by Maggie Way
Mary shoved him hard in the chest making him stumble back. “Out of the way before we steal your soul and feed your body to our dogs.”
The man stared back at them agape. No one messed with her and came out of the encounter unscathed. “You’re crazy!”
Mary hugged Jolene close to her and kept walking. Neither of them spoke as they made their way down the darkened street, towards their hotel. The lobby lights seemed extra bright to Jolene, but she chalked it up to being tired. They took the elevator up to their floor and stumbled down the long hall to their adjoining rooms. Jolene fumbled for her card and swiped it against the lock. The light turned green and she flipped the handle a little too late. “Fuck.”
“Give me that.” Mary snatched the card from her hand and swiped it again, opening the door for them. “After you, little mama.”
Jolene glared at her, not amused by the dig. Mary winked and slapped her hard on the ass making her jump. “What the hell!”
Mary closed the door behind them and started to shoo Jolene towards the bathroom. “Come on...come on. We don’t have all night and we both know you aren’t going to relax until you know for sure.”
“Whatever, you just want to bone that guy.”
“That goes without saying. Did you see the size of his—?”
“Yes, I saw it. Everyone saw it. Can we not talk about it anymore?”
Mary chuckled. “Such a prude.”
“And proud of it.”
Jolene opened her bag and pulled out the pregnancy test. It felt heavy to her. The contents inside could change everything. Her chest tightened and her mouth went dry. Shit. What will Bennett think? Kids, while cute in theory, didn’t fit into their current plans. When they talked about the nebulous idea of children it was always a far off in the future kind of idea. Would he blame her for not being careful enough?
“Yoo-hoo.” Mary waved her hand in front of Jolene’s face. “You in there?”
“Hmm? Yeah.”
“Hey, it’s not the end of the world. Y’all will figure it out. You love him. He loves you. The rest is gravy.”
Tears start to well up in the corners of Jolene’s eyes. She did love him. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. She sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall. Either way, she needed to face the music. She walked past her friend and opened the box. The instructions inside looked blurry through her impending tears. “I can't read this.”
Mary snatched the instructions and tossed them on the counter. “You don’t need instructions.” She took the plastic wrapped stick out of the box and handed it to Jolene. “Pee on this and you’ll have your answers.”
Jolene took the stick from her friend, who thankfully didn’t comment on her shaking hands. “Thank you.” The wrapper opened easily enough and she pulled out the instrument. One of the ends looked like a thick piece of paper. I guess that’s the part I’m supposed to pee on...why did Mary have to throw out the instructions?
“Seriously, this isn’t rocket science.” Mary crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door frame. “Take a deep breath and just pee on the damn flappy bit.”
Jolene hiked up her skirt, pulled her thong down around her ankles and squatted over the toilet seat with the stick between her legs. For a moment, nothing happened. “It’s hard to pee with you standing over me like that.”
Mary looked away, a smug smile on her face. “Seriously…” Mary turned away, but reached for the sink and turned on the water. The running tap did the trick and Jolene finally peed. “When I imagined what the night before my wedding would be like, this wasn’t what I pictured.”
Mary harrumphed. Jolene flushed the toilet and placed the test, window side up, on the counter and washed her hands. Mary glanced down at the test strip. “You’re pregnant.”
“What? No, doesn’t it take a few minutes?” Jolene fumbled with the instructions and glanced down at the window to see a faint blue line. “What if I did it wrong?”
Mary snatched the instructions from her hand and patted her on the back. “Congratulations, mama. You got a bun in the oven.”
The faint blue line grew darker and Jolene’s stomach clenched. “I’m gonna have a baby?”
“Looks like it.”
“I don’t know what to do with a baby. I’m going to be a shitty mom.” Jolene’s heart started to race and her breathing came out in short pants as she started to hyperventilate. “Moms don’t get caught by the police getting fingered outside a club.”
“So, that’s what y’all were up to out there. I wondered. You dirty girl.”
Jolene flipped down the toilet seat and sank down onto it. How am I going to tell Bennett? When do I tell him? She buried her face in her hands and groaned.
Mary tugged her by the arm until she got back onto her feet. “Go to bed. Get some sleep. All this freaking out can wait until tomorrow.”
“You just want me taken care of so you can go fuck that hot guy...because you can...you’re not going to be a mother.”
Mary’s eyes darkened and her lips formed an angry line. “Yeah, lucky me.” Mary pulled down the sheets. “Get some sleep.”
The long day coupled with the confirmation of her pregnancy did her in. She couldn’t think straight anymore. Maybe, Mary was right. She needed to sleep, maybe in the morning everything would be clearer. Jolene slipped out of her shoes, which fell to the floor with a clunk then crawled into bed. As soon as she snuggled under the covers she let her eyes close shut. Her exhaustion would thankfully trump her anxiety.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
The door clicked shut and she fell fast asleep.
Chapter Four
Bigsby Hotel
September 11, 2001
6:00 AM
A far off beeping sound poked at her brain. What the hell is that noise and why won't it shut off? A loud banging soon joined the assault on her ear drums. Jolene covered her head with the down pillow on her bed to drown it out.
The adjoining door between her and Mary’s room swung open. “Rise and shine, doc.” Mary tugged on the cord and the curtains sprung open, shedding some light into the overly dark room. “Time to face the day.”
Jolene grumbled and tightened her hold on the pillow over her head. Her stomach roiled and a fine sheet of sweat broke out. Ugh...she felt sick. Despite the heavy exhaustion that weighed her down she stumbled out of bed and made it to the bathroom just in time to drop to her knees and lose the contents of her stomach.
“Ugh...how long is this supposed to last?”
Mary came up behind her and twisted back Jolene’s long hair right before she wretched again. “Boy does this bring back memories. Remember that time we dropped acid and downed a bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey? You puked in that lady’s bird bath?”
Jolene groaned. Her stomach clenched and a chill ran through her. She felt like shit. The last thing she wanted to do was take a stroll down fucked-up memory lane. “Yeah, good times. Thanks for reminding me of how ill-equipped I am to be a mother.”
Mary chuckled. “You were eighteen. Everyone is stupid at that age, even mothers. Ours got naked and high at Woodstock.”
“Your mother maybe. Mine was baking cookies for homeless kids and working as a candy striper.”
Mary pulled Jolene to her feet. “Come on. I’ll draw you a bath and get ya a soda and some eight dollar pretzels from the mini bar.”
As the water ran into the tub, Jolene stood against the bathroom door and closed her eyes. If she didn’t move too much the nausea would start to subside. When Mary started to undress her, she opened her eyes and pushed her friend’s hands away. “I can undress. I’m pregnant not dying.”
Mary stepped aside and turned to walk out. She paused at the doorway and looked over her shoulder at Jolene. “For what it’s worth...I-uh...think you’re going to make a great mom.”
The tone of her voice and the way she avoided meeting Jolene’s eye struck a chord with her. Mary didn’t like to talk about serious th
ings. She would often change the subject or make light of things that bothered her. In all the years of their friendship, she could count on one hand the number of times her friend let the walls around her down enough to share a real moment.
Half-naked, Jolene peeked her head out of the bathroom. “Is everything okay?”
Mary squatted down in front of the fridge and pulled out a Sprite and a small bag of pretzels. “Yeah, why wouldn’t it be?” She stood and handed them to Jolene. “Here. Go jump in the tub before the water gets cold. I’m gonna go grab some coffee and check on the other gals.” Mary paused in the door frame and glanced back at Jolene. “Wait...can you have coffee still, is that allowed?”
Jolene shrugged, feeling like she missed something important. “I-uh...don’t know. I guess so. Hell, my mom smoked while she was pregnant with me. Her one real vice.”
Mary didn’t smile or even seem to register what she said. Instead, she shook her head and took off through the door. “I’ll see ya in a bit.” With that, her friend was out the door leaving her alone with her worried thoughts.
Now that she knew the truth, she couldn’t help but freak out. Would the pregnancy affect her deployment? What would it mean for her future with the Navy? What would they do for child care? What if something happened to her during the deployment? Wait...what if something was wrong with the baby? Her breath came in short gasps as she started to hyperventilate. She blinked hard and several tears broke loose onto her cheek. She hated to cry. Her father, a Navy captain, would always tell her soldiers don’t cry. But she couldn’t help it that morning. Her wedding day should be full of hope and expectation, not this. Without even thinking about it, she picked up her phone and pulled up Bennett’s number. He answered on the first ring.
“Hello.” His voice sounded raspy.
“I’m sorry, baby. Did I wake you?”
“Hhmm...it’s always lovely to wake up to the sound of your voice.”
Jolene melted against the wall of her hotel room. His honeyed voice sent a thrill through her whole body, making it hum. A slow smile crept up along the corners of her mouth. His voice alone helped to center her and stop the negative tape that played in her mind that morning. The Bennett effect.
“Hey...are you okay?”
“I just needed to hear your voice, that’s all.”
After a short pause, she heard what sounded like the rustling of sheets. “What’re you wearing?” His voice dropped low and resonated through her straight to her core.
Her smile widened until her cheeks began to hurt. “Nothing...absolutely nothing.”
Chapter Five
The Best Little Hair House in Texas
September 11, 2001
7:00 AM
Jolene sipped her coffee and tried to take her mind off the nausea that still plagued her that morning. The hairdresser straightened her dark red tendrils with a straightener while another woman painted her nails a lovely shade of blue to be her something blue.
“So, what’s your something borrowed and something new?”
“I borrowed my grandmother’s cross necklace and I picked up some new lingerie to wear today.”
“Where y’all going on your honeymoon,” the stylist asked.
Jolene caught Mary’s eye in the mirror and swallowed hard before answering. “We aren’t going on a honeymoon.”
“What? Y’all have to go on a honeymoon. Even if it’s in a hotel in town.”
Jolene cleared her throat and clutched her cramping abdomen. “I’m getting shipped out tomorrow morning so there isn’t going to be time for that now. When I get back in a few months we might go away on a little trip.”
As she said that, the realization hit her that they might not be able to take a trip because she’d be heavily pregnant.
The stylists frowned. “Well ain’t that a shame.” She continued to work on her hair. “But it’s so wonderful that you ladies are serving your country. My boy passed away in the Gulf War.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that you lost your son,” Mary said.
“Thank you. It’s still so hard,” the stylist said.
Jolene sucked in her lower lip. Once again, her eyes stung. She worked on a hospital ship. She rationalized that she didn’t work the front line and wouldn’t be in harm’s way. But the thought of leaving so soon after the wedding and knowing that she carried their child made her want to go AWOL.
Mary looked at her watch and scowled. “Amy and Karen said they would be here ten minutes ago.”
Jolene took a deep breath and blinked away her tears. “How hungover are they?”
Mary rolled her eyes and sighed. “Don’t ask.”
Jolene raised her eyebrow and let out a slow breath. “What did they do?”
“Well, let’s say they made my lovely evening with a stripper look like a trip to church.”
The door to the shop popped open and in walked the ladies in question. They wore dark sunglasses and carried large throw-away cups of coffee from the cafe down the road. “Sorry we’re late,” Amy grumbled. “Karen couldn’t find her contacts.”
The women reeked of booze, cigars, and sex. Jolene’s temperamental stomach clenched. “Sheesh, what the hell did you two do last night?”
“What didn’t we do…” Amy plopped down on the free chair by Mary.
“Or in Amy’s case, who didn’t she do.” Karen put down her coffee and folded her arms over her chest.
“I don’t think I want to know,” Jolene said.
“How many people are needed for it to be an orgy?” Karen giggled.
Mary rolled her eyes, but said nothing. Karen scowled. “Don’t look all judgey, Mary. You fucking blew the stripper.”
“How did things get so off the rails?” Jolene sighed. She should have seen this all coming. Would they still want to be friends with her when she couldn’t party anymore? Already she felt separated from them and their shenanigans.
Mary’s phone buzzed and she gave it a quick glance. Her brow furrowed and she tossed it back in her bag.
“Mr. Sex Machine?”
Mary shook her head and pasted on a fake smile that Jolene saw right through. “No, it’s nothing.”
Jolene let it go for now, but she would need to talk to her friend soon and find out what was going on. She couldn’t very well get into it with the sex twins in the room with them. The girls knew how to party, but when it came to the real deep friendship stuff, they kind of sucked.
“Can one of you ladies help me get our lovely bride here into her dress?”
Mary slid out of her chair. “I guess that would be me.”
They followed the stylist to a curtained off area. “You girls wait here a second and I’ll go fetch your dress.”
Once they were alone Jolene leaned into Mary and whispered. “Something’s up. Who sent you a text message? And don’t blow me off! I’m pregnant and emotional.”
A sad lopsided smile crept up the corner of Mary’s mouth. “You’re going to milk this baby thing for all it’s worth aren’t ya?”
“You bet your ass I am. Now spill it.”
Mary sat down on the small bench inside the enclosed space. “It was Will.” She dropped her gaze to her feet and cleared her throat like she might go on, but she didn’t.
Jolene knew that Mary and William slept together a few times, but neither of them seemed to take it all that seriously. She didn’t know how to reconcile that information with her friend’s apparent distress. “And of course, you don’t want to talk about it.”
Mary looked up at Jolene with her eyebrows drawn and her face pinched. “Not really. No.”
“Of course not.”
Mary scowled. “It’s none of your business Jo.”
“You’re my best friend and you’re upset. That makes it my business.”
The curtain pulled away and the stylist came in carrying Jolene’s dress. “Here we go. Time to make you even more beautiful than you already are.” The woman gushed in a way that normally would have had her
and Mary rolling their eyes, but not today.
The two women worked together to get Jolene into the dress. She loved it, a simple off the shoulder gown with a lace bodice and satin skirt. The train of the dress bustled up in back, making it look old fashioned. She gave the dress a little spin and for a moment she felt the magic of the day. In a little over an hour, she would be walking down the aisle. She imagined how handsome Bennie would look and how it would feel to kiss him as the pastor pronounced them man and wife.
“You look beautiful, Jo.”
Jolene reached for her friend’s hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Doesn’t she, though?” The stylist beamed with her hands on her cheeks, beside herself.
“Hey turn up the radio!” Amy called out from the front of the shop. “Something’s going on.”
Jolene opened the curtain and stepped out. Everyone stood huddled around the radio.
“What’s going on?” Mary stepped forward and parted the crowd.
“The station went out. Ya got any aluminum foil?” Amy asked. The stylist ran off and came back with the foil, which Amy wrapped around the radio’s antenna. The signal came in and out but managed to stay as long as Amy didn’t move too much.
“If you’re just tuning in, we’ve just received an unconfirmed report that a commercial jet has crashed into the World Trade Center. Right now, we have limited information regarding the incident, but please stay turned to KRTW for the latest updates as they come in.”
Amy let go of the radio causing the station to go out again. “Oh my God, y’all. Those poor people.”
Jolene fidgeted with the lace of her dress and bit her lip. Her heart hurt for the people involved and their families. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for them and thanked God for the fact that her family was all alive and well. The pregnancy hormones didn’t help the situation. She normally never felt like crying over the news or anything for that matter, but now it took everything in her to keep from bawling.