she felt as tired as she looked.
The tightness in her chest began again. She slowly made her way back to the guest room and lay on the bed with extra pillows piled behind her head to alleviate the pressure building in her chest.
She stared at the ceiling until the pressure subsided. The eastern sky grew light before she slipped into a restless sleep.
She slept less than an hour. Thoughts of Lona and Carol banged around inside her skull. It would be useless to try and go back to sleep. She took a hot shower and spent extra time on her makeup to hide the circles beneath her eyes.
She entered the kitchen to find Margaret in a tiff. I didn’t eat the sandwich, she groaned with a mixture of guilt and shame at the reason she had forgotten it. She decided to bluff her way through. “Good morning,” she called in a voice much cheerier than she felt. “Margaret, you were absolutely right.”
Margaret eyed her suspiciously. When Sandra failed to elaborate, her curiosity got the best of her. “And how might that be, lass?”
“You said all I needed was a good night’s sleep. After Lona
left, I went to bed and slept like a baby.”
“Then you’ll be a wantin’ breakfast?” Once again, Margaret had out maneuvered her.
“That sounds good,” Sandra agreed, trying to ignore the queasy toss of her stomach.
Margaret placed toast and a bowl of fruit before her. Sandra pasted a look of contentment on her face and pretended to study the newspaper while she forced herself to eat.
She chewed several antacids on her way to work. The food sat heavily in her stomach. It was time to call Dr. Rayburn. The heartburn would not go away, and the pains in her chest were occurring more frequently. I’ll call after this morning’s staff meeting, she promised herself. Dr. Ida Rayburn would make time for her.
Sandra heard Betty’s excited voice seconds before her office door flew open. Carol stormed in with Lynda Hopkins, a divorce lawyer who specialized in palimony cases.
“I’m sorry,” Betty said. “I tried to stop them.”
Sandra waved her off. “It’s okay, Betty. Hold my calls.” Betty nodded and cast a suspicious glance at the two intruders.
“So this is where the great Sandra Tate holds court,” Carol said gazing around Sandra’s almost utilitarian office.
Sandra realized Carol had never before visited her office. She wondered how many of her employees even knew she lived with a woman.
“It’s even worse than I ever imagined, but I’m not surprised.”
Carol cut into her speculation. “People like you never have any taste.”
Sandra glanced around her office. One side was taken up with a large drafting table and work center. Her walnut desk with its brown tweed side chairs sat in front of a large window from which she could see downtown Dallas. The sofa, two armchairs, and a long coffee table that served as her informal conference area completed the furniture of the room. A wide array of artwork from generally unknown artists decorated the pale beige walls.
She shrugged off Carol’s remarks and offered them a chair.
Lynda seemed somewhat embarrassed. “I’m sorry to have to do this here,” she told Sandra. “I usually prefer to meet in my office, but Carol has hired me to represent her.”
“Let’s get on with this,” Carol hissed. She studied her nails to avoid eye contact with Sandra.
Lynda sat her briefcase on her lap and removed a sheaf of papers. “Sandra, we’ve drawn up a financial …”
“Let me save you some time,” Sandra interrupted. “She’s not getting anything more than she’s already received.”
“See? I told you,” Carol shouted triumphantly at Lynda, who seemed shocked by Sandra’s response.
“Nothing.” Sandra turned to Carol. The tightness in her chest increased. She forced herself to take deep breaths before she continued. “For eight long years, I listened to you accuse me of being unfaithful, when apparently you were judging me by your own actions. I
The tightness in her chest began again. She slowly made her way back to the guest room and lay on the bed with extra pillows piled behind her head to alleviate the pressure building in her chest.
She stared at the ceiling until the pressure subsided. The eastern sky grew light before she slipped into a restless sleep.
She slept less than an hour. Thoughts of Lona and Carol banged around inside her skull. It would be useless to try and go back to sleep. She took a hot shower and spent extra time on her makeup to hide the circles beneath her eyes.
She entered the kitchen to find Margaret in a tiff. I didn’t eat the sandwich, she groaned with a mixture of guilt and shame at the reason she had forgotten it. She decided to bluff her way through. “Good morning,” she called in a voice much cheerier than she felt. “Margaret, you were absolutely right.”
Margaret eyed her suspiciously. When Sandra failed to elaborate, her curiosity got the best of her. “And how might that be, lass?”
“You said all I needed was a good night’s sleep. After Lona
left, I went to bed and slept like a baby.”
“Then you’ll be a wantin’ breakfast?” Once again, Margaret had out maneuvered her.
“That sounds good,” Sandra agreed, trying to ignore the queasy toss of her stomach.
Margaret placed toast and a bowl of fruit before her. Sandra pasted a look of contentment on her face and pretended to study the newspaper while she forced herself to eat.
She chewed several antacids on her way to work. The food sat heavily in her stomach. It was time to call Dr. Rayburn. The heartburn would not go away, and the pains in her chest were occurring more frequently. I’ll call after this morning’s staff meeting, she promised herself. Dr. Ida Rayburn would make time for her.
Sandra heard Betty’s excited voice seconds before her office door flew open. Carol stormed in with Lynda Hopkins, a divorce lawyer who specialized in palimony cases.
“I’m sorry,” Betty said. “I tried to stop them.”
Sandra waved her off. “It’s okay, Betty. Hold my calls.” Betty nodded and cast a suspicious glance at the two intruders.
“So this is where the great Sandra Tate holds court,” Carol said gazing around Sandra’s almost utilitarian office.
Sandra realized Carol had never before visited her office. She wondered how many of her employees even knew she lived with a woman.
“It’s even worse than I ever imagined, but I’m not surprised.”
Carol cut into her speculation. “People like you never have any taste.”
Sandra glanced around her office. One side was taken up with a large drafting table and work center. Her walnut desk with its brown tweed side chairs sat in front of a large window from which she could see downtown Dallas. The sofa, two armchairs, and a long coffee table that served as her informal conference area completed the furniture of the room. A wide array of artwork from generally unknown artists decorated the pale beige walls.
She shrugged off Carol’s remarks and offered them a chair.
Lynda seemed somewhat embarrassed. “I’m sorry to have to do this here,” she told Sandra. “I usually prefer to meet in my office, but Carol has hired me to represent her.”
“Let’s get on with this,” Carol hissed. She studied her nails to avoid eye contact with Sandra.
Lynda sat her briefcase on her lap and removed a sheaf of papers. “Sandra, we’ve drawn up a financial …”
“Let me save you some time,” Sandra interrupted. “She’s not getting anything more than she’s already received.”
“See? I told you,” Carol shouted triumphantly at Lynda, who seemed shocked by Sandra’s response.
“Nothing.” Sandra turned to Carol. The tightness in her chest increased. She forced herself to take deep breaths before she continued. “For eight long years, I listened to you accuse me of being unfaithful, when apparently you were judging me by your own actions. I
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