Taking Chances Read Free Page B

said.
    “Hey, how are you?” he asked, and I could tell he was genuinely worried about me.
    “OK, now. Well, getting there, I guess. Is Natalie home?”
    “No, at work. Greg?”
    “At work,” I said. He made that same “hmph” noise from the hospital and walked into his backyard, pushing his mower into the shed.
    “Harvey, I don’t get it. Why would you suspect them of cheating? And together? I’m not proud of this, but I went through Greg’s phone last night, and there’s nothing at all incriminating in there. The texts between them are all about work stuff.” I put my hands on my hips, waiting to hear more gibberish from him.
    “I’ve also gone through Natalie’s phone, and her Facebook, and her pockets— and nothing. But I’ve got this feeling, Audrey,” he said, running his hands through his hair. He was wearing basketball shorts and no shirt. He’s an attractive guy and Natalie knew that, so why would he worry?
    “A feeling? All of this because of a feeling? There has to be something else.”
    “I’ll tell you. A few months ago I was going to the gym a lot. I made a friend— this girl named Ava. So Ava and I started going to the gym at the same time and having lunch afterward sometimes. I kept it from Nat at the beginning because I didn’t want her to worry about something that was only a friendship. But then she found out by snooping on my phone. I swear nothing ever happened between us. It wouldn’t have anyway, since I’m pretty sure she’s a lesbian. I told Natalie this, but she didn’t believe me. After that I noticed Nat herself started going to the gym, working out, and she dyed her hair, remember? She started working late. More and more often.”
    “She didn’t tell me any of this.”
    “Maybe she was embarrassed. Who knows? Anyways, the sex was off the table between us for a while because she was upset I hid this friendship with Ava. Understandably. I know I should have told her about the friendship, and I get it. I apologized many times, and I was sure she had forgiven me. We even had sex again, but suddenly it stopped. She hasn’t let me touch her in over two months, always saying something about being tired from work. I try to talk to her, but she insists she’s tired and that I have to give her some space for now because she’s stressed.”
    “Well, I can see how two months is a long time, but that doesn’t mean she’s cheating on you. She has a very stressful job, and I know when I’m anxious about something, the last thing I want is to have sex.”
    “I get it, but it still made me suspicious. So like I told you, I searched her stuff, but nothing. Natalie is a smart woman. If she were to have an affair, she’d know how to cover it up, much better than I ever could. She’s smarter than me. So I have these suspicions, right? Nothing concrete, until about a week ago. Do you remember the barbecue at Jeanette and Marco’s house?”
    “Yes, it was the six of us.” Jeanette and Marco also live along the lake and us three couples hang out and go to dinner together often. We had all planned for St. Thomas, actually, but Jeanette couldn’t take the time from work, and now it was the four of us going. One big happy family— if only Harvey could shake this silly idea from his head.
    “So Marco and I are at the grill, you and Jeanette are by the bar figuring out the margarita situation, and I see your husband and my wife talking by the pool. Nothing wrong with them talking right? Except that moment when it all clicks. I see it in Greg’s eyes. He wants her. I’m a guy. I know when a guy wants a woman, and he had it. She was being her normal friendly self until he spilled his beer on his shirt. Natalie patted his shirt, just like she would to me. Would you pat my shirt if I spilled something on it?” He was almost demanding me to answer the question.
    “I’m sure you’re blowing this out of proportion. Maybe Greg was drunk, and maybe he was admiring Natalie. She’s