magnitude of what you did. I’m done playing your doormat,” Charlotte responded.
She hung up immediately after, unable to believe how cold and unfeeling her husband was. When they first met, he seemed to understand her needs and desires better than she did. After they had been married a few years, he had cooled toward her, but Charlotte assumed it was just Derek settling down and, sadly, taking her for granted. Which she always thought was normal. Now she was beginning to understand that he wasn’t just settling into the marriage, he had been distancing himself from their relationship.
Charlotte pulled herself out of the memory. She had things to do today. Just as she finished putting on her jewelry and checking her make-up, her cell phone rang. Charlotte grabbed her phone and her coffee and headed out of the bedroom, downstairs to the kitchen.
“Hey, Brandy,” she said as she answered.
“You doing okay this morning?” Brandy asked.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. Brandy was getting to be worse than a mother hen. Still, she appreciated her friend’s concern after so many years of indifference from her husband.
“I’m fine. I’m ready and not even a little bit nervous,” Charlotte reassured her.
“Okay. I just wanted to check.” Brandy paused. “Let’s go out for happy hour when you get off, okay? We haven’t done that in forever.”
Charlotte walked into the kitchen and put her coffee cup in the sink. “I don’t know, Brandy.”
Her friend shushed her. “I know you’re hurting, Charlotte. I understand. I’m not trying to make you stop, only to ease the burden for a short while. Eventually, you’ll have to return to the real world. It will be easier if you don’t remove yourself completely from reality. It’s just one evening; you, me, and maybe Greg. We all need it.”
Charlotte knew that Brandy was right. Her friends had literally been carrying her through the last six weeks. They needed a break from the burden of her emotions. Even if she didn’t truly want to go out and find normalcy again, it was the least she could do for them to pretend for one night that her world would eventually be whole again.
“Okay. We’ll do happy hour,” she relented.
“Good. I’ll text Greg and tell him to meet us. I’ll let you know what time.” She stopped for a second. “Now, I want you to try to have a good first day of work. Don’t make your new boss feel too much like a slob and unorganized child. I realize that your brain works magic with numbers and efficiency, but have pity on the poor souls who aren’t as blessed.”
Charlotte smiled. Genuine smiles of happiness happened more naturally now, though it wasn’t often. It helped that her friend went out of her way to draw them out of her.
“Yes, ma’am.”
They disconnected and Charlotte got her things together and headed into the garage to her car. She climbed into her car and headed to work for the first time in years, but, for the first time in weeks, she felt the dark weight of her grief lighten slightly.
Charlotte walked out to her car after a day that seemed to last an eternity. Her new boss, Brandon, was a very nice guy. He guided her through her responsibilities and introduced her to the staff. Still, it took tremendous energy to just go through the motions. By five in the afternoon, she was exhausted.
She was extremely tempted to call Brandy and cancel their happy hour date. Charlotte even picked up her phone and started to dial. Then she put it down. Greg and Brandy had done so much for her. They needed a break from the sorrow that seemed to remain around her like a cloud. She could hold herself together for one night for their sake.
Charlotte climbed into her car and headed out of the parking lot. Brandy wanted to meet at Gloria’s since the happy hour drinks were not only yummy but the cheapest in town. By five-thirty she pulled into a parking spot at the restaurant. She spotted Greg striding up to the front door.
Sucking
She hung up immediately after, unable to believe how cold and unfeeling her husband was. When they first met, he seemed to understand her needs and desires better than she did. After they had been married a few years, he had cooled toward her, but Charlotte assumed it was just Derek settling down and, sadly, taking her for granted. Which she always thought was normal. Now she was beginning to understand that he wasn’t just settling into the marriage, he had been distancing himself from their relationship.
Charlotte pulled herself out of the memory. She had things to do today. Just as she finished putting on her jewelry and checking her make-up, her cell phone rang. Charlotte grabbed her phone and her coffee and headed out of the bedroom, downstairs to the kitchen.
“Hey, Brandy,” she said as she answered.
“You doing okay this morning?” Brandy asked.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. Brandy was getting to be worse than a mother hen. Still, she appreciated her friend’s concern after so many years of indifference from her husband.
“I’m fine. I’m ready and not even a little bit nervous,” Charlotte reassured her.
“Okay. I just wanted to check.” Brandy paused. “Let’s go out for happy hour when you get off, okay? We haven’t done that in forever.”
Charlotte walked into the kitchen and put her coffee cup in the sink. “I don’t know, Brandy.”
Her friend shushed her. “I know you’re hurting, Charlotte. I understand. I’m not trying to make you stop, only to ease the burden for a short while. Eventually, you’ll have to return to the real world. It will be easier if you don’t remove yourself completely from reality. It’s just one evening; you, me, and maybe Greg. We all need it.”
Charlotte knew that Brandy was right. Her friends had literally been carrying her through the last six weeks. They needed a break from the burden of her emotions. Even if she didn’t truly want to go out and find normalcy again, it was the least she could do for them to pretend for one night that her world would eventually be whole again.
“Okay. We’ll do happy hour,” she relented.
“Good. I’ll text Greg and tell him to meet us. I’ll let you know what time.” She stopped for a second. “Now, I want you to try to have a good first day of work. Don’t make your new boss feel too much like a slob and unorganized child. I realize that your brain works magic with numbers and efficiency, but have pity on the poor souls who aren’t as blessed.”
Charlotte smiled. Genuine smiles of happiness happened more naturally now, though it wasn’t often. It helped that her friend went out of her way to draw them out of her.
“Yes, ma’am.”
They disconnected and Charlotte got her things together and headed into the garage to her car. She climbed into her car and headed to work for the first time in years, but, for the first time in weeks, she felt the dark weight of her grief lighten slightly.
Charlotte walked out to her car after a day that seemed to last an eternity. Her new boss, Brandon, was a very nice guy. He guided her through her responsibilities and introduced her to the staff. Still, it took tremendous energy to just go through the motions. By five in the afternoon, she was exhausted.
She was extremely tempted to call Brandy and cancel their happy hour date. Charlotte even picked up her phone and started to dial. Then she put it down. Greg and Brandy had done so much for her. They needed a break from the sorrow that seemed to remain around her like a cloud. She could hold herself together for one night for their sake.
Charlotte climbed into her car and headed out of the parking lot. Brandy wanted to meet at Gloria’s since the happy hour drinks were not only yummy but the cheapest in town. By five-thirty she pulled into a parking spot at the restaurant. She spotted Greg striding up to the front door.
Sucking
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