The Sex Whisperer: Book 1 in the Whisperer Trilogy Read Free

plates of lamb and rosemary rice in front of Mike and Olivia. He departed without a word.
    Olivia had wine coursing through her veins, and she moved her chair closer to Mike, laying a hand on his thigh.
    “Are you buttering me up for something?” he asked.
    “I might be.”
    “Everything comes at a cost,” Mike said. “That’s Business 101.”
    “Not everything,” Olivia said, “but I was at yoga earlier and Charlotte came up with a crazy idea. What if I go to Hawaii with them? Maybe a shorte r trip, just a quick getaway.”
    Mike snorted. “Get away from what?” he asked, spreading his arms around the dining room. “This is your personal Mar-a-Lago. It’s got everything except the masseuse.”
    “It’s got everything but people in it,” Olivia said. “I’m starting to feel like a great-grandmother doddering around a nursing home. ”
    “Poor baby,” Mike said qu ietly. “Your life’s so rough.”
    That drop in his voice scared Olivia. In only happened when Mike was on the verge of exploding. When he acted like a cynical smartass, there wasn’t much to worry about. If he got quiet, he was angry — and fighting hard to keep his composure.
    “It’s nothing we need to d ecide right now,” she said.
    “What’s there to decide?” Mike asked. “I work 60 hours a week to pay for this mansion, and my wife’s asking to go to Hawaii on her own; not for work, not for a conference, but to go drink, lay out on the beach and do a whole hell of a lot of God knows what without me. I’ve already got my answer.”
    He pushed his cup of tomato soup away, splashing an oozing red pool on the tablecloth. Then, he stood and flung his napkin in the corner. “I’ve lost my appetite,” he said.
    He walked off withou t another word. Olivia sat there silently. She heard the whine of the garage door opening, and then the sound of Mike’s car pulling away. She fought it for a moment, but when the house fell silent, she began to cry.
     
    ∞
     
    With a tissue in one hand and her cell phone in the other, Olivia called Charlotte.
    “I didn’t realize things had gotten so bad,” Charlotte said. “How long have you been having trouble?”
    Olivia shrugged, knowing her friend couldn’t see i t on the other end of the line. “I don’t know. I didn’t realize things had gotten bad.”
    “How long’s it been since you had sex?” Charlotte asked.
    “At least four weeks,” Olivia said.
    “Ouch,” Charlotte said. “I haven’t gone that long since junior high.”
    Olivia laughed despite herself . “That’s part of the reason I was so excited about this trip,” she said. “I thought he’d be able to unwind, enjoy himself and start thinking about us more.”
    “Did you tell him that?” Charlo tte asked.
    “He’s a bull,” Olivia said. “I can’t tell him something like that. But should I have to? Do I need to put together reasons why I want to go o n vacation with my husband?”
    “That’s a big fat ‘no,’” Charlotte said. “But your husband can be pretty dense. At least that’s what Kenneth says. ”
    Olivia sniffled. “What do I do now?” she asked.
    “You want to know what I’d do or what I think you’re going to do?” Charlotte asked. “Actually, I’ll tell you what I’d do anyway: I think you need to pack a bag and come stay at our house for a few days. Let Mike realize how badly he’s neglecting his wife. Life’s too short to be unhappy, and it might be enough to jolt some life into your relationship.”
    “Or it could be the first step in m y divorce,” Olivia said.
    “Riiiiiight,” Charlotte said. “You’re not going to get a divorce because you asked to go to Hawaii with your best friend. Anyway, I know you’re not coming over. I think what you’re really going to do is go up to bed and wait for your husband to come home. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does and you break your two-week dry spell.”
    Olivia smiled. “Maybe you’re right.”
    “Of course I am,”