Fat Fridays

by Judith Keim

  Sukie’s feelings were reinforced when Cam called that night and she told him about her conversation with Betsy. “What do you think will happen when the news gets out?”

  “Some people will be upset,” he admitted, “but she can’t deny what has happened and how she feels. I won’t say a word to anyone else, of course, but eventually she’ll have to deal with everyone in this small town.”

  Sukie’s heart swelled with affection. Cam was a good man, a kind man. Under the same circumstances, Ted would have been disgusted and warned her not to have anything to do with Betsy. She liked, no loved, Cam for so many reasons.

  ###

  At noon on Friday, Sukie hurried into Anthony’s restaurant, gingerly elbowing her way through the line of customers waiting to be seated. Betsy called to her. Sukie went over to a round table in the back room and took a seat between Betsy and Tiffany. “Sorry I’m late. I was talking to a local author of children’s stories. She’s agreed to come and read one of her picture books at the Nighty Night program next week.”

  “Sounds good,” said Betsy.

  “Sukie, you look wonderful.” Tiffany’s eyes twinkled. “But then, Cameron Taylor could make anyone look wonderful. Right, girls?”

  “Yeah.” Carol Ann leaned forward with a grin. “C’mon, Sukie, we’ve been waiting for you. Spill!”

  Sukie held up her hands. “All I can tell you is that we’ve had only one real date. I got to know him through being neighbors and by being in the library computer course. We’re just taking it one day at a time.”

  “Is it better with a young man?” Carol Ann asked, fluttering her hands.

  They all gaped at her.

  Carol Ann’s cheeks flushed bright red. “I meant overall, not the way all y’all are thinking. Good Heavens!”

  Sukie grinned. “Actually we’re not that different in age and, yes, I like being with him.”

  At their smug smiles, Sukie’s cheeks flamed.

  “What are we going to order?” Lynn’s impatient tone interrupted the moment.

  Betsy waved her hand for attention. “You know what Fellini said? ‘Life is a combination of magic and pasta.’ I think this is the perfect day for their pasta specials.” She beamed at everyone around the table, and they all chuckled.

  Sukie chose lobster-filled ravioli with a light, lemony white sauce. Everyone else but Tiffany ordered pasta of some kind. Tiffany stayed with a salad.

  “I don’t want to gain too much weight,” Tiffany explained after the waitress left with their order. “Now that the word is out that I’m pregnant, Beau’s family is unbearable. I’m getting endless lists of instructions from my mother-in-law. Beau’s mother even sent a special maternity diet for me to follow, as if I didn’t already watch what I ate. She doesn’t trust me to do the right thing on my own.”

  “Poor Tiffany,” Betsy said. “Your mother-in-law would be difficult for anybody.”

  Tiffany grimaced. “My father-in-law can be worse. He doesn’t want me to work. You heard him, Sukie, at dinner on Sunday. After you left that night, he sat me down and told me that I would hurt the baby if I worked. Is that weird or what?”

  “Wait a minute!” said Carol Ann, turning to Sukie. “You had dinner with Tiffany’s father-in-law?”

  “I had dinner with Tiffany and Beau and her father-in-law. A family dinner. That’s all it was,” Sukie said firmly, mortified by the idea of another wild rumor about her racing through town.

  “Wow! Two dates in one weekend. You’ve got to give me lessons.” Carol Ann studied her.

  Sukie stiffened, determined to put an end to that kind of talk. “Whoa! Dinner with Tiffany’s father-in-law was no date, Carol Ann. Remember that.”

  “Still...After all the dates I’ve had in the past few weeks, I haven’t found someone I’m wild about.” Carol Ann’s lips jutted out in a childish pout. “That insurance guy still sends me emails. I’ve ignored them, but maybe I’ll give him another chance. He was kinda interesting, even if he did get out of line just that once.”

  Sukie and Betsy exchanged silent glances of disbelief.

  “Has anyone received crazy phone calls?” Betsy said. “I had one the other night.”

  “I had a strange one, just before midnight last Saturday.” Sukie glanced around the table. “I heard sounds of partying and then just heavy breathing. No one spoke. I asked who it was, but they wouldn’t answer me.”

  “Sukie called me right after that, but that was the only phone call I got, except for one from Tiffany earlier that evening,” said Lynn.

  Sukie turned to Carol Ann. “At first, I thought it might be you, at a party or something.”

  Carol Ann’s eyes widened. “Me? No. Michael, my new date, and I were getting along just fine at the movies. But I don’t think he’ll call again.”

  “Why not?” Betsy asked.

  Carol Ann grimaced. “It was stupid, really. Nothing important. Just a little argument.”

  Sukie exchanged another meaningful glance with Betsy. Carol Ann was doing okay getting first dates, but hadn’t been asked out for a second date yet, unless you counted the insurance guy who kept calling.

  They finished their meal and paid the bill.

  The others, late for a meeting, left in a flurry of hugs and good wishes.

  Sukie climbed into her car, pleased to be part of the group. As quickly as the Friday lunches went, they brought the women together, building the friendship between them and providing a support system for Lynn.

  ###

  The next morning was warm, humid, and gray, the kind of Saturday morning meant for staying inside and completing household chores. Sukie pulled on a pair of jeans and an old tee shirt and padded around the house in bare feet, trying to decide which task to tackle first. She opened the refrigerator to get milk for her cereal and knew she had no choice. Plastic containers holding old leftovers and half-eaten sandwiches had taken over every available space. It was sad to live like this, she thought, stacking most of the containers in the sink. Living alone had taken all the fun out of cooking. Eating had become a necessity, not a shared moment of enjoyment. She missed that.

  On an impulse she called Cam. “Instead of you taking me out to dinner and the movies like we talked about, why don’t you come here? I’ve got a sudden urge to do some cooking.”

  “Sounds great! I’ve got a sudden appetite.”

  Sukie laughed. They chatted for a couple of minutes before she hung up to prepare a grocery list. Cooking had always been a way for her to show affection. Though his waistline suggested otherwise, her cooking efforts had obviously been wasted on Ted.

  She was almost out the door, later, when the phone rang. She raced to answer it.

  “Hi, Mom! What’s up?” Elizabeth’s cheerful voice chirped in Sukie’s ear, sending waves of panic through her. She didn’t want to mention Cam until she was more certain about the relationship.

  “Nothing much. I’m having a friend over for dinner tonight.”

  “Hmmm. Betsy?”

  “Uh, no...” Sukie evaded, “someone I met recently. What’s going on with you?”

  Elizabeth launched into describing her activities, leaving Sukie responsible for one or two-word comments, nothing more.

  “Gotta go. Amy’s here,” Elizabeth abruptly announced. At the click of Elizabeth’s phone, Sukie heaved a sigh of relief. She knew she was a coward for not telling Elizabeth about Cam, but she didn’t want anything to destroy the evening she’d planned with him. In time, if she and Cam continued to date, her savvy daughter would surely understand. Wouldn’t she?

  ###

  Saturdays at World Foods were mob scenes. Sukie darted inside the store, intent upon quickly getting in and out. She hurried to the back of the store. Katy Hartmann was standing at the meat counter. Sukie ducked into the aisle of seasonings, praying Katy hadn’t seen her.

  The next time Sukie peeked around the corner, Katy was gone. Letting out a breath of relief, she hurried over to the meat counter and took a t
icket.

  “Hello, Sukie!”

  She tensed.

  Betsy grinned at her. “It’s only me. Don’t worry, I’ve already encountered the ‘Mouth of the South’, and I’m not talking about Ted Turner.”

  Sukie laughed. It had been foolish to try and hide. Cam was an attractive man—okay, a stud muffin—and he’d chosen to spend time with her. There was nothing wrong with that. Everyone said she didn’t look or act her age. Besides, it was nobody else’s damn business.

  Sukie completed her shopping and, humming softly, headed home.

  A couple of hours later, she reviewed the outcome of her labor with satisfaction. Tangy barbeque sauce rested in a jar next to the garlic and herb salad dressing that had become a family favorite. Cleaned leaves of Romaine were stored in the refrigerator near the mushrooms she’d marinated for an appetizer. The pièce de resistance was the lemon meringue pie, a recipe that she’d become noted for at PTA fundraisers.

  When her chores were done, she took a long soak in the tub, reveling in the fact this was one Saturday night she wouldn’t spend alone. Dressing, she put a dab of perfume behind each ear. When she was satisfied she was ready, she drifted downstairs to wait for Cam.

  He arrived with a bottle of wine. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss that sent her pulse racing. Wearing a sexy grin, he said, “Should we forget dinner?”

  Sukie laughed. “What time do you have to be home?”

  “I told the babysitter I’d be back by midnight.”

  “Good.” She smiled. “We’ve got time to do both.”

  Cam chuckled and followed her out to the patio.

  A bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio sat on the table, along with the mushrooms and an assortment of cheeses garnished with frosty green grapes.

  Sukie took a seat and breathed in the air, fragrant with the scent of flowers. The evening still held a bit of the day’s warmth. The flowers she’d recently planted along the edges of the patio bobbed their colorful heads in the soft breeze that danced with them, adding bright color to the green spread of lawn beyond.

  “Very nice.” Cam took a seat and stretched his long legs out in front of him. Sukie admired the muscular shape of them beneath his khaki pants. Her gaze traveled up his buff body to his rugged face.

  Cam looked at her, his blue eyes full of questions. “Everything all right?”

  “Oh, yeah.” The chemistry between them was on high alert. “What do you suppose it is between us that makes our connection so unusual? It’s almost too good to be true.” Sukie took a deep breath, wishing she could see into the future. “Are you...are you going to end up breaking my heart?”

  Cam leaned over and gently caressed Sukie’s cheek. “I’ll try not to, Sukie. I know what it’s like to have your life turned upside down by someone else.”

  “Do you hate her? Your ex-girlfriend?”

  He shook his head. “No. Remember, she gave me Chloe. But I don’t give a damn anymore what she does or who she’s with. She simply doesn’t matter to me.” His mouth formed an unpleasant twist. “She wants no part of Chloe. She’d rather have her drugs and other men who will give them to her. End of story.”

  “But you’d like to find someone else...”

  “Sure.” He gave Sukie an endearing smile that made her heart turn over with joy. “But, Sukie, many of the women I’ve dated are so spoiled they can’t see beyond themselves. I already have one child to raise. I don’t want more.”

  Sukie leaned back in her chair, letting his words settle inside her.

  “It isn’t just about the sex, which is great with us, Sukie. It’s about how I want to spend my time, and with whom. I have so little time to myself, taking care of Chloe and all. It’s got to feel right. Know what I mean?”

  Sukie nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. Her divorce had changed her views about a lot of people. She was no longer willing to waste her time with those people who’d be only too glad to stab her in the back. Sukie’s counselor had mentioned the need to be around positive, active people, who supported one another. She understood. That’s why the Fat Fridays group had come to mean so much to her. That’s why she and the other women in the group were willing to fight to keep Lynn with them, safe and sound.

  Cam poured the wine into the stemmed glasses she’d set out and moved a glass across the table toward her. A few drops of wine spilled on the glass tabletop. Sukie wiped them up with her finger.

  Reaching for her hand, eyes steady on her, Cam sucked the liquid from her finger. His tongue and lips absorbed the chill from the wine and sent fiery heat racing through her. Sukie almost swooned from the effect. God, this man knew how to get to her. And it felt so good.

  Cam leaned over and kissed her on the lips. She knew from the way his tongue caressed hers that he was aroused, too. When they finally broke apart, he said, “Let’s enjoy what we have. Time will take care of the rest.”

  After they’d sat for a while, talking, Sukie got up and handed Cam an apron with “Kiss the Cook” scrawled across the front of it.

  He looked at the saying and grinned. “Better do it before the chicken goes on the grill.”

  She knew enough to do exactly what she’d been told.

  ###

  They ate in the dining room. The formal setting of the room with its crystal chandelier and white wainscoting etched below hunter green walls did nothing to stem the tide of sexual tension that rippled in invisible waves between them.

  Sukie served the salad and garlic oven-fried potatoes and watched with satisfaction as Cam dug into the meal. To her delight, he asked for seconds of everything.

  Coffee accompanied the pie.

  “Delicious,” Cam said, scraping the last remnant of lemon filling off his plate.

  Leaving Cam to finish his cup of coffee, Sukie went into the kitchen to straighten up. She was standing at the sink when she felt Cam’s arms fold around her. She leaned back against him, loving the feel of his strong body pressed to hers.

  Cam nuzzled her neck. “Forget the dishes. We’ve got better things to do.” He held out his hand. Pulse racing with anticipation, she took it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  CAROL ANN

  Carol Ann had been so excited about dating that, at first, she didn’t care who it was. Now, after a number of dates with guys she had no interest in, she found herself thinking more and more about what she wanted.

  The only man she’d really liked—in every way but one—was John, the insurance guy. He was cute, he had a nice car and he didn’t mind spending money. She shook her head. So, things got out of hand one night because they’d both had too much to drink. That didn’t make him a monster like the women in the Fat Fridays group seemed to think, did it? It was a pretty puny excuse for giving up on him.

  They didn’t have to live with her parents.

  She did.

  They didn’t have to go out on one lousy date after another.

  She did.

  Carol Ann paced her room, thinking of all of the reasons why she should be in touch with John. Sukie had Cam; Tiffany had Beau. And Betsy? Carol Ann wasn’t sure, but she thought Betsy might have some guy on the side. Something was going on with her. Lynn, Carol Ann knew, would never be interested in a man.

  John continued to send emails, asking her for another chance, and Carol Ann decided she was going to give it to him.

  Yes, she told herself, it was time for her to act on her own, get away from her parents and set up housekeeping with a handsome guy who everybody would grow to like. It might take time, but she’d prove to everyone how wrong they’d been about him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  SUKIE

  Sunday morning, Sukie stretched like a cat sated with cream, languishing in satisfaction. Months ago, she would never have dreamed how her life would change. It still stung that Ted had been so cruel, but she was more than happy to discover this new side to life. Though she was about to become a grandmother, she felt younger and more alive than she had in y
ears. She was free to be herself, the real Sukie, not the mother, the wife, the community volunteer defined by others, but the person defined by her own new sense of self.

  She got out of bed and tossed her nightgown aside. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she stopped and peered at the image staring back at her. Not bad. Her body wasn’t perfect, of course. It never would be. But it attracted the man with whom she’d already fallen in love, and that’s what most mattered to her.

  The jarring ring of the phone startled her. Sukie checked the digital bedside clock. Ten after seven on a Sunday morning. Oh, my God! Was it Lynn?

  “H...hello?”

  “Mom?”

  Sukie lowered herself to her bed, her heart racing. “Rob? What is it? Is everything all right with Madeleine and the baby?”

  “Yes, they’re fine. It’s Dad. He came over here last night ranting and raving about you seeing some younger man. What’s going on?”

  The smell of Cam’s spicy aftershave wafted up from the sheets. Sukie’s pulse pounded. She wasn’t ready to divulge her deepest feelings to her son. Not yet.

  “Is it true?”

  “I’ve met someone very special,” Sukie answered as calmly as she could. “He and I are seeing each other. I’d like you to meet him in time. You and Madeleine.”

  “So, it’s true. I heard he has a three-year-old daughter. Geez, Mom, you’re about to become a grandmother. Don’t you think it’s a little weird?”

  “A difference in our ages shouldn’t matter to anyone else. Look at your father. He left me for someone Madeleine’s age, for God’s sake. Why should it be an issue with me?” Sukie hated her defensive tone but the injustice of it filled her with resentment. “His age isn’t all that different from mine; I had you young, remember?”

  “So, who is he?”

  “Cameron Taylor, an IT consultant who’s working at MacTel on a special project. He’s a remarkable man, someone I’m sure you’ll like.” As if Rob could see her, Sukie clutched the blankets to her, covering her nakedness.