by Jane Keeler
One day, Vicky woke up early when Fred was about to leave in the morning. She decided to follow him to see where he went this early in the morning every day. She saw that he pulled up near a house which looked really big. He walked to the front door and pushed the bell. A woman in her 40’s opened the door wearing a see through night gown, with no undergarments on. Vicky knew in that instant that his husband was having an affair. Vicky felt her stomach twist. She could not believe she did not see this coming. She knew they were not having a blessed married life but she found it hard to understand that her husband was cheating on her. She cursed herself and how she looked right now. She could not understand why Fred would do this. Was she not taking care of her body? Does she not look good anymore?
Fighting with herself, trying to understand where she went wrong, she decided to pack her stuff and move in with her mother, Linda, for a few months. She left a note under a fridge magnet saying that she was happy that Fred has cheated and that she could now finally break this marriage without having feeling of guilt. She cried like a teenager who was grounded on the day of her first date that night. All three of her friends had come over to her mother’s house and they stayed up all night trying to calm Vicky down. Vicky did not really need any comforting. She just missed being wanted. Since her marriage to Fred, barely anyone came up to her to ask her out. When she hung out with her friends in pubs, no one ever walked up to her to ask her hand for a dance. She felt really old inside. She had given up her job in the city so that she could be a good wife to her husband. But she made up her mind that day, albeit under the influence of some heavy drinking, that she would rewind the clock a little.
Chapter 2
Emma came up with the plan to make a trip to Thailand. She had heard from one of the executives in the firm that she worked in that it was heaven on earth for people who wanted to disappear from the face of this earth for a few days. Christie was having hard time after her new-born and she wanted to get away from family for a while too. And Michelle was the eternal party girl. She was always up for a trip, especially if it involved booze and boys. Emma had pitched the idea when they were all out drinking one night. Vicky had just come back from her Lawyer’s office where she had officially filed for divorce. Her lawyer had asked her to give Fred a few days to respond. When Emma blurted out the idea, it was met with a sign of disinterest from Vicky. She wanted to get the whole divorce thing behind her before she let her down. She was still tensed about the whole situation. She had also made up her mind to rent a new place for herself. She had very limited money at her disposal right now and she did not want to go on an all-out spending spree. But Emma, Christie and Michelle were having none of it and told Vicky that they would take care of her expenses for the trip and that Vicky could pay them back once she had taken care of herself. Reluctantly, Vicky agreed to tag along.
After the plan was made, the girls decided that it was time their wardrobe underwent a makeover. Thailand was a land of exotic beaches and the girls wanted to look good when they were out in the sun. The three of them went hunting for bikinis and once they had bought their heart out, they headed back to Christie’s place to plan the trip. It was a seven day trip and they planned on spending the first few nights in Ko Samui followed by a few nights in Bangkok. They made a list of the places that they wanted to visit including shopping areas and restaurants.
Vicky went back to home to find her mother watching her favourite TV soap. She slumped beside her on the sofa and rested her head on Linda’s lap.
“Will I ever be happy?” asked Vicky sullenly.
“Of course, darling. You know what they say? The daughter gets what the mother never does.” answered Linda with a hint of sarcasm.
“How did you feel when dad left you, mom?” asked Vicky remembering the day her father left and never came back home.
“It hit like a brick. But I had very little time to cry and for remorse. I had you and I wanted to raise you just as well even if it was without your daddy.” said Linda confidently. “You know there will be a time when you will find the right man for yourself. I know it in my heart.” she added.
“You always say that. You even liked Fred. And now he has gone and cheated on your daughter for a woman who is almost twice my age.” said a frustrated Vicky.
“I never quite liked Fred. I knew he was going to turn out like this. But I admit he seemed like a great guy to settle down with. I had thought once you had kids and a complete family, it would all work out.” vented Linda.
“That’s nice mom. Experimenting with your daughter’s life!” said Vicky chuckling.
“I’m just glad it’s over Vicky. And I’m sure you will be fine. Do you want me to set up on a date next week? Are you even on Tinder?” asked Linda.
“Go Mom! I did not know you knew about Tinder. Are you on Tinder?” asked Vicky playfully.
“I even went out on a date using Tinder!” said Linda with a wink.
“You are full of surprises mom! But please do not set me up on dates. I think I am going to be single for the rest of my life and I actually look forward to it!” quipped Vicky.
“Oh Vicky! Don’t be so pessimistic. When does your flight leave for India?” asked Linda.
“India? We are going to Thailand mother! Not India.” said Vicky frustrated.
“It’s the same deal honey. It’s nearby isn’t it? All those countries look the same to me.” said Linda.
“You need to go out more often mom. I’m afraid one date every year is really blocking all the blood supply to your brain. How would you like if someone said that USA and Canada are one and the same?” asked Vicky.
“Alright Vicky, I am going to brush up my geography on Wikipedia tonight. But what time does the plane leave?” asked Linda again.
“We leave tomorrow morning mom. I’m going to crash for the night. I am tired! Goodnight Mom!” said Vicky as she got up and left towards her room.
“Goodnight Vicky.” said Linda.
Chapter 3
The four of them reached the airport on time and without much hassles. They had some time to kill before the plane took off and they decided to go to browse through the bookstore. Emma and Michelle were actually looking out for some really good looking guys who they figured were travelling on the same plane with them to Thailand. Vicky and Christie scoffed at their efforts and bought a couple of books for themselves. To their surprise, Emma and Michelle were able to hook up with these guys and had even brought them over to meet them.
“So this is Vicky. And she is the star of our gang. She just got divorced recently and I’m pretty sure she could use some company.” said Emma as she introduced the guys to Vicky.
“I am still going through a divorce but I’m sure you can find a better way to introduce me to people, M.” said Vicky with sarcasm.
“Fair point Vicky. And this here is Christie. I was just telling these guys that we are going to Thailand for a vacation and guess what we are all flying together. Unfortunately, they have a different plan when they are there, but we will see each other in Bangkok again. How awesome is that?” said Michelle.
“Hello girls!” said the guys in unison. “I am Matt and this is Ethan. What a coincidence huh? Its lovely meeting new people and we are really excited for this trip. I’m sure you guys are too!” said Matt.
Vicky found the guys well-mannered and they were quite well dressed as well. She did not mind casual flirting and when in a foreign land it is always useful to have someone from your own country for company.
“Vicky I know what you’re thinking. I know you think this is not a good idea, but trust me. These guys are safe. They are not the kind to put roofie in your drink to take advantage of you.” said a whispering Emma.
“On the contrary, I quite like the guys, M.” said Vicky bluntly.
“Well that is indeed good to hear.” said Emma.
Emma and Matt seemed to hit it off instantly. It seemed as if they had been dating since high school. Seeing them together reminde
d her of her days in high school and college when life was good and there was love in the air. She did not have to worry about a thing back then. She was so sure her life would be nothing like this back then. But she decided not to dwell on things that upset her anymore. Now that she had agreed to come along on this trip, she wanted to make sure she enjoyed the vacation.
She was seated right beside Ethan on the plane and they struck up a nice conversation. It was a long flight of 18 hours to Thailand and they had to do something to pass time. Ethan was a good looking guy and it was pretty obvious that he was hitting on Vicky. Vicky felt good talking to Ethan too. He was a young businessman who had started a chain of shops for sporting goods in LA and from the look of things he was doing quite well for himself. The best thing about Ethan was that he could make Vicky laugh – something that Fred had not managed to do in the two years that she was married to him. They talked for a couple of hours and then Vicky dozed off for a while. The PA woke her up when the pilot made the announcement that they were about to start descending soon. She opened her eyes to see that both Emma and Matt weren’t in their seats. She saw them exiting the toilet together; Emma trying to tuck her shirt in and Matt zipping up his pants. She understood that they must have been having sex. Ethan had woken up too by then and when he headed for the toilet, Emma came and took up his seat beside Vicky.
“Yes, we did it in the toilet. Stop looking at me like that.” said Emma flashing a naughty smile.
“I am not looking at you. But I am judging you!” said Vicky with a laugh.
“I remember all your escapades in college Vicky. You do not get to judge me!” said Emma a little upset.
“I know! And I am just pulling your leg here. Nothing to get all serious about this.” said Vicky.
The flight landed soon and the two groups split up at the taxi stand. While Vicky and her friends were travelling to Ko Samui in a boat, the guys were heading to Krabi. They exchanged numbers and email addresses and planned on meeting up in Bangkok again in a few days. The taxi drivers were a nightmare to deal with but Emma had fixed a guide at Bangkok beforehand and he was there to help them out. The boat ride to Ko Samui was really pleasant and they checked directly into their hotel that evening. The hotel was pretty good and the three of them had a room each to themselves. They decided that it would be best to rest up for a bit and take a shower and then hit the hotel bar in about an hour or so. It was already dark and they were all excited to see the famed Ko Samui nightlife.
Chapter 4
Vicky and the girls met at the reception and asking for some directions from the very well-spoken receptionist headed out to a bar nearby which was frequented by tourists the most. They had heard so much about Ko Samui’s nightlife and the full moon parties. The full moon was still about two three days away but they could already see the town flooded with tourists from all around the world. The bar they were directed by really crowded and they barely managed to place their order for drinks. When the drinks did come, they went ahead and placed an order for another three rounds and tipped the waiter some cash so that he kept the drinks flowing without making them wait too long. There was loud music blaring from the speakers in the bar and it got them going as soon as they were a couple of rounds down.
Suddenly Christie choked on her drink and motioned towards the entrance of the bar.
“Oh my god, Vicky! Is this for real? Is that Ryan?” asked an astonished Michelle.
Vicky’s heart stopped beating for a second. She could feel the sound of music going down as Ryan face became clearer. It was him. There was no doubt in Vicky’s mind that it was Ryan. She could make that face out anywhere in the world. Flashes of memory from high school started flooding back to her all of a sudden. She still remembered sneaking out of class with Ryan on his bike and going on those endless rides. They had some pretty wild moments when they were younger. So much had changed since then. She recounted those days very often. Ryan was her first real boyfriend. Since they parted ways after high school, she had never found another man like Ryan. She never found love like that ever again. And she found right now that she still had some feelings for him.
Michelle was the first to shout out Ryan’s name from their table. Ryan looked around was equally astonished to see familiar faces among the crowd. He rushed over to their table and greeted everyone.
“Well, well, look here! I see the whole gangs here! Emma, you look just as good still. Christie, how long has it been? How are you, Michelle? Vicky! Wow! You look just the same!” Ryan was clearly excited to see them.
Ryan could not take his eyes off Vicky and she felt a tingling sensation at the back of her neck. She was not sure how she should even react. Ryan looked just as young as he did back in high school. But he had surely bulked up. Vicky could see the muscles on Ryan’s arm flex quite clearly over the skin hugging T-Shirt that he wore. She got up to kiss him but stopped herself when she saw a woman walk towards Ryan and hold his hands.
“Guys, meet Giselle, my wife! It’s our first marriage anniversary the day after and we planned this to celebrate it!” declared Ryan as all three of Emma, Christie and Michelle turned to look at Vicky.
Vicky knew she was getting too hopeful too soon. She cursed herself for always doing that. How could she not have known that Ryan would obviously move on? He always had a plan for his future. He had already made up a business plan for opening a Restaurant back when he was in high school and every decision he took including the one to take up business studies in Harvard was towards achieving his goal. That was one of the reasons that Vicky loved Ryan so much back then. He was always level headed in any situation and always had a plan.
“Congratulations Giselle! And Ryan!” said Vicky as she raised her drink.
Giselle had picked up on the look that the three of Vicky’s friends had given her when Ryan introduced Giselle. She knew there was more to this than just friends. And the way Vicky was looking at Ryan when she was walking up to the table and how she reacted when Giselle held Ryan’s hands, gave her a feeling that Vicky and Ryan had some sort of a connection.
“You never talked to me about your friends here Ryan! Come on give me a proper introduction please. I feel so out of place!” said Giselle.
“I’m so sorry darling. So this is Michelle, that’s Christie, she’s Emma and that’s Vicky. We were all in high school together. Those were some crazy days, huh?” asked Ryan.
“Indeed they were Ryan. More for you and Vicky if I remember correctly!” said Michelle as all of them laughed out loud.
“Is that right Ryan? You never told me about your high school flings!” said Giselle with a tone of sarcasm as she looked at Ryan with questioning eyes.
The way Giselle reacted to what Michelle said made all four of them cringe on the inside. Michelle dreaded letting that out and blamed herself for creating the awkward silence that ensued. Vicky was enraged that Giselle had stopped and thought hard before using the word “fling” which she thought was a very crude word for the relationship that she shared with Ryan.
Ryan tried to diffuse the situation and said “Yes, we had a thing back in the day. But we’ve moved on. I heard you got married Vicky. So congratulations to you too! How is the husband doing?” asked Ryan.
“I am divorced. No longer married.” said Vicky plainly as she held up her hand to show the absence of a ring on her fingers.
Giselle stepped in and asked “I am so sorry to hear that Vicky! What went wrong?”
“I don’t think that is a discussion for a place like this Giselle.” said Ryan trying to protect Vicky.
Vicky knew Giselle had asked that question to only make her look like a loser. She thought that there was very little that could go wrong with her life right now and answered “That’s alright Ryan. I don’t mind. I actually caught my husband cheating on me with an older woman.”
Giselle was quite taken aback with the blatant reply from Vicky. She changed the subject and asked Ryan to escort her to the washroom at the back and excused t
hemselves.
“What a bitch!” exclaimed Michelle as soon as the couple were out of earshot.
“She is threatened by Vicky. I sensed it as soon as she walked over to our table.” said Emma.
“Did you see how Ryan tried to protect Vicky? I think he still has feelings for Vicky.” said Christie.
Vicky did not really want to hear what anyone had to say. It was hard enough that she was fighting Fred over the divorce but to be questioned and ridiculed by Giselle was really hurtful. She put up a brave face but she was hurting inside. She was over the moon when she saw Ryan again after all these years and she cursed herself for thinking that she had a chance with him again. She felt guilty too now that she had seen that he was married to another woman. She almost felt like the person who steals another woman’s husband. She did not want to be involved in any complex relationships anymore. She excused herself and went out of the bar to get some fresh air.
Giselle was furious with Ryan that he had not mentioned Vicky before and asked for an explanation. Ryan said that he did not mention Vicky because he did not think it was important to do so. Ryan said that it was something from the past and that Giselle should not be reading too much into it. They came back to the table to find that Vicky was not there. Ryan went out looking for her after Emma told him that she had stepped outside to get some air. Ryan went out to find that Vicky was sitting on an empty table outside.
“Hey there! I think I know you.” said Ryan playfully.
Vicky smiled when she heard Ryan’s voice and turned around to say “I think I know you too.”
“So a divorce huh?” asked Ryan.
“Yes, a divorce. I have never been lucky in love like you.” said Vicky.
“Well I really wouldn’t say that. I just couldn’t wait for you all my life now, could I?” asked Ryan.