On Second Thought(52)

Janette threw up her hands. “He kicked you out? I can’t believe it.”

“Thank you.”

“And here’s the other thing,” LuAnn said, leaning forward. She looked a bit like Steven Van Zandt when he was in The Sopranos. “So many *s out there agree with him! What’s that even about, am I right?”

“He’s going on Good Morning America this week,” I said.

“Are you kidding?” Kate asked, sitting up. The color had returned to her face a little.

“I forgot to tell you,” I said. “And listen to this. My boss wants me to get him to sign an exclusive contract with our magazine. Put him on the payroll and everything.”

I sat back and enjoyed the group’s moral outrage. Kate even patted my knee.

“Sounds like you dodged a bullet,” Leo said.

“You know whachoo need?” LuAnn said. “A rebound fling. Pronto. I have brothers, I can help.”

“I’m good,” I said. “But thank you. I...well, I actually think we’ll get back together. This is just a...meltdown or something. A lapse.”

“No, it’s not,” Leo said. “Sorry, kid. There’s a pound in Tarrytown. Time to get a cat.”

I shook my head. “No, really. I know he sounds like an idiot, but he’s been an amazing boyfriend for a long time. Eleven years. He just freaked out when Nathan died. Before that, he was almost perfect. Right, Kate?”

“There’s a group for divorced people down the hall,” Lileth said, smiling her fake smile. “I’m sure they’d be more than supportive with your, ah, unfolding drama. But we have our own issues—”

“I’m sick of our issues,” Janette said.

“Me, too,” said George. “Kate, was he really perfect?”

Kate blinked. “Um...well, no one’s perfect.”

“So what you’re saying is, he was a self-centered bastard,” Leo said.

Kate winced. “No, not...well, not a bastard. He was—is—self-centered, though. I mean, don’t you think so, Ainsley?”

I shifted in the hard chair. “Yeah, well, he’s also smart and funny and nice.”

“He called you a corpse,” Leo said.

“Metaphorically.” My face was hot. Defending Eric wasn’t easy, but we had eleven good years. Great years. “It was the cancer, then Nathan dying. He just panicked. He’ll come around.”

“Before or after his Alaskan adventure?” George asked.

“The Discovery Channel makes it look so great, doesn’t it?” Bree said. “I wonder if I should pack up the kids and go up there.”

“There are a lot of single men,” I said. “You know. For when you’re ready.”

“Keep us in the loop,” Janette said.

“Will do.”

It seemed as if my public humiliation had greatly cheered the mourners, and for that, I was genuinely glad. Our hour was up; Lileth pointed out the cookies and coffee and her availability for one-on-one discussion and reminded Kate to read the tome of rules before next week, then smiled that mournful, practiced rictus.

I snagged a couple of cookies and walked with my sister down the hall.

“How do you feel?” I asked as we went outside. The earlier mist had stopped, and the air smelled like wet soil and copper. Kate stepped around an earthworm—funny, I’d forgotten that she was afraid of them.

“I’m okay,” she said. “A little embarrassed.”

“You’re entitled, Kate. And everyone in the group has been through it, and here they are,” I said. “Doing okay. Still alive.”

“True.”

“I really liked Leo. And LuAnn. My God, that eye shadow is fantastic! And I think I might fix Gram-Gram up with George when he’s ready.”

Kate smiled a little. “Yeah, everyone was very...kind.”

“Think you’ll go again?” Since this had been my suggestion, I really wanted it to work in my endless need to win Kate’s (or anyone’s) approval. For a second, I pictured her calling Sean to complain about me. Ainsley forced me to go to this horrible group, then all she talked about was Eric.

“Maybe. Yeah. It was a good idea, Ainsley. Thanks for coming with me.”

“Of course! Anytime.”

The church basement door opened, and there was Jonathan Kent, still dressed in his suit, a trench coat draped over his arm. He lurched unsubtly to a stop at the sight of me.

AA? NA? It gave his personality a little color, if also a crippling addiction.

“Hi,” I said, since he obviously wasn’t going to.

“Ainsley.” His strange blue eyes shifted to Kate. “Hello,” he said.

“Hi, Jonathan. How are you?”

“I’m fine, thank you. It’s good to see you.”

“Thanks. You, too.” She sounded sincere.

For a second, I pictured them as a couple, then rudely shoved that image away. No. Jonathan Kent was not her type.

Even if he was.

Which he wasn’t.

“Can I have a moment of your time, Ainsley?” he said.

“Of course, Mr. Kent.” I batted my eyelashes at him, strangely and suddenly irritable. “I’ll just be a second, Kate.”