Lie, Lie Again(56)
Cupping her hands protectively around Hunter’s warm little body, Lily said, “Do you need to talk about it?”
She lifted a shoulder in a sad shrug. “My boyfriend disappeared.” She snapped her fingers with her good hand. “Just like that,” she said in an empty voice. “He made me think we’d get married and start a family. But then he vanished. After fearing the worst—that he was dead in a ditch somewhere or kidnapped by terrorists—I discovered something else. He can’t marry me because he already has a wife and child.”
Lily’s eyes went wide. “That’s horrible.” She studied Sylvia’s face, clearly searching for something to add.
Sylvia nodded. “Horrible,” she repeated. “It sickens me to think that I didn’t suspect a thing.”
Lily stood before her, clinging to her baby. Was she afraid Sylvia would try to take Hunter and make a run for it?
“I should go now. I’m already late for work, and I need to pull myself together.”
“Oh, of course! Let me walk you out. Is there anything I can do?” Her rushed enthusiasm made Sylvia inwardly giggle. Poor Lily had probably been one step away from dialing 911 and reporting an intruder.
She shook her head bravely and continued down the hall. As they reached the front door, Sylvia said, “Thank you for letting me meet Hunter. He’s just perfect. And tell Hugh I said hello.”
“Of course. I’ll tell him as soon as he gets home tonight. And thank you for the gift. It was so thoughtful of you. Um, take care of yourself. I’m so sorry about . . .” Her voice drifted, as though saying the words would somehow infect her perfect little family. How sad that they were already infected. She just didn’t know it yet.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Sylvia rode the Stone-May elevator to the lobby and stepped outside into the weak sunshine. Lily’s words from earlier that day rang in her head. I’ll tell him as soon as he gets home tonight. It had been nagging her, prodding and poking, but the importance of what she’d said hadn’t settled in until moments ago, creating a veritable aha moment. It was why she’d left her desk to make a private call. It was important she do it now, before Hugh left work for the day. Two benches flanked the expansive entrance to Stone-May, one of which was vacant, and she settled onto it.
She pulled the slip of paper with Hugh’s office information from her pocket and dialed the number. When prompted, she touched the first three letters of his last name. A thrill shot through her when a robotic voice said, “For Hugh Pacheco, dial fourteen.” She tapped in the numbers and held the phone to her ear.
“Hugh Pacheco.” He sounded so confident. Not for long.
“Hugh! I’m so relieved to hear your voice. Thank goodness you’re okay!”
There was a long pause. She was fairly certain he was debating whether to hang up or not. He cleared his throat. “Sylvia. I’m fine. I, uh—”
“Oh, thank God. I honestly didn’t know what to think. Just as I was about to call the police and report you missing, I realized I should try you at work. I only wish I would’ve thought of it yesterday. It would’ve saved me another day of worry.”
He squeezed out a tinny laugh. “I, uh, lost my phone. I left it in the restroom at the airport. Someone found it, and it’s being shipped back to me.”
“You’re very lucky.”
“Yeah. Hey, I’ve got—”
The hell you’re getting off this call. She talked over him in a husky voice. “Needs? I know. I was so excited to see you on Friday that I went out on my lunch hour and popped into this darling shop and bought some new lingerie. The panties are a silky lace—really nothing more than a wisp of red fabric. And the bra matches. I couldn’t wait for you to see me in them and to feel you tear them off.”
He cleared his throat, and Sylvia went in for the kill.
“Even though I left your place, I was so desperate for you when I got home, I stripped down to just my panties and lay on my bed.” She continued in a voice dripping with desire. “And then I slid my hand into my panties . . . and ooh!” She uttered a soft moan of pleasure. “It felt so good, but all I could think about was you. It’s going to be a long week. I wish I could see you today.”
“Fuck. You’re getting me hard, and I’m at work.” She heard the rustling of papers. “Can you meet me in a half hour?”
“A half hour?”
“Yeah. I’m getting out of here right now.”
“I’ll leave now too. And, Hugh?”
“Yeah?”
“I can’t wait.” She ended the call. That should do it.
Thirty minutes later, Sylvia stood outside the apartment she had once believed was Hugh’s. Before she could knock, the door swung open. Hugh was clad in only black boxer shorts and a big grin. Well, well. Wasn’t he the eager beaver with the promise of sex?
Holding back an acerbic laugh, she said, “Hey, handsome.”
“Hey, yourself. I’m glad you called me.” He frowned. “How’d you get my office number, by the way?”
She let her eyes go wide. “You must’ve given it to me at some point. It was in my contacts.”
“Oh, right.”
Before he could ask anything else, she dropped her purse to the floor and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the ground. Stepping over it, she took his hand and led him to the bedroom, knowing he would be panting over the sight of her in high heels and black lingerie. She didn’t own anything red, nor was there a darling shop near her work. The closest thing to a shop near her office was Target.