Free Choices by S. R. Cambridge Page B

time. Normally, he didn’t bother me but the night before George and I had a huge argument. We were thinking about ending our engagement.” Another sip for fortification and she continued. “So I was a million miles away and I didn’t pay close enough attention to the case of truffles that were just delivered. They, of course were spoiled. I prepared my chicken dish for my class, fed it to my instructor and about thirty minutes later he was so sick we had to call 911. He was suffering from food poisoning. We re-checked all of our ingredients from the dishes we prepared and someone noticed how bad the truffles were.” Another sip from all of us this time.
    “No way!” said Joni.
    “What did you do?” Kristy and I asked simultaneously.
    “I threw out my chicken dish and justified my mistake by saying it couldn’t have happened to a better man! Honestly, what could I do? If I came forward he would have pulled me from the class, I know it. One of my classmates spoke up and said he actually wished he had thought of it, himself.” Bonnie continued, “well, we giggled of course and I did feel bad but I went home, and decided I wanted to try cooking schools in Philadelphia instead so we came up North.”
    “Well, I’ll remember not to piss you off! That’s for sure!” Joni sniffed the chocolate cake Bonnie made, pretended to pass out and we all fell on the floor laughing.
    Man, what a way to end GNI. Remember, wha t happens in GNI, stays in GNI.

Chapter Six: Desire
     
     
    Laurel’s Journal
     
     
    OH.MY.GOD. I’ve just cheated on my husband! Well, if you call kissing a boy of twenty two with the intent of pure bliss well, then I think that constitutes cheating. Paul has been the only one who has kissed me like that in the last twenty years. Well, actually, it’s been a long time since Paul has kissed me like that. Do I even want Paul to kiss me like that anymore? Who knew someone else might find me attractive! A forty year old with three kids no less. Well, if that isn’t a shot of adrenaline to a girl’s buried self esteem, then I don’t know what is! It’s unfathomable! I could possibly have a choice as to who I’d want to be with. Wait a minute! Slow down your roll, Laurel. You are getting way over your head, as usual. What the hell happened this afternoon? What am I doing? This is dangerous territory. THIS? What exactly is THIS anyway? Are we going to be lovers? Is he just feeling sorry for me? Should I nip it in the bud and just pretend that it didn’t happen and call off the appointment for tomorrow? Yes, that’s exactly what I should do, but it’s not what I want to do. That kiss…that kiss was…consuming. I felt that he could suck the life right out of me, if I let him continue. I would have let him too, if I didn’t need to pick up the little people. The drive over to Kristy’s left me numb and dimwitted. I was so torn between feeling guilty and exhilarated simultaneously. I have knots in my stomach and I don’t know if they are from remorse or excitement. Oh, I really think I’m in trouble now!
     
    Out of guilt and to placate my conscience, I called Paul on his latest business trip before I went to sleep. He usually calls when the kids go to bed but, tonight I called him first. I think what I really wanted to find out was if he could tell by the sound of my voice that I was headed into dangerous and desirable territory.  I also wanted to remind myself that I am a married woman despite what happened earlier this afternoon. I needed a little grounding and since I couldn’t quite tell my best friend yet, I figured I would call Paul to snap me back into reality. Paul was away in Ohio this week.
    “Hi Paul, how are you?”
    “Oh, hey, how ya doin’? Are the kids okay?”
    “Yes, the kids are finishing up dinner , they miss you.” I breathed a slight sigh of relief realizing he wasn’t drunk and alone, I hoped.
    “ What’s up then?” He asked not recognizing my sigh or rather