Page 39 of King of Players

Gazing into the horizon, she shrugged coolly. “Never really wanted to. Do you know how many vices I had to kick to get this job? I used to drink, party, and get high.”

I didn’t even try to hide my shock. “You?” I giggled. “Miriam, really?”

“Yup.” She nodded. “Through my teens and twenties. Man, was I wild.”

“What changed?”

“Well… I had to be responsible. It was either that, or marrying some asshole who could pay my bills.”

“But you’re happy with Jason. Aren’t you?”

A dreamy look clouded her eyes. “He’s the best. Marriage, not so much. But I only tolerate that stuff, because it keeps him in my life. And if you think about it, our jobs keep us apart most of the time. Every time we meet is like a date for lovers.”

My mouth stretched so widely it almost hurt. I couldn’t believe that I never knew Miriam smoked, or that she had been a wild spirit back when. It made me wonder what else I had gotten wrong along the way, while I drowned under layers and layers of work, army-like discipline, and self-control.

“Gee, look at the time!” She quickly picked up the ashtray and put out her cigarette. “I’ll take this in to wash it and start setting up.”

“Leave this.” I grabbed the ashtray. “I’ll have one and then come help you.”

“No need,” she said as she headed back inside. “Everything’s almost ready. It’s not my first rodeo.”

Half an hour later, the ladies from the book club gathered on my terrace, sipping on lemonade and exchanging notes before we began. In a sly attempt to summon Chad-related gossip, I approached Dana and said, “I watched the film you recommended.” Pausing, I gave her a naughty look. “You were right.”

“Oh, you did. You enjoyed it, didn’t you? Hold on.” She extended her neck to look over my shoulder. “Natalie? Natalie, come here.” She beckoned our friend, who came over almost immediately. “Tell Kaira what you told me yesterday.”

Natalie’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Oh, about Chad?” Turning to me, she rubbed her hands together like a theater witch laying out a plan. “Even though we’ll never know his quest’s name after all… we know what she is.”

Raising my eyebrows, I wished that my heart would stop beating so hard. “Oh?”

“A lady friend of his told Britney, who told Candy who told Makenzie that he was clearly infatuated by some prude—her words, not mine—who turned out to be rather boring after a while.” She paused and sighed, putting out a pitifully fake gaze of sympathy. “Men like him could never settle down with a good woman. It’s really such a waste. He’s so talented.”

Of course. It was his talent that she mourned. “Oh, it’s a shame.” Smoothing the wrinkles out of my dress, I painted a bright smile on my face. “Well, anyway. Men like him aren’t as wise as our friend Kahlil Gibran. Let’s begin, shall we?”

After a day that I filled with activities on purpose, and a sleepless night despite my best attempts, it was time for my weekly session with Marvin.

“A prude,” I said in disgust. “He called me a prude. Well. I guess I earned it, didn’t I?”

“I’m not pro labels and you know that,” Marvin calmly stated.

“But you’re thinking it. Come on, Marvin. I can handle it.”

“I highly doubt that any man would call a woman who slept with him twice in one week that. My money’s on the twists and distortions that people add to a story as it moves from tongue to tongue.”

“You know?” I dipped my hand into my purse, pulling out an old notebook. “I spent all last night reading through a journal I’d kept from college.”

“Okay?”

Violently opening it, I flipped through the pages until my fingers landed on the one I wanted. “Hear this: Today at the cafeteria, a beautiful man asked me out. Yes, I could only call him beautiful, because the moment I’d laid eyes on him, I felt like I could come just by seeing him naked.” I stopped and raised up my eyes to my therapist, snorting and shaking my head before returning my attention to the page. “Unfortunately, I had to say no. Grandpa’s really sick, and I’ll be spending more time at home now to help grandma take care of him. They need me there for moral support. And what fun would I be with a guy like that if I can’t truly enjoy myself around him? I’ll be constantly worrying and gloomy. He’d think that this is who I usually am, which isn’t true. Maybe when this is all over, I can ask him out myself.”

When I looked up, Marvin’s eyes held a great deal of sympathy. “You never asked him out, did you?”

“Of course not! I don’t even think he went there at all. Maybe he was just visiting. I never saw him again.”

“So, you remember him.”

I chuckled, slamming the notebook shut. “Are you kidding? I still have sexy dreams about him.” I saw him part his lips and quickly held up a finger. “Ah! Don’t say it—I know what they’re really called, I just can’t.”

“Okay, alright.” He chuckled, holding up his hand in surrender. “Now, what’s the point of this? Your point, not what I observed.”

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