Just One Kiss, before divorcing me

A Kiss Goodbye

ch 11 Rin

She’d spent those six weeks sorting out a new life for herself away from this place, away from Huston, Texas, where he might see her and realise she'd not done what he wanted, a place where she'd chosen, and a place she'd never have to lay eyes on him or hear about him, just like she wanted, not what he wanted.

Calvin might want to send her away overseas to a place he never went, but she wasn’t going to go. She could, however, make him think that she was going to. It wouldn’t even be that hard. He would see her walk into that international airport, could well not even bother to, but she had a feeling that he would watch to make sure she left.

He, however, couldn’t go past the security check-in, so once she was past them and was inside the actual airport, what she did with herself was up to her. Rin spent those weeks house hunting for a small quiet cabin in the mountains, not just outside of the city, but away from anywhere that was in his domain of Texas.

That encounter in the stairwell, his words, she’d still be his, even after divorcing her. She understood it meant that he could control her always, because he had the money to do so. She didn’t know why he had to be so cruel as to force her away. A simple settlement like he’d stated, when they’d made their agreement would have done it. But no, he was a billionaire and had to be in control of all those around him, including her.

She couldn’t stay here, or be anywhere that he was, because he would, she knew, find a way to make her leave, to get what he wanted. Which, in all likelihood, was her well away from the woman he’d found, thought was Mrs Right. She’d already sorted out her change of name, done all the running around and gotten all the proof that was required of her. All she needed to do was file it after her divorce was finalised. She couldn’t do it until then.

She’d organised that court hearing for the day she was supposed to leave, just later in the afternoon. Everything was in order and so far there were no problems, to stop her from legally becoming her pen name, Marilyn Riddley, her initials would even be staying the same. Not that it would matter. She could change it to whatever she wanted to.

She’d had to make a couple of trips in the past month to her soon-to-be new hometown in Bedford, Virginia to look at the house and land she’d purchased. She'd already put it under Marilyn Riddley, she had a business account under her author's name and the house was now attached to that. She’d also already transferred all her funds into that account.

Rin had driven herself out there and not flown. She didn’t want anyone to know what she was hopping on and off flights, and tell Calvin or ask him why his wife was going somewhere, and she knew she could well run into Calvin himself. He travelled a lot.

Though in the years they’d been married, he’d never, to her knowledge, travelled to the state of Virginia. So that was a good place to settle down and disappear just like he wanted of her; only she was going to do it her way.

It was a solid two-day drive there, and two days back, but she lived in Cliffside by herself and so it went unnoticed by anyone. She’d gotten to walk around the house she’d put a deposit on. It was on six acres of land, a beautiful white country cabin-style home with just two bedrooms that had a nice flowing creek that snaked by it out the back, and there were nice nature walking trails, in the forest with waterfalls and wildlife about.

A quiet out-of-the-way place where she could be someone completely new, and no one would know she was the ex-wife of a billionaire. She would just be Marilyn Riddley, author.

She did a fair bit of shopping. Once that money was deposited into her account last week, he’d actually paid the four million and the price tag that the house was worth as well. She probably didn’t have to work anymore if she didn't want to. She had a whole new wardrobe, and she’d changed her look and style, was changing everything to fit in with her new life, to be a new person.

She was in the foyer of the house with her one suitcase when Calvin arrived at the house to pick her up. He was dressed casually today. It seemed he didn’t want anyone to recognise him, just wearing jeans and tee-shirt. She watched him push his sunglasses up on top of his head to sit in his hair. “Rin.” He greeted her.

Though then his eyes moved over her, she was wearing full make-up and her hair was out and splayed around her shoulders, in big curls, and she stood in heels and was wearing a lovely tee-length flowing dress. It was a soft shade of apricot, with sleeves that had a little ruffle to them. It had large dark apricot-coloured flowers mixed in with soft pink flowers with black and grey blurred leaves. It was elegant, yet casual at the same time.

“Mr Reeves.” She greeted him, and his eyes shot right to hers. She’d called him Cal when they were married. Calvin once she had signed those divorce papers, and now it was finalized; as of midnight last night, she was officially his ex-wife, so Mr Reeves was appropriate for their now non-existent relationship.

“That’s a bit formal, don’t you think?”

She looked at him. No she did not, she placed the house keys on the foyer table by the empty vase, which would normally be filled with flowers. “The house keys,” she stated, and then placed the car keys next to them. “The garage door opener is in the car as it always is, I had everything in the house laundered, and the car detailed for you.” she told him “The gardener will be here the day after tomorrow, I’ve prepaid him, and then you have to manage it yourself. I’ve left a list of things on the dining room table that will need your attention within two weeks. To keep the house maintained.”

She reached for her suitcase and his hand landed on it. “I can get that.” He muttered, “You know Rin, you don’t need to do all of this.”

“I’m simply returning to you, all the things you gave me in the same condition, a common curtesy now that we’re divorced. That is all.” she walked out of the house and pulled her sunglasses on. It was early, and the sun was shining brightly.

He loaded the suitcase and got in behind the wheel of his Bently and looked at her. “We’ll be late if you don’t leave soon.” She told him.

“Do you have your passport and travel documents?” he asked as he put the car in gear and drove them away from the estate.

“Yes.” She stated simply, “Don’t worry, I will get on that plane.” She murmured and turned to look out the window.

“You look very different,” he commented. “The dress suits you.”

“I know.” She answered, “You don’t have to be nice to me, I get it Calvin.”

“You get what exactly?” he asked.

She shook her head slightly. He really did think she didn’t know the truth. “That you found the woman you want to be married to. That’s why we’re getting divorced, so you can marry her.”

He was quiet for a long moment and then stated, “You’re right on that.”

“How is she going to feel about my clause? Are you not going to tell her? Does she even know you're taking me to the airport?”

“She’s aware of all of it,” he commented.

She just nodded but said nothing, wondered though if that woman had kissed him yet, gotten something she never could. Knew why, but how was she not to want it when they’d slept together all the time, and all the things he would do, all the places that mouth of his would go, and the only thing he wouldn’t bloody do was kiss her on the mouth.

She understood she was hung up on it, but it was because she was in love with him, and wanted to experience it just once. She’d had to force his hand to get it even, make a deal with him that she’d leave and never come back. For just one kiss.

She knew women had kissed him before, he’d been single for a long time, was 8 years older than her, and was a bachelor who had women all the time, girlfriends before her. She’d seen him in the society pages lip-locked with other women. It was just her he wouldn’t bloody kiss.