Daphne Clair - The Marriage Debt

‘When they’re ice-skating in hell,’ she muttered.

It was only twenty-five minutes before the doorbell buzzed. The aroma of melted cheese met her nostrils as soon as she opened the door, bringing back memories of evenings when they’d sat side by side watching a film on TV while sharing a pizza and a bottle of wine.

He’d brought wine too, her favourite red. It was raining outside, a light, misty drizzle that dewed the wine bottle. Tiny sparklets of moisture glittered in Devon’s dark hair under the glow of the hall light.

He wore no jacket or tie with his blue shirt and dark trousers. Her eyes were level with the open neck of the shirt, and she could see the tiny pulse beating under lightly tanned skin. Her own pulses quickened.

She led him into the lounge before it occurred to her that it would have been safer to eat in the dining area in the kitchen. This room was far too cosy.

But he’d already placed the pizza and wine on the coffee table, beside the script. ‘A corkscrew?’ he enquired.

Shannon turned to the old oak sideboard and extracted a corkscrew, two wineglasses and a couple of plates. Pretty, flowered china plates that had once belonged to her grandmother, and that her mother had bequeathed to her.

Devin sat on the ruby-red armchair and deftly opened the bottle. As she resumed her seat on the sofa he poured the wine and placed a glass in front of Shannon, then lifted the lid of the box and slid a slice of pizza onto a plate.

Automatically Shannon tucked her bare feet under her on the couch before biting into the layers of cheese, extras and the doughy crust. ‘Mmm,’ she murmured as the concoction released its flavour onto her tongue.

Devin smiled, watching her. Then he took a bite of his own piece, picked up his glass and leaned back in the chair.

Shannon swallowed. ‘How did you know this is what I needed?’

‘I know a lot about you, Shannon.’

She supposed he did, superficially. But he had never shared her deepest feelings. He didn’t understand why she’d been compelled to end their marriage. Her clumsy efforts to explain had only made him angry.

He seemed mellower now, the anger dissipated by time.

Devin dusted crumbs from his hands. ‘A script?’ he asked, nodding at the open folder on the table. ‘The one you’re wanting finance for?’

‘Yes.’

‘May I?’

She nodded and he picked it up, taking another slice of pizza as he began reading.

Shannon let him do so in silence, watching as he put down his plate with the half-eaten slice on it and turned a page, apparently forgetting to finish the food.

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