Every Woman's Dream by Mary Monroe Page B

around the bush and tell me what the hell is going on.”
    She took another deep breath and wiped her mouth again before she continued. “We have enough on our plate already, so we don’t need to complicate things. How long do you think we could keep the news about us renting an apartment hidden from the big mouths?”
    â€œJoan, you’re talking in all kinds of circles. Exactly what is this ‘something’ you’re holding back that me and everybody else is going to find out soon, anyway? And how does it involve us getting an apartment or a car?” I narrowed my eyes and looked at her with my lips pressed together. I beckoned with my hand for her to continue.
    â€œYou know I don’t believe in abortion, right?”
    My eyes got big and my face froze. “Did I miss something? How did we get from talking about us getting an apartment and cars to the subject of abortion? Is one of your sisters pregnant again?”
    She shook her head. “I wish,” she replied, just above a whisper.
    â€œSpeak up and get to the point.” I glanced at my watch, then back at Joan, with a distasteful look on my face now. “I’d like to finish eating and get up out of this place before midnight.”
    Joan snorted, coughed to clear her throat, and sat up straighter in her chair. She placed her hands, palms down, on top of the table, as if she was about to participate in a séance. “Remember that going-away party I went to back in July that my hairdresser hosted for a young dentist she went to high school with?”
    â€œUh-huh. The one who started his practice last year. He was going away to participate in some program to assist some dentists in Haiti for a few weeks, right?”
    Joan nodded. “Reed Riley. And it was Martinique, not Haiti.”
    â€œI saw his picture in the paper the other day about some charity function he helped sponsor. Hmmm. Not only is he impressing a lot of folks, he’s cute. Too bad you didn’t get a chance to get to know him, if you know what I mean.”
    â€œI did. . . .”
    â€œOh? I thought he left the country the day after that party.”
    â€œHe did. We really hit it off and I went home with him after the party. We were drunk, so I don’t have to tell you what happened when we got to his place.”
    I sagged back in my seat and muttered some gibberish under my breath. Then I looked at Joan with my eyes squinted. “No, you don’t have to tell me. I’m just ticked off because you hadn’t told me before now. So, are you telling me that you slept with that man?”
    She nodded again. “Reed’s a nice catch, good family, fantastic job. He’s going to make some woman a good husband someday. I know he’s several years older than me, but he’s only twenty-seven. Mama was sixteen and Daddy was twenty-five when they got married.” Joan stopped talking and stared off into space for a few seconds. Then she started talking in a slow, controlled tone of voice. “Lola, I know I’m young, but I know what I want—a good-looking, smart, successful husband, a nice home, and a few children.” She stopped talking again, and gave me a mysterious smile. “I want to have a lot of fun too.”
    â€œI want all the same things,” I declared, swallowing a lump in my throat. “That’s every woman’s dream. Are you trying to tell me you want to marry this man?”
    â€œMaybe.”
    I looked at Joan like she had just sprouted a goatee. “Are you serious?”
    â€œYes, I am serious.”
    â€œWell, if you want to be with him and he wants to be with you, go for it. The age difference is not really that big. My mama was still in her teens when Daddy married her and she was already pregnant with me. He was almost thirty.” I gave Joan a thoughtful look and then I giggled. “Let me know if Reed has any single friends.” I quickly paused and