Page 24 of Enough
“Yes, it was! Sorry if talked about Kale too much!”
“You were fine,” Gwen reassures as she takes my arm and leads me away from the table. She whispers, “I thought you said Mike’s mom gave him money for tonight.”
I shrug my shoulders and wonder if maybe it wasn’t enough to cover the check.
“Good to see you, Alex,” Mike says as he shakes his hand. “Good luck with that job hunt.”
My head turns sharply and my eyes pop. I whisper to Gwen, “He lost another job?”
Gwen shakes her head, and the angry glisten in her eyes tells me to say no more.
As we leave in our separate cars, I notice Mike is quieter than usual. I reach my hand across the car and place it on his leg. He smiles at me briefly before he moves his hand over mine and slides it up a little higher to rest next to his dick.
I feel a surge of excitement as I move my hand to stroke him while he drives.
“Now it’s a good night…” he says with a grin as he shifts his position.
It had been too long since we had a night out together, and this is just what we need to get our sex life back on track.
“WELL, WILL WONDERS never cease?” Gwen says sarcastically. “He was actually supportive about school?”
The great thing about Gwen working the night shift is that she’s home during the day. I was able to come over to her house for lunch. It’s just what I needed.
“I was kind of surprised too,” I state as I take a sip of my Diet Coke.
“I bet the comment about more money sealed the deal!” Gwen mumbles as she munches on her salad.
“Do you remember that time Mike and I went out to dinner with you and Alex? Kale was like three months old?”
“Oh geez… yeah, I remember. What made you think of that?” Gwen asks.
“I was just thinking about money and the huge fight Mike and I had later that night when I saw the wad of cash in his wallet that his mom had given him. Money was and is always an issue with us.”
“Yeah, I remember that! Didn’t he say he was going to pay the bill later because he didn’t want Alex to think you two wererich?”
“Yeah.” I laugh as I roll my eyes. “I never saw that money again.”
“He’s such a bastard. He was so judgmental of Alex that night. Not that he was wrong. Why I ever married him, I’ll never know. I was his meal ticket. I remember coming home from work to find him sleeping on the couch day after day. He kept saying he couldn’t find a job that he wasn’t overqualified for. What a piece of shit. Dumbest move I ever made. Why do I attract losers, Ev? Why? Every man I’ve ever dated has only ever wanted sex or for me to be his mom. Where are the hearts and flowers? What ever happened to romance and chivalry? Fuck men. They’re all lying pieces of trash.”
“Uh oh,” I say empathetically. “I guess I can assume the website date didn’t go well?”
“I’m not desperate. The guy was like twenty. I’m not a cougar. Christ on a cracker! These dating sites are booty calls in disguise. I’m tired of being a meal ticket. I need a real man.”
“Was he hot?” I ask.
Gwen places her fork down and glares at me. “What the fuck does it matter if he was hot or not? I’m thirty years old. I’m not dating a boy who can’t even drink legally!”
“Speaking of drinks, I could sure use one,” I say with a chuckle.
“I might have some wine. Want me to pour you a glass?” she asks while motioning toward the kitchen.
“God, no. I’ve got to leave to get the kids in thirty minutes. I envy you, you know.”
“You envy me?” she asks with raised eyebrows. “For what? My pathetic existence? There’s nothing to envy. Every night I come home to an empty house and every night I curl up with Wookie for comfort.”
Gwen’s dog Wookie tilts his head to the side. He knows she’s talking about him.
“You’re smart and gorgeous. You have an awesome job and a beautiful home.” I take another bite of my sandwich.
