A Cutting Deceit by Cathy Dunnell

Author:Cathy Dunnell [Dunnell, Cathy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2022-10-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Everything followed its usual pattern over the next few days, but Valeria sensed that something had changed between Athena and her. Nothing changed in the salon. Athena was her usual, professional self and gave no sign that anything was amiss. Valeria sometimes wondered if she was imagining things, but then she would catch Athena’s eyes darting away from hers. Athena had also ceased to linger over their tasks as they closed for the day. She swept up the hair and left with near-unseemly haste.

Valeria continued to go through the motions of life. She fought hard to keep her eyes off Athena, trying not to spend too long watching the sweep of her hips or the curve of her breasts. But still, she caught herself sometimes, lost in reverie. She tried her best to find out what exactly had happened, but there was no opportunity for them to be alone.

On Thursday evening, Valeria went home after closing. Athena had left as soon as she possibly could, giving Valeria the briefest of good-byes. Valeria felt heartsick but did not know what to do. She badly wanted to talk to Athena alone again but was racked by fears of inadvertently pushing her even further away.

She made Sirvan dinner mechanically, her own appetite having long since vanished. He spent the evening sat on the sofa with his phone, alternately texting or taking calls. He waved her away when she entered with a plate of food for him, and so she returned to the kitchen. She took out her phone and thought about messaging Athena. But she could not think what to say. Should she say sorry? But she did not know what she was apologising for. Should she suggest another jog?

She put her phone down and tried to focus on a magazine, but she caught herself daydreaming about Athena, about the fall of her hair around her cheeks.

She threw the magazine away in frustration. Then she got up and changed into her running gear. She let herself out and ran her usual route around the park. She pushed herself hard, harder than she normally would. She wanted to feel her legs burning, to feel that dull stupor of fatigue that would surely, finally quieten her thoughts.

She completed her circuit and went home. She stood in the hallway, breathing hard as she bent to unlace her trainers.

Sirvan appeared in the living room doorway. “Where have you been?” he asked. Valeria indicated her running gear for an answer. “You didn’t tell me you were going out.”

“You were on the phone.”

“Do not go out again without telling me.” He didn’t raise his voice, but Valeria could feel the weight behind his words.

She felt a surge of annoyance, but the schooling of many years took over. She dropped her eyes and said meekly, “Okay. I’ll tell you.”

He paused for a moment, hovering with uncharacteristic uncertainty, and then he said, “Zoran has been arrested.”

She blinked, her mind so preoccupied with Athena that she could barely take this in. “Zoran?” she repeated.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.