red pepper under melted fontina cheese. “This is really good,” I told Patricia. “Where did you get the cheese?”
Patricia waited until she had swallowed to answer. “From your fridge, dear. Where else?”
“And the asparagus?” I asked.
“Where do you think?” Patricia doesn’t get angry at stupid questions, only stupid people.
“I don’t remember buying it,” I said, trying to explain myself to Ben. Ben smiled. “I’m surprised you still remember your name at this point,” MarshaMarsha said. “How are you feeling?”
I thought about that. Aside from a very big buzz that was filling me to the eyeballs, I was really pissed off.
“I’m really pissed,” I said.
They all stopped to watch me.
“Really angry,” I continued. “He’s not just leaving me. He’s leaving his family. His daughters. And for what? That’s what I don’t get. If he wanted to screw her, he could have done it and I probably never would have even known. He’s always working late and going on business trips. He could have had his little thing on the side and gone on with us at the same time. Why did he have to tell me?” I felt tears again. “Why did he have to hurt me like that? It’s just so – so - well, mean. Mean. Why would he do that?” I looked around at three kind and sympathetic faces.
“Oh, honey,” MarshaMarsha said softly.
I took another sandwich. Crumbled bacon, mushrooms and hot blue cheese. I took a few bites, chewing carefully as no one said a word. I was starting to feel more focused. I took several gulps of water.
“I don’t know how he’s going to explain this to the girls,” I said. “Is he going to tell them the truth? I mean, come on, a thirty-year-old girlfriend?” I viciously stabbed my salad with a fork. “And the thing is, I thought everything was fine. I mean, we weren’t fighting. We were still having sex. We planned his sister’s birthday party. It’s a surprise party. Here. I didn’t know anything was wrong. If I thought we were in trouble, I’d have been more prepared, or something. But he just came home and said – “ I stopped and drank more water. I looked fiercely at Ben. “You didn’t cheat on your wife, did you?”
Ben shook his head. “No. She wanted kids. I already had the boys from my first wife.” He never talked about his first wife, adding an air of mystery to his past. Like he needed to add anything. I could see Patricia starting to move her hand to touch his, then pull back. Luckily, I was closer. “I’m glad,” I murmured, patting the back of his long-jointed, strong hands, feeling the soft and springy hairs on his fingers…never mind.
Ben pushed back from the table and Lana jumped up onto his lap. She rubbed her head against his abdomen a few times, kneaded her paws into his well-muscled thigh, and settled into his lap, licking her whiskers with a tiny pink tongue and purring.
Slut.
Ben absently scratched her head, causing all three of us at the table to tilt our heads slightly to the side, as though his fingers would then catch a good spot behind the ear.
“He’ll come around,” Ben said assuredly. “Guys get stupid at a certain age. He’ll realize what he left behind and come to his senses.”
“Yes,” Patricia said silkily. “But the question is, should Mona take him back?”
I thought about that. “Of course. I mean, there’re the girls, and the life we’ve built together. I want to save that.”
Ben was nodding. “Naturally. You’re a smart woman, Mona. Be patient, and I promise, you’ll get what you want.”
Luckily, the food and water had their desired effect, or I would have added that I also wanted a weekend away with my favorite plumber, preferably spent naked.
MarshaMarsha swooped in and started clearing the table. She probably wasn’t sure if I had reached a sobriety point that could be trusted.
I took a long breath in and shook my head. “This hasn’t really sunk in yet,” I told them. “I’m having a
Patricia waited until she had swallowed to answer. “From your fridge, dear. Where else?”
“And the asparagus?” I asked.
“Where do you think?” Patricia doesn’t get angry at stupid questions, only stupid people.
“I don’t remember buying it,” I said, trying to explain myself to Ben. Ben smiled. “I’m surprised you still remember your name at this point,” MarshaMarsha said. “How are you feeling?”
I thought about that. Aside from a very big buzz that was filling me to the eyeballs, I was really pissed off.
“I’m really pissed,” I said.
They all stopped to watch me.
“Really angry,” I continued. “He’s not just leaving me. He’s leaving his family. His daughters. And for what? That’s what I don’t get. If he wanted to screw her, he could have done it and I probably never would have even known. He’s always working late and going on business trips. He could have had his little thing on the side and gone on with us at the same time. Why did he have to tell me?” I felt tears again. “Why did he have to hurt me like that? It’s just so – so - well, mean. Mean. Why would he do that?” I looked around at three kind and sympathetic faces.
“Oh, honey,” MarshaMarsha said softly.
I took another sandwich. Crumbled bacon, mushrooms and hot blue cheese. I took a few bites, chewing carefully as no one said a word. I was starting to feel more focused. I took several gulps of water.
“I don’t know how he’s going to explain this to the girls,” I said. “Is he going to tell them the truth? I mean, come on, a thirty-year-old girlfriend?” I viciously stabbed my salad with a fork. “And the thing is, I thought everything was fine. I mean, we weren’t fighting. We were still having sex. We planned his sister’s birthday party. It’s a surprise party. Here. I didn’t know anything was wrong. If I thought we were in trouble, I’d have been more prepared, or something. But he just came home and said – “ I stopped and drank more water. I looked fiercely at Ben. “You didn’t cheat on your wife, did you?”
Ben shook his head. “No. She wanted kids. I already had the boys from my first wife.” He never talked about his first wife, adding an air of mystery to his past. Like he needed to add anything. I could see Patricia starting to move her hand to touch his, then pull back. Luckily, I was closer. “I’m glad,” I murmured, patting the back of his long-jointed, strong hands, feeling the soft and springy hairs on his fingers…never mind.
Ben pushed back from the table and Lana jumped up onto his lap. She rubbed her head against his abdomen a few times, kneaded her paws into his well-muscled thigh, and settled into his lap, licking her whiskers with a tiny pink tongue and purring.
Slut.
Ben absently scratched her head, causing all three of us at the table to tilt our heads slightly to the side, as though his fingers would then catch a good spot behind the ear.
“He’ll come around,” Ben said assuredly. “Guys get stupid at a certain age. He’ll realize what he left behind and come to his senses.”
“Yes,” Patricia said silkily. “But the question is, should Mona take him back?”
I thought about that. “Of course. I mean, there’re the girls, and the life we’ve built together. I want to save that.”
Ben was nodding. “Naturally. You’re a smart woman, Mona. Be patient, and I promise, you’ll get what you want.”
Luckily, the food and water had their desired effect, or I would have added that I also wanted a weekend away with my favorite plumber, preferably spent naked.
MarshaMarsha swooped in and started clearing the table. She probably wasn’t sure if I had reached a sobriety point that could be trusted.
I took a long breath in and shook my head. “This hasn’t really sunk in yet,” I told them. “I’m having a
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