You've Been Warned

“You know, Stephen got the sense that you were already seeing someone.”

Thanks, pal!

“I tried to assure him I’m not,” I say. “It’s a little funny to hear that, though, given he still seems hung up on his ex-girlfriend.”

“You think so?”

“Absolutely. Did you know she’s a married woman, by the way?”

Her eyes go wide. Apparently not.

“He neglected to mention that,” she says with a smirk. “I apologize.”

Penley? Apologizing?

“For what?” I ask.

“Thinking Stephen was right for you. I don’t approve of that sort of thing. He should know better,” she says, frowning. “Don’t you agree?”

Oh, the irony.

Chapter 56

I STRUGGLE TO STAY awake while I walk the kids to school. I’ve got one eye just about closed, the other trained on Dakota, as I still wonder what’s going through her mind.

Indeed, she wasn’t quite herself yesterday, spending most of the time in her room. Her daddy and I were only talking behind those hedges out in Westport, but the whole vibe of the moment must have seemed a little less than innocent. Eventually, I take Dakota’s hand in mine, and she lets me.

“Hey, Miss Kristin, guess what?” chirps Sean as we march across the street at Madison and 76th. “You were in my dream last night!”

Oh, great... double trouble.

For the last couple of blocks before Preston Academy, I listen to Sean explaining his dream in great detail. Apparently he and I had a picnic on the moon.

“Or was it Mars?” he wonders.

The details are a little fuzzy, but what’s clear is that he has no recollection of my being in his room. Hallelujah. One less thing to worry about.

That leaves only about a dozen others. What’s bumming me out the most, I think, is that after all I went through last night, I wasn’t able to snap a shot of Michael. I was so spooked by nearly getting caught that all I could think about was escaping from the apartment as soon as possible.

“Okay, my angels,” I say, kneeling just outside the gates of Preston Academy. “Have a wonderful day, listen to your teachers, and I’ll be here this afternoon to pick you up.”

“Bye,” says Sean, and he kisses me on the cheek.

“Thanks,” says Dakota. “Just for being nice.”

As always, I watch their mad dash to join their friends and head inside the school. When Sean falls behind, Dakota stops and sticks out her hand, patiently waiting. My heart sighs.

It’s settled. Michael and I are definitely taking them to Disney World for our honeymoon!

I turn and head back toward Fifth Avenue, a different song—finally—playing in my head. “It’s a small world after all....”

Less than a block later, my cell phone rings. What’s this?

Serendipity! It’s Michael. I knew it was only a matter of time before he called.

“I was just thinking of you,” I say.

“Not as much as I’ve been thinking of you, Kris. I’ve missed you so much!”

Before I can say ditto, he apologizes.

“For what?” I ask. “That’s what I should be doing. I’m so sorry for what I did. I’m mortified.”

“No, it was wrong of me to cancel on you. Penley is such a bitch,” he says. “I should’ve never gone out to Westport.”

“That makes two of us.”

We laugh, and he simply couldn’t be any sweeter. It doesn’t take long for me to make the connection to the rotten night he had sleeping with Sean and Dumba in the guest room. If only he knew I saw it all firsthand.

It’s amazing, really. For everything I’ve said and done as part of my Dump Penley campaign, my efforts are no match for Penley herself. At this rate, Michael might even dump her by the Fourth of July.

Independence Day.

What fireworks that would be!

“I’ve got another business dinner this evening,” says Michael, “but I want to make sure we’re together tomorrow night. Anything you want, we’ll do it, okay?”

“You’ve got yourself a date,” I answer.

“God, I’m so lucky to have you.”

“Don’t you forget it!”

We say good-bye, laced with "I love you"s, and I put my cell phone away. Opening my shoulder bag, I see that the lens cap has fallen off my camera. As I snap it back on, I notice something else.

I loaded a new roll of film before sneaking into Michael and Penley’s apartment last night. Since I didn’t snap a single picture, the shot counter should still read 0.

Only it reads 1.

Chapter 57

MAYBE THE CAMERA JOSTLED in my bag, triggering the shutter. It could happen. Especially these days.

But there’s another possibility....

The thought immediately spins me around. Now I’m walking in the opposite direction.

Out comes my cell phone again, and I call Penley. Actually, I call her answering machine, since I know she’s still at the gym. Not that she’d pick up anyway.

A filling just fell out, I explain. Luckily, my dentist can take me right away. “Don’t worry, I’ll be done in plenty of time to pick up the kids at three.”

That takes care of that. Next stop: my darkroom.

I’ve never burned an entire roll of film for only one picture, but if there’s going to be a first time, this is definitely it.