Hidden Summit

little hooked.”
    “When did the two of you meet?” Les asked. “I don’t think I ever heard that story....”
    Allison sought the answer in the ceiling tiles. “Hmm. I think it was at an investment seminar. He was talking with a couple of my partners about tax shelters and limited partnerships, and I asked him if I could buy him a drink to learn more about it. He was more than willing. And willing and willing. I thought he had a lot of money. I thought we were headed in the same direction. He said you were holding him back.”
    “Me?”
    “Uh-huh. It took me a while to figure out—he wanted me to play second chair. He wasn’t really interested in playing Bill and Hillary. He wanted to play George and Laura.” She made a little face. “I could go along with that as long as we were perfectly clear—I’m George. Greg just isn’t smart enough to take the lead.”
    “And his money?”
    Allison laughed. “Leslie, he doesn’t have any money. He spends money, he doesn’t save or invest, not exactly a big earner, either. Big talker, though. Thank God I kept our finances separate and wrote us a pre-nup.”
    Leslie started to wonder if she’d ever be able to close her mouth again. “I’m not really hearing this.”
    “You can have him back,” Allison said.
    “I don’t want him back! But don’t you love him?”
    “I suppose I did. For a while. He does seem to know how to treat a woman. Most of the time.”
    Leslie frowned. “Most of the time?”
    “He’s chivalrous. Amusing. He does things like bring flowers. Loved the engagement ring—I think I’ll go ahead and have the stone reset.” Then she leaned closer and whispered. “He does have that little bedroom issue.”
    “Bedroom issue?” Leslie asked.
    Allison leaned back again and ran her hand over her big belly. “Not exactly reliable in the erection department. You know what I mean?”
    Leslie tilted her head and affected a perplexed expression. “I have no idea what you mean. Of all Greg’s shortcomings, that certainly wasn’t one of them. At least with me. In any case, it seems to have worked well for you—” she nodded toward Allison’s belly “—at least once.” She stopped herself just short of claiming Greg was a stallion. Leslie stood up from her little chair. Now she could look down at Allison. “So—what tipped you over the edge?”
    “I decided to run for City Council. He informed me, in that extremely polite and superior way of his, that he would run first, and then, if I was still interested, I could file the paperwork for my own campaign. I told him to go to hell. It pretty much deteriorated from there.”
    “Oh, my. And are you? Running for City Council?”
    She nodded. “The baby’s due next month. The primary is in the fall.”
    “Well, then. Best of luck.” She nodded to the gift bag. “Do you know if it’s a boy or girl?”
    “Girl. Thank heavens. I don’t imagine Greg will take much interest.”
    “Best of luck, Allison. I hope it all goes well…the delivery and everything.”
    “Sure. Right.”
    Leslie just looked into those icy blue eyes for a second, and without really meaning to, she uttered, “Poor Greg.”
    “Poor Greg? ” Allison repeated. “He’s a loser! Poor Greg? ”
    “He’s a lot of things, true. You’re right—he’s pretty self-centered. He’s also kind. There’s not an ounce of malice in him. I can’t say that about you.”
    “Hit the road, Leslie. You’ve wasted enough of my time.”
    Leslie left feeling as though she’d just had an out-of-body experience. And yet—she suddenly felt she understood everything. First of all—Allison had gone after him. He’d been what she wanted at the time. And while Greg was always looking for someone to promote him, Allison was undoubtedly every bit as inclined. She’d wanted Greg because she’d thought he’d be good arm candy. And she was also cruel. Cold and very, very calculating.
    And where did that leave Leslie and what she’d experienced in her marriage and in her divorce? Well, it was pretty simple and awfully sad.
    “I think I was a pleaser,” she told her parents with a shrug. “As annoyed as I could get with Greg, I never wanted any trouble. I just wanted a happy home. I wanted to laugh and relax and have harmony. I didn’t care if Greg wanted to be the mayor, if that made him happy. That Allison,” she said with a shake of her head. “Boy, she’s cold. I wouldn’t want to tangle with her. But if you ever