Happy Birthday

Today my granddaughter turns 5...hard to believe. Time flies.

Happy Birthday, Tiana

Happy Friday!

I know I’ve been quiet again. Know that I’m thinking of you all. I’m busy taking care of bipolar teen, wedding plans for my eldest daughter and finishing up the second full time job. In between I’m finishing up some writing assignments.

I miss blogging and hearing from my readers and friends. Hoping to be back in the game real soon.

Happy Easter!

The Cheater's Club - excerpt 6 The end of Chapter 1

Jayne made up a bed up for Harlow on the couch. She gave her a big glass of water and some aspirin. Even Jayne wasn’t sure the aspirin would help her from suffering a hangover the next day, but it was worth a shot.

She thought she was going to choke on her beer when Harlow announced she caught Charlie having sex on his desk with his boss. She never thought Charlie would be unfaithful to her friend. She thought they were next super couple, like Bev and Pete. What a wild night discovering that her other best friend wasn’t as happy as she appeared either. Hearing both women’s confessions, gave Jayne a reason to rethink her whole idea of marriage, children and happily ever after. If Bev and Pete were a farce, how did Jayne ever expect to meet her prince charming? Or anyone for that matter.

Jayne might have the dream hours and the great vacations, but her kindergarteners took the life out of her. By the time she got home every night she was too exhausted to go out to the normal places women meet men. She had a boring life by all standards. She went to work, came home, chilled on the couch and fell asleep before nine. On rare occasions when one of the girls needed a shoulder to cry on, Jayne went out. And even sitting in a bar all night long, not one man made his way over to her. Not that a guy would have survived the three musketeers and their male bashing. Still, she wondered if she’d ever find a man or would she become an old spinster.

Exhausted, Jayne climbed into her own bed and wished for peace and happiness for all three of them, because right now it looked like their lives were all screwed up.

 

The Cheater's Club - excerpt 5

Bev walked into the foyer and dropped her purse on the table. Looking up the mass stairs that led to her bedroom she cringed. The thought of going upstairs and sleeping in the same bed with her husband made her sick. She hadn’t told her friends about her true feelings for Pete. They hardly understood why she stayed during his cheating. How could she tell her friends she felt like a failure, like she had no choice but to stay? She had no job skills. While Pete was busy busting his ass to become a doctor, Bev had been home barefoot and pregnant. She put aside her career to raise children. She’d never regret the decision to have children, she only wished she’d gone to college and gotten herself a career. Then maybe she wouldn’t feel so stuck in a loveless marriage.

Instead of climbing the stairs, Bev went into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea. Harlow’s discovery was like reliving her own horrors all over again. While she hadn’t actually caught Pete in the act, she knew he was cheating just the same. The smell of women’s perfume on his clothing, receipts for dinners at expensive restaurants. Oh, Pete tried explaining the dinners away as business meetings, but she was no fool. Credit card charges for clothing at women’s stores, clothing that never made it to the Landry household. Once she even found a receipt for a well known jewelry store. Instead of saying anything to Pete, she kept her mouth shut and acted like the doting wife. She always had meals on the table when her husband arrived home. The house was spotless, despite having two children. His dry cleaning always hung in his closet waiting for him. Pete had the good life. He had his cake and ate it too.

Deep down she knew she should have told Harlow the minute Pete told her. Christ, if Pete suspected Charlie was cheating, Bev knew he was most likely right. After all it takes one to know one. Nope, instead she foolishly kept the information to herself, well except for telling Jayne. She had to talk to someone. Jayne had agreed that they shouldn’t tell Harlow unless they had solid proof and dinner didn’t seem solid enough. In Charlie’s defense dinner with your boss wasn’t unheard of.

Frustrated, Bev drank the remains of her tea. After rinsing and loading it in the dishwasher, she dragged her heavy feet up the stairs. Prolonging the inevitable, she stopped in Connor’s room. His even breathing let her know he was sound asleep. His soft blond hair fell over his eyes. Bev shed a single tear as she moved the lock of hair out of his face and placed a kiss on his forehead.

“I love you, baby.”

She did the same in Sara’s room.

Stopping off in the bathroom she washed off her make-up, put her face cream on. She wanted to avoid getting wrinkles at an early age. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror she looked tired and defeated. She shouldn’t have bags under her eyes at thirty. Thirty was the new twenty, at least that’s what all the magazines were claiming. So why was it her reflection looked like it aged ten years overnight? She took two aspirins to avoid a headache in the morning. Bev knew it was time to crawl into bed. She’d give her husband the obligatory kiss goodnight and pretend she was the loving wife.

Pete was fast asleep, snoring louder than a train barreling down the tracks. No kiss tonight.

As she slipped out of her clothes and climbed under the covers Bev couldn’t help but wonder what life would be like had she waited to have children – even for just a few years. Would she have discovered Pete’s infidelity and left him? She wasn’t sure. There was only one thing she was sure of right now.

She couldn’t pretend much longer.

The Cheater's Club - excerpt 4

“Oh.” Harlow climbed off the bar stool and hugged Bev. Jayne followed suit and before long they were sharing a group hug, all crying.

“Bartender,” Harlow called, breaking free of the group hug. “Shots for everyone.”

He looked to the girls questioningly.

“Line them up,” Bev said.

“And just leave the bottle. It’s going to be a long night.”

The trio sat outside at the bar until the bartender put a stop to them drowning their sorrows.

“Time to wrap it up ladies. They want to close the restaurant. Finish up your drinks. Do you need me to call you a cab?”

“That might be a good idea,” Jayne said.

 They stood out front waiting for the cab, talking about Pete and Charlie’s infidelity.

“He’s a luser,” Harlow slurred. “I can’t believe I let him, liv-v-v in my house.”

“Yeah, well I haven’t divorced my cheating husband and I’m not sure I ever will.”

The reality of her statement brought a look of disbelief to Harlow.

“Why do you stay?” she asked, steadying herself with the bench.

“Sit down,” Jayne requested. “You’re too drunk to be standing.”

“I’m not drunk. I’m tipsy. I don’t get drunk.” As if to prove a point she tried to walk a straight line, only managing to stumble. Jayne caught her before she fell. “Okay, so maybe I’m a little drunk.” She held up two fingers as if measuring her alcohol level.

“Just a little,” Jayne said, easing her onto the bench. “I think I’ll take you home with me tonight.”

“You’re such a good friend.” When Harlow reached over to kiss her friend on the cheek, she pulled back.

“Let’s save the kisses for when you’re a tad more sober.”

The cab arrived and they piled in. Jayne, being the soberest of the bunch gave the driver directions to Bev’s home. Once they deposited her on her front porch, they instructed him on how to get to Jayne’s.

The Cheater's Club - excerpt 3

“Oh shit? You knew there was a possibility that Charlie could be cheating on me and all you can say is oh shit!” Harlow motioned for the bartender. “A shot of tequila please.”

He poured a shot. Harlow by-passed the lemon and salt, downing the harsh liquid. Biting back the urge to hurl, she requested another one.

On the third request the girls put an end to her sudden binge.

“No more,” Bev instructed the bartender. “You don’t want to be responsible for her if she gets too drunk. It’s not a pretty sight.”

The bartender put his bottle away skipping an argument.

“How could you keep this a secret from me?” Harlow growled, the effects of the tequila were taking over.

“We didn’t want to worry you over nothing. We weren’t sure there was anything to tell. If we had, we would have said something sooner.”

“We? As in both of you?” She sat up straight looking from one best friend to the other. “You both knew Charlie might be having an affair with his boss and said nothing? I’m disappointed. More so in you Jayne. I thought you of all people wouldn’t keep things from me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Harlow?” Bev looked insulted. “I don’t keep things from you.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. It’s just that you have this perfect life. All married with a family and a mini-van in the driveway. You don’t realize that there are snakes out there; men who can’t be trusted. Your husband is Mister perfect and faithful.”

“I’m not stupid, Harlow. I know better than you think just how unfaithful men can be,” she snapped.

That stopped them all in their tracks.

“Bev?” Harlow asked.

“What? You think I have this perfect life? Well, guess what I don’t. Pete isn’t the perfect father or husband. He’s had his share of flings with interns and nurses. I’m not blind to it. So don’t look at me all high and mighty because I didn’t tell you. Maybe I was just trying to save you from some unnecessary heartache. Besides, just because they were having dinner didn’t mean they were getting down and dirty.”

“Bev, why haven’t you said anything about Pete’s affairs?” Harlow patted her friend’s hand. “You know you can tell us anything. The three musketeers. We’re here for each other, no matter what the problem.”

“Because I didn’t want to look like a loser in your eyes. Everyone looked up to mine and Pete’s relationship. We have it all. Marriage, two point five children and a mini-van in the driveway as you pointed out. We weren’t supposed to have issues. We were too perfect for that.”

The Cheater's Club - excerpt 2

Jayne was a kindergarten school teacher. She taught both of Bev’s children their first years.

Harlow laughed. She envied her other best friend. She was happily married to the man of her dreams. A doctor. They married right out of high school. While Pete went to college Bev became pregnant. She always wanted to be a mother, so when she announced she was having a baby, Jayne and Harlow weren't surprised. She stayed at home with their two wonderful children. They even had a yellow Labrador to boot. She was the perfect wife and mother.

Jayne on the other hand remained notoriously single.

Harlow hadn’t been single until about two hours ago. She might as well have been the way her sex life had been going. For the last few months Charlie hadn’t been able to perform. At first she thought it was from the stress of his job. He was a high-power attorney, who spent many long nights reading over briefs and old cases. Sometimes he didn’t come to bed before one or two in the morning. Harlow on the other hand crashed by ten. She needed to be up at the crack of dawn to arrive at the television studio, where she was a reporter. She always looked for the who, what, where in everything. So why couldn’t she see what was happening in her own backyard?

“You sounded upset,” Bev said. “What’s up?”

“It seems Charlie didn’t have a performance issue after all. It was me.”

“Oh sweetie. It wasn’t you,” Bev cradled Harlow in her arms and cooed her.

Always the mother hen.

“It isn’t? Then why can he perform just fine for his boss?”

Bev pulled back out of her embrace. “So, he is having an affair with his boss.”

“What does that mean? Did you know about the affair?” Harlow felt like she’d been slapped across the face – again.

“Pete saw them out a few weeks ago. He said they looked pretty cozy. When he stopped to say hello, Charlie seemed nervous, like he was caught doing something wrong.”

It was Harlow’s turn to sit there stunned, her mouth hanging open. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Bev’s husband saw Charlie out with his boss a few weeks ago, looking cozy and this was the first time she was hearing it? What the fudge?

“And you’re just telling me this now? You might have saved me a bit of embarrassment had I known a little earlier.”

“Why? What happened?”

“Harlow walked in on them doing the nasty on Charlie’s desk,” Jayne spoke up.

“Oh shit.”