You want love? We'll make it/ Swim in a deep sea of blankets...
She awoke with a pleasing smile to the sound of John Mayer on the alarm clock. Her eyes opened to the reality of a night she couldn't forget. She looked around the room seeking affirmation that it was all a dream. The wine, the jazz, the vodka. The guy. She surveyed the room for evidence. It was all there; her black silk dress dripping over the chair in the corner, and her sling backs on the floor by the closet door. And of course the mirror. Another fight, another cracked mirror. Though she wasn't sure whether to be disappointed or relieved, she knew it wasn't a dream. Really, there was never any doubt. What now?, she said aloud with her forehead in her hand.
She could see that Mark had slept home but she didn't remember him coming in, which could only mean she made it home and passed out before he even arrived. He probably didn't even notice the dress and the shoes. Probably wouldn't have given it any thought if he had. Pompous bastard would think she was dressed for him. She could hear the shower and smell his body wash. Saturday. That meant golf. A half hour of small talk and a cup of coffee is all she had to withstand. Then he'd be gone for the day and she could try to remember how her night ended, and how she got home. She was so preoccupied she didn't even care to discuss what time Mark got home or how his "case" was going.
In the shower, Mark was preparing his opening argument for this morning's charges. As cheaters do, he was going over his story, practicing what he'd say and predicting what she'd say in response. When he was satisfied that he had his facts straight, he rinsed the last of the lather, turned off the water, and dried off. Carefully wrapping himself in the plush towel, he made sure to tuck it in just low enough that his hips barely held it on. Exposure of his washboard abs and a hint of his tan line would at least suggest he was interested in make-up sex. It was a game they played. He knew she'd shut him out and he was grateful because the only thing on his mind this morning was getting out of the house and over to the the golf course with his buddies.
A bit glazed over and lost in her thoughts, she put on her robe and tied her hair up in a knot. "I'll go put on some coffee," she said and quickly walked downstairs, after checking on the kids who were still sleeping. Surprised he got off that easy, but unwilling to find out why, he let her go, telling her he'd be down in a minute.
Downstairs they barely said a word to one another, just took their vitamins and drank their coffee. "There's fresh granola from the bakery if you're hungry," she offered knowing he would decline.
"You okay?" he asked her reluctantly with fear he might actually have to hear why she wasn't.
"Fine," she answered genuinely as she recalled a moment from the jazz club when the bartender called her a knock out. She was thinking about the man she met last night.
"Good. See you tonight." He kissed her on her cheek, grabbed a bottle of water, and he was gone. At just about the same moment she was giving thought to it herself, he came back in and asked why she left her car in the driveway. "You know how it pisses me off when I have to move your car to get mine out of the garage!"
"Um," she was searching for the honest answer. All she could retort was, "I went out for a drink with the girls and I didn't want the garage door to wake the kids when I got home." She suddenly recalled that the bartender drove her home. He was the one who left her car in the driveway. It really didn't matter though because Mark would interpret it as a deliberate move to get back at him for not coming home for their date night last night. She didn't care what he thought, and besides, she did go out for a drink. So what if her friends weren't with her. He slammed the door behind him and she declared in a loud whisper, "Asshole."
She was happy to have some time to herself to review the events of her evening out. She was grateful not to be hungover, and decided to take her coffee upstairs and run a hot shower. Maybe the steam would help her defog. She walked by the broken mirror and made a mental note to call the company who replaced the last one she broke. Then she smiled as she picked up her silk and put it in the dry cleaning basket. It was all starting to come back to her. She left her mug on the counter and stepped into the shower. She sighed in relief as she assured herself the bartender drove her home, let her in the house and called for a cab. Nothing happened. Well actually, that depends on how you define nothing. She hadn't been unfaithful. She didn't sleep with him or even kiss him. But, she wanted to. She felt an intimacy with him that had long been absent from her marriage to Mark. The way he looked at her. The way he listened. The way he looked at her. She allowed herself a few more minutes to relax and daydream. Then it was on with her day. It was a nice night, but today was all about her kids. They had plans for lunch and the pool with Rachel and her kids.
"You okay?" he asked her reluctantly with fear he might actually have to hear why she wasn't.
"Fine," she answered genuinely as she recalled a moment from the jazz club when the bartender called her a knock out. She was thinking about the man she met last night.
"Good. See you tonight." He kissed her on her cheek, grabbed a bottle of water, and he was gone. At just about the same moment she was giving thought to it herself, he came back in and asked why she left her car in the driveway. "You know how it pisses me off when I have to move your car to get mine out of the garage!"
"Um," she was searching for the honest answer. All she could retort was, "I went out for a drink with the girls and I didn't want the garage door to wake the kids when I got home." She suddenly recalled that the bartender drove her home. He was the one who left her car in the driveway. It really didn't matter though because Mark would interpret it as a deliberate move to get back at him for not coming home for their date night last night. She didn't care what he thought, and besides, she did go out for a drink. So what if her friends weren't with her. He slammed the door behind him and she declared in a loud whisper, "Asshole."
She was happy to have some time to herself to review the events of her evening out. She was grateful not to be hungover, and decided to take her coffee upstairs and run a hot shower. Maybe the steam would help her defog. She walked by the broken mirror and made a mental note to call the company who replaced the last one she broke. Then she smiled as she picked up her silk and put it in the dry cleaning basket. It was all starting to come back to her. She left her mug on the counter and stepped into the shower. She sighed in relief as she assured herself the bartender drove her home, let her in the house and called for a cab. Nothing happened. Well actually, that depends on how you define nothing. She hadn't been unfaithful. She didn't sleep with him or even kiss him. But, she wanted to. She felt an intimacy with him that had long been absent from her marriage to Mark. The way he looked at her. The way he listened. The way he looked at her. She allowed herself a few more minutes to relax and daydream. Then it was on with her day. It was a nice night, but today was all about her kids. They had plans for lunch and the pool with Rachel and her kids.
***
She and Rachel had been friends for years, longer back than their memories. Their kids loved each other like cousins and were excited about their play date. "Mommy," a voice called from the back seat. "Is Aunt Rachel making a watermelon boat?" Her kids loved fresh fruit and Rachel was a regular Martha Stewart.
"I'm sure she is. She knows it's your favorite."
"What about lemonade? Is she making her own lemonade?"
"Let's see when we get there, okay? Did you remember to put an extra t-shirt in the bag?" Two gleeful voices responded in unison.
"Yes!"
Spending the day at Rachel's was great for all of them. Watching their kids grow up together always prompted warm memories and colorful childhood stories. It was a great way to keep her mind off last night. No matter how hard she tried so far it wasn't working. She wondered if she could get through the afternoon without telling her best friend, and by the time they arrived she had decided she shouldn't have to. If she couldn't tell Rachel, she couldn't tell anyone, and if she couldn't tell anyone, she thought she'd explode. "Alright, everyone out. Make sure you grab your towels and I'll get the bag. Remember, no running through the house in your wet bathing suits. When you get out of the pool, dry off!"
Rachel opened the door before they made it up the path. The kids went running and screaming and there were hugs and kisses all around. As the kids went out back, the moms sat on the patio sipping lemonade and cautiously admiring their beautiful children. "So how was the theater last night?"
"Terrific, Rachel explained. The lead was phenomenal. What a voice! How about you? Why were you so anxious to go out last night? What happened to Mark?" She asked knowing the answer. Rachel knew her like no one else did, and that included the state of her marriage. "He didn't come home? Not even for date night?" She tried to appear angry in response to Rachel's questions, but her friend wasn't buying her act. "Weren't you pissed?"
"I was."
"But you're not now? What was his excuse?"
"Come on Rachel, does it matter what his excuse was? We both know what he was doing."
"Bastard. How long are you going to put up with his crap? I know you're worried about the kids. But I'm worried about you." She had been there through it all. Rachel was there when she and Mark met, and she was the maid of honor at her wedding. She knew her friend wasn't happy.
"I know Rachel. But..." She was trying to find the words to tell her friend about her night on the town. Just when she thought she was ready, they were distracted.
"Mooooom!" It was a call of many voices meant for both of them. Their children were lined up along the wall at the deep side of the pool. They both looked over and heard, "3-2-1- Can-non-ball!" All five children thrust themselves into the air and hit the water for a giant collective splash. The moms laughed as the water sprayed over them. They remembered doing the same thing as kids.
"Now, what were you going to say?" Rachel tried to coax her friend into sharing what was on her mind.
"I was so mad. As much as an ass as he's been, he never misses Friday date night. I shattered another mirror."
"Eeek."
"Yeah, but then I put on the dress."
Rachel gasped, "The dress?"
"Yup, and then I went to Blue Velvet." It had been years, but the two of them frequented Blue Velvet quite a bit in their single days. Before all of the ladies got married, they'd meet there for drinks several times a week. "The music was fantastic. I forgot how much we loved that place."
"Why do I get the feeling from your face that there's more to tell?" She smiled at Rachel. Nobody knows you like a friend you grew up with. It was time to spill the beans.
"I'm sure she is. She knows it's your favorite."
"What about lemonade? Is she making her own lemonade?"
"Let's see when we get there, okay? Did you remember to put an extra t-shirt in the bag?" Two gleeful voices responded in unison.
"Yes!"
Spending the day at Rachel's was great for all of them. Watching their kids grow up together always prompted warm memories and colorful childhood stories. It was a great way to keep her mind off last night. No matter how hard she tried so far it wasn't working. She wondered if she could get through the afternoon without telling her best friend, and by the time they arrived she had decided she shouldn't have to. If she couldn't tell Rachel, she couldn't tell anyone, and if she couldn't tell anyone, she thought she'd explode. "Alright, everyone out. Make sure you grab your towels and I'll get the bag. Remember, no running through the house in your wet bathing suits. When you get out of the pool, dry off!"
Rachel opened the door before they made it up the path. The kids went running and screaming and there were hugs and kisses all around. As the kids went out back, the moms sat on the patio sipping lemonade and cautiously admiring their beautiful children. "So how was the theater last night?"
"Terrific, Rachel explained. The lead was phenomenal. What a voice! How about you? Why were you so anxious to go out last night? What happened to Mark?" She asked knowing the answer. Rachel knew her like no one else did, and that included the state of her marriage. "He didn't come home? Not even for date night?" She tried to appear angry in response to Rachel's questions, but her friend wasn't buying her act. "Weren't you pissed?"
"I was."
"But you're not now? What was his excuse?"
"Come on Rachel, does it matter what his excuse was? We both know what he was doing."
"Bastard. How long are you going to put up with his crap? I know you're worried about the kids. But I'm worried about you." She had been there through it all. Rachel was there when she and Mark met, and she was the maid of honor at her wedding. She knew her friend wasn't happy.
"I know Rachel. But..." She was trying to find the words to tell her friend about her night on the town. Just when she thought she was ready, they were distracted.
"Mooooom!" It was a call of many voices meant for both of them. Their children were lined up along the wall at the deep side of the pool. They both looked over and heard, "3-2-1- Can-non-ball!" All five children thrust themselves into the air and hit the water for a giant collective splash. The moms laughed as the water sprayed over them. They remembered doing the same thing as kids.
"Now, what were you going to say?" Rachel tried to coax her friend into sharing what was on her mind.
"I was so mad. As much as an ass as he's been, he never misses Friday date night. I shattered another mirror."
"Eeek."
"Yeah, but then I put on the dress."
Rachel gasped, "The dress?"
"Yup, and then I went to Blue Velvet." It had been years, but the two of them frequented Blue Velvet quite a bit in their single days. Before all of the ladies got married, they'd meet there for drinks several times a week. "The music was fantastic. I forgot how much we loved that place."
"Why do I get the feeling from your face that there's more to tell?" She smiled at Rachel. Nobody knows you like a friend you grew up with. It was time to spill the beans.
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