Lovely Girls(23)
Genevieve nodded. “Both couples divorced, and Kim ended up marrying Jason. So I guess it was a happily ever after. Just not for Jason, who’s now stuck with that humorless prig for life.”
“Poor Joe.” I knew how tough it was to have your marriage fall apart. I could only imagine how much worse it would be to have the photographic evidence texted to you. “What do you mean it was sent anonymously? He couldn’t call the number and speak to the person who sent it?”
“I’m not sure. The story I heard was that they never found out who the tipster was. But whoever it was did Joe a favor. Now he gets to go on a date with you wearing that incredible jumpsuit.”
I looked down and realized I had been shredding a cocktail napkin. I crumpled up the pieces in my hand. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I haven’t even told Alex that I have a date.”
Genevieve sipped her tea. “Do you think she’d mind?”
“I don’t know. She might view it as a betrayal of her father.”
Genevieve patted my hand, which was still clutching the remnants of the napkin. “You get to have a life, Kate.”
The waitress arrived then. She refilled our glasses. “Are you ready to order?”
“I’ll have a garden salad with no cheese and the balsamic dressing on the side.” Genevieve handed over her laminated menu.
“I’ll have a BLT with a side of coleslaw.” I smiled at the waitress. “Thank you.”
“Where were we?” Genevieve asked once the server had left. “Oh, right. You having a life.”
“I know. It’s just that Alex and her dad were close. He was her tennis coach, so they spent a lot of time together.”
“Your husband was a tennis pro?”
“No. Ed was an accountant. But he played tennis in college. And when Alex got old enough, he started teaching her how to play, and she loved it. Actually, I take that back. I’ve never been sure how much she loved tennis or how much she liked having her father’s complete attention. I think the two things got tangled up for her.”
“That sounds complicated.” Genevieve looked sympathetic, and I nodded, grateful that she understood.
“Ed adored Alex. But he could be intense. I think he pushed her too hard.”
“Isn’t that part of the job of parenting, though? We have to push our kids to fulfill their potential.” Genevieve tapped her hand on the table in emphasis. “If we let them do what they wanted, they’d spend all day watching YouTube videos.”
I remembered Genevieve’s obvious pride in Daphne’s tennis and Jonathan’s fencing. And I knew that she meant well. But I’d watched Ed push Alex past her limits and then push her some more. We’d argued about it constantly. He thought he could turn her into the next professional tennis star. I wanted her to have a normal childhood. He thought I was too soft on her. I thought his behavior bordered on abusive. The disagreement wasn’t the only reason our marriage failed, but it had been a factor. I didn’t want to have the same argument with Genevieve and possibly ruin our new friendship.
“You’re probably right,” I demurred.
“Speaking of tennis coaches.” Genevieve leaned forward again, her head tilting toward mine. “What do you think of Coach Townsend? Because I think he’s yum. I keep encouraging Ingrid to go for him.”
“Really? Is she interested in him?”
“No. And she’s always telling me I don’t have any boundaries.” Genevieve rolled her eyes comically. “I just want to live through my single friends. And I want to hear everything that happens tonight on your date with Joe.”
The words date and Joe caused my stomach to wriggle with nerves.
“Oh, God. What am I doing? I’m too old for this.”
“Nonsense,” Genevieve said crisply. “You’ll have a great time with Joe. You’ll see. I’m almost always right.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
* * *
VIDEO DIARY OF ALEX TURNER
* * *
SEPTEMBER 16
This isn’t totally sketch or anything.
Alex turned her phone so the camera was pointing out the front window. She zoomed the picture in on Kate, who was walking down the driveway to where an Uber was waiting for her. Kate climbed into the back of a silver sedan, and a moment later, it drove off.
Why is my mother wearing that ridiculous jumpsuit? I have no idea. First, she picked me up from tennis practice with a new haircut. My mother has had the same exact haircut for as long as I can remember. Longer than I can remember, because it’s the same in all my baby pictures. Then we got home, and she disappeared into her room for nearly two hours. Then she emerged all made up, like she was starring on one of those awful reality shows about rich housewives.
Alex switched the camera view so that her face was now centered on the video.
I asked my mom where she was going, and she flat-out lied to me. She said she was going to a meeting for the homecoming committee. But that’s obviously bullshit. No one gets that dressed up to make posters. But why would she lie to me? What is she hiding?
Alex’s brow puckered in confusion, but then she shook her head and shrugged. She sat on the leather sectional sofa and pulled her knees up in front of her chest. Her expression was serious.