“What?” she whispered eventually. “What kind, I mean? How serious are we talking….”
“The clap, apparently. I’ve been having a few problems, so I went to get things checked out and the doctor called me back today to give me the results. I didn’t think … I mean, something like this never even crossed my mind – I just feel so … mortified.”
“Oh you poor thing,” was all that Karen could manage right then and as she hugged her friend once more, her thoughts descended into fury.
The bastard. The good-for-nothing bastard. She’dkillhim when she got her hands on him. Sheknewit! Roan had finally tripped himself up. Oh, how she’d love to see him strung up by his –
“I haven’t said anything to Roan about it yet. I just don’t know what he’d say. God, I feel so … nasty, so filthy.”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for this, Jen– you’re not the one that’s nasty. That asshole - I knew it.” Karen’s voice softened when she saw Jenny’s hurt expression. “Hey, don’t get me wrong; I’mdefinitelynot going to say I told you so. But even you have to admit now that he’s not to be trusted.”
Jenny smiled ruefully. “Hell of a way to find out that your boyfriend’s unfaithful isn’t it?”
Karen hugged her again. “I swear to God, if I get near him, I’llmurderhim.”
Despite herself, Jenny had to laugh. “You know, I’ve kind of missed having you in my corner.” She pushed her hair out of her eyes. “I know it’s been hard for you to hold your tongue, but I was too pig-headed to listen. I’m really sorry, Karen.”
She sniffed again, and the two of them looked at one other momentarily before they burst out laughing.
“What a pair we are,” Karen said, shaking her head, “the two of us discovering on the same day that the men in our lives are complete and utter losers.”
Jenny sat up in surprise. “What do you mean – what’s Shane done?”
Karen told her about Germany and it was Jenny’s turn to be sympathetic.
“But forget me,” she continued, waving her own troubles away, “what are you going to do now?”
“Well, I hate the thought of it, but I suppose I’ll have to … confront Roan.”
“And?” Karen probed, waiting to hear that she was also going to dump the rat.
“And – I’ll tell him exactly where to go, too. I can’t believe that I fell for all the lies he must have been telling me. Remember at Christmas, when he was supposed to come home to meet Mum and Dad and he cried off with the flu? I believed him, but that was probably a lie too.”
“Feck him, he doesn’t deserve you,” Karen stated, then jumping up from the sofa took two wine glasses out of the cupboard. “I think we could both do with a drink.”
“Are you absolutely sure that you and Shane are finished?” Jenny asked, while her friend rummaged in the drawer for a corkscrew. “After all, he’d only be a couple of hours’ flight away. A long-distance relationship might not be as difficult as you think.”
Karen shook her head firmly. “He made his choice without consulting me, so why should I be the one doing the running?”
“But do you think it’s wise to make such a snap decision? You and Shane have been together for yonks.”
“That’s exactly my point. If the relationship meant anything, he wouldn’t be swanning off without a second thought, would he? Anyway, I don’t want to talk, or eventhinkabout it any more.” Karen filled each glass to the brim and handed one to Jenny, careful not to spill some. “So what about the … other issue? It’s curable, isn’t it? I mean … it won’t affect you permanently or anything?”
“The doc gave me some antibiotics and told me to abstain for a while, whichwon’tbe a problem – so hopefully, I’ll be fine.”
That was a relief. Karen figured that some of this stuff if left undetected might be dangerous. She was gladthat her friend hadn’t been too embarrassed to see about it and even better, Jenny was prepared to admit now, even to herself, that everything hadn’t been rosy in that relationship.
With the way things were going, their friendship would be back to normal in no time and they could have some fun together, just like they used to.
She’d arrange it with Tessa for the three of them to go on a rip-roaring girls’ night out on the town soon.
And Roan Williams and Shane Quinn could take a hike.
11
“Um, we have a … situation.” Jenny tried to stop her hands from shaking when a few days later she managed to broach the topic with Roan.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Kevin told me that you called earlier. I had to work late tonight, sorry.”
