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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t really a question.<\/p>\n
I stood in the grocery store parking lot staring at the message.<\/p>\n
We had nothing planned.<\/p>\n
The house was messy.<\/p>\n
And Nathan knew perfectly well that I hated being volunteered to host people with only a few hours\u2019 notice.<\/p>\n
But arguing over text wasn\u2019t going to stop his boss from showing up.<\/p>\n
So by seven, dinner was ready.<\/p>\n
The house looked presentable.<\/p>\n
And I had even changed into my favorite violet dress.<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s boss, Mr. Bennett, arrived with three coworkers.<\/p>\n
One of them was Susan.<\/p>\n
I knew Susan.<\/p>\n
Tall.<\/p>\n
Blonde.<\/p>\n
Beautiful.<\/p>\n
And always just a little too comfortable around my husband.<\/p>\n
I had never accused Nathan of cheating.<\/p>\n
Susan had never crossed any obvious line.<\/p>\n
Still, something about how naturally they understood each other had always made me uneasy.<\/p>\n
They had private jokes.<\/p>\n
She seemed to know when Nathan was stressed before he said anything.<\/p>\n
At one company holiday party, I had watched her hand him a drink without even asking what he wanted.<\/p>\n
That evening, Nathan seemed especially tense.<\/p>\n
He checked his phone repeatedly.<\/p>\n
Barely touched his dinner.<\/p>\n
That alone was unusual because he normally loved the meals I made.<\/p>\n
Halfway through dinner, Mr. Bennett lifted his glass.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, I suppose we should celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked around the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cCelebrate what?\u201d<\/p>\n
His smile faded.<\/p>\n
Then he looked toward Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you haven\u2019t told her yet?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan immediately put down his fork.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
A cold feeling moved through me.<\/p>\n
\u201cTold me what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Bennett shifted awkwardly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI assumed the two of you had already talked.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to tell you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Bennett cleared his throat.<\/p>\n
\u201cNathan is going to Seattle for a few months.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at my husband.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re doing what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s temporary. Three months. Maybe four.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long have you known?\u201d<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Mr. Bennett did.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe finalized the assignment almost three weeks ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
Three weeks.<\/p>\n
Nathan had known for nearly a month that he would be leaving the state for months.<\/p>\n
And somehow, he had never thought I needed to know.<\/p>\n
I looked directly at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Bennett hesitated.<\/p>\n
Then Susan spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going too.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned toward her.<\/p>\n
Nathan immediately said,<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t make this into something it isn\u2019t. Susan was assigned to the project. I didn\u2019t choose her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Mr. Bennett instead.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid Nathan know Susan was going when he accepted?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan\u2019s expression changed.<\/p>\n
That gave me my answer before his boss ever spoke.<\/p>\n
I wanted to explode.<\/p>\n
Instead, I smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyone want dessert?\u201d<\/p>\n
The room became painfully quiet.<\/p>\n
For the rest of dinner, I watched Nathan and Susan.<\/p>\n
Nothing happened that I could accuse either of them of.<\/p>\n
It was smaller things.<\/p>\n
Susan knew exactly what he was drinking.<\/p>\n
When Nathan barely touched dessert, she laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Natalie. I\u2019ll make sure he eats in Seattle. He always forgets when he\u2019s stressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe does?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her smile weakened.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan quickly changed the subject.<\/p>\n
Later, while everyone was gathering coats and bags, I heard Susan say quietly to him,<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least the apartment situation finally worked out.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat apartment situation?\u201d<\/p>\n
Susan immediately looked at Nathan.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompany housing,\u201d he answered too quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, right,\u201d Susan said. \u201cWe\u2019re in the same building. That\u2019ll make early mornings easier.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another thing she knew.<\/p>\n
Another thing I didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
I waited until the last guest left.<\/p>\n
Then I shut the door.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree weeks?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew for three weeks that you were leaving. You knew Susan was going. She\u2019s going to live in the same building as you. And apparently she knows your habits better than your wife does.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing is going on between Susan and me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why does she know more about your life than I do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I knew you\u2019d react exactly like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike what? Like someone who just discovered her husband is moving across the country with a coworker he never mentioned?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not moving in with Susan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, good. She\u2019s only going to be living nearby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan opened his mouth.<\/p>\n
Then his phone lit up on the table.<\/p>\n
Susan.<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cPerfect timing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, don\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
But the message preview was already visible.<\/p>\n
**Bennett approved the six-month extension. Are you seriously still telling Natalie it\u2019s only three?**<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t officially six months yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
I picked up the phone before he could reach it.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe literally says the six-month extension was approved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an option.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAn option you apparently asked for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan rubbed his face.<\/p>\n
\u201cI asked Bennett whether I could stay longer if the project went well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo five minutes ago, when you told me three months, maybe four, you already knew you were trying to stay for six?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know it had been approved.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t the point.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie, I\u2019m not having an affair.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStop saying that like cheating is the only way a husband can betray his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nathan fell silent.<\/p>\n
And that was when I started realizing Susan might not actually be the biggest problem.<\/p>\n
I pointed at his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you want six months?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good career opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
My husband texted me at four in the afternoon. **My boss and a few people from work are coming over for dinner tonight. Hope that\u2019s okay.** It wasn\u2019t really a question. I stood in...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n