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Lauren couldn't hold back the flood of tears as she sobbed in Megan's arms.
"I told you there was something I didn't like about him!" Tiffany blurted. "I would have made a big scene in front of everyone. That would have taught him a lesson not to mess with you."
"Tiffany, this isn't the time for that. She needs our support." Megan caressed Lauren's back. "It's okay, Lulu. Let it all out."
"How could he do this to me? I've been nothing but faithful to him," she moaned in between sniffles.
"Men; they're nothing but pigs." Tiffany scowled.
"Tiffany!" Megan hissed, glaring at her sister. Then she put her arm around Lauren. "It's better you found out the truth now than after dating him for a whole year."
"I should have seen it coming. After seeing all those women stop by the office, you'd think I'd get the clue. But I guess I chose to believe in the fantasy; that somehow, I would be special to him . . . Why is it so hard to find a decent Christian man nowadays?"
"I think that's the challenge of every Christian woman out there," Megan said with disappointment in her voice.
Lauren looked up with puffy eyes. "They tell you one thing, and the next minute, they act completely different. It seems hard to find the perfect guy. I've prayed for God to bring me the right guy, but he's not listening."
"You know God doesn't work on our schedule; He's got his own agenda. But He will provide when the timing is right and when we're least expecting it. He's teaching you patience, my dear." Megan gave her sister an encouraging smile.
"I don't know how much more patience I've got. Right now, I'm sick of men. I don't want anything to do with them."
"Yeah, men, who needs them?" Tiffany scoffed.
Megan ignored her. "I think it might be good for you to take a break from men. Right now, you need to focus on your grand opening. This should be a happy time, a time for celebration."
"I know you're right, but I'm not exactly in the mood for celebration at the moment."
"So, what are you going to do about Justin? Isn't it awkward seeing him at work every day?" Tiffany queried.
"I don't know if I can act like nothing happened, but at least no one at the office knew we saw each other. Justin said it was best if we kept it secret. That way, 'the staff wouldn't gossip.'" Lauren wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You should quit and find another job," advised Tiffany. "How can you feel comfortable being around that slime bucket?"
"I would if I could, but I can't afford to quit until I find another job. Especially when I need to qualify for the bank loan to buy Emilia's." Lauren's stomach ached as she thought about seeing Justin the next day.
"I think it's best if you focus on your new business. Then, you'll have plenty of time to date later." Megan suggested.
Tiffany added to her sister's advice, "She's right. A guy will respect a woman who can handle herself in business. I hear that all the time on my dates. If a guy gets intimidated by you because you're independent, then he's probably got some insecurity issues."
Lauren wiped her eyes with a tissue. "You two are probably right. I need to focus on the restaurant for now and forget about men. Who needs them, right?" She gave a weak smile. It was easy to spout off the words, but deep down, she still desired the benefits of genuine love, tenderness and affection found only in a committed relationship. She knew she would never give up hope on finding true love with a man. That is, not unless God had other plans for her as a single woman.
For now, she had other priorities to deal with, the most important of which was letting Justin know she intended to quit.
