BONNIE STOOD ON the street corner, waiting for the traffic light to change. Her right hand drifted to her left, massaging the abraded skin of the finger that felt colder, more naked, than the others. The walk sign lit up, and she started forward, fisting her hands inside her pockets and ducking her head against the rain. She was grateful she’d put on a warmer coat, but she hadn’t thought to grab her umbrella, and no way in Hades was she going back to the apartment.
Fair is foul and foul is fair. The words drifted through her mind as she splashed through an icy puddle. She recalled the Weird sisters back in the bathroom at Navy Pier and shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her mouth. Too bad she hadn’t asked them to read her fortune. Maybe they could’ve warned her how horribly this night would end.
At the next intersection, she headed east. As she got closer to the lake, the rain began to taper off. The air somehow felt warmer here, the city quieter. Everything was muted, the sharper edges of noise and cold insulated by a soft drifting mist.
Hover through the fog and filthy air. Dodging more puddles, Bonnie continued to silently recite lines from Macbeth, retreating to a well-worn groove in her brain. Comfortable and familiar. Safe.
That’s what she thought Gabe had been.
That’s what she thought her life had been.
In a rush, all that had transpired in the last few hours came flooding back, and her momentary sense of peace evaporated. Lost and disoriented, Bonnie glanced up and down the street, wiping her eyes and fighting a sniffle. She caught the warm glow of light spilling onto the sidewalk from the windows of a café, and instinctively began moving toward the entrance. A cup of tea was exactly what she needed to pull herself together.
After placing her order, Bonnie carried a steaming mug to a snug little booth. When she’d stormed out of the apartment, she’d just wanted to get away. That had been the extent of her plan. She’d had enough presence of mind to grab her phone and her purse, so at least she had credit cards. She could get a hotel room or something. Maybe call Cassie.
Wait. Cassie was out with Logan … and Theo was with them.
So that option was out.
The hotel room idea could work, though last minute on a Friday night in Chicago would be tough, not to mention expensive. Bonnie swiped through the contacts on her phone, considering possibilities while the tea steeped. Out of her close circle of friends, her best bet would be Ana, who owned a duplex on the northern outskirts of the city. Scooting deeper into the booth, she dialed.
“Ana’s phone.” A familiar voice, though not the one Bonnie had been expecting, giggled in her ear.
“Sadie?”
“At your service.” Another giggle. “What can I do for you?”
“It’s Bonnie. I thought you were still in New York.”
“Flew in this morning for Passover. Since I’m not stuck filming the soap anymore, Daddy insisted on a family holiday this year. I think he’s having an elemental crisis or something.” Sadie hiccupped into the phone.
“Existential,” Bonnie corrected automatically.
“What’s essential?” Sadie slurred, s sounds sloshing together.
“Never mind. Can I talk to Ana please?”
“Oh, sure! Why didn’t you say so before?”
Bonnie tipped the phone away from her ear as Sadie yelled for Ana.
“Hold on,” Sadie said, her voice thankfully returning to a somewhat normal volume. “She’s in the can.”
“Excellent. I am sure Ana will be delighted to know you’ve shared this information with me.”
Sadie dropped her voice to a dramatic stage whisper. “I think she’s puking.”
“Oh no!” Bonnie felt her own stomach drop. If Ana was sick, the last thing she wanted to do was impose.
“Yeah,” Sadie continued, “we were supposed to be baking, but I decided to taste test some new Kosher-friendly wines. That stuff my nana always brings to Seder is shit. Shit, I tell you! And we have to drink four glasses of it!”
Once again, Bonnie tilted the phone away from her ear. As she’d learned firsthand from many a college party, along with diction, Sadie also lost volume control when she was hammered. “How many glasses have you had tonight?”
“Dunno. More than Ana. And she’s had a lot.”
Relieved Ana was only booze-sick and not real sick, and starting to wish she had a glass of wine herself, Bonnie tried one more time. “Do you think you can ask Ana to call me back, when she’s done, you know…”
“Puking? Sure,” Sadie jovially agreed. “Oh wait, here she is now. Bye-bye, Bon-neeeee!” Sadie dragged the end of Bonnie’s name out in a long singsong before she was abruptly caught off.
“Hello?” Ana’s voice was a tad scratchier than her natural husky tone, but otherwise seemed normal.
“Hey, Ana, it’s Bonnie.”
“What’s wrong?”
Ana never was one to waste time on niceties, and her intuition was uncanny. Bonnie debated hedging, but experience had taught her that sooner or later Ana would drag the truth out of her, and besides, she was calling because she needed Ana’s help, so sooner was better than later anyway. “Um … do you think I can crash at your place tonight?”
“You know you’re always welcome here, Bon,” Ana began, then hesitated.
“There’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere, isn’t there?” Bonnie asked, surprised at the surge of relief she felt. Tonight, she really wanted to be alone. If Ana was hesitating on inviting her over, then she could justify spending the money on a hotel room.
“What? No, no buts. It’s just, I promised my mom I’d make a bunch of my matzah version of Mandel bread, and Sadie’s here, and I don’t think she’s going home tonight…” Ana drifted off.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s cool.” In the background, Bonnie could hear the tinkling of glasses.
“I am going to worry about it. Why are you looking for a place to stay?”
“Not a big deal.” Bonnie shrugged, then recalled Ana couldn’t see her over the phone. “I’ll think of something, maybe book a hotel room.”
“A hotel room?” Ana’s voice rose with concern. “Bonnie, seriously, what’s going on?”
“I just need some downtime.” Bonnie decided to hedge after all. If she wasn’t going to have to face Ana in person tonight, she could put off the explanations until later.
Before Ana could reply, Sadie grabbed the phone back. “Bonnie?”
“Yes?”
“Did I hear you say you’re looking for a hotel room?”
“Um, yes?” Where was Sadie going with this?
“Well, why don’t you take Daddy’s?”
“Oh no, I can’t. I couldn’t.”
“Why not?”
Bonnie really didn’t have an answer. Not a good one, anyway. Why not indeed? Sadie’s father worked for a major hotel chain. His job title had lots of acronyms and came with lots of perks, including a room at the Waldorf Chicago on permanent retainer, and not just any room—a suite. Sadie had hosted a slumber party in the luxurious space for her twenty-first birthday. A flurry of memories inundated Bonnie. She recalled high ceilings, tall, gleaming windows overlooking Lake Michigan and the Gold Coast, a bathroom outfitted like a spa, and a bed fit for royalty.
“Um, I don’t want to impose.”
Sadie giggled.
“Shut up.”
“I’m not laughing at you. You should see the face Ana is making right now.” Another snort of laughter escaped Sadie. “Oh, please,” she protested, voice muffled, “it can’t taste as bad as my nana’s!” A moment later she addressed Bonnie, her tone serious. “Come on, Bon, take the room. It’s just sitting there, waiting for someone to use it. I’ll call Missy and tell her to alert the hotel staff.”
Missy was Sadie’s father’s assistant. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. Just tell them who sent you and you’ll be good to go.”
Bonnie sipped her tea, imagining that enormous bathtub, picturing herself sinking below a froth of scented bubbles, and then climbing into that big soft bed—a bed her fiancé hadn’t been screwing somebody else on. “Well, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Are you kidding? It’s, like, no trouble at all.”
“All right, if you insist.”
“I insist. Seriously, Bon. Go. You’ll hurt my feelings if you don’t.”
“Okay, okay. You’ve convinced me.”
“Good—wait!” Sadie yelled, “Don’t dump that in the sink, I’ll drink it!”
There was a moment of muffled shuffling, and then Ana was on the phone again. “So, you’re all set?” she asked.
“I am, thanks.” Bonnie glanced around the café, which had begun to empty while she’d been talking. A few other customers lingered while servers wiped down tables, flipping chairs and stacking them in a blatant hint. “Hey, I better get going.”
“Yeah, me too. I need to get Miss Tipsy here sobered up before Seder starts tomorrow night. How about a late brunch on Sunday? I’m going to be dying for some carbs.”
Bonnie grinned. There were few things Ana loved more in the world than brunch. It was comforting to know some things never changed. “Sounds like a plan.” She was about to end the call when Ana spoke once more.
“And Bonnie?”
“Yes?” Her gut clenched, expecting Ana to demand she tell her what had happened, to give some explanation as to why she was looking for a place to stay when she should be snuggled up at home with her fiancé.
But, “Love you,” was all Ana said.
Warmth lit inside Bonnie, a heating pad of affection easing the aching tension more than any cup of tea ever could. “Thanks.” She may have made a bad choice in husband material, but her friends were top of the line. “Love you too. See you soon.”