"Hung out, played pool, and shot darts."
Jolene's eyebrows raised. "Really?"
"Well, I get out of class at eleven. There isn't much else to do at that time of night."
"True. You're awfully tight-lipped regarding the entire thing. You're not going to give me any details?"
She shook her head and mocked buttoning her lips.
"Hmmm," Jolene hummed.
"Enough about me. Tell me what's going on with you," Estelle asked, switching the spotlight.
"Running ragged. With one in middle school and the other in high school I'm constantly going back and forth. I can't wait until Joshua gets his driver's license this year. We're going to get him a reasonably priced dependable car, and I'll regain some of my sanity."
Estelle smiled. "I know it's crazy now, but you love it."
Jolene sighed. "I really do. I feel like I blinked, and they grew up on me. In another year, Brenda will be in high school, and Josh will be one step closer to leaving the nest. Then what will I do?"
"Take painting classes, go to wine tastings, enjoy your husband," Estelle said, happy to be the one reassuring her friend for once. Theirs had been a horribly lopsided relationship in the past two years.
"Todd is always so busy with work. Part of me fears what will happen when we don't have the kids as a buffer."
"Are you two having problems?" Estelle asked.
"No. At least that would be something. Right now, we're two ships passing in the night. I feel like the romance in our marriage is dead. It's all duty, schedules, and realism." She shook her head.
"Do you have date nights?" Estelle asked, vaguely recalling the tradition they used to indulge in bi-weekly.
She laughed. The bitter cackle raised Estelle's hackles, and hurt her ears like a bad chord. It was painful to listen to.
"I can't remember the last time we went on a date. Not a family function we're obligated to dress up and attend, but an outing where we focus solely on one another, hold hands, and time outside of that moment ceases to exist. No. We've gotten so far off course, I don't know how to get back on the right path."
"How long have you been feeling like this?" Estelle asked, stunned by the revelation. Jolene always seemed to have everything together.
"Too long. I can't give you a date. It's become a recurring thought stuck on a loop in my brain. I didn't feel comfortable talking about it before, because what does this say about me? I'm in this marriage I don't even enjoy. That makes me a complete failure." Her eyes glistened, and she sniffled.
"No, it doesn't." Estelle set her mug down on the end table and leaned over to take Jolene's hands. "You realized you have an issue. Now it's our job to figure out what we can do to fix this. Your kids are old enough to stay alone. Set up one day each week for you and Todd to have some alone time. You both deserve it."
"Part of me is afraid to ask him."
The pain in Jolene's voice made her heartache. "Why?"
"What if he says no? What if addressing the elephant in the room brings me worse news?"
"How could it be worse?"
"He could ask me for a divorce, or tell me he's cheating."
"Do you think he's messing around?" Estelle whispered, stunned. How the hell could I be so blind? She's been going through hell, and lending me her shoulder like a boss while I continued to take without giving.
"I don't know what I think. I'm desperate for an explanation of how we got here, and it's a logical conclusion."
"Don't even put that into the universe. Todd loves you. You're a strong, thoughtful, smoking hot wife. He'd be a fool to throw that away."
"And yet how many people who have everything do just that?" Jolene asked.
"I think you're playing a guessing game. You need to sit down and talk with him. I know you're afraid, but the things you're imagining right now are probably a million times worse than the truth. You've been through a lot, too, in the past couple of years. Give yourself a break. Your mom took Ev's death hard. You were going back and forth between the two of us. Your father had that stroke last year. In a lot of ways, you're just getting back to a place of normalcy. I think that's why it's hitting you so hard."
"You think?" she asked, wiping away her tears. "When did you get so wise, little sister?"
"When you gaze into the face of hell, you either go insane or get your shit together. I did the crazy thing, so I guess I'm on the upswing."
Jolene laughed, and Estelle cherished the ability to brighten her day.
"Let's talk about how we're going to make this better, Jole."
"Yeah, I'm down for that," Jolene said, taking a deep breath as she tucked her brown strands behind her ears and put on her game face.
They spent the better part of an hour going back and forth with ideas on how to spice things up.
"You know what I think?" Estelle asked.
"What?"
"Enough talking. It's time for action."
"What do you mean?"
"Two words, Jole. Naughty and store," Estelle said.
Jolene laughed. "What?"
"Come on, the good kind, not one in a department store."
"I wouldn't know where to start," Jolene replied.
"All the more reason for us to go."
"I'm not going to be the only one who buys something."
"Oh no, today is not about me."
"I'm not going it alone. You get something, too, or it's a no-go," Jolene said.
"Crafty wench. Fine, I'll pick up a few things, too."
"Awesome, let's get rid of our garbage and go."
Played like a fiddle.
§
The two-story red brick building had a row of dildos in the front window, a scantily clad blonde on a poster, and a sea of shelves stocked with who knew what. Well, this is something I don't do every day. They linked arms and walked inside.
"I feel like I'm in college again," Jolene said with a light-hearted giggle.
"Me too." They entered the store, and she took in the neatly sectioned areas.
"Where do we start?" Jolene asked.
"An outfit. Nothing says ‘fuck me like you mean it' like the right outfit."
"Estelle," Jolene gasped.
"What? I know you're leery of talking to him, so you need to be expressive in a different way."
"What if he shuts me down?" Jolene whispered, hesitating as they approached a rack of lingerie.
"Girl, you're hot as hell. I know twenty-year-olds who don't have bodies like yours. Put that Pilates, running, and weight lifting bod to good use. He must love the ways you can bend your body."
Jolene smiled. "Hmmm."
"You keep your secrets, you wily fox. Come on, we need to get your mojo back."
"What about your groove, Stella?" Jolene said.
"Hardy, har, har. I might get some things to help with self-entertaining, but I have no man to entice."
"What about your support?"
"Never said support was a male."
"But you didn't say it was a female either," Jolene said giddily.
Estelle sighed. "It's not like that. It's purely a friend thing. If you can even call it that."
Jolene began to sift through the pieces. "So why are you being so secretive?"
Because I know he'd scare you to death. "He's just not what you'd expect."
"Hah, so it is a he! I knew it. And what do you mean?"
"He's not a clean-cut, nine-to-five type," Estelle replied.
"Why would I judge him on that?"
She shrugged. Because he belongs to a freaking motorcycle club and doesn't give a fuck about the norms of society.
"I know I've been overprotective recently, but I'm still your best friend. I want you to feel like you can come to me with anything."
"I do. I mean, look at where we are," Estelle said.
"True. This is it!" Jolene held up a red teddy with a bustier top and black lace overlay.
"That's going to look fabulous on you," Estelle said.
"Okay, I've got my outfit. What about you?"
"Me?" Estelle browsed the section. Her eyes caught sight of a pair of black boy shorts with handprints on the back. "Done." Her thoughts drifted back to her support. He seemed the type to like things a little kinky. His big hands would probably be calloused and slightly rough. Her cheeks grew hot. What the hell am I doing thinking about him like this? They'd formed a kinship the night before, and she didn't need to ruin it by catching a school girl crush. Still, she grabbed the panties and the set that said ‘it's not gonna spank itself'. The thought of wearing the flirty underwear under her plain clothes gave her a thrill. She might not be having sex, but she could wear a ‘just in case' set of undies. It was a small, silly thing, but it felt huge.
§
Snake
He smiled down at the little girl wrapped around his arms. You know you got your Uncle Snake wrapped around your chubby little finger, don't you, baby girl? Dressed in her brightly colored tutu complete with loud pink leggings and a bright pink sweater over a white T-shirt she was every inch the birthday girl. She blinked up at him, and he kept her smaller body close to his own as they headed into his version of hell for the day. The bounce house extravaganza was a toddler's dream, but a bachelor's nightmare.