Andrew had never been especially gifted at lying. As he folded shirts into his suitcase in the bedroom, he kept avoiding Claire’s eyes—the eyes of the woman he had shared his life with for nearly ten years.
“A conference that lasts all week,” Claire said from the doorway, leaning against the frame. “And naturally, it’s at a seaside resort, just when everyone else is taking a vacation.”
“Well…” Andrew muttered, pushing his swim trunks beneath a stack of shirts. “The company is paying for everything. It would be ridiculous to turn it down.”
“Is Vanessa going with you?” Claire asked.
There was no real question in her voice. It sounded more like a tired conclusion.
Andrew hesitated for half a second, then continued packing as if he had not heard the accusation.
“Yes. She’s responsible for the presentation. It’s work, Claire.”
“Of course it is,” Claire replied, folding her arms across her chest. “Just like at the company party last year, when you and your colleagues were ‘working’ until four in the morning.”
“Are we really going to start that again?” Andrew snapped, forcing the suitcase shut. “I explained everything to you. It was an important project.”
“The project that required you to delete every message from your phone?”
Andrew set the suitcase on the bed and finally turned to face her.
“I’m not discussing this now. My flight leaves in three hours.”
“Give my regards to your ‘colleague,’” Claire said, stepping away from the doorway to let him pass. “Try to enjoy yourself.”
Andrew muttered something under his breath and hurried toward the hall.
Claire remained alone in the bedroom for a long while. Her gaze settled on the framed photograph of the two of them standing beside the bed. Then, with sudden determination, she picked up her phone and began searching for the number of someone who might be able to help her.
By mid-June, the coastal resort was warm and bright. The sea was pleasantly mild, and the waves rolled in with gentle force. Andrew lay beneath a beach umbrella, watching Vanessa swim farther from shore. Sunlight gleamed across her tanned body, drawing the attention of several other vacationers.
“Come in!” she called, waving to him. “The water is incredible!”
“What are you thinking about?” Vanessa asked when she reached him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. “And don’t tell me it’s work.”
“No, it’s just…” Andrew looked away. “I forgot to send a message before I left.”
“Liar.” Vanessa leaned closer and brushed a light kiss against his cheek. “You’re thinking about your wife, aren’t you?”
Andrew frowned.
“We agreed not to talk about her while we’re here.”
“All right, all right,” Vanessa said, raising her hands in surrender. “Then how about we swim out to the buoys?”
That evening, they had dinner at a restaurant overlooking the water. Vanessa wore a new dress she had bought the day before at a little boutique near the shore. Andrew watched the setting sun turn her skin golden, and for a moment she looked impossibly beautiful.
Still, something inside him refused to settle.
“Should we go into the hills tomorrow?” Vanessa asked, taking a sip of wine. “I want some beautiful pictures for my social media.”
“Sure,” Andrew said with a nod. “We can pick up a few souvenirs while we’re there.”
“Does Claire like souvenirs?” Vanessa asked with a childish little smile.
Andrew gave her a warning look.
“I asked you not to bring her up.”
“Sorry.” Vanessa laid her hand over his. “But sooner or later, you’ll have to deal with this. We can’t keep hiding forever.”
“I know,” Andrew answered darkly. “After the trip, I’ll talk to her.”
“Really?” Hope flickered in Vanessa’s eyes. “Promise me.”
“I promise.”
The week passed quickly. They swam, sunbathed, went on excursions, ate seafood in elegant restaurants, and spent passionate nights together in their hotel room. Little by little, Andrew stopped thinking about home and about the conversation waiting for him there.
Almost.
At the airport on the day of their departure, Vanessa held him tightly.
“Don’t forget what you promised,” she whispered, touching her lips to his. “I’ll be waiting for your call.”
“I know,” Andrew murmured, struggling to let her go. “I’ll call as soon as I speak to Claire.”
They had booked separate flights as a precaution.
During the journey home, Andrew ordered a whiskey and tried to imagine what he would say to his wife. After ten years of marriage, their relationship had begun to resemble the life of two strangers sharing the same address.
Late that night, a taxi stopped outside the house. Andrew paid the driver, watched the car disappear, and then stood frozen for a moment, staring at the lit window.
Claire was awake.
He drew a deep breath and walked to the front door.
The lock turned almost silently. He placed his suitcase in the hall and paused to listen. Soft music drifted from the living room, mingled with quiet voices.
Television, he thought.
He removed his shoes and moved toward the sound.