Prologue
How many of you guys ever think about the loose girls from your younger days? You know the type I mean, the 'fun girls.' The ones you got drunk and fucked. Maybe you even gang-banged one with your friends. Did you ever wonder what happened to them after you used them and tossed them aside? Or did you knock one up and have to marry her?
I sometimes wonder how many of those girls needed therapy after being used and dumped. Or maybe she had a kid out of wedlock and ended up raising a child alone and living in poverty.
I didn't start out as a fun girl. But when I was in college, my best girlfriend and I met two guys who were close friends, and I thought my guy was Mister Right. He and I seemed to hit it off, dating exclusively with each other for about a month or two. Then things between us slowly changed. Around that same time, my girlfriend ditched her guy, saying he was a pervert. Maybe I was just a little more adventurous.
I certainly wasn't raised to be a prude. Growing up poor, I grew to be a tall, well-built, busty girl with long, black hair and a nice smile. My unwed mother (go ahead, called me a "bastard," I've heard it before) taught me that I should learn to use my assets to get what I wanted!
"Just be careful and use protection!" mama advised.
Unfortunately, the timing of watching my periods and precautions with condoms didn't always work out as planned. Accidents happen! Then getting married due to an unplanned pregnancy is not a good start to the long-term relationship.
When the marriage finally cracks under stress and you're both ready to quit, there's the kid to think about. Divorce isn't easy or painless, and disruptions to a kid's already stressful teenage years is often a recipe for disaster. So, some wives endure to just "suck it up" until the time is right, while some clueless husbands think THEY hold all of the cards!
Book Club
This month, the book the club selected for us to read was about a hooker, and Cindy hosted this Saturday morning's meeting.
Sandra (the neighborhood Queen of the gossiping bitches) mentioned that her husband, Jack is now a member of "The Club" at the Marquis Hotel. And with the way she proudly said that, the rest of us subtly glanced at each other, our eyes darting around to see if anyone was going to explain it to her.
"His siblings gave him that membership for his fifty-fifth birthday last month," Sandra explained. "They're paying for it from his Family Trust Fund or from their charity Foundation."
"I've heard of The Club," Cindy admitted, but not revealing the rumors everyone else heard about it. "My husband and I went to that bar in the hotel's penthouse restaurant one evening. But I didn't see any signs for any special 'Club' there, just the hotel restaurant and public nightclub."
"Jack said it's an exclusive club by invitation only," Sandra explained, as if she were enlightening the rest of us. "Apparently, only the members know where and when they meet. The membership buy-in and monthly fees are too high for most people," Sandra explained, still bragging. "His family's paying for his membership, so he can make contacts among the rich club members for donations."
"I thought you always hosted the donor dinners for his charity," Allison said.
"I do," Sandra explained. "But he said he's reaching out for contacts in The Club to find others. I was just wondering if anyone else is a member there, because it's rather expensive and exclusive," and she said that in a smug way, obviously trying to flaunt her husband's importance.
Some of us try to ignore Sandra, not letting her gossip and judgmental attitudes get to us. But I think everyone sees her as a bitch, with her 'holier than thou' attitude. She seems to take joy in anyone's discomfort when she publicly airs any dirty secrets she can find.
Sandra spent several months last year spreading a rumor behind Lori's back and being careful to keep Lori in the dark. It was just a few months ago, when she seemed pleased with herself at the shocked expression on Lori's face as she finally told Lori her husband had a mistress! Sandra had let the rumors simmer for months, so there'd be no denying it when she finally told Lori.
I glanced at Stacy to see her reaction to Sandra's bragging about her husband and The Club. While almost everyone in town heard about it, Stacy, I, and a few of the other wives here have a little more information about it. But we didn't bother to enlighten Sandra as to what that really meant.
###
Outside the house when everyone was leaving, we waved goodbye to Sandra, Allison, Lori, and two others as they went to their cars. Six of us walked a little slower, pretending to be talking about the book until they were all out of ear shot. With Sandra's mentioning The Club, Stacy now asked if any of us had plans to go there.
Carla was the only one in our group standing here who planned ahead for a reservation. "I called Carl yesterday, so a limo is picking me up at six o'clock this evening."
Some of us see that place as our social club for those who are in our same situation. But nobody's ever forced to go to the Club, we just go there when we feel like it.
"How about the rest of you?" Stacy asked.
"Not this week," the others replied, with Margie adding that her husband has been a good boy since her last visit.
"Dan said he doesn't want me going there anymore," Margie said. "He's spending more time with me every evening and watching me like a hawk! I told him if I ever catch him cheating on me again, I'll fuck some guy bareback and bring it home for Dan to lick it out of me. Otherwise, I'll see him in divorce court!
Lindsey giggled, saying "Wow, there's a harsh bitch."
"I'm being nice and giving him a choice," Carla said with a smile.
"O-kay!" Stacy said drawing the word out, then grinning at Margie's sense of power over her husband.
"Sandra acted like she's never heard of 'The Club,' Lindsey added. "Do you really think she's that naΓ―ve? I thought everyone knew about it."
"Sandra might be the only one in town by now who doesn't know," Stacy said. "You heard her a few months ago, when she said she only had one boyfriend before she married her husband, Jack. And I doubt she spreads her legs anymore for him. So, theirs is a weird marriage. I think she has blinders on when it comes to sex. She's probably content in her role with their charity Foundation, as long as Jack's around to pay the bills."
"We all know he had a
'sugar baby,'
paying her way through college," I said, reminding them of that piece of gossip. "But I heard the girl graduated college and moved away two months ago."
"That's probably why Jack joined The Club," Stacy observed just before opening her car door and getting in to leave.
###
It was noon this Saturday after the book club meeting. When I came home, my husband, Matt was standing in the kitchen fixing a sandwich for lunch.
I decided it was time I confronted him with some recent bank transactions I found when I checked our accounts that morning. Things between us were getting increasingly more distant over the past year or more. Since our son went off to college, things between us were getting even worse. But before I could say anything, Matt blurted out; "I'll be away next weekend finalizing the latest contract proposal."