tucking my cell phone charger into the front pocket of my suitcase. I knew Harper was going to ream me when she got a load of my clothes from Target and Wal-Mart. She thought because my husband Weston was a big shot lawyer in Chicago, I should take advantage of our wealth and shop at all the big stores that run along the Magnificent Mile. You would think, after knowing me for fifteen years, she would realize that the money meant nothing to me. Quite frankly, I’d rather give up the money if it meant being able to fix my sad excuse of a marriage.
I could practically hear her bouncing up and down on the other end of the line. “You bet your ass we are! I just got a hot new pair of Gucci stilettos and I’m hoping to see some fresh meat out tonight. I haven’t gotten laid in a week!” I giggled at the horror in her voice. “Don’t laugh. This place has slim pickin’s and quite frankly since Finley and Kyler left, I’ve been stuck with average men; the kind that you take home to meet the family. Fuck you, no thanks! I need someone built, dangerous, who isn’t afraid to pull my hair when he’s fucking me.”
My heartbeat picked up just hearing the name Finley. “You promised me he wasn’t going to be in town for this thing. Please tell me that’s still the case? And I by the way, I really don’t need to know how you like to fuck.”
“Don’t worry hon,” Harper sighed. “I checked, double checked, and triple checked the roster and he wasn’t on it. The deadline to sign up has come and gone, so I think it’s safe to say he won’t be there. And maybe a little hair pulling is just what you need?!”
The possibility of seeing my old high school sweetheart, Finley Morgan, was something I’d like to avoid. Back in high school he broke my heart. Well, actually he didn’t so much break my heart as rip it out of my chest, chew it up and spit it into a ravine. Okay so I was probably being a little melodramatic, but give me a break; he was my first love, and I’d thought we were going to be together forever. I never expected him to leave me the night we graduated. Thinking about that night still made me want to run and throw up in a bush. It’s a memory that I put away somewhere in my mind, and I really didn’t want to dredge it back up; let alone see him.
Willing my heart to slow down, I pushed the memory back away and ignored the last part of her statement. “Okay well, I’m super excited to see you! And as much as I’m not willing to go to this thing, it will be nice to see some of our old friends. I swear after marrying Weston I lost touch with just about everyone except you, Mom, and Dad.” I continued to talk to her as I walked out of the massive master suite, through the long hallway, and into the open living room. “Anyway, I need to get off the phone so I can say goodbye to West and head out.”
With a tone of distain Harper said, “Well tell the arrogant prick ‘hello’ for me.”
“Yeah sure, I’ll get right on that!”
I hung up the phone, set my suitcase by the front door and walked back into the living room. I hollered out for West but he didn’t answer. As much as I’d love to just leave without telling him goodbye, I wasn’t that kind of wife. I felt like I owed it to Weston to put in some effort. He did save me in a way.
After Finley left me on graduation night, I went through a pretty dark time in my life. Without him there I felt lost… like I was missing a deep-rooted piece of myself. I had a hard time functioning with day-to-day tasks, and even the simple things—like the desire to get up and get dressed or shower—were a huge effort. After about three months of me moping around doing nothing but the bare minimum, my Dad sat me down and told me enough was enough and I needed to snap out of it. He offered me a spot at his small law firm, answering phones and doing most of the filing. Any of the partners or paralegals needed errands to be run