Page 3 of Second Chances
"Stop trying to change the subject, you know that I always put almonds in my biscotti," Megan took a sip of her coffee. "I'll deal with everything. I don't need your help."
Charlotte brushed the biscotti crumbs off her lap. "Meg. Your husband of fifteen years has left you for a child who is having his baby. All those years you've been supporting him, working for free to build up his business, making all of those fancy dinners for his clients, you deserve to walk away from this with your head held high and with a pocket full of money."
"I guess I'm just not there yet," Megan looked up as Suzanna walked back into the room and slipped her boss a piece of paper.
"Thanks, Suzy," Charlotte said and picked up her cell phone.
"That's what your friends are for. To help get you where you need to be." Charlotte punched the number into her phone and left a message for Margot Meyer to call her back.
"She doesn't have a receptionist?" Megan asked, and took a bite of her biscotti. It was the first thing that she had been able to keep down since discovering that her life was crumbling around her.
"This is her direct number—" Charlotte was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. "Aha. Speak of the devil..."
Megan had known Charlotte for years but rarely saw her friend slip into business mode. Megan could've sworn she saw a dorsal fin grow out of her friend's spine and her eyes transform from warm brown to cold and shark-like as her business persona took over.
"Margot," she smiled into the phone. "Charlotte O'Hare here."
Megan felt detached as the two powerful businesswomen exchanged pleasantries, but when her name came up, the room snapped into focus. "Yes, Megan Brittle and Alex Snellton." Megan couldn't hear what was being said on the other end of the line, only saw Charlotte nodding. "This afternoon? Yes. We will be there."
Charlotte set down the phone, "Don't be mad at me."
"I... I don't know what to say right now, but I really don't need your charity. I just need your shoulder to cry on - and why did you use my maiden name?"
Charlotte polished off her coffee. "You're going to have to get used to being Brittle again. Thank God. Megan Snellton, I mean what a god-awful name."
Megan couldn't help it, a tiny laugh escaped through her lips. She had always hated Alex's last name. "I still can't afford Margot whatshername."
"How about this?" Charlotte paused, "I'll take care of Margot Meyer, after all, I booked her. Then, you can help me organize and prepare all of my dinner parties for the next six months - deal?"
Megan knew that her friend was not going to drop the issue, and frankly, she didn't think that she had the emotional energy to even start searching for her own attorney. She realized that her initial reluctance had been because she was hoping it was all a bad dream, that somehow she'd wake up to find out that her husband wasn't cheating on her, that she didn't have to split up the home that she had built for the past fifteen years, and that her last chance for a child just slipped through her fingers.
"Deal," she said and hugged Charlotte.
Charlotte beamed. "Thank you. You're like family to me Meg, what good is all this..." she outstretched her arms, showcase girl style, "if I can't help my family." She stood up and pulled Megan to her feet.
"Now, come on. Let's go get a massage before we kick that no good cheating bastard to the curb."
