Sweet Dreams (Ladies of Stanford #1)

2. One

One

A s Beth struggled to find the right key, her red curls absorbed the sweet aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. A smile lingered on her lips as she pushed through the flurry of snowflakes illuminated by the porch light. Finally, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. The only sound in the house was the gentle ticking of an old grandfather clock in the hallway.

"Keith?" She called out for her longtime boyfriend as she took off her coat and hung it up. There was no response. She checked her watch, noting that it was already 6:30 p.m. He should have been home by now.

Beth made her way to the kitchen, her footsteps echoing in the silence. A half-empty wine glass sat on the counter, lipstick staining its rim. Her frown deepened. Keith didn't wear lipstick.

A thump from upstairs made her jump. Then, a muffled giggle.

Beth's heart was racing as she climbed the stairs. Her mind was a chaotic mess, conjuring up worst-case scenarios with each step. The bedroom door was slightly open, casting a thin beam of light into the dim hallway.

Another burst of laughter echoed through the room, a deep masculine rumble. It was Keith's laugh, a sound Beth knew all too well. Her hand wavered on the doorknob before she pushed it open, her heart pounding in her chest. The scene that unfolded before her froze her blood in its veins.

Despite being in a committed relationship for three years, Keith was in bed with a blonde-haired woman. His hands gripped tightly onto the woman's hips as he moved rhythmically behind her. Her back arched and head tossed back in ecstasy; she was on all fours, crying out his name in a voice filled with raw pleasure.

Beth recognized the blonde instantly: Gina, the new fresh-faced cashier from Sweet Dreams. Keith grunted and groaned with each thrust into Gina, his muscles straining under the dim light of their bedroom. His eyes were closed tight, lost in his own world of carnal delight.

The sight of them together - Keith and Gina lost in each other - chilled Beth to her core. The sounds of their shared pleasure echoed hauntingly around the room as Beth stood frozen at the doorway, an unwilling witness to their intimate betrayal.

For a moment, the world stopped. Beth stood frozen, unable to breathe, unable to think. Then, as if someone had pressed play, everything rushed back into motion.

"Beth!" Keith scrambled to cover himself, his face a mask of shock and guilt. "I... I thought you were working late."

Gina squeaked, pulling the sheets up to her chin, her wide eyes darting between Beth and Keith.

Beth opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her chest felt tight, her vision blurry at the edges.

"Honey, I can explain," Keith started, reaching for her.

The pet name snapped Beth out of her trance. "Don't you dare 'honey' me," she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "How long?"

Keith's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. "It... it's not what you think."

"How. Long?" Beth repeated each word sharply.

Gina whimpered, clutching the sheets tighter. "I'm so sorry, Beth. It just happened..."

"Just happened?" Beth's laugh was hollow. "What, you tripped and fell on his dick?"

Keith winced. "Beth, please. Let's talk about this."

"Talk?" Beth's voice rose, hysteria creeping in. "You want to talk now? After I catch you in OUR bed with one of MY employees?"

She turned to Gina, who shrank back against the headboard. "And you. I gave you a job when no one else would. Is this how you repay me?"

Gina burst into tears. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

Beth held up a hand, silencing them both. "I don't want to hear it. Either of you." She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. "Keith, pack your things. I want you out of this house in an hour."

"Beth, be reasonable," Keith pleaded, standing up with the sheet wrapped around his waist. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"Not my problem," Beth spat. She turned to Gina. "You're fired. Don't bother coming in to work tomorrow."

With that, Beth spun on her heel and marched out of the room. She made it halfway down the stairs before the tears came, hot and angry. She gripped the railing her knuckles turning white as she fought to keep her composure.

The sound of hushed arguing drifted down from the bedroom. Beth gritted her teeth and stormed into the kitchen. She grabbed Keith's favorite whiskey from the cabinet and poured herself a generous glass, downing it in one gulp. The alcohol burned her throat, but it was nothing compared to the pain in her chest.

Beth's phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out to see a text from Kelly, her best friend:

Kelly : "Hey girl, how'd the surprise go? Did Keith love the early Christmas present?"

A bitter laugh escaped Beth's lips. Oh, he'd gotten an early Christmas present, alright-just not from her.

With shaking fingers, Beth typed out a reply:

Beth :" Can you come over? I need you."

Kelly's response was immediate: "On my way. What's wrong?"

Beth couldn't bring herself to type out the words. Instead, she sent back a single broken heart emoji.

Upstairs, a door slammed. Beth flinched, then straightened her spine. She wouldn't let them see her cry. Not now.

Footsteps thundered down the stairs. Keith appeared in the kitchen doorway, hastily dressed, with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Gina trailed behind him, mascara streaking her cheeks.

"Beth," Keith started, his voice pleading. "Can we please talk about this?"

Beth fixed him with an icy stare. "I think you've done enough."

"It didn't mean anything," he tried again. "It was a mistake."

"A mistake?" Beth's voice was quiet, dangerous. "A mistake is burning cookies or forgetting to set your alarm. This?" She gestured between him and Gina. "This is a choice. You made your choice, Keith. Now live with it."

Gina stepped forward, wringing her hands. "Beth, I'm so sorry. I never meant for this to happen. Please, I need this job..."

"Should have thought of that before you fucked my boyfriend," Beth snapped. "Get out. Both of you."

Keith opened his mouth to argue, but something in Beth's expression made him think better of it. He nodded once, defeated, and headed for the door. Gina followed, her head bowed.

As Keith reached for the doorknob, Beth called out, "Oh, and Keith?" He turned, hope flickering in his eyes. Beth smiled, cold and hard. "Merry Christmas."

The door closed behind them with a final click. Beth stood in the sudden silence, her heart pounding in her ears. Then, as if her strings had been cut, she crumpled to the floor.

Sobs wracked her body, ugly and raw. All the pain and betrayal she'd been holding back came pouring out. She curled into herself, hugging her knees to her chest as she cried.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She'd come home early to surprise Keith and celebrate the success of her new holiday menu at her bakery, Sweet Dreams. Now, her relationship was in tatters, and her bakery was short-staffed right before the Christmas rush.

A key turned in the lock, followed by hurried footsteps. "Beth? Honey, where are you?"

Her best friend, Kelly’s voice, was like a lifeline. Beth choked out a strangled "Here" between sobs.

Kelly appeared in the kitchen doorway, her blonde hair windswept and her cheeks flushed from the cold. Her blue eyes widened at the sight of Beth on the floor. In an instant, she was by Beth's side, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Oh, sweetie," Kelly murmured, stroking Beth's hair. "What happened?"

Beth buried her face in Kelly's shoulder, her words muffled. "Keith... Gina... They were..."

Understanding dawned on Kelly's face. "That son of a bitch," she hissed. "I'll kill him."

Despite everything, Beth let out a watery chuckle. "Get in line."

Kelly pulled back, cupping Beth's tear-stained face in her hands. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. I'm going to pour us some wine, grab that pint of emergency ice cream I know you have hidden in the freezer, and we're going to talk about what an asshole Keith is. Sound good?"

Beth nodded, sniffling. "Can we add burning his clothes to that list?"

"Honey, we can set his entire wardrobe on fire if that's what you want," Kelly said, helping Beth to her feet. "But first, wine."

As Kelly busied herself in the kitchen, Beth sank onto the couch, feeling drained. She stared at the Christmas tree in the corner, its cheerful lights now seeming to mock her. She and Keith had decorated it together just last week, laughing and stealing kisses as they hung ornaments. Had he been thinking of Gina even then?

Kelly returned with two generous glasses of wine and a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. She handed Beth a glass and a spoon before settling beside her on the couch.

"Alright, spill," Kelly said, sipping her wine. "I want all the gory details."

Beth took a long drink, the wine warming her from the inside. "There's not much to tell. I came home early to surprise him. Instead, I found him in bed with Gina."

Kelly's eyebrows shot up. "Gina? As in, your new cashier Gina? The one who can barely count change without using her fingers?"

Beth nodded miserably. "That's the one."

"Oh, honey." Kelly wrapped an arm around Beth's shoulders. "I'm so sorry. What did you do?"

"I kicked them both out," Beth said, stabbing her spoon into the ice cream with perhaps more force than necessary. "Fired Gina on the spot."

Kelly nodded approvingly. "Good. That little home wrecker doesn't deserve your kindness." She paused, then added softly, "Are you okay?"

Beth opened her mouth to say she was fine, but the lie stuck in her throat. Instead, fresh tears welled in her eyes. "No," she whispered. "I'm not okay at all."

Kelly pulled her into another hug, and Beth let herself cry. She cried for the three years she'd invested in a relationship that had crumbled in an instant. She cried for the future she'd imagined with Keith, now nothing more than a fading dream. And she cried for herself, for being so blind, so trusting.

As her sobs subsided, Kelly handed her a tissue. "You know what the worst part is?" Beth said, wiping her eyes. "I feel like such an idiot. How did I not see this coming?"

"Hey, none of that," Kelly said firmly. "You are not an idiot. Keith is the idiot for throwing away the best thing that ever happened to him."

Beth managed a weak smile. "You're biased."

"Damn right I am," Kelly agreed. "And as your biased best friend, it's my duty to remind you that you are amazing. You built Sweet Dreams from the ground up. You make the best damn pastries in all of Upstate New York. And you have curves that most women would kill for."

Beth laughed despite herself. "Now you're just laying it on thick."

"I'm serious!" Kelly insisted. "Beth, you're a catch. And if Keith couldn't see that, then he doesn't deserve you."

Beth sighed, leaning back against the couch. "I know you're right. It's just... we were together for three years, Kel. I thought he was the one. I thought we had a future together."

Kelly squeezed her hand. "I know, sweetie. But maybe this is the universe's way of telling you that there's something better out there for you."

Beth snorted. "What, like my soulmate is just going to fall out of the sky?"

A mischievous glint appeared in Kelly's eye. "Well, maybe not out of the sky. But have you ever considered online dating?"

Beth nearly choked on her wine. "Online dating? Kelly, I just caught my boyfriend cheating on me. The last thing I want to do is jump back into the dating pool."

"Hear me out," Kelly said, holding up a hand. "I'm not saying you need to find your next husband tomorrow. But it might be good for you to put yourself out there. Remind yourself that there are other fish in the sea."

Beth shook her head. "I don't know, Kel. It seems so... impersonal. And what if I end up meeting some creep?"

"That's why you start slow," Kelly explained. "Just chat online for a while. Get to know someone before you even think about meeting in person. And who knows? Maybe you'll connect with someone who makes you forget all about stupid Keith."

Beth bit her lip, considering. The idea of opening herself up to someone new was terrifying. But the alternative-wallowing in misery over Keith–wasn't much better.

"I'll think about it," she said finally.

Kelly beamed. "That's my girl. Now, how about we finish this ice cream and work on our Keith voodoo doll?"

Beth laughed, feeling lighter than she had all evening. "You're ridiculous. But I love you for it."

"I love you too, sweetie," Kelly said, clinking her wine glass against Beth's. "And trust me, this is just the beginning of a new chapter for you. The best is yet to come."

Beth allowed herself to hope as they settled in for a night of wine, ice cream, and Keith-bashing Maybe Kelly was right. Maybe this was the start of something new. And maybe, just maybe, there was someone out there who would love her the way she deserved to be loved.