The Divorce Club (5 page)

Lucy's barely hung up her coat on the hooks
in the hall when she starts chattering. "Well, don't you look
sassy? Look at her. She's glowing."

"Thanks." I peer at my baggy jeans and black
top, which I don't think are particularly flattering on my small
frame. The few pounds I've lost since my divorce would make me even
prouder if I only had the money to buy clothes that fit.

"What happened?" Lucy loops my arm with hers
and pulls me down into the chair next to hers. "You've got to share
some of the magic."

Where do I even begin? Maybe it was the
realization some sick person's stalking me. Or I could attribute my
sudden glow to my daughter's failure at school and the consequent
headache.

"I've read it's that feeling of being
free
again," Simone says.

Shannon smiles and joins in. "Oh, I'd love
some of that. Free of the nagging hubby. Free of his soccer games
and the stupid household chores."

Someone should point out that getting rid of
the hubby doesn't equal the vanishing of household chores.

"Soccer?" Lucy asks as though it's a dirty
word.

Here we go again. In spite of myself I start
to laugh.

"Oh for God's sake, Lucy, she's American,"
Mindy says. "It's the American word for football, not a
vibrator."

I excuse myself to get the coffee from the
kitchen, hoping Jamie will arrive in the meantime because it's
already ten minutes past five. When I return with the tray holding
the coffee mugs and the remaining chocolate chip muffins he's still
not here. The ladies are getting excited, so I ask, "Shall we
start, then?"

Murmurs expressing agreement ensue, then the
room falls silent and I take out my notes. "In our last session we
discussed how important it is not to seek all fault within
ourselves because the guy's to blame too. I hope you had enough
time to practice this new world view and see a difference in the
way you feel about your new circumstances."

"I did," Mindy says. "I cancelled my Botox
appointments."

I smile and nod. "Good for you, Mindy. Why go
through with something that you don't even need. Look at you,
there's not a single line on that smooth forehead of yours."

"That's because we're not really talking
about
my
forehead here."

The boss again. I wonder whether she'll ever
be bothered to attend this meeting herself instead of sending the
poor personal assistant. "Do you actually get paid for all the
extra hours you put in?" I ask, then shake my head because it's not
really my problem. "Never mind."

"I don't," Mindy says. "But I'm grateful for
the experience. Judging from the statistics, I'll probably need the
knowledge in a few years."

I crane my neck to the site, only then
noticing Jamie through the open door. He's standing in the hall,
leaning against the wall, as he stares at his smartphone like it's
about to start speaking. Maybe he's shy, or intimidated, with so
many women around. We probably are an intimidating bunch.

"Excuse me, everyone. I'll be right back."
Clearing my throat, I stand and walk out.

Jamie raises his gaze and squeezes his phone
inside his pocket. "Oh, hello. Didn't see you coming."

"Yeah, you were probably busy saving the
world." I smile and reach out a hand, praying he won't grab it. He
does, sending a pleasant jolt through my body. His palm feels
surprisingly coarse for a man who spends his days sitting in an
office. I pull back a little too quickly, but Jamie doesn't seem to
notice. I continue, "Are you scared? Come on in. No one's going to
bite off your head."

He leans into me and whispers, "You sure? The
meaty one looks quite menacing."

"That's Lucy," I say. "She might come across
like a dragon, but once you've warmed up to her she'll be like the
mother you never had." Or the sex agony aunt, but I keep that part
to myself. "They're just a bunch of women, not a species from
space. I'm sure you've met a few in your life."

Jamie cocks his head to the side and stares
at the ceiling as though thinking. "Yeah, I might have met one or
two. Don't think we got along that well. Nah, I'll wait here until
you finish your class or employee meeting or whatever that is."

Laughing, I grab his hand again and pull him
toward the door. "Don't be shy. It'll be fun, trust me. Just sit
down and listen until you start to feel comfortable. Your
presence's broadening everyone's horizon."

"Is that the therapy room?"

"I'd rather call it our meeting room. It
sounds less intrusive, don't you think?" I say. "Come on now."

I push Jamie in and smile at the various
emotions written on the ladies' faces. Lucy moistens her lips,
almost leering as though she hasn't seen a man in twenty years.
Simone's staring at the floor and I can't help but think that for
such a sexy woman she's rather self-conscious. Shannon's face is
blank as usual. And Mindy's mouth hangs wide open; her eyes sparkle
with shock. Persuading her might prove to be a harder task than
climbing Mount Everest.

"Good evening, ladies," Jamie says.

"He smells so delicious I want to take a
bite," Lucy whispers, but in such a quiet room I wouldn't be
surprised if I could hear her dirty thoughts with a bit of
concentration.

"This is Jamie. He's joining us." I point at
the empty chair. "Please take a seat and help yourself to some
coffee and a muffin. They're homemade." I did stir the contents of
the packet and bake them in my oven, so it's not a complete
lie.

Mindy squints at me. "What's he doing
here?"

"I'm waiting for my class to start," Jamie
says.

"Join the club, mister. The only thing
holding us up is you. Let's get back to work." I sit between Jamie
and Lucy and start flicking through my papers to resume the session
as I continue, "Now, I know it's hard having the enemy among us
when we're still sore and vulnerable from their betrayal. But Jamie
needs my help too, probably more so because he's a man and, let's
face it, opening up doesn't come naturally to him."

Jamie's still standing near the door,
hesitation written on his face. "I'm sorry if you think I'm the
enemy because I took one of your lady's spots. I don't mind giving
you my place in line." He smiles at me. "See? Opening up my
schedule does come naturally to me."

Huh? I stare at him because I've no idea what
he's talking about.

"I don't know about this," Mindy says. "It
doesn't seem right."

"You should be thanking me for being such a
wonderful person," Jamie says.

"Exactly my point!" Mindy rolls her eyes.
"Men want nothing but praise and glory. I'm here to spill out my
guts and I have to thank
you
for listening because you're
such a great guy?"

"No appreciation," Jamie mutters, a flicker
of amusement playing in his blue eyes.

"I feel bad for your wife," Mindy says. "How
does she deal with your inflated ego?"

"Listen, I'm not here to get lectured," Jamie
says. "I'm here for some rest, relaxation and reprieve from my
problems. Guess I'll just roll with the punches, which I
desperately wish were on my back."

I open my mouth to speak, but Shannon beats
me to it. "Look at him, the guy's shattered. You can tell from the
dark circles under his eyes. I say we give him a chance."

"Couldn't agree more." I peer at Jamie's
confused face. "Now, our Mindy said after the last meeting she
plucked up the courage to change something. Well done, Mindy. Did
anyone else feel empowered?"

Lucy and Shannon shake their heads. I stare
at Simone who averts her gaze. The woman didn't mind calling me in
the middle of the night, but give her daylight and any trace of
courage's gone.

"Simone, is there anything you'd like to
share with us today?" I prompt.

She regards me for a second, then shakes her
head. "Nothing comes to mind."

"She's hiding something." Lucy claps her
hands. "Spill the beans, lassie."

Simone lowers her gaze, a hint of a smile
forms on her lips. "I think I did the exact opposite of
empowerment."

"You decided to give him another chance?"
Mindy asks.

"Nope, worse." Simone leans forward and
whispers, "I had sex with Miles."

"Why is that bad?" Jamie asks. "Unless he's a
run-of-the-mill ax-wielding psycho." Everyone turns to face him. He
shrugs. "Sorry, I seem to have missed the previous part, so I'm not
up-to-date."

"She's obviously trying to divorce him," I
whisper.

Jamie nods. "Right. Carry on, then."

"But why would you do such a thing?" Shannon
wails. "Do you have any idea what could've happened?"

"A child, a STD," Shannon chimes in.

"Or thinking everything's going to work out
now and quitting the club," Lucy says. "You'd give Sarah a bad
reputation. Not to mention, the guy might start thinking he can get
away with anything because you're too weak to see your decisions
through."

Simone shakes her head. "He hasn't done
anything, and I'm not that stupid. I know sex isn't the answer to
our problems."

"You'd be surprised," Jamie mutters, leaning
toward me. "This is the club? The
therapy
you're
offering?"

"Yes. Now if you could just keep quiet. This
is important," I hiss. "You'll get your time in the limelight, I
promise."

"Can we skip the talking? My neck's really
sore." He is a disruptive and self-righteous, little boy. If it
weren't for the money and the club's reputation I'd kick him out
the door.

"Talking can do wonders for a wounded soul,"
I hiss. "Now keep quiet."

Jamie sighs. "I hope so because I hear this
kind of therapy is one of the best antidotes for a stressed body
and mind. I just hope I don't fall asleep."

I feel bad for him. He must not be sleeping
very much these days, what with always thinking of the ex, every
minute of every hour.

Jamie inches closer whispering, "Do you have
a gentle touch?"

"I do. I'll get you through this."

"Finally somebody's talking my language. I
don't think I can take the pain for another minute," Jamie says.
"At work it's the worst."

"Really?" I smile sympathetically. "Pain or
not, you have to deal with life because hiding won't aid your
natural healing process. Be strong and fight by taking one day at a
time."

"Just be warned my feet are ticklish." Jamie
winks. "That's a bit embarrassing actually, but at least I have no
gross nail fungus or foot odour. You've probably seen your fair
share of those."

I can make no sense of his gibberish. He must
be very confused inside. "Getting your feet wet is the first step
to recovery. We'll get past that awkward tickle."

He laughs. "This must be the hardest job
you'll ever love."

"Indeed. I don't just work on the outside, I
listen." I turn toward the others. "Now, where—" But Jamie doesn't
seem to get the message because he keeps talking.

"I just want to feel my aches and stress melt
away as I experience a new sense of freedom in my body. That's not
too much to ask, is it?"

"That's what we're here for," I say with a
reassuring smile.

He pats my hand. "You're a life saver worth
every nickel. How about a little massage now?"

I lean toward him and whisper in his ear,
"Listen, mate. Just because I'm helping you get a divorce doesn't
mean I'll take care of your other needs too."

"A divorce?" He laughs. "Now that certainly
explains what happened to the burning candles and the soft music in
the background."

"You were expecting candles?" Now it's my
turn to laugh. "What do you think we're doing here? Holding a
séance?"

He shrugs. "No I thought I was meeting with a
therapist who uses a 'hands-on' treatment to deal with my pain and
aches."

Anger's bubbling up inside me. "Find someone
else to scratch those itches."

"What?" Jamie laughs. "You might be my type
but that's not what I'm looking for."

"Good." I smile sweetly even though I'm
embarrassed for thinking he actually expected sex. The ladies are
staring at their papers, but I know they've tuned in to our little
discourse.

Jamie leans into me again as he whispers in
my ear a little too loud, "So, how long will it take until you've
sorted me out?"

I sigh. "Patience is a virtue."

"Lucky I have plenty of it or I'd be hitting
the pavement. I guess good things are worth waiting for, right?" He
grins, flashing all whites. "But still, it might affect your
tip."

"Sarah's therapy will change your life,"
Simone says.

"So I hear and I can't wait."

"She does wonders for me," Lucy says. "The
pain's started to fade away a little at a time. I know soon I'll
wake up in the morning and see a brighter future for the first
time. Not least because the hubby's moving out this week."

"Wow—" Jamie nods impressed. "You're that
good, huh? I knew coming here was a great idea, but I never
expected it to change my life."

I clap my hands before he resumes his
rambling. "Okay, ladies. Let's get back to work, shall we? As you
may remember, last week's session was all about taking the blame—"
I press my hands against my chest, then thrust them away in a
half-circle "—and pushing it all away."

From the corner of my eye, I notice Jamie
whipping out the
Evening Standard
and flicking through the
pages. The guy's unbelievable. "Sorry if my talking is interrupting
your reading," I hiss.

He doesn't even look at me. "Nah, I'll just
entertain myself while you finish up your speech about the birds
and the bees."

"How can I help you if you throw yourself
into a newspaper?" I shake my head.

"You're not wearing your wedding band, but
you're here." Mindy eyes Jamie suspiciously. I must admit that's an
interesting question. If he has the power to pull off a wedding
ring he shouldn't have a hard time initiating the separation.