“I’m not smooth enough.” Jennifer sipped her coffee. “I have notime to waste on leading somebody to their problem.”
Spencer gave a snort. “Yeah, good point. Probably better you’renot.”
“Just tell me what it is, damn it. Consider me your psychologistand tell me why your moods have been all over the place all week. I’m havingtrouble keeping up. You need a weekly wall chart or a daily sign on your deskso I know what I’m going to get each morning.” When Spencer didn’t laugh,Jennifer grew serious and sat up. “Okay. Talk to me. What’s up?”
There was little internal debate. Spencer spilled. She toldJennifer everything, reiterating the beginnings of the bride class—whichJennifer already knew—to how she’d quit, to Rebecca’s up and down and back andforth, to the spilled smoothie and the surprise kiss that had come of it, toSpencer going to Rebecca’s house and practically throwing herself at her, andRebecca’s request to be friends, and up to now. She was slightly winded whenshe finished, and she absently wondered if she’d taken a breath at all anywhereduring the telling.
Jennifer’s eyes had widened several times, but she didn’t say aword. And now she sat quietly, staring at Spencer, her mouth opening, thenclosing, then opening again.
Spencer waited, wondering if she’d just ended a friendship becauseshe couldn’t control herself and Jennifer disapproved.
“Well,” Jennifer said finally, and sipped her coffee. “That is…alot to process.”
“Tell me about it.”
“What have you decided to do?”
“What do you mean?” Spencer furrowed her brow.
“I mean, you cheated on your fiancée, Spence.”
“Yeah, I’m aware.”
“Are you going to tell Marti? Leave her? Do you want to be withthe fitness instructor? What are you going to do?”
Spencer turned her gaze toward the window. The little bit of morningsun had vanished behind clouds that were blowing in fast. It was going tostorm, and Spencer willed it to come. It would match her mood. “I have noidea,” she said quietly, surprised but not at how much Jennifer sounded likeMary Beth. “I really, really don’t.”
* * *
Class went along smoothly, and despite Rebecca wearing sometight-fitting pants and doing a lot of smiling, Spencer was able to focus onthe moves, on the workout, and really put herself into it. Truth be told, shewas starting to see results herself, not just hear about how they’d benoticeable eventually, and it was invigorating. Made her want to work harderand more often. In fact, there was a spin class tomorrow she might hit and ayoga class on Sunday afternoon she was interested in.
The divide in the class had decreased as well, which Spencercredited Rebecca for. She talked to them all about health and wellness, abouthow their diets were just as important as their workouts, how their weight wassimply a number and didn’t matter at all if they felt good, if they felt strongand healthy. Even Brittany seemed on her way to believing she didn’t need to bea size 2 to look and feel great at her wedding.
They finished up class, and Rebecca bid them all a good weekend,then went off to do whatever it was she did after class. Spencer watched hergo. She tried not to, but those pants…
“What exciting things are on your Friday night schedule?” Lucyasked her, yanking her back to reality.
“Oh,” Spencer said, shifting her attention. Together, they fellinto step and walked to the locker room. “My car’s in the shop, so Marti ispicking me up and we’re going to meet some of her work friends for dinner anddrinks.”
“That sounds fun.” Lucy spun the dial on her lock, popped it open.
Spencer shrugged. “It’ll be fine. I don’t know these people verywell and they always end up talking business, even when they promise theywon’t. So we significant others will have to start up our own conversations orsit there and twiddle our thumbs.”
“Well, if it wouldn’t seem weird for your fiancée to bringtwopeople with her,one of whom is a total stranger, I’d totally go with you and chat with youwhile they talk shop. I owe you for last weekend.” Lucy’s smile was bright, asalways, and again, Spencer wondered what it must be like to be that happy allthe time.
“You’re a swell friend.”
“That I am.” Lucy slammed her locker shut and shouldered her bag.“Catch you Monday.”
Spencer took her time changing out of her workout attire and backinto her work clothes. Eyeing herself in the mirror, her gaze was critical. Asusual. Marti’s work friends made her uncomfortable, and Spencer didn’t blamethem. It wasn’t their issue. They nevertriedto make her uncomfortable. It was all Spencer. She never felt on the same levelas them, with their designer clothes and seventeen different college degrees.She always felt a bit “lesser than” around them.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror and scrutinizing her blackslacks, white button-up top, and black pumps took much longer than it shouldhave. When Spencer glanced at the clock on the locker room wall, she gasped andmuttered, “Son of a nutcracker.” Marti would be getting impatient. When herthings were stuffed haphazardly into her gym bag, she fished out her phone andturned the sound back on. Three texts from Marti.
Coming outsoon?
Where areyou?
We’re goingto be late!
