Read Online Sapphire and Shadow (A Woman's Life) by Marie Ferrarella - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marie Ferrarella
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things off your chest always helped , Arlene thought.
Johanna played with the stem of her glass. The overhead light was caught in the fluted crystal, shattering into a rainbow of colors. There were no rainbows anymore, she thought sadly. Not for her.
“It’d take less time to tell you what wasn’t.”
“But that would be boring.”
Arlene smiled up at the young, slim-hipped waiter who came to serve them their main course of sinfully delicious French cuisine. Johanna thought the woman would devour the young man with her eyes.
“Another round, please,” Arlene gestured to the two glasses. She gazed after the waiter until he disappeared, then turned back to look at Johanna. “Do I embarrass you, Johanna?”
Johanna watched the amber liquid coat the sides of the glass as she moved it. “No.”
Arlene laughed. “You don’t lie well after one whisky sour.”
Johanna looked up at her and shrugged, grinning. “Sorry.”
“I like to look. They won’t let me touch.” Arlene sighed deeply. “Besides, I probably wouldn’t know what to do with it if they did.” She frowned down at her broiled halibut. “It’s been a long, long time since Sam found his way into my bed for anything more than a good night’s sleep.” The impish smile was gone and her blue eyes were serious as she regarded Johanna. “The same, I take it is true with you.”
The waiter appeared with their drinks and Johanna fell silent.
“Here.” Arlene pressed the new glass on her. “Take a good sip of this and then tell me.”
Johanna started to protest and realized that she really didn’t want to. Why not? Just this once, why not loosen up a little and admit what was wrong? She probably wouldn’t say anything that Arlene and the immediate world didn’t already know. She tossed back the drink and closed her eyes as she felt it slip, warm and comforting, to her belly.
She opened her eyes to see Arlene looking at her, waiting. “I think Harry’s made love to every woman in a ten mile radius in the last nine months but me.”
Poor kid. “By last tally, other than skipping me, you’re probably right.”
Even in her present semi-euphoric state, shame began to lick at her. “Does everyone know?”
Arlene shrugged as she drained the last of her glass and looked wistfully at it. “I don’t know. The prime minister might still be in the dark, but as for everyone else, they know.” She raised her eyes to Johanna’s, wondering how a louse like Harry had won a woman of breeding like her. “He thinks with his pants first.”
“When he bothers to think at all.” It surprised Johanna that she could sound so vehement about Harry’s faults in someone else’s presence. Usually, she played the loyal, forgiving wife, suffering in silence. Except to Paul, she had hardly ever voiced her unhappiness. It appeared now that she didn’t have to.
Johanna took another long swallow. The drink was strong and soothing. She felt warm and oddly happy. The details of the plush surroundings and lavishly painted ceilings were now lost on her. They all kind of blurred together. She knew the mild, contented feeling she was experiencing was temporary, but it was here now, and that was all that mattered.
“You know, Arlene,” Johanna confided, “the Amazons really had the right idea about men.”
“How’s that?”
“You fooled around with them, and then you killed them. No ties, no pain.”
Arlene nodded, the mound of fluffy red curls bouncing around her head like springs that had suddenly been compressed and then released.
“Truer words were never spoken. If I had left Sam on a high point instead of wallowing in this valley of neglect, I might be thirty pounds lighter.” She helped herself to a slice of French bread and buttered it generously as she continued to philosophize. “Food isn’t as good as sex, but at least it stays with you a while.” She patted her hip and laughed lustily. “A long while. C’mon, Johanna,” she lifted the
Johanna played with the stem of her glass. The overhead light was caught in the fluted crystal, shattering into a rainbow of colors. There were no rainbows anymore, she thought sadly. Not for her.
“It’d take less time to tell you what wasn’t.”
“But that would be boring.”
Arlene smiled up at the young, slim-hipped waiter who came to serve them their main course of sinfully delicious French cuisine. Johanna thought the woman would devour the young man with her eyes.
“Another round, please,” Arlene gestured to the two glasses. She gazed after the waiter until he disappeared, then turned back to look at Johanna. “Do I embarrass you, Johanna?”
Johanna watched the amber liquid coat the sides of the glass as she moved it. “No.”
Arlene laughed. “You don’t lie well after one whisky sour.”
Johanna looked up at her and shrugged, grinning. “Sorry.”
“I like to look. They won’t let me touch.” Arlene sighed deeply. “Besides, I probably wouldn’t know what to do with it if they did.” She frowned down at her broiled halibut. “It’s been a long, long time since Sam found his way into my bed for anything more than a good night’s sleep.” The impish smile was gone and her blue eyes were serious as she regarded Johanna. “The same, I take it is true with you.”
The waiter appeared with their drinks and Johanna fell silent.
“Here.” Arlene pressed the new glass on her. “Take a good sip of this and then tell me.”
Johanna started to protest and realized that she really didn’t want to. Why not? Just this once, why not loosen up a little and admit what was wrong? She probably wouldn’t say anything that Arlene and the immediate world didn’t already know. She tossed back the drink and closed her eyes as she felt it slip, warm and comforting, to her belly.
She opened her eyes to see Arlene looking at her, waiting. “I think Harry’s made love to every woman in a ten mile radius in the last nine months but me.”
Poor kid. “By last tally, other than skipping me, you’re probably right.”
Even in her present semi-euphoric state, shame began to lick at her. “Does everyone know?”
Arlene shrugged as she drained the last of her glass and looked wistfully at it. “I don’t know. The prime minister might still be in the dark, but as for everyone else, they know.” She raised her eyes to Johanna’s, wondering how a louse like Harry had won a woman of breeding like her. “He thinks with his pants first.”
“When he bothers to think at all.” It surprised Johanna that she could sound so vehement about Harry’s faults in someone else’s presence. Usually, she played the loyal, forgiving wife, suffering in silence. Except to Paul, she had hardly ever voiced her unhappiness. It appeared now that she didn’t have to.
Johanna took another long swallow. The drink was strong and soothing. She felt warm and oddly happy. The details of the plush surroundings and lavishly painted ceilings were now lost on her. They all kind of blurred together. She knew the mild, contented feeling she was experiencing was temporary, but it was here now, and that was all that mattered.
“You know, Arlene,” Johanna confided, “the Amazons really had the right idea about men.”
“How’s that?”
“You fooled around with them, and then you killed them. No ties, no pain.”
Arlene nodded, the mound of fluffy red curls bouncing around her head like springs that had suddenly been compressed and then released.
“Truer words were never spoken. If I had left Sam on a high point instead of wallowing in this valley of neglect, I might be thirty pounds lighter.” She helped herself to a slice of French bread and buttered it generously as she continued to philosophize. “Food isn’t as good as sex, but at least it stays with you a while.” She patted her hip and laughed lustily. “A long while. C’mon, Johanna,” she lifted the
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