A New Year's Surprise by Violette Dubrinsky

Author:Violette Dubrinsky [Dubrinsky, Violette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Holidays, United States, African American, Romance, Two Hours or More (65-100 Pages)
Amazon: B00H4OBBYE
Publisher: VAD Publishing
Published: 2013-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

“Mind telling me what this is about?”

Damien’s head snapped up at the voice, remembering only then that Gavin was perched on the couch across from him, a glass of ginger ale in one hand. He’d been lost in his thoughts, replaying his wife walking out on him too many times to count. It was like a dream—a nightmare—and in many ways, Damien still couldn’t believe it. Did she really trust him that little that she’d throw away eight years for something so insignificant?

“Yes.”

His answer given, Damien took another swill of the potent amber liquid in his glass.

Hennessy. It was his second glass.

In college, it had been his drink of choice. He’d always been the type of man who committed to one type of alcohol and his choice was the cinnamon and spice blend currently warming his stomach. He drank only occasionally and this was one of the times when the fire and ice liquid was needed.

“Where’s your wife?”

That question earned his friend a glare. With an easy shrug, Gavin surveyed the living room. “Thought she’d be here.”

“At her parents’.” He could imagine Kat standing alongside Catherine, who’d parade her daughter around to her group of friends, probably ecstatic that he wasn’t there.

The thought made him take another drink.

“And you’re here?”

“Obviously,” Damien growled, not liking where this conversation was going. The only reason Gavin was at his home was because Vanya had completed her project. As his friend was heading back to the city for the night, he’d opted to deliver the items to Damien.

“Is this about Vanya?”

Knowing there would be no muzzling Gavin, who was like a hungry dog with a bone once he’d set his mind to something, Damien answered, “It’s about marriage.”

“And Vanya.”

Damien didn’t answer. It was about the fact that his wife didn’t trust him. After eight years together, three in marriage, Kat would rather leave him than give him the benefit of the doubt. She knew he wasn’t cheating, but the fact that Vanya hadn’t wanted to speak to her had heightened her suspicions to the point of leaving? It made no sense.

“So, you two are fighting because Kat found you at Vanya’s apartment—?”

“This isn’t about Vanya!” Damien took another swig of his drink, thankful for the burn that warmed his cold body. “It’s about my wife being unable to trust me because she’s letting other people into our marriage.”

“Zaire?” Hearing the bitter edge to Gavin’s voice, Damien couldn’t say he didn’t feel the same.

“And Kat’s parents.”

“What did you tell Kat about Vanya?”

“The truth,” Damien growled.

“Which is?”

“That she was working on a special project for me.”

At the silence that followed, Damien lifted his eyes from his dwindling drink to his expectant friend.

“And?”

Annoyed, Damien pushed from the armchair and headed for the kitchen. He needed a refill. As he poured, Gavin joined him, propping his body against the pine-wood and mosaic-peach stone, granite island, as he quietly surveyed Damien.

“What?”

“Did you tell her the shirt Vanya was wearing was mine?”

Damien sighed. He hadn’t had to. Gavin had entered and clarified the confusion about the shirt.

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.