He heard the front door close, then heard her heels clicking across the stones of the entryway and then across the hardwood floor of the great room. She walked like a Goddess, pranced and strutted and prowled like a predator she cat. He could practically see her, just from the sound and the memory. How many times had he waited for those sounds of her returning home to him? How many lifetimes had he spent in torturous splendor while she lived out his fantasy?
Why didn't he feel the same about her anymore? How had it all gotten away from him, from them?
"Hello Jonathon," she said, her voice so quiet that it was almost trembling. She leaned against the kitchen door jam, reaching down to remove first one high heel and then the other. Somehow being suddenly six inches shorter did not diminish her power and dominance even an iota.
"Hello Lucinda," he replied from his perch on one of the bar stools at the kitchen counter.
"I saw you at the cemetery, but you were gone so quickly that I could not find you after the service. How have you been, baby? "
He ignored her question, taking a long sip from the bottle of Heineken he was holding.
"Hope you don't mind that I let myself in," he said, holding the bottle up for an instant. "I found this in your fridge...be sure to thank whichever of your boyfriends I stole it from. "
She sighed and forced a smile. "I wasn't sure when I was going see you again. You left without so much as a note, and that was more than two months ago."
"Only seemed right to come back for Oliver's funeral. I didn't know him very well, but he seemed like a nice enough guy."
"I'm glad you did." Her smile stretched her dimples and her eyes seemed to sparkle. "He was a nice man...a good man."
"I suppose I'll have to just take your word for how good he was." He raised and lowered his eyebrows.
Her smile faded. "Was that really necessary?"
"None of this is really necessary, I suppose. I could leave if you like."
"No. I'm glad you've come home."
"Not really my home any more, is it?"
"Of course it is."
"You do remember than my name is no longer on the deed since Arthur paid the place off? He demanded it be in only your name, if I recall."
"I've missed you," she whispered.
When he met her gaze, there was a glassiness to her the bottoms of her eyes. Where was the woman who found life in the garden that day five years ago? Where was the woman he had submitted to? This woman seemed more like the Lucy he had married, more like the mother of his daughters, more like the woman he had asked her to change from. Where was Lucinda?
"Sure you have," he replied, a veil of laughter caressing his voice. "I'm sure the other four boyfriends have kept you more than busy while I've been gone."
She chuckled softly. "They do keep me pretty busy."
There she was; just a hint of the evil Lucinda in that laugh. He did not allow himself even a hint of a smile, no emotion at all, in fact, as though it no longer mattered. He stared at her as though he was already gone again, and her smile also faded again.
"I'm sorry sweetheart...I didn't mean to... "
He waved a hand of dismissal in the air, slowly shaking his head. He was no sweetheart to her anymore. There was only a tired man who had had enough.
"So you are leaving again? " she persisted.
He shrugged. " Part of my job to travel now."
"I talked to your boss a few weeks ago. Angela said you took over the Asian supply chain. Isn't that a step back for you? You were managing the whole region from here, weren't you?"
"I have the whole Pacific rim now, so eventually it will work out better. At least it allowed me to escape all of this. To escape from you. What difference does it make anyway?"
"Only all of the difference in the world baby," she said. " What do you mean, escape from me?"
Was there fear in her voice? Odd. What to make of that? He took another sip of his beer.
"Looks like you're doing okay without me."
"I can't imagine my life without you," she continued. "I always believed that we would grow old together. I always dreamed we would die in each other's arms."
"That's really romantic." He breathed a disgusted chuckle. "Going to be a little crowded, isn't it?"
She sighed deeply. "You do remember that this whole boyfriend thing was your idea, don't you?"
"You planning on growing old and dying with all of them too? Jim is only fifty four. And Arthur is what? Fifty nine...sixty? I'm almost sixty six. You think I'll outlive either of them?" He did not try to hide the bitterness in his voice.
"You are twice the man either one of them are."
There she was again. There was Lucinda, as powerful as ever. How was he supposed to fight off his pride and the swell of love that invaded his tough exterior when she talked like that to him? What was she trying to do? Was she trying to give him hope, to tempt him back?
