Turning the Page Read Free Page B

David’s and yet set in a very different face, kept running through his mind.
    Malcolm rolled over after half an hour, punching his pillow. He needed to stop these thoughts. He alternated between chastising himself for having these thoughts about a client and feeling guilty for having them at all and somehow being unfaithful to David. He knew this was only his mind playing mean tricks on him because it had been a long time since he’d been intimate with anyone and he was lonely. He knew that. David had always been the outgoing one. He’d made friends easily, and he’d filled their lives and home with parties and warmth. Malcolm tried to keep up with their friends, but it wasn’t his talent, and over the months, once the loss had worn off for most people, they had tended to drift away, and Malcolm couldn’t blame them. The few times he’d tried to get together with people, he’d ended up either talking about David or standing aside and saying nothing because he wasn’t sure what to say. In the end, he gave up on controlling his feelings and just let it go. There was no use trying to control his mind, and he eventually fell asleep remembering a beautiful pair of blue eyes.

Chapter 2
     
     
    “HEY, BRO,” his older brother, Peter, said the following day when Malcolm answered his phone during his lunch break, putting him on speakerphone so he could multitask. “Doing anything interesting?”
    “I’m having lunch in my office with Jane.”
    “So no, then,” Peter huffed. “Let me guess. Other than work, you’ve barely set foot outside the house in months.”
    “I have so,” Malcolm said.
    “The grocery store and gas station don’t count, and neither does going to whatever store where you get your shirts and ties. I mean really going out and having fun.”
    “I try to tell him, but he doesn’t listen to me either,” Jane said loudly, and Malcolm shot her a dirty look. She shook her head and completely ignored him.
    “I have to come to town next week on business and thought I’d fly in on Friday so we can have some fun this weekend. You need to get out, and I could use a few days of vacation.”
    “What does Susan think?”
    “She says you need to get out more too, and she’s going to her mother’s for a few days with Anabelle.” That explained a lot. Peter and his mother-in-law did not get along. They could keep from fighting and be civil for short periods of time, like at the holidays. But after a day all bets were off.
    “Then come on. I don’t know how much fun I’m going to be.”
    “Don’t worry about that. I’ll bring the fun, you stock up on some good wine. I’ll fax over a list of possibilities.”
    “Of course you will.”
    “And make dinner reservations.”
    Malcolm rolled his eyes.
    “You eat enough takeout and junk food. Doesn’t your doctor have a fit? Listen, on Saturday I’ll even cook if that will make you happy.”
    Malcolm’s stomach rumbled happily at the thought. “It’s a deal.”
    “I’ll see you Friday.”
    Peter hung up, and Malcolm did the same, glaring at a smirking Jane.
    “You called him, didn’t you?” He stared bullets at his assistant. “When?” he asked in his best witness-intimidating tone.
    “A couple of weeks ago. I was worried. You come to work and then go home. You aren’t going out, and you aren’t seeing friends. I bet you spend every evening either preparing documents or sitting at home, eating fast food in front of the television. Peter and my husband work for the same company, and I knew they were putting on this big conference, so I made a call to see if he was coming, and if he was, if he could get you out of that house for a few hours.” She glared right back at him. “It’ll do you good, and I wouldn’t have called if I didn’t care.”
    The touch of fear in Jane’s voice gave Malcolm pause. “I know you do, but….”
    Jane set her lunch aside on the table and came around behind Malcolm’s desk. “You’ve stopped