Jess offered her a smile that said, ‘Don’t worry about me. I’m one of the good ones,’ before ordering a bellini.
Destiny tapped at the iPad she was holding with her long acrylic nails, presumably to put in Jessica’s drink order while the three women waited for her to leave so they could get back to the urgent matter at hand. They exchanged a look that said what they’d often complained about—how freaking long it took now to place an order. What happened to the skill of memorizing an order that saved so much time? If they’d wanted to watch a young person look at a screen, they would just stay home and stare at their own children.
Destiny finally looked up. “And are you ladies ready to order yet?”
“Sorry, we’ve been so busy getting caught up, we haven’t even opened the menus,” Diana told her.
Destiny’s expression soured immediately. “Okay, well, I’ll be back in a minute with your mimosa.”
“Bellini,” Jess said.
“Right, that’s what I meant.” Destiny sounded irritated at being corrected.
“Just making sure.”
“No need. I’ve got it,” Destiny told her, and Jessica could practically hear her thinkingKaren. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order.”
As soon as she strode off, Rach leaned in and muttered, “And you bitches better be ready.”
Jessica laughed so hard, she snorted, then glanced around, hoping Destiny wasn’t anywhere nearby and wouldn’t know they were laughing at her. Not that she particularly cared about the surly server’s feelings, but she certainly cared about not having someone spit in her food.
Diana waved both hands in the air as if drying wet nails. “Okay, but back to Ted.”
“Right, back to poor, pathetic, middle-aged Ted, who has just been turned down by his new baby mama,” Jessica said. “Where’d he take her?”
Rachael’s face colored and she gazed at the white tablecloth. “Leavenworth.”
“That son of a bitch,” Diana said at the same time that Jess muttered, “Asshole.”
Leavenworth had been Rachael and Ted’s special place—a Bavarian-style village in the Cascade Mountains. They honeymooned there and went back almost every year for their anniversary. Jess and Mike had been there once, after years of Rachael cajoling her about going. “It’s the most incredible place in the US. You’ll feel like you’ve been to Germany, but it’s even better because everyone speaks English and you won’t have jet lag.”
Neither Mike nor Jess had thought it to be ‘the most incredible place in the US.’ Although undeniably charming, they both found it a little odd. “Why pretend to be in Europe when you’re already in the greatest country on earth?” Mike had said when they were lying in bed their first night there.
Jess had snuggled into his arms even closer and agreed. “Who even said, ‘I know, let’s make the entire town look and feel like a town in the German Alps?’”
“I’m guessing someone from Germany who regretted moving to Washington in the first place.”
Jess had laughed, and the laugh turned into a kiss, and that had turned into a proper weekend away from their children. But on the drive home, they agreed that Leavenworth was like Vegas for them—a one and done thing. Not for them. Besides, why go back to the same place all the time when there was a whole big world to explore? Not that they did a whole lot of exploring any more.
Rachael emptied her drink, then tipped the glass from side to side. “Yeah, I’m not going to lie—that one stung a little.”
“He’s nothing if not tacky.”
“Sotacky,” Diana agreed.
“Not to mention lacking any creativity or effort whatsoever,” Jess added. “I mean, seriously, he couldn’t Google romantic getaways and come up with something new?”
Diana gasped, as though she’d just had a brilliant revelation. “Do you think that him taking her there was the reason she said no? Like maybe she had the same thought as Jess?”
“Oh, you mean, if this is his best effort, what’s it going to be like twenty years from now when he’s closing in on seventy and has even less energy?” Rachael asked. “Could be.”
“So, did they break up?” Jess asked.
“That’s the weird part. No,” Rachael answered. “According to the kids, they’re not breaking up. They’re just not getting married.”
“Well, she can’t fully break it off with him yet, now can she?” Diana said. “She’d have to go back to work and find a place to live.”
“And on a massage therapist’s salary, it certainly won’t be a McMansion,” Jess added.
