Free Doublecrossed by Susan X Meagher Page B

happened with Angela and I’m…”
    “Oh, wow. I don’t think I could do that. I just spent seven hundred dollars that I couldn’t afford to come visit my best friend and spend a couple of days feeling sorry for myself.”
    Regan’s low, gentle laugh echoed across the miles. “I’ve been doing that since the day I found out. Feeling sorry for myself, that is. But I haven’t talked to anybody.”
    “No one at all?”
    “No. Nobody. I learned my lesson years ago. My first girlfriend and I had a big fight, and I told anyone who’d listen. We made up almost immediately, but a lot of my friends never liked her again.”
    “So you’re keeping this all inside yourself just for Angela’s sake?”
    She sighed, and the ragged exhaled breath showed Callie that she was on the verge of tears. “I guess.”
    Sensing that Regan was struggling for control, Callie took up the slack. “I think that’s very kind of you. If you told your friends that Angela cheated on you, they’d hate her.” She wasn’t sure what to say next, but Regan didn’t seem anxious to jump in. “Are you and Angela talking about this much?”
    “No, not really. Angela’s more of a doer than a talker.”
    “Sounds like Marina. Maybe that’s what makes them good salespeople.”
    “Maybe.”
    Callie was thinking that Regan wasn’t much of a talker either. “I’m usually the one who wants to talk, but not this time. For some reason, I just want to try to forget about it.” Oh, damn. Tell her now or hold off until things are settled.
    “Oh, shit. Here I am bringing up something you don’t want to talk—”
    Act like nothing’s changed. That’s not a terrible lie. “No, like I said, I’m in Phoenix visiting my friend Terri. We’ve been talking about it nonstop. I just don’t want to talk to Marina about it. This is the first time I can ever remember her trying to get me to open up about something and me not wanting to.”
    “How long have you been together?”
    “Just over a year. No, wait, a year and a half. How about you?”
    “We had our third anniversary in September. I thought it was supposed to take seven years to get the urge to cheat.”
    “That must be the average,” Callie said, chuckling at Regan’s dry humor. “Probably takes some people fourteen years, and some jerks cheat on their honeymoons.” Jerks like Marina.
    “I guess it could be worse, huh? I’m sure this is Angela’s first time.”
    “I wish it hadn’t ever happened. And I’m sorry my girlfriend was involved. That makes me feel responsible somehow.”
    “No more than I am. I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. Do you know what I mean?”
    “I know exactly what you mean. I thought I’d leave immediately, but I hung on like I was waiting for something else to happen. Good or bad. Just something.” Like finding out Marina’s been with your girlfriend since we got together.
    “You know, that’s how it feels for me too. Like I need another piece of information.”
    “Yeah, that’s it. Marina’s been really nice, but that hasn’t helped. She actually offered to take me to Acapulco this weekend and I refused. This the first time she ever offered to pay for me to go anywhere cool, but I didn’t want to be with her.”
    Regan’s voice grew even softer. “Angela’s coming home from Acapulco tonight.”
    “You know, I tried not to think about that, but it makes sense she’d be at a national sales conference. I’m surprised that Marina wanted me to go.”
    “Angela offered to take me, too. Do you think they both wanted some protection?”
    “Maybe.” Even though it was like pulling teeth, she liked talking to this woman. It was nice to have someone who really understood how it felt. The important thing was making Regan aware of Marina’s history so she could protect herself. “Uhm…I’m not sure how to do this elegantly, but you should be using protection.”
    “Protection? What kinda protection?”
    “Uhm…protection from