Nights Like This

Chapter 75

Alexei walked into the kitchen early in the morning two days later, straightening his tie. Metty turned bacon in a frypan. He kissed her cheek.

"Breakfast in a minute. I'm scrambling eggs. How many?"

He held up three fingers, poured a cup of coffee and sat at the table. His travel mug was sitting by the pot, ready to be filled when he left.

Metty put eggs, bacon, and grits before him. "You want toast?" He shook his head. She fixed her plate and sat down.

"Enough practice and I'll get good at this domestic stuff. I never did much at home. Mom doesn't like cooking, and Grandma doesn't cook much anymore."

Alexei ate. "The eggs are good. Coffee's good, too. What are your plans for the day?" Metty smiled, loving him, for he always said her cooking was good.

"Taking Mom to the lawyer. Seeing about custody of Bryany. She asked about going to school where we live this fall, so she may be willing to live with us. Then taking Mom and Grandma grocery shopping. I'll be back well before dinner. What would you like?"

He ate grits, thinking. "Pork chops and applesauce. Whatever veg you like."

She wrote on a pad. "When do you think you'll be home?"

"Six-thirty. I'll call or text if that changes." He finished and went to clean up before leaving. She fixed his travel mug and handed it to him when he kissed her goodbye.

*

Metty pushed a cart around the grocery store, checking off items on her list as she got them. Sylvia and June were filling their cart and squabbling over the best-looking meats.

Metty put pork chops in her cart. She looked at the steaks, then selected two T-bones. Alexei had given her a generous grocery allowance, insisting she spend it, and treat Sylvia and June to lunch.

She wandered down the beverage aisle, getting sodas, bottled water, and sports drinks. Only wine was left on her list.

She didn't notice when two young women slowed as they pushed a cart by her, then turned to stare at her avidly. One took out a cell phone and began recording.

Metty stopped by the wine, looking the bottles over carefully. She selected a Chardonnay, a white wine Alexei liked occasionally, then picked out a medium-priced red that had gotten rave reviews. She picked up a six-pack of beer and stooped to put it under her cart.

"Is that the girl dating the Prince Marco's cousin?"

Metty stiffened when she heard Marco's name and shoved the beer clumsily on the lower rack of the cart.

"That's her. I recognize her from school."

"She's dumpy, dressed bad. I wonder what he sees in her."

"My boyfriend Joe says she's a mutt. Check out the internet comparing her with his old girlfriends. Ouch. That Alexei is probably marking time till he can get home and hook up with a hottie. One of his own kind. Joe says she must do anything for him in bed. And her family? Drunken mother, father died in a drunk-driving accident. Look at all the wine she's buying. The cheap stuff, too."

Metty stood up and pushed her cart out of the aisle. She found her mother. Managing to keep her voice steady, she said, "Are you ready to leave? I'd like to go."

"We're almost ready," said Sylvia. "As soon as Mom gets her prescriptions."

"Let's get in the line for checkout. I want to get home."

*

Metty held herself together as she drove to June's home and helped unpack their groceries. Saying she had to get her food in the refrigerator, she left, and drove to the beach, holding back hot tears.

She threw her groceries in the refrigerator and turned on her computer. She googled her name. So many hits. She selected some, and on the fifth try found the one the girls mentioned. It was on the Olympiakos World website, called OW News. Nuño Oranillo had written more and he had pictures.

Sick at heart, she scrolled down to the pictures of Alexei's girlfriends. There she was, in her graduation white dress, looking pudgy and clumsy, standing with Alexei. Then Alexei's previous girlfriend, a rich Dutch socialite. Next were pictures of the Spanish model and actress he dated for a year. Other pictures were of women and girls he had dated casually.

Last and worst were two pictures of him with Jessica; one on the beach with her in a tiny bikini, ignoring Alexei while he stared at her, unable to take his eyes away. Jessica was the most beautiful of them all. Her family is rich, rich, rich, connected, her father is an ambassador and retired admiral, and his mother was an English earl's daughter. Marco told me he pursued Jessica for years, and he was relieved Alexei had forgotten her for me. Ha! How can I compete with her? With any of them. At least there's not another picture of my drunken mother being helped to the car. She sobbed.