And talking to you, may I add,” I said with irritation. “You know Isabella, and you know how she can be. She’s pissed off, and she told me to leave the bedroom because she needed space.”Denny got up from the chair and started walking towards the elevator. He stopped, turned around, and shot me a look. “You’ll feel like an ass soon enough.” He smiled.“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I yelled as the elevator doors shut.As I sighed and walked over to the bar to set down my glass, I heard the elevator door open. At first, I thought it was Denny, but I was pleasantly surprised when I looked over and saw Mason and Julia.“There’s my baby girl.” I smiled when I took her from Mason’s arms. “Did you have fun at the park?”“We had a fabulous time. She has made the most amazing friends and all the mannies love her.”I looked at Mason in confusion. “What?”“Once a week, I meet the other mannies with their babies in the park. You wouldn’t believe the stories they tell me about the fami

“Hel—Richard , why is the princess crying like that?”“Mason, I need your help. I’m taking Julia to the office.”“By yourself?” he interrupted.“Yes. I’m stuck in traffic, and she won’t stop screaming. She won’t take the pacifier either.”“You gave her the pacifier? Does Isabella know this?”“No, and you’re not going to tell her either. Help me; I don’t know what to do.”“Do you have any classical music with you?”“I don’t think so.”“Look in the diaper bag. There may be a CD in there.”Reaching in the back, I grabbed a hold of the diaper bag and, as I was bringing it up to the front, items started falling out onto the floor. Julia was still screaming, and I was about to have a nervous breakdown.“There’s no f**king CD in here!” I screamed into the phone.“Richard , I’m sorry, but there’s nothing you can do until you get to the office.”After hanging up, I looked at my phone and had an idea. Still stuck in traffic, I downloaded some classical music onto my phone. Beethoven’s “Ode to J

We sat at the table, waiting for the show to start. Anita was already drunk and so were a few of the girls. I needed a drink and didn’t want to wait for the waitress, so I excused myself and walked up to the large bar that was shared by both sides of the club. As the bartender approached me, I ordered a shot of Jack. He put the shot glass down in front of me and I threw it back, allowing the burning sensation to coat my throat. Suddenly, I was startled by a voice in my ear.“Well, isn’t this a coincidence seeing you here. It must be fate,” the deep voice whispered as his scent captured me and his hot breath warmed my neck.Once again, my heart started beating rapidly as the lower half of me started to ache. “Are you following me?” I asked without turning around.“I was just about to ask you the same question. Do you always come to strip clubs?”“No. I told you before that it’s my best friend’s bachelorette party.”“Ah, that’s right,” he said as he traced little circles on my shoulder

Who the hell did he think he was, starting an argument with me before I even had my first cup of coffee? I slipped on my silk robe and headed towards the kitchen and Richard followed behind.“I’m coming with you; end of discussion. See, now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”“Richard.”He walked over to me, picked me up, and set me on the counter. “Listen to me. You’re my wife and this is something that’s very important to you, and it’s important to me too. ““But—”He cut me off and brought his finger to my lips. “No buts. I love Denny and we’ll be here for his surgery. But I’m getting on that plane with you and we’re going to that art gallery together. I would never miss your first showing, or any showing, and to think that you were going to go by yourself really hurt me, Isabella .”As I stared into his eyes, I could see the hurt in them. What the hell did I do? My eyes started to swell with tears as I wrapped my arms around his neck.“I’m so sorry. I just feel so guilty having to go to

“When did these flowers come?” he asked.“I don’t know. They were delivered when I was out with Anita.Richard pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed it. “Mason, it’s Richard . Were you here when the flowers for Isabella were delivered? I see. Thank you,” he said as he hung up.“He said that when he and Julia got home from the park, they were outside the door.”“Richard , I thought they were from you along with the text messages. Now you’re scaring me,” I said as my bottom lip started to quiver.“Why the hell would I send you text messages from a restricted number?”“I thought you were playing with me.”He sighed as he paced around the kitchen, running his hands through his hair. “These aren’t from me!” he yelled.I couldn’t stand there and be yelled at anymore. I didn’t know what was going on, so I took off up the stairs and went into my bedroom. After I locked the door, I threw myself on the bed, scared and shaking that someone, other than my husband, was saying those things to