When Life Happened by Jewel E. Ann

Chapter Fifteen

The next two weeks vanished. Parker planned the party to both Mr. and Mrs. Westman’s standards—sort of. She also squeezed in two more dates with Mark. However, they didn’t have sex again. She insisted he date her first if they were going to be anything more than a casual hookup.

Gus made it impossible to be around him with his lingering stares and suggestive comments that left her running for an underwear change. It felt like he had his eye on some prize and that it made his time left with Sabrina more bearable; Parker wasn’t too sure she wanted to be his prize no matter how he affected her with his glances, smirks, and seductive pronunciation of her name—no matter how much she simply loved being in the same room as him.

Their relationship had been branded with a cheating stamp even though they’d never had sex. It would forever weigh on her conscience even if he divorced his wife. Parker didn’t know if she could live with that. But she couldn’t deny thinking about Gus when she was with Mark. That had to mean something.

“Why is there a fucking piñata hanging from the tree out back?” Sabrina charged down the stairs in her red, white, and blue dress fit more for an inauguration than a Fourth of July party.

Parker grimaced from the kitchen as she messaged the caterer to make sure they were running on time. “Uh … Gus requested it. Did you two not discuss it?” She settled on the innocent-bystander role for the day.

“Of course not! How could you think I’d agree to something so juvenile? It looks hideous hanging there next to the tent.” Under the stress of her meltdown, a few strands of blond hair sprang from her braided bun.

Parker’s nose wrinkled. “Sorry. I assumed you two made some compromises.”

“I have friends and colleagues who have flown in from Chicago, New York, and Miami; it’s embarrassing enough that I live out in the sticks, but there’s no way I’m going to allow them to see that thing hanging from my tree!”

Gus eased open the door to the garage. “Jesus, Sabrina … I’m pretty sure the guys setting up the tent heard your whole hissy fit.”

He blocked one exit from the kitchen while Sabrina blocked the other, leaving Parker stranded in the middle of Hell.

“Take. It. Down. Now.” Sabrina stomped her bare feet against the tile with each word. A typical three-year-old move.

“If I take down the piñata, then I’m getting out the grill and throwing on some brats and a beer-butt chicken.”

“This isn’t funny. Do you hate me this much?”

“Wow, that’s ironic. I thought the same thing when you replaced our close family and friends barbecue with this uppity party complete with strangers from Chicago, New York, and Miami, white table cloths, and a mandatory stick up your ass requirement to attend.”

Sabrina slowly shook her head as tears filled her eyes. “Your jealousy knows no boundaries.”

Gus rested his hands on his hips and looked at the ceiling, pushing a long breath out his nose. “And what exactly am I jealous about?”

“My success. The money I make. It emasculates you.”

“No. No. And fuck no.”

The caterer texted Parker back. “So …” She interrupted the silence. “The caterer is running on time. I …” She inched her way toward the back door, giving Gus the move out of my way look. “I’m going to see how the guys are doing with the tent and take Rags over to my place so I can do a final sweep for poop.”

Gus didn’t move. Instead, his eyes roamed along every inch of Parker like he hadn’t eaten for days and she would be his first meal. With her back to Sabrina, she couldn’t tell if his wife saw the same look. Parker hoped not because there was nothing subtle about it.

“Excuse me,” Parker whispered.

He dragged his eyes up her legs and over her chest as if he wanted Sabrina to know. When he made eye contact, he grinned. “Of course, Parker.”

It was the Parker of all Parkers. The ultimate fuck-you to Sabrina and an I’m-coming-for-you warning to Parker. She’d hoped for an amicable relationship with Sabrina after quitting. Gus ruined it with one long look and one seductive word.

He eased to the side, giving her minimal space to squeeze past him. As soon as she shut the door behind her, Parker leaned against it and gasped for breath. The time had come to test Gus’s theory. Was Sabrina ready to see her cheating husband or would her lack of readiness veil the obvious?

*

Cars filled everyinch of the Westmans’ drive as well as Parker’s drive and front yard. She rented two golf carts and hired a couple of kids on summer break from college to drive people from their car to the tent so the ladies wouldn’t have to navigate Parker’s gravel drive and grassy yard in heels.

The band played, the caterers served hors d’oeuvres and wine, and Sabrina fluttered around greeting guests while the piñata still hung from the tree next to the enormous white tent. It represented the Westmans’ marriage—dangling by a thread or maybe dead, swaying in the breeze with a noose around its neck.

“Part of me is disappointed you followed Sabrina’s dress code.”

Parker jumped when Gus leaned over behind her to whisper in her ear.

“And part of me is so fucking hard right now because this tiny white dress of yours hides so little.”

She swallowed hard and stepped forward a bit to distance herself from his dizzying warmth, minty breath, and nerve-wracking voice.

“You’ve been drinking.” Parker gritted her teeth as she nodded, plastering on a smile for the couple entering the tent. It wasn’t her job to guard the entrance, but it’s where she felt most comfortable—a quick getaway in case World War III broke out between Gus and Sabrina.

“Not a drop. I like being one hundred percent sober when I look at you. No need to dull my senses when the feeling I have around you is pure desire.”

Another pair of clean, dry underwear ruined by his words.

“August?” Sabrina waved him toward her, a painfully fake smile plastered to her face as her so-called friends stood in a circle around her.

“Duty calls.” He walked toward Sabrina but glanced over his shoulder to give Parker a grin and a wink.

Her crimson skin nearly bled on her dress as sweat beaded along her brow, in her armpits, and even between her cleavage. Yet she still grinned because he was the only guy there wearing shorts and of course his matching Cubs shirt and cap.

Retreating to the house, she grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter and fled for refuge in their bathroom at the top of the stairs.

“Damn you, Gus!” She grumbled while shoving wads of tissue into her armpits. The screen to her phone lit up with a text from Gus and a missed one from Sabrina. She pinched her eyes shut and blew out a slow breath.

Sabrina:Be a dear and bring me my lip gloss from my vanity. xo

She wasn’t livid with Parker. Gus’s theory was right, at least with his wife.

Gus:Where are you? I’m eating blah, triangular-shaped sandwiches. When I’m done, I’m going to cleanse my palate with you.

“Not helping, Mr. Westman.” She shoved another wad of tissue in between her cleavage and one in her panties between her legs.

After five minutes of sweat control and splashing cold water on her face, she hurried to the master bedroom to get Sabrina’s lip gloss. There were five lip glosses neatly lined up on her vanity.

Parker:Which lip gloss?

Sabrina:Clear. The rest are shades of pink.

Parker disagreed. They were all shades of clear.

Sabrina:Sorry. The one I want is in my travel bag. Drawer on the right side.

The travel bag had a ton of zipper compartments. She froze after opening one of the side compartments filled with condoms. As bile climbed up her throat, Parker tried to reason. They had to be for when she traveled with Gus, except according to him, they never went anywhere together, and she knew Sabrina was on the pill because she had to pick up her refill two weeks earlier.

Sabrina:Did you find it?

Parker closed the side compartment and hurried to find the lipgloss. With shaky knees and the clear lipgloss in hand, she returned to the party.

“Thank you, dear.” Sabrina smiled as she unscrewed the lipgloss. “If you see Gus, remind him to go feed Rags.”

Parker nodded slowly. Every word an echo competing with her thundering pulse. “I’ll … um … go feed him.”

“Thank you. Hurry back before dessert is served.”