THE GREAT PRETENDER Read Free

himself would ultimately bring everything crashing down around both families.
     
 
     
    Olivia Brooks was also depressed.
    The moment she turned her Toyota Camry into the driveway and realized her father was home, she cringed.
    At twenty-one, Olivia was a very sharp, perceptive young woman. As such, she knew that there was more going on with her father than other people knew. He was always guarded—maybe even surreptitious—and she’d noticed it for years. Her father’s presence always made her uncomfortable, and she found it especially taxing to be around him when he returned from Orlando.
    Now as she opened the garage door, Olivia prepared to have his presence in the house. Oh, boy , she thought. Here we go…
    But t o her surprise, neither her father nor anyone else was anywhere in sight.
    Good . I get to go straight to my room .
     
 
     
    When Reginald awoke , he could hear water running in the bathroom. He smiled as he rolled over and stretched his powerfully built body to its full height.
    Tracy was home.
    He left the bed and went into the bathroom to find his wife bent over the tub. She was drawing a bath. Saying nothing, he walked up close and wrapped his arms around her.
    His palms settled over her breasts.
    Tracy had heard Reginald enter the bathroom, and she mentally prepared herself for his attentions. She only wished she’d had time to do so physically. They were going to make love, and she was already tender from an encounter with Frank that afternoon. She knew it was foolish to see him on the very day Reginald was due back, but when Franklin was determined, he was difficult to resist.
    “You’re home?” she said.
    “Yeah,” replied Reginald. “Do you remember what I told you last night?”
    “Of course I remember, babe.” Tracy kept her back to him but smiled in spite of herself. “Has it been like Chinese algebra all this time?”
    Reggie chuckled. He pressed against her. “What do you think?”
    They made love in the large roman tub.
    Afterward, they showered, and Tracy wanted to faint. She ached beyond belief. She vowed to glue her legs together for a solid month.
    Later, when Reginald went downstairs to the kitchen for food, she lay on the bed and phoned Frank to set up their next interlude. She was disappointed when she got his voice mail…
     
 
     
    Downstairs, as she slipped a plate into the microwave, Olivia smelled her father enter the kitchen. He never wore anything that wasn’t made by Escada , and for that, there wasn’t a scent in the world she recognized more.
    “Hey, Liv, what’s up?” Reginald tapped her shoulder.
    “Nothing much,” she replied. She set the microwave for a minute and a half and then turned. “How long have you been home?”
    “Not long—a few hours. I was beat…I was practically asleep before I hit the bed.”
    Olivia crossed her arms. She willed the microwave to heat faster.
    “What’s for dinner?” asked Reggie, glancing at the stovetop.
    “Leftover salmon.” She rubbed her palms on her sleeves and gazed at nothing in particular…Their kitchen’s wallpaper was nice…The copper pots that hung over the island were very…copper. Olivia faced the microwave again.
    “You won’t believe what I managed to pull off,” said Reginald, checking out the saucepan of salmon. “I can hardly believe it myself, and I haven’t even said anything to your mother yet, but after this next trip to Orlando, I’m going back to my old schedule. I know I’ve been saying it for years, but the time has come…And the first thing I’d like us to do is plan a vacation! We all really need to spend some time together. It’s long overdue.”
    Olivia avoided eye contact. “What was your old schedule? I don’t remember anything but this.”
    “Well, I fly up once or twice a month for meetings and for oversight, and that’s only for a night or two each time. It’ll be rare that I’ll need to stay any longer than that. It’s going to be wonderful. We can