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March 25, 2007
cell
Rayne stood on the stoop, the white ovals of the toes of her sneakers overhanging the chipped edge of the concrete. Just breathe. She breathed. Her blood was a red fury within her, boiling in her neck, spiraling through her chest, incandescent ice. She breathed again. The branches of the trees made shadows on the wall beside her, made diamonds of light on the stucco.
The sky was clear, beautiful flying weather. Above her two tiny jets crossed contrails, racing ahead of their white wakes. She could hear a chainsaw grinding unevenly in the distance. Jack was out for his run. She turned and went back inside, letting the screen door slam behind her.
She picked up the keys and put them in her pocket. She smoothed her hair and turned, looking around the kitchen. She walked to the window and stood with her nose a finger's thickness from the glass. The moisture in her breath condensed on the glass and then evaporated, a throbbing fog. That Son of a BITCH. The blood was hissing in her ears.
She sat at the table, her hands dangling beside her. With her left hand she picked the panties from the table. She drew her hand to her face and inhaled through her nostrils, scenting. She lowered her hands to her lap and folded them around the fabric there. Jack would be back soon. She waited.
Rayne heard the scrape of his sneaker on the sidewalk, then the click and swing of the door. Jack came into the kitchen and threw a newspaper in a plastic bag on the counter. He went over to the desk and checked his phone. "Hey," he said, "good run." He wiped his forehead with the inside of his elbow and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I'm glad." Rayne said, motionless. He went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of juice, opened the cupboard and reached for a glass, his damp undershirt taut ascross his shoulders, a few stray hairs on his back spiking up past the neckband. His square face was sweaty and red, his eyes vague.
"Did you ever hear from the Donnoley's?" he asked her, snapping the cap and pouring. She watched the amber liquid rise in the glass.
"What did you do on this trip, Jack?" She said it quietly.
"What?"
"What did you do on this trip?"
"You know what I did. I went to the Chicago office, we had a meeting and a tour of the plant, the next day another meeting and back home this morning. Why?" He gestured with his juice, his black eyebrows close.
"What did you do last night, Jack?"
"Honey, what do you mean? I had dinner with Don. What is this, the inquisition?" He turned toward her.
"Whose panties are these, Jack? Why were they in your things?" Rayne drew up her hands and opened them, holding the faded blue fabric between her index fingers and thumbs.
Jack stopped all motion, except his eyes, which held hers for a moment and then scanned to the window, then back to her face again.
She flipped the panties aside on the table and stood up. "Who is she, Jack? Who is the fat whore, you goddamn bastard."
"Honey--"
"Don't honey me. Never again, Jack. I'm not your honey anymore, I'm your worst fucking nightmare now." Rayne drew a long knife from the wooden block on the counter, the blade hissing against the wood and the tip making a tiny ting as it left it's slot. Jack turned, facing her as she moved.
"Does she know my name, Jack? She does, doesn't she?"
"Put the knife down."
"FUCK YOU. Does she know my name?"
"Just put the goddamn knife down, Rayne."
"What did you tell her about me, Jackie boy? What did you tell your little fuck friend about me? I bet she was so sympathetic. Doing me a favor, even." She picked up his cell phone from the desk, held it for a moment, then flipped it open.
"Give me that phone, goddammit Rayne. We need to talk."
"So talk." Rayne pressed the button for recent calls and scrolled through the list. Last night there were three calls to "xSuzi." Rayne selected one of them and pressed the button to get the detail view. "I was such a FOOL. Too many second chances, Jack, you blew too many."
"It's not what you think. Dammit Rayne, I'm a human being, treat me like one."
"I'm your wife, asshole. Were you planning to treat me like one?"
He took a deep breath. "Rayne, the panties are your sister Sue's. We got together to plan a vacation for all of us, her and Tom, us, your parents. In July, after the flight. Down to the islands. We wanted to surprise you. She had a layover and we had dinner and we looked at the options, that's all. Her bag fell over and I guess she didn't get everything back in it. I swear, honey. Give me the phone. Please."
Rayne stood with the phone in one hand and the knife in the other. He stood with his hand out. "Give me the phone."
"You want the phone?" Rayne held the knife pointed toward his belly, "not this?"
He made to snatch the phone but she was ready for him, already backing away. She pressed the send button and the display showed the number while it tried to connect. It was her sister's number. Rayne leaned on the frame of the door. The phone was ringing now. A swirling coldness swept through her.
The phone clicked and her sister's voice answered, low and dripping, "hellooo Tiger..."
posted by matthew at 01:34 PM