This is the finale of Audrey's story. I have no plans to continue, but I won't rule out the possibility of doing more in the future.
*****
Audrey awoke to find that it was barely nine and she felt like she had hardly slept. She finally rose and fetched her phone from the living room where she had tossed it when she came home. The phone showed that she had gotten a number of calls and texts from Rochelle. The texts were all to the effect of calling her back. Audrey stared at the phone for several moments before finally deciding to call. Rochelle picked up on the first ring.
"Audrey, I'm so glad you called. I'm serious about talking this over." Audrey breathed deeply before responding.
"I trust you Rochelle, I don't believe this was some ridiculous attempt to get us back together. But please, I don't want to talk or see anyone right now." Rochelle waited, but Audrey didn't hang up.
"Audrey, Susan called me after you hung up. She asked for your number. I turned her down, same as I would with any client. However I also can't ignore that you were married. So, I consented to pass on a message. She wants to meet. I'm sure you know where." Audrey bit back her first response and thought further.
"I don't know Rochelle, what would I say?" There was a brief pause before Rochelle responded.
"Why not try the truth?" Audrey sighed.
"Would that matter now?" Rochelle made a slight click as she continued.
"Audrey she asked to talk with you. Clearly she wants to hear from you. Even if it doesn't mean you ever see her again, give it a chance to find closure. This may be what you need to pursue another relationship." Audrey went back and forth a number of times, certain about both decisions before finally speaking.
"Alright, alright. I'll go." She heard what sounded like soft laughter as Rochelle spoke.
"Good, she'll be there in an hour." Now Audrey felt herself growing steamed and struggled to keep her voice even.
"You knew when I would wake up and that I would say yes, didn't you?" Now Rochelle's laugh was far more audible.
"Of course Audrey, I have known you for almost twenty years." Audrey shook her head as she tried to avoid snapping.
"Bye, Rochelle." She hung up without waiting for reply. She sat fuming for several moments before sighing at how childish she was being. She dressed and decided to head for the café where she and Susan would meet during college. She was early, but Susan was waiting in their usual booth. Audrey stood, seriously considering leaving, but ultimately walked forward, sliding into the booth before she realized she hadn't said anything to Susan. Susan momentarily smiled before frowning.
"So Audrey, it's been awhile." Audrey nodded.
"Yeah, it has been." They stared at one another without making eye contact for several moments before Susan spoke.
"Audrey, tell me what happened, why were you with that other woman?" Audrey felt something snap inside her.
"Me? Your entire life was about your job, while I was a distant after-thought. I started the shop because I barely saw you. But it went badly and I didn't want to admit to you that I had failed. So Rochelle helped me start an escort service. Originally it was about connecting three college girls to older women, but one of them wanted a more mature woman. At first I turned her down, but once it seemed like anytime we spent together was so sterile, like you felt an obligation rather than any real passion." She sat back feeling tears, but too upset to actually cry.
"So, the woman I caught you with was a client?" A nod. "I didn't know which I felt more, hurt or angry. After the divorce I focused all my efforts on the job, but it wasn't long before I began to miss you. I realized I had taken you for granted, but I was to hurt and angry to go to you. Although if you had come to me I would probably not have held out long. I didn't want to date, but I was getting distracted, so I made some discreet inquiries and with obvious reluctance I contacted Rochelle through a go between. I think the rest is obvious." Audrey sighed and they sat in silence for some time before she decided to speak.
"So what now?" Susan turned back to her in obvious surprise. She thought a moment before responding.
"I don't know. But despite everything I do regret not trying to deal with this. So, do you think we can try again?" Audrey stared wide-eyed for several moments before shrugging.
"I don't know either. What do you have in mind?" Smiling faintly Susan exhaled slowly.
"How about a date? Nothing fancy, just a meal where we can catch up." Audrey nodded slowly as she can considered this suggestion.
"Fine. One meal. No promises." Susan smiled weakly.
"Good. Just please let this happen, don't just dismiss it out of hand." Audrey stood and Susan put a hand on hers. "How about tonight?" Audrey turned as if to leave, but stopped and sighed resignedly.
"Okay. Tonight, I guess we can go to that place we used to go to. One time. I'll see you there at six." Susan smiled.
"Good, see you then." Audrey barely restrained herself from running to her car. Once home Rochelle called.
"Yes Rochelle, what is it?" Rochelle's voice was often tinged with amusement when she called Audrey, however this time her tone was serious.
"How did it go?" Audrey struggled to keep her voice even.
"Fine. We're going on a date tonight?" Rochelle paused before responding.
"Are you thinking of getting back together?" Audrey groaned audibly.
"One date only. We'll eat, we'll talk and then we'll go our separate ways."
"Audrey, are you sure that's what you really want?" Audrey felt her temper rising and it became more difficult to keep her tone civil.
"What does it matter what I want? I ruined our marriage. It's broken and you don't fix that sort of thing, because you can always see the cracks." Rochelle briefly laughed, but without humor.
"Very poetic, but Audrey if you truly want her back, tell her tonight. Get this out in the open and find out once and for all. Susan obviously regrets what happened. Maybe this is a chance for resolution." Audrey felt deflated, suddenly she didn't want to be angry anymore.
"I really don't know Rochelle. She might want resolution, but I don't think..." She would have continued, but Rochelle cut her off.
"Stop, Audrey. Whatever mistakes you have made, you need to stop punishing yourself. I'm your friend and I just want you to be happy." Audrey smiled for the first time all day.
"Alright Rochelle, I promise to give this a chance, but that is all I promise."
"That is all I ask. Goodbye and good luck, Audrey." Audrey felt a lot better.
"Goodbye, Rochelle." She didn't know what lay ahead, but she felt a little more eager for the date. As the day went on she was no longer sure if her eagerness for the date was more about seeing Susan or to get the whole thing out of the way. Soon enough it was time to leave. She was still a mix of emotions, but she was determined to see it through regardless. She arrived at the restaurant just before six and expected that she would be getting the table, but then spotted Susan. She immediately sat opposite Susan, who glanced up smiling.
"I wasn't sure if you would come." Audrey shrugged as she picked up the menu on her side of the table.
"Neither was I. Waiting long?" Susan shook her head as she turned to her own menu.
"Just arrived actually." Audrey glanced at the water glass on Susan's side of the table, which was about half empty. She put the menu down, perhaps a bit too dramatically, as despite how long it had been since she last ate at the restaurant, she knew what she wanted. Susan looked up and set her menu aside. "Alright, I've been here about forty minutes." The waiter arrived and they both ordered. "So what's been happening with you, Audrey?" Audrey quickly related the progress of her shop, her design plans and briefly her activities with her escort service.
"And you?" Susan shrugged and took a drink.
"As I said I threw myself fully into the job and now I'm a director with a full staff, actually I'm starting to find myself with more free time, despite my best efforts." Audrey shrugged as their meals arrived.
"Despite managing to always find more work, you never could stand inefficiency, least of all in yourself." Susan laughed briefly as she started on her own meal. They ate in silence for some time. When they were near finishing Susan looked up and Audrey did the same.
"Audrey, I want to at least try again. Please, what do you honestly want?" Audrey swallowed before starting and stopping several times, until she could finally speak.
"After what I did, how can you say that?" If anything Susan looked even more serious, food ignored.
"Audrey, I'm not saying you're blameless or that I'm not still unhappy, but I wasn't entirely blameless. However what matters is, I love you Audrey. I know it won't be easy, but I don't care. So again, what do you want?" Again Audrey struggled with her response, but at last she spoke.
"Yes damn it. I want you Susan. But how can we go back?" Susan shook her head.
"We don't go back, we try to make something new." Audrey sat in silence staring blankly at her plate as Susan paid the check and led her out. Audrey seemed to revive a bit and she consented when Susan kissed before she sat behind the wheel of her car.
She drove home and sat in thought to consider if she would accept when Susan inevitably called. Susan didn't call that night so Audrey went to bed. Her sleep was troubled by her indecision, but when she awoke she found she had actually slept reasonably well. Feeling better than she had in a while she collected her design and headed to the shop. Once at the shop she showed her latest design to Gwen.
"Wow, this is good ma'am. Actually I have a customer coming in who would love this. Can I show her?" Audrey smiled.
