The Break-Up -- Part #2 "The Next Day"
I have been encouraged to continue the story. Here is part two and there is at least one more to follow. This story is mostly narrative, not much sex -- sorry -- but I need the narrative to set up the third part and I wanted to make "Abigail" deeper and more mutil-dimensional, and hopefully more interesting and sympathetic. I hope you all enjoy. This story is part #2 and follows the events in "The Break-Up." You should read that story first, even though I have tried to fill in a few details. Lastly, at the end I reference two musical selections that are both easily available on YouTube. I encourage you, my dear readers, to call up the selections (put in the first few Italian words) and listen. This music goes a long way to defining the heroine of my stories. I enjoy comments and also welcome suggestions and story ideas.
Abi stirred, rolled over and opened her eyes. Where was she? She looked around at the strange room. Slowly the memory of the events of the previous evening came back to her. She sat up. She was still naked from the waist down but was wearing an open blouse and her jacket. She had obviously simply dropped into the bed and fallen asleep immediately.
She listened. All was quiet.
She looked around. She was alone. At least it seemed that way.
She got up and walked into the hall and stopped to listen. Still nothing. She saw the bathroom door open, went inside and sat down on the toilet. She had to pee badly. As she sat there she thought of Greg, their fight and her walking out promising never to return, Emily, the park. The park!!! "Shit!" She shook her head; did she really do that in the park last night? Did they really make love? She finished. Took some toilet paper in her hand and wiped herself then flushed the toilet. Wandering back into the room she noticed her skirt and panties and purse all in a pile on the floor. "What time is it?" She picked up her purse and pulled out her cell phone: 10:52 AM. "Shit, I have a seminar class to teach at 9:00!" She sighed and flopped back on the bed. "Too late to worry about that!" Rolling over onto her back she looked at her phone again.
There were several voice mail messages: a couple from Greg (delete-delete-delete); one from the department secretary:
Good morning Professor Saunders this is Becky, just wanted to let you know that we cancelled your seminar for this morning and will cancel your class this afternoon. Dr. Greg told us you were sick and we also got a call from a friend of yours. Call when you feel better and let me know what you want to do with Friday's classes. Hope you feel better soon."
"Ok, good," She thought.
Next - from her daughter Katie:
"Hey mom, hope you're ok. Dad sent out a frantic email late last night that I got early this morning. He said it is finally over between you two and you had gone off the deep end. (She laughed) I told him to chill out and leave you alone. I won't say I'm sorry, but I will say it's about time. Anyway, we just want to know you are ok. But why don't you text me and maybe you would like meet Janie and me for lunch. Ok, text me. We love you, bye
." It was nice to hear her daughter's sweet, happy voice.
She went to the messaging app to reply and noticed a text from Emily,
"Hey, you were sleeping soundly when I left. I have stuff to do all day, but make yourself at home. You can stay as long as you want. Oh, I called your department and told them you were sick and wouldn't be in today, but you should call. Let's meet for supper around 6:00 somewhere. Text me a place. (heart emoji)"
Abi thought for a minute and responded, "Thanks so much Emily. How about we meet at TGI Friday's. See you at 6:00! (return heart emoji)" Then to Katie, "Hi, just woke up. Had a hard night as you know. It's 11 now, I'll meet you at 1:00 at Panera's. Love you..."
Lastly, she called her department, "Hi Becky, this is Abi. Sorry, I'm calling so late in the morning, Thanks for cancelling everything for today and I want to cancel for tomorrow too. But I'm fine and I'll be in next week."
Becky lowered her voice to a whisper, "Abi, I know that something happened between you a Greg. He has been in a state today. He's locked himself in his office and we haven't seen him at all. He told me you wouldn't be in and then some woman named Emily called, but we have everything handled here." Abi reacted a little defensively, "Emily... Emily's a friend. But thanks for doing that."
"Sorry to hear that things have fallen apart for you guys, but I'm not surprised."
Abi sighed, "That's what my daughter said. Anyway, I'll be back next week. Thanks."
One more call to Dean Copley's office, "Hi good morning, this is Professor Abi Saunders, does Dean Copley have any time later today for me to stop by to see her. 15 minutes is all that I need." The secretary put her on hold and then came back with a time -- 4:30. "Great, I'll be by then." Abi disconnected, pulled herself out of the bed that was really only a queen size mattress on the floor and picked up her clothes and laid them out neatly on the bed. Then she removed the jacket she had slept in and lay it on the bed as well. Wearing only an unbuttoned white silk blouse she walked down the hall past the bathroom, past another empty but lived in bedroom and into a large living space with a couple couches and a TV, then through the living space into the kitchen.
"Hi!" A young woman was sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop open. Startled, Abi blushed, "Ahhh sorry, I didn't know anyone was here. It was so quiet." She pulled her blouse closed in embarrassment. The young woman smiled, "No problem, we all are pretty open around here. Feel free to walk around naked whenever you want." She smiled and got up from the table extending her hand. "You must be Professor Abi Saunders. Emily told me you would be staying a little while." It seemed odd to Abi to be addressed by her formal title while she was standing nearly naked in a strange kitchen, "Ah... call me Abi. Yeah, Emily let me stay last night. I had a bit of a personal crisis. She was very kind to me." Abi took her hand and smiled, letting go of her blouse.
"No problem. There is an empty room with a bed on the other side of the kitchen that you might find more comfortable than Emily's room. Feel fee to move in for a while. And by the way, I'm Rachel. I'm a grad student in the math department." Abi wandered over and looked into the room. It was small but had a single bed, a desk and a dresser. Abi smiled, "So nice to meet you Rachel, thanks so much for your kindness. This room will work fine for a little while." Rachel was slightly taller than Abi and pretty slender. Her hair was cut very short with green streaks. Rachel also had fairly large breasts that were completely covered by the sweatshirt she was wearing. She also seemed a bit more severe and organized than Emily. "Is... ah... Is there coffee?" Abi asked finally. "Up in that cabinet there and the coffee maker is over on that counter. Milk in the fridge -- 1%, hope that is ok." "Sure that's fine." Abi said as she started to pull things out and make herself some coffee. "I would expect to help pay expenses if I stay for a while." Rachel shrugged, "Sure, whatever, we can work that out later." She smiled and packed up her computer. "I have class. By the way, do you need to borrow any clothing?" Abi blushed, "Well, I have what I was wearing yesterday... ah in the room." "I'm probably closer to your size than Emily is, so if you need anything just go into the closet and take it." Abi smiled, thanked her and she was gone. "Well," she said out loud as she poured her coffee and put milk and honey into it, "At least there are no secrets! Both of my new roommates have seen me naked all ready!"
Abi's phone buzzed with a text from Katie, "Mom, Panera's is too crowded. Meet us at Iron Hill at 1:00." Abi sent a thumbs up. "Iron Hill?" She wondered, "Why such a pricey little place for lunch?" There was also a text from Emily confirming 6:00 at TGI and telling her where to find an extra key.
Back into the bedroom she dressed in her clothes from the day before, donned the jacket after smoothing out the wrinkles, put on her sunglasses and she was out the door and into her car. It was only 11:30, so she decided to head over to the house and pack a couple suitcases, which she could bring back to the house after lunch.
+++
Katie waved as Abi came into the restaurant. Removing her sunglasses she walked up to the booth and gave both of her girls long hugs. "Hey mom, nice to see you. You doing ok?"
"I'm fine."
"You sure?" Asked the younger one, Janie.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It wasn't really unexpected."
Abi slid into the booth on one side across from the girls.
Abi and Greg had had 4 children: 2 boys -- Rob 27 and Will, 22; and two girls -- Katie 25 and Janie 24. The four kids were all very different from one another. Will was the quietest and gentlest of the 4. He was bi-sexual and perhaps the one of her children that was the most like her. Rob was typically masculine, and reminded Abi of her stepbrother, Trevor. The girls Katie and Janie were both an interesting contrast with each other. Katie was very girly whereas Janie had always been rougher, physical and boyish, she was perhaps a bit more like her father. On this day Janie was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, no bra and a jacket while Katie had on a cute colorful top over a pair of tight spandex leggings.
"So, what happened?" Katie said after they asked the hostess to get them some drinks: sodas for the girls and Perrier for Abi.
"What did your dad tell you?"
"Janie answered, "Not much. You guys had a fight and you walked out."
"That's all he said?" The girls shook their heads.
"There was more to it than that, but I'm not going to go into all the gory details. Suffice it to say he told me our marriage was over, that he had decided he was gay and had a relationship with some guy named Mark who was going to be moving in, but that I could stay in the house if I wanted." She took a sip of her water that had just been delivered. "I did not react well."
She and the girls all looked up at the waiter who was hovering by the table.
