She, the Kingdom (She #1)(28)

I awkwardly patted him on the shoulder, and he stood again, grabbing his sport coat and sliding his arm through one hole. He had trouble with the second, so I stood and helped.

He quickly pecked my forehead, and, as he left me standing alone in my living room, I could still feel his lips on my skin. “You’re wonderful, Morgan Clarke.”

“Th-thank you,” I said.

I took a deep breath, trying to exhale the tension Max had left behind. I could at least get the school supplies out of the way before the kids got home, and maybe do some grocery shopping. “Oh!” I said out loud to no one. I still owed Doty & Levitz for the balance of my divorce. I would drop that check by, too.

I brushed my teeth, pulled my hair into a messy bun, and dabbed on a bit of makeup before sliding into a tight pair of skinny jeans and a tank top. I rolled up the denim hems to mid-calf and pulled on my low-top Chuck Taylors just before grabbing my sunglasses, keys, and purse and heading out the door. The morning sun was already hot and the air muggy and thick, but I felt lighter than I ever had. I could breathe deeper than before. I was free.

With a push of a button, the Lexus started right up. I rolled down the windows, turned up the radio, buckled my seatbelt, and watched the monitor as I backed out. The neighborhood kids were notorious for trying to make it across my driveway before I backed out, and no matter how many times I yelled at them, they treated it like a sport. My bulletproof smile was ruined the moment Kip Berkowitz appeared in monitor, whizzing by on his scooter.

I slammed on my brakes, sending my purse flying off the console into the back seat. I leaned my head out the open window. “Damn it, Kip!”

“Sorry, Mrs. Clarke!” he yelled without turning around.

I faced forward and glared over my steering wheel, blowing an errant hair from my face. “It’s Ms.”

My second attempt to reach the street was without event, so I drove first to the discount store for supplies, and then grabbed a sweet tea from the local mom and pop drive-in, Pap’s, before heading over to Doty & Levitz. I parked, and then reached back, grasping for my purse. It was just beyond my fingertips, so I stretched, feeling my skin burn against the leather. I finally hooked my pinky between the teeth of the zipper and pulled it close enough to grab the handle, and then I sat up, combing my fingers through my hair before exiting the car.

I froze, watching Sophie walk to the driver side of a white G-wagon next to me, a large man in his mid-to-late-thirties stopping two feet from me as he opened the passenger door. When they sat next to each other they had a pleasant conversation, and then Sophie touched the man’s cheek with her hand. I looked down and pulled my hair band from my hair, letting my thick, brown tresses fall in my face. I wasn’t supposed to have seen that, and I wondered why they weren’t more careful.

Sophie backed out of the parking lot and turned toward the street. I waited until she was gone before exiting my SUV, and exhaling the breath I’d been holding. The parking for Doty & Levitz was behind the building and next to a small church. Besides the attorneys’ vehicles and possibly a receptionist, there were no other vehicles but mine, and I had been leaned down reaching for my purse. Sophie likely thought it was a safe place to put her hands on another man.

I knew nothing about Max and Sophie’s relationship. Maybe, because of his peculiar needs, they had an open marriage. Regardless, it was none of my business.

I walked into Doty & Levitz, my shoes clicking against the travertine tiles. It smelled like leather and flowers; the only sound was the humming of a desk fan and the clacking on the keyboard of the receptionist’s computer.

“Hi, Annie,” I said.

She looked up at me with the beginnings of a smile, but once she recognized me, her mouth fell open. She had round, bulging eyes and circular glasses, and far too much red lipstick layered on her plump lips.

“Hi, Ms. Clarke. We weren’t expecting you.”

“Oh.” I felt embarrassed, although I had no idea why. “Was I supposed to make an appointment? I just came in to pay my balance.”

“Oh!” she said, relieved. “Oh, okay. No problem.” She chuckled nervously, tucking her straw-colored hair behind her ears. Her stick-straight bob grazed her jaw-line, and I noticed she was at least a month overdue to get her roots done. Annie had worked at Doty & Levitz long before I’d used them for my divorce. She was organized and arguably kept the law firm running, but she was a hot mess.

She tapped on the keyboard, and looked up at me, once again nervous. “Morgan, the balance is still over twelve-hundred.”

“I know,” I said, handing her a check.

She was hesitant, but then took the paper from my hand, glancing down. Realization lit her eyes, and she looked up at me. If Max and Sophie used Doty & Levitz, Annie probably knew about the surrogate agreement, too, and Annie had just put it together how I’d come into that kind of money.

I smiled.

Annie did, too, and placed the check on the desk beside her. She hovered the mouse over the pad, clicked it a few times, and then typed a few quick words. The printer stirred, and then buzzed in a high-pitched cadence. She turned to fetch me the receipt, and then handed it to me. “Thank you, Ms. Clarke.”

“It’s just Morgan,” I said, taking the paper. I looked down, smiling at the zero next to the word balance. That was it. The last bill I’d had hanging over my head—one I didn’t think would be paid off for at least another year or two.