Betrayal Read Online Free Page A

feeling of excitement and spontaneous life was back in her. At least a spark of it. And the only reason she could think of why was Sebastian.
    Dinner was a mess of eating, yelling, and telling stories about the day. Adam recalled the story of one woman who came into his office and wanted her knees to appear more feminine. Her kids told stories about things that had happened at recess or with their teachers. And Kali listened to all of them.
    Before she had a chance to speak, dinner was over and everyone was off in their own directions. She was left alone in the kitchen to clean up, and her thoughts, by themselves, went back to Sebastian.
    After everything was cleaned up, she got a glass of wine and went out on the patio. She tried to read for a while but dozed off. When she awoke, the sun had set and it was dark. Kali went upstairs and had a long , hot shower. She dressed in a T-shirt and got into bed next to her husband. He had his reading glasses on and was reading the Los Angeles Times on his iPad.
    “You going to the store tomorrow?” he asked.
    “No. But I can. What did you need?”
    “Some more of that lotion I really like. The apple one.”
    “I’ll stop there then.” She paused, a silence between them. “Let’s go somewhere, Adam.”
    “Where?”
    “I don’t know. Let’s go to Paris.”
    He grinned and looked at her. “Paris?”
    “Yeah, let’s just hop on a plane and go.”
    “I can’t go to Paris, sweetheart. My schedule’s solid for at least two months. Maybe around the holidays we can get out somewhere.”
    “Oh. Okay.”
    He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Night.”
    “Night.”
    Adam turned the iPad off and placed it on the nightstand before turning the lamp off. The moonlight came through the window, lighting up the room. Kali couldn’t sleep. She just stared out the window at the open darkness, the thought of only one man on her mind. And it wasn’t her husband.

8
     
     
     
    The next day, Kali saw everyone off and then got into her car to drive to the store. She drove past the store and got onto the interstate, heading toward Santa Monica. After a good five minutes of driving, she got off the nearest exit, and then got back on the interstate heading for her house. Then she got off another exit, turned around, and parked.
    What am I doing?
    She took a deep breath and turned on soft jazz. Leaning her seat back, she closed her eyes. She needed to center herself. The day was already planned. She would go to the store and pick up Adam’s lotion and a few other things. Then a neighbor of hers, Cindy, was having a few girls over for a book club. Though really it was just an excuse to drink wine and gossip. They rarely read the book assigned for the month. Then she would go home, prepare dinner, and do it all over again the next day.
    She took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and headed back toward home.
    The grocery store was nearly empty other than a few stay-at-home moms. She got the lotion and a few toiletries, some yogurt, though they were out of her favorite flavor of raspberry cheesecake, and she got a Diet Coke on the way out.
    The drive back seemed to take longer than the drive in, but she didn’t mind. NPR had an interesting story about compulsive gamblers that lived in Las Vegas and it distracted her nearly all the way home.
    Once everything was put away, she decided to walk to Cindy’s house.
    Their home was immaculate. She was one of those women that had to compete with everyone. Even her friends. Maybe especially her friends. She had to have the most expensive car, the largest house, the best stylist. Kali could picture her crying herself to sleep if one of the neighbors drove home a more expensive BMW one day.
    Cindy opened the door dressed in jeans and silk blouse with a scarf, though it was easily ninety degrees.
    “Hello, baby,” she said, kissing her cheek. “Good to see you.”
    “You, too,” she said, stepping inside.
    “Girls are all here. You read the