Free Nothing Lasts Forever by Sidney Sheldon

He’s coming! He’ll be here Sunday!”
    “Wonderful,” Kat mumbled. “Why don’t you wake me up Sunday? I just got to bed.”
    Honey was more responsive. She sat up and said, “That’s great! I’m dying to meet him. How long since you’ve seen him?”
    “Two years,” Paige said, “but we’ve always stayed in touch.”
    “You’re a lucky girl,” Kat sighed. “Well, we’re all awake now. I’ll put on some coffee.”
    The three of them sat around the kitchen table.
    “Why don’t we give Alfred a party?” Honey suggested. “Kind of a ‘Welcome to the Groom’ party.”
    “That’s a good idea,” Kat agreed.
    “We’ll make it a real celebration—a cake, balloons—the works!”
    “We’ll cook dinner for him here,” Honey said.
    Kat shook her head. “I’ve tasted your cooking. Let’s send out for food.”
    Sunday was four days away, and they spent all their spare time discussing Alfred’s arrival. By some miracle, the three of them were off duty on Sunday.
    Saturday, Paige managed to get to a beauty salon. She went shopping and splurged on a new dress.
    “Do I look all right? Do you think he’ll like it?”
    “You look sensational!” Honey assured her. “I hope he deserves you.”
    Paige smiled. “I hope I deserve him. You’ll love him. He’s fantastic!”
    On The Sunday, an elaborate lunch they had ordered was laid out on the dining-room table, with a bottle of iced champagne. The women stood around, nervously waiting for Alfred’s arrival.
    At two o’clock, the doorbell rang, and Paige ran to the door to open it. There was Alfred. A bit tired-looking, a little thinner. But he was her Alfred. Standing next to him was a brunette who appeared to be in her thirties.
    “Paige!” Alfred exclaimed.
    Paige threw her arms around him. Then she turned to Honey and Kat and said proudly, “This is Alfred Turner. Alfred, these are my roommates, Honey Taft and Kat Hunter.”
    “Pleased to meet you,” Alfred said. He turned to the woman at his side. “And this is Karen Turner. My wife.”
    The three women stood there, frozen.
    Paige said slowly, “Your wife?”
    “Yes.” He frowned. “Didn’t…didn’t you get my letter?”
    “Letter?”
    “Yes. I sent it several weeks ago.”
    “No…”
    “Oh. I…I’m terribly sorry. I explained it all in my…but of course, if you didn’t get the…” His voice trailed off…“I’m really sorry, Paige. You and I have been apart so long, that I…and then I met Karen…and you know how it is…”
    “I know how it is,” Paige said numbly. She turned to Karen and forced a smile. “I…I hope you and Alfred will be very happy.”
    “Thank you.”
    There was an awkward silence.
    Karen said, “I think we had better go, darling.”
    “Yes. I think you had,” Kat said.
    Alfred ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m really sorry, Paige. I…well…goodbye.”
    “Goodbye, Alfred.”
    The three women stood there, watching the departing newlyweds.
    “That bastard!” Kat said. “What a lousy thing to do.”
    Paige’s eyes were brimming with tears. “I…he didn’t mean to…I mean…he must have explained everything in his letter.”
    Honey put her arms around Paige. “There ought to be a law that all men should be castrated.”
    “I’ll drink to that,” Kat said.
    “Excuse me,” Paige said. She hurried to her bedroom and closed the door behind her.
    She did not come out for the rest of the day.

Chapter Five
    D uring the next few months, Paige saw very little of Kat and Honey. They would have a hurried breakfast in the cafeteria and occasionally pass one another in the corridors. They communicated mainly by leaving notes in the apartment.
    “Dinner is in the fridge.”
    “The microwave is out.”
    “Sorry, I didn’t have time to clean up.”
    “What about the three of us having dinner out Saturday night?”
    The impossible hours continued to be a punishment, testing the limits of endurance for all the residents.
    Paige