by Judith Keim
Sukie locked up the building, wishing she hadn’t promised to go to Carol Ann’s open house. The pieces of her broken heart were rubbing her insides raw.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
CAROL ANN
Carol Ann and John drove into the upscale complex to the condo they were about to share. The three-story condos lined the shore of the lake, providing water views from ground level decks and middle-floor balconies. Studying the brick and clapboard buildings, Carol Ann could hardly believe she might live here permanently. With its style and sense of exclusivity, it was everything she’d always wanted.
John drove Carol Ann’s car into the garage, and Carol Ann unloaded the groceries she’d bought at World Foods. Desperate for their approval, she wanted to make a good impression on the Fat Fridays ladies.
Inside the kitchen, Carol Ann unloaded her CD player and turned on music, playing it softly in the background. She placed cheese on a platter, arranged crackers next to the cheese and added green grapes for color. She stood back and gazed at them, proud of the effect. Checking her watch, she opened a can of peanuts, poured them into a plastic bowl and slid frozen appetizers into the oven. Doing these simple chores, she filled with excitement. It was the first time she’d entertained friends like this.
The door bell rang. Anxiety curled through her in nervous twists and turns as she hurried to the door. Betsy, Karen and Lynn stood together on the doorstep.
Carol Ann ushered them inside eagerly. “Look around, y’all. I’ll be right there. I’m going to open a bottle of wine.”
A few moments later, the sound of the door bell rang out again. Carol Ann excused herself from the others and answered it. “Sukie! You’re just in time. I’m about to give a tour of the condo.”
Once everyone had a glass of wine, Carol Ann led them downstairs to the large family room in the basement. “This level has a nice fireplace and there’s a half bath down the hall.” She slid open the glass slider and walked out onto the large wooden deck. “We have a great water view.”
“Very nice,” commented Betsy.
“Much larger than the apartment I’m renting,” said Karen. A touch of envy coated her voice.
Carol Ann filled with pride. “Come see the upstairs. Two bedrooms, two baths and a study are up there.”
They climbed to the main floor and on up to the third level. John joined them at the top of the stairs. Carol Ann was pleased he was wearing the new shirt and pants she’d bought him. She made the introductions, and he followed the group into the master bedroom. An air mattress sat on the floor opposite a TV. John had stored a couple of boxes and his clothing in the closet.
“Where’s all the furniture?” Lynn asked.
Carol Ann didn’t know how much to say. She and John had had an argument about it. “We haven’t picked it out yet.”
John turned to Sukie. “What do you think of the condo?”
Carol Ann held her breath, waiting for Sukie’s answer. Of all the women in Fat Fridays, Sukie’s opinion meant the most to her.
“It’s attractive,” Sukie said. “My ex lives here in the complex.”
“John wants me to move in with him. I’ve saved enough money to furnish the whole place,” Carol Ann said in a rush of excitement.
John gave Carol Ann a wink and she wanted to throw her arms around him. He loved her. He really did.
Sukie frowned. “I thought you were saving for a house, Carol Ann.”
An uneasy silence fell over the group.
John’s eyebrows formed a vee of irritation. “This is a way for Carol Ann to get out of the trap she’s in. She moves in with me, gets us some furniture, we fix the place up, and then we try to buy it.”
Silent disapproval radiated from every woman in the Fat Fridays group. Carol Ann shrunk inside. John had made it seem as if it was her responsibility to do everything. She was sure he didn’t mean it that way and tried to think of something positive to say.
“Hello? Am I too late?” Tiffany’s voice sailed up the stairs. Carol Ann breathed a sigh of relief, thankful to end the awkward moment.
Tiffany appeared at the top of the stairs, her eyes swollen and red.
“Are you okay?” Carol Ann asked.
Tiffany nodded. “I wasn’t sure I’d make it, but Beau finally agreed to drop me off. He’ll pick me up at ten.”
“Well, now that everyone is here, let’s go downstairs,” Carol Ann said. “I’ve fixed some appetizers—something I read about in one of my magazines.” She couldn’t help her note of delight. For years, she’d dreamed of entertaining friends in a nice place like this.
She handed Betsy the tray of cheese and crackers, Karen, the peanuts, and fixed a plate of the mushroom appetizers for Sukie to carry in. “Let’s eat in the living room,” Carol Ann suggested. “We’ll do it picnic style on the carpet.”
“Who wants something to drink?” John asked. “We have more wine, diet Coke and Sprite.”
Betsy held up her plastic glass. “More wine sounds good to me!”
Karen laughed. “I’ll have more too.”
Sukie and Lynn quickly joined them.
Tiffany sighed. “Sprite for me. Thanks.”
Carol Ann slid in some CDs, mellow stuff from David Mandeville and others, and they sat in a circle on the rug.
John came into the room and gave them a little salute. “Well, ladies, I’ll leave you to your fun and go upstairs. Baseball’s more my style.”
Carol Ann smiled at him. He’d turned out to be a nice host.
Tiffany took a sip of her soda and sang a few bars of the music softly. Her musical notes floated in the air.
Surprised, Carol Ann turned to her. “Wow! You’ve got a beautiful voice, Tiffany. Good enough for professional singing.”
Tiffany smiled. “Thanks. I used to be in a glee club in high school and did some singing in college.”
“You did?” said Betsy. “Will you sing for us now?”
Tiffany drew in a breath. Could she? “I don’t know. I haven’t sung in a while. I was asked to sing at one of the country club dances but you-know-who said ‘we do not perform in public’. I tried to make her change her mind, but I finally gave in.”
They all groaned.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” said Lynn. “That’s all the more reason to sing for us now. Right, ladies?”
A broad grin spread across Tiffany’s face. She rose to her feet, grabbed an imaginary microphone and began to sing along with the new Kristy Kane CD “For Now and Forever Mine.”
Carol Ann could see by the expressions on the other women’s faces they were as stunned as she was by Tiffany’s pure, sweet voice. Even pregnant, she had a star’s dramatic appearance with her long, blond hair, beautiful features and sense of style. Watching her perform, Carol Ann thought Tiffany seemed like a totally different person, completely at ease with herself. She felt a tiny prick of envy that someone so beautiful could be so talented. It didn’t seem fair. Her own singing was terrible.
Tiffany finished singing, and they all clapped enthusiastically.
Thrilled the evening was turning out so well, Carol Ann poured more drinks. She turned to Sukie. “Don’t you think I ought to move in here? It’s so beautiful.”
Sukie shook her head. “Not until you get to know John better.”
Disappointment soured Carol Ann’s stomach. “But I don’t want to wait. I told John I’d have to think about it, but seeing you all here, as if it really were my house, it makes me want it more than ever.”
“Just be patient,” said Betsy. “It’s hard to wait for things to work out, I know, but most times they do. That’s what I keep telling myself.”
“Did Richie come by?” Sukie asked Betsy, and they turned their attention to her.
“He called at the last minute and cancelled. He was afraid one of the kids would tell Sarah about seeing me. How do you like that?” Betsy’s voice quivered. “It’s Richie I’m most worried about. I hope he’ll at least tolerate Karen. Sarah’s the
problem. She’s worried about her so-called social status and is still sticking to the idea that I’m having a breakdown. If she turns Richie away from me permanently, I don’t think I could bear it.”
“Give him a chance to become used to the idea and he’ll be okay,” Sukie said sympathetically. “He’s a lot like his mother.”
Betsy’s eyes filled. “Karen is even more worried about it than I. She knows how much I love my family.”
Karen’s lips thinned with anger. “I’d like to really, really hurt Sarah for treating Betsy like this.”
Tiffany turned to Lynn. “So how are things going with you? No more freaky calls because of my mother-in-law?”
Lynn shook her head. “It’s been real quiet. Thank God.”
The sound of a car horn interrupted conversation and brought Tiffany to her feet. “It’s Beau. I’ve got to go. I can’t keep him waiting. Thanks, Carol Ann! Bye, everyone.”
She left, and the conversation turned to ways in which they could support Tiffany. She was another one in a tough situation.
“Like I said, it’s abuse, pure and simple.” Lynn’s cheeks became a deep red. “We’ve got to keep our eyes on her.”
Poor Tiff, thought Carol Ann. She, at least, had John. Later, when they were alone, she’d tell him she’d move in with him for sure.
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
SUKIE
As Sukie drove away from Carol Ann’s party, she noticed a new Mercedes SUV sitting in Ted’s driveway. She gritted her teeth. No doubt Emmy Lou had finally gotten her way with a new car. Emmy Lou wouldn’t be satisfied until she got everything she could out of Ted, Sukie thought sourly.
Sukie pulled up to her house and slammed on the brakes. Cam’s SUV was blocking the driveway. Pulse pounding, she parked at the curb and walked over to his car. The driver’s window of his car was wide open. She peered inside.
Cam was sound asleep, head thrown back, mouth open. Chloe lay curled up in the back seat, her blanket and her doll Sally snuggled up next to her. Her small back rose and fell in peaceful sleep.
“Cam?” Sukie shook his shoulder gently.
His eyes flew open. “Wha... Oh, damn, I must have fallen asleep.”
“What are you doing here?”
Cam ran a hand through his hair and blinked rapidly, struggling to come awake. “Can we talk?”
Sukie’s heart did flips inside her chest. “How long have you been here?”
He checked his watch. “It’s eleven o’clock? We got here a little before nine.”
“You woke up Chloe to come here?” Chloe usually went to bed at eight.
Cam nodded.
Tears sprang to Sukie’s eyes. Cam had awakened his daughter and hung around for two hours, waiting to speak to her. “Come on inside. Chloe can sleep in Elizabeth’s bed while we talk.”
Cam got out of the car, reached into the back seat and lifted Chloe into his arms. She murmured in her sleep and nestled against his chest.
Sukie led the two of them inside the house and up the stairway to the second floor.
Gingerly, Cam placed Chloe atop the pink sheets on Elizabeth’s bed. Sukie stood with Cam, gazing down at her. With her rosy cheeks and blond curly hair, Chloe resembled a cherub. Her mouth pursed in sleep as if she were kissing angels.
Sukie placed a hand on Cam’s arm. “Come downstairs.” At the bottom of the stairs, she turned to him. “Would you like some coffee?”
“How about a drink instead?” he said. “I could really use one.”
“Sure. Is everything all right?” Sukie’s mind raced with possibilities.
Cam held his head in his hands. “No. Everything is not all right.”
Sukie knotted her fingers. “I’m standing here imagining all kinds of horrible things. Is Chloe all right?”
His lips curved into the crooked smile she loved. “Yeah, right as can be.” His blue eyes fastened on hers, sending a message Sukie couldn’t deny. Her pulse sprinted. This really was about them? She’d refused to let herself think about that possibility, coming up with every other excuse she could think of for his sudden appearance.
Cam reached for her, and his lips found hers. They were warm and sure and demanding, letting Sukie know how much he’d missed her. Sukie’s body responded in warm ripples of pleasure that quickly escalated into waves of passion. She didn’t give a damn about his age or hers. When they were like this, nothing else mattered.
They finally pulled apart. Sukie gazed up into Cam’s face. The lines of stress she’d noticed earlier had smoothed out. She knew exactly how he felt—as if the world was a friendly place once more.
“We need to talk,” Cam said.
Sukie nodded. It was much more complicated than simply realizing how much they craved each other. She knew that.
Her thoughts spinning, she opened a bottle of wine and pulled out a couple of glasses from the cupboard. Cam poured the wine, handed her a glass and lifted his for a toast.
“Here’s to straightening out our lives.”
They clinked their glasses together. That musical note hovered in the air, sending a wave of optimism through Sukie.
His expression both tender and tough, Cam studied her. “Chloe and Sally aren’t the only ones who might want to live with you.” He paused. “I’m not promising anything, Sukie, but I want us to be together to see if that would work. What I’m trying to say is I want you to give it another try. Will you?”
Sukie took a deep breath. Could she trust her instincts? For once, could she do something for herself without worrying about other people?
“It scares the crap out of me, this idea of something permanent.” Cam gave her a steady look that spoke volumes.
She understood. She was scared, too. But he’d come to her after saying he never would, and in his arms she’d felt as if she’d found the home she’d always wanted. Thinking of all the challenges ahead, Sukie’s mouth became dry. According to Julie, Edythe Aynsley was working hard to find a replacement for her. Ted was a problem that wouldn’t go away. Her children? They’d said the right words, but the idea of any relationship with Cam bothered them. They’d have to understand she was her own woman now. Madeleine, bless her heart, already supported her.
Sukie cradled Cam’s face in her hands. She kissed him tenderly on the soft skin covering his eyes, each bristly cheek and finally, his smooth lips. Cam wrapped his arms around Sukie and drew her close enough for her to hear the soft sound of pleasure in his throat as he held her tight.
She smiled at him, as certain as she’d ever been. “I’d like to try, too.”
They spent the next couple of hours filling in each other on what they’d been doing during the past few weeks and how they’d coped, being apart. Sukie talked about her childhood—parts of which she’d never even shared with Ted. Cam told her more about Chloe’s mother. Sukie spoke about her marriage and its increasing disappointments, not dwelling too long on it because from now on she wanted to think only of Cam. Cam told her how his parents had turned away from him when he decided to leave the west coast and raise Chloe on his own.
“Would you like to stay the night?” Sukie asked, wanting him so much her body trembled.
Cam gave her the teasing smile that always made her pulse quicken. “With privileges?”
Sukie laughed. They’d already discussed the subject ad nauseam and had reached the conclusion it was a term they both hated.
Upstairs, they looked in on Chloe, and went into Sukie’s bedroom. Her pulse fluttered in anticipation as they tossed their clothes aside and climbed into bed.
Cam lay facing her. “I’ve missed you.” He ran his hands down the length of Sukie’s naked body and smiled at her. “Just like I remembered.” He fondled her breasts, exciting the nipples, sending heat to the center of her in pulses that matched her racing heart.
Her hands trailed down his body until they reached his manhood. He groaned and pulled her to him. A shiver of desire swelled in Sukie and grew to a fiery passion only Cam could satis
fy.
Later, they lay curled in each other’s arms. Watching him sleep, Sukie smiled. All was right with her world once more.
###
After work on Monday, still full of joy from her decision to be with Cam, Sukie pulled into her driveway, got out of the car and dashed through raindrops to snatch the mail. She laughed out loud. Life was so good.
Inside the kitchen, sorting through the mail, Sukie was happy to see fewer bills. A crumpled piece of paper among the envelopes caught her eye. She opened it warily.
“CUNT!” was hand-printed in slashing dark strokes. The world spun around Sukie crazily. She gripped the counter. Who would do this to her? She’d receive two such ugly notes. Why? Who was after her?
Her heart skipped in nervous beats. Desperate to hear his reassuring voice, she called Cam at the office. The receptionist informed her he was in a meeting and couldn’t be disturbed.
Sukie hung up and sank onto a kitchen chair. It was all so confusing, so terrifying. She’d let one note go, but she couldn’t do the same with this one. Someone wanted to hurt her.
Sukie checked her watch and called Betsy. “I need the help of everyone in Fat Fridays. Ask the others if they’d be willing to come with you to my house after work. I need to talk to all of you about something. Something important.
“What’s going on?” Betsy asked, sounding alarmed.
“We’ll talk later.”
Sukie took out a digital recorder Ted had kept in the den and put in fresh batteries. As she and the other women discussed possibilities, she’d record them so they’d have as many facts as possible before going to the authorities.
Waiting for the others to arrive, she paced the living room floor, reviewing every possibility in her mind. But no one seemed to make sense to her.
The women arrived in a group at five thirty, all talking at once.
