"Hey, you want another glass of wine?" Justin asked.
"Sure, that would be great," She responded with a smile. It was nice to remind herself that some people didn't mind being around her. In fact, some people actually liked her company.
She was distracted from her thoughts by a loud laugh from the woman on her right.
"I was just telling him that joke about the man with webbed feet," Judy from accounting explained. "Remember, that one I told you the other day?"
"Ah, yes," She smiled and exclaimed "JUST DON'T FORGET THE LEMONADE!" in perfect unison with Judy, causing them both to dissolve into giggles as they clinked their glasses together.
Laughter really was medicine for the soul. There was just nothing like laughing with friends to help lift a person's mood. She wished she had more opportunities to spend time with friends, but she didn't have many that she still stayed in contact with these days. As a newlywed, she had thought it was only natural that she spends most of her time with her husband, working on nurturing their relationship. Now she wondered how she had managed to lose touch with so many people that she had once considered essential in her life. At the time it just seemed easier to turn down the invitations when her husband felt uncomfortable around her friends – most of whom he felt didn't like him or were too high on themselves. It was easier just not to rock the boat. After a while, her friends stopped calling so much and eventually drifted away. Even her family played less of a role in her life now. They were polite and respectful around her and her husband, but it was apparent they picked up on his attitude towards them. Although he never actually said anything, his sullen silences and piercing stares were enough to make them realize that their presence was neither wanted or appreciated.
The isolation had crept in so slowly, she hadn't even been aware it was happening until recently. It was only when he started withdrawing, and she needed support the most that she found had herself alone.
"Here's your wine," Justin chirped as he placed a glass in front of her. "The bartender is swamped so hopefully it's what you wanted."
"I'm sure it's just fine, thank you," She said, raising the glass and taking a large sip. "Yup, perfect!"
"Do you dance?" he asked.
"Badly," She said with a laugh.
"That works for me," he grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her towards the already over-crowded dance floor.
Half an hour later, they returned to their seats, sweaty and breathing hard.
"Yikes! Who knew a line dance could be such a workout?" She laughed.
"I did!" Justin exclaimed. "Whoever said country music is for wimps never did a line dance after two-stepping to a couple of songs!"
She wiped her forehead with her drink napkin and leaned up against Judy.
"Save me, Judy," She grimaced with mock horror. "I'm a hot mess!"
"You're on your own lady!" Judy laughed.
"Then at least pass me that menu so I can fan myself,"
She fanned herself, waiting for the sweat to dry and the redness in her face to subside. She knew she would pay for all the wine and dancing when she woke up the next morning, but right now she was having fun for the first time in a long while.
She reached for her glass and raised it to her lips while she looked out over the dance floor. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw a familiar back sitting at the bar. She set her glass down carefully and stared. Her husband had told her he was watching the game with a friend tonight, but here he was instead. Drink in hand, he laughed at something the bartender said.
"Wanna dance some more?" Justin asked.
"Umm, no I'm okay," She answered.
"Come on," Justin insisted as he grabbed her wrist.
"No," she snapped sharply. "I said I don't want to."
"Okay, okay," Justin responded, raising his hands and backing away in mock surrender.
"I'm sorry," she muttered, gathering up her purse and jacket. "I need to go to the ladies' room."
With her head down, she maneuvered through the crowd and made it to the washroom. Her fingers shaking, she locked herself in a stall. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Why was it she couldn't have even one night for herself? Why did he have to be here? Why had he lied to her? That last thought caused her to sit on the toilet lid and bury her face in her hands.
What was she going to do? Her gut wrenched at the thought of walking away, but she also knew that staying was slowly killing her. He would continue to treat her with little to no regard, and she would keep trying to find the love he had for her in the beginning. She felt so hopeless.
After a few minutes, she stood up, smoothed down her shirt, and opened the stall door. Going to the sink, she rinsed her face with fresh water and patted it dry with paper towels. She didn't have to make any decision tonight, but she knew the time was approaching when she was going to have to face the facts.
She returned to her table, careful to keep her back to where he was sitting. She didn't want the humiliation of him realizing she knew that he had lied to her. It was better to just pretend she didn't know.
"Sorry guys, I gotta get going," She mumbled to her co-workers.
"What? Already?" Judy said. "We're just getting started!"
"That's what I'm afraid of," she joked. "I have to get up early in the morning, and if I stay any longer you guys are bound to get me into trouble!"
She made her way out of the bar and into the chilly night. Taking a deep breath to steady her shaky nerves, she pulled out her phone and opened an app to hail a ride. She would get home and be sound asleep before he was, she reassured herself. She wouldn't have to face him tonight. But she knew she was kidding herself. The reality was that she wouldn't be sleeping much for quite a while; instead, she would lie in bed wondering where her husband was and what he was doing.
Chapter Eleven
Olivia
P reparing for her dinner date, Olivia carefully applied her makeup. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, and as she drew a line over her eyelid with a black pencil, she had to concentrate on making sure her hand remained steady. For heaven's sake, she admonished herself. You aren't a child anymore! But even as she told herself that it was just dinner, her face grinned back at her in the mirror.
Straight out of the shower, she had chosen a new matching set of underwear. Not that anyone but she would see it, she assured herself. She had made that clear in her online profile that she was not interested in jumping into a physical relationship. She wanted to make smart decisions at this point in her life. Sex just clouded a woman's perspective and made it more difficult to make wise choices. But even if only she saw it, the underwear made her feel sexy and strong. It gave her confidence.
She wasn't sure where they were going for dinner, so she chose black, dressy Capri style pants and a casual jacket over her delicately trimmed white blouse. Matched with a string of long pearls and her gorgeous new red patent leather purse, she couldn't help but think she was ready for just about anything.
Now, if she could just get this breathing under control! She had already brushed her teeth twice, but the adrenaline pumping through her body caused her mouth to dry and feel slightly furry. She rummaged through the drawer in the kitchen that held all the bits and bobs of life and had just found a package of breath mints when the doorbell rang.