Raising the Stakes

“I never said that. All I meant was—”

“I know what you meant. And, trust me, I don’t want it. None of it. Not the dating, not the sex… I’m happy the way I am.”

“I don’t think you are. I think this guy turned you on.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“And why wouldn’t he?” Cassie continued blithely. “There isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t react to a good-looking guy, especially when he makes it clear he’s interested in her.”

“My God, you are so damned sure of yourself!” Dawn slapped her hands on her hips. “Trust me, okay? There are lots of women who feel the way I do.”

“If that’s true, I feel sorry for them. And for you, because it means that bastard husband of yours won the war.”

Dawn glared at Cassie. Then she grabbed the scrunchie and pulled her hair through it. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, you do. If you’re going to judge every guy you meet by the one you lived with, then that bastard still has you under his thumb. Oh, don’t look at me that way. You haven’t said more than three words about him but you don’t have to. Men like him are all the same. They’re control freaks. They’re only happy when they’re telling you what to do. Am I right?”

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

“Maybe it’s time you did. Dawn, you’re letting your ex own you.”

“I keep telling you, he isn’t my ex. I’m still married to him.”

“And I’m telling you that unless you start living your life for yourself, you might as will still be living with him.” Cassie’s voice softened. “Don’t you see that?”

The women stared at each other. Then Dawn turned away and made a show of rearranging the hangers in the closet.

“I know you mean well,” she said in a low voice, “but my situation is—it’s complicated. Even if you’re right—and I’m not saying you are—even if it might be a good idea for me to get out a little, I can’t. I can’t, Cass,” she said, turning to face her friend, her eyes pleading for understanding. “I honestly can’t.”

“Listen to me, okay? You’re not signing on for forever. You meet the man, you have a glass of wine, you smile, he smiles, you talk a little, laugh a little. Heck, you flirt a little and maybe you begin to remember what it’s like to be a woman. You have dinner and then it’s over. You say good-night, you come home, and you have a couple of memories that you can call up in the middle of the night, when you’re feeling alone.” Dawn was shaking her head and Cassie reached out and caught hold of her hand. “Don’t say no without thinking it through.”

“I’m telling you, it isn’t that simple. There are—there are things you don’t know…”

“I don’t suppose you want to tell me what they are.” Cassie sighed. “No. I can see that you don’t.”

“Only because it wouldn’t change things. My life is—it’s—”

“Complicated,” Cassie said, with a wry smile.

“Yes. And it wouldn’t help either of us if I drew you into it.” Dawn squeezed Cassie’s hand. “Thank you, though.”

“For what?”

“For caring about me. For giving me advice.”

“We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends are supposed to care. And if my advice was any good, you’d be heading out the door to meet that hunk who’s expecting you in—” she checked her watch and looked up “—in less than fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen…?” Dawn groaned and made a grab for the phone. She dialed the hotel, reached Gray’s room, paced back and forth while she waited for him to pick up. After five rings, she disconnected. “He’s not there. What now?”

“Call back. Leave a message. Maybe he’s in the shower.”

“Right. In the shower.” The thought of Gray, standing naked under the water, turned her face warm and she swung away from the knowing glint in Cassie’s eye. “Okay. I’ll call back.”

This time, she waited for his voice mail to pick up. Then she left a polite message. She was sorry, she couldn’t meet him, something had come up…

“Of course,” Cassie said, checking her fingernails, “he’s probably already downstairs, waiting for you.”

“Not yet. I’m not supposed to meet him for another ten minutes.”