Half Empty (First Wives #2)

The room screamed its silence.

“Nothing to say?” she asked again. “I thought so.”

Trina padded back into her room and closed the door behind her. With the ghost flushed simply by looking beyond the door, she welcomed the warmth of the bed and the quiet of the house.

Until her phone rang.

She didn’t recognize the number, and the name for it was written as Wade, You Owe Me A Dance, Thomas.

“Hello?”

“Hey, little lady.”

Trina’s heart kicked and her lips spread into a huge grin. “Wade?”

“Is someone else calling you little lady?”

“What are you doing?” She chuckled.

“I’m checking up on you. Thought maybe something had happened, since you haven’t called yet.”

She tucked her bare feet beneath the covers and pulled her knees into her chest. “I didn’t realize we had a phone date set up.”

“It was implied.”

“Well, bad on me, then.”

He laughed. “Did you survive the inquisition of your friends?”

“Barely. Did you survive the flight home?”

“With lots of whiskey.”

“Oh, you’re traumatized.”

“I survived by thinking of how calm you were on our flight out of hell and felt the need to man up.”

“Glad I helped.”

He paused. “Are you home yet?”

She looked around the room she once called home. “No. I’m in New York, actually.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve put off dealing with the house here long enough.”

“Sounds painful. How are you doing with that?”

She glanced at the closed door. “I’m okay. It’s not the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but it isn’t the hardest either.”

“Do you need any help?”

Trina processed his question. “Uhm, ah . . . ,” she stuttered. “Avery is here with me.”

“The blonde pit bull?”

Now Trina was laughing. “I’ll be sure and tell her you said that.”

“Come on, darlin’, I thought we were friends.”

“She won’t bite.”

“I doubt that.”

Yeah, Trina did, too. “She’s protective and apparently my disappearing act brought out her mom gene.”

“Does she have kids?”

“No . . . but my guess is when she does, her kids won’t think about crossing her.”

“That’s a good thing.”

She moved the phone to the other ear. “I have a confession to make.”

“I’m all ears.”

“I might have listened to your latest album today.”

Wade paused, and when he started talking, she could tell his ego had been stroked. “Might have, or did?”

“Did. I even recognized a few of the songs.”

Silence.

Trina bit her lip.

“And?”

She hummed a bit. “It was all right.”

“All right?” he asked, deadpan.

Trina tried not to laugh. “Yeah, one of the songs was even pretty good.”

“One?”

She giggled in silence.

“Well, uh . . . I’ll see what I can do about impressing you with my next album.”

She snorted and gave in to her laughter. “You are so easy.”

“You’re pulling my chain,” he said.

“So easy.”

“You’re the most unusual woman I’ve ever met.”

“I’m not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.”

“Me either,” he confessed.

“I like your music, Wade.”

There was relief in his voice. “Well, thank you, little lady.”

“Don’t expect me to ask for your autograph the next time I see you.”

It was Wade’s turn to hum. “So I am going to see you again.”

“If,” she retracted. “If I see you again.”

“Oh, no, no, no. You said next time. I’m holding you to it.”

Her heart warmed. “You’re an insufferable flirt.”

“And you’re flirting back.”

“I’m teasing. Not flirting.”

Wade made a ticking noise on the phone. “Fine line drawn between those two things. If you’re flirting, your cheeks would be rosy and warm.”

Trina placed the back of her hand to her cheek.

Oh, shit.

“They’re warm, aren’t they, Miss Trina?”

“No,” she lied.

“Why do I doubt your ability to tell me the truth right now?”

“Because you’re not a naturally trusting person?”

“I trust that I have wiggled under your skin enough to make your cheeks warm when you’re talking to me.”

She ignored her hot face.

He started to laugh.

“You’re really full of yourself, Wade Thomas.”

“Maybe,” he said. “But I have a confession to make myself.”

“Oh?” This she wanted to hear.

“Yeah, my cheeks are warm right now, too.”



“Are we done in here?” Avery stood in the center of Fedor’s bedroom, hands on her hips, and looked down on all the boxes they’d managed to pack.

Trina had decided the best way to flush out his ghost completely was to tackle his personal space and get it out of the way.

“I think so.” She looked at the stack of suits all tucked into garment bags. “Let’s see if there is something other than the Salvation Army or Goodwill to donate these to. I can’t help but think a college student in need of a good suit would be more appropriate.”

“Good point. I’ll get online and see what’s out there.”

She looked at Fedor’s tray of watches, all designer, all expensive. “Suicide prevention,” she said aloud.

“What?”

“I need to donate the money earned from the sale of all this to organizations that help prevent suicide.”

“That sounds very philanthropic of you.”

Trina thought of the conversation she’d had with Wade about her future. Although the sale of the Hamptons home and all its contents was only one task, it certainly gave her something to occupy her time.

“It isn’t like I need the money.”

Avery snorted. “I might.”

Trina shot a look at her friend. “What?”

Avery shrugged. “I burned through a million dollars this year.”

Avery was one year out from her divorce and the five-million-dollar agreement between her and her ex. The money should have set her up for life.

“A million dollars?”

“Well, nine hundred and forty-five thousand.”

“How?”

Avery sat on the edge of the bed, hands on her knees. “There is the Aston.”

The fancy car would account for a quarter of the million gone.

“Okay . . .”

“I shopped a lot. Shoes, handbags . . . jewelry.”

“Three quarters of a million dollars’ worth?” Trina couldn’t imagine. And she had more money than God.

“I shopped in Paris, and London . . . and Rodeo Drive. There might have been a couple of chartered flights.” Avery looked embarrassed.

“A couple?”

“Okay, five.”

“At what, thirty thousand each?”

Avery glanced at the ceiling. “No, more like twenty K . . . each way.”

“Two hundred grand on plane tickets.” Trina did the math.

“Right, not including first-class tickets everywhere else I went. When I wasn’t on Sam’s jet.”

Trina sat beside Avery on the bed. “Your money isn’t going to last if you keep burning it like that.”

“I know. I should probably invest some of it.”

“You should probably invest all of it and put yourself on a budget.”

Avery winced.

“Or get a job.” Trina smiled.

“I like my lifestyle.”

“Didn’t you say you married Bernie to get your parents off your back and out of your life?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you think is going to happen if you run out of money?”

Avery leaned her head on Trina’s shoulder. “You’re right. I know. I’ve been living in la-la land for a long time.”

“Unless you want to shackle yourself to another sugar daddy, this time for real, I suggest you figure it out.”

“I’m not good at anything other than shopping and spending.”

“Don’t forget partying and making everyone around you smile,” Trina added.

Avery lifted her head from Trina’s shoulder. “My marketable skills are zip. I hated school, never really held a job. I’m about as privileged as they come,” she confessed.

Trina scanned the room full of Fedor’s things. Expensive things. The desire to call a one-stop auction house or estate sale agent was huge. But they would want a big cut, and the money sent to charity would be less. An idea started to form in Trina’s head.