Patrick

Chapter 6

“You look like one of those rich society bi*ches who I often see in the magazines,” Sheryl teased her. “Oh, but wait, you are one of them!”

“I am not!” Carrie protested as she stirred the spoon in her hot chocolate. It was nearing Christmas and the mall where they had met to have a drink was brimming over with people and decorations were everywhere. Carrie had driven herself telling Patrick firmly that she refused to have someone drive her wherever she went. So, he had handed her a key last night. “What’s this for?”

“What does it look like?” he had asked her mildly.

“It looks like a car key.”

“Right on the first go.” Suddenly, he jumped off the sofa where he had been reclining and took her hand in his pulling her from the room.

“Patrick, stop!” she said as she hurried to keep up with him. It was late and the staff had all retired for the night as well as his parents. He took her down to the huge garage where there were several vehicles parked. He took the key from her and pressed the pad. Her eyes widened as she heard an answering chirp from a brand new red BMW convertible.

“It’s yours,” he told her with a boyish grin. Carrie looked from him to the vehicle and then back again.

“You bought me a BMW?” she asked in a daze.

“I thought you would want something to drive when you are going to visit your mom,” he said with a shrug.

To his shock, she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him full on the lips. She started to pull away, but he clamped his hands around her waist. “Not so fast, darling,” he had drawled. “You cannot expect to do something like that and get away with it.”

“You even look like one,” Sheryl was saying to her accusingly as she eyed her friend. She was wearing an emerald green silk blouse and elegant black pants with ankle length boots and an expensive cashmere jacket slung casually over the back of her chair. Diamonds glinted discreetly at her lobes and she had on a silver chain with a diamond pendant suspended from it. Her hair was twisted into an elaborate chignon at the nape of her neck, and her wedding ring shimmered and sparkled in the light.

“I am married to a rich man so naturally I have to dress this way, but I am still the same person,” she said with a shrug. “I cannot seem to say the right thing when I am in their presence. My husband tells me that my mouth is going to get me in trouble one day.”

“You are in love with him,” Sheryl said, looking at her in wonder.

“What? No!” Carrie stirred the cinnamon stick inside her hot chocolate as she avoided her friend’s eyes.

“You were never able to lie very well, Carrie, even when you were a little girl,” Sheryl told her dryly. “He is your husband, so nothing is wrong if you are in love with him.”

“I am not in love with him!” she insisted. “We have great s*x together and – “She stopped suddenly as she realized that her friend was right! “Oh, crap!” She pushed away her cup and stared at her friend.

“Honey, this is a good thing,” Sheryl told her gently, almost laughing at the expression on the girl’s beautiful face. Carrie had always been the strong one, the one who made the decisions and made sure that they stuck by it. She never allowed anyone to walk over her and was fiercely loyal to her friends. Her only weakness was that she always liked to be in control.

“The man thinks he is God’s gift to women,” she muttered. “If he discovered that I have the slightest thing called love about him, I am never going to be able to live it down.”

“It sounds like you guys are well matched,” Sheryl commented.

“What do you mean?” Carrie looked at her sharply.

“Honey, you are stubborn ,and it seems to me that he is as well. You are both determined to be in control. One day, one of you will have to give in.”

“It won’t be me,” Carrie told her grimly.

*****

Carrie cried off going to the fundraising gala the next day telling Patrick that she was tired and just wanted to take a long soak in some scented water and binge watch television.

“You are not afraid I am going to be tempted to take some young eager socialite and let her have her way with me in one of the hotel rooms?” he had drawled as he skimmed his finger down one cheek. They had just come in from the office together and were in their suite changing out of their work clothes.

She reached for his finger and twisted enough to have him wincing, then reached between his legs and cupped his crotch squeezing gently. “I know how much you happen to value this.” She squeezed harder and he groaned. “I will cut it off in an instant, and you would never see me coming, darling.” With a sweet smile, she bit down on his lip before letting go and heading to the bathroom. He followed her in and their eyes met in the mirror.

“You are a dangerous woman,” he murmured.