club. He would have called. To make up.â She gave Archie a meaningful look. âTrust me,â she said.
Archie checked his watch. It wasnât even ten A.M . The way Leo had been drinking last night, he was probably hungover. âGive him time,â Archie said to himself as much as Susan.
Susan twisted a piece of black hair around her finger. âI have a bad feeling,â she said. Her eyes darted toward the floor. âHas he said anything?â She glanced up. âI mean, about me?â
Archie struggled to grasp the situation. No one had ever accused him of being savvy about relationships, but it was beginning to dawn on him that he had misunderstood. Susan wasnât worried that Leo was dead. âYouâre afraid heâs going to break up with you,â Archie said slowly.
âHeâs so distracted,â Susan said. âSomethingâs going on with him, isnât it? Iâm concerned about him. I know heâs DEââ
Archie lifted his hand to cut her off. âShh,â he said. He looked at the bedroom. The bedroom door was open. He didnât hear any movement. Rachel was probably still asleep.
Susanâs brow furrowed. âWhat?â she said. She peered toward the back of the apartment. âIs Henry here?â
âNo.â
âWho is it?â
Archie scratched the back of his neck. âI have a guest.â
She looked at him, still not getting it.
âA female guest,â said Archie.
Susanâs eyes widened with alarm. âThe stripper?â she said.
âNo,â Archie said, incredulous.
Susan took a tiny step back. âYouâre dating someone?â she asked. He could see her trying to hide her distress, her mouth getting small. âHow long have you been dating someone?â
âNot long,â Archie said. âWhen was the last time you saw Leo?â
âYou said you didnât want to date anyone,â she said.
They both knew what she meant. He had said he didnât want to date her. Rachel was different. He couldnât have sex with Susan and not feel something. Rachel didnât want anything from him. At least nothing emotionally.
He was trying to figure out how to begin to explain this when Rachel sauntered into the room. She was in the black tank sundress and sandals that sheâd had on when sheâd come over late last night, and even without a shower or makeup, she was a knockout. At that moment, Archie wished she was ugly. Rachel was Susanâs physical opposite. Even Archie had not seen that until now, with the two of them in the same room. Where Susan was pale and freckled, Rachelâs skin was a solid golden tan. Where Susanâs figure was boyish, Rachel was curvy. Rachel was blond. Susan was ⦠whatever color she happened to be that week. Rachelâs beauty was obvious. Susanâs was exotic.
Even worse, Rachel was two years younger than Susan. Since Archie had used his age difference with Susan as one of his go-to excuses for why he couldnât be with her, this made him look like even more of a heel.
Archie fumbled for words. Susan didnât move. Her eyes were fixed on Rachel. Her coffee cup had slipped forward at a perilous angle.
Rachel looked as surprised to see Susan as Susan was to see her. âHi,â Rachel said.
Ginger glanced back and forth from one woman to the other.
Archie lifted a hand to his head.
âI have to go,â Susan said quickly.
âSusan, wait,â Archie said. He went after her, and she turned around and faced him at the door.
âItâs fine,â she said. âYou donât have to explain. Youâre an adult.â
Archie mentally kicked himself. He shouldnât have let her in. But there was nothing he could say that would undo it. âIâll see if I can check up on our friend,â he said. Our friend . He hadnât wanted to say Leoâs name in front of Rachel, but it came