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What now, indeed?
No one would begrudge me a few days of nursing my pride, but then what? I was an account manager at Henry’s payroll company, and the condo mortgage was in both our names. That wasn’t going to work anymore.
In under an hour, I’d lost my man, my job, and my home.
I kicked at the heap of fabric, mad at myself for so meekly forfeiting my power. My needs. My wants. My druthers.
“I need something to wear.” I plucked at the strap of the sheer white Victoria’s Secret bra Henry had selected for our wedding night. No imagination, that guy. “I can’t go out in public like this.”
Talley cocked her head and gave me an appraising look. “Methinks I hear the clank of steel balls.”
“Friday afternoon weddings are ridiculous,” I said, catching the cotton tank dress Talley tossed at me. “Except that banks and pawn shops are still open on a weekday.”
“Oooo, this is going to be fun.” With a feral grin, Talley added her daisy-yellow bridesmaid dress to the pile on the floor and pulled on a fitted tank top and low-rise jeans that revealed the smooth skin of her flat belly.
“We can sneak out the side door.” Looping the strap of her bag over her head, she pressed her ear to the door. “Sounds like the coast is clear.”
She opened the door a crack and peered left and right.
“Quick and quiet,” she commanded in a low voice.
I held back a giggle as we tiptoed down the hall, away from the murmur of conversation in the narthex. It felt like we were sixteen again, sneaking out for a party or double date with guys way too old for us.
When had I changed from Talley’s daring partner in fun to Henry’s doormat?
A powerful rush of adrenaline hit me. I grabbed Talley’s hand and switched direction, dashing to the front of the church. I charged through the clusters of stragglers, waving when I caught sight of Henry’s mother, eyes popping out of her head, her mouth hanging open in astonishment.
“Fuck you, Henry Louis Sturtmutt,” I shouted, whirling with arms outstretched as Talley clutched a handful of fabric and yanked me toward her car. “Clean your own damned litterbox from now on!”
Chapter Two - Elle
Twenty-four hours later
“Ticket?” Talley asked.
I lifted the boarding pass we’d just printed off at the self-serve kiosk inside the international terminal of the Detroit Metro Airport.
“Passport?”
“Check.” I held the small blue booklet aloft.
“Euros?”
I fanned out the colorful currency I’d obtained yesterday afternoon when I emptied my and Henry’s joint bank account without an ounce of guilt since most of the sixty-thousand dollars was mine.
“Itinerary?”
I tucked everything into the zippered front pocket of my backpack and then recited from memory, “My flight arrives at Pisa International Airport at three p.m., Tuscany time. A driver will be waiting to take me to Lucca, where I check-in to the gorgeous farmhouse apartment you reserved for me on Airbnb.”
“Lacy, racy lingerie?” Talley raised one elegant brow.
I tossed my newly cut and colored hair over one shoulder with an exaggerated flip, loving the playful movement of the long layers streaked with auburn highlights. Late last night, as Talley and I came up with this crazy plan for me to find my best life, it was decided I needed a new look if I was to become a new woman. She bribed her hairdresser to meet us at her shop at six a.m. and whatever Talley promised her was totally worth it.
We squeezed in a whirlwind shopping blitz to jazz up my wardrobe in between the makeover and packing up my stuff at the condo. It was shocking how few items I’d contributed to the household—Henry really was controlling, in a spineless turd sort of way—so untwining my life from his was much less complicated than it should have been after ten years together.
“Of course,” I drawled. “How else does one seduce an Italian lover?”
“I’m serious, Elle.” Talley’s eyes darkened to forest green with shards of copper, her lips pressed into a tight line. “This trip is all about you. Rediscovering who you are and what you want in life. Indulge. Explore. Experiment. Have a passionate affair with a sexy Tuscan vintner. Drink the wine. Eat the bread.”
