Four Friends Read Online Free PDF Page B

car in the drive she knew she’d just hand them off; she didn’t want to interrupt them. When Andy opened the door, the unmistakable aroma of greasy pizza drifted through and Sonja frowned, then forced a smile. “Trust me,” Sonja said as she passed the tray. “This is better for you.”
    Andy said thank-you and Sonja went back to her own kitchen. She caught George fixing a second Scotch and chose not to comment.
    Once they were settled with their meals—hers was a pasta and greens salad with beans, his was the loaf-meat and vegetables—she said, “Bryce and Andy have split up. They’re getting divorced.”
    “Oh?” he said, looking up from his fork briefly. “Too bad.”
    “It was really dramatic. When Gerri and I went walking this morning, she was throwing his belongings out the front door onto the lawn, and they were screaming obscenities at each other.”
    George smiled. “Is that so?”
    “It’s not funny, George. She has to be tested for venereal diseases. Apparently he hasn’t been faithful.”
    George made a face. “Really—I don’t need to know that.”
    “Some people have pretty complicated, tragic relationships.”
    “I guess that’s true,” he answered. He pushed his plate away.
    “You haven’t eaten much. You’re not upset, are you?”
    “No,” he said. “I had a late lunch.”
    “Not something bad for your cholesterol, I hope.”
    “Of course not, Sonja. I had a plate of grass. It was scrumptious.”
    She smiled patiently. “Oh, you had something bad, I can tell. Well, that’s why I go to so much trouble to make sure you eat well in the evening. No matter how you carry on, I know you appreciate that I look after you as well as I can.”
    “Indeed I do. I just wish that occasionally you could look after me with a spice or two. I’d love to taste my food briefly before it passes through my body.”
    “And I’d like you to last,” she said. “Because I love you so.”
    “You sure you don’t want me to last so you have someone to control into old age?” he returned, lifting a graying brow.
    “George! What a thing to say! Just when one of my best friends is going through a terrible divorce!”
    “And getting tested for venereal diseases,” he added. “You’d better rush her over some grains and herbs.”
    Sonja laughed at him. “You love to do that, don’t you? Pick at my remedies. Well, I guess I’m smart enough to know that I don’t have what she needs for something like that—it’s prescription only. I am going over there first thing tomorrow to burn some sage and smudge the air with Indian feathers just to clear out the negative presence.”
    He stood from the table and shook his head. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
    * * *
    Gerri ordered a pizza for the kids. Once that was devoured, they headed for their evening pastimes—family-room TV, computers, phones, homework, usually in that order.
    Gerri fixed herself a drink instead of dinner, wondering briefly if Sonja had a herb for homicidal tendencies. She was going to confront Phil, of course. She’d been with the man a long time. She thought there was nothing she didn’t know about him. I’ve been getting fart marks out of his underwear for almost twenty-five years for God’s sake.
    Though it was still biting cold in the March night, she bundled up and went out onto the deck, under the starlight. At least she wasn’t hot. She’d been trying to size up her emotions all day long and still didn’t have a handle on whether she was enraged, confused, hurt or completely off base. She went over every day of their marriage—the births of the children, the fights, the really hard times. There was the year she lost both her parents, one after the other, to cancer—it was a blur. She’d been vacant, wandering around in a complete daze, but Phil had picked up the slack; he was completely there for her. No one could have comforted her better. Could he have done that and still had someone else in his