Total pages in book: 141
Estimated words: 129980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129980 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 650(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“She also told us to be brave, to reach out to others worthy of our friendship with an open heart,” Blanc added. “Her advice has never steered us wrong. You have a good heart, Azelie. You also need to trust your instincts. What do they say about Andrii?”
She put her latte down and tried to answer honestly. “Everything in me wants to be with him. I’m afraid though. I don’t know what he sees in me. When we’re together and he’s talking to me, it’s almost overwhelming how drawn I am to him. I fell too far too fast. I can’t seem to help myself when I’m around him. I think I’m going to throw him out, but he starts talking in that voice he has, and I’m totally mesmerized.” She took a deep breath and made her confession. “I can’t help but want to make him happy.”
Penny frowned. “You want to make him happy. Does he feel the same way? Does he try to make you happy?”
“He’s spoiling me. If he takes me somewhere, he thinks he has to bring me clothes and shoes and jewelry. He brought the most beautiful coat I’ve ever seen. When I wanted to pay for it, he was upset with me. I don’t want him to think he has to buy me things. I’m not interested in him for his money.”
“That was the box you had Shaila and David hold for him,” Blanc guessed. “The clothes and jewelry were inside.”
Azelie nodded. “I felt I couldn’t keep them. He wasn’t happy. He showed up with more gifts.”
“Dear,” Penny leaned close to whisper. “Did you tell him you were interested in having sex with him?”
Azelie felt color creeping under her skin. “Unfortunately, he can read me like a book. Seriously. I look at him and melt. There isn’t any hiding that.”
“Does he take proper care of you in bed?” China asked. “If he’s selfish, end it, honey, no matter how much you’re into him. He needs to be more interested than you are.”
“Sadly, I don’t think that’s possible,” Azelie confessed. “I tried to tell him there were hundreds of reasons why we shouldn’t be together, but he countered every one of them.”
“He knows his own mind. That’s good,” Penny said. “You want a man who knows what he wants. Too many men are always looking for something shiny and new. Or they are ‘finding themselves.’ You’d think at a certain age they would know what they want and who they are.”
“Penny, dear,” Blanc said gently. “You mustn’t be bitter.”
“I’m grateful the old codger found himself with a younger woman,” Penny said. “Fourteen years of cooking and picking up after him, watching him quit job after job because he decided he wasn’t appreciated, it got old fast.”
“Your husband left you for a younger woman?”
“He didn’t want to leave. He wanted an open marriage, so I’d continue to support him while he ran around finding himself. What he didn’t realize was I was happy to see him go. Happy to let his car model pick up after him. He was going through his photography phase, and clearly, she thought he had money. He didn’t. I do really recommend prenups. Especially the cheating clause.”
“She had to prove he cheated in court,” China said. “He was ridiculous enough to demand a court ruling on the prenup. Sadly for him, his cheating was very blatant. He went to hotels and was photographed because his little darling wanted the publicity. They were caught in compromising situations several times.”
“I’m so sorry, Penny,” Azelie murmured. “I don’t have words.”
“I’m not. Truly. That’s why I say trust your instincts. If I’d followed mine, I wouldn’t have wasted so many years with him. Right from the beginning I knew he was a worm, but I was certain he would blossom into a wonderful man.” She gave a snort of self-derision. “Once I shed that snake, I had the time of my life. I just followed my mother’s advice and stood back up, more determined than ever to live my life fully. I grabbed on with both hands and I rarely looked back.”
“That’s when she acquired all her excellent knowledge of men and their various kinks,” Blanc said solemnly. “If you need answers to any question regarding sex, just ask Penny.”
Rather than take offense, Penny laughed, breaking the tension that had built up with the revelations the Christian sisters had made.
“I became an official groupie for an entire summer, following a very popular band around. It was the most fun I’d had in years.” There wasn’t a sign of remorse in her voice or her expression.
“You refer to yourselves as the merry widows,” Azelie pointed out. “But it sounds as if you didn’t lose your husband to death.”
The three women exchanged a long, amused look and then burst into laughter. Penny nearly knocked over her coffee, she was laughing so hard.