Then Noah had met Maggie at the gym, a funny, curvy, curly-headed woman who was always joking with the trainers at the sign-in counter, and he’d found himself on the treadmill next to her. She’d engaged him in nonstop chatter that drew him out by sheer force of will. He’d known that if they started dating, it would matter, so he’d broken up with Jordan.
Noah thought back with regret for how he had handled things. Jordan had taken the breakup hard, so he’d been surprised when she’d been so friendly to him at the NAAAI in Miami, last May. And after what had happened there, it didn’t make sense that she’d come to his trial. He wondered how long she had been here. How had he missed her? And what if Maggie came?
Noah didn’t have time to worry because Linda was signaling for a new exhibit, and he knew what it had to be.
He braced himself.
Chapter Fifty-two
Maggie, Before
Monday morning, Maggie walked the grassy track at the Nature Preserve next to Kathy, filling her in on what had happened with Anna and Noah. The air was filled with the chirping of crickets and birds, which usually calmed Maggie down, but not today.
Kathy looked over, her brow knitted. ‘So what do you think happened on the driving lesson?’
‘He’s not the most patient teacher, and it made her nervous.’
‘I hear you.’ Kathy huffed and puffed, carrying her foam-covered hand weights.
‘And now he’s gone to a conference, and you know who’s going to be there? Jordan.’
‘The fetus?’
‘Yep.’ Maggie smiled at Kathy’s nickname for Noah’s old girlfriend, Jordan Nowicki, a young rep who was drop-dead gorgeous. ‘She’s not a fetus anymore.’
‘So she’s crowning.’
‘I wonder if she’s still single.’
‘Nah, I bet she got herself a hubby. Her biological clock is ticking.’ Kathy matched Maggie stride for stride. ‘My biological clock is a Casio. That’s how old I am.’
‘If she’s there, she’ll find him. I swear she was a stalker. He never saw it, though.’
‘Men are dumb. Even smart men are dumb.’
‘He told me they started dating when she ran into him at the elevator by accident. What are the odds?’
Kathy snorted. ‘She probably rode the elevator all damn day.’
‘I met her when she came to the office to drop off his tie. She said he’d left it at her place a year ago.’
‘What, knotted to the bedpost?’
‘Yeah, right.’ Maggie laughed. Noah had no interest in anything kinky in bed, which was fine with her. Sex was great, and she could never understand why people couldn’t leave well enough alone.
‘She brought him his tie, after a year? Obsess much?’
‘Totally.’ Maggie warmed to the story. ‘She goes to the front desk and asks if she can see Noah. In the middle of the day, mind you. He has appointments all afternoon. And she’s so gorgeous that every mom in the waiting room hates her on sight.’
‘What is it with these reps? Do you think they have a beauty contest?’
‘Anyway she made a big thing that she couldn’t just leave the tie at the desk, then the receptionist called me over and introduced me as Noah’s fiancée.’
‘Oh, burn!’
‘It was sad, truly.’
‘Boo-hoo, bitch. Call me after gestation.’
‘She was hurt, but she tried to cover it up.’
‘She’s too young to hide her emotions. She’ll learn.’
‘Kath, I have to admit, when I met her, she looked so damn young. I didn’t think he was like that.’
‘Oh please. Men love young things. It’s fresh eggs. They can smell them.’
‘She even asked to see my engagement ring.’
‘Did you stick it in her face?’
‘No. She called me later, to say it was nice to meet me. The temp had given her my cell number because she was a rep.’ Maggie thought back to how happy she and Noah had been, in the beginning. They’d gotten engaged only six months after they had met. She’d known it was right, or at least she’d thought it was. ‘Marriage is a funny thing, isn’t it?’
‘I smell philosophy.’
‘You don’t know what’s going to happen in a marriage. In your life. You have to be able to deal with it.’
‘Quite true.’ Kathy pumped her arms.
‘Like with Anna coming. I would’ve guessed Noah would be great.’
‘I said, you just have to give it time.’
‘That’s the thing, everything is happening so fast. He said the house is in an uproar, and he’s right.’
‘It’s not the worst thing for him to take a week off right now. It’ll give the house time to settle.’
‘I hope so, especially for Caleb. I’ll give him extra attention this week, and we have the barbecue Saturday night. You guys are coming, right?’
‘I wouldn’t miss it. What do you want me to bring, the Ina Garten corn salad?’
‘Yes, you make that great.’
‘You have to make those deviled eggs I love. Kick it old-school.’
‘That’s me.’ Maggie felt a rush of comfort, having a friend she knew so well that she knew her best dishes. Girlfriends were a blessing.
‘And don’t worry about Noah in Miami.’
‘I can’t help it. If Jordan’s there, she’ll seek him out.’
‘So what? He wouldn’t cheat on you.’
‘She’s younger and thinner.’
‘He loves you, silly.’
‘Right, I keep forgetting,’ Maggie shot back.
Chapter Fifty-three
Noah, After
TRIAL, DAY 4
Noah stiffened at the enlarged black-and-white photo of Anna in death, which showed her face, neck, and bare shoulders. Her eyes were fixed open, gruesomely, since the sclera around the irises was black with blood. Her skin had a gray pallor, contrasting with the dark bruises encircling her neck like a lethal choker. Linda, Thomas, and the courtroom clerk were working through the details of admitting and labeling the photo, which took a horribly long time, whether inadvertently or on purpose.
Noah let his thoughts travel backwards to the Miami NAAAI conference, which was after he’d married Maggie, Anna had moved in, and everything had gone south. He’d found himself again on the trade floor, knowing at some level that he was looking for Jordan, and as he’d headed toward AstraZeneca, he’d spotted her chatting up another rep.
They’d been laughing, Jordan throwing her head back, her hair bouncing, her lipstick a fresh pink, her throat open. He’d recognized her suit, a pinkish tweed that was tightly tailored. She used to wear a silky white top underneath, she’d called it a cami. And he’d flashed on the bra she’d have on, a lacy black push-up that she joked was her conference bra. Her skirt had been short, and she’d had on high heels, like always. He remembered them lying on the rug next to the bed like a pair of lethal weapons. He used to trip on them on the way to the bathroom, but he’d never complained.
Noah had approached her, and she’d done a double-take when she saw him, which she’d masked with another pretty laugh. He’d watched her touch the other rep on his upper arm, her fingertips brushing his biceps, but she’d been dismissing him. The rep had probably believed Noah was a sales target, but Jordan had known better.
Jordan, hey, Noah had tried to sound casual, which was impossible. He was born formal.
Hi, good to see you again. Jordan’s dark eyes had glittered in the way he recognized from before, connecting with him directly, not bothering to hide her interest.
How are you?
How’s married life?
Fine, good. Noah had noticed she didn’t answer the question.
I don’t believe you. You still look No-ha to me.
No, it’s fine. Noah had swallowed hard, unmasked. Jordan had been right, but he couldn’t tell her that.