Later that day, Jess dashed from her office to the yoga studio. She felt as fragile as a baby bird and knew time with Diane would give her a much-needed lift. She quickly changed into her sneakers, gently placed her Dolce & Gabbana heels in the shoebox she kept in her car, and dodged several manhole-size puddles while navigating the sidewalk.
She peeked into the studio; when she spotted Diane doing warm-up stretches, Jess felt her body ease. She waved to her friend and quickly ducked into the locker room to change.
Diane was immaculately put together in bright pink yoga pants and a fitted top. With her long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail, she looked twenty-five, except for the well-deserved smile lines around her mouth and eyes.
“It’s about time. I was thinking I might have to take this class without you.” Diane was new to yoga and had embraced both the practice and all of its trappings: trendy outfits, the most expensive mat and blocks, and an enthusiasm that Jess hoped would last beyond the next few months.
Friends since second grade, Jess and Diane had always made time to nurture their relationship. Over the past several years, their twosome had grown to include Jess’s newer friend Claire, and the three of them were now as close as sisters. A fast-track executive working for a firm based in St. Louis, Claire was often out of town on business and preferred competitive sports and her company’s fully equipped gym to the slower pace of yoga.
“I think you still need me around to model the perfect downward dog!” Jess challenged Diane now with a bravado that she didn’t feel. “Do you have time to grab juice after?” she asked, hearing her too-eager voice.
Diane nodded after pointing out that Jess’s tank top was on inside out. When meditative music signaled the start of class, Jess tried to lose herself in the flow of the moves and the slight hint of lavender in the air. Sixty minutes later, she felt more flexible and relaxed.
They headed to the juice bar beyond the yoga space, where appetizing bottles of all types of juice and enhancements sat atop a carved-wood bar. The combination of mirrored shelves reflecting flattering, low light and the sounds of smooth jazz created an oasis of calm.
After Jess ordered a papaya smoothie, she grinned at Diane and said, “You have a glow to you today. Something exciting going on?”
Diane couldn’t keep much from Jess, and vice versa; they knew almost everything about each other. Diane fiddled with her ponytail as she answered, “Well, I’ve been seeing someone who may be interesting.” Still single at forty-five, she was ambivalent about her status. She had tried dating many times and had had a few serious relationships. She hadn’t found the right guy yet, but she was always looking for him.
“Oh? Interesting how?” Jess encouraged her.
“Well, George is the architect my nonprofit commissioned for the new community center we’re finally able to start. We’ve hit it off and are having fun getting to know each other. He’s a landscape guy, so we’ve been sharing ideas about how we might get a healing garden on the site as well.”
Jess nodded and leaned in as she let her senses absorb the music, the warmth of the small space, and the comfort of Diane’s soothing voice. She needed this reprieve from her own situation, and Diane was so excited; it was like free therapy. Seeing her friend’s twinkle as she spoke about George, Jess rallied.
“Sounds like this one might be a keeper. You haven’t scared him away yet?”
“Not yet.” Diane smiled, then slowly added, “We’re going to drive home to Goodrich on Sunday.”
Jess stopped sipping her smoothie and pulled herself up tall in her chair. “What? He’s made it across the first hurdle?” Diane had a rule that if she didn’t want to introduce a man to her parents, then he wasn’t someone to date for more than a month. This didn’t happen very often. The mention of Goodrich took Jess back to the warmth and love of Diane’s home, in which she had frequently found refuge as a child. She could almost smell the combined aromas of Murphy Oil Soap and just-baked cookies wafting from the kitchen.
It was so different from her own family’s house, where tension hung like draperies, and accusations and melodrama were as common as support and affection were rare. After Jess had refused to take sides in her parents’ bitter divorce battle, Diane’s parents had welcomed her to spend the last few months of her senior year of high school living with them. She had bolted to Boston after graduation with a full scholarship to Harvard and hadn’t looked back until she’d had several years of therapy. By then, her family had scattered, but Diane had remained constant. Jess’s move back to St. Louis for Arthur’s career had only further invigorated their friendship.
“This is exciting!” Jess started sipping again, taking a good look at her smitten friend. “Oh, happy day!” She laughed. “I knew it could happen; I just wondered if it would.”
“Yes, it’s a surprise to me, too. I feel different than I have with any other guy I’ve dated.” Diane gazed beyond Jess.
“Uh-oh . . . I think you’re a goner, Miss Diane.”
“Hey, don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s still early days.” Diane looked slyly at her friend. “Did you know right away with Arthur?”
“Oh my God, that’s ancient history. Where did that come from?” Jess shivered. She fumbled in her bag, pulled out her cover-up, and slowly put it on over her head, knocking her glasses off onto Diane’s lap.
“Well, remember, you were out East, and I wasn’t close enough to hear about all the romantic twists and turns of your early courtship.” Diane reached over, tucked the still-visible tag into Jess’s cover-up, and straightened her friend’s glasses, taking a long look at her.
“Boy, I must have since I married the man in six months!” Jess surprised herself with her best available laugh as she tightened her cover-up around her. “But I do regret eloping and not having my best friend with me. Gosh, I’m chilly. Must have been that smoothie. Ready to go?”
They stood and gathered their gear. Jess caught a flash of Diane’s bright image in the mirror and looked away before she could study her own reflection. She didn’t want to see herself disheveled and far from the “perfect” person she needed to be to keep her life under control. Diane’s question echoed. She wondered if things might have been different if she’d had her friend in Boston during those heady days of falling in love with Arthur.
They opened the studio doors to fast-fading light. Diane hesitated, then turned to Jess. “Hey, are you OK? You look . . . distracted. I didn’t really ask about what’s going on with you.”
Jess was glad for the dark as she wavered briefly. “I’m just a little tired. Lots going on at work.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is?” Diane didn’t move.
“Of course. I’m so happy for you. This guy sounds terrific.”
“Beth and Tom?” Diane probed.
“The kids are great, as always.” Jess smiled, noting that Diane didn’t inquire about Arthur, not her favorite guy. Jess recalled the night a year earlier when Diane had shared her real thoughts about him, after a rare overindulgence in wine, and she doubted now that Diane would even remember how she had spilled her guts on the subject. “A supreme ass, king of the castle” was how she had described Arthur, lambasting him for assuming that Jess would manage the household and the children while he presented himself to the world as a lifesaving hero.
But Diane didn’t know Arthur the way Jess did. She gave her friend a warm hug. This was clearly not the day to share any marital drama. “Have a great trip, and hug your parents for me, please.”
She drove home slowly, hoping to extend the reprieve until morning. She needed to think. Talk to Arthur. Yell at Arthur. Demand an explanation. They were a team, and they needed a plan. He was out of town at a meeting until Friday. What rumors were out there? What had he started with his wild talk?