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crazy about James Rhee, and I wouldn't want to discourage you, or anything, but... she hesitated,
as if worried about saying whatever it was.
I finished the set we were doing, and took a short break as I wiped my face with a towel.
But? I prompted.
She flushed, and shrugged again. Oh, it's probably nothing, but someone told me that
he's well married."
I felt a stab of shock go through me, but I kept it out of my expression. So? I prompted
quietly.
She lifted her brows and drew a deep breath, and she wiped her own face. So, this person
said that he has a wife in Korea, and I thought maybe you should know."
"Why should I? I asked nonchalantly, drying my neck.
She shrugged. I thought you two were well Hilary said he pays an awful lot of
attention to you."
"He does. But he pays an awful lot of attention to his other instructors, too. I sank onto
the mat to warm down.
She sank down beside me and said quickly, Oh, don't mind me. I just didn't want the
same thing happening to you that happened to her."
"Who are you talking about? I asked quietly.
"Ella Wainwright. Didn't you know that she and he had a hot thing going a couple of years
ago? Everyone knows that, she blinked, probably thinking I was some sort of dunce. I thought
you knew."
I shrugged. Hilary said something about them striking it off once, but I pay little
attention to gossip, I hinted quietly, doing waist twists from a sitting position.
"Striking it off? she shook her head. It was a little more than that. Ella tried to commit
suicide over the man."
I stopped exercising and gazed at her quietly. Obviously she didn't try very hard."
She blushed. Well, the way she talks about it, you'd think he and she had made all sorts
of plans to get married, and then he sprang this wife on her, and it nearly killed her. Oh, she
seems hard-boiled, but it really got to her when he dropped that bombshell on her, I'll tell you.
I've never seen anyone cry so in my life."
I somehow managed to get through the rest of the class, but I felt utterly violated. Totally
stunned. When it came time to go to the weight room for my workout, I told Maria that I was
suffering from a violent headache, and that I needed to go home and lie down. I slipped away and
drove home in a shroud of numb anger. Married. He was married? Not divorced married. The
rotten bastard!
Chapter Thirteen
Matasi had called the school and had told me that he would be gone shopping with
Merrick for some things, and that he would not be in to help with my training, so I didn't expect
to see them when I stepped into my apartment. The place was quiet, and I locked the door
behind me and went into my bedroom. I noted that the phone had messages to be picked up, but
I figured it might be James, and I didn't want to talk to him just now. I was feeling slightly
nauseated.
I calmed my rolling stomach and washed my hot face with icy water. I could hear the
phone in the bedroom, but I ignored it. I went into the kitchen to fix myself something to ease
the sick feeling in the pit of my belly and decided that the old bottle of scotch on the top shelf
looked like it might help. I poured a small dollop into my coffee and drank with a shudder. How
on earth anyone could enjoy this stuff was beyond me. I had kept it for some time because it had
been a gift from someone at the office. It did seem to ease my upset stomach, though, so I had
another swallow.
I heard the phone ringing again and walked into the living room with my coffee. I heard
James voice asking me to pick up if I was home, and after a while, it rang again and then again.
Didn't the creep have anything better to do than call up women? After the fifth time I picked up
the receiver and hung it up, then took it off the hook entirely.
I went into the bedroom and kicked off my shoes. To hell with all men. Except maybe
Matasi. I crawled on top of my quilt, sank into the soft bed with a groan of self-pity, and began to
sob softly. I was in love with him, damn it. I hated him.
* * * *
I heard the door buzzer, and I lifted my head groggily from my pillow. I had latched the
door chain. Maybe Matasi and Merrick were locked out. I rose from the bed and managed to
walk a semi-straight line into the living room, and I opened the chain-latched door a crack. Oh
it's you! I said dully, and I closed the door in his face, re-locking it. I started to walk away, and
was startled as he pounded the door with his fist.
"Lisa, dammit. Open this door, he called out.
"Go away and leave me alone."
"I'll break the goddamn thing in if you don't open it right now, he said angrily.
"You wouldn't dare. I rasped, frowning.
"You have until I count to three to open it one..."
I glared at the door, and I called out, I said, go away."
" two..."
I swallowed hard. He was actually thinking about smashing my door in! That would be
just peachy. I reached for the knob and let it come open to the extent of the chain. Can't you
take a hint? I don't want to see you. In fact, I don't ever want to see you as long as I live. Now
just go away and leave me be."
I started to close the door again, but the door shoved inward with a cracking sound as the
chain and its anchor came flying off the doorjamb. I gasped and swallowed hard as he closed the
door behind him, and stood staring at me, hands on lean hips, his face red.
"Okay, what have I done this time? he asked when his breathing had calmed a little.
I didn't want to look at him. You need me? I whispered scathingly, anger overflowing.
Well, next time you need a woman, go call your wife."
He seemed stunned by my statement, and I glared across the space between us. Wife?"
"Yes. The one you keep safely tucked away in the mother country. I know all about her,
I rasped, crossing my arms over my chest defensively.
He eyed me oddly. You've had something to drink."
"I didn't think it would matter if I had a little drink. After all, I was celebrating your
wedding the other one, I hiccupped.
But instead of being angry and yelling at me or admitting he was married, his expression
changed slightly, and he smiled slowly. You're jealous."
I exploded. I swung at his face, but the alcohol had dulled my reflexes, and he saw it
before it struck. He ducked and caught my wrist, and so I snapped the other one even faster,
catching him in the jaw. He swore under his breath, and before I could even think, I was flat on
my back on the floor, with his considerable weight pinning me to the carpet. He was astride my [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]