Oh, good start, Natalie. Of course she isn’t all right.
Natalie had never been this person, self-critical and uncertain. Before her world began to unravel, her biggest issue had been guilt. There was never enough time to do everything that had to be done and do it well. Like everyone else, she had twenty-four hours a day, not a second more, to be a wife, mother, and devoted employee.
It had seemed easy enough when she signed on for all those jobs—until she had to do them every day, all day long. Sure, Michael did the dishes without prompting, helped with the chores, the kid stuff, the cooking, all of that, but really the go-to person would always be Mom. She did the heavy lifting when it came to the worrying, the planning, and the endless stream of anxieties associated with parenting. Usually, she—not Michael—was the one the kids sought out for comfort when they were tearful or upset. That issue had come up in marriage counseling a couple of times, and never got resolved.
Was this woman married? Natalie wondered. She didn’t wear a ring, but that didn’t make it a sure bet in this day and age. No doubt though, she would transfix Michael with her youth and beauty. To Natalie, she was the very picture of her imagination; a face that haunted her sleepless hours, one that no doubt belonged in Natalie’s cadre of conjured concubines, an amalgam of the real woman destroying her marriage.
Natalie took a cautious step into the kitchenette.
“I’m fine, really,” the woman said. The color of her cheeks betrayed the lie by flashing an even deeper red.
Natalie grabbed a few tissues from a box on the countertop.
“I’m Natalie Hart,” she said. “I work on four with account services.”
“Audrey … Audrey Adler.”
Audrey.
Natalie’s earlier thought, that the woman’s hairstyle reminded her of Audrey Hepburn’s, now seemed even more fitting.
Audrey took the proffered tissues, which sufficed as a handshake.
“At least it wasn’t my ugly cry,” Audrey said, dabbing away the last remnants of her tears. Black lines didn’t drip from her eyes, which meant those long lashes were natural.
Damn.
“What’s your ugly cry like?” asked Natalie, feeling more emboldened.
“I’ve been told it sounds like geese mating,” Audrey said with a laugh.
Natalie’s eyes went wide. “And this person is still alive?” she asked.
Audrey chuckled.
“I think I have to plead the fifth there.”
At last there was a full smile. It was beaming and utterly brilliant.
“I work with the creatives,” Natalie said. “We watch and listen to everything in pursuit of the perfect campaign, and that includes the sounds of mating fowl, and I can assure you that you don’t sound a thing like that, no matter how ugly your cry can get.”
At that, Audrey laughed, smiled, and may have swallowed a sob all at the same time.
“I think you saved me from drowning in self-pity,” Audrey said, after collecting herself.
“You’re over it that quickly?” Natalie’s eyebrows arched. “Now I think I’m the one who needs your help.”
“Why my help? I’m a bubbling, hot mess.”
Natalie sent Audrey a crooked smile.
“Maybe so, but you’re at least good at showing your feelings. I’m more likely to quietly stew while dwelling on mine.”
Natalie didn’t know what had possessed her to share, but she felt enough concern for Audrey to reach out and place a hand on her arm.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
She made certain they locked eyes.
Audrey smiled warmly.
“I’m fine. Really. It was … just a moment. It was nothing.”
Now it was Natalie whose emotions welled up inside.
She’d imagined confronting Michael with her suspicions, imagined what he might say.
It was nothing.
Nothing. Just sex.
Just you inside another woman.
It was nothing … nothing but the destruction of our family.
Liar. Cheater. Bastard.
No wonder I can’t sleep.
Natalie took a closer look at Audrey. Beautiful Audrey. Would Michael have gone for a younger woman like her? Of course he would have. Such a cliché. Old cow, new cow. Wasn’t that some theory on male sexuality? Or maybe she’d read that in one of her chick-lit books. Natalie used to love to read—light stuff, heady stuff, paranormal, didn’t matter. She’d read to fall asleep. When sleep left her, the reading left, too. Oh, how she missed it. But there were a lot of things she missed that she once took for granted.
“I’m sorry you had to see me like that,” Audrey said.
“No you don’t,” said Natalie, wagging a finger.
A look of confusion crossed Audrey’s face.
“What … I’m sorry…”
“There you go again,” said Natalie. “Saying sorry when there’s nothing to be sorry for. Since I saved you from drowning in self-pity, what I want in return is for you to refuse to say ‘I’m sorry’ to anybody, at least for the remainder of the day. You shouldn’t be sorry for anything unless you do something to hurt somebody else. Don’t apologize for being you. Do we have a deal?”
“Deal,” Audrey said, as she stood straighter and taller. “You’ve been very kind to me. Thank you.”
“I can be even kinder. Tina Langley is my dear friend. Since you’re on this floor, I assume you know her.”
Audrey blanched.
“Tina … you know Tina?”
“Let’s just say they’ve named a margarita after us at La Hacienda.”
Audrey looked too stunned to laugh.
“Tina is my boss,” she said. “I’ve been here a year, but I don’t think she’s noticed me.”
Natalie shrugged.
“Don’t take it personally. Tina can be a difficult read, but deep down she’s a softie.”
“How deep are we talking?”
“Miles,” said Natalie with a wink. “Say, why don’t we go for lunch sometime soon. I’ve been with the firm almost a decade. I’d be happy to give you some pointers. I’ll even put in a good word for you, help you get a leg up in the department. It would be my pleasure.”
“I’d love that,” Audrey said, and it was clear she meant it, too.
“Great,” said Natalie, who was thinking about something else—or more specifically, someone else. Michael.
What Natalie had with Michael were her suspicions, and that wasn’t enough to blow up her family, her life. She needed more, concrete proof of his infidelity, before she’d take such drastic action. Thanks to this chance encounter, she might be able to get what she needed. Natalie knew she’d just done Audrey a big favor. Hopefully, Audrey would be willing to repay her kindness, and in doing so become what Natalie needed her to be.
Bait.
CHAPTER 6
MICHAEL
Michael got his wish, sort of. After viewing the video, Ouyang’s phone rang. She stepped out of the room to take a call, telling him it was from the station. She returned with news that her boss was coming to the hotel to speak with Michael directly, which to him meant they were taking his case more seriously.