More than a Mistress

"What would you call her, then? If she's living in your house?"

Travis opened his mouth, then shut it. He raked his fingers through his hair.

"I don't know what I'd call her," he said. "Hell, that's part of the problem. She's—she's got to be called something, you know what I mean? When I introduce her to people."

"She has a name, right? So just use it."

"No. That's not the point. We're living together, Slade. How do I let people know that?"

"Why should they have to know it?" Slade asked reasonably.

Travis frowned. "Well—well, because she doesn't want to be some kind of secret. You know, as if she doesn't have a real function in my life."

"Trav, man, you are in deep trouble, do you know that?" Travis sighed. "I just need to call her something, kid."

"Your date?"

"Hell, no."

"Your lover, then."

"No, she'd never go for that."

"How about introducing her as your friend?" Travis laughed.

"Well then, the only thing that leaves is that she's your mistress."

Travis shook his head. "She's not. Or maybe she is. The thing is, she's more than a mistress."

"Well, tell her that."

"Yeah?" Travis thought about it. "Yeah," he said slowly, and smiled. "Maybe she'd like to hear that. `Princess,' I could say, `Alex, I just want you to know that you're more than a mistress to me …"

"You son of a bitch!"

He swung around just in time to see Alex's fist blur through the air. She caught him on the chin. He rocked back on his heels, and the phone fell from his hand.

"Princess," he said. "Princess, what...?'

"I am not your mistress, Travis Baron."

"I know." Bewildered, he rubbed his aching jaw. "I said that. You're so much more—"

"You know something, Cowboy? You're a grade-A idiot."

She turned and ran. Travis started after her but he tripped on the phone. By the time he got to the driveway, she was behind the wheel of the Miata.

"Alex," he yelled.

Alex stuck out her arm. Something shiny dangled from her fingertips.

"No," Travis said, "nooo... "

The keys she'd taken from the Porsche arced through the moonlit night and landed in the heavy shrubbery that lined the driveway.

The Miata's engine roared and the car shot forward. "Alex," he shouted, but she didn't even look back. Travis set his jaw. Okay, enough was enough. She wanted to leave him? Let her.

He sat just at the place where the waves came in and kissed the sand. The phone was back in his pocket, and what remained of the wine was in his glass.. He let the cold water curl over his toes while he told himself it was just as well it was over.

Their affair had grown far too complicated. Besides, it would have ended anyway, sooner or later.

Alexandra Thorpe was only a woman. A beautiful woman, sure, but beautiful women were as common in southern California as sand on the beach.

Okay, so she was bright, too. And she had a nice sense of fun. Yeah, and he liked that spirit of hers, he thought ruefully, wincing as he rubbed his chin. And she had a love for life that made each day a joy. He could talk with her, too, about everything, the big stuff and the small. Well, so what? She was still just another woman...

The phone rang. He yanked it from his pocket, heart pounding, put it to his ear—and heard his brother Gage's voice.

Gage sounded bad. Bad enough so that, just for a second, Travis forgot his own troubles.

"Gage? What's the matter, man? You sound—"

"Listen, Trav, I, ah, I just wanted to ask you a question."

"Yeah? Gage, you sure you're okay? You sound—"

"I'm trying to talk quietly, dammit! I don't want Natalie to hear."

"Oh." Travis cleared his throat. "What's up?"

"Well..." Gage cleared his throat, too. "Listen, when one person wants a divorce but the other person doesn't..."

Travis's shoulders slumped as he listened. Gage and Natalie's divorce was still on, even though Gage didn't want t. Well, that was typical, wasn't it? When a woman got a damned fool idea in her head, a man was doomed no matter what he said or did.

"Trav," Gage said, "I know I'm not making sense but this is all so confusing."

"Love, you mean." Travis laughed. "Yeah, it sure is."

"Look, I know you don't understand. I mean, I know you're not in love, that you've never really been in love..."

"Love sucks, man." Travis's voice roughened. "A man loses his equilibrium, turns into some jackass he doesn't recognize. And for what? All so a woman can drive him crazy, turn him into a—a gibbering idiot."