Getting Some

“Good. Because given everything you learned about Adam, you need to count your blessings that the two of you didn’t marry after all.”

“I know that. Hell, I was the one who was engaged to him.”

“My point is that Adam is the kind of man you cut out of your life with a clean slash—and you don’t look back. And you certainly don’t shed any tears over him.”

“I haven’t.” Okay, so that’s a bit of a lie. I’m only human. I was in love with Adam for four years. When you really care for someone, it’s not easy to turn off your feelings for him overnight. That said, it took me about a week to really move past him, come to the realization that the motherfucker was a piece of shit I was better off without.

“I’m not saying Greg’s not a nice guy,” I go on. “Clearly he is. But…but I’m not attracted to him. You’re attracted to Daddy, aren’t you? You don’t want me to marry someone simply to say I’m married?”

My mother meets my eyes with a steady gaze. “You’re not getting any younger.”

Wow, that floors me. Renders me speechless.

But only for a moment.

“I’m not going to settle,” I tell my mother, my anger toward her barely contained. “I will never do that.”

And then I turn and walk out of the laundry room. I am seriously tempted to run, but I don’t want to give my mother the satisfaction.

When did my marital status become her biggest concern? What about my happiness?

I know she means well. But still.

When I reach my apartment, I make sure to lock the door behind me.

I’m not sure what rattled me more—my run-in with Arlene or my chat with my mother. I only know that I need to vent, so I grab my cordless handset off my bed and call Annelise. I put her on hold while I call Lishelle, hoping to connect her on a three-way call. But Lishelle doesn’t pick up, which means I can’t have a serious bitch session with both of them at the same time.

“Annelise, you still there?” I ask when I press the link button to connect back to her.

“I’m still here. You okay?”

“I’m pissed.” I take the next few minutes to fill her in on the chance meeting I had with Arlene Nash. “Do you believe that bitch’s nerve? I’m not sure what she was trying to do.”

“Rattle you, obviously. And it worked.”

“What pisses me off is that she admitted she was sleeping with Adam while we were still together. While we were engaged. That whore.”

“She’s that kind of woman. Some are simply like that. They get off on thinking that they can steal your man. People like her make it their life’s mission. What they don’t get is that if they can steal a guy from someone he supposedly loves, he’s not worth having. Trust me, I think Charles’s lover has learned that the hard way.”

“I know.” A sigh escapes my lips. “I shouldn’t let her even get to me. And then there’s my mother. It’s like she thinks I’m a failure because I don’t have a man in my life.”

“She didn’t say that?” Annelise asks, a hint of horror in her tone.

“Well, not exactly. And I know she doesn’t really think that. But she’s trying to set me up with this guy who is so dull…” I blow out a frustrated breath.

“You want to get together?” Annelise asks me.

“I want to get out of town.” It burns me to know that Adam is in D.C., getting on with his life like he never hurt me. He was never charged with embezzlement in the scandal surrounding the Wishes Come True Foundation, but I hope he can’t outrun the tainted brush of scandal. And secrets have a way of coming to light in a town like D.C.

“Out of town, hmm?”

“It’d be nice. Get away from Atlanta and do something fun. Everywhere I go in this city, I feel like people are staring at me. Pitying me because I didn’t get to walk down the aisle.”

“I’m sorry.”

I run a hand through my hair and groan. “I’m the one who’s sorry. Here I am going on and on about my problems, not even asking you how you’re doing.”

“I’ve been great since my visit to your uncle’s law office. Hey, why don’t we get together? We can have a drink at some happening spot. Listen to some good music, maybe even dance a little. Liven up our Tuesday night.”

For a moment I seriously consider Annelise’s offer. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I’d be really bad company.”

“No you won’t,” Annelise protests.

“Yes,” I insist. “I’m in one of those moods. I’m gonna stay in and stuff my face with junk food. Rain check?”

“Of course,” Annelise agrees.

When I end the call, I sit on my bed and inhale several deep breaths. I try to center myself, to de-stress.

But after five minutes, I don’t feel any better. I feel glum, listless.

Kind of like I’ve lost my groove.

Part Two

Gettin’ our groove back

Five

Annelise

After talking to Claudia, something clicked. The reality that not only did I need to do something to uplift my friends and my sister, but that I could.

Dominic and I are getting along well, and I’m in love. For me, life is good. But it’s hard to share my excitement about him with my friends and sister when they’re all suffering from broken hearts.

Life can change in an instant, and in my case, it definitely did. First, for the worst—when I learned Charles was cheating on me. Then, for the better—when I learned I would be getting the money I deserved from my house. And even though only five days have passed since the house has been listed, there are already two serious offers, which has driven the price up beyond what I was asking.

The point is, I have money. Well, very soon I will. And I’mgoing to use some of it to surprise Samera, Claudia and Lishelle with exactly what they need.

A vacation.

It’s high time that my friends and I go away. Get out of Atlanta and do a girlfriend trip. Someplace fun, like Mexico. Or maybe the Bahamas. Or Vegas.

The very idea of planning this—especially as a surprise— has me giddy. I head to the kitchen to grab the phone book and start looking up travel agents. But as my fingers skim the heavy book, I decide against making calls.

I’m going to head out to the mall and walk into an actual travel agency, have a live travel counselor give me glossy brochures and lots of suggestions.

Dominic is at work, so I jot a note and leave it on the kitchen table in case he gets home before I do. Then I grab my purse and head out the door, determined to change the course of the future.