Vic and xxx (insert boyfriend name here) had come to take me to brunch on Sunday morning. It wasn't something that had ever been much of a habit. In the beginning, Sunday brunch was almost a sacred tradition, just like church services in some families. In our lives, Sunday brunch was now about as frequent as Easter and Christmas church services. More recently on the few occasions I didn't work and Grady hadn't been studying, we'd made a huge amount of food, stayed in pajamas, played old movies and had sex instead of watching them most of the day. "Sweet pea, you aren't an idiot," Vic said. He tried to force my head on to his shoulder, it would have been more effective if we'd been sitting closer together. "Well, maybe you are. If you think dreaming is for idiots."
"Yeah, an idiot," I said. "The one who got to foot the bill for the whole damned dream."
"What you need now is a plan," Vic said. "What do you think, XXX?"
"I always love making a plan and watching the whole thing come together," he said. "But I can't advise you to do anything illegal, even though it sounds like a lot of fun right about now."
"No. What sounds like a lot of fun right about now is not hearing the words, 'I told you so,' from anyone's lips."
Chris (ok - now he has a name, and I'll need to check and see if I haven't already named him elsewhere), "Peaches, we'd never do that. But Vic and I have both had our share of bad breakups and we want to be here for you."
Vic said, "Rule number one: don't spend too much time alone."
Not a problem. The only time I was alone was in the bathroom or in the car to or from work. The rest of time conscious time was spent with someone, doing for that person or trying to make him or her happy.
"Just tell me," I said, "before you load me up on rules, how could I not see it? How could I not know that Grady had moved on while he was living with me? He didn't even have the guts to say anything until his last tuition check cleared. Rat fucking bastard." The longer I talked, the more emphatic my voice. It didn't project across the room, but I was broadcasting well enough for four or five tables to hear me. At a family style restaurant, not such a great idea.
"You were working, making a life for him," Vic said. He tried to sound soothing and calming, all it made me want to do was throw something. "It wasn't like you'd had much time together lately."
"How little time?" Chris asked.
"One dinner a week, one afternoon every two weeks," I said.
"Sex?"
"Non-existent." I blew out a sigh. It was the biggest clue that there had been a problem, I just hadn't been willing to look it in the face. I pretended it was about timing, conflicting schedules, persistent colds. It never occurred to me that it was avoidance or that I'd been replaced.
"It isn't normal for a thirty year old man not to have a sex drive," Vic said.
"Thanks, Sherlock. I know. I figured it was the pressure he was under." At least that was what I wanted to believe. When I was heavy, he'd tell me I didn't turn him on. When I lost the weight, he'd find something else to occupy his time. I'd missed sex more than I wanted to let on, but never felt right about getting my own battery operated boyfriend. I'd almost bought a vibrator once, but chickened out while I was still in the parking lot. Sure, you can buy them on line, but the variety was overwhelming. Not to mention the colors. And glowing in the dark? If we were still sleeping in a double bed, it would have happened just based on morning wood and proximity.
"Did you ever check his e-mail or texts on his phone?" Vic asked.
"No."
Vic sighed.
Chris said, "She respected his privacy, unlike some people sitting at this table I could mention." And he coughed just for emphasis.
"I respect you most of the time, honey," Vic said. "Really."
"Do you know what the worst of it was for me?" I asked, not caring if they wanted to hear it or not. I needed to say the words. "He was just meeting me for a glass of wine in the bar at the same restaurant he had reservations for dinner with her." She hadn't known not to wait for him in the bar, ran early, and attempted to join us. Join us. Really. She hadn't had a clue who I was or that he was involved with anyone, much less living with someone.
"Christ," Chris said. He attempted to reach for my hand to stroke it and offer a modicum of comfort.
I pulled my hand back, tried to strangle my glass of water, took a sip, and said, "It gets even better." I took a larger sip and stifled a giggle. "I met her last week when I was with Vic."
"Oh, sweet pea," Vic said. "When? All we did was go to dinner and shopping once."
I closed my eyes and gave them both a tight nod. "Yep."
"The girl with the tri colored hair at the boutique?"
"No. Worse."
"No."
"Yep. The blond goddess."
"Oh, yeah. And it gets worse than that."
"How?" Chris asked. He mouthed the word goddess at Vic. Vic moved his eyes side to side implying he'd explain things later.
"Remember that dress she encouraged me to take?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"She'd originally purchased it for her mother and her mother refused to wear it because she thought it made her look old."
"Oh, honey," Chris said. He mouthed the word dress at Vic. Vic gave a tight shake of his head and mouthed later.
"And the final nail? Her father owns the firm where Grady has been interning for the last nine months."
"There's only one thing that could make this worse," Vic said. "She isn't pregnant, is she?"
"Probably not, she's so skinny you can see what she had for lunch, so I kind of doubt she's got one in the oven."
"I never liked baked goods much myself," Chris said.
"Me either."
~~~
tbc
word count: 1088
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