But why had they gone for a walk in the park, arm-in-arm? Should she confront him?
How would she explain that she had seen them because she had followed them?
She heard Jason come home a short while after she went to bed. He’s home already?
That must be a good sign, she thought.
She pretended to be asleep when he came into the bedroom. I’ll deal with it in the morning, she decided.
***
The breakfast table encounter between Jessica and her husband the next morning was almost a repeat performance of dinner. Jason was nervous and shifty.
He tried to make small talk, but Jessica ignored it.
“What time did you get home last night?” she asked.
“Around nine,” Jason replied, which was correct—Jessica had glanced at the clock on her side table when she heard him come in.
“We made good progress last night on the project; it went quicker than I thought it would.”
“Good progress?” Jessica echoed with a sharp edge in her voice.
Jason pretended not to catch her tone. “Yes,” she said.
“But tonight could be a very late one. We have a presentation to the Simmons board tomorrow.
Don’t worry about dinner; I’ll order pizzas or something for the office.”
So, that settles it, Jessica thought.
He’s going to go out with that woman again tonight. “Very well,” she said coldly. “And I won’t wait up, same as last night.
Don’t wake me when you come home.”
“Okay, Jess,” Jason said.
“I’m sorry about this. I promise I’ll make it up to you when the project ends.
I know this is a difficult time, but I promise it’ll work out for the best.”
Jessica simply looked at him without saying anything. The shiftiness in his eyes gave him away yet again.
Since Jason had become CFO at the company where he worked, Jessica had been able to quit her job and follow her passion for food photography.
She had a few steady clients to keep her busy some days, and for the rest, she was finally writing the novel that had lived in her head for so many years.
She opened up her laptop at the kitchen counter soon after Jason had left and tried to carry on writing.
But she couldn’t focus at all.
The questions continued: Maybe it’s my fault; am I no longer attractive to my husband? Is he not satisfied with our love-making anymore? They had indeed slowed down on that front, but that was natural, wasn’t it, in such a long marriage?
Jessica closed her laptop and sat pondering what to do.
She reached for her phone and dialed Musa’s number.
“Musa,” she said when he answered, “can you meet me again tonight? Same time and place?”
Musa was waiting in his cab when Jessica stepped out the back gate.
After greeting each other warmly, Jessica outlined her plan.
“I’m taking a chance tonight, Musa,” she said. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I need conclusive proof before I do something I might regret.
Let’s go to his office building and wait there.
He said he would be working late again.”
Musa agreed, and they made their way to Jason’s office block and took up station in the cab with a good view of the front entrance. “This might be a long wait,” Jessica said. “I’ll pay you the extra, same as yesterday.”
“No problem, madam, I am at your service,” Musa replied.
They settled into silence but didn’t have to wait long.
Soon, Jason and the blonde woman walked out of the building. They turned right and continued together on foot.
“Follow them, please, Musa,” Jessica said.
Musa pulled the taxi out of the parking space and crawled down the street a few steps behind the pedestrian couple. No sooner had they set off than a horn barked at the slow-moving cab.
Jason looked sharply in their direction.
Jessica turned her head away quickly.
“Did he see me?” she asked Musa. “Do you think he saw me? Is he still looking this way?”
“I think he didn’t see you.
No, he’s looking away again.
But I think they will see us if we keep up like this. Maybe I should speed up?” Musa suggested.
The driver in the car behind them leaned heavily again on the horn as if to answer that question.
“Okay, go ahead,” Jessica said, “but stop and let them catch up. I want to see where they are going.
Musa did as instructed, pulling the cab over a few hundred feet ahead.
Jessica lay down on the back seat to avoid being seen when Jason and the woman drew alongside.
They were deep in conversation and paid no need to the taxi cab, walking on.
Jessica sat up again and watched them trundle on down the busy street. Just as they were about to disappear from view, they stopped, and Jason motioned with a hand toward the building alongside them. Jessica knew it: Luigi’s was their favorite Italian restaurant.
“He’s taking her out to dinner at Luigi’s,” Jessica said sadly.
“So, this is it then.”
“Looks that way, madam.
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