Second Honeymoon

Chapter 35

SARAH LET HERSELF into the apartment, standing still in the foyer for a moment to determine the source of the music. It was coming from Ted’s bedroom, at the end of the hall.

She was hardly a jazz aficionado, but within two steps she easily recognized Gerry Mulligan’s baritone saxophone. Ted was a huge fan who listened almost religiously to Mulligan’s recordings, especially the live ones. Carnegie Hall, Glasgow, the Village Vanguard.

“Mully’s a god,” he was fond of telling her, usually over their second bottle of Bordeaux, which they shared while hanging out on the couch.

After she’d taken a few more steps down the hallway, Sarah could hear something else. It was running water. Just as she’d thought.

Sure enough, when she reached Ted’s bedroom she could see that the door to his bathroom was closed. He was taking a shower. There was even a little steam slipping out through the bottom of the door.

She smiled. Perfect. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face.

The only decision left was when to lose the raincoat.

Sarah quietly opened the bathroom door, then tiptoed in her bare feet across the tile, the steam billowing all around her, thick as a San Francisco fog. Ted liked his showers hot.

Later, she was sure, he’d crack a goofy joke about her making this one even hotter.

Here goes nothing. I can’t believe I’m doing this.

The raincoat dropped to the floor as Sarah opened the fogged-up shower door. She even threw her arms out as if to say, “Ta-da! Here I am!”

Surprise, honey!

Ted was surprised, all right. Incredibly so.

Of course, so was the other woman in the shower with him.