Anonymous, page 1
Contents
Dani-Lyn Alexander
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Love Romance?
About HarperImpulse
Copyright
About the Publisher
Dani-Lyn Alexander
I live on Long Island with my husband, three kids and three dogs. I love spending time with my family, at the beach, the playground, or just about anywhere. In my spare time, which is rare, I enjoy reading and shopping—especially in book stores. Some of my favorite things include; Bernese Mountain Dogs, musicals, bubble baths and soft blankets. I’m an incurable insomniac, and I have an addiction to chocolate.
You can follow me on Twitter @DaniLynAlexande
Greg, Elaina, Nicky and Logan - Thank you so much for all of your love and support. It means the world to me!
Chapter One
“Come on, Ali, I’ve got to get home.”
“I’m coming.” She stuffed the last of the paperwork into her bag. She’d have to spend the night working…again. Oh well. No matter. It wasn’t like she had anything better to do.
“What are you doing?” Kendra stuck her head in the door, car keys in hand, just as Ali slung the big leather bag over her shoulder.
“Coming. Sorry. I had to grab a few things.” She flipped the light off and hurried down the corridor with Kendra.
“Are you planning to work again tonight?”
A quick flash of annoyance shot through Ali. Kendra was her best friend, but she didn’t understand. Kendra went home each night to a great husband and two beautiful kids, not an empty apartment and a TV dinner.
“I have to. I told Calvin I’d have this legal research done by tomorrow morning.” She didn’t bother to look at Kendra. There was no need; she could easily envision the perfectly arched eyebrow as it rose in skepticism.
“What you need is a man.”
Ali pressed the down button and turned to face her friend while they waited for the elevator. “The last thing I need is a man. I’m in this mess because of a man. I certainly don’t need another one.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
The sarcasm grated on Ali’s nerves. She wasn’t in the mood for this tonight. “Don’t forget I won’t be able to give you a lift on Friday.” They stepped into the elevator, and she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror on the back wall. She looked tired.
Kendra hesitated, and Ali hoped she’d accept she didn’t want to discuss her love life. “What’s Friday?”
“Court.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry.” Kendra’s voice held only compassion now.
Ali shrugged. There was so much she wanted to do, so much she wanted to say, but Mark had already made his decision.
They reached the car. “I know it’s tough, but you need to move on. Why don’t you try Anonymous?”
Ugh…not again. “I know you mean well, Kendra, but dating websites aren’t for me.”
“It’s different from other dating sites. Besides, you don’t have to actually hook up with anyone, just enjoy some conversation. Maybe you’ll meet someone nice. You know, just someone to talk to.”
“I don’t know.” Truthfully, Ali was still hung up on her soon-to-be ex-husband. “Can you drop me off at Lin’s?” She clicked her seat belt and glanced over at Kendra in the driver’s seat.
“Sure. No problem.”
The city moved by slowly as they crept through the rush hour traffic. Dark storm clouds gathered, the grayness mirroring her mood. Where had things gone wrong with Mark? Had he just woken up one morning and realized he didn’t love her anymore?
“Do you want me to wait?” Kendra’s voice broke through Ali’s thoughts.
Ali looked around. She hadn’t noticed they’d stopped.
“Are you okay, Ali?” Kendra’s eyebrows were drawn together.
How many times had she had to call her name to get her attention?
“Sorry. I’m all right.” Ali offered a weak smile. “Or, at least I will be. I just need this to be over.” She shook her head.
“Do you want me to wait? It looks like it’s going to rain.”
Kendra needed to get home. Her husband worked nights and she had to get home to the kids before he left.
“Nah. I’ll be fine. It’s only two blocks.” Ali got out of the car but leaned back in before shutting the door. “Thanks.” This time her smile was heartfelt.
“No problem. You know I’m here if you need me.”
As she pushed through the door into the crowded restaurant, she reached down to adjust her bag. When she lifted her gaze back up, she was face to face with Mark. She sucked in a breath, and her eyes darted immediately to the woman at his side. Ali’s wounded heart did a nosedive. Her stomach cramped as her mind fought to keep at bay the imaginary vision of Mark with this very attractive woman, of his holding her close, of their being intimate, as she’d once been with him.
“Hi, Ali.” Mark’s cheeks reddened. Good. At least he had the decency to feel ashamed.
“Mark.” The big brown eyes she’d looked into for the past fifteen years stared back, and they were the eyes of a stranger. She groaned…oh no…was that out loud? Mark didn’t react, so maybe she’d managed to stifle it. Determinedly, she fought back the tears that threatened.
“How are you?”
He must be kidding. “Fine.” She forced her one-word reply from her constricted throat.
His “friend” cleared her throat, and his blush deepened.
“Ali, this is Candi.”
“Hi.” Candi extended a perfectly manicured hand, and Ali absently shook it without saying a word.
“So, where’d you two meet? Online?” Crap…that had definitely slipped out. She clamped her teeth together. Finding out Mark had been looking up old girlfriends online was the beginning of the end of their marriage.
Mark’s unease turned to anger. It was a subtle shift; his expression didn’t change, but his eyes went from melted chocolate to hardened stone in an instant. Had Ali not known him so well, she might have missed it.
“No, at the gym.” Candi swung her long blonde hair over a slim but muscular shoulder. Her high-pitched voice grated on Ali’s already raw nerves.
Ali groaned, again. She was sure it was inwardly this time, since her teeth were still clenched tight.
“I…umm…it was good seeing you.” Mark placed his hand on Candi’s lower back and guided her past Ali and out the door.
Ali didn’t turn. She glanced around to see if anyone had witnessed the crushing scene, but no one appeared to be interested in the painful encounter. Angrily, she swiped at the single tear that managed to escape and approached the counter to pick up her dinner.
* * *
Mark forced himself to keep walking, his neck held rigid to keep from looking back over his shoulder. Anger lengthened his stride, leaving Candi struggling to keep up. He worked his jaw in an effort to unclench his teeth and relax. Why did Ali always have to make a sarcastic comment? It wasn’t like he hadn’t apologized, hadn’t tried to explain.
He had to get a grip. Taking a deep breath, he shoved his hand back through his hair. He couldn’t work up any interest in what Candi was saying.
She stopped walking.
“What’d you say?” He must have missed something important.
She stared pointedly at him. “I said, who was that?”
“Oh, sorry. That was Ali…”
She continued to stare, obviously waiting for more.
“My ex-wife.” Well, almost ex.
Candi glanced back toward the restaurant, shrugged one elegant shoulder, turned and continued on her way. The casual dismissal disturbed Mark, though he couldn’t say why. Candi was young, beautiful and in great shape. She was confident, over-confident really, and she obviously didn’t feel threatened by Ali. That was good. Right? So why did it bother him?
Ali was a beautiful woman. She had a mass of curly brown hair and big blue eyes you could easily lose yourself in. Eyes that had been filled with pain. Too much pain. She’d tried to hide it countless times, but he knew those eyes too well to miss such misery. That he’d put it there sent a pang of regret surging through him.
Was this really what he wanted? Did he really want a divorce? Ali was his high school sweetheart. They married young, but that was no excuse for what happened. Mark had gotten bored. When he ran into an old girlfriend he hadn’t seen since high school, that little spark of excitement missing between him and Ali appeared. Of course, he realized now he should have talked to Ali about it, instead of getting online and looking for trouble, but—
The tug on his hand pulled him back to reality. Candi stood glaring at him, her mouth a thin line of irritation.
“What?” He’d obviously missed something she’d said…again.
“I said, I have to go to tanning tonight. Do you want to take the food home and I’ll meet you there?”
He shrugged. Candi always had something to do for herself before they could spend time together—the gym, the spa, a massage, tanning, a mani-pedi or a hair appointment. Lately, it had been getting on his nerves. They hadn’t been dating long, only about a month, but he’d already learned, from past experience, he should drive her to tanning, sit in the parking lot and wait the half hour.
“Why don’t you skip it tonight?”
Her glare turned to a scowl. “Why should I?”
“It’s late. I’m tired, hungry and want to get home before it rains.”
“What’s your problem? You’ve been acting weird since you ran into what’s-her-name.”
“Ali.” He’d made the correction absently, his mind still on the woman he’d loved for the past fifteen years. What had gone wrong between them? Had it all been his fault?
Candi’s face flushed. Uh…oh. What had he missed now?
“You know what, Mark?”
Fifteen years of marriage had taught him she wasn’t looking for an answer, so he wisely kept his mouth shut.
“Why don’t you give me a call when you get over what’s-her…I mean…Ali?” She walked away, the sway of her hips deliberate. She already had her cell phone out, probably calling one of her friends for a ride.
Oh well, at least he knew what his mistake had been this time.
The sigh of regret was more for the loss of his marriage than the relationship with Candi. Candi was fun, and they’d had a good time, but neither of them had expected the relationship to go anywhere, and they’d never started dating exclusively. Ali, however, was a different story. What was he doing? Why was he going through with the divorce? Would she take him back if he asked? Begged? Apologized…again? He stood on the sidewalk, looking after Candi but not really seeing her, until the first drops of rain started to fall. By the time he reached the car, he was soaked.
Chapter Two
Ali stepped out of her shoes as she walked through the door, grateful for the freedom to wiggle her toes for a moment. Dropping her bag on a chair in the foyer, she pulled the mail from under her elbow, where she’d tucked it on her way into the apartment building she now called home. She threw the small stack onto the coffee table, along with the bag of Chinese food, and was relieved when she was finally able to push the wet hair out of her face. She went to change into something dry and comfortable, her thoughts once again turning to Mark—as if they’d strayed from him for one second since seeing him.
She used to love coming home on nights like this. Memories of Mark waiting for her, the two of them snuggling under a warm blanket, watching movies, listening to the rain pound against the windows, assailed her. Coming home then had been cozy, comforting. Coming home now was just lonely. She pushed the thoughts from her mind, creating a barrier of resolve to keep them from sneaking up on her.
When she returned to the living room, in her comfy sweats and oversized men’s shirt, she spread her dinner and laptop on the coffee table. Pulling her unruly mass of wet hair back into a ponytail, she picked up the phone.
Kendra answered on the first ring. “Hi, Ali. Is everything okay?”
Ali took a deep breath. Was everything okay? She didn’t have an answer. “Do you have a minute?”
“Sure.”
The kids fought in the background. A man spoke.
Her earlier annoyance with Kendra for pushing her about dating was forgotten. “You can call me back later.”
“Are you sure? You sound like something’s wrong.”
“Yeah, it’s no big deal. I ran into Mark at Lin’s.” She left out the fact he’d been arm in arm with another woman. A younger woman. Kendra obviously didn’t have time for that conversation, but Ali had no doubt she’d make time if she knew the truth.
“How’d it go?”
“Fine.” She shrugged. “It is what it is.”
A loud crash sounded in her ear.
“What are you two doing in there?” The reprimand was muffled, as if Kendra had placed a hand over the receiver. Her friend obviously had her hands full at the moment.
“Go check on them, Kendra. I’ll give you a call back later.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. I was just looking to do a little man-bashing. We can do it another time.”
Kendra’s laughter warmed Ali. She was fortunate to have such a good friend.
“Let me get hubby out and the kids to bed. I’ll grab some ice cream, and we can spend a good hour trashing men.”
“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you then.” Ali disconnected the call. She sat with the phone in her hand for another minute before realizing there was no one else she wanted to talk to. Tossing the phone onto the couch, she turned on the computer. While she ate, she checked her business e-mail. The rain poured down the windows, creating a blurred curtain that reflected the lights of the city. Random thoughts bounced erratically through her head, but when she realized they were all work related, she shoved the empty tray aside with disgust.
She looked at the cozy outfit she wore, the very one Mark had complained so much about.
“Why can’t you ever dress in something sexy?” he’d asked time and time again.
“I’m exhausted when I come home at the end of the day. I just want to be comfortable. Besides, you come home and put on comfy clothes, why shouldn’t I?” The more she thought about it now, though, the more she realized maybe she could have worked a little harder to look nice. She quickly altered her train of thought, pushing aside the pain that shattered her heart a little more every time she thought about Mark.
Mark or work. Wasn’t there anything else she could think about? “I really do need to get a life.” Her statement echoed in the empty apartment. Mark had apparently moved on, and if she were honest with herself, she was lonely. Wrapping herself in an afghan, she curled into the corner of the couch with the laptop.
The minute she let her guard down, her thoughts returned to her ex. How many times had they sat together just like this? Him on his laptop, she on hers? She’d always thought it was relaxing, pleasant. She’d enjoyed the easy way they got along and the comfortable silence they shared. Apparently what she’d viewed as familiarity and contentment, he’d seen as boring.
Ali shook her head in disgust. Wasn’t that what he’d told her? The reason he started looking up old girlfriends on the computer? He was bored.
“Bored, my ass.”
This was pointless. All the self-pity in the world wasn’t going to repair the damage to their relationship. Had he left it at contacting women, it might have been salvageable. As it was…
She jabbed the close button with more force than necessary and opened a new window on her computer. “I can’t even believe I’m doing this.” The Anonymous website loaded. Pictures of happy couples, smiling, laughing, walking hand in hand along the beach, brought instant hope. Maybe she’d meet Mr. Wonderful. Even if she didn’t, she could use someone to talk to now and then. Besides, she’d always enjoyed meeting new people; it was fun and exciting.
Having talked herself into doing this, she quickly read through the terms of use and clicked accept before she could change her mind. As the name implied, Anonymous allowed you complete anonymity while you searched for your soul mate. You weren’t allowed to use your real name, post any information that would allow someone to find out who you are, post any pictures or describe yourself in any way. The purpose of the site was to connect with people who shared the same interests, had similar beliefs and to get to know each other before you actually met. You weren’t supposed to meet anyone in person until you’d been “talking” to them for at least three months. She absently wondered how many people actually followed the rules.
Hmm… complete anonymity. She waited for the next page to load. What would it be like to get to know someone she’d never seen? Could she fall in love with someone that way? She liked the privacy and safety the site afforded her, and really wouldn’t have considered any other type of service, but she was starting to get cold feet.
Her thoughts turned to Candi and her perfect appearance. Would Mark have fallen for Candi if he’d met her online without ever having seen her?
