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I nod slowly while staring at my hands.
“I know,” is my soft acknowledgment. “I started thinking back, and the truth is that I think Sandra suspects something nefarious, and was trying to protect me along the way. Not just with the sleepovers and stuff. She always wanted to get me out of the house, period. She encouraged me to join all those clubs, and to take on color guard and cheerleading, and she even wanted me to try out for band, supposedly because I’m so good at the flute. We both know that I’m shit when it comes to playing an instrument, Jamie. But I think maybe that Sandra just wanted me out from under Steven’s nose.”
My pretty friend nods slowly.
“Holy shit. So Sandra probably knew.”
I nod miserably.
“I think so. It’s awful, right?”
Jamie squints.
“Why doesn’t she just divorce him? I mean, she has a job, and you’re in college now.”
I shrug, visibly deflating.
“I don’t know, girlfriend. I really have no idea.”
Jamie shakes her head, her brown tresses waving about her shoulders.
“I’m so sorry to hear about this, Kimmy,” she says in a soft tone. “If I could give you a hug through the phone, I would.”
“I know,” I reply in a sad voice. “This is just insane, that’s all. No one expected this.”
“No one indeed,” replies Jamie, her gaze full of sympathy. “But don’t tell my dad if you want Steve to survive. I just know that my dad would beat the shit out of him if he found out. Then again, if you want your stepfather to get a brutal beating, then absolutely tell my Ed about what happened to you.”
I smile half-heartedly.
“Thanks, Jamie. I’ll keep that in mind. But what’s going on with you? How’s NYU?”
“It’s okay,” she says in an off-hand manner. “New York is amazing. I love Manhattan.”
“Any cute guys?”
She blushes.
“Sort of.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“Okay, but what does that mean?”
My buddy giggles.
“It means that I have a ‘special arrangement’ going on with a very handsome man. He’s older.”
I stare at her.
“Like a professor? Or TA? And why is it called an arrangement? You know you don’t need to be a sugar baby. You have so much money!”
“I know,” Jamie winks. “And no, it’s not a professor. Oh my god, my professors are so elderly and gross. They have gray hair sprouting from their nostrils, and big paunches too. There’s nothing sexy about the faculty.”
I stare at her.
“So who is it?”
She shrugs.
“I’ll tell you some other time, but let’s just say that he likes his coffee.”
I wrinkle my nose in confusion.
“Do you have a crush on your local barista? Is that it?”
“No,” Jamie rolls her eyes. “How many baristas are in their forties, besides? No, this guy is rich, powerful, and yes, he enjoys his coffee. He wants me to enjoy my coffee too,” she adds.
I shake my head.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, James, but it sounds sordid already.”
“I know!” she laughs. “That’s why I like it. Older men are the best,” she sighs with a dreamy look in her eyes. “I’ll never date young dudes again.”
This would be the perfect time to bring up the fact that I hooked up with Ed at Club Z, but I bite my lip. Something tells me that the information should come from her dad, and not from me, so I merely stay mum while offering her a smile.
“Cool, cool,” I say. “You’ll have to tell me more about this guy. Only when you’re ready of course.”
Jamie perks up and grins at me.
“Of course, girlfriend! Besides, I’m coming home soon for a visit. Will you still be in Hooper?”
I shake my head slowly.
“I don’t know,” is my truthful reply. “Your dad said that I can stay as long as I like, and you know everything’s remote these days, so I’m just going to school on-line. Heck, my grades are probably improving because there are fewer distractions here. So I might still be here when you visit,” I say, gesturing to the room around me. “Living in your childhood bedroom.”
“Stay as long as you want!” my friend laughs. “Just don’t let Mr. Bear bully Pink Unicorn. The two of them have never gotten along, and Mr. Bear can be aggressive sometimes.”
I roll my eyes while giggling.
“I won’t. Bye girlfriend. Talk soon!”
My friend waves and shuts off her cell, our screens going dark. But once the conversation’s over, I wonder if I’ve done the right thing. After all, I didn’t tell Jamie the entire truth. I didn’t lie, exactly, but I didn’t lay everything out either, because the truth is that her father and I have been making love ever since we got back from Club Z. It started out innocently enough. I went straight to sleep in her childhood bedroom, and the fact is that I still nap here sometimes during the afternoons. But otherwise, Ed and I have found pleasure in each other’s arms, and most nights, my best friend’s dad takes me every which way as I moan and shudder in his big California king.
