3

"Was that Gideon? Who is the woman with him?"

"A client. She has a relative who needs reconstructive surgery and wants him to do it"

"And she couldn't call his office?"

Thalia shrugged "She did but he's fully booked. So she decided to try her luck and see if he could find time for her" She understood why the woman sought him out. Didn't people follow her around asking if she could take their cases? Sometimes she did and other times she sent them to her colleagues or even turned them down. It was the same with her husband. He was famous and damn good at his job. Anyone would want him to be their doctor. If only Cameron could understand that plastic surgery wasn't about body enhancement alone.

Gideon treated people malformed by diseases or medical conditions. He helped them regain their confidence and she thought what he did was noble. Especially since most of the reconstructive surgeries he'd performed were for nonprofit organizations and free clinics. She would find time to explain everything to Cam.

"So how come you have time to hang out in the middle of a workday? I'm surprised Tanner let you leave"

Thalia scrunched her face up "I took the afternoon off because I had to go to the hospital"

At that, Jess sat up "Why? Are you sick?"

"No. Just a regular checkup. How's Maurice?" She changed the subject before her friend started overreacting.

"I don't know. We broke up"

"What? Why? When?"

"A few days ago. He moved to Paris yesterday"

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"We just didn't click anymore. The spark between us fizzled out. Even sex with him was bland so I decided to cut him off"

Thalia sat back, her mind racing. Was it okay to break up with someone because sex between you wasn't enjoyable anymore? If that was grounds for a break-up then shouldn't she have broken up with Gideon years ago? But she believed there was more to a relationship than sex. There was companionship, having a confidant, someone you could go home to and rely on. So what if their spark had also fizzled out? They still enjoyed each other's company. Besides, why would she care about sex at the age of forty? They were getting old. Some things were better left for the younger generation. But even after convincing herself that, she still asked,

"Was that the only reason?"

"Now why does that sound like an accusation? Sweetheart, not everyone is lucky enough to find someone like Gideon"

"No, I didn't mean that. I just... I think sex with Gideon has been bland for a while now"

Jess scoffed "What? No way. Have you seen the way that man looks at you?"

"How does he look at me?"

"Like you're his universe. There's no way anything with him is bland. It's either you're both too busy or you need to up your game."

She wasn't wrong. They were busy but it had been a while since he'd touched her. She couldn't remember the last time they had sex. Between his job, hers, and his mood swings, they hadn't been intimate for weeks. And even though she knew it was nothing, she didn't like the way the woman from earlier had called him darling. Or how she'd touched him. 

Not once had she been jealous of his interactions with other women. He was surrounded by them all day but in the end, he went back to her. She was his wife. Besides, he was too busy to be with someone else.

"Earth to Thalia" Jessica snapped her fingers in front of her face "Don't overthink it. Let's get some lunch and then go shopping. There's nothing a sexy lingerie and intimate dinner won't fix"

Thalia believed her friend. She bought a few pieces but was surprised she had to get a size smaller. Her son had been right about her losing a lot of weight. Maybe that was the reason her husband didn't find her sexy lately? On her way home, she passed by a pharmacy and bought appetite stimulants. Telling herself she would gain weight and go back to her old self in no time.

When she got home, she decorated their bedroom with candles but left them unlit. Then she took a bath, prepared herself, and put on one of the pieces she bought. A silk lace trim babydoll lingerie. She put on a matching robe, thinking to surprise Gideon when he arrived and got in bed. But then she fell asleep. The next morning, he was already gone before she woke up.

Thalia wondered if she was making a mountain hill out of nothing. Why didn't he wake her up? The candles were still where she left them. She was still dressed in the lingerie. He was observant so he must have known it was new and that she was planning on surprising him. Even if he was also tired yesterday, why didn't he wake her up in the morning? Without thinking, she grabbed her phone and dialed the investigator they used for the firm.

"Good morning, Ma'am. What can I do for you?"

"Davis, I want you to look into someone for me. It's personal"

"Understood. Name?"

"Gideon Thane" there was a beat of silence before the man asked,

"What am I looking for?"

"Anything and everything you can find." She refrained from saying affairs because she refused to believe he would cheat on her. They'd talked about it before getting married and she'd told him to ask for a divorce if he thought he didn't want her anymore. His distance had something to do with his work or money problems. He never liked taking money from her and he even went as far as to pay her back so she wouldn't think it was the reason he'd married her. He was probably stressed and didn't know how to approach her.

"Okay, Ma'am. I'm on it"

"Davis?" She said, waiting for a few seconds to pass before saying "Not a single word about this to anyone. Not even Tanner"

"Yes Ma'am"

She took the day off. Mainly because she felt tired but also because she needed time to get her thoughts together. After Cam and Celia left for school, she went through her bedroom. Looking for anything out of place.

"I must be insane," she told herself an hour later. What had gotten into her? Why was she suddenly suspecting Gideon? They'd been together for more than fifteen years. He would be hurt if he knew she was suspecting him. Shaking her head, she took a shower and went downstairs. Pamela was in the kitchen with the other staff taking their breakfast.

"Are you okay?" The older woman asked leading her to the dining room. For as long as Thalia could remember, Pamela had always been there. She'd started working for them when Thalia was three and during her teenage years, she had even tried to match the poor woman with her father. But they hadn't been interested in each other so she gave up. Pamela was a mother figure to her and she'd agreed to move in with them after she gave birth to Cameron.

"Gideon said you looked tired yesterday and he insisted we make sure you had breakfast this morning"

"When did he get home?"

"His usual time. Around seven."

She groaned "I can't believe I slept through the night"

"You must have been exhausted. Can you slow down? With Tanner at the law firm, you have nothing to worry about. Why do you work so hard?"

"I promise once the case I'm working on ends, I'll take a long vacation"

Pam snorted "Empty promises. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Eggs. Scrambled with Mayo"

~~~

Thalia spent the rest of the day lounging around. Surprisingly, she wasn't in the mood to work. Which was a first for her. With nothing to do, she ended up watching trashy reality TV. Come lunchtime, her appetite disappeared again so she skipped it. At some point, she fell asleep on the couch and woke up in Gideon's arms as he was carrying her upstairs.

"You're home early," She said nuzzling her nose in the crook of his neck. For someone who worked in a hospital, he sure smelled nice. She knew he showered at the hospital because she'd once complained about how he smelled when she was pregnant with Cameron.

"Pamela said you didn't go to work. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I was just tired and needed a few hours of rest"

"Why don't you consider quitting the firm and taking a proper rest? You're so light it's concerning"

"I'll have you know I had a heavy breakfast today" he placed her on the bed and tried to move back but she tightened her arms around his shoulders. "Do you know what's even more concerning?"

"What?"

"The fact that you didn't wake me up yesterday. Should we start looking for help?"

"Help? For what?"

"I'm talking about the little pills that might help you get excited"

His eyes narrowed "I promise you I don't need them"

"Yet"

He climbed on top of her and settled between her legs. "Is there anything about this that indicates I need assistance?" Gideon asked rubbing himself against her thigh. Letting her feel his erection. Thalia unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders. He bent down to kiss her, his hands sliding her dress up. His need for her must have been too great because he didn't bother undressing her. Pushing her panties aside, he slid inside her and made love to her. Calling her 'Lia' as he spilled his seed inside her.

Just like that, her doubts fell away. She thought of how crazy she was for suspecting him. There was nothing wrong with their marriage. Tomorrow she would ask Davis to stop investigating him. Gideon still loved her as much as she loved him.

The following days were blissful. He sent her flowers at work, they went on dates in the evening and he made love to her every night. Thalia forgot about everything. Including her hospital visit and calling the investigator off. So that when her test results came out a week later, she was caught off guard.

"Mrs Thane, I appreciate you coming in today. We have your test results back, and I want us to go through them together.

"That sounds ominous" she joked and when the doctor only smiled, her stomach dropped. "What did you find? Is it bad?"

"There are some concerns, yes..."

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