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into the kitchen in her fuck-me heels wearing lingerie that made her look like a hooker hoping to score. Christ, she even wore nipple covers with tassels. Tassels, Gina. She was obviously ready to get it on in a big way.”
    I exploded like a shaken soda bottle when it’s opened. Every time Gina tried to inject a comment, my words just plowed right over hers.
    “And another thing, she had to have a key to get in. Why in the hell would she have a key if Tom didn’t want her to?”
    “Sue,” Gina said. “Please. Try to calm down.”
    “I can’t calm down. I was going to tell him that I loved him tonight, Gina. I was actually going to fall for this love shit again. I’m so stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.”
    “You’re not stupid,” Gina said. “And you’re not thinking straight.”
    “You’re not taking his side, are you?”
    “I’m not taking anyone’s side. I just want you to think. Tom knew you were going to be at his house when he got home, right?”
    “Yes, the plan was for me to bring Klondike over and then wait for him. And I had it all planned out. It was going to be a romantic evening. I even shaved twice! I was going to wait for him in bed. I even bought some sexy lingerie. Of course, mine didn’t have tassels. He probably likes tassels.”
    “Sue!”
    “What? He probably does. Well, screw him. I threw the lingerie in the trash when I stopped to fill up the gas tank. We were going to have shower sex, Gina. Shower sex. Christ, I’m so dumb. Dumb! Dumb! Dumb!”
    “Sue,” Gina shouted. “Listen. Do you really think Tom would have invited Rachel over if he knew you were going to be there?”
    “Maybe he wanted to do a threesome.”
    “Come on. You know Tom’s not like that.”
    “No, I don’t. I thought I knew what Tom was like but maybe I don’t. Maybe you don’t, either.”
    “One, Tom’s not like that. Two, if he was, which he’s not, he would n’t have invited his ex and his girlfriend over at the same time. That would be suicide.”
    “So he’s dumb.”
    “No, he’s actually very smart and you know it.”
    “I don’t know, Gina. Stranger things have happened.”
    “Look,” Gina said. “I want you to just think about it overnight. I really think if you think about it you’ll see that Tom inviting Rachel over just doesn’t make sense.”
    I finally sat down on the couch. “Maybe you’re right. I just feel drained from crying so much. And I’m tired.”
    “I wish I was there,” Gina said. “I’ll call you tomorrow morning. We’ll talk some more. I love you.”
    “I love you, too.”
    I hung up the phone and pulled the bottle of wine I had planned to share with Tom out of my overnight bag. I was going to drink and forget.
     
    ***
     
    Tom
     
    “Wow! Talk about causing a fire,” Gina said. “Rachel caused an inferno.”
    “It’s that bad, huh?” I asked.
    “It’s badder than bad. I tried to reason with her. I told her that you would have never invited your ex and girlfriend over at the same time.”
    “Is that what she thinks? That I planned it?”
    “Right now, Tom, she ’s so hurt and angry that she doesn’t know what to believe. I think in the morning, when she’s thinking more clearly, she’ll see things differently.”
    “So you don’t think I should go over and see her now, try to talk some sense into her? Get this whole thing straightened out?”
    “No. Not tonight. Give her time, Tom. At least until tomorrow. I know Sue, and when she gets like this, you just have to let her go. It’s like trying to stop a raging bull. She sees a waving flag even if there is none. Tomorrow she’ll see things differently.”
    I ran my fingers through my hair. “But what if she doesn’t?”
    “Well, I don’t know. I hope she’ll be able to see through Rachel. She told me all about her nipple covers with tassels.”
    “Christ, Gina. I can’t believe Rachel did something like this. I guess when she saw Sue and me out the other night it must have really