Chapter 2

Somewhere on the edge of a dream, music was playing. Emily finally grabbed for the source of the sound. The offending device turned out to be her cell phone and she struggled to make sense of why it would play music in the middle of the night. The stupid thing was ringing. Two things appeared on the screen; the time showed 3:17AM and the caller ID showed Vicky Summers was calling.

"Hello?", Emily answered hoarsely, only barely awake.

"Don't 'hello' me you backstabbing slut! I'm not even gone one day and you're already trying to seduce my husband. I thought you were my friend, you low-life bitch! If you touch my husband, I swear, I'll shoot you dead you... , you vicious, trashy whore!", Vicky was spitting fire and venom in her distinctive west Texas drawl.

Emily became immediately alert and chose not to acknowledge Vicky's tirade. "Well, hello Vicky, it's so nice of you to call but I have to say this is a very inopportune time for me. In case you hadn't noticed it's after 3 AM and I had a very busy, exhausting week so I'd like to get some sleep. However; Y'all sound very upset with me and I haven't the vaguest notion why. So if you can calm down, I'd be happy to listen to what you are so upset about. If not, then I'll have to ask you to call me at a less inappropriate time."

Vicky panted heavily, "You know EXACTLY why I'm pissed at you! Shelly just called a bit ago and said that some of the girls told you that Mike served me with divorce papers yesterday and you almost broke the sound barrier getting over there to see him. How could you do that? Did you fuck him already you shameless, backstabbing hussy? Is he with you right now? He's MY HUSBAND! Do you hear me, Emily? MY HUSBAND! You can not have him! He's MINE!"

Emily took a deep breath to calm herself and spoke in a very slow, soft voice. "Yes, Vicky I did go over to see Mike, but I swear on all that I hold sacred that I did not seduce or sleep with him. You went to your parents and Mike was left alone to fend for himself after finding out you betrayed him. He, as well as you, is my friend and I hold my friendships in deep regard. I was very afraid he would do something stupid, so I went over there as a friend and let him cry on my shoulder and listened to him as he screamed out his pain. Vicky, you hurt him very badly with what you did. He may be your husband but how could you do that to anyone, much less to the one person you profess to love. How could YOU do that?"

"Vicky, you said that Shelly called you. I had no idea Shelly and you were close. You don't suppose she called you in the middle of the night because of an ulterior motive, do you?"

Vicky was silent for a moment. "I really don't know Shelly all that well. What do you mean? What ulterior motive could Shelly have?"

"Vicky, sweetie, you have to know that Mike is regarded as a pretty spectacular catch. I know for a fact that a lot of single women are already lining up to take advantage of your ... your situation. While I was over at your house, Mike received four phone calls from various women wanting to know how he was and how long before he planned to start dating again. One was a woman he had never even met. Shelly was there at Dingo's when I got the news of you being served. Maybe she thought she could drive a wedge between us and get us so distracted fighting she could go after Mike herself. I don't know for sure, but maybe that's what's up."

"Shit, Emily, all of a sudden I can't trust anyone.", Vicky sighed and shook her head sadly.

"Ummmm, Vicky. You might want to watch how you throw that word 'trust' around. Right now your husband is suffering with major trust issues. He recently found out that he couldn't trust his own wife."

"For the record, Vicky, I promise you I will not go after Mike while you two are married. I will console you and him, I will be a friend if needed for anything and I will hope with all my heart that you can make things right with him and move on together. But, Vicky, you have to know ... And I'm going to be as honest as I know how. If Mike becomes a single man again, I will use ALL my wiles and every drop of energy I have to get him to notice me. Just so you know."

"Well, thanks for the honesty and fuck you very much." Vicky sighed dejectedly.

"Why did he have to file for divorce? I just don't understand what the big deal is. So I fucked Jake? Big deal! It was only playing around. A little fun. Sex. So what?"

Emily sucked in a deep breath in disbelief. "Vicky! Are you out of your mind! You can't be that stupid! What's the big deal? My god, girl. You brought a strange man into your home. The home you share with your husband! Into your bed. The bed you share with your husband! And invited him into your body. Your body which you supposedly promised was exclusively reserved for making love with your husband!! You did this behind your husband's back while he was out of town. Obviously, you didn't think it was all right with Mike or you wouldn't have been sneaking around. 'Only playing around?' What would it take to make you see it as a serious problem? Maybe, if you had Jake's kid?! Or maybe, if you tied Mike up and made him watch?! Shit, Vicky! Get real! At least be honest with yourself ... and me!"

" ... And another thing. If you really saw it as 'NO BIG DEAL', then explain to me the purpose of this phone call. Can you do that, please? You called me in the middle of the fucking night to yell at me and threaten me because you thought I had slept with you husband. Explain that shit to me. According to you, sex on the side should be no big deal. You don't even believe that crap you're spewing yourself. See ... there you go, now you have made me forget all my manners. I'm so disgusted with you, Vicky, I could spit."

"Poor Vicky. Husband's divorcing her because she acted like a mindless slut. God damn, you Vicky. You deserve to lose him."

"Damn it! How am I supposed to get back to sleep after you got me all riled up!"

"You cheated on your husband, Vicky, repeatedly as I've heard, and you dare to be ready to commit murder because MAYBE, just maybe, he has slept with someone else. Explain that logic to me, will you? You can't because there is none. Damn you girl, you absolutely piss me off! You had better watch who you're threatening, Missy. You come after me with a gun and I swear it'll take a team of surgeons to extract that gun from your ass! Here I am swearing like a drunk sailor and I'm supposed to be a Southern Lady! My grandmothers are spinning in their graves. I swear, I'm absolutely furious. ", Emily fumed as she finished her little speech.