Chapter 8

Joanne O'Leary had intended to call her sister back early in the afternoon. She was surprised that Jeanette was home, but since her sister's message made it clear that Brent had found out about the new job, perhaps she should not have been. Jeanette sounded distraught and Joanne decided to drive over to her house and talk to her in person. She had barely removed her finger from the door buzzer when the front door swung open and a harried looking Jeanette pulled her in.

"Thank god you're here, Jo. I don't know what I'm going to do. Brent's left me. He's gone and I haven't heard a word from him. He's not answering his cell phone. I don't know what to do," she cried.

"Calm down, Jeanette. This isn't going to solve anything. Let's try and figure out what happened and then maybe we can decide what to do," her sister said in an authoritative voice.

Joanne was three years younger than Jeanette, but somehow had assumed the leadership role for the two sisters. She was the decisive and positive one. She was the one to remain calm in the heat of battle. She was also the one who got her into this mess in the first place.

"God, if only I hadn't listened to you. I didn't need that job. It was supposed to be a bit of harmless fun. What the hell was I thinking? Now everyone will know. I won't be able to face anyone," she wailed. The headache had returned.

"Well, you can blame me or anyone else you like, but it was your decision in the end, and what's done is done. Now you have to figure out what to do about it." There was no sympathy in her sister's voice, and Jeanette looked at her strangely. She was beginning to get angry.

"Who was it encouraged me to audition? Who was it thought it would be good for my 'middle-aged ego'? Who was it said Brent would never find out because he didn't ever go to places like that? You've got a very convenient memory, Jo."

"Oh grow up, Jeanette. You're a big girl now. You've fucked up, so live with it. Besides, he's likely just gone off to sulk for a while. He'll be back. He too domesticated to be on his own for long." It was an almost sneering voice on the younger sister that set Jeanette off again.

"Jesus, Jo, he's my husband, not some one night stand that you so happily play with. We've got two kids and a mortgage. He's got a good job. I may have cost him that. Maybe you don't think that's a big deal, but I do. If you don't have anything constructive to contribute, then go back to your home and count your alimony payments, or whatever it is you do to amuse yourself in the daylight hours. I thought you were my sister, but I'm beginning to wonder if you give a damn about anyone else but yourself," she yelled loudly. The headache was getting worse.

"All right, all right, calm down. I'm sorry if I don't sound very sympathetic, but I think you're making too much of this. You wait, given a bit of time, he'll see the funny side of this, and it'll all blow over. Like I said in the first place, it was just a bit of harmless fun.

It was at that point the phone rang and Jeanette literally jumped up to answer it.

"Hello, Brent?" she asked hopefully.