After Dark Read Free Page B

handle it,” she said cutting her off at the pass. “If not, it will have to wait until tomorrow.”
    â€œI wish it could wait. Marva, the part-time therapist, is here. She needs to pick up her check but it’s locked in the safe.”
    Elizabeth groaned. Unfortunately she had no choice. The combination to the safe was only known by the owners. Well, if she hurried, she could dart downstairs and get back up before Ron returned. “I’ll be right there.”
    She rushed onto the main floor of the spa and went to the office downstairs, opened the safe and got the check, then hurried upstairs. Marva was standing there waiting.
    â€œThanks so much, Ellie,” she said, taking the check. “How’s your day off going?” she asked innocently.
    â€œIt’s going.”
    â€œWell, good night.” Marva walked off.
    â€œOh, Elizabeth, before I forget—”
    â€œNo more emergencies.”
    â€œNo, it’s nothing like that. You got a phone call, earlier.”
    â€œDid you take a message?”
    â€œYes, but he said it was urgent that you call as soon as possible. He wanted me to give him your home phone number, but I said I couldn’t do that.”
    â€œWho was it?”
    â€œMatthew Lewis. He said he was your husband.”
    Her heart knocked. Ex, she thought but didn’t say it. “What did he want?”
    â€œHe said that it was an emergency and to please call him.” She handed her the neat message from the pad. All the items on the preprinted pink slip had been checked off: Date, time, name of caller and degree of importance— Urgent.
    Elizabeth took the pink paper, thanked Carmen and went back up to her apartment. She stared at the digits. What did Matthew want and what could be so important?
    Matthew had put her through hell and back. His affair had rocked her to the core and it still stung whenever she thought about it. And it wasn’t so much that he’d had an affair, but how he told her about it. He had wanted to buy her out of the house so that he could move into it with his mistress.
    Her stomach churned just thinking about it. She put the number in the drawer next to the sink. Out of sight, out of mind. Whatever it was, he’d have to figure out how to deal with it himself—just like everyone else!
    By the time she’d finished with the salad and prepared her special dressing, Ron was walking through the door.
    â€œHoney, I’m home,” he sang out.
    Elizabeth smiled. She liked the sound of that.
    They spent the rest of the evening, working, laughing and talking side by side.
    â€œSo, am I forgiven?” Ron asked as they cleaned up after dinner.
    â€œI need to make deals like that all the time,” she said, rubbing her stomach and running her tongue across her lips.
    â€œI take that as a yes.” He took a napkin and wiped the corner of her mouth.
    â€œAnd you would be right.” She kissed him quickly on the lips. “How ’bout a movie?”
    â€œSounds good. I can finish up in here. You go pick something.”
    â€œDrama, comedy, thriller?”
    â€œHmm, thriller. That way, when you get scared you can leap right into my arms.” He winked.
    She shook her head and chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do.” She went off to the living room.
    Ron finished rinsing the dishes and stacking them in the dishwasher, took the clean dishes out of the draining board and put them in the overhead cabinet. Then the silverware. He opened the drawer and quickly realized it was the wrong one. He started to close it but reached for the piece of paper inside. It was one of the spa’s message sheets, complete with the Pause for Men logo.
    That wasn’t what stopped him. It was the date— Today. And it was a message from her ex-husband. Reflexively, his jaw clenched and his mind immediately recapped his first impromptu meeting with Matthew Lewis. He and Ellie had been out all