"He did what?"
I roll my eyes, thinking of the memory. "I made him do a duet with me."
"Is he a singer?"
I shake my head. "No, but he's a good sport. I mean, he's not a bad singer. With some vocal lessons, I think he could be quite strong."
"What'd you sing?"
I tell her, resulting in laughter.
"How drunk were you that you busted out the Kenny Rogers?"
"Don't go dissing my first love. Rest in peace, Kenny." I fold my hands in a prayer-like gesture.
"I'm surprised you didn't do 'Islands in the Stream.'"
"I thought about it, but I'm pretty sure I was trying to seduce him, so I thought 'We've Got Tonight' would be a better start." I put my hands over my face. "God, I'm desperate."
"You're not," Angie reassures. I look at her, arching my eyebrow. She continues. "Okay, you are. Totally. One of these days, you won't go searching for love in every single nook and cranny. It'll find you, and you'll know."
"I don't think it'll ever find me because I don't even know that love knows I'm out here."
Angie pulls me into her arms. "You know we love you. And Paisley loves you. Your mom loves you in her own way."
"My mom doesn't even love herself." And suddenly, we're talking about so much more than my inability to get Henderson's phone number.
"Then make sure you don't repeat that cycle."
I nod, the tears welling up. "I don't want to. But I don't know how to break it either. I … I don't know anything right now."
"I do know one thing …" Angie says gravely.
"What?"
"You aren't a brunette. What were you thinking?" Angie holds a section of my hair in her hand and shakes her head.
I laugh. "I wanted to see if brunettes had less fun."
"And?"
The memory of Henderson's body pressed into mine while we waited for the Uber flashes into my mind. "I think that's a lie used to sell hair dye." I know I can tell Angie the rest. "Also, I thought it might buy me some anonymity."
"If only you hadn't opened your big fat mouth."
In a whisper, I admit, "I miss singing. I miss being seen."
"Yes, but there's nothing you can do about that right now. You should probably sit down with Jonathan Spencer Maxwell and Anastasia Jerome and talk about this."
"We don't sit and talk. It's better that way."
"What are you going to do when Paisley is older? When she's in school and has plays and soccer games and all that? You either need to come up with a story, or it's going to come out. There really isn't any other option, you know. One of those things will happen."
It's not really my problem—it's his—yet it feels like I'm the only one dealing with the repercussions of our brief tryst. It's not my marriage that will blow up. Not that there's much of a marriage there to begin with. In fact, Anastasia herself has had many side pieces, including another member of the Sassy Cats, Callie Smalls.
That was certainly an interesting roller coaster to watch.
I don't know why Jonathan Spencer Maxwell and Anastasia Jerome insist on playing this happy couple when they're not. I don't know why they won't admit who they are and who they love, and that it's not each other.
