“You only owe me five large,” I say. “I will invest the rest where it will do the most good.”

I do as I promise, and the next day I give them their very first wedding present, which is a thousand-dollar line of credit at Morgan the Gorgon’s Meat Market.

The Bitch by P. D. Cacek

Oh, God.”

Karin had heard Russ say those two words in a number of ways for a number of situations. It would be an explosive murmur while making love, a groan after she told a bad joke, or an epithet when he discovered a new oil spot on the driveway-but the way he said it this time sent a chill racing through her, freezing her hand halfway against her wineglass.

“Russ?”

His eyes moved slowly from some point over her right shoulder to her eyes, then down to his plate, his mouth set in a firm, bloodless line. Suddenly the restaurant’s ambient sounds-the quiet conversations from the other tables, the soft click and clatter of flatware against plates, the sweet, seductive music that hung in the air… all of it became a distraction as Karin leaned forward. “Russ, what is it?”

He looked up and said one word: “Lily.” The chill deepened.

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

For the six months they’d been dating, Lily-the ex who wouldn’t go away-had been a constant, determined, and, up until that night, discreet rival for Russ’s affections… even though he’d made it clear to Karin that he no longer felt anything for the woman.

Karin believed him.

Lily, apparently, did not.

They’d be at a movie and-surprise-Lily would be sitting two rows back. They’d be at a party and Lily would be standing across the room, glaring at Karin until Russ turned around, at which time tears would magically form in her pale gray eyes and she’d leave in a flurry of weeping and garnered sympathy. For six months Lily would show up, accidentally, wherever they were. Karin should have expected it, but somehow, she thought tonight would be different.

“Ah, Jesus…”

Karin didn’t have to look, she knew when the air, suddenly scented with lilacs and musk, moved between them and the candle flame shuddered as a shadow fell across the table.

Russ shook his head. “Karin, this is Lily.”

Karin’s hand finally reached her wineglass as she looked up. Fragile was a term she heard most from people, including Russ, used to describe her. Broken was another, but from where she sat, looking up at the pale woman with thick black hair and bloodred lips, Karin couldn’t see it.

Except for the tears glistening in her eyes, and the flowing, über-feminine dress the color of ash, Lily seemed as hard-and invulnerable-as marble.

Smiling politely, Karin cleared her throat and nodded. “Hi.”

The sadness in Lily’s eyes crystallized momentarily when she glanced at Karin, before melting back into twin pools of dejection as she looked at the table.

“Oh,” she whispered, voice hoarse with emotion, “I see you’re having dinner.”

It was a flat statement that made Karin feel as if she’d done something horribly wrong… or simply was something horribly wrong. She lifted the wineglass and took a quick sip to wash the taste out of her mouth.

“Yes. The food’s very good here.”

Lily brushed at her coal-dark hair, dismissing Karin and her comment, before turning her full and undivided attention back to Russ.

“I always thought so; it was one of our favorite places.”

Russ made a sound that was halfway between a cough and groan. “We never ate here, Lily.”

“Oh?” Confusion deepened the slight-very slight-wrinkle between the woman’s eyes. “That’s strange… I thought we had. Well, we ate at so many good restaurants I guess I got…” She sighed and Karin fought the urge to applaud. “Anyway, I was just driving by and saw your car in the parking lot and thought I’d stop in. To say ‘hi.’ ”

Karin’s stomach tightened uncomfortably around the portion of the night’s meal that she’d already eaten. “How nice.”

Lily gave her a small, weak smile before utterly dismissing her. Again.

“You look good, Russell.”

“Thanks.”

“And you’ve put on some weight. She must be a good cook.”

The color deepened along Russ’s cheeks as the she in question finished off the wine in her glass and toyed with the idea of accidentally spilling the rest of the bottle down the front of Lily’s dress.

Russ grinned but pushed his plate away. “Is there something you need-”

“I saw Ben and Dee the other night,” Lily interrupted with the precision of a surgeon removing a tumor. “They said you seemed happy. Are you happy, Russell?”

Russ smiled at Karin and winked. “I’m working at it.”

“Oh, dear. That’s rather an evasive answer, isn’t it? You’re either happy or you’re not. You shouldn’t have to work at it, Russell.”

Despite the obvious chill that had descended, Karin felt a slow burn creep up along her throat, but managed-somehow-to keep her voice light. “Oh, I think Russ is doing okay in that department.”

“Really?” Lily said, then reached down and helped herself to the piece of roast beef on Russ’s fork.

He shook his head when Karin started to say something. Holding herself still, she watched the woman’s lips slowly part to reveal a set of strong white teeth that closed over the meat with a kind of predatory finality.

“Well.” Lily handed Russ back the empty fork and leaned over, kissing his cheek. “If you’re not going to invite me to join you… It was good seeing you again, Russell.”

Turning, she gave Karin one last withering, dry-eyed glare before walking away. Karin watched the rest of the performance-Lily wiped at her eyes a number of times between their table and the door-before she could force herself to look away. Russ was busy looking at nothing in particular.

“Join us?”

Russ was toying with his wineglass but never picked it up. “Sorry about that. Sorry.”

“Did she seriously think we were going to ask her to join us?”

“I don’t know, yeah… maybe. That’s just Lily being Lily.”

Karin poured another glass of wine and finished it in one long, continuous swallow.

He reached across the table to take her hand when she started to refill the glass. “Don’t. She was just trying to rattle you.”

“Well, it worked. How could she see your car? We parked in the back.”

“I don’t know… she has a way of doing things like that.”

“She’s… barged in on your other dates?” Karin did a quick mental rundown on the things Russ had told her about Lily and couldn’t remember that particular point of interest.

“What? Oh… no, no, but for the first couple of months after we broke up I’d go somewhere-to the market or hardware store or, even a fast-food drive-thru-and I’d see her. We wouldn’t talk or anything, but she’d be there. And when I’d get home, there’d be a message on my answering machine or a text message on my cell… We never actually spoke but she wanted me to know she was there… that she’ll always be there.”

Russ let go of her hand and finished his wine.

“And, in case you’re wondering why this happened tonight… I suspect it’s because I’ve been with you longer than any of the other…”

Karin took pity on him and nodded. “Six whole months, going on seven.”

“And that bothers the hell out of her… because this is real.”

She couldn’t say anything and it was probably just as well when, instead of letting the moment continue, he added:

“We started dating just a few months after her husband died and that was a mistake. She was so devastated by his death, so helpless…” He shrugged. “I don’t know, but she needed me and, I guess, I liked the feeling, so I stayed even after I knew the relationship wasn’t what I wanted. A couple years into it and I’d really had enough and tried to break it off…”