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“You can have one,” Rachel continued, “but it has to fit the ideal.”
Harper sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “That sounds like something from a movie or reality show.”
“So, in a nutshell, you’re expected to marry well and look pretty,” Grace surmised.
“Yes, and you’re to do it by a certain age,” I added. “Which is why my situation is very different. I turned thirty the day after my sister married my boyfriend, and my mom feels I’m getting past the age where I can find a man who fits her plan for me.”
Rachel rolled her eyes from me to Becs. “She set her up with a divorced man who’s basically looking for a mother for his two children. Her mother thinks it would be a good fit for her, for no other reason than he’s a very wealthy attorney,” she added sarcastically.
“Do you know him?” Becs asked.
I shrugged. “Not well. We only went out to dinner twice.”
Becs’s eyes widened. “You went out with him?”
“Yes,” I admitted. “And he told me we would be a good fit.”
“He used your mother’s exact words?” Sydney asked, and when I nodded, she looked around the table. “Does anyone else feel like that’s suspicious?”
Harper laughed. “You’ve been married to a cop for too long.”
I relaxed and laughed with the girls, but my smile faded when Bree spoke. “What does a good fit mean?”
Rachel snorted. “That means she’ll be a good mother to his children and look the other way when he cheats on her.”
Harper scoffed. “Why are you even considering that?”
“Harper.” Bree scolded her, but I could tell everyone wondered the same thing.
“No, it’s okay. I know it sounds crazy, but we grew up in a different way than you did. This is how it’s done. Every girl I went to private school with is married with kids, and she does exactly what my mom did while we were growing up. It’s all about reputation, who has more money, more homes, more toys, more mistresses. Who knows the most influential people. And if I step out of character and tarnish my family’s reputation, they won’t hesitate to turn their backs on me.”
“This is exactly like those reality shows.” Charlie took a drink from her glass. “I honestly thought most of that was fake.”
Grace reached across the table and laid her hand over mine. “I’m sorry that you have a family who values money and things over relationships.”
“Why are you spending time with Tank?” When I heard Becs’s voice, I thought I heard condemnation in her tone, but when I saw her expression, I only saw concern for her friend. “I mean, are you looking for an escape from your life, or do you have feelings for him?”
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I asked him to help me figure out my life. I wanted to experience things outside my comfort zone to see if I was willing to give up my family and start over by myself.”
“And are you?” Charlie asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Can you imagine starting on a new path after leading the sheltered life I’ve led? I’ve been protected my whole life. I didn’t go to public school. Everyone I went to school with was from a family like mine, and we all behaved the same way. I spent one night at the clubhouse, and it was exhilarating and fun but also really scary.”
“I get that.” Bree acknowledged. “So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted and felt my stomach sink. “I know what I should do.”
“We all do what’s expected of us eventually,” Rachel added, but I heard the sadness in her tone. It was hard to understand the choices we allowed others to make for us, but some things felt out of our control.
It was obvious they knew I was in a difficult position, considering their expressions. I wanted to ask their opinions, but I was afraid of the answers. These were confident, independent women. They would never let their parents plan their future, especially not at thirty years old, but they also had the support to be those types of women. Support I’d never had. If I was doing this, if I was going to venture into careers or relationships they didn’t approve of, I was going to do it alone.
“Sometimes we have to do what we think is best for us, even if no one else understands our reasons.” Bree pushed her dirty-blond hair off her shoulder. “The only person you owe an explanation to is yourself. You have to decide what’s best for you and your future, Jane.”
I didn’t have a chance to answer before Harper grabbed the pitcher of margaritas. “Enough serious talk. Let’s drink. Every problem is easier to solve after a few drinks.”
We laughed, and when I glanced at Harper, she held my attention and winked. “Tell me about Tank.”
My eyebrows raised. “What do you want to know?”
