Corina and I are sitting on the couch, feet tucked under us, drinking wine and watching Bridesmaids. Corina’s phone rings.
‘Oh my good God … it’s Owen O’Neill!’ she informs me, her face suddenly flushed.
‘Answer it!’ I say, as she mutes the TV, her mouth bobbing like a fish.
‘Hi, Owen,’ she says and I see her nod and nod.
‘OK, sure … Yeah, sure … She is … She’s here, actually … Do you … No? OK … Yeah … OK … Oh, right … OK … I will … Oh, you are? … I’ll tell her that … That’s great news … I will … OK … Talk to you then, bye-bye-bye-bye. Bye.’
She looks at me clutching the phone in her fist now.
‘He was just asking about me helping him with his art exhibition.’ But she looks embarrassed.
‘He didn’t want to speak to me?’ I say.
‘No. He’s just in out-patients, said he thinks it’s for the best if you guys don’t have any communication for a while … and he said to tell you his hand will mend.’
He is right, of course he is. The funny thing is, if he came to me on bended knee declaring his undying love, I’d have no interest.
What was I thinking?
Why didn’t I seduce Colin that night and ask him could we do counselling about my job? Nicely tell him about Nancy Farrell and Kitty Tead and James Rafter of the Steffi Street gang? I wonder what will happen with my job. I’m going in on Monday to find out, that’s for sure.
‘Are you meeting him?’ I ask her.
‘No … I won’t …’ Her red hair flops around her head, she’s shaking so wildly.
‘Why? Hey, he’s single, he’d be a great catch! He really likes you.’ I laugh. I actually laugh.
‘You’re not serious?’ Corina holds her wine glass by the stem and stares at me.
‘What?’
‘You think I could be with the type of guy who thinks it’s OK to seduce and drug an unhappily married woman?’
‘Ah, come on, that’s not fair … he’s not like that.’
‘That’s what it looks like to me.’
‘It takes two to tango,’ I repeat his words.
And a bigger person to walk away.
‘Please, Corina, work with him, for me? He has some amazing pieces all ready to go while his hand heals. Help him put on a small kickass exhibition of his work? He didn’t ask for any of this, I promise you that, and when I pushed him away after leading him on, he was so, so understanding … He’s one of the good guys.’
‘Hmmm, I might take a bit more convincing … but OK. We were texting about it before all this shit went down … I’ll work with him on his expo, but just for you.’ She winks at me.
Maybe she’s right. As wrong as I was, he was in the wrong too but I think he deserves to be forgiven.
‘Can we go out, Corina? Can we go for a Chinese and a bottle of wine?’ I ask suddenly.
‘OMG! I’m starving out of my tiny brain! Yes, of course! Trevorweight will have to remain, I’m gonna pig the hell out!’ She is delighted but pauses for a second before saying quietly, ‘Will you hop into the shower before we go?’
‘Do I smell again?’ I gasp lifting my arms.
She draws a gap between her index finger and thumb.
‘A smidgen,’ she smiles.
‘Shit … sorry, I was sweating profusely again with Colin here. I’m like a stinking sweat machine. Yes, OK, I will.’
I stand under the boiling hot jets and rub fresh-smelling apricot body wash all over me.
I can’t change anything. I have to accept things and I will not lose my children.
I step out and dry off. I open Corina’s wardrobes.
‘Go ahead.’ She hears me rattle the hangers. ‘Take whatever you want, not that anything will fit you!’
I see a nice wrap-around red dress that I can wear with my black knee-high boots, so I put that on. It is too big but I pull the belt tighter. I dry my hair into a tiny sleek ponytail and clip back my fringe. I put on my make-up. I stare in the mirror. It’s a new chapter. I’m a new person. I’m going to toast the week I ruined my life.