Page 25 of Imperfections Seduced
“So why would you let her insult me and our relationship like that? Didn’t you see how happy we were the night we announced our engagement? How happy everyone was for us, especially Mom and Dad?”
Again, I have nothing to say. I can only nod my head in agreement with her, because I was the only one that wasn’t happy.
“Good. Please put your friend in her place and let her know Nick and I are very happy, along with our families. We are going to be together, whether she likes it or not. Our relationship might not have been quiet, but it’s real, so she needs to get the hell over it.”
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought she was talking to me, sending me a message to stay away from her man or she would shoot to kill. “I will definitely tell her. I will make sure she gets the message loud and clear.”
“Good. I’m going home, and I’m taking my ginger ale with me.”
She gets up from her chair, comes over and hugs and kisses me on the cheek. “I’m exhausted. I’m going home to sleep, but first I’m going to call Nick before I go to bed.”
“Goodnight, I hope you feel better.”
“I do, now that we’ve had this talk. I’m feeling better already.”
“Bye.” I’m gladshe’sfeeling better. This day sucks, and now I’m going to eat this whole pot of macaroni and cheese and pay for it tomorrow with a ninety-minute workout.
Cat
“This workout kicked my ass, Ava?”
“I know. I wanted to try Bikram yoga, and I thought what better time than now with my girls.”
I haven’t seen Ava in two weeks, but we text each other daily. Yesterday she called me and told me to clear my schedule for the day, because we—the two of us plus two of our friends—were going to try a Bikram yoga class. Chloe is a fashion designer, but until her designs take off, she’s a personal shopper for a big department store in the city. Isabelle is a stay-at-home mom. Her son Conner is nine months old, and her husband, Kevin, graduated from an Ivy League college. He’s a financial planner.
“I haven’t seen you guys in such a long time, I missed you.”
“Why didn’t you call us sooner, chick, to let us know you were back in town for good?” Chloe says, leaning back in her chair, drinking her bottle of water.
“It was sort of a snap decision on my part, deciding to come back. I was going to call when I was settled in. I know how busy you guys are, you with your fashion designs and work, and Isabelle with Conner, a husband, and a new home. How’s Conner?”
“He’s doing great. I think I have the best-behaved baby in the world. He’s so cute! I could just eat him up, and I know a lot of mothers say this, but I think he’s going to be a genius.”
Chloe stops chewing and rolls her eyes. “Are you serious, Isabelle? You sound like every other woman that’s given birth, and they all sound freaking ridiculous.”
My eyes shift between Chloe and Isabelle as they speak. I always thought Chloe was pretty—or exotic, as most guys say when they see a girl and they don’t know exactly what race she is. Exotic with her slanted eyes and glossy, pin straight hair. It’s a good mix with her brown skin. Isabelle is fair-skinned with curly blonde hair. She used to live in L.A. and came east to go to college. They’re total opposites, but somehow they’re friends. Isabelle is an optimist and Chloe…isn’t. That’s the only way I can describe Chloe.
“I do not. I know my child. He’s doing things most babies his age can’t do yet.”
“What is he doing, pooping and sucking his toes at the same time?”
“When you have kids, Chloe, you’ll understand.” Isabelle brushes her curly blond hair out of her face.
“That’s why I’m not going to have kids for a long time. They turn your brains to mush. Your whole life has to revolve around them. I don’t have time for that. I have to keep my manicure, pedicure, hair, and the most important one, my body, tight. Can’t do that with a kid hanging off your breast. Laws of gravity, you know.”
Ava raises her hand in agreement with Chloe, and Isabelle narrows her eyes at them. “Girl, I agree with you on some of what you said.”
Isabelle and I give her the really-you’re-agreeing-with-Chloe look.
“Let me clarify—I do not want to have kids until after I’m married because I don’t care what people say, your body does change. I need the body I have right now to be stretch mark free and perky. Don’t give me that look, Isabelle, you know your body has changed since you’ve had your baby genius.”
“My body has changed a little, but I’m still me, and Kevin loves my post-baby body because he loves me, and that’s all that matters. If a guy is really into you, he won’t care about what’s on the outside, he’ll want to get to know what’s on the inside first.”
We all look at each other and laugh and speak at the same time.
“Right!”
“We all know most guys are visual. If they like what they see, they’ll eventually find out what you have going on upstairs, if you keep your legs closed long enough for them to find out,” Isabelle says.
