Dead to Her(50)

Keisha leaned over and kissed Marcie, her tongue sliding between her lips, and despite having just come Marcie tingled all over again.

“I’m so smitten with you, Marcie,” Keisha said. “I really am.”

“I think you’re crazy,” Marcie answered, but smiled. “Put some lipstick on, otherwise William will wonder what you’ve been doing.”

Keisha groaned and got out of the car. “God, I wish he’d just die,” she said, and not for the first time. “Why can’t he just die?”

She closed the door and Marcie watched her saunter across the lot, all firm curves, proud and strong. One day she’d have to tell her that life didn’t work like that. Men like William got to go on forever. Real life didn’t touch them, and Keisha would be best off making her peace with that.



It was funny how life turned in circles, she thought, as she kissed Jason on the cheek, joining him and William in the clubhouse restaurant. Her panties were still wet from Keisha’s work, and yet here she was, breezing in all smiles for her husband. Is this how it had been for him, when he’d been married to Jacquie? This shifting between situations?

“Where’s Keisha?” William asked.

“Following behind. Got caught at the lights I think.” At least Jason hadn’t had to manage having Marcie across the luncheon table when he was still with Jacquie. “You’re going to be amazed by how well she’s organizing this event. She has a natural flair for it.”

William looked pleased, as if she’d complimented a pet on performing a trick well. How much did wives mean to someone like William? Did he understand love, or was it all about tradition and ego? How quickly he’d gotten over Eleanor. Perhaps even before she’d died he was already wondering what would come after. That flirting with waitresses he did. Eleanor had been a dead weight before she’d died. Was Jason like that too, underneath it all? Did he understand love or just possessions and social placement? All this politeness and refinement had been sucking the life out of Marcie, a slow puncture she hadn’t noticed. She may not want to leave Jason, but neither could she bring herself to give up this passion. Not yet. Men got to have their cake and eat it all the time. Why couldn’t she? “Have you ordered?” she asked. “I’m starving. I think I’ll have a steak.”

Jason looked at her, surprised. “I ordered you a salad. You always have a salad.”

“Not today.” How ridiculous it was. All these women, nibbling on air, when they could afford the finest mouth-watering dishes. They weren’t staying thin for themselves, that was for sure. They were starving their bodies and plumping their faces to fend off the secretaries and the second wives. Marcie used to look at the larger women dotted around the lounges and bars with disdain, but maybe she’d gotten it all wrong. Maybe they were the happy ones. Their marriages weren’t based on image or a financial power imbalance. Those were the kinds of women the rest of them—herself included—probably should aspire to be.

“So I guess you’d better change the order,” she finished. She was in a fiery mood, ready to spit and crackle at anyone, Jason included. Great sex did that to her. And Keisha might be a little crazy, but she was great sex. And suddenly there she was again and Marcie’s heart tripped.

“I’ll have a steak too.” Keisha slid in beside William after kissing the top of his balding head, her lips barely touching his liver-spotted skin. “Looking at all those canapé options this morning has left me starving.” She grinned. “But then, I’m always starving. I have a large appetite.”

“Marcie says you’re doing a great job with the party,” William said, and Marcie saw one fat hand slide under the table, where it was probably squeezing Keisha’s knee. Poor Keisha. No wonder she was so desperate to get out.

“It’s not going to be like any other around here, that’s for sure,” Keisha said proudly, but Marcie noticed William’s face darkening slightly. Worry? Not wanting anything too different? Too young or too wild? Nothing that might embarrass him with its gaudiness? “When we get home I’ll talk you through our ideas. Then we can change anything you don’t like.”

William relaxed. The king was appeased.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again,” Jason said. “You’re a lucky man, William.”

Marcie looked at her husband. His eyes glittered, wolflike, as he looked at Keisha for a moment too long before turning his smile to William. It still rankled Marcie, this obvious lust he had for the second Mrs. Radford IV. It also annoyed her that he was so stupid as to let it show to William, when they were so close to getting everything he wanted.

“Oh, I almost forgot. This light came on in my car on my way here.” Keisha pulled out her phone. “I took a picture of it so you men can tell me what it means.” She clicked through to the image and held it out.

“Oh, that’s the coolant,” William said, getting up. “Excuse me while I go to the restroom.”

“Coolant?” Keisha barely noticed as her husband waddled away.

“I think they call it antifreeze in England,” Jason said. “Don’t worry about it. I can top that up for you. Check that it’s not leaking. Can you pick some up at the store, Marcie, if we don’t have any?”