by Merri Hiatt
Jenny wiped her eyes one last time. “No tears for an immoral, valueless liar.”
She waved to the taxi as it approached, then got in and headed for home. When they pulled into the driveway, she noticed Patricia’s car. “Not now. I just want to be alone,” she whispered.
She took a deep breath, paid the driver, and exited the car. When she entered the house, the contents of Patricia’s bags had erupted into the living room. Blouses, shirts, shorts, and bags of all kinds were strewn around.
“I couldn’t help it. Everything was on sale! I have to show you.” Patricia’s eyes were sparkling, even as her jet lag tried to pull her toward her bed.
“Can we do this later? I mean, I love that you thought of me, I just…” How could tears be forming again?
“What’s wrong? Jenny, why are you upset?”
“It’s really nothing. I just need to be alone for a while.”
“Okay, but you know the rule. You have to at least say what you’re upset about so we can figure out a solution behind your back.”
Jenny half smiled. “Rich has a kid and he’s married. You figure out a solution while I go take a bath.”
“Oh.” Patricia watched her friend walk slowly down the hall.
About ten minutes later she tapped on the bathroom door, then walked in and sat on the counter. “Just how married is he?”
“Married married. What other kind of married is there?”
“There’s married because of circumstances, married but waiting for a divorce to be final, married because you get more money from the IRS, married…”
“As far as I’m concerned there is only kind of married. They both said, ‘I do,’ signed paperwork and are legally married.”
There was a long pause.
“What did Kate say?” Jenny asked.
“You know Kate, wedding vows never stopped her from following her heart. Do you love him?”
“I hardly know him.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“I like him, a lot. It hurts more than I expected. I believed his words about trust and values. I feel so stupid for believing him now.” Jenny took a deep breath. “He taught me to drive, but more than that. He empowered me to not be so scared. Not only of riding in a car, but in other areas of my life, too.”
“Do you think he was setting you up? Building up your confidence so you wouldn’t want to leave once you knew the truth?”
“I hadn’t thought of that. I just didn’t think he thought like that. You know, ulterior motives and manipulation. He was just this nice, hard-working guy. He was what I wanted. What I specifically asked for.”
“Except the married with kids part.”
“Kid. Don’t make it worse by adding more.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. I’m just… Why is it that we can’t find a good man to love? Are we so unlovable? I mean, do we emit some kind of scent that repels decent men and lures the icky ones to us?
“I don’t know. I met a guy.”
“Not another long distance romance. Patricia, you know those never work out.”
“I know. I know. But, Jen, he’s amazing. He’s a field worker…”
“What crop?”
“I don’t know. I’m not into agriculture. Something that grows from the ground up.”
“That narrows it down.”
“His body is like a god. Sculpted pecs, twelve-pack, thighs that send me to the moon.”
“So, it’s all physical?”
“It started out that way, but then it shifted. He’s into philosophy and world religions. He’s so smart. I know absolutely nothing about what he’s talking about. I just love to hear his voice.
And he has these calloused hands. The way the roughness hits my skin is…”
“Mind-blowing?”
“Exactly! I didn’t ever want him to stop touching me.”
“You had time for shopping, though.”
“I did the shopping before I met Malelough.”
“Spell that.”
“I don’t know how it’s really spelled. I just imagine how it’s spelled.”
“How was the goodbye?”
Patricia sighed. “Difficult. He’s coming to the States in two weeks. I told him he could stay here with me. He’s only going to be here a week.”
“Better reinforce the springs on the bed.”
“That’s no joke. Soundproofing the walls wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Kate’ll be back by then and she hates listening to me have sex.”
“It doesn’t help that your bed is directly above hers.”
“I never complain about her sexcapades, and she is way louder than I am.”
“You’re both loud.”
“And you aren’t? Miss Oh, Oh, OOOOOHHHHH!”
“We’re all loud. Of course Rich doesn’t know I’m loud because we never got that far.”
“I’m really sorry. I didn’t even get a chance to meet him.”
“It’s better this way. Now no one can say, ‘Oh, we really liked Rich, why’d you break up with him?’”
“There is that. The introduction is so fun. The explanation about why you split is a pain in the ass.”
“Thanks for talking with me. It helps to not feel so alone.”
“Do you want some hot tea?”
“No.”
“Vodka?”
“Numb therapy. Now that sounds like something I could use.”
“I have all the bottles from the plane. Choose your poison.”
“Rum and Diet Coke.”
“I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“Malelough. I hope you’re the one for Patricia. One heartache per household at a time.”
Chapter Sixteen
Jenny opened her eyes the next morning to the sound of jackhammers plowing into her head. She blew out a breath. “How many drinks did I have last night?”
She rubbed her temples and headed for the bathroom for some aspirin. One look in the mirror told her what she already knew, she’d had too much to drink. Her eyes were sunken as she squinted. “Don’t know why we need four lights in here.”
Then she remembered why she’d begun drinking in the first place.
“Why didn’t you just tell me from the start that you were married? Men are such liars.”
“Not all men.” Kate said, slipping past her and turning on the shower knobs.
“What are you doing here?”
“I live here.”
“No. I mean what are you doing here now? You’re in Ireland.”
“I was in Ireland. Now, I’m not.”
“But why are you here?”
“I cut my vacation a little short. No big deal.” She stepped into the shower and reached for the shampoo.
“You’re leaving something out.”
“Did she tell you?” Patricia asked as she jumped up on the counter and settled in.
“You know? One of you better tell me right now, and talk quietly, please.”
Neither woman said a word.
“Spill it, Boudreau.”
“I wasn’t feeling very well.”
“Did you go to the doctor?”
“Of course.”
“And? Man, you’re usually talking a mile a minute. Now, I’m pulling words out of your mouth. What’s going on?”
Kate pulled back the shower curtain. “I’m pregnant.”
“Pregnant? Who? When? How?”
“How?”
“Who? When?”
“I’m two months pregnant, so that makes who Dan Aldridge.”
“The helicopter pilot?” Jenny asked.
“No.”
“The fill-in captain from Spain?” Patricia questioned.
“No.”
“We could go on like this for days. Tell us who Dan Aldridge is.”
“He’s not exactly a pilot.”
“What is he exactly?” Patricia said.
“He’s the putt-putt golf guy at the indoor game place.�
�
“Back up a sec. Since when did you start dating non-pilots?”
“I didn’t really date him. We just had this great vibe right from the start. You could say we were incredibly sexually compatible. Thing is, he’s barely twenty-one.”
“Kate!” Patricia’s eyes widened. “Are you talking about little Danny Aldridge, the guy who cut our grass this summer? He’s still wet behind the ears.”
“If his ears were wet, it was because my tongue found a sweet spot.”
“Okay.” Jenny put her hands in the air. “I really don’t need to hear this. He’s just a kid. How’s he going to feel about being a dad?”
“He’ll never know. I’m seeing Dr. Hadlock today and she’ll schedule me for an abortion. Problem solved.”
Patricia and Jenny exchanged glances.
“Just like that?” Patricia said.
“What? You think I should keep it? I’ve never wanted kids, you guys know that. I diligently take my birth control pill every day. Never missed even one! I am nobody’s idea of a mother. I’ve known that since all my friends began babysitting and the idea of crying little snot-nosed kids sent me as fast as I could go in the other direction.”
“Yes, but you’re older now, feelings change.” Patricia handed Kate an over-sized lavender towel.
“Mine haven’t.”
“And you really don’t think you should tell Danny?”
“Hell no. It’ll freak him out. Can you imagine hearing from someone you slept with a few months ago and then hearing they’re pregnant? No, I’m sure Dan would very much not like to hear from me with that kind of news.”
“Have you had an abortion before?” Patricia asked.
“No. I’ve never been pregnant before. I can’t imagine how one of his swimmers got through my armor. I have sex all the time. I’m careful, but I enjoy having sex. Sue me. I carry condoms in my purse. I take the pill. I don’t go overboard, but I keep myself safe.”
“Until now.”
Kate stared at Patricia. “Is there something you want to say, because I’m getting a definite moral value judgment thing coming from you? Before you open your mouth, let me tell you that I didn’t make this decision off-the-cuff.
You’re just hearing about it, but I’ve known for about a week. Well, really about a month, when I didn’t get my period.
I know who I am. And I know who I’m not. I am not a mother. I would be the kind of mother who left their kid on the bus or forgot to pick them up. Hell, I forget to pay my bills and have killed every plant I’ve ever been in charge of watering.
Trust me, kids and I would be like water and oil.”
“Water and oil make good salad dressing,” Jenny said.
“Are you on her side?”
“I’m not on anybody’s side. I’m just saying that no one really knows what they’ll be like in any given situation until they’re in it. We can surmise all we want.
I won’t know how I’m going to react the first time a car comes barreling at me when I’m at a stoplight. I think I’ll freak the heck out, scream and probably have a heart attack right there on the spot. But I might not. Maybe I’ll be able to pull myself together and act calmly. I won’t know until I’m in the middle of it. Does that mean I shouldn’t learn to drive?”
“You don’t drive.”
“I do now. A guy I know taught me how to drive defensively.”
“And now you think you’re ready to hit the freeway and drive in the fast lane?”
“No. But I do think I’m ready to get behind the wheel with a small bit of confidence. I’ll learn more as I go.”
“But you’re not responsible for another human being. As a parent, I have to raise this thing into adulthood. If I can’t keep a plant alive, how can I possibly keep a child alive?”
“Haven’t you ever had a pet?” Patricia asked.
Kate shook her head. “Well, I had a cat for three days. I forgot to feed it. Mom gave it away. Which just goes to further prove my point. I’m not mother material.”
“How old were you when you had the cat?”
“Around eight.”
“You were just a little kid. If you had kept the cat longer, you would have bonded with it and then you would have come to love it and you’d take care of it.”
“I’m not convinced.”
The three women fell silent for about four seconds.
“Why are you hung over?” Kate asked Jenny.
“Because men are idiots, liars and cheats.”
“That’s not why she’s hung over. She’s heartbroken and she tried to drink her sorrows away.”
“The new guy, right?”
“Yeah. New old guy now.”
“Have you talked with him?”
“Nothing to talk about.”
“There’s always something to talk about when someone says there’s nothing to talk about.”
“Let me put it another way. There’s nothing he can say that will make dating me while he’s married okay. So, what’s the point?”
“Maybe there is no point. Maybe it would just make you feel better.”
Jenny shook her head. “I don’t want to see him or hear his voice ever again.”
“That may be kind of hard,” Patricia said.
“Why?”
“You left your cell phone on the table. He called about ten times last night.”
“I’ll just delete the messages.”
“Without even listening to them?”
“It’s better this way.”
“You keep saying that.”
“It’s true.”
“Or are you just trying to convince yourself that it’s true?”
“Enough with the self-analysis. I’m going back to bed. I have two days off and I plan to sleep them away.”
“Good luck with that,” Kate said. “Wish I could sleep my issue away.”
Jenny winced at the words. A child was a gift. Even though Kate thought she’d make a horrible mother, Jenny thought otherwise. “If you want me to go with you to see the doctor, I will.”
“Thanks. Can I think about it?”
“Sure. I just wanted you to know, I’m here for you, no matter what.”
“I am, too,” Patricia said. “I know it probably didn’t sound like it. I’m really torn on the abortion issue. I want women to have the right to choose, but I can’t help feeling like it’s wrong to abort a baby. It’s your life and you’re the one who has final say over how you live it. Just think about it.”
“I have. I will. Think about it some more, I mean. Can you imagine all three of us in a house with a baby? We’d be at each other’s throats.”
“Or, we’d have a lot of fun,” Patricia said with a mischievous smile.
Chapter Seventeen
“Jenny, stay up. Let’s talk,” Patricia said, steering her friend toward the kitchen.
“There’s nothing more to say.”
“Well, I have something to say.”
“Somehow, I knew you would.”
“Just hear me out on this.” Patricia handed Jenny a steaming cup of coffee as she sat down at the dining room table. “What if this was the way things were meant to be?”
“That’s a mean thing to say.”
“Not that Rich is married. I mean, what if there’s a lesson in all this.”
“Please, enlighten me.” Jenny took a sip of coffee.
“You know how sometimes you’re thankful for the things you don’t have? Like not getting the flu when everyone around you is coughing up a storm or driving a different way home at the last minute and then finding out there was an accident on the road you normally would have driven on.
There are things that happen every day that we aren’t even aware of that could throw us for a loop.”
“And then there are the things that do happen and do throw us for a loop. What about those things?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Maybe they are supposed to happen. We don’t know how this is going to end. What i
f Rich were to walk in here right now and hand you an explanation that made sense?”
“That won’t happen.”
“But what if it did? It could change your perception of the whole thing.”
“Nice try. I’m going to back to bed.”
“Jenny…”
“Forget it. I’m already over him.” Jenny pushed the coffee mug away and got up.
“Yeah, I can see that.”
“I am. Really. Now I’m just hung over and tired.”
Patricia watched her walk down the hallway. Before she had time to form a new plan, the doorbell rang. “What now?”
“Ah, Patricia, you’re as lovely as I remember.”
“Malelough? I thought you weren’t coming for two weeks.”
“Change of plans. I missed you.” He leaned forward and pulled her close for a kiss that sent her senses reeling. Patricia needn’t have worried that their passion would fade. It only took moments to renew the heat between them.
“I missed you, too.”
“I want to bottle the very scent of you and carry it with me always.”
Kate rounded the corner. “Well, what have we here? Did you stowaway in her luggage?”
“Malelough’s here early. Malelough, this is Kate, one of my roommates.”
“Hi, Kate. Good to meet you.”
“You, too, although I don’t imagine I’ll be seeing as much of you as Patricia will.”
“Kate!”
“I only ask one thing. If you’re going to do the horizontal mambo, take a break once in a while so I can get some sleep. My room is right underneath Patricia’s.”
“We can take breaks, if we have to,” Malelough said. “And I would make the same request of you and your lover.”
“Not to worry, I won’t be having any of those for quite some time.”
“I am sorry to hear that.”
“You and me both.”
Jenny entered the room and took in the scene. “Malelough, I presume?”
“And you must be Jenny?”
“By process of elimination, I guess I must be. Nice to meet you.”
“I thought you were going to sleep?” Patricia asked.
