Page 12 of The Wedding Ranch
“It’s not exactly the country,” Lorri said. “I’m only fifteen minutes from a Publix.”
Stacy’s Botoxed lips puckered. “Well, you need to shop there more often. You’re down to skin and bones. Poor thing. The divorce must’ve been hard on you.”
From anyone else sitting at the table that would have been a fair comment, but not from Stacy. Lorri’s defenses rose.
“I’m great, and the weight loss is from the exercise I’ve incorporated into my routines.”Why am I trying so hard?“Working from home sounds like a real picnic. Pajamas instead of suits, walking the dog between meetings, even tossing in a load of laundry during lunch—it’s all great, but there are no sick days, and no one cares what hour it is on the East or West Coast anymore.” She slid into the blue leather booth next to Pam.
“Life balance is tricky when you work from home.” Pam’s dark waves bounced as she pushed her hair over her shoulder. “I finally had to start marking time off on my calendar to be sure I took a lunch break and time to respond to emails. I warned you.”
“You did, but I’m still thankful I don’t have to make that hour-long commute each day. It’s been a real blessing,” Lorri said.
“You work too hard.” Stacy tossed back the remains of a frothy pink drink. “I guess you’re lucky your marriage lasted as many years as it did. Men leave women all the time for being married to their job, but you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Here’s to your successful career.”
Lorri was unsure that was a compliment, but she raised her glass just the same.
Pam flashed Lorri a pained look. They all knew Stacy didn’t intentionally mean to be so nasty about things. Her thoughts didn’t pass through her brain before exiting her lips.
Stacy’s words hit Lorri like little daggers, the same way they had when Craig had said them repeatedly during their marriage.
Since when is being committed to your job a bad thing?she’d say to Craig in response.
Lorri straightened in her chair, silently chanting,It wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t my fault, and wondering when she’d finally start believing it.
They ordered and the initial awkwardness of not being together for so long had passed, thank goodness. Pam ordered the same salad she always did, and Carmen ordered from the appetizer menu. The routine of it made Lorri feel better. She needed normal right now.
Lorri turned the conversation to her friends, getting them to talk to keep them from asking her more questions. No oneneeded to know that she and Craig had fought over stupid things like the waffle maker.
Pam patted Lorri on the leg while they listened to Stacy go on and on about how great things were. She and her husband had just purchased a winter home in the Cayman Islands.
“You have to come,” Stacy said. “It’ll be great.”
“Yeah, super great,” Carmen said. Stacy didn’t even seem to catch the mocking tone in Carmen’s voice. She rolled her eyes and directed her attention to Lorri. “How’s Mister? I can’t believe I forgot to ask about him.”
“Wait. Mister?” Stacy straightened in her chair. “Lorri, are you seeing someone? Because with Craig announcing that he and Tiffany are getting married I was afraid it would be awkward, but if you’re dating then I guess everything worked out just the way it was supposed to. That’s awesome.”
Carmen dropped her head to her palm.
“Mister is her dog,” said Pam.
Stacy looked like she wanted to suck back the words. “Oh. I—”
Lorri wished she could let Stacy wallow in her misstep for a moment, but she didn’t have the heart. “It’s fine. And Mister is fine, although he is still growing, and he outweighs me already.”
“I can’t believe you kept the dog. I bet that made Craig mad.” Stacy clicked her fingers. “Duh. I guess that’s why you kept him.”
Kelsey’s lips pulled tight. Stacy would trip the invisible line any minute and Kelsey would let her have it in her straight-up Texan accent that would put Stacy in her place. Sort of like aClint Eastwood–style “Go ahead, make my day,” only from a five-foot-tall pixie of a gal. Lorri loved that about Kelsey.
“He was a gift to me. Why wouldn’t I have kept him? If he’d been an Hermès handbag you wouldn’t have given it back. Would you?”
“Of course not!”
“So, there you go. My new house is on five acres so he can run.” She loved the acreage as much as Mister did though.
Stacy looked genuinely worried. “Do you let Craig have him on weekends? I have friends that have a visitation schedule for their dogs.”
“We’re not taking a dog back and forth,” Lorri snapped, but then started laughing. She glanced over at Kelsey, who was grinning. “If I’m being totally honest here,” Lorri went on, “I told Mister his father died. He didn’t even seem to care. Is that mean?” She was joking but she knew that would bother Stacy.
“Perfect.” Carmen raised her glass. “I’ll toast to that. Bye-bye, Craig.”
