Now that the gig was coming to a close, I found myself starting to think about my pending conversation with Rick, the one I planned on having with him when we dropped Nate and Charli off at the house. A year of separation between the two of us was fast approaching, and I needed to discuss with him my wish to apply for a divorce. I didn’t really know how he would react to my request, and it worried me that it would ruin the good progress we had made with each other of late.
“Ready to go?” Bryce asked, as he slid his hand across my back, resting it on my hip.
“No, Alexis and I need the ladies room,” Carly insisted. Do I? I gave Carly an unsure glance, her expression enforcing that I did. Oh, okay...I do need the loo.
“Be back in a minute. I’ll meet you at the car.” I gave him a quick peck on the lips and followed Carly to the bathroom.
As we pushed through the door, I gave Carly my questioning stare. “So why the last minute toilet trip?”
“Because I need to go,” she answered flatly.
Okay, well I guess I’ll go too. I entered the cubicle next to her. “Why else?” I probed further as I awkwardly relieved myself.
“Because I’m still shitting bricks,” she divulged. Not the best choice of words while in the toilet, Carls.
“Literally or figuratively speaking, Carls? We are in the loo, remember?”
“Figuratively, you idiot! I’m terrified of having sex with Derek, and clearly he wants it...tonight!”
“Carls, for God’s sake just screw the man. What is wrong with you? I’ve never seen you this apprehensive about intimacy, ever!” I flushed the toilet and made my way to the sink.
Carls followed shortly after. “I don’t fucking know. I hate this feeling. What. The. Fuck, is this feeling?”
“I think it’s lurrvvee,” I purred like an adolescent idiot.
She shrugged it off. “Pfft. It’s not love. I barely know him.”
I flicked water at her head, getting her attention. “You love him.”
She wiped her head and made a spitting noise at me. “You’re disgusting.”
“Well, you are falling for him at least. That’s the only explanation.”
She looked at her reflection in the mirror as if she were trying to catch herself in a lie. “Urgh! You’re right. I think I’m falling in love with him, and I haven’t even seen his cock yet. This is insane.”
I moved to the hand dryer, raising my voice over the loud hum. “No, it’s not. It’s exciting and wonderful, and the first time you have sex with him is going to be great.”
A smile teased at the corner of Carly’s mouth as she joined me to dry her hands.
“Go home Carls. Shave your legs, arms, pussy and toes if you have to—”
“I don’t have hairy toes. Who has hairy toes?”
“Shave whatever needs shaving, then moisturize and do all the fucked up shit we think we have to do before we let a man see us naked. Then make sure you practice your alphabet to loosen the muscles in your face.” I started empathising the letters ‘A’ and ‘O’ opening my mouth wide, suggestively. “When was the last time you sucked cock? It’s been a while hasn’t it? You would’ve told me, otherwise.”
She sheepishly looked away. “Fuck off.”
“Yeah, I thought as much.”
“Well, I’m not telling you anymore.” She walked past me and pushed the door open back out onto the rooftop.
“Oh yes you will. I want a phone call first thing tomorrow morning.”
***
Bryce and I drove to my former house to deliver the kids to Rick for the next few days. He invited us in for a drink which we accepted, however, it was slightly strange sitting at my former dining table, in my former house with my former husband. Strange as it was though, it was exactly that...the former. The past. History. And in order to move on from history, I needed to get the wheels of my divorce in motion, I just didn’t know how to break it to Rick. Letting my nerves get the better of me, I decided to chicken out and tell him another time, and as we made our way out of the house, Rick must’ve picked up on my withholding of information—he was always good at sensing my reluctance.
“Lex, you got a minute?” he asked, as Bryce and I stepped out the front door. I’d already kissed the kids goodbye, and they were now out playing in the backyard.
“Sure,” I said hesitantly.
Bryce gave Rick a courteous nod. “I’ll wait in the car.”
Claire had remained inside.
Once Bryce was in the car I turned back to Rick. “What’s up?”
“You tell me? We might no longer be happily married, Lex, but I can still tell when you are stewing on something.” He leaned his weight on the door frame and crossed his arms confidently.