“What’s in the bag?” I ask, curiously.
Jackie kicks off her high heels—her hilarious choice of footwear despite the snowy winter weather—and heads towards the kitchen by rote.
“Oh, the usual,” she calls out. “Some wine. Red and white.”
“Something sweet?” The girls know my affinity for sweet wines. I don’t do the vampire-blood merlots or cabs. I’m a Riesling or a rosé or even a wine spritzer kind of girl.
“And a blush,” Jackie says, peeking her head from around the corner and giving me a quick wink.
I reward Schnickerdoodle with a rawhide stick for being…I don’t know what…Sophie always says, “Just for being a dog.” Then I help Jackie uncork the wine and set out one plate for crackers and another for various cheeses that I’d carefully selected that morning down at Pike Place Market with Sophie.
The added bonus of my weird job hours is that I can sneak off to the world-famous outdoor market for some artisan cheese on a weekday morning. The bonus of Sophie’s part-time work at a catering outfit called Katie’s Kitchen isn’t just that it’s part-time, allowing her to meet me for coffee or a random lunch date, but that it’s a job in the food industry. That means Pike Place Market is her culinary backyard.
I’m in the middle of cutting out a small wedge of Camembert I’ve placed on the plate, just to taste, when I ask Jackie how things are going as a married woman. She hasn’t been Mrs. Andrew Kittredge for very long, and she hasn’t, oddly enough, really gushed about it. To be honest, she used to gush about her relationship with her mogul man more before she got the bling.
“Eh,” she says while she fans out a handful of crackers onto a plate. “Not really any different from being just boyfriend-girlfriend.”
I tell her to go on. There has to be more to say than just “nothing’s changed.”
“He’s still just as busy at work,” she says. “Still just as tied down to the office or having to jet off to who-knows-where for work. It’s fine. I don’t mind.” She pulls more crackers from the box. “I wish he were around a little bit more, that’s all.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t imagine having Conner gone as much as Andrew.”
Andrew is a busy and important businessman. A broker or banker or something like that. He’s rich from it. He’s been doing it for a long time. Did I mention he’s also really old? Okay. Jackie gets upset when I say things like this. He’s not really old, per se… He is like twice her age, but hey, love knows no age, right? I’m pretty sure that’s how the saying goes.
“He is trying to make more of an effort to be around more,” Jackie continues, reaching for another handful of crackers. “And when he’s not, he sends over some really neat things like this.” She’s holding out her wrist for me to see the new diamond tennis bracelet she’s sporting. I compliment it and she adds, “Or he returns home with some more gifts. It’s nice and all. I totally appreciate it.” She lays out another fan of crackers. “I would just appreciate it more if I had a husband home more than one or two days a week.”
“He’s gone that often?” I’m shocked. I know Andrew is a man with a lot of frequent flyer miles, even before he and Jackie became Mr. and Mrs., but that often?
“Sometimes,” Jackie says, pausing from her cracker duty to look at me. “We haven’t even been married a month, I know, and we did take that really nice cruise for our honeymoon.” She returns to the crackers. “But that wasn’t even a week-long honeymoon! He says since he took that time off, he’s had to put in extra time at work. And it’s the time of the year, too, he says.”
Jackie’s about to reach for more crackers, but I put my hand on top of hers. “I think that’s enough, hon,” I tell her. I give a soft grin and she makes one loud chortle.
“Ugh!” she groans. “Sorry, Claire.” She starts to toss half of the plate of crackers back into the box. “I shouldn’t complain, though. Andrew treats me extremely well, and I knew this going into the marriage. Andrew’s a busy guy with a lot of responsibilities.”
“And I’m sure,” I add for good measure, “that nifty new ride you’re driving doesn’t come by taking vacation?”
Jackie crunches down on one of the crackers and says, “True, true.”
***
“I think these are going to look really nice,” Robin says, as she presses down on the paper cut. The dining table gives another rattle, and I’m starting to worry that all this paper cutting is going to damage it, if not break it completely. Just what I need to add to the list to bring to Conner. First the car that’s slowly dying, now the dining table. Although, in the name of wedded bliss, I think breaking this old table over cutout paper birdies is okay. It’s old and ratty, anyhow, and these birds are so darling.
“I should do something like this for an art project for Rose’s room,” Robin says, making another cut and rattling the table some more. “Bobby and I have been talking about redecorating it.”
“She’s seriously already asleep?” I interject, amazed that Rose isn’t up at such an early hour of the night, giggling and crawling and being the adorable baby she is.
Robin says, “Yes, thank God! That girl's crawling everywhere. Soon she’ll be walking!” She makes another paper press. “Rose is growing up so fast. Hence, room decorating time. Time to actually get her nursery looking like a little girl’s room.”
“Are you thinking all pink again?” Lara asks.
Lara and Robin used to be roomies. A couple years ago, Robin was single and living solo when she accidentally got pregnant. So before Rose came along, she moved in with Lara; and Robin’s room, which doubled as Rose’s nursery, was painted floor to ceiling in pink. It was really pretty, but Lara finally got around to changing the bubblegum pink room after Robin and Rose moved out late last year.
“I don’t know about pink,” Robin says. She looks at Lara and puts a hand on her shoulder. “Not that I wasn’t in love with my room at your place, Lara.”
Lara waves away the thought.
“Bobby and I were just thinking of something that could also work for her as a toddler and as she gets a bit older,” Robin says. “Since Bobby owns the house and we don’t plan on moving in the foreseeable future…and since we don’t really feel up to constantly repainting and decorating a room…”
“I know you two are serious and all,” Jackie says. She drains her wine and makes a motion for someone to pass her the bottle. I hand her the nearly empty bottle of red. “But don’t you think this says something about Bobby?”
“What do you mean?” Robin asks.
“You know, like this is a big step. You guys are agreeing on paint swatches and decorating motifs.”
Robin casts about the dining room, then shrugs.
“I’d say moving in together was a big step,” Lara offers.
Robin guffaws and says, “Bobby asking me out when I was pregnant. That says something.”
“You found yourself a keeper, Robin,” I tell her. I sweep my pale blue, pink, and green bird cutouts into a small pile.
“We should all be so lucky,” Lara says with a small sigh.
“Still dry on love?” Sophie asks, then, in an effort to assuage her choice of words, adds, “But things with Nathan have to be going well.” She raises her eyebrows. “Aren’t they?”
Nathan’s the guy Sophie foisted on Lara. Foisted in a nice way, really. Lara was seeing this horribly awful guy for the longest time, and we all told her she needed to get out of that sordid relationship, like, yesterday. As for finding herself a new love interest, it was tough going, but Sophie saved the day.
There was this guy, Nathan, who stepped in for Sophie at Katie’s Kitchen when she went to Paris and then became part-time. He was a nice and attractive and available guy. Lara was reluctant at first, as she had been with every dreamboat and doofus we tried to introduce her to. Eventually she and Nathan met, hit it off, and the last I’ve heard they’ve already been out on two very successful dates.
“They’re going,” Lara says so nonc
halantly.
I’m nosy and can’t help myself. “Going where? Up? Down? Good? Bad?”
“Claire,” Lara says. “They’re going. We’ve only been out three times. Nothing crazy to report.”
“Three!”
“Yes, three.” She tucks a loose strand of her short, brown hair behind an ear. “Three really good dates.”
Is that Lara blushing ever so slightly?
“Good for you!” Emily says. “I’m glad you’re getting action!”
Lara waves her hands about, trying to end the discussion, but Emily won’t let up. And I’m glad she doesn’t, because I want to know more details. Juicy details.
“What’s he like?” Emily says. “And if you don’t dish, then we’ll just ask Sophie.”
Lara is definitely blushing now. “He’s very sweet. Kind of shy, but only a little.”
I glance at Sophie to see her nodding.
“Very nice and interesting, though,” Lara says. “He wants to take his culinary skills further. Be a Sous-Chef at some point.”
“Surrounded by bakers and cooks!” Emily says, shaking her head. “Goodness! Well, I’m happy he’s a nice guy.”
“And hot?” Jackie blurts out.
Lara rolls her eyes and tells Jackie that yes, he’s attractive.
“When are we going to meet him?” Jackie prods. She’s already finished her freshly poured glass of wine.
“Chill now,” Lara says. “Eventually. Maybe.”
“When Lara’s ready and if things go farther,” Sophie helps Lara out. “Right?” She looks at Lara, who agrees.
“Good for you!” Emily encourages, then she presses down for another paper cut, sending the table upwards, making a loud thud as it hits the floor.
“Claire?” Lara asks.
“Yeah?”
“I love you, honey, but can I call it a night on the cutouts?” Her pile is nearly twice the size of mine. Typical Lara. Going at anything with “work” labeled on it with sheer gusto.
“Yeah,” Jackie whines. Her pile, however, is about a tenth the size of Lara’s. The girls are all doing me a huge favor, though, and girls’ night should be fun.
I concede, and we leave the paper birds for another time. We retire to the living room for a rom-com that Robin brought with her.
“So, girls,” Emily says in an announcing kind of way. She sets the last snack plate onto the coffee table as Robin pops in a DVD. Schnickerdoodle leaps onto the couch’s arm, then settles warmly onto my lap. “I’ve been meaning to share something with you lately.”
I gasp, Sophie gasps, and Lara gets straight to business. “What is it, Em?” Lara asks. “You’re not running off to another country so soon, are you?” That’s the question we’re all thinking.
“No,” Emily says, and the group heaves a collective sigh. She can’t go anywhere. Not yet.
Emily pulls her knees into her chest tightly and is wearing a mischievous grin. “Remember when I asked if it was all right if I went out with that old co-worker of Jackie’s that she was trying to hook Lara up with?” She’s looking right at Lara, who looks very confused. “The waiter from the jazz bar?” Still confused, but not as much now. “Matt?”
Lara nods her head vigorously and says, “Go on.”
“Well…” Emily flashes a big smile. “We’re kinda, sorta seeing each other.”
“Whoa!” Jackie exclaims. “Spill it. Spill it!”
“Remember I asked if it was okay if I tried to snag him if you didn’t mind, Lara?” Emily asks. “Since you didn’t want to go out with him…”
“Yeah, totally.” Lara flicks her wrist in an offhanded way.
“Well, I did.” Emily claps her hands together. “I went to the place for lunch one afternoon, and I asked Matt out.”
“So brave,” Robin says, impressed.
“You just asked him out?” Lara says, bewildered. “Just like that?”
“Yeah.” Emily says simply. “He’s unbelievably hot, and I got the sister-swear on it that it was okay by Lara if I pounced.” She raises her eyebrows and looks around at each of us. “And she said it was okay, so I asked him out.”
In an effort to help Lara amidst her bitching about turning thirty in November and still being single, Jackie tried to set her up with this Matt character last year. Lara sort of dismissed him, even though she agreed he was extremely dishy. She said she still had a broken heart over the last douche bag (seriously, he was not so great), and she wasn’t interested in dating.
I don’t think I can really blame her. Although, I don’t know what it’s like to be broken up over a guy. I’ve been with Conner from practically day one in college, and my two “boyfriends” in high school weren’t really a reason for a broken heart. Even though I detested the guy Lara was with, and even though I really wanted her to pick up and move on with another guy—in search of that perfect love story—I can understand that sometimes it just doesn’t work. Like the pieces aren’t all right or the stars in Orion’s Belt are all skewed, and you’re just not really feeling it.
I’m really happy, however, that she seems into this Nathan guy. If he’s as sweet and nice as Lara says he is, and if he’s as hot as Matt, then Lara might be on her way to a happily-ever-after.
As for Emily, that’s another story. Sheesh! God help that girl. She’s always in and out of relationships!
“Good for you,” Lara says to Emily, high-fiving her.
“And? What else?” Jackie presses Emily. “You know I could call Matt up and find out what’s going on—God forbid.”
“I didn’t know you two were good friends,” I say. I thought Jackie and Matt only worked together once upon a time when Jackie was actually employed, however short-lived it was.
“I wouldn’t say we are,” Jackie says. “I mean a little bit…a while ago, at least. I was trying to set Matt up with Lara after all.”
I nod.
“I wouldn’t know anything anymore, anyway.” Jackie tosses back a sip of her newly refilled glass. “Seeing how Andrew probably wouldn’t be too fond of me dialing up that number again.”
I remember that day. Andrew’s temper got a little out of hand and, to make a messy story concise, he accused Jackie of having an affair because of her routine contact with this Matt guy. Jackie said it was in the name of finding love for a friend of hers, and after a huge blowout that resulted in them slightly trashing their living room, Jackie and Andrew eventually made up.
Lara, who’s probably the closest to Jackie, could dish more about it. She’s always helping Jackie out, taking care of her, sopping up the spilled milk kind of thing. Poor Jack. At least things seem better now. Even if it isn’t an ideal setup with Andrew often being gone, at least Jackie found herself a man to love her unconditionally. I mean, a man who will turn a house upside down because he’s afraid of losing her to another man—a twenty-something waiter, at that! Maybe I’m a cheesy romantic and find it a teensy bit sexy…
“Well, tell, tell,” Jackie says, trying to pump Emily for more information about her new love connection.
I love this! Love is all around. Lara’s finally found a guy who seems to be a smart match, Robin and Bobby are steady, Jackie’s married, I’m going to get married, and now Emily’s with Matt… That pretty much takes care of all us girls except for Sophie. But I think she’s married to her café for now, at least that’s what she’s always saying. I’ll have to try and set her up anyhow…
“Matt and I have only been out a few times,” Emily says. “Things are fun.”
“Fun?” Robin says quizzically. “What does ‘fun’ mean?”
“Fun?” Jackie gasps. Her eyes are wide and a smile is starting to grow.
“You know,” Emily says in a tone that is oh-so-telling.
“Emily, I mean no disrespect when I say this,” Sophie starts, “but you get around more than anyone I know. More than Jackie ever did, before she met Andrew. No disrespect to you, Jack,” she says, turning to Jackie.
Jackie doesn’t seem
to be bothered. She’s working on her wine.
“I don’t get around that much, Sophie,” Emily says defiantly. “You make it sound like I’m some kind of tramp.”
“I don’t mean that!” Sophie puts up a hand. “No, no. That came out wrong. I’m saying that you always seem to find yourself—”
“In some guy’s bed?” Robin finishes for her.
“No!” Sophie flips her long, straight, brown hair over her shoulder. “Not at all. Em’s always finding herself in some relationship. Bouncing from one to the next. Like her travels! It’s always something new, an adventure, and any time she dates it’s always a positive experience.
“Pick someone—anyone that she’s dated—and it’s either going really well because it’s a casual and fun thing only, or it’s a relationship that has the possibility of actually going somewhere.” Sophie searches everyone’s face for understanding or approval. “Possibility, of course. What I’m saying is, there’s always some relationship going on…always something new and fresh…”
I jump in because I know what she’s saying. “Sophie’s right.” I bite into my cracker that I’ve meticulously spread with cheese. “You’ve had more boyfriends, more dates, and been in more relationships than any of us. You’re always meeting someone wherever you go, and I’ve got to give it to you, Em,” I lick my cheesy fingers, “I don’t know how you do it—how you can be so brave and create relationships like you do, but bravo.”
“But when will one of them be that special one?” Lara asks in a more serious tone. “I mean, you can’t just bounce around forever.” She pauses, glancing at each of us. “Can she?” She furrows her brow.
Realizing that we’re not trying to create a diatribe—we’re only curious—Emily says, “I know what you girls mean. I don’t know how I do it, but I guess I’m just open to meeting new people. New experiences. And settling down is…well…” She briefly pauses. “I don’t think I know how to settle down.”
“It’s that free spirit thing,” Robin says, almost academically. “Like you can pick up and make a home out of the frickin’ Sahara or no-man’s land, you can meet someone, find the best in them, find them charming or a perfect match for who you are at that precise moment in your life and…love blossoms.”
When Girlfriends Chase Dreams Page 5
