The Other Other Woman (49 page)

Hey, what are you doing right now?

Sitting in the tub and apparently looking at remnants of what you threw up last night on the side of the toilet. What did you drink that was pink?

OMG that was so bad. How soon can you get dressed?

Why?

We are meeting for drinks and apps at Mia Francesca in a few.

Call me.

When I picked up, I asked her what any sane person would, “Who is ‘we’ and why are we drinking again?!?”

“Some of the boys–Matt, Parker, and Russo.”

“Does
he
know you are asking me?”

“Of course
he
knows!”

“Wait, he didn’t ask you to invite me, though?”

“No, but I said, ‘Do you mind if I ask Mal?’ and he said, ‘Sure’.”

“Hmmm… I don’t know.”

“Put your hot ass jeans on and come down here, dummy.”

“Arrgh. Fine. Be down in a few.”

I got dressed as quickly as I could and headed downstairs. The restaurant is part of the hotel and far larger than the bar we sat in last night. When I saw them, they were in the back in an open booth surrounded by comfortable benches and huge atrium windows. With the snow still coming down outside, it was really quite lovely. Brooke sat between Parker and Matt, and Russo was on Matt’s other side, but they each got up to hug me and Matt kissed me on the cheek. He was still polite when it counted. I slid in next to Russo and just out of habit, crossed my leg at the knee. Russo looked bewildered by my heel.

“You okay, Jeff?” I asked.

“Oh yeah, I really like those shoes.”

“Thanks, they’re my favorite ones.” They were some sexy ass shoes.

“I have a little thing about shoes like that.”

“What, like a fetish, Jeff!?” Matt popped up.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that. I especially like it when a pump sort of dangles off a lady’s heel.”

“Oh, you mean… like
this
, Jeff?”

Everyone started cracking up as I waved my shoe back and forth and he turned fifty shades of red all at once. He started squirming in his seat. Then he looked down at the floor, closed his eyes, and began muttering “BrendaBrendaBrendaBrenda” like he was reminding himself that he was still married. We all howled with laughter. He was such a cutie, so innocent and sweet. I loved that guy.

We ate a ton of appetizers. I assumed Matt was paying for everything because the food and drinks kept flowing. He was always very generous with his money, wanting to make sure that everyone was having a good time on him. But I stuck with water this time, I wasn’t stupid. Eventually someone got up to use the restroom and our seats got switched around, and somehow Matt ended up next to me on the bench. His thigh was up against mine and he was so close I could smell him. I wondered if he did that on purpose, trying to be friendly again. As we all sat there laughing, I admit I almost forgot what had happened between us for a little while.

Brooke and I were talking about how bad we felt that morning and someone mentioned the vomiting. Matt quickly turned to gauge my reaction. He laughed when I groaned, and playfully covered my ears with his hands, telling everyone, “Hey guys, knock it off, Mal doesn’t handle the puke talk very well!” I wondered if they wondered how he just happened to know that.

It was surprising how comfortable I felt sitting so close to him again, even after everything he had done. I felt as if I belonged there, with all of them, really. They were by far my favorite branch, and it was incredibly bittersweet knowing that this was likely the last time we would ever be together like this. Matt was moving away; Brooke was coming back to Raleigh. In a few months, she would probably be working for a different company entirely. Realistically, after this conference, I would have no reason to see any of those boys ever again. I know Brooke must have felt the same way. The thought of not seeing Matt ever again made me want to fall apart right there in front of everyone, but I did my best to disguise my watery eyes as leftover from laughing so hard.

I kept my eye on the time and threw some glances at Brooke because I knew from experience how long it takes the two of us to get ready. Plus, this time there was experimental duct tape involved. The two of us left the boys and quickly made our escape back upstairs to get made up for the evening.

Once we were back in our room, we started plugging in all of our electronics: curling irons and hair dryers and charging our phones, laying all of our toiletries out because we always liked to experiment with each other’s hair and makeup products. I was over at the bed, trying to figure out my jewelry options for the evening.

“So… I think I want to sleep with him one more time,” I stated rather bluntly.

“Yeah, I kind of figured you did.”

“I don’t want everything to end this way. I hate what we’ve become. I just want to have one last time like it used to be, we could just have fun together and maybe part as good friends, you know?”

I was only justifying it to myself. I’m not sure if she was even listening. “I’m probably never going to see him again after tonight…”

“You don’t think?”

“Why would I? You will hopefully be back in Raleigh soon. What am I going to do, go down there and have him take me out for coffee and kisses because he’s too busy boinking his Mail Order Bride to see me for more than 20 minutes?” Gosh, that sounded bad. And really, really accurate. “Ugh, this is a bad idea, isn’t it? Jules is going to be furious with me.”

“Naw, girl, I know you still love him. I’m sure he probably knows it too. I can’t be mad at ya. I still think he sucks, though.”

“I know he does. But I’m still so goddamn attracted to him. I swear I need to go to rehab for Man Addiction. But every time I look at him, and oh God, smell him, all I can think about is kissing him… and his naked chest… and him propping me up on his bathroom counter in my purple dress and heels and… Have Mercy.” I was practically panting just thinking about it. I’d always wanted him on the counter before but I just never got the chance.

“Okay, I didn’t need that visual of him. But yes, I understand completely.”

“Okay, so, um… how am I going to work that?”

“I don’t think it’ll take much. I see the way he still looks at you, Mal. He still has feelings for you, whatever they are. Once he gets a few drinks in him…”

“But do I try to tell him ahead of time? Or just flirt with him a lot? What do I do?”

“I think the duct tape is going to do most of the work for ya,” she laughed. “But just play it by ear through dinner and we’ll see how he’s acting a little later. Then we’ll come up with a plan.”

“Yeah, okay, I just wish I knew what he was thinking. Although, if I knew that I’d never be in this mess in the first place.”

“So how’s this tape thing going to work?”

“Good question. I tried it on my own and it’s damn near impossible so you are going to have to tape me while I’m holding my girls up in the right spot.”

“Okay, let’s get this over with.”

I got myself situated and I was thinking a couple of strips along each side would do it. I couldn’t help but giggle as we were trying to figure this out, imagining someone walking in on us–me standing there in just my underwear holding my tits in the air while my best friend is stretching duct tape across them with a very serious look on her face.

“Naw, girl, you gotta go all across the bottom like this, see?” she said as she stuck a giant piece all along my rib cage. “Then once you put the bra on it’ll squeeze them up.”

“Um, ‘scuse me, ma’am, have you done this before?” I laughed. “You got a side business I don’t know about?”

“Just put the bra on, hooker. Let’s see ‘em!”

I got into my strapless bra and dress and damn if that didn’t work. They were up and out and standing at full attention. I was thinking maybe it was a little too much but she assured me that they were fine.

“You sure it’s not too much?”

“Hmm…”

She grabbed each boob and centered it better. “Nope, it’s good now.”

“Well, I’m going to call you TTT from now on,” I giggled. “Terrific Titty Taper.”

“You are stupid!”

Once we were all made up and taped up, we headed downstairs into the main foyer for cocktail hour. It became apparent as soon as we arrived and I scanned over the sea of blue suits that we were the only women who got really gussied up. Because of the inclement weather, most of the other women dressed like hobos, or at least much more warmly. I didn’t see Matt right away but my old branch manager came up and told me I looked magnificent in my dress so I was pleased about that. I hoped to get a similar reaction from Matt. He always knew just what to say.

Eventually we found our way to each other. He leaned in to kiss me on the cheek again and I just knew he was going to whisper something sweet in my ear but instead he just alerted me to an obnoxious broker I usually avoided standing nearby. He didn’t say a single word about my dress or appearance at all. Not a good sign, so I left him and decided to mingle with everyone else. I made sure to hug and kiss as many of them as possible if I caught him looking in my general direction. Jerk.

Brooke and I were both making our rounds when Matt circled back around to us and said, “Hey ladies, we’re going to go get us a table for dinner…” and waved at us to follow him, Parker, and Russo into the dining room.

When we entered the room there wasn’t another soul sitting in there yet, but we scooted around a table in the back. Brooke sat next to Parker, leaving the seat for me next to her, which of course was right next to Matt. Well played, my friend. Love that girl. I stared at him as if to say, “You okay with me right here?” and he just pulled out the chair and said, “Sit.”

So I sat. I hadn’t realized it, but when he pulled my chair out, he ended up pulling it closer to him. I was so used to having him pressed up next to me, that I honestly didn’t realize how noticeably close we were to each other until Brooke pointed it out much later. Most of the conversation was between me and Jeff, who was sitting on the other side of Matt, so we were sort of yapping right across him anyway.

I’m not sure how Jeff and I got on the subject of gays and lesbians, but Jeff was telling me he felt like a lot of women get tired of being treated like crap and “turn” that way after a few bad male relationships. I laughed and told him I knew of maybe one or two like that, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t the norm.

“Well, speaking of gay…” Jeff said, “Here’s a funny story… so one day, I was moving my furniture around in my office, right? I had taken my shirt and tie off because I didn’t want to get them all sweaty and dirty. So I finished moving my desk and I’m in my undershirt in Matt’s office chatting with him, getting ready to put my clothes back on. Well, he’s got this friend, Katya, who comes in to visit in the morning…”

Oh my God. I was going to die.

He continued on, “She was like his nanny or tutor or something when he adopted Ivan, right Matt? How old is she, Matt, like 25? Anyway… so she comes in around 7:15 or so a few mornings each week to have coffee with us…”

You don’t say, Jeff!

I glanced at Matt, the color had completely drained from his face and Jeff just kept talking and talking and talking. I thought I was going to pee my pants. This was SO exciting!

“Uh huh…” I said enthusiastically, egging him on to continue.

“So, she walks into his office and here I am with my fly half down, tucking in my shirt and buttoning myself. Boy, she had the most horrified look on her face like she had just walked in on us or something! She turned on her heel and ran away! It was soooo funny!”

“Well, I just bet it was!”

“I can’t imagine what she was thinking!”

“Oh, I can!” I replied. “But surely she knows you two aren’t gay!”

Oh, poor Matt. He must have been praying for a quick death through that entire conversation. And poor Jeff had no idea about any of it, not Katya and not me. I thought I handled myself very well, considering. I didn’t hit his leg, or elbow him in the side, or stab him even once with my fork. I just let him sit there and turn white as a ghost. Former nanny, eh? That’s classy.

Brooke and Parker were engrossed in conversation with Wiley and Judy Decker, one of our branch coordinators, who had joined the table, so Brooke missed the whole darned thing. She laughed her ass off later when I told her about it.

We all applauded as Matt stood up when he was called up to the stage to accept his award for having a record year. Judy Decker shot me a dirty look and pointed her finger at me and to his empty seat and said, “So, what’s going on here?” in a rather accusatory voice.

I looked at her perplexed and said, “Excuse me? What do you mean?”

“Why are you sitting here? You aren’t in their branch.”

Well neither are you, lady!
I thought. After all, she worked out of Augusta. She had a reputation for being very, very serious. “Oh, no,” I explained, quickly grabbing Brooke by the arm. “I’m here with her. She’s my best friend…”

She looked confused for a minute, but then Wiley piped up and said “Yeah, Mal comes down to Atlanta to see her often. Plus, we’re her favorite branch… obviously.”

“OHHH,” she said. “Sorry, I had no idea you two even knew each other.”

For a moment there I thought we were in some major trouble.

When the servers brought the dinner plates around a bit later, I noticed a big old crab cake sitting dangerously close to my steak. Matt shot me a sideways glance and smiled as he leaned in. “Sweetie, take my steak and I’ll take your crab cake.”

“You can have my crab, but I don’t need two steaks.”

“Oh, you’re having the steak…” He could still make me crazy with that voice of his. It just oozed confidence.

“No, really, I don’t need it, here…” and I plopped the crab onto his plate.

“Well, you’re taking at least half.”

“Oh fine, whatever!” I laughed, rolling my eyes. I loved fighting with him over red meat. I looked up and saw Judy’s sourpuss face scowling at us once again.

After dinner, everyone normally went back to the main areas for more cocktails until they decided to run off to whatever bars or nightclubs they liked. But with the heavy snow, no one was going anywhere. Matt decided he didn’t care for the free drinks in the main foyer and wanted us all to come back with him over to Mia Francesca. But everyone else felt like it would be a little rude to just take off already, so we said we’d hang out and mingle there but would join him in an hour or so.