His marriage was
going smoothly enough. Dull at times, sure. Weren't all marriages?
Jennifer and he didn't have that much in common, as it had turned out.
But they were good humored, and they shared a disposition to make the
best of things. He had his responsibilities; she had hers; they avoided
confrontation. He was genuinely fond of her. And they had Emma. Emma
was a delight, a little like each of them, although she took after him
in looks. He should have been on top of the world, compared to most
people.
So--why was he reaching for Suzanne? There was something coiled inside
him, a force that he wasn't sure he could control. Intuition told
Oliver that if he ran from it or pretended it wasn't there, he would be
in even bigger trouble.
He was at work before Suzanne arrived the next day. He watched her
drive in and walk toward the front entrance. Even at that distance and
under a parka, her body radiated a compact grace. Her hair was gathered
and held by a red scarf that hung to the nape of her neck. She hadn't
done anything drastic. He waited a few minutes and went to her office.
His heart was beating fast.
"I'm sorry," he began.
She shook her head.
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