The Secret Lives of Housewives (16 page)

Monica was nodding. “Yeah, in mine, too. I spend quite a few evenings with clients and sometimes it's assumed that sex will follow.”

Angie's eyes were round. “You really do that sort of thing?”

“Sure, and don't look at me like that. I'm not a prostitute, I just do what I need to do to get things done. I don't mind. As a matter of fact, most of the time I enjoy it, so what's the harm? Most men think with their penises and if that means they'll think of me more often, more power to me.”

“You have a very low opinion of men,” Eve said. “There are lots of good ones out there.”

“Like Mike?” The words slipped out and immediately Monica regretted them. “I'm so sorry, Eve,” she said, taking her friend's hand. “I didn't mean that the way it sounded.” She pushed her drink away. No more liquor for her.

“It's okay, Monica. No offense taken,” Eve said. “I can understand how you feel. We are what we are. If we're going to continue to get together, and I hope we will, we have to cut each other a little slack. There's good and not so good in each of us and we need to take each other for what we are. I love you guys and that's that.”

Monica did really care about these women and she felt her throat closing and tears prick the back of her eyes. She blinked them away. “Hear, hear,” she said, and the others agreed. Four glasses were raised, clinked, and sipped from.

“Okay, back to Monica's worst sex ever,” Cait said.

“You know, I don't even remember his name, so I'll call him Tom. We went to his room and kissed and stroked, both still fully clothed. Tom had consumed a lot of alcohol and he was really plastered. Frankly, I think he was most of the time. Anyway, we went into the bedroom of his suite and I took off my clothes. He disrobed, too, mostly.” She chuckled at the memory.

“Mostly?”

Her laugh was infectious and by this time the women had joined her. “He left his undershirt and his socks on. I didn't want to ask and upset him so we went at it to its logical conclusion. His sock-covered feet were so slippery on the sheets that he couldn't brace himself and kept slipping down the bed.”

“Did you finally ask why the socks?”

Monica made a face. “He said his feet got cold. I think I was insulted that he didn't think I could keep him warm.”

“Was that why he wore the undershirt, too?”

Monica's laughter got louder. “He said that he still took his laundry home to his folks and he wanted the semen stains to demonstrate to his mom that he'd gotten lucky.” The laughter around the table was so loud by then that Monica was afraid they'd all be thrown out. “I swear to God. Needless to say he never got lucky with me or anyone I knew again.”

“You're kidding,” Angie said, through her tears of laughter. “No one could be that, that—well, I don't know what he was.”

“Neither do I,” Monica said.

“That's a great story,” Cait said when she'd caught her breath. “I knew I loved you for a reason. Eve, how about you?”

“If you all don't mind, I don't have a good story either way, except for the bubble bath thing, so I'll opt out.”

“No problem,” Cait said.

Angie glanced down at her watch and blanched. “Damn. It's after ten. I've got to get home.” She reached for her purse, but Cait stopped her. “Tonight's my treat. I haven't had such a good time in quite a while. This will come out of my entertainment money for the week.”

Monica knew that Angie didn't have money to spare so she quickly said, “Well, thanks, Cait,” hoping that if she agreed, Angie would, too.

“Well,” Angie said, standing, “if you're sure.”

Eve and Monica slid out of the booth and reached for their purses. “They're all sure,” Cait said. “I'll hang around and take care of the check. You all go home, and we'll get together next week at the diner after class, right?”

“Absolutely,” Monica said. “I think we should make girls' night out a regular thing, too, maybe once a month, or even more often.”

“Yeah,” Eve said. “We'll pick another date when we get together next Saturday. Maybe toward the end of the month. I really needed this evening out. My hair needs lots of letting down.”

Everyone quickly agreed and Eve and Monica headed for the door. “I can't tell you how much I enjoyed tonight,” Eve said as Monica walked beside her. “I don't want to get all mushy, but I don't know why we've become so close so quickly. It really feels good to have friends like all of you.”

“That goes for me, too.” They parted in the parking lot. “It feels like we've know each other for years. See you next week.”

“You bet.”

Back inside, Cait held Angie back as Eve and Monica walked toward the door. “Give me your phone number. I'll call you tomorrow and we can make plans to shop so you'll have your weekends free—or as free as they ever get.”

“You don't have to do that. I can get everything done over the weekend.”

“And have no time for Tony? Not a chance. I've got the car and the time. You bring the kids, the car seats, and the list. Sounds like a deal to me.”

“Are you really sure?”

Cait squeezed Angie's hand. “I'm really, really, really sure.” She took down Angie's phone number as she dictated. “I'll call you tomorrow and we'll figure out all the logistics. Deal?” She extended her hand.

With a slight hesitation, Angie took Cait's hand and said, “Deal.”

T
he following Wednesday, Cait drove her van over to Angie's house and parked in front. The simple split level was typical of the neighborhood. Painted a dark toast color, it sat on a quarter acre of grass, the yard neat, if a bit neglected. A sprinkler was set up to water the sparse collection of zinnias and salvia that straggled along in front of the foundation planting of small azaleas, andromeda, and evergreen shrubs that had probably come with the house. The most striking thing about the property was the huge oak tree in the backyard that dominated the area. As she peeked around the garage, she saw a tire swing hanging from a low branch.

Angie answered the doorbell wearing a pair of lightweight, well-washed jeans and a T-shirt that read, “God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I'm so far behind I'll never die.” When Cait read it she burst out laughing. “I love that shirt, but let's make it a bit less true.”

“Come on in, Cait. I made coffee and I think it's a bit better than the swill at the diner.” Actually, Cait thought, the diner coffee wasn't really that bad, but it had become such a running silliness that no one had the courage to defend it. “Can I get you something else?”

“Thanks, no,” Cait said. “I had breakfast with Logan before he left for work, but I'd love some coffee.”

Angie poured two mugs of coffee, put a creamer shaped like a cow and a sugar bowl that looked like a sheep on the kitchen table, and the two women settled in comfortable leather-looking chairs. “Where are the babies?” Cait asked.

“Wouldn't you know that the one morning I wanted to be on some kind of a schedule, they chose to take extra long naps. I hate to wake them.”

“Of course not. We've got plenty of time. If we let them get up when they're ready then they won't be cranky while we shop.”

Angie beamed. “You always put such a good spin on things. Thanks. I just hate to waste your time.”

“I've got nothing else to do today so we've got the whole day. Stop worrying. I can guarantee you that you're not imposing. What's with the tire swing in the backyard? Was it left by the previous owners?”

“Tony put that up,” Angie said with a chuckle, “to celebrate the twins' six-month birthday. He can't wait until they can use it.”

“He's quite a guy.”

“Yeah,” Angie said. “In most areas he's a doll. Have you been with Hotguy since the weekend?”

“Nah. There just hasn't been time.”

Angie slowly shook her head. “I can't imagine what it must be like. It's so far from anything I've ever done.”

“That was true of me until about six months ago.” She poured milk into her coffee from the cow. “Before then I wouldn't have believed it of me, either.”

Angie sighed. “Part of me longs for an adventure like that. My life is so dull I want to scream.”

“Without a car I can imagine that the days get pretty tedious. Aren't there any women in the neighborhood with kids that you can make plans with some afternoons? Play dates and such? There must be folks within walking distance.”

“Yeah, a few, but most of them are a bit intimidated by twins. I love the babies, but it's such a hassle to get them out of the house without help, too. By the time I get one changed, fed, dressed, and in the stroller, the other's crying or one of them spits up and needs clean clothes. I plan to take them for a walk but by the time I'm organized, it's later than I planned and it seems easier to stay here.”

“Maybe you need to make the effort,” Cait said gently. “I don't mean to sound like some amateur shrink here but maybe you need to just do it if only for your sanity. Put the kids into their stroller, dribbled-on clothing or whatever. Other mothers know what it's like. Just dump them in, before the weather gets too cool, and walk around. You might find there are more women looking for companionship than you think.”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Yeah, but. Sweetie, I think you're making some of your own problems. You've got to be stronger, more sure of yourself. You have nothing to lose.”

“I know you're right. Once the weather gets cooler it's just going to get more difficult. It seems so good in contemplation, but in reality it never seems to happen. Maybe I'm just not good at this mother thing.”

“Bullshit. You can be good at whatever you work at. You're so much more than you make yourself out to be. You know that old prayer, ‘Give me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept the things I can't, and the wisdom to know the difference.' Take a stand about the things in your life that you can change.” She sipped her coffee, hoping she wasn't coming on too strong. She'd been thinking a lot about Angie and envied her her babies and her settled, comfortable life. Granted, having cruising twins was a hell of a lot of work, but it was also so rewarding. Cait wondered what she had that matched it. “That goes for Jordanna, too.”

“That might be one of those things I can't change. She just is, and I'd be best off getting used to the relationship that Tony has with her. They've got quite a few years of memories that they share.”

Cait paused. “You don't have to be a shrew as far as Jordanna is concerned, but you can tell Tony occasionally that you'd rather that he stay home instead of going to her house.”

“I couldn't.”

“Of course you could. You need to get a little backbone.”

“Oh, Cait, is that the way I seem to you?”

“I don't mean to try to rearrange your life, but yes.”

“You're so strong, so sure of yourself. Not all of us are like that. You set out to get something done and it gets done. Like this morning. I didn't want you to put yourself out for me but you just rolled over my objections. I think about doing something and then I second-guess myself until I'm almost stagnant.”

“I can understand your problems with Jordanna, but why this ‘little woman' mentality?” Cait sipped her coffee, now afraid she'd said too much. “You're so much more than you think you are.”

Angie let out a long sigh. “I'm afraid that you see things in me that aren't there. What if I see people and they don't like me? What if they blow me off?”

“Has that happened often? All the people in the class love you.”

“I've been at Tony's family gatherings and lots of the women are working, smarter than I am, with college degrees. We talk about kids and house things but when it comes to anything more intellectual, they pretty much ignore me and talk among themselves. I just barely finished high school.”

“Education isn't everything. I know lots of people with only high school diplomas who are smart, witty, and charming. You've got so much to offer but you've got the self-confidence of a flounder.”

Angie giggled as Cait continued. “You're warm, loving, generous, and a great friend. You have lots of poise and patience in front of a class full of yoga nincompoops like me.

“When I joined the class you went out of your way to make me comfortable and found time to show me the basics that everyone else already knew. You were wonderful and made me feel like I could learn everything. Why doesn't that translate into the rest of your life?”

“I don't know. When I teach the class I feel like I really know what I'm talking about. I feel”—she stopped and thought for a moment—“I feel bigger there.”

“Well then, our job is to make you feel bigger elsewhere.”

As Cait heard gurgling sounds from the baby monitor, Angie said, “Here we go.”

It took only a few minutes for Angie to get the two babies changed and dressed and she chatted with her friend while Cait watched in amazement. “You do all that without even thinking about it, carrying on a complete conversation, diapering, goo-gooing at them, and keeping both of them amused with toys. I'm awed.”

“Don't be silly. This part's easy. They could each use a bottle of juice,” she said as she carried one baby on each hip. “Would you like to feed MaryLee?”

Cait was suddenly terrified. Feed babies? She'd played with her nieces and nephews, but they were older and could pretty much fend for themselves. She'd never actually dealt with a little one who wriggled and spit up. She looked down at her long fingernails. “I'm afraid of scratching her,” she said, feeling panicky. “And what if I drop her? As you can see, I'm not too good with babies.”

“You don't have to hold her if you don't want to,” Angie said, putting the two now fussing children on a large mat on the floor, “but I thought you were considering having kids. Now's your chance to practice, and everything will go much faster with us double-teaming.” She filled two small bottles with apple juice. “Want to give it a go? They're pretty indestructible, you know. I can give you a shirt to put over your clothes if you're afraid of the mess.”

Cait looked down at her blue flowered blouse and navy slacks and shrugged. Here she was telling Angie to be brave and she was shaking like a leaf. Feeling totally out of her league, she wrapped a large, man-tailored shirt around her shoulders and took MaryLee from Angie. “She's heavy,” Cait said as the baby settled in her arm.

“Watch your necklace!” Angie yelled as MaryLee grabbed for the strand of white summer beads that hung around Cait's neck. With Brandon on her hip, Angie rushed over, but Cait laughed as MaryLee put a fist full of beads in her mouth. “Don't worry. She can suck on the beads if she wants to.”

She sat on the corner of the sofa while MaryLee slobbered on the beads and took the bottle from Angie. The baby was adorable, dressed in a pair of pink flowered overalls with a pink ruffled shirt. At eleven months, the twins were now quite self-sufficient. MaryLee grabbed the bottle and with only a little support from Cait, slurped down the contents. Cait beamed. “They're amazing.”

It was Angie's turn to grin. “Yeah, they are, aren't they? And you're doing great with her.”

It took several minutes and a bit of swearing to get the car seats firmly attached to the backseat of Cait's van, then they loaded the stroller into the cargo space and were off. “Okay, what's on the agenda?”

Angie reeled off a list of small errands, then said, “You know how you felt about taking MaryLee before? Sort of scared and a bit overwhelmed?”

“You noticed that, didn't you.”

“Yeah. Actually you looked terrified, that deer-in-the-headlights stare. Well, that's how I feel a lot of the time. I feel small.”

“That's all well and good, but I
did
take the baby and it worked out fine. Maybe there's a lesson there for you.”

“Maybe.”

Angie and Cait spent the next few hours driving from the cleaner's to the post office, from the drive-through at the bank to the drugstore. Eventually they stopped at the local mall and settled the twins in their stroller. Angie stopped at a baby store to pick up socks for the twins, then at a party store for a gift for one of Tony's nephews. Cait was amazed at the number of people who stopped to admire the babies and she felt a certain pride in being part of the little group. She sat with the stroller at a small table in the food court while Angie got them each a slice of pizza and a diet soda. When a woman with a cranky toddler stopped and asked about the babies, she answered the woman's questions as if the babies were hers.

When Angie returned, Cait wanted to reimburse her for lunch but Angie said, “This is to thank you for today. I've had such a wonderful time. It's not just getting all this stuff done, but having you keep me company has been so great.”

“Yeah,” Cait said, a huge grin spreading over her face. “It has, hasn't it.”

They finished their day at the supermarket and made it back to Angie's just as the babies were ready to eat and go down for a late afternoon nap. Surprising herself, Cait offered to feed Brandon while Angie took care of MaryLee. She quickly got the hang of getting the food into the little boy's mouth, rather than on his cheeks and chin. Once the babies were down they quickly put the groceries away and Cait got ready to leave. “I've got to get going.”

“It's been such a nice day,” Angie said. “I can't thank you enough.”

“Don't thank me,” Cait said. “It's been a pleasure. I'll leave the car seats in the garage and maybe we can do this again next week?”

“I'd love to. Let's plan on it and I'll see you on Saturday.”

“Will do.”

As Cait walked back to her car, she thought about Angie's lack of self-confidence and thought she might be able to help. A trip to the hairdresser might be a good place to start and maybe they could pick up a few new clothes. Then they'd tackle the Jordanna problem. She stopped her racing mind.
Go slowly
, she told herself.
There's plenty of time.

She didn't log onto the computer until the following afternoon and she was delighted to see that Hotguy344 was logged on. It was three in the afternoon in East Hudson, so Cait calculated that it was about eleven in Fairbanks. They set up their cameras and masturbated together to very satisfying orgasms.