Free Some Women by Emily Liebert

girlfriends. She didn’t even have single girlfriends anymore. Unless you counted Piper, who these days was closer to calling herself married than Annabel was.
    Would she have to sign up for one of those ghastly dating websites? Annabel wouldn’t. She couldn’t. The whole thing would be far too humiliating. Plus, what would she even say about herself?
Annabel has no job and two young kids. She likes to shop and has currently taken up working out in order to get her fat ass into shape. Oh, and her ex-husband thinks she’s a miserable person. Let’s grab a cocktail, shall we?
    â€œNo, it’s not. It was insensitive. I’m sorry.” Piper handed Annabel her cell phone. “If it makes you feel any better, I just got this text from my assistant. She was able to track down where Henry has made dinner reservations on Saturday night. It’s a reservation for two at Nellie’s Tavern.”
    â€œHe loves that place.” She shook her head in disbelief. Henry had taken her there for their fifth wedding anniversary. And their seventh. Not to mention for various birthdays. Annabel could predict his order faster than her own—filet mignon medium rare with a side of creamed spinach and an order of potatoes gratin. What she couldn’t predict was whose mouth he’d be spooning that creamed spinach into. She shuddered involuntarily. “It’s so strange.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThat he has plans I don’t know about. I used to be able to see his schedule online. Until he changed his email password.”
    â€œIt doesn’t mean it’s a romantic thing.”
    â€œI bet it is, though.” Her eyes stung with the threat of tears. It didn’t take much lately for her to erupt into uncontrollable sobs. Fortunately, to this point, she’d avoided public blubbering.
    â€œLet’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m going to check it out and report back.”
    â€œYou’ll take pictures?” Annabel despised the desperation in her voice. She’d never imagined it would come to this. She barely recognized herself anymore.
    â€œThis isn’t my first rodeo, my friend.”
    â€œThank you.” She nodded gratefully.
    â€œDon’t thank me yet. I haven’t found anything.”
    â€œYes, but you’re trying. And that’s more than anyone else has done for me.” She swallowed her anxiety. “Did you know that when you get divorced people immediately become allergic to you? It’s like they’re worried it’s contagious.”
    â€œI’m not surprised in this town. Try being the only never-been-married single mom in Eastport, Connecticut. Most of the women don’t want to associate with me, for fear I’ll sink my claws into their husbands. As if I’m some major dish.” She snorted.
    â€œSpeaking of which, did you see that hot little number in the back right corner of class this morning? When we did that leg-stretch thing against the wall, she could practically touch her nose to her knee. And she was prancing around like it was nothing during the cardio section.”
    â€œNo, I didn’t. I’m afraid that if I look at anyone other than myself in the mirror, I’ll topple onto the floor. If you haven’t noticed, my sense of equilibrium leaves a lot to be desired.”
    â€œWell, she couldn’t be a day over thirty. Bitch.”
    â€œShe could be a lovely person, for all you know.”
    â€œShe could be.” Annabel watched as the door to the café opened, allowing a gust of cold air to stream through. “Oh, shit.Don’t look now, but she just walked in.” Piper turned around. “I told you not to look!”
    â€œYeah, sorry.
Don’t look now
means
Look right now
to me.”
    â€œAnd you call yourself a private investigator.”
    â€œActually, no, I don’t! You’re the one that came up with that idea, remember?” Piper