Chapter 3 Recap: Miriam is having the time of her life on the river cruise, barely a thought about her family, while Frank, Jr. is getting handsy with a young nurse in the hospital break room. He thinks he’s sneaky, but his wife, Charlotte, expressed her suspicions about his affair to her best friend, Simone, over lunch.
“Oh, bloody hell!” Simone said under her breath. She knew better than to argue or disagree with her friend. If Charlotte made a statement like that, she had her reasons. So, her husband is having an affair. She assessed the situation quickly, watching her friend dig through her purse for a tissue to wipe her eyes, and took action. She quickly grabbed the sleeve of their waiter as he passed by the table. “Bring two gin and tonics—Tanqueray. And be quick about it.” Nodding, he scurried away on a mission.
Charlotte tried to pull it together. Having given up on finding a tissue, she dabbed at her eyes with the thick cloth napkin. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I mean, there he is, surrounded by perky young nurses all day. He’s still so handsome and fit. Plus, they worship the great Doctor Walker.”
“ …who in their right mind would cheat on you?”
Simone scoffed. “Surely, I’m not hearing you correctly. If your husband is indeed having an affair, he’s a rat bastard. It’s that simple. There are no excuses. None!” She reached across the table and took Charlotte’s hand. “I’m dead serious, Char. You are smart, beautiful, a wonder of a wife. You put us all to shame. It’s amazing that we’re even friends because, by all rights, I should despise you. You are good at everything! I mean, who in their right mind would cheat on you?” The waiter returned with the T&Ts. Simone snatched them from the tray and pushed one in front of Charlotte pointedly. “Drink up.”
Two hours and three T&Ts later, the whole story had unfolded. The missing hours, the sudden extra cases that ran late, the uptick in all-night bedside vigils. Clearly, something was going on. It just didn’t make sense. He was an established and respected surgeon with his pick of the most competent support staff. Why would he have to cover all-night post op monitoring? Their waiter brought a warmed round of bread “on the house” to help absorb all the alcohol and was detained to weigh in on whether Charlotte was too beautiful to cheat on. The bartender saw an opportunity to join them in this discussion. Although obviously self-serving, they both confirmed what Simone had said. Any man would have to be crazy not to worship the very ground she walked on. They included Simone in that assessment, and she teased about the generous tip that would be coming their way.
The best friends continued their conversation and as the happy hour crowd began to file in, they requested the bill. Simone did, indeed, include a generous tip for the waiter and bartender. They visited the ladies’ room by the entrance to the hotel and, over the wash sinks while they touched up their lipstick in the mirrors, they declared themselves sober and ready to drive home.
When they headed for the hotel door, Charlotte suddenly stopped in her tracks. “What’s wrong?” Simone asked, coming to her side. “It can’t be,” Charlotte said, turning slowly. “I thought I heard… ” and she trailed off. There in the foyer, waiting for the elevator, she saw her husband, Frank. His arm was around a young blonde woman, and they were smiling at each other, their faces intimately close. Close enough to kiss. The elevator door opened and they stepped in. The elevators were reserved for guests of the hotel. Charlotte stood frozen, staring at the closed elevator doors. Shock washed over her, burning her face, clenching her stomach. Simone directed her gaze to match Charlotte’s. Her voice sounded distant, like it was coming from a tunnel. “What the actual… ?”
It was the final evening of the river cruise and Miriam had taken special care to dress. She chose a soft blue tea-length silk dress with a matching lace-sleeved short jacket. Looking in the mirror, she clasped the long string of freshwater pearls around her neck and gave her hair a couple tugs at the crown. “Well, it’s as good as it’s gonna get,” she said to her reflection, and headed out. When she entered the lavishly decorated dining room, Miriam sighed. What a beautiful sight to behold! Candlelight bounced off the crystal glasses at the round tables. Fresh flowers were abundant in the room and the white-coated waiters swarmed about with wrapped bottles of wine and silver trays laden with oysters. It was such a welcoming sight, she almost didn’t want to join in because it would break the spell. Suddenly, she saw hands shoot up from across the room. It was the two widowers who were vying for her attention. They had saved a seat between them and were beckoning her to join them. How wonderful. She would spend the last evening of the cruise in a beautiful room, flanked by lovely men, both good company. They stood as she approached, each reaching to pull out her chair. “Well, hello, gentlemen,” she said. “How thoughtful of you to save me a seat.”
Callie spied her ex-husband’s car as it pulled into the driveway. He was bringing the boys home from a weekend visit. She watched through the living room window. The two lanky boys tumbled out of the car. Predictably, the oldest, Grant, exited the front seat, and out of the back came Tyler, his backpack hanging from his shoulder. They were jostling each other and laughing. Her ex was in the middle of it all. Grant picked up a basketball, took a shot and missed. Her ex retrieved it and made the shot. “That’s how it’s done, boys! That is how it’s done.” He strutted, clucking like a chicken. Challenge accepted. They started an impromptu game right there in the driveway. Callie smiled at the scene. She had to admit that Troy, her ex, was good-looking. Tall and fit, with a strong jawline; the gray at his temples added to his good looks. The boys definitely took after him, lookswise. Both were athletic and handsome. They had his lush, unruly hair and strong jawline. Both would be tall, probably taller than he is when they finally stop growing. She poured a glass of wine, opened a beer and stepped out onto the front porch. She sat on the top brick step ready to sit back and enjoy the show. When Troy noticed her, she lifted the cold beer. He flashed her a smile and something primal tugged at her.
