rightnow.”</p>
”ihechairofthis,jillsaid.shedidntsay,becauseshe</p>
ashrejackheard,hatshedidnttobe</p>
houtadate.</p>
”youtoldyoudberunningaroundstoftheti.”</p>
”butientoffact,</p>
.</p>
”iknhhishair,tobetheknew</p>
jilledaogiveherbutuldnt.”iknow.</p>
butivesleptatotalofonehourityfour.idrove</p>
doylaptopandscadsofpapersogeofclothes,no</p>
b,norazor.ifitrydrivingbaity,illeitheodoff</p>
attheiddleofyourlovelyblacktiedinner.</p>
eitherbepretty.ifeelreallybad,jill.ifi</p>
uldbeintonce,iwould.”</p>
”sheisntyourore.”this,too,lyspoken,another</p>
silestatentoffakheardethiirely</p>
different.heheardedyoufortk.</p>
ivetyourbusinesspartner,beenatyourbusinessdinners,spent</p>
etyhters.</p>
doesntthatsaysothing</p>
haventifinallyetoaoyouthanyourexwfe</p>
davidhadsaidsothingsilar.jasweredheowinkind.”she</p>
ybeextheresnothingexaboutthegirls.theyre</p>
stilldaughters.”nofoginhishat.</p>
”theyreonlythirteenandfifteeherisinaafrobr></p>
herhedayortwoare</p>
ial.hoalonehere,sothatigobacktothe</p>
citytoparty”hecaughtsightofkatherineheadinghisway.”hey,</p>
igottago.ieallysorry,jill.illcallyoulater,okay”he</p>
hungupthephoneanddreselfup.katherinelookedlikesheght</p>
havegottenalittlesleep,certainlyhadfreshenedup.herpantsuit</p>
akeupiaculate,herlongcurls</p>
justso.herexpressionwasallbusiness.</p>
”arethegirlsstillhrachel”heasked.</p>
”theyare.”shetuckedahandinherpantspocket.”areyouheading</p>
baity””no.ijustcelledeverythingsothatibe</p>
here.”shelookedstartledbythat.thensoonecalledhea.</p>
sheso</p>
agrin.</p>
”hoissastep.allbige</p>
teethinadark,darkface,shegavekatherihusupinpassing</p>
andwasgone.</p>
jathephoh.herinefellintostep</p>
besidehihesaid,”youdidntthinkidstay””ididntkno</p>
tothink.alliknorachel.andit</p>
soundedlikeyouteratleavingthanstayingput.shefelt</p>
abahatquie.</p>
”abandoned”heearriage.</p>
racheldid.sheheohecity.”</p>
katherinelookedabouttosaysothing,thenpressedherlipstogether</p>
andsilynodded.</p>
”goahead,”heinvited.”sayyou.”hetired</p>
enough,justfrustratedenough,justopickafight.</p>
shethoughtforanute.one</p>
therew</p>
...</p>