“What do you guys call it?” asked Aimee, slightly miffed.
“Vagina,” said Elizabeth.
“Va-jay-jay,” said Kiki.
“Hairy clam,” said Betty.
The three girls were momentarily shocked into silence before they started laughing so loud, they received hard stares from patrons of the store outside the glass meeting room.
Elizabeth held up her finger, signaling them to stop laughing so loud, but all that did was make them start snorting instead, trying to keep the guffaws in.
Kiki was the first to recover. “Oh. Em. Gee. You did not just say what I think you just said.”
“What? Hairy clam? I most certainly did too,” said Betty, not laughing, just knitting away as if nothing was happening.
“Stop,” gasped Aimee, “just stop. I’m gonna pee my pants if you keep it up.”
“Yes, okay, no more ... colloquialisms. I drank too much coffee,” agreed Elizabeth.
“Fine,” said Kiki, back to business now. “So, Elizabeth, why don’t you quit if you’re so unhappy? Just do it. Start your own thing. If you’re an accountant you must be good with numbers and know what it takes to make a business succeed.”
Elizabeth felt the humor leave her body instantly as she thought about her job. “To be honest, I have no idea why I don’t leave. I guess I just never seriously considered it an option. But after today, it’s looking more and more attractive.”
“Wow. You guys are amazing,” said Aimee. “I wish I could do that ... just have a job and then decide to quit and do something on my own.”
Kiki looked at her. “Why can’t you?”
“Well, I don’t have the job to quit in the first place.”
“So, that just means you have one less obstacle,” said Elizabeth. “It’s easier when you don’t have to make that decision.”
“Well, you have to have money to start a business. And I have none.”
“Find a partner with money. You have talent. You could open a bakery or a coffee shop. You already have one customer right here.” Elizabeth pointed to Betty.
“I hope I get a lifetime discount, since I’ll be your first,” said Betty.
Aimee smiled, almost sadly. “That would be so amazing. But it’s just not possible for me right now. I have to find an apartment, get a job, figure out how I’m going to support myself. Starting a business is a luxury I can’t afford.”
Elizabeth looked at the pitiful expression on Aimee’s face and wished there was something she could do to help. “Something will turn up for you. I’m sure of it.”
Aimee perked up visibly. “I know. I’m hopeful. Don’t worry about me.” She clasped her hands together. “So ... congratulations to Kiki, right? That’s a big step. Retirement at ... 30?”
“Thirty-two. And it’s only temporary. I’m just going to take another week off to marinate and then decide what to do.”
“Well, here’s to new beginnings,” said Elizabeth, picking up one of the last few cakes on the plate in front of her.
The others each picked up a cake or tart and held them up, touching them together and smiling. “New beginnings!” they each said, before popping the confections into their mouths and smiling as the sugar, flavors and textures melted together onto their tongues.
Chapter 10
THE LAST BOX WAS PACKED. Aimee looked over the stacks and sighed heavily. She’d made herself stick to ten of them. That’s it. Everything she owned had to fit in one of those cardboard boxes, or it wasn’t coming with her. Where she was going, she didn’t yet know. But when she found a place, she’d be ready. There was one suitcase next to the boxes that held her favorite clothes, shoes, and toiletries. She could get all this moved in one carload, and it made her happy to be so organized.
She could have taken more time to do this and probably allowed herself more boxes, too. But Jack’s behavior had escalated to the point that she just didn’t trust him to be rational anymore. She needed to pack light and be able to move quickly, just in case.
Her phone rang and she looked at the caller ID. Jack again. It was to the point that it was almost harassment. He was calling her several times a day and always angry for no reason.
“Hello, Jack.”
“What are you doing?”
She pulled the phone away from her head and looked down at it, annoyed. She put it back to her ear and replied, “None of your business, Jack. Why are you calling? Do you need something? Have you finally decided to pay my support?”