Dream Girl Awakened Read Online Free PDF Page B

move.
    â€œTwenty-dollar bet she spanks her,” said Winston, removing his wallet from his suit jacket.
    â€œTwenty-five she gets the lemon bar,” said Aruba.
    Paula traced circles on the display case with her fingers, leaned into it, and pressed her nose near the lemon bars. Her mother, flustered and embarrassed, pulled a ten-dollar bill from her purse and quietly ordered a lemon bar and a tall hot chocolate. A chorus of no-she-didn’ts and sighs sailed through the room. Students looked up from their laptops and shook their heads.
    â€œI’d never let Jeremiah get away with that.”
    â€œYour son is so well-behaved, I don’t think he’d try it,” Winston complimented.
    â€œNicolette wouldn’t do that, either. She’s a good girl.”
    â€œThat’s no thanks to Tori. That’s all on Alva.” Winston surprised himself making the stark admission. He’d prided himself on presenting a united front in public, to colleagues, to family, and friends. Now, in the midst of whirring cappuccino machines, Motown oldies drifting through Bose speakers, and a toddler who needed the look and a firm tap on her backside, he was letting his guard down. Get a grip, Winston, get a grip!
    â€œI think you owe me twenty-five dollars.” Aruba smiled and unzipped her purse.
    â€œGuess I do, huh?”
    As Winston opened his wallet, Aruba’s purse dropped, the contents spilling on the floor.
    â€œPaula’s made me all thumbs,” said Aruba.
    As she knelt down to gather her things, Winston was by her side. “Let me help,” he said.
    Aruba lightly placed the belongings in her purse, picked up her phone, scrolled through the five missed calls, then dismissed the unfamiliar number as one of James’s women. She placed the phone on the table. She retrieved the letter from the construction company, offering Winston a pensive look.
    â€œAruba, what’s wrong?”
    â€œNothing you’d want to hear about. What goes on in the family, stays in the family.”
    â€œYou take twenty-five bucks from me, subject me to Toddlers Gone Wild, and now you can’t talk?” said Winston, hoping to lighten her disposition.
    â€œI’m not stupid, Winston. I know Victoria has shared things about me and James with you,” said Aruba, feeling out Winston to see just how much Victoria had blabbed.
    â€œI probably know more than I should, but that’s inconsequential. Just talk. I’m here.”
    On cue, the first tear dropped. Aruba had practiced this scene about fourteen times in various places: the office bathroom stall between coffee breaks and lunch; in traffic on her way to work as she played her favorite slow jams; watching chick-flicks in the family room on Friday nights.
    â€œI’m so overwhelmed, Winston. Some days I feel things will be okay. I pray that if I’m a good wife, James will come around. But other days . . .” Aruba dabbed her eyes with a napkin. “I guess I wish things were normal. Whatever that means. It’s my birthday and my husband didn’t even remember. Do you know how that makes me feel?”
    Do I ever? Winston couldn’t remember the last time he had received a birthday gift from Victoria. Winston also recalled his pastor saying that marriage was a sacred bond between two people. No matter how disastrous, how chaotic, one should never speakagainst the union. He wanted to tell her she was wasting her time, that there were other single, available men out there searching for someone of her caliber, but he decided to stay the course of appropriateness.
    â€œHave you thought about going to counseling, Aruba? I know a few excellent family therapists and an awesome psychologist you guys could call.”
    â€œOh, I guess I’ll go in between finding a part-time job, since James finds it so difficult to stay employed.” Aruba slid the envelope containing separation notices and the last