The Secret Liaison Read Free Page A

grandfather.  The door to his study opened suddenly and in walked Julia.  She looked refreshed; her hair was done and she was dressed as if she was going to a luncheon in her smart hounds tooth skirt and red top.  The sign that things were still not right with her were the redness of her grey eyes. 
    She walked towards Joshua never losing eye contact with him as she took a seat as if she was there for a scheduled meeting.  The thickness in the air was too much for Joshua.  He continued to rub on the desk as he stared in his wife eyes and said “Are you ready to tell me what is going on with you Julia.” She cleared her throat already making up her mind that she was strong enough to get through this.  She was a Custis and Custis women could face any challenge; even this.  Holding her head up nice and strong and sticking her chest out to encourage her speech she said “I am pregnant.” Joshua stopped rubbing the desk as a smile broke out from his heart to his eyes and he shouted “That’s wonderful Julia! I am so excited oh my God why are you crying and sad this is wonderful news!”  He jumped up from his seat to make his way over to his wife; he couldn’t remember when he had been so happy.  Before he could make it all the way around the desk she yelled “It’s not yours Jo… The baby is not yours!”
    The ringing of the phone brought him back from his nightmare.  Thinking about that time in his life was more painful than he wanted to admit to anyone.  Picking up the phone he said more forcefully than he planned “Hello!” The caller was a reporter with the Ledger and wanted to know if he wanted to comment on his son’s marriage to Dirk Dublin’s daughter.  Before Joshua could hang up on him the reporter went on to comment that the rumor mill was saying that Dublin was his archenemy and now Dublin’s daughter was half owner of his family’s business.  Once the reporter came up for breath Joshua took his frustration out on him “Your rumor mill knows nothing about my family and I would suggest you get your facts straight before I sue the Ledger and you personally.” He slammed the phone down so hard that it cracked in two places.  He was beyond pissed and could feel his pressure rising.  He was sixty years old and stress was wrecking havoc on his system causing him to have heart palpitations.  Joshua looked back out the window of his study and took some slow smooth breathes of air.  He could feel his heart regulating just as Julia walked into the room and said “Jo what are you up too?  You have been closed up in here all day.”  She had her arms folded across her ample chest with a look of annoyance grazing her beautiful features as she continued  “You can’t control your children’s lives Jo! Let the past go! And as for Austin, what is done is done!” With that Julia turned and stormed right back out of the door. He could hear the pleading in her voice and he had promised her years ago that he would let it go but sitting there thirty three years later he just wasn’t sure if he could anymore.

Round Three
                  The sun peeking through the blinds didn’t stop Justin from indulging in his favorite morning snack as he slowly snaked down through his Merino Egyptian thousand count cotton sheets.  Justin loved to show women his twenty two carat gold sheets and brag that they were handmade.  He didn’t need any help in the bedroom but he loved the look on their face as they contemplated how fast they could remove their clothes to feel those sheets on their body. Most people assumed that he was a square because he was rich and well educated; it was quite the opposite.  Out of the two, Justin was the one who was more laid back and fun to be around.  He enjoyed a good joke, loved to hang out with his friends and the ladies, well that was another story.  Some consider him the quintessential ladies man; with his model looks and sexy physique he never has problems