Pretty Guilty Women

by Gina LaManna

  Detective Ramone: Can you please describe the nature of Ms. Emily Brown’s check-in? Here’s a photo of her to jog your memory.

  Ashley Pinkett: Oh, I don’t need a photo. I remember her. Brunette chick, right? She checked in with that yummy-looking man. I mean, they weren’t together, but they were together, if you know what I mean. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so much electricity between a couple in my life. It was like they electrocuted the lobby.

  Detective Ramone: Did she have any special check-in requests?

  Ashley Pinkett: Yes, as a matter of fact. A bottle of champagne sent up straightaway, even after I mentioned they would receive a complimentary bottle of wine in their welcome baskets from the bride and groom. Not that they cared. In fact, I’m pretty sure Ms. Brown was three sheets to the wind at the time of check-in. Someone had a little too much fun on the plane. I wonder if she and her man friend joined the mile-high club? I wouldn’t put it past them, the way they were staring at each other.

  Detective Ramone: Thank you for your time, Ms. Pinkett.

  Ashley Pinkett: Happy to help. And while we’re at it, what’s the verdict, Detective? Are you single? And did my friend Allison mention that I think you’re cute?

  Eleven

  “It’s your turn again,” Lulu said, turning her sights on Ginger after an hour or two had passed. The women had become almost giddy, sharing the odd bits of information that seemed so magical at the start of new friendships and rekindled old ones. “I’m not sure you have to worry so much about your daughter. How old were you when you lost your virginity?”

  They’d been drinking for a while now, and Lulu was a happy sort of buzzed. She’d had more to drink than she’d had in quite some time, but it was working, distracting her enough to push thoughts of Pierce to the back of her mind and focus on other problems.

  Problems that weren’t hers; problems she could make go away. Unlike the note she’d found upstairs when she’d gone looking for Pierce. A note that had been written to S, signed by Pierce, and referenced a meeting at a local hotel. The Ritz—a place she and Pierce had stayed a few times for their anniversary or other special occasions. This time, however, the meeting Pierce had apparently shared with his mysterious friend had occurred the day before he and Lulu left for the wedding—and Lulu hadn’t been invited.

  “Me?” Ginger hesitated, took a small sip from her second glass of wine. “You know, young. But things were different then. It was a different time, and it was with my husband, and—”

  “Hold on a second!” A very sober Sydney extended a finger, her eyes sparkling with the revelation. “Are you saying you’ve only ever been with one man?”

  “Ginger and Frank broke up for a bit in college,” Kate said, ever the stickler for accuracy. “But we all knew that was a facade. They’ve only ever been with each other.”

  “We’ve only slept with each other,” Ginger corrected. “I’d gone on a few dates with other men, but we never got past the make-out stage. And we all know Frank has been with other women.”

  Emily glanced down at her feet as Ginger shot her a pointed stare.

  “Don’t start this again!” Kate rolled her eyes. “Ginger, get over it. Frank came to our apartment for you. He was drunk, Emily was drunk—it was one kiss!”

  “It looked like a little more than that,” Ginger said, the slight flush to her cheeks a sure sign that the effects of alcohol were working on her. “One doesn’t need to remove their shirt to kiss a man, as far as I know. Otherwise, I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time.”

  “I’m not saying it was right what happened,” Kate said. “But you walked in before things went too far.”

  “If I hadn’t walked in, then what?” Ginger pressed. “Frank and I had recently broken up. Don’t you think I had the right to feel a bit betrayed when I found my best friend and ex-boyfriend exchanging saliva?”

  Emily winced. “Ginger—”

  “You ended up with Frank, didn’t you?” Kate persisted. “Both of them apologized. Emily felt awful, didn’t you?”

  Emily nodded, but her gaze was fixed on the bar. “Of course. It didn’t mean anything. I told you, Ginger—I barely remember it happening. We were both way, way too drunk to be making good decisions. Frank was moaning to me about missing you, and I was moaning to him about getting dumped by Daniel, and it just sort of happened.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question,” Ginger said. “What if I hadn’t walked in when I did?”

  “Ginger, don’t forget—you and Frank were completely broken up when it happened,” Kate said. “Sure, I understand you being pissed because your friend kissed your ex, but they both apologized. It was a stupid, drunken error.”

  “I know,” Ginger said. “But—”

  “And if I remember correctly, you were out on a date with another man the night it happened,” Kate said sternly. “I think we need to focus on the fact that everything worked out as it should have. Maybe you should thank Emily. If she hadn’t kissed Frank, maybe you’d never have realized how much you loved him.”

  Ginger looked quite shocked at the insinuation that she should be thanking her ex-best friend, but she noticeably worked to compose herself before speaking. With a cough and another sip of wine, she expelled a breath and gave a half-hearted shrug.

  “Anyway, everything ended as it should have ended. Emily got back with Daniel the week after that debacle. You and Frank reconnected. Seems to me you’re still in love nearly two decades later, right?” Kate didn’t wait for an answer before she continued. “I think it’s time you let it go already.”

  Ginger watched Kate, her lips cracked open in surprise.

  Kate, undeterred, swiveled toward Emily. “Speaking of, whatever did happen with Daniel? Weren’t the two of you still together at graduation?”

  “We were.” Emily’s face had gone ashen. “But it didn’t work out. I don’t know what he’s up to these days.”

  Lulu suspected there was more to Emily’s story than she’d let on, but she didn’t push. She was too content to watch the group of women with a tidy little smile on her own face. Kate was by far the tipsiest of the group, but the poor woman had a good excuse. She’d been dumped at a wedding. How was the woman supposed to relax when Cupid was everywhere, and her heart had been battered like a piñata?

  “Gosh, that is quite a story.” Sydney’s wide, cherubic expression was focused on Ginger. She swayed gently back and forth with Lydia clasped tightly in her arms, the baby finally sleeping with a peaceful little smirk on her chubby cheeks. When Ginger cast her a curious look, Sydney blushed and quickly corrected herself. “I mean the bit about you and Frank being destined to be together. High school sweethearts and all, and now you have three gorgeous children. Plus, you’re still in love. You are still in love, aren’t you?”

  Ginger gave a shrug, obviously trying for modesty and failing to achieve it. “We drive each other up a wall sometimes, but yes. I couldn’t survive without him. I was doing the math and realized I’ve had him as a staple in my life for over half of it. Half my life! That is wild to think about. Though the kids, they’re…far from angels.”

  “What about you?” Kate asked Sydney. “What age did it happen for you?”

  “When did I first sleep with a man?” Sydney blushed, hugged her thin, gangly arms tighter around her child. “Twenty. It’s not all that interesting of a story; the guy was nice enough, and we dated for a few weeks, but things didn’t last.”

  “Well, I, for one, was a virgin when I married my first husband,” Lulu said. “I was eighteen. Married for love. Joe was a heartthrob, but his bank account was dismal.”

  “What about the two husbands of yours who passed away?” Kate asked with a crooked eyebrow. “Was he one of them?”

  Ginger was giving Lulu a funny look, so Lulu flashed a wan smile and gave her the quick rundown. “I’ve been married five times to fou
r different men, dear. Two husbands have passed away. Anderson, the fool I married twice, is still kicking.”

  “Ah,” Ginger said. “How did they die?”

  Lulu felt her own guard come up as she thought about the lone detective who’d come poking around after her third husband, Louie, passed away. “Both Joe and Louie died within a year of our divorces and left me considerable sums of money. In fact, the police thought it was suspicious.”

  “I thought Joe was poor,” Ginger said with a frown. “I married my husband when he was poor too. We both were. We both still are.”

  “Oh, the silly man went and got rich around the time we separated,” Lulu said with a light laugh. “He inherited some money from his father. Apparently, Joe hadn’t updated his will, so a chunk of that money went to me. Similar thing with Louie. He left me a good chunk of money despite our divorce. His new girlfriend was very upset about it and made this big stink about wanting his money. I think she’s the one who called the detective.”

  “So, did the detective…” Ginger cleared her throat. “What did he say?”

  “I didn’t kill anyone, dear,” Lulu said. “Luck of the draw. Joe had a heart attack—he always did like his fried food—and Louie had a sudden aneurysm. They didn’t do autopsies because Joe drank like a fish, and Louie had always had health issues. They were getting old. I always married older men, see. But Louie’s new girlfriend kept saying I offed them to get their money.”

  “But you didn’t,” Ginger clarified.

  “Of course not. I already had my sights set on Anderson, again, and he’s as rich as they come,” Lulu said. “He was my second and fourth husband. We didn’t manage to stay married, but we’re still quite close and talk often. He’s a good man.”

  “Has someone written a book about you?” Ginger asked, her voice tinged with surprise. She gestured to the romance novel on the table. “Your life story is incredible.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Lulu said, but she secretly didn’t mind the flattery. Lately, she’d been doubting herself, her choices, her failed marriages. After all, she was the largest common denominator in all four of her failed marriages. That thought hit her like a lightning bolt.

  “Oh, dear,” Lulu murmured, a sudden panic arcing through her heart. Could that be true? Was she the problem? It wasn’t until she felt the stare of four sets of eyes on her that she realized she’d spoken aloud.

  “I’m positive you are not the problem,” Ginger said. “Marriage is hard. It takes two people to make it work.”

  “Exactly,” Lulu said. “Which means that if I’m the problem, none of my marriages had any hope of sticking.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Kate said. “But if you’re worried, why don’t you ask?”

  “Ask who?”

  “You said you’re close with your ex-husband,” Kate pointed out. “Call him and ask why you broke up. Maybe it’ll give you some peace of mind.”

  Lulu paused in thought. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “Do you want to know?” Kate pressed. “Or not?”

  “Excuse me for a second, ladies.” Lulu stood. “I need to make a phone call.”

  Lulu pushed back from the bar and dodged the group of chattering women with ease. She grabbed her cell phone—an expensive thing that Lulu only pretended to know how to work—and carried it across the lobby to a private corner of the space. Flipping to the appropriate phone number, she hit dial.

  “Lulu,” a deep voice answered on the other end of the line. “Is everything all right?”

  “I’m fine, Anderson,” Lulu said briskly. “This isn’t a social call. I have a question for you.”

  “Fine.”

  “What broke our marriage apart?”

  Anderson gave a wry laugh. “The first time or the second?”

  “Um, either one,” Lulu said, feeling uncharacteristically nervous. “I’m sorry to be calling you and asking. I realize it’s late, but…I need to know.”

  “You’re serious.”

  “Dead serious.”

  “This isn’t some sort of joke, is it?” Anderson asked, his voice clipped. “Have you left Pierce? My heart can’t take a third time with you, Lulu, as much as I enjoyed our first two attempts.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “No, I haven’t. It’s our five-year anniversary this weekend.”

  “Big moment. Momentous, actually.”

  “I hope so too.” As she spoke, her voice shook. Lulu almost didn’t recognize herself. She didn’t get nervous as a general rule. “Anderson, I think Pierce is going to leave me.”

  The line on the other end went silent. “I’m sorry, Lulu. I truly mean that.”

  “Is it me?” she asked in a painfully small voice. “Did I push you away?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Well, in a way, I suppose it was you,” Anderson amended. “But only because you broke up with me—both times, remember?”

  “Yes, but maybe it was inevitable. Maybe I’m the problem, the broken one.” Lulu distinctly remembered Kate saying something similar on repeat all night. “Maybe I can’t handle being married.”

  Another long beat of silence passed. “He’s the real deal, isn’t he?”

  “Yes,” Lulu insisted. “He is. I’m surer of it than anything before, and I can’t stand to lose him. What do I do?”

  “I don’t know that I have the right answer for you, seeing as I couldn’t convince you to stay with me,” Anderson said, pausing as if weighing what to say next. “But I can guarantee you one thing, Lulu. If you’re feeling these emotions for Pierce, he’s worth fighting for.”

  “I think you might be right,” Lulu whispered. “Maybe it’s not too late. Maybe…”

  “Talk to him,” he encouraged. “Don’t make any rash decisions.”

  “You’re right.” She exhaled a shaky breath. “Five-year anniversary. Damn. Love is hard.”

  “For what it’s worth, I didn’t think love was hard when I was with you,” Anderson said lightly. “Until you dumped me.”

  Lulu grinned, then she glanced at the group of women behind her and bid her ex-husband goodbye. As she hung up, she realized that somehow, over the course of the evening, her shoulders had tensed with the anticipation of holding a discussion with Pierce she wasn’t ready to have. Lulu loved to talk, but for some reason, the only conversation she needed to have was one that felt just out of reach.

  She knew Anderson was right. If she could find the courage to confront Pierce with her questions, it could solve everything. Maybe there had been some misunderstanding. Lulu had jumped to conclusions before. Pierce loved her, and she loved him. She hadn’t seriously doubted that, had she?

  Maybe it was the weight of this five-year anniversary milestone making her see things that weren’t there. Like Anderson had said, everything would be fine. She’d finish up here with the girls and then head upstairs to find her husband and clarify a stupid miscommunication. Then, she’d happily call it a night and snuggle in next to him.

  Lulu returned to the conversation as Kate leaned toward the group and giggled. “I was twenty-three,” she was saying. “Can you believe it? I thought I was saving myself for marriage. Good thing I didn’t, because I’m still not married!”

  “Really? You—twenty-three?” Ginger leaned inward, her forehead crinkled in concentration as if the math didn’t make sense. “I could have sworn, in college…”

  “That’s older than me,” Sydney said. “I mean, my current age.”

  “Oh, my,” Kate said and touched her face. “I’m almost double your age.”

  Sydney looked mortified. “I swear, I’m much older in spirit. I’m like a grandma—not that I think you’re a grandma! Oh, Lordy, please—”

  Lulu caught and met Sydney’s gaze and threw the poor girl a life vest.

  “Oh, quiet you,” Lulu said. “I’m th
e only one of grandmotherly age here. Thankfully, Pierce and I don’t have children, so I don’t ever have to worry about carrying that title formally. I’m more than happy to be Aunt Lulu, and so on and so forth. Right, Emily? You know what I mean.”

  Emily looked up with a startled expression. “Um, sure. Of course.”

  Lulu wondered if she’d overstepped her bounds, but it wasn’t as if she’d been assuming. Emily had told her flat out she didn’t want children earlier at the bar. Lulu shook it off and declared to the group, “I’m absolutely wiped, ladies. I’m going to turn in for the night. What do you all say we meet for a massage tomorrow?”

  “Oh, I couldn’t,” Ginger said. “I’ll have the kids with me.”

  “Same,” Sydney said quickly, looking relieved to have an excuse. “Sorry. Maybe I’ll meet up with you all after?”

  Kate waved a hand. “If you change your mind, massages are on Max at one o’clock tomorrow afternoon. I hope to see you all there. I’m sure the resort has child care.”

  “My oldest daughter is also a babysitter,” Ginger said to Sydney. “I’m sure she’d love to look after Lydia for an hour if you’d like a massage. She is very good with children, and she’d do it for free. It’d do me a favor too, keeping her out of trouble. I’d be there too, of course, as a supervisor.”

  “That’s sweet of you to offer,” Sydney said. “But I wouldn’t want to impose on her vacation.”

  “Well, good night, girls!” Lulu blew kisses to her newfound friends and gave a wave as she eased from the bar. “I hope to see you all tomorrow.”

  It was with a pleasant sort of buzz that Lulu ascended in the elevator to her floor, then walked, humming, to her room as she replayed her conversation with Anderson. A quick few words with Pierce and both parties would be right as rain. Lulu would be able to heave this heavy weight off her chest and get on with all the festivities.

  Pierce, however, had other plans. As Lulu pushed the door open, she found him sleeping on the bed with a book across his chest—a different book from the one Lulu had peeped through earlier. The offending book was nowhere to be seen.