Ladies' Night Andrews, Kay (great novels .txt) 📖

Suzanne gulped more water. “Then I texted my colleague at the college. I told her I knew about her and Eric. But here was a piece of news she wasn’t privy to. And I told her. The day I was scheduled to have my surgery, I told Eric what I’d done. And I told him I wanted him out of our house by the time I got home from the hospital.”

“Does Darby know?” Camryn asked. “Why you split up?”

“No,” Suzanne said. “I couldn’t do that to her. It’s bad enough I have this stuff in my head. She’s only eighteen. I don’t want her hating men for the rest of her life. I don’t even want her hating her father.”

“But…” Ashleigh sputtered. “You let Eric off the hook. He doesn’t even have to take responsibility for what he did!”

“He’s not off the hook,” Suzanne said. “His girlfriend filed a grievance against him with the college, and he was fired. One of the women he met on Craigslist claims he gave her HPV, too, although I don’t know how someone who’s in the habit of having unprotected sex with strangers can ever figure out how she got an STD. She’s hired a lawyer. And so it goes. I think it’s safe to say his life is ruined.”

“And yours isn’t?” Wyatt’s face was pink with indignation. “I’m sorry, Suzanne. As a man, I’m sorry. As a husband, I’m sorry.” He looked at the others. “We’re not all like that. I swear.”

“I know you’re nothing like that, Wyatt,” Suzanne said. “And I don’t think every man is like Eric. But you’re wrong about one thing. My life isn’t ruined. I’m not about to give him that power.”

“Right on, sister,” Camryn said fiercely.

“Thank you, Suzanne,” Paula said quietly. “I can see now why you needed time to find the words to tell your story. We’re all full of admiration for your honesty. Right, friends?” She started clapping her hands, slowly, until the others in the semicircle joined in. Paula motioned for Suzanne to stand, and she hugged her. One by one, the others stood and joined the group hug, awkwardly at first, and then, as the moment grew, they stood together, their first real campfire moment.

The members of the group drifted back to their chairs. Paula went on.

“We’re in week five of our sessions, and we’ve got lots of work yet to do before we conclude next week. Tonight, I’m going to ask all of you to think about writing an action plan.

“It’s a sort of manifesto for yourselves,” Paula explained. “You’re all starting a new chapter of your lives. I’d like you to put some thought into how you’ll move forward, personally and professionally, physically and emotionally, in a really mindful way.”

She glanced at her watch. “This has been pretty intense tonight. Let’s take a ten-minute break, and when we come back, we’ll talk. Okay?”

Camryn blew her nose. “What’s Suzanne’s action plan gonna be, Paula? What’s she gonna do, grow a new cervix?”

47

Wyatt was the first one to arrive at their table at the Sandbox. He pulled Grace’s chair out for her, letting his hand rest, just for a second, on her arm. “Thanks,” she said, shooting him a quick, private smile.

Rochelle was at the table in a shot, bringing a pitcher of beer and menus. “Where are the others?”

“They’re on their way,” Wyatt told her. “I’ve got a feeling we’re going to need a lot of alcohol tonight, Rochelle. In fact, why don’t you go ahead and bring Suzanne whatever it is she usually orders?”

“God, yes,” Grace said emphatically. “I think she drinks wine spritzers. And I’m gonna need a big old glass of wine myself.”

“Why?” Rochelle asked eagerly. “Did something happen tonight? To Suzanne?”

Wyatt’s voice was solemn. “Suzanne finally shared tonight. Her husband was having unprotected sex with total strangers he met through Craigslist. He gave her an STD.”

“You mean, like venereal disease?”

“Something like that,” Grace said. “Only this disease can’t be cleared up with penicillin. Suzanne had to have a hysterectomy because of it, and it could still come back.”

“Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!” Rochelle exclaimed. “This really happened to our darling Suzanne?”

“Yes. And she just pulled into the parking lot, so please don’t mention it. I mean it, Mom. Not one word.”

“I would never,” Rochelle said indignantly. She sketched a quick cross on her chest. “So help me.”

*   *   *

Suzanne looked from the wine spritzer sitting on the table to Grace. “Thanks.” She took a sip. “I needed this.”

“You were amazing in group tonight,” Ashleigh said, leaning across the table.

“You’re our she-roe,” Camryn chimed in. “You’re like a divorce superhero.”

Suzanne sipped her drink. “Not at all. The rest of you spilled your guts that first awful night of group session, when we were all total strangers. It’s taken me five weeks to get up the nerve. I’m the biggest wimp in the world.”

“No, you’re not,” Wyatt said. “You’re … an inspiration.”

“Okay, enough,” Suzanne said. “You’re going to make me start blubbering again. Can we please talk about something else? Anything else?”

Camryn and Grace locked eyes, then looked away. But their expression didn’t escape Ashleigh.

“What?” she cried. “You guys know something. Come on, spill. Is it about Paula?”

Grace shrugged. “Camryn found out some stuff about Paula’s past.”

Suzanne regarded Camryn carefully. “This has something to do with why Paula isn’t licensed to practice therapy in Florida, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Camryn said, surprised. “How’d you know?”

Suzanne hesitated. “Okay, one more thing I’ve been keeping from you guys. I swear, it’s the very last secret. Or, the last one that concerns you. Here it is. Stackpole didn’t send me to Paula. I came on my own.”

“You mean, you came voluntarily? Why would you do that?” Ashleigh asked.

“After I found out what Eric had done, I was so angry, in such a rage, I scared even myself,” Suzanne said. “I had all these awful ideas about how to get my revenge. Fantasies about physically harming him. That’s when I knew