The Woman He Married (10 page)

Josie swallowed down her anxiety and let herself hope that after the final curtain call, and everyone had been thoroughly wowed with her costume-designing abilities, John would be more relaxed and they would finally have a chance to talk. Then, after he dispelled all of her concerns over his late nights, the bracelet and whatnot, as simple misunderstandings, they would…

“Still, I feel like I’ve forgotten something.” Josie tried again to identify the source of her unease, but somehow she couldn’t seem put her finger on it.

“You have just had two insane days and a cheating…um, well—to deal with. No wonder you feel like you’re missing something.” Gina smiled uncomfortably as she checked the children to make sure they were in the correct order for the final scene.

“All the week she’d done her best and Mom and Dad were most impressed
.
And then she jumped up to her feet when she saw the special treat.”

Josie felt her pulse start to race in anticipation of Bobbie’s turn on stage.

As the bananas appeared from the opposite side of the stage, Jessica said,
“Oh! Who will help me peel the bananas?”
Josie watched for the tops to open and…

“God, almighty!” she said as all the blood drained from her face. “Did you…” Josie’s throat closed up, making it impossible for her to finish her sentence.

“What?” Gina followed Josie’s gaze over to where the bananas were standing, about to open. Then, taking in a sizeable breath, she said, “We forgot, didn’t we?”

“We have to do something!” Josie’s voice was shrill as she tried to think of a way to put off the inevitable. “We need a distraction.”

“What do you have in mind?” Gina said with a snort. “You want me to waltz out there and rip off my top while you tackle the bananas and roll ’
em
off the stage?”

“Gina!” Josie wasn’t laughing. “Be serious!” she said as she started to make a move toward the stage.

“Wow, hold on there! Maybe someone else fixed the color?” Gina pulled Josie back behind the curtain.

“Maybe?
Maybe?”
Josie couldn’t leave this to a maybe. But looking back onto the stage she could see…

It was already too late.

* * * *

Holding her breath, Josie had her fingers crossed so tight her knuckles were turning white. Barely able to watch, she had one eye closed, as the skins started to roll down.
Please don’t be pink, please don’t be pink, please don’t
…

When the pink at the top began to materialize under the glaring stage lights, Josie felt her adrenaline pumping as her fight or flight reflexes kicked in. She was already packed, so maybe if she ducked out now she could get home, grab her suitcase, and ride off into the sunset before anyone realized she’d gone. Or she could just keep holding her breath until she passed out, creating a diversion, and giving Gina time to dispose of the costumes.

The audience let out a sigh, followed by a few random claps, when the yellow skins turned down revealing Bobbie, Luke, and
Brandon
’s smiling faces.

“Now all the bananas were ready to eat, proud to be the special treat.”

Gina stayed quiet for a moment, listening. “I think that we might be in the clear,” she said, squeezing Josie’s arm.

Josie let out the air she’d been holding captive in her lungs, allowed her body to relax, and her fingers to untwist.

But her relief wasn’t to last.

A small disturbance ensued from the audience. “Do you see? Looks like… Good Lord!” The voices were muddled but Josie could tell that something was definitely happening. Peeking out through the slit in the curtain, she saw confused, or maybe angry faces, and pointing fingers. Lori Watson left her seat, heading to the other side of the stage, fists clenched, eyes narrowed.

Josie closed her eyes and hung her head, knowing that they were
not
in the clear.

“What’s happening?” Gina asked, biting a nail. She actually looked nervous herself.

Josie didn’t answer. She just looked across the stage as Lori’s angry face appeared on the other side. One hand pointing at the boys, the other balled into a tight fist at her side, Lori spoke to Pamela. As she watched the exchange, Josie could feel the heat of Lori’s anger pulsating across the stage. She and Gina stood frozen while Pamela timidly pointed in their direction, and Lori turned her infuriated gaze on them.

The boys made their way backstage, and Josie watched as their excitement melted to fear with Lori’s demeanor. Then, turning on her heel, she stomped off, heading straight for Gina and Josie.

“She’s coming,” Josie said, and grabbed Gina’s hand, squeezing it hard.

Josie tried to think.
What can I say? Should I say that I’m not the one who painted them and blame the other mom? “She’s the one who painted them pink.”
Or pretend like I don’t know what the problem is? “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.” Maybe I could turn it back on Lori,
“Get your mind out of the gutter; only a sick, twisted person would see a penis when clearly it’s a banana.”
But the increasing sound of hushed voices from the auditorium told Josie that she really had no hope of minimizing, much less, denying the fact that she’d screwed up.

Amidst the growing commotion out in the audience, up on stage, the dance continued as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Josie’s despair deepened as the narrator read.

“So whenever young Jessie got veggies to eat, she knew it would lead to a special treat…”

And as the child dressed like a white jar burst on to the stage and bowed, causing marshmallow cream to spill, which was supposed to be a good laugh, Josie knew no one in the audience was paying attention to what she thought would be the crowning moment of the play.
All of her hard work, and for what?
All people were going to remember was that their children were dancing with penises.

Then, just as the actor playing the cream gave the audience a befuddled look, Lori burst through the back stage door behind Josie and Gina.

Josie’s tired body started to ache.
Why?

“I want to
talk
 
to
you!” Lori’s voice was low but her rage still managed to vibrate through Josie’s ears. Turning, she saw Lori pointing an angry tense finger toward the stage door.

Now she finally decides she wants to talk to me
, Josie mused.

Once the three of them emerged into the empty corridor, and before the door had a chance to click shut, Lori started in, saying, “I always knew you were a troublemaker, Josie McClain, but ruining a third-grade play just to get a few laughs… Well, that’s
pushin
’ it even for you.” Her brown beady eyes were darker than usual.

“Look, I didn’t mean... It’s just a misunderstanding, that’s all.” Josie tried to explain but couldn’t find the right words.

“Oh yeah?
Well
that
misunderstanding’s going to cost us,” Lori said, fuming. “Do you think any of those parents are going to put their hard-earned money down to buy a…a porno film?”

Porno film?
I wonder what she’s been watching after the kids go to
bed?
 
“I’m truly sorry. It’s just that…” Josie tried again.
Damn, what were those excuses I was going to use? “Oh, you must have a sick mind.” No, there was more, I’m sure—

“What?” Fuming, Lori didn’t let Josie finish. “Mark my words! You will never, and I mean
never
, volunteer at this school again.” She stomped her foot and pointed a stubby finger in Josie’s face. “You’re not fit to mop these floors.”

Gina growled, “That’s it.” Nudging Josie out of the way, she stepped forward.
“Listen, sister.
You’ve crossed a line here. You don’t get to decide—”

“You stay out of this,” Lori said, taking a step forward, both fists balled at her side. “Everyone knows you’re some sort of atheist-liberal.”

“And damn proud of it!”
Gina came back as she started toward Lori with an open palm.

Josie could hear John’s voice in her head, saying,
“First you embarrass our family by dressing our son as a penis and then you get in a fight with Lori Watson—I play golf with her husband at the club, you know.”

Josie decided to intervene. “Okay, I think everyone needs to take a step back.” As much as she would enjoy seeing Lori Watson get slapped, she could see the headline now:

Soccer Moms Clash
Over
Third-Grade Production When One Mom, Jocelyn Bearden, wife of Judicial Candidate John Bearden, designs costumes that resemble male genitalia.

From the auditorium Lori’s daughter recited her final lines, “
And I’ll always eat my veggies…ALL BY MYSELF!”
indicating that the performance had come to an end.

Exhaling loudly, Lori shot Josie one last “death” stare and said, “Now I have to get back in there and pretend like everything’s okay.” Stalking past them, she headed back to the stage.

“Should be easy enough for you,” Gina called behind her. “I never will understand why Southern women want to go around all the time pretending like everything’s okay—when clearly it’s not.”

Josie knew that last comment was directed as much to her as it was to Lori.

“You should have let me slap her,” Gina added.

Before disappearing through the door, Lori glanced over her shoulder at Josie and said, “I will
never
 
understand
why John Bearden married you in the first place.”

Lori’s words cut Josie to the core. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen to protect her weak organs from any further assault.

“Everyone knows John wasn’t anything until he married you,” Gina spat back.

Josie stared down at the floor.
That’s why he married me… Because of my daddy
…
and what the Judge could do for him
.

All these years she’d told
herself
there was more to their marriage than just convenience, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she’d been mistaken. With her arms still tightly wrapped around her waist, Josie staggered over to the cold tile wall and leaned against it for support.

The hallway fell unnaturally silent an instant before applause erupted from the auditorium. Josie looked to her best friend with a doleful smile.

Gina appeared to have more angry words to spew but she kept them to herself as she joined Josie against the wall. Smiling sympathetically, she said, “Just hold your chin high. You don’t have anything to be ashamed of. The costumes were great with the exception of… Well someday we’ll be laughing about this.
Right?”

“Lord, I hope so.” Josie took a deep breath, and released it slowly.

A quiet moment lingered between them before Gina again broke the silence. “Well, I could sneak you out the back, but you’ll have to face everyone sooner or later.” Pushing up from the wall, she shoved her hands down into her pockets and extended an elbow to Josie.

Josie didn’t want to but she peeled herself from the wall, and linking an arm with her friend’s, said, “Here we go,” attempting to muster some much-needed courage, while her shoes turned to cement. And like a condemned prisoner, she strode forward to accept her sentence.

* * * *

Around the corner, they came face to face with the masses of parents, grandparents, and children milling around, many now making their way out to the parking lot. Amidst the throngs stood
Trisha
,
Lydia
, and Amy talking to John’s mother, Gloria. Trisha looked sexy but sophisticated in the tightest wool skirt Josie had ever seen—it looked like it had grown on her—and three-inch sleek boots. Josie looked down at her “rough hewn” attire, which now seemed rather passé in comparison, and sighed.