AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Goes to show there are endless items to put on a sandwich and that you are missing out.”
She takes bread out, places the thinnest smear of mayo on one side, adds turkey and provolone then a little salt and pepper, closes it up and cuts it in half. I’m pushed out of the way so she can reach a bag of salt and vinegar chips and adds those to the side of her plate, along with some grapes. She glides by me and takes a seat at the table.
I build the most obnoxiously over stuffed sandwich I can manage and join her.
“Did you need a knife and fork?” she asks.
“Nope,” I say picking up the monster and taking a huge messy bite, dropping food all over my chips and not caring. I put the sandwich down and pick up a chip, now covered in various toppings from my sandwich. “It’s like a nacho.”
“A depraved and disgusting nacho.”
I shove the entire thing in my mouth and she laughs.
“Thank you,” she says, folding her hands under her chin, staring at me.
“For what?”
“For making me laugh at something stupid. I don’t think I’ve done that enough lately.”
I wipe my face and nod. “At your service, ma’am.”
“Ugh, no, don’t every use that word, my ex calls everyone ma’am and I fucking hate it.”
“Did he say it during sex?” I ask and for a moment I think I’ve crossed a line but then she huffs out a laugh again.
“Oh thank heavens, no but come to think of it, I wonder if his secretary called him sir.” She taps her finger on her lip like she’s trying to picture it.
“How on earth did he cheat on you?”
“Apparently, while I was traveling, caring for my dying mother. He had ample opportunities.”
“I didn’t mean that, I meant how could he cheat on someone as wonderful as you? He was an idiot.”
She shrugs and takes a bite of sandwich, stalling. “Steven needed a lot of attention and reassurance. When my mother got sick and wanted to make up for some lost time with me, she included him, but he always needed to be the center of it and he just couldn’t hang. He knew it was a douche move but he distanced himself.”
“He could have distanced himself and still been supportive.”
“Yep, he could have not stuck his dick in someone else either but he did. As much as I want to feel bad that my marriage is over, I don’t really, mainly because it’s been over for a long time. He should have ended it before he started with someone new but I think he was trying to spare my feelings because my mother was dying.”
“So instead, he got caught, making it easier on him, and he got what he wanted in the end.”
She shrugs. “I’ve had time to process the end of my marriage and in the end, I wish him well and am happy to not be married to someone I don’t love.”
We eat in silence for a few minutes and when she’s done, I take her plate and mine to the sink. I grab the package of cookies on the counter and bring them to the table, sitting down next to her.
“How many do you want?” I ask, feeling a sense of déjà vu as I ask her.
“Three,” she says, holding her hand out. I place three Oreos on her palm and take three for myself.
“So, want to tell me more about this therapist boning your girlfriend thing?”
I sigh and pop a whole cookie into my mouth crunching, stalling.
“It’s not a story that makes me look good by any means, and you most likely won’t feel bad for me after.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” she says, making grabby hands. “Come on, tell me the details.”
“I told you about my job and how stressful it was?” I ask and she nods. “Shannon and I had been on a few dates and she suggested a therapist to me who specialized in stress in relationships and work.” I stop because it makes me so angry to think about how they both manipulated me so easily.
