It was time to meet the mistress.
After our dinner, I asked Jack for one last favor. I needed to know Ginger’s
schedule. I knew it was wrong to reach out to him again, but I needed his help.
After hanging up the call, I felt confused. I wanted to meet him again to explore the feelings he ignited in me, but I knew he would never let anything blossom.
He was not the type of man to pick up a rebound.
Jack: 8:00 AM The Original Gym. Treadmill 30 minutes. 7 days a week.
Caitlyn: After?
Jack: Varies.
Caitlyn: Jeremy?
His normal immediate response to me was silent. Five minutes passed before
I decided I couldn’t wait for his answer.
Caitlyn: Come on, Winter. I know he’s with her still.
Jack: This week he goes to her at 9:30 AM. Leaves around 11:00 AM.
Caitlyn: I hate him. Thx for being honest. Can you keep tabs 1 more wk?
Jack: Don’t get hurt.
Caitlyn: Too late.
Twenty-One
Ginger stuck to her schedule for the next two weeks. When I was ready
to make my move, I asked Thomas’ partner, Jacob, to help me create
a new image. He was delighted by the idea.
Jacob was a makeup artist who specialized in realistic prosthetics. We had what he called a ‘Caitlyn makeover party,’ where he tested out so many different
new ‘Caitlyns.’ Over many hours and bottles of champagne, we finally settled on
an Auburn wig, fake eyelashes, blue contact lenses, and an altered nose. By the
time he was done with me, even Jeremy wouldn’t have recognized me.
Dressed in a workout outfit, I arrived at the gym Ginger frequented twenty minutes before her arrival. Jack told me which machine she always used, and I
chose the one next to it. When Ginger arrived, she gave me a smile and hopped
on the treadmill. At the end of her thirty minutes, we smiled at each other again, and then she left for the weight room.
I stayed on the treadmill another twenty minutes, fuming. I watched her leave and had the urge to follow and confront her. Patience. Four months, then you’re free. This was the day my countdown started. I was leaving soon, and there would be no stopping me.
The second day, I was running when she joined me. She smiled brightly and
said, “You’re back. It is so nice to see a familiar face.”
I smiled at her but kept running. After her time was up, she said, “I hope to
see you tomorrow.”
The next few days were the same. She greeted me, and I smiled. By day
seven, I was antsy. I wanted to end this ruse. This time, when she arrived, I was ready.
“I was hoping you would show up,” I said. “It is nice to have company.”
“Isn’t it!” she said, way too excited by my attention. “My name is Ginger.
What’s yours?”
“Justice. My father was a lawyer.” I copied her same perky tone.
“Nice. I love this song. Don’t you?” Ginger babbled the entire time we ran.
