Free The Marriage List by Jean Joachim Page A

men you're dating with your
family or friends?"
    "I didn't say that."
    "Oh…so you do talk about men. Do you
talk about me?"
    She shook her head, then stopped.
    "Well, maybe I've mentioned you to my
aunt…once or twice and my friend Rosie at the office."
    "And I've mentioned you to Jenna. We're
even."
    "Why?"
    Grey stepped closer to her again, pulling her
up off the bed and into his arms.
    "Because you're special, Carrie," he
confessed, closing his eyes.
     
    ****
     
    Carrie smiled at him, then disappeared into
the bathroom. Grey went in when she came out. He opened the door to
find her already in bed and the lights low. He slipped in beside
her naked body and curled up behind her, spooning her.
    "I checked my phone while you were in the
bathroom."
    "Any important calls you missed while we were
making love?" He whispered, kissing her shoulder.
    "A text."
    "Oh?" He asked, sitting up and looking at
her.
    "From Paul Marcel. He wants to publish my
book."
    "That's fantastic! Congratulations, Carrie,"
He said, leaning down to kiss her.
    "You didn't have anything to do with it, did
you?" She asked, rolling over to face him.
    "Me? No way. It's business. No matter how
much I like you, I can't influence editorial choices, which books
to publish. Those decisions are strictly Paul's. He wouldn't offer
a contract unless he thinks the book will sell well...I'm proud of
you."
    She smiled at him. He resumed his position
cuddled up against her. She turned to kiss him goodnight, then he
wrapped his arms around her and they drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Ten
     
    They were inseparable from the first night
they slept together. He stayed the next day and they made love
three more times. By the next weekend, they had been together three
out of five nights. Grey settled his own toothbrush in Carrie's
bathroom and she came home from working late to a hot meal, his
warm companionship and one of Grey's expert foot massages.
    It was a Tuesday, a slow day for Grey. He
stopped at Zabar's on the way to Carrie's apartment. A pleasant
day, he took his time walking, passing the quirky second-hand,
hard-to-find books, Filene's Basement and several small shops plus
a deli on his way to 78 th Street.
    He rounded the corner to her apartment, his
arms loaded down with goodies from Zabar's, cold poached salmon,
huge cooked gulf shrimp with cocktail sauce, grilled vegetables and
a small David's cheesecake for dessert. He climbed the stairs
whistling "I Can't Smile Without You", a big grin on his face. When
he put the groceries down and put his hand on the knob, the door
swung part-way open. Startled, Grey stepped back, dropped his
packages and prepared to do battle with an intruder.
    When he didn't hear anything, he poked at the
door with his finger, standing back alert and ready to have someone
lunge at him when a voice came out of the apartment. A female
voice.
    "Put your hands above your head or I'll
shoot!"
    Grey did as the voice commanded and stepped
slowly over the threshold, his eyes scanning the room. In the
corner by the open window facing on the fire escape, poised for a
quick exit was an attractive woman in her mid-fifties. She had dark
auburn hair in a short stylish hairdo. Artfully applied make-up
made her appear about five years younger. She was dressed
expensively and in excellent taste, wearing an Armani silk dress in
a light chocolate brown print, complimenting her fair complexion.
Her long fingernails were painted a dark pink and her high heels
were deep brown snakeskin. She held a can of mace trained on Grey.
Though her hand shook slightly, she stood firmly rooted to her
spot.
    "I mean it!" She straightened out her arm,
directing the sprayer at his eyes.
    "I don't doubt you. I'm terrified. Do I look
like a burglar?" Grey tried to keep the smirk off his face.
    "Most of the men I know who wear Brooks
Brothers don't break into apartments, but you never know," she
said, not moving from her spot.
    "May I ask who you are?" He asked, lowering
his arms