I would love to have you over for cards this week, catch up a little.â?
â??Weâ??d like that,â? Irene said with a smile. â??Iâ??ll give you a call tonight. Goodbye, Annette.â? She waved, then pulled the car away from the curb and drove away. She was excited to see her husband. Their trip to Myrtle Beach had been fun, even though it was unseasonably cool, and it had been great to see her parents, but it wouldâ??ve been so much nicer if Randal had been able to goâ?¦ Irene understood that he was a busy man, an important man, and that it wasnâ??t always a cinch for him to get time off work. Still, she wouldâ??ve liked to take a family vacation with the entire family, dad included. She wondered, for a moment, what heâ??d been doing while she was gone. He was used to coming home to a home-cooked meal already on the table, so he must have survived on sandwiches and beer for the past seven days. No, no; he could have asked Maureen, their caretaker, to make him something. Thatâ??s right, Irene had told her to run the house while she was gone, she remembered now. Randal wouldâ??ve been reasonably well taken care of. The food might not have been as good, and he certainly wouldnâ??t have had all the comforts that a wife can give (at least hopefully not), but his suits wouldâ??ve been cleaned and pressed, and Maureen wouldâ??ve kept everything clean and tidy for him.
Irene found that, as she pulled into the parking lot of the Rhodes & Freeman ad agency, she was growing more and more excited by the minute. Truth be told, sheâ??d missed her husband terribly. Her mother was quite right when she said that once you marry, you become two halves a whole. Irene didnâ??t like being separated from her other half for very long.
â??Mrs. Huntington! I wasnâ??t expecting you, what a pleasure,â? Randalâ??s secretary, Charlie, exclaimed as Irene approached. She stood up and walked around the desk to greet the other woman. â??Heâ??s a little busy, but Iâ??ll buzz him. Iâ??m sure heâ??ll be happy to see you. May I take your coat?â?
â??No, Iâ??m fine, thank you. Will he be long?â? Irene asked.
â??No, not at all. He was just entertaining Mr. Casey for a fewâ??â?
Just then, as Charlie was about to put her finger on the intercom and inform Mr. Huntington that his wife was here to see him, the door to his office opened, and a rather dapper, dark-haired young man emerged. â??My goodness, Irene, you look a vision today!â? Casey said, looking her up and down discreetly, but appreciatively. He took her hand and kissed the top of it.
Irene blushed, and smoothed the front of her beautiful blue dress. The few times sheâ??d met him, sheâ??d always found Robert Casey charming, perhaps even a bit too charming. From what Randal had told her, he could come off a bit strong with the ladies, as wealthy bachelors often do. Still, she smiled at him. â??Thank you, Robert. How are you?â?
But Irene wasnâ??t really listening to him. Over his shoulder, she happened to witness an exchange between Charlie and Randal, who had just come out of his office. The young woman was speaking to him in low tones, probably talking to him about upcoming meetings or conferences, but in Ireneâ??s mind, there was clearly nothing remotely professional about the conversation they were having. Charlie was standing too close to him. Furthermore, who had permitted her to wear a blouse that tight to the workplace? It was just desperate. She had her hands on the lapels of Randalâ??s jacket, smoothing them down, and when she reached up to straighten his tie, her fingertips brushed the side of his neck and lingered there just a bit too long.
Irene didnâ??t like it. She didnâ??t like it all. More than once, in recent months, she had suspected her husband of infidelity, but never had she really taken her suspicions seriously. It was quite obvious that this girl had a crush on Randal, Irene could tell from the look in her eyes. It was soâ?¦ inappropriate. Irene knew that she was jumping to conclusions far too quickly for her own good, but she couldnâ??t help but look at Charlie with distaste as she sat down at her desk once more.
â??â?¦ and my sister, Alice,â? Casey concluded with a laugh. Irene smiled faintly and gave a little chuckle, though she didnâ??t know what she was supposed to be finding so funny. â??Well, it was truly a pleasure seeing you, Irene.â? He grinned at her, and left.
The moment Irene saw her husband, most of her uncertainties melted into the back of her mind. She threw herself into his arms and embraced him tightly, giving him a little peck on the lips. Usually she had to get on her toes to do so, but her white high heels gave her some extra height this afternoon. â??Itâ??s so wonderful to see you,â? she said, looking up at him with a radiant smile. â??I missed you so much, we all did. I wish you couldâ??ve been there. It was a little cold, but beautiful. The kids had a great time. My parents send their love, as always. My mother even sent us home with a tin of those shortbread cookies you like so much,â? she told him. She could feel somebodyâ??s eyes on her, and she glanced to the side, only to see, of course, Charlie watching them from the corner of her eye. The girl, realizing she was caught, flushed and looked back to her typewriter immediately. Irene was instantly unsettled. The warm glow of their reunion was quickly turning into something sinister.
She cleared her throat and looked back up at Randal. She took a step away from him, toward his open office door. â??Could we have a quick drink?â? Irene asked hopefully. â??Or are you too busy? I just wanted to come by and see you myself. I donâ??t have to stay.â?
â??Mr. Huntingtonâ??s three oâ??clock meeting was switched to four, so youâ??ve got a few moments,â? Charlie interjected, almost mindlessly, without removing her eyes from the page she was typing.
â??Alright. Thank you, Charlie,â? Irene said, and she was trying so hard to sound polite that it had quite the reverse effect. She walked into the expansive, well-decorated office, and her first stop was the mini bar. Damn it, she needed a stiff drink. She poured herself a stout glass of vermouth and turned around to stare at her husband. She put her free hand on her waist and cocked her hip. â??You and Charlie are certainly friendlier than I remember,â? she remarked dryly, and knocked back half of her drink. â??I hope Iâ??m not interrupting any plans the two of you mightâ??ve made.â? Her tone was unmistakably bitter. Irene was usually a sweet and lovely housewife, but she had a decidedly ugly jealous streak, and for good reason. Randal worked in an office full of beautiful women, all waiting on his beck and call. She was sure that she wasnâ??t the first wife of a Rhodes & Freeman employee with concerns. Irene watched him closely, and swirled the contents of her glass before downing the rest of it. â??She shouldnâ??t touch you like that,â? she added, almost as if she were trying to back up her case. â??Itâ??sâ?¦ itâ??s unprofessional.â?