The Club Read Free Page B

drastic,
trust me. Break out of this rut.”
    I swallow hard
again as I take the small card, putting it in my purse. “This is a bad idea. I
am an analytical consultant for a Fortune 500 company and my reputation is key
to my success. If anyone ever found out I went to some weird swinger party, I
would be fucked. In more than one way.”
    “You’ve gone
through a shit year and any type of change is good. I would try it once just to
say you did it and move on, like Jenny. She never went back. She went once and
met her husband shortly afterward. She’s so happy it’s ridiculous.”
    “Why did she
still have the card?”
    “She held onto
it just in case.”
    “I’ll think
about it.” I lie, biting at my lip while fighting the nerves eating away at my
stomach. “But if I were to do it and it’s some fucked-up pervert fest, I may
kill you for it, ok?”
    “Deal, but you
have to tell me how it was if it’s not a perv fest. Actually, fuck it. If it’s
crazy I doubly want to know.” She gushes and claps getting a little too
excited.
    “Fine! Just no
more talking about it. I don't even want to think about any of this shit. Tell
me how your week was. I’m over myself.”
    She sighs,
rolling her gorgeous dark eyes at me while pushing a stray piece of her dark
hair out of her face. Rebecca is gorgeous. She’s close to my age and not
married but she’s seeing a lawyer from work. She is happy being in the dating
stage with him. Whenever he tries to push the relationship she backs off. It’s
a vicious cycle, but after being married I can’t say I blame her. I can’t see
myself doing it again.
    We drink several
drinks as she regales me with tales of sexcapades with Andy, her man. She
laughs and shakes her head, telling me about her Santa-costume sex. It’s
disturbing but funny. Andy is her match in life—perverted and doesn't
want kids, no matter what.
    I am blinking
through the haze of my vision and trying to focus my eyes when she leans in,
grinning from ear to ear. “Just try it out. Text it now and see what happens,”
she says animatedly.
    I am about to
say no when the song from my wedding comes on. Rebecca sits back, pointing at
the ceiling. “It’s a sign. No respectable bar plays Spend My Life With You. Who
even chooses Eric Benét for their wedding song? It’s cheesy.”
    I gulp back
nachos and heartbreak as I pull the card out.
    The song
brings with it memories, painful ones. Evan’s hands are on my back, pressing me
into him. If I close my eyes I can see his face, smiling down on me. He looked
so excited and happy. It’s the same face he gave Daisy earlier. The thought of
that makes me gag. I nod. “Okay.” I pull my cell out, and nervously enter the
number to text with my name in the dialogue box. I press send and watch as it
delivers to another iPhone. My insides instantly light up with regret and
anxiety.
    “Did you do
it?” She grabs my cell, checking to see.
    “Yes, I did!”
I snatch my cell phone back and put both the card and it back into my purse.
    “Hannah, this
is going to be good for you.” She smiles but I don't think she’s right. I
actually feel all my drinks and my nachos coming back up with the regret.
    Of course when
I get home, alone, I curl up in my bed after my hot shower and promise myself I
won’t do the stupid swinger party thing. I don't need it. I just need to move
on. This day just has to end for me. It was a rough day but it’s over now and
Bec is right, I need to move on.
     

Chapter Three
    A week later
     
    “I swear, I’ve
not gotten anything.” I pause, waiting for her disbelief to filter through in
her tone.
    “Just tell me
you didn't delete it, I’ll be so mad.” Even over Facetime I can see she is
completely convinced I deleted it.
    “Honestly, no
text, no one ringing my doorbell, nothing. I swear!” I grit my teeth, hating
that I actually feel let down by the fact I wasn't invited for an orgy with
singles from the city. I just pray she doesn't see