Part 11 (1/2)

”I thought you said you moved from Tchoupitoulas Street.”

”I did.” Her voice was low. ”I stayed in the company apartment until I found a place to live.” Hailey didn't move, though Fuzzy had gotten her second wind and was b.u.mping her ball against her leg. ”Where in Georgia are you from?” I thought I knew the answer, but I wanted to make her say it.

Her shoulders sagged when she looked away from me.

”Atlanta.”

”You knew about the Rainbow Room before I mentioned it, didn't you?” Hailey nodded but didn't look my way. ”Why didn't you tell me?”

'”Keep up the lie and hope she never finds out. That's how the game is played.' Wasn't that your advice?” Hailey turned to face me.

I felt shocked, confused, and downright p.i.s.sed off. ”How did you know it was me you were talking to?”

”You mentioned that you got a haircut. I wasn't completely sure then, but the coincidence was too uncanny to ignore. And then you talked about the Rainbow Room, and that sealed it.”

”Why didn't you come out and tell me then? And weren't you married to a man that you loved?” A ton of questions whirled through my brain.

Hailey's face turned a deeper shade of red. ”I was incapable of loving him like I should've. He deserved to be with someone who could give him what I couldn't.”

I scrubbed at my face as the truth settled in. I tried to retrace all the conversations we'd had, but my mind was a complete jumble.

”You told me about the Rainbow Room after I told you about him. I wasn't completely sure that you were P.U. until that moment.

Then I was afraid to come clean after I'd just told you about my infidelity. I was afraid of what you'd think of me.” Hailey took *the ball that Fuzzy was rubbing on her leg and threw it. ”The other day when I invited you to dinner, I was going to tell you everything, but I was nervous, so I e-mailed you to see what you'd say, test the waters. Your response really surprised me.”

”I was hurt. I asked if you wanted to meet and you blew me off, then you started talking about someone-” I thought back to the part of Hailey's e-mail that had hurt the most. I think she's someone I real y want to get to know. ”Why did you choose the Rainbow Room? I thought you were straight.”

”The affair was with another woman. I realized rather late in life the real reason I wasn't happy.”

Part of me wanted to be elated with the revelation. The other part was appalled. ”We'll, it's been nice talking to you, Newbie,”

I said as I turned and stalked toward the door.

”Shannon, please-” I could hear Hailey coming after me.

”Wait!” I turned and held my hands up. Hailey and Fuzzy skidded to a halt. ”I don't want to hear anything else right now. I need some time.”

Hailey opened her mouth, then closed it, deflated. Fuzzy watched the exchange between us and leaned heavily against Hailey's leg with a whimper. I turned and went into the building, hoping they wouldn't follow.

4.

Chapter 10.

Let's just be friends...blows.

I was furious when I returned to my apartment and the power still wasn't on. I wanted to go into my Rainbow Room account and reread all the messages exchanged between Hailey and me.

To further exacerbate the situation, I'd forgotten to retrieve my cell phone, and I wasn't going back after it. I threw myself onto the sofa and watched the moderate rain against my window.

I think she's someone I really want to get to know.

Was she referring to me? Or had she met someone else and decided that night to tell me who she really was? My mind started to answer . She did seem a bit put off when you told her about Marci. She asked a lot of questions. Stop that, leg!

I looked down and noticed that my right leg was dancing a nervous jig. I crossed my feet at the ankles as my fingers began to drum on my stomach. Hailey had played me nevertheless. Then I thought about her throwing my callous response to her question back in my face. Keep up the lie and hope she never finds out.

That's how the game is played. That's why she'd been so cold and distant.

My head started to ache as I thought back on our conversation the night before and the pained expression Hailey wore. Was I the cause? Yes, dumba.s.s, how obvious does she have to make it? My brain was certain, but my heart wasn't as quick to jump on the bandwagon. It whispered, tread lightly.

And then there was Marci. How much damage would I do to *whatever might be happening with Hailey if I went through with the date on Friday night? In my heart, I knew that I would be letting Marci down by the end of the evening. The connection I wanted to feel with her wasn't there. Instead, it was with a woman who had not been honest with me.

I went from being desperate for a date with anyone to this conundrum in a flash. Timing sucked, women sucked, and I just plain sucked at dealing with it.

I blinked as the power came back on. The handset on my coffee table was dead. I hoped that the one in the bedroom still had a charge as I went for it and dialed Kalen's number. ”h.e.l.lo?”

Kalen's voice was soft and low, and I knew I had woken her.

”I'm sorry I woke you, sis. I meant to call you earlier to see how you were feeling, but the power's been out.”

Kalen groaned. ”s.h.i.+t, it's almost two.”

”Sounds like you needed the sleep. Mom always says that you heal faster when you rest.”

”What's wrong? I hear something in your voice.”

”I've got a problem.” I returned to the sofa and sat down.

Everything about meeting Newbie online and finding out that she was Hailey came out in a rush. Kalen stopped me a couple of times and made me repeat a few things. Especially when I told her about the conversation I had with Hailey the night before.

”Oh, honey, it's you she's interested in,” Kalen said when I had finished. ”This has disaster written all over it.”

”Because of Marci?”

”No, let's take her out of the equation for a minute. Hailey cheated on her husband. That shows she can't be trusted. She's been with one woman, and now she thinks she's gay. And she's been in that online dating thing where the psychopaths hang out-minus you and maybe Marci. Don't walk away from this woman, run. h.e.l.l, move out of the building.”

Perhaps seeking Kalen's advice wasn't the smartest thing to do. Objectivity wasn't her strong suit unless it was regarding someone she fixed me up with. ”She's extremely remorseful about what she did to her husband.”

*”Not everyone brags about their infidelity, especially if they're trying to impress someone else.”