“Do you think they had an affair?” I lowered my voice and glanced over my shoulder, making sure no one was around.
“Most definitely.” He paused. “We never discussed why you hired me. Do you suspect that your husband—”
“No.” I shook my head. “No.” Maybe if I repeated it five more times, it would eliminate the possibility altogether. “I just want to know—”
“Cat.” Neena’s voice rang through the marble lobby, and I flipped the tablet over and stood as she approached. “What are you doing here?”
“Just stopping in to see William.” I pulled the phone away from my mouth and gave her my warmest smile. “We have dinner plans, so I thought I’d save him the trip home and meet him here.”
Her eyes hardened, even as she reached out her arms and clutched me in a hug. “Oh!” She pulled back, spotting the phone at my ear. “I didn’t realize you were on the phone.”
I held up a finger, asking her to give me a moment. “Tom, I have to run.”
Neena watched as I said my goodbyes; then I put my phone and tablet back in my bag.
“Sorry about that. You didn’t have to get off the phone.” She tilted her head at me, and I noticed her hair extensions. They were a nice addition, her thin hair now a thick mane of platinum-blonde waves.
“It’s fine.” I zipped up my bag. “How’s your car? You know, my BMW was the same way. Constant problems. I can call Bill Hopkins if you’d like. He owns the dealership. Could bump up your car in the lineup.”
“Oh no.” She waved off the offer, but I noticed the way her skin flushed, her eyes pulling nervously to one side. “They’re working on it now. Should be just another day or so.”
“Good.” I met her eyes. “I’m sure it’s disruptive, carpooling with William.”
Her gaze didn’t waver, and if she was doing anything underhanded, she was hiding it well.
“He’s been so kind. But honestly—if you have a problem with it, I can always get a taxi.”
“Or have Matt take you,” I suggested.
“Sure, though he normally leaves by seven.”
I was already bored with the conversation, well aware of the Ryders’ conflicting schedules. William and I had already argued over the minute details of Neena’s schedule versus Matt’s during our fight, one where I had forbidden him to cart her into work each day, and he had deftly ignored my feelings in favor of not inconveniencingher.
Friends—if that was the path Neena was trying to go down with me—didn’t cozy up to friends’ husbands. Especially new friends. You had to earn that level of comfort, and I was growing more and more distrustful of our neighborhood’s newest wife, especially after speaking to Tom.
“By the way.” I touched her arm. “Sosorry that you didn’t make the cut for the wine-charity board. I really campaigned for you, but the other members didn’t think you were the right fit.”
“Oh?” The light dimmed in her eyes, and her smile fell for a moment before she quickly jerked it back into place. “Well. That’s fine. Gives me more time to focus on work. William—”
“You know, I didn’t understand it,” I soldiered on, letting my voice carry. “I mean, all that experience at Plymouth? Truthfully, I think it was an issue of jealousy.”
She didn’t want to take the bait. I could see the hesitant sway of her body as she chewed over the tidbit. “What do you mean?”
I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “A few of the women on the board ... they mentioned some rumors they’ve heard. It’s all jealousy, like I said. I mean, you going after married men?” I let out an incredulous laugh that almost sounded genuine. “That’s ridiculous! And I told them that.” I patted her arm. “Don’t worry. I’m watching out for you. I know how much you love Matt, and I know what this town is like. Rumors like that ...” I winced. “They can kill someone’s reputation.”
There had been no such conversation. But between all my lies, there was a knife of truth—a rumor like that could absolutely kill Neena Ryder’s future standing in Atherton. I met her eyes, confident that she was intelligent enough to understand the threat. “Now, I’ve got to find William. Do you know where he is?”
“No.” She pulled self-consciously at the top of her dress. “I haven’t seen him.”
Ha. Why didn’t I believe that? “Well, it was good to see you. Let’s grab lunch sometime?” I extended an arm and gripped her generous chest against mine, giving her a parting hug. I inhaled her new fake-blonde curls, searching for the scent of William’s cologne in the strands.
She pulled away sharply before I had a chance to finish. “I’d love that. Next week?”
“Anytime,” I cooed. “I’m always around.”
She stepped back and gave an awkward wave. “Well, until then.”
I stayed in place and watched as her too-high heels clipped across the lobby. She hesitated at the elevator, then pushed into the ladies’ room. I let her escape, then settled back into my seat.