The Secret Desires of a Soccer Mom by Robyn Harding

asked.
    “A bra with water in it. Now, put it away please.”
    “But why?” She persisted.
    The last thing Chloe needed to be made aware of was the fact
that men were completely obsessed with big boobs. With the track she was on,
this knowledge would see her saving up for breast implants at fifteen, which
she would likely need if she took after me. “It’s more comfortable.” I lied.
    “A water bra,” Spencer mumbled, still playing with it.
“That’s weird, a bra with water in it. Could you put something else in it
instead of water? Like pee?”
    “Spencer stop!!!” I shrieked. “Just stop! Put the friggin’
bra back in the friggin’ bag!”
    “Jeez!” he muttered, but I could hear him replacing it. “You
don’t need to spaz.”
    Paul’s car was in the drive when we arrived home. I tucked
the pink bag into my purse as we entered. “Hey guys!” He greeted us cheerfully.
Spencer careened himself into his father and even Chloe gave him an
affectionate shove as she walked past. Paul moved toward me. “How are you?” He
leaned in for a kiss.
    “I’m good. How was golf?”
    “I didn’t play very well, but the vendors had a good time.
And I ran into Doug Sutherland.”
    “Karen’s Doug?” I felt my heart lurch for some reason.
    “Yeah. I invited them around for a barbecue tonight. I
thought I’d grill up a few steaks, have a few beers…”
    “You invited Karen and Doug over here?
Tonight?”
    “Yeah, I thought it would be fun. They’re a
nice couple. We should get to know them a little better.”
    “Oh, I know Karen plenty well,” I growled,
stalking past him to the kitchen. “A little too well, in fact,” I added, to
myself.
    Paul followed me. “What’s the problem? I
thought she was your friend?”
    “She is my friend.”
    “Then why don’t you want to have them
over?”
    “It’s fine,” I said, banging around in the
kitchen looking for nothing in particular. “Really, it’s great.” Yeah, it was
just great. I had just gotten used to being around Karen after her confession,
and now I had to face Doug! Doug and Karen! It was going to be awkward
and uncomfortable— worse than awkward and uncomfortable. And suppose
Karen left him and moved into some tiny, faraway apartment with Javier? I could
just hear Doug telling all the neighbors: Paige knew about the affair all
along. She even covered for Karen so she could cheat on me. And to think she
had the nerve to invite me over to a barbecue at her house! What a horrible,
deceitful woman.
    “What’s going on?” Paul interrupted my
internal dialogue.
    “Nothing.”
    “Tell me, Paige,” he said sternly.
    I wanted to tell him then; I really did.
Sometimes I wonder if things might have turned out differently if I had. But I
couldn’t break my promise to Karen. And besides, if Paul knew about Karen’s
affair, there’d be two of us acting awkward and strange around poor Doug
tonight. I heaved a heavy sigh. “It’s nothing. I’m just feeling a little tired
for company, that’s all. But you’re right. It’ll be fun.”
    “Okay…” He said, skeptically. “I’ll go get
some steaks.”
    “Great. And pick up some lettuce and
croutons for a salad. And get beer… and some red wine. Get lots of red wine.”

Chapter 7
     
     
    Lots of red wine turned out to be a bad
idea. But I thought it would help me relax! If I just had a drink while I made
the salad, I’d be calmer. And a glass while I put on my makeup might make it
easier to pretend that this was just a fun evening between friends, who had no
secrets. And then another, as I made the kids an early dinner of fish sticks
and macaroni, and set them up with a movie in the playroom, might make me
forget that anything was amiss between Karen and Doug. When they rang the bell
at seven, I was feeling quite cheerful and confident that I could handle the
situation.
    “Doug!” I swept him into a huge embrace
that I may have held just a tad too long. “How are you? You look