A Clean Slate by Laura Caldwell

Author:Laura Caldwell
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Red Dress Ink
Published: 2003-04-26T22:00:00+00:00

After posing for pictures and dancing with the guy who’d caught the garter belt, I made my way to the bathroom, still holding the bouquet like it was some sort of prize. I didn’t know what had made me fight Therese for it, but I was inordinately pleased with myself just the same. It had something to do with retribution, I decided, as I picked my way down a deserted carpeted hallway off the ballroom. I had finally gone head-to-head with Therese, the woman who’d taken away the man I was supposed to marry.

But that was ridiculous, I realized. Therese hadn’t taken him away. He’d taken himself away and then found her.

I came to a sudden halt. Was that really true? Had Ben broken up with me before he’d met Therese, or had she been one of the reasons he’d given me the ax? If he’d known about the partnership earlier than he’d let on, if he’d kept that from me, maybe he’d been dating Therese on the side the whole time.

I felt my neck growing red and blotchy. I made myself move again and spent ten minutes in front of the mirror powdering my face and neck, applying and reapplying lipstick and gloss, and growing more and more furious with Ben. He’d probably known I’d be laid off, that I wouldn’t make partner and that he would, and yet he hadn’t said a thing. To top it off, he’d been dating that bitch behind my back.

I must have muttered something out loud, possibly something profane, because an older woman at the mirror next to me gave me a disapproving frown.

“Excuse me,” I said, back into parent-pleasing mode. “Sorry.”

I skulked toward the door, dangling the bouquet at my side, not caring anymore that I’d been able to out-jostle Therese, and just as I swung it open, I saw him. He was standing across the hallway, looking very much like he was waiting for someone.

“Where’s Therese?” I said, drawing myself up tall and looking around as if trying to say, She better not be around these parts or I’ll kick her ass.

“She’s in the kitchen.”

“The kitchen?”

“She’s getting ice.” He pointed to his cheekbone. “You elbowed her in the face.”

“Oh God. I’m sorry.” But I wasn’t. I was apparently some immature high school bully, because I laughed.

Ben snickered, too. “I’m going to pay good money to get my hands on that videotape.”

That stopped me cold. “So you can see two women duke it out for you, is that it?”

“No.” He lost his grin, and I knew I was right.

“Look,” I said, poking him in the chest just to keep up the high school bully image, “I need to know something.”

I was pleased to note that he looked a little scared.

“When did you meet Therese?”

“The second weekend in June.” It was the truth. I could tell by the way his mouth was relaxed. When he lied or exaggerated something, he pushed his lips together.

“All right. Question two: When did you know you were going to be made partner?”

“I told you.

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