"I hope Rosalind won't mind me coming over unexpectedly," Charlotte said as Dale parked on the driveway of his 1950s ranch style house.
"Of course she won't," he said giving her a reassuring smile. "She'll be positively thankful."
Charlotte nodded as she unstrapped her seatbelt; she did feel guilty about cancelling her plans with Judy but she couldn't miss an opportunity to pick her lawyer's brain. More than that, after spending an hour dissecting her own marriage, she wasn't in the mood to listen to Judy's wedding plans. She was happy for her but she regretted agreeing to be one her bridesmaids, it was hard to keep plastering a smile on her face.
"Charlotte!" Rosalind exclaimed throwing the front door open. "I wasn't expecting you, come on in."
"I hope I'm not intruding," Charlotte said looking around at the Townsends' immaculate home. It was ever ready for visitors although Dale had intimated that they rarely had any.
"Of course, you're not intruding," Rosalind said as she linked her arm through Charlotte's and led her into the sitting room. "I've been dying for some company, I'm going stir crazy here by myself." She shot Dale a hard look which Charlotte did not miss.
"I'm gonna file these papers in my study," Dale said taking a step back. "I won't be very long."
Rosalind scowled at his retreating form. "I'll hold you to that." She turned to Charlotte indicating for her to sit down. "He'll be gone for the next hour but it gives us a chance for a catch-up. How are you?"
"I'm good." Rosalind tilted her head to one side looking sceptical. "Okay, I'm not so good but I'm getting there."
"Don't rush it, these things take time."
Charlotte swallowed down her annoyance at the often repeated platitude. "I've had plenty of time, it's over six months since I left Nick and yet some days..."
"Do you want him back?"
"Of course not!" How could Ros suggest such a thing after all she'd been through?
Rosalind arched her eyebrows. "Are you sure about that? You can tell me, I won't judge."
Charlotte bit back a retort, taking a couple of deep breaths. "I guess I want my old life back. I didn't expect that at nearly twenty-five years old I'd be holed up in a room in my brother's house, barely making ends meet." She lapsed into silence, allowing herself a moment of self-pity.
"I know how you feel," Rosalind said and Charlotte gaped at her. "I mean about life not turning out as you'd planned."
"Your life seems pretty good from where I'm sitting," she said rolling her eyes.
"It's not, it's boring! Look at me." Rosalind threw her arms out dramatically. "I used to be beautiful. I was head cheerleader, homecoming queen, and now I'm just a frumpy old housewife."
"You're still beautiful," Charlotte said impatiently. With her hair gently waved and her face carefully made up Ros was far from frumpy, even her nails were painted. She looked down at her own nails, she had neither the time nor the inclination to put nail varnish on, she was doing well just keeping them tidy.
"But how I look doesn't matter any more," Rosalind said waving a hand dismissively. "In high school it did but these days no one cares. Being pretty and popular counts for nothing."
Oh, my heart bleeds for you.
"Is that why you had an affair with John?"
Rosalind flinched. "Maybe, I dunno."
"It doesn't matter, I shouldn't have asked." She'd spent months trying not to get caught in the middle of her friends' conflict, she didn't want to fall into that trap now.
"I am sorry for what I did," Rosalind said her voice stilted. "I hurt Dale and Darlene, I don't know what I was thinking."
"It sounds like you were trying to feel good about yourself."
"Ouch."
Charlotte shrugged. "Sorry."
"I guess that's not entirely untrue." Rosalind flushed deeply. "It was nice to feel desired again."
Charlotte groaned, she did not want to be hearing this. "I'm sorry but I won't condone what you did."
"What John and I did!" Rosalind's eyes flashed with anger. "I know what you think of me and I know you're on Darlene's side but things aren't as black and white as you might think."
"I'm not on anyone's side." She looked away from Ros, with hindsight she'd rather be discussing Judy's wedding plans. "But Darlene's my oldest friend and she's confided in me, I won't risk breaking her confidences."
Rosalind sat back on the sofa, her face softening. "I know, I wouldn't want you to but I hope we can still be friends?"
"We are." She smiled slightly. "I have enough problems of my own, I don't want to fall out with my friends as well." She laughed, but the sound was hollow.
Rosalind reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'm glad to hear that. Do you mind if I put some Elvis on?" Charlotte shook her head and Rosalind stood up and went over to the record player. "Oh good, I love a bit of Elvis."
"I prefer Sinatra. I guess I'm old fashioned."
Rosalind laughed. "No you're not, you're far more modern than the rest of us."
Charlotte snorted. "Modern? Me?"
"Yes, you. You have a career, you've got out of a bad marriage, you're not dependant on a man."
"You make it sound like it's easy."
"But that's the point, it isn't," Rosalind insisted. "Take Darlene. John's cheated more than once but she'll never leave him, she doesn't have the guts to."
Charlotte bristled. "To be fair, if all I'd had to put up with was Nick having the odd bit on the side we'd still be together. When I look at what I've lost - my home, my family, my security, people's respect - I wish things could have turned out differently."
"Oh, right," Rosalind said and an awkward silence descended. "Why don't I go get us some drinks? White wine?"
Charlotte nodded and Ros left the room. She sat back thinking she'd have to find a something less contentious to talk about or they would wind up falling out.
"Here you go," Rosalind said as she reentered the room. She thrust a large glass of wine into Charlotte's hand. "I think you need this, we both do."
"Thanks." She took a sip from the overfilled glass. "You'll never guess who I bumped into today?" Ros looked at her blankly. "Louis Kinsella."
Rosalind's eyes widened "No way. I've not seen him in years, I thought he was still in Vietnam."
"Obviously not," Charlotte said ruefully.
"What did you say?"
"Not a lot, I made a quick getaway." She cringed remembering, she'd acted like an embarrassed school girl. "To be honest I've been all churned up since I saw him. I knew it was possible I might run into him but I'd managed to convince myself he'd not return to Glendale."
"He probably thought the same about you."
Her mouth turned down. "Well, if things had gone to plan he would have been right." She should have lived happily ever after in Ohio with her husband and child...
"So have you made plans to meet up with him again?"
"God no," she said struggling to swallow her drink. "I hope I never see him again."
Rosalind's eyes narrowed. She opened her mouth as if she was about to speak but took another sip of her drink instead. "So how did it go with Dale today?" she finally asked. "He doesn't discuss his cases with me in case he breaks client confidentiality." She laughed. "He thinks he's a doctor."
Charlotte let out a deep sigh. "I won't be divorced any time soon, Nick's still contesting it. Just when I thought we were getting somewhere he starts playing games." She couldn't attempt to hide her frustration. After everything that had happened she didn't know how he had the nerve to be so difficult.
"You always knew it wouldn't be easy," Rosalind reminded her. "You have to keep your nerve. What does Dale say?"
"He thinks Nick's trying to ramp up the pressure so I'll agree to bad terms just to get it over with. Which I probably would. I don't want to go to court, and I don't want all the details made public." She sighed again and took another sip of her drink.
"But if it goes to court he'll come off worse, the whole world will know what a bastard he is," Rosalind said indignantly. "He might even lose his job, his reputation will be ruined."
"Maybe but I can't face it, and his side will have a completely different take on things." She paused, her fingers playing with the beads on her bracelet. "He'll say I'm a liar and a fantasist, and he's threatening to go for custody of Jamie." Her heart constricted as she thought of their five-year-old child.
Rosalind scoffed. "No way does he want custody of Jamie, that would cramp his style. He's just trying to scare you, you've gotta stay strong."
"I guess." She'd spent an hour having the same conversation with Dale and while she didn't think Nick would be able to take Jamie from her, part of her still feared he hated her enough to try.
~~~