The Company She Keeps by Georgia Durante

Author:Georgia Durante
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Penguin USA, Inc.
Published: 2011-07-30T17:38:55+00:00

The cross-country trip was actually fun. The kids had a great time. We camped at night, explored caves, and hiked the Grand Canyon. But I sensed Steve was falling for me. I had a lot of things to settle in my life, and starting a relationship was not on my immediate list of things to do.

I learned a lot about Steve during those long hours on the road. He’d forgotten some things he’d told me, and when he retold a story, it was totally different from what he had said before. I discovered he was a pathological liar, and I began to surmise his past was a bit checkered.

He pretended to be someone he wasn’t, trying to impress me with his importance. He lied about everything. He said he owned the San Diego soccer team. He actually did, but I later found out that he bought it with phony silver certificates. After a year, the bank finally figured it out. He was a serious con artist, and a good one too. The scary thing was, he really believed his own lies.

When we returned to Los Angeles, my better judgment told me to back off from continuing this friendship. At first I was polite, telling him there was no room in my life for dishonesty. I was moving through life cautiously, I told him, and was leery of his behavior.

“It’s him, isn’t it?” Steve asked from a phone booth somewhere in L.A.

“What are you talking about, Steve?”

“Your husband. You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”

“Steve, this has nothing to do with Joe. I’m not ready for a relationship with anyone right now, but if I were, it wouldn’t be with someone like you. I can’t stand liars.”

“If he was dead, would you give me a chance then?”

“What kind of a thing is that to say? I told you it has nothing to do with Joe. It’s you, Steve!”

“Can I come over?”

“No, you can’t come over.”

“I want to show you something. Please . . .”

“What, Steve?” I asked.

“I want to show you my will.”

“Why would I want to see your will?”

“Because I changed it,” he said. “I’m leaving everything to you. Everything.”

There’s something very wrong here. Get rid of this guy—now!

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I ever heard.”

“No, it’s not, George. It proves how much I love you. I chose you over my children. I love you more than anything in the world.”

“Change it back.”

“What?”

“Change it back. If you can’t see how stupid that is, then your problem is a lot more serious than I thought.”

“If I can’t have you, I don’t want to live,” he said, sounding weirdly sincere. “I want you to have everything.”

“Steve, I strongly suggest you get some help. There isn’t anyone worth taking your own life for.”

“You are,” he whispered.

“Oh, man, get some help,” I said. “I’ve got to hang up now.”

“Wait! Please say you’ll just let me try. I know I can make you love me.”

Nothing he could say was remotely interesting. He was relentless in his fruitless efforts at seduction.

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