Run Away Baby

“Anyway, those bigshots all have bigger fish to fry than worrying about who the receptionist is banging.”

“Are you positive this happened? Did they catch it on camera?”

“Of course not. Where do you come up with these things? We don’t have cameras around here.”

“Okay,” said Abby.

“And anyway, once it was over, what would be the point in firing her?”

“Did it go on for a long time?”

“Maybe a few months. But I can’t say how long it had been going on already when Glenda caught them.”

“Wow. Unreal,” said Abby.

“Are you okay?”

“Sure I’m okay. I’m fine.”

“You seem a little upset.”

“I’m just surprised.”

“A little disappointed?”

“Sharlene! Of course not! As you know, I’m married. Why would I be disappointed by any of this?”

“I’m kidding. Yanking your chain.”

Abby went back to pretending to sort the mail. She wished Sharlene would go away now so she could think. If this was happening a year and a half ago, it wouldn’t have even been that long before she and Charlie had met. She was ill.

“These are all for you,” she said, handing a small stack of mail to the still-lingering Sharlene.

“You wouldn’t want him anyway,” said Sharlene.

“I know that.”

“You’re not going to ask me why I said that?”

“Fine. Why wouldn’t I want him anyway?”

“He’s a choker.”

“What do you mean?”

“Niles Henry said he liked to put his hands on Danielle’s throat when they were having sex.”

“That’s normal, right?”

Sharlene slammed the latte down on the reception desk. Some of it splashed out the tiny drinking hole in the top of the lid. “Are you fucked up? That’s not normal. That’s not normal at all.”

“Shhh. Keep your voice down. Everyone’s going to be back from lunch soon.” Abby grabbed a tissue and wiped up the spill.

“Are you saying your hubby does that to you?”

“No! Plus, I’m not going to talk about what my ‘hubby’ does. I’m just saying, if it doesn’t seriously hurt you, a little rough stuff is normal. Isn’t it?” Aside from Charlie and Randall, Abby had only had sex with two other guys. Considering fifty percent of her sexual partners had choked her, she thought it was pretty typical behavior.

Sharlene laughed hoarsely, rubbed her eyes, smeared some eyeboogies on her pants. “No. Not at all. Sorry, Honey, but that is effed up.”