“Me too,” Gretchen says. Nobody laughs — poor little Gretchen. Sex probably won’t be on her mind for a long while.
I tentatively take my first sip. It’s good. Really good. “I like it.”
“Me too,” Gretchen chimes in.
“It’s also infused with ginger and lemon,” Claudia explains. “I’ve added some organic lavender honey.”
“Delicious,” Abigail adds. And she’s not exactly sipping it, she’s drinking it like she can’t get enough, can’t wait to get stoned.
We help ourselves to sandwiches and treats. We sip our tea, eat and chat. We laugh and share. I tell them all about my encounter with Mr. Dark & Mysterious.
“He actually talks?” Abigail jokes.
“He’s just shy,” Gretchen pipes in.
This feels like the perfect time to tell them all that’s been going on with me these past weeks. They’ve asked me if I was okay, and I’ve replied that I was. “Just a lot going on,” has been a favorite response.
These are my best friends. It’s time to share with them, no matter how uncomfortable and embarrassing it might be. It’s my life, after all. No one’s life is perfect. Abigail is divorced. Claudia is smack in the middle of her own separation, and poor Gretchen has lost her husband in a terrible car wreck. I know they’ve always thought my life was perfect, save for my little quirks, but today they’ll realize it isn’t.
“So, listen guys…” I start with a heavy heart. “I know you’ve all been worried about me lately because I’ve been acting kind of weird… weirder than usual.”
They all sit to attention, dainty tea cups in hands, eyes a bit glazed but very curious.
“The thing is… my life is kind of a mess,” I finally confess.
“How so?” Gretchen asks.
“A few weeks ago, I found a photo…” I start and they listen attentively. I tell them all about my initial suspicions about Ava, and none of them can believe it. When I get to the part where I realized that she was actually his daughter, they all exhale breaths of relief. Their eyes and ears are glued to me as I go on, as I tell them all about Renee and Joel, about my budding friendships with Joel and Ava.
“He actually helped me pick out this dress,” I tell them. “He has great taste.”
“Well,he isa hairdresser,” Gretchen points out.
“Are you sure he’s not gay?” Claudia chimes in.
I smile as a sudden memory hits me: his head between my thighs. “No, definitely not gay.” I don’t confess everything. I don’t tell them about my indiscretions with Joel, and my extensive creeping and my obsessions. I do tell them all about how Brian came to have sex with Renee so long ago, how he came to realize he had a daughter, and how we plan to make her part of our lives.
“That’s fantastic,” Gretchen says.
“A little crazy but kind of great,” Claudia adds.
“I need to see this woman,” Abigail pipes in. “I’m going to her store this week.”
“No, No. Don’t do that,” I plead. “She’ll think I’ve sent you to stalk her.”
She laughs. “She doesn’t know who I am. I’ll just quietly slip in and buy a dress or something.”
“I’ve been there,” Claudia chimes in. “It’s a great store. The woman is a knockout.”
I cock a brow.
“Sorry, Mischa. Actually… she’s kind of… too tall, too skinny.”
I laugh. “Nice try.” I finally feel the effects of the tea. I feel so loose, so happy, not a care in the world. I could get used to this.
“I wanna go too,” Gretchen says.
“You would love it,” Claudia tells her. “They have a lot of vintage stuff.”
