Page 34 of The Wedding

“Compared to Etta, my wife Helen is the most open woman in the universe, and she only recently told me that her grandmother was Argentinian. Can you believe it?”

“No.”

“The point is, Etta is not one to talk about much to begin with. It says a lot about your personality that you’ve put up with her for so long.”

“And you, I suppose.”

“To be fair, she dumped me.”

“She dumped a lot of women.” Jamie held back an inappropriate laugh. “Except that one woman she was really in love with who dumped her after she proposed. What was her name?”

Monique glowed in disbelief. “You mean… Adele Thompson?”

Jamie heard her, yet it was like Monique’s words went right in one ear and out the other. “What?”

“Adele. Thompson. The woman who came to my party just an hour ago.”

“What?”

“Jamie! You didn’t know! Here I was afraid it might be awkward!”

“I…”

Monique sighed.Oh my God, I am so fucking dumb!Jamie had only seen a few older pictures of Adele, but she had completely forgotten the name. The two never clicked until now.

“She just moved back into the area. I suppose she had been living in California for a while.” Monique cleared her throat. “When I heard she was in town, I felt it was my duty as Helen’s wife to extend a greeting. Might open some doors for her. In all honesty, it was my first time meeting her too. She was long gone by the time I formally met Etta. There were other women between her and me.”

“Okay. That’s cool.”Details I don’t need, thanks.

“Sorry. I forget you don’t do names as well as I do.”

“Well, it’s not my job to remember names. So I don’t. Unless I have a reason to.”

“My word, Jamie, I am so sorry I…”

“You didn’t do anything. Why would I be upset? So that was Etta’s only other serious girlfriend besides me… whom she loved enough to propose to… after three years together… and she dumped Etta and broke her heart to the point she couldn’t have a healthy relationship until we got serious a while ago… it’s not a problem.”

“If you say so.”

“I do!”

“All right.” Monique fidgeted in her seat. Her hands kept going to her stomach, rubbing her baby bump and patting different parts of her dress as if they were uncomfortable. “Time to change the subject. Are you going to Midnight this Friday?”

Jamie tilted her head. It was still full of thoughts of Adele… that beautiful, refined woman who could have easily been an actress in old Hollywood and still have millions of fans today. Maybe if Jamie tilted her head enough, the thoughts would spill out of there. “Midnight… Etta mentioned something about it. Why? We don’t go there often.”

“Last time I spoke to her on the phone I mentioned the demonstrations they’re doing that night and she sounded interested. I suppose it depends on you and how busy she is. She might have an important meeting that night.”

“Demonstrations?”

“They’re hosting a bondage night. Lots of shows and demonstrations about different forms of bondage and restraints. It’s one of Helen’s favorite things, so we’re going.”

Jamie side-eyed Monique’s protrusion.

“Let me tell you, pregnancy hormones are no joke. There hasn’t been a single night this past week I haven’t had…” Monique looked around and lowered her voice. “Sex. I am insatiable. Sorry for the TMI.”

“I’m sure your wife doesn’t mind.”

“Honestly, she’s having trouble keeping up with me. We usually take a night or two off a week, after all. But I’m allergic to breaks right now.”