Page 44 of Stage Dive: Short Stories & Novellas
“You’re on.”Lena leaned across the couch, tapping her bottle of beer against my glass.“Don’t do it, Liz.You’re facing both a mother and a nanny on the edge due to those cute little do-good mongrels.”
Liz just smiled.“Yeah, I hate them too.”
“It’s that bad?”asked Anne, nose wrinkled.
“Just wait.Little kids fixate worse than serial killers.”
Anne’s eyes widened.
“Remember when we couldn’t find Mister Elephant so he refused to sleep for two days?”Liz shook her head.“I can still hear the pitiful wails and glass-shattering screams echoing in my head.”
“Kids are the best,” confirmed Lena.
“You can’t even imagine the love you’re capable of until you have your own child.”
“Because Lord knows, they will test you.”
Liz and Lena raised their drinks in toast to each other.And having now spent quality time around small children, I sympathized.I really did.But I also kept glancing at Evelyn, relaxing with a beer.Good God, this was awkward.If they were waiting for me to relax, I might as well just stick a straw in one of the bottles of wine and start drinking.Because that’s what it would take.After this, Lizzy wasn’t even getting coal for Christmas.Broccoli maybe.Or no, a despicably ugly outfit which I would pretend to be all excited about and insist on her wearing somewhere public.Not a bad idea.
“So,” said Ev.“Whose life do we dissect first?”
Anne grinned.“Yes!Give me the gossip, ladies.”
“Martha has news.”Faintly malicious delight filled Lizzy’s eyes.“Martha’s been very busy.”
“You really do have a death wish,” I said, glancing tellingly at Sam.He, meanwhile, stared serenely out at nothing.Obviously ignoring the chatter entirely.Thank God.And I did feel better with him close, dammit.
“Leave Sam and Martha alone,” chided Ev.“You know what it’s like when you first get together…it’s special.They probably want to keep it to themselves.”
Lizzy rolled her eyes dramatically.“Puh-lease.You were straight on the phone to your bestie Lauren giving her all the juicy details when you and David finally got on with it.She told me.”
“Oh, I was not.”
“Liar.Spill it, Martha.”
Ev shook her head.“Liz, she feels uncomfortable enough just being here.”
Silence descended.Thick, heavy, and embarrassing as all hell.I could feel all of the curious glances and awkward side-eyes.The women were just as bad as the fucking men.Honest to God, Lizzy’s outfit was going to be the ugliest thing in creation for making me sit through this.
“Let’s deal with that then because I don’t get out often enough for tonight to be all shitty and awkward.”Lena sat up, picking the knife off the cheese platter and hitting her glass with it.“This is the first break I’ve had from potty-training and picking up toys in ages and I’d say Martha and Lizzy are in a similar situation.”
“Adult time is precious,” agreed Liz.“Though I’m loving being back at college.”
“Yes, I want to hear about that,” said Ev, all enthusiasm.“I swear, my brain just gets stuck in barista mode if I don’t open a book often enough.”
“How’s the second coffee shop you bought going?”
“Really well.”Ev beamed.“But first we need to deal with this.You’re right, Lena.”
Oh no.
With a deep breath, Ev faced me head on.“Martha, the past is the past and I’d rather all of that crap got left back there forgotten, if you know what I mean?Like, life is too short.I vote for letting it go, okay?”
My jaw hung low.“Um.Okay?”
“Great.”She nodded.“What next?”
“That easily?”I asked, needing to be sure.
