Hayley shrugged, not even looking up from the text she was sending to her best friend Sierra at her mother's question. "Boring as usual. Especially when Dad and Casey start talking all that computer geek stuff. Ugh. Do I really have to go visit him every other weekend? Sierra said I missed an awesome party at Angelica's last night. Instead of having fun with my friends, I had to sit through some dull dinner with Dad and his new girlfriend."
"What? Your father has a girlfriend?" Lindsey was incredulous at this revelation. "When did this start? And when the hell were you planning to tell me about it?"
Hayley waved a hand in dismissal. "What do you care? It's not like you've been sitting home knitting since you and Dad broke up. Or before then, for that matter."
Lindsey's cheeks grew red as she attempted to deny the accusation. "Don't be ridiculous," she replied in a huff. "I have never been unfaithful to your father. And how could I possibly even think of dating anyone now when all I want is for us to be a family again?"
Hayley laughed out loud, the most emotion Lindsey had seen her express in months. "Oh, Mom, that's a good one! Come on, it's no secret that you've been seeing other guys since Dad moved out. Sierra said her parents saw you at some restaurant in Palo Alto a few weeks ago, and that you were practically sitting in your date's lap. And Libby's older sister ran into you at that new dance club in San Francisco. Apparently the guy you were with works in the same office as Libby's sister. Ugh, Mom. Just how young was that one?"
Lindsey was speechless with shock at these revelations. "Your friends must be mistaken," she insisted. "Or they had a little too much to drink and didn't know what they were seeing."
Hayley smirked in response to her mother's false bravado. "Actually, it sounds like you were the one who had too much to drink. Both times. But, hey, I'm not judging you, Mom. If you want to go out and have some fun, go ahead. It's not like I really care all that much. And apparently Dad doesn't care at all."
Lindsey's green eyes narrowed angrily. "Watch your mouth, little girl. You're getting way too cheeky these days. But speaking of your father - what's the deal with this new girlfriend of his? Who is she - some nerdy little computer tech who works in his office?"
Hayley scoffed. "Not exactly. She teaches yoga, and looks more like a hippie than a nerd. I guess she's pretty in a way. Her name is Sasha. Oh, and turns out her mom is one of the dancers on Beyond Ballroom. The older Russian one you like."
"Katya?" asked Lindsey in surprise. "I didn't know she had a daughter. She can't be all that old. My God, is your father dating a teenager?"
Hayley rolled her eyes, already weary of her mother's constant dramatics. "No, Sasha is not a teenager, Mom. Geez, you make it sound like Dad's some sort of pervert. I'd guess she's in her twenties, maybe closer to thirty. She's - oh, fuck. I really don't want to keep talking about this, you know? But Casey the Dweeb made me take a picture of him with Dad and Sasha. Just let me find it."
Lindsey stared in dismay at the photo of Matthew and Casey gathered around an admittedly stunning woman. Matt's new girlfriend wasn't quite as young as she had initially feared - late twenties, most likely - but still a good ten to twelve years younger than Lindsey. She scowled to notice the woman's smooth, flawless skin, her sparkling smile, and headful of multi-hued curls. Her clothes did look a bit on the bohemian side, and were certainly not what Lindsey would ever be caught dead wearing, but they seemed to suit her.
But what really pissed Lindsey off was seeing how happy and relaxed her husband looked in this woman's presence. She hadn't actually seen Matt in person for almost three months, since he never came inside the house when he picked up or dropped off the kids, despite the list of excuses she'd conjured up to get him to do so. If something needed to be repaired, he had told her to notify their gardener/handyman. If there was a bill or some other document she wanted him to look over, he told her to scan it and email it over to him. He was curt and to the point when she called or emailed, and had made it very, very clear that he considered their marriage over, a mere legal formality that would end just as soon as she signed those goddamned divorce papers.
"Do you think he's serious about her?" asked Lindsey, not bothering to disguise the panic in her voice.
"Jesus, Mom." Hayley shook her sleek, dark head in disbelief. "I have no idea. It's not like I came out and actually asked Dad. I mean, he seems to like her a lot, and they were all smiling and happy during dinner, but they weren't making out or anything like that."