‘I won’t, Vanessa,’ she bit out, taking Lance’s arm and practically pulling him out of the flat before that mischief-maker said another word.
Lance gave a dry chuckle once the door was shut.
‘What’s so funny?’ Angie almost snapped.
‘Your friend. Anyone would think you were Little Red Riding Hood about to venture into the woods with the big bad wolf. What on earth did you tell her about me?’
‘Only the truth.’
‘Your version of the truth bears little resemblance to the real truth, Angie. Not that it’s your fault. Bud’s been feeding you a warped view of me for years. I told him so last night. I also told him that it had to stop.’
Angie sucked in a shocked breath. ‘You didn’t tell him you were taking me out today, did you?’
‘No, though, damn it all, I was tempted to. The only reason I didn’t was because I’d promised you. Still, I knew I’d say something I’d regret if I stayed there, so I went to a motel for the night.’
Last night’s visions of Lance and that blonde rolling around on a motel bed immediately flashed into her mind, and, try as she might, Angie couldn’t get rid of them. Or the suspicion that Lance’s reason for going to a motel for the night had nothing to do with a spat with Bud and everything to do with ridding himself of the frustration she herself had caused.
She continued walking down the stairs in a black silence, hating her doubts yet grabbing at them with a wild despair.
‘You’ve gone all silent on me,’ he said with a weary sigh. ‘What is it, Angie? What have I done now?’
She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, gripping her handbag in tight hands as she turned to face him. ‘Swear to me you didn’t sleep with that blonde last night,’ she cried brokenly. ‘Please, Lance. Swear it!’
Angie was taken aback by the savage fury which swept into his eyes. When they heard a group of people coming down the stairs, Lance grabbed Angie’s arm and bustled her outside, then over and into his car. Once he’d climbed in behind the wheel he swivelled to face her, his face full of bitter reproach.
‘And if I did so swear?’ he challenged. ‘What would that prove? If I were the kind of person who would do that, then I would also have no compunction about lying. But if it makes you feel better, Angie, I do swear. I did not sleep with that blonde last night, or any other woman. To cover all contingencies, I also did not kiss any other woman last night,’ he went on testily, ‘or have sex with her, or have her go—’
‘Stop!’ she groaned. ‘I... I believe you.’
‘Do you, now? How nice.’ Sarcasm dripped from every word and Angie cringed.
‘Oh, God, Lance, I’m so sorry. Truly I am. I do believe you. I do! It’s just that you’re so attractive to women and I got so jealous when I saw you talking to that blonde, and... and...’
‘And I’m still lumbered with my old superstud reputation,’ he finished ruefully for her. ‘God, but if I could only go back in time I’d go to some blasted monastery for my education rather than that uni. I have no excuses for my truly appalling behaviour during that time, except that I was a silly, spoiled young fool with more hormones than sense.
‘But I did change in that regard, Angie. I stopped taking advantage of this empty talent I have for attracting the opposite sex. After uni I had girlfriends, not one-night stands. Helen was my only bed-partner during the year leading up to our marriage.’
‘And during your marriage, Lance? Were you faithful to her?’
‘I’d be lying if I said I was. But she drove me to it. She stopped sleeping with me over a year ago. I wanted her to have children, and she refused. Hell, I’d been wanting her to have children since the day we married. She compromised by saying she would have a baby after two years. Then she extended it to three. Finally, she refused altogether. I can’t tell you how furious I was. She didn’t trust me to use protection after that so she simply moved out of the bedroom till I supposedly came to my senses.’
‘But why wasn’t she on the Pill?’
Lance’s laugh was cold. ‘She told me it ruined her libido and made her put on weight. Like a trusting fool, I believed her. But, of course, the Pill is no protection against other hazards besides pregnancy—especially if one wants to be wildly promiscuous.’