Page 36 of Bad Summer People
“I’m not sure,” said Rachel. She couldn’t make eye contact with Susan, which led Susan to believe Rachel knew exactly what had happened. “You saw Sam flip out, just like everyone else. I guess he’s having a bad summer.”
“Looked like a little more than that to me,” said Susan. She could usuallyget Rachel to talk, and she figured that now was the time, given Rachel’s boozy condition. “I don’t want to pry…”
“Sure you don’t,” said Rachel under her breath.
“Rachel Woolf, I’ve known you since you were a little girl. Don’t use that tone with me.”
Rachel looked up at Susan. There were tears in her eyes. Oh, dear, had Susan gone too far again? Maybe a therapist wasn’t such a bad idea. Rachel grabbed Susan’s sensible shirtsleeve and pulled her toward the boardwalk, away from the gathering. Susan wasn’t sure where Rachel was going with this. They walked a little way up Surf Walk, clear of people. The band was now playing “Blackbird,” and Susan felt a twinge in her chest. It had been one of Garry’s favorites.
“Susan, I need your help,” said Rachel, a little breathlessly. She could certainly be dramatic, thought Susan.
“I saw Jen Weinstein together with Jason Parker,” Rachel continued. “That’s who Jen is having an affair with.” Her eyes were watery in the low light.
This was not what Susan was expecting to hear—she’d thought maybe Rachel was in financial trouble, or had finally gotten Sam to relent. Not so. “Oh boy,” said Susan. She meant it. “Are you sure?”
“I’m totally positive. I saw them kissing on the beach. I don’t know if I should tell Sam about it. I told him that Jen was being unfaithful, but I haven’t given him specifics. He’s already in such a delicate state about work, I’m worried this would put him over the edge.”
“Why are you tellingme?” said Susan. Couldn’t she just get through one summer without a massive scandal landing in her lap?
“I don’t have anyone else to tell!” said Rachel. “I’m not sure what to do.”
“Rachel, I have a feeling you’d like everyone to find out the truth, just not from you,” said Susan bluntly. “You’ve always loved Sam, and this would wreck his marriage and his friendship with Jason. Perhaps, then, you’d be the only one left for him to lean on.” Rachel couldn’t pull one over on her; she’d been around the block too many times. “Are you asking me to be the one to spread the info? Because I don’t think I want to do that.”
“No, I’m not asking you to do that. But…” Rachel paused and took a sip of her pink drink.
“But what?”
“But maybe you could discover them? By accident? And then Jen would be forced to tell Sam.”
Susan shook her head. “Why would I want to be part of this?”
Rachel started to cry, crocodile tears spilling down her face. Just then, Beth Ledbetter strolled past, perhaps on her way to go pee at her house. (That was the one part of the picnic Garry didn’t live to solve; the lack of bathrooms sent people scattering home all night.) She sauntered over as Rachel quickly wiped her eyes.
“What’s shaking, guys?” Beth asked. She was in her typical uniform, cutoffs and an old white T-shirt. “Sam just put on quite a show.”
“Yes, indeed. Rachel and I were just discussing the seeding of the women’s doubles tournament. Are you and Jessica playing this year?” Rachel looked at Susan gratefully.
“We sure are,” Beth said. “And hopefully we’ll make it past the first round. Our draw was impossible last year, playing against Claire Laurell and Erica Todd. That felt like an affront!”
“Oh, you know me,” said Susan. “Fair and square, always.”
Beth rolled her eyes. “I’m dying for the bathroom. I’ll see you two later.” She walked off.
Rachel let out a big sigh. Susan eyed her sympathetically. She felt bad for Rachel and did want to help her. Susan knew what it was like to be desperately lonely.
“I refuse to discover Jen and Jason in the act. But you know that you could leak the info elsewhere, right? The more people in town who know, the faster it will get out. But be smart about it. You don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard. Why don’t you start with the tennis pro? Maybe he’ll end up telling his girlfriend, Lauren, that her husband is sleeping with Jen.” Susan snorted. It was all too absurd, these kids and their nasty affairs. Why was she allowing herself to get dragged into this nonsense? She must be bored. Now that Garry was gone, she needed a new hobby beyond tennis. Maybe she should get into bridge.
As if on cue, Susan and Rachel saw Robert walking away from the picnic, heading back toward his home. Rachel smiled at Susan and hurried after him, her dress swish-swashing as she went.Good luck to that girl,thought Susan.
She returned to her friends, still gathered around their wagons. There was an orange light in the sky, and the water looked particularly shiny and beautiful. The picnic had an electric energy; everyone was still buzzing from the earlier events, and Susan could hear whispers coming from every corner.
“Sam Weinstein has been #MeToo’d!”
“Sam and Jen are on the rocks.”
“Jen Weinstein is a fake.”
“Jason Parker is super shady.”
