“So do you sweetheart. Climb up on this stool that I saved for you and join me.”

Suzan slid gracefully up on to the tall, red, stool and settled in, tucking her dress in under her as she did so.

“What do you want to drink Suzan?” “A dirty martini, of course.” Suzan answered in with her sweet, low pitched, voice. “The dryer the better. You know that. You can’t be too thin or drink a martini that’s too dry, Mary.”

“What’s new since last we met Suzan”

“Oh Chad and I are still going strong. I think he might be the one. It’s been almost two months now.” The women laughed at that remark and took a drink.

“I would like to meet him soon. I hope I’ll like him. What else have you been up to?”

“Well this thing with Chad is working alright at the moment and I’m busy at work of course. There’s no stopping things at the office. Dr. Jones just keeps taking on more clients everyday. He hardly has time to do my botox anymore.”

“Have you heard from Joe, Suzan?”

“Oh god no. I sure he hates me with a passion that’s immeasurable. Everything was settled when I walked out. There’s no doubt about that for either of us. I made it all very clear, I think.

I guess he thinks I ended things badly and for little reason from his perspective, but I’ve moved on. He just didn’t have what it takes to move up in the world. He’s content where he’s at and that’s a bad sign to me.

It’s just too bad that Chad doesn’t turn me on like Joe did. But Chad’s loaded and that’s worth working on the sex and the relationship for the long haul.”

Mary smiled and nodded her head. Her hair swayed as she moved her head.

“The sex isn’t awful and sometimes it’s great. Sadly the chemistry just isn’t there like it was with Joe. But I’m not getting any younger and times a wasting if you know what I mean.”

“I sure do Suzan, our kids are growing like the weeds in front of our old place in the neighborhood.”

These two women had been friends for years and lived near each other forever. They went to parties with the same neighbors all their lives and shared an apartment while going to college.

“Do you think Chad wants to Marry you?”

“Her’s been making noises in that direction. I think a proposal is just around the corner and I don’t know what I’m going to do. This new relationship hasn’t been going on for very long but I think he might be the one. He makes a ton of money and my parents like that and some other things about him.”

“Well Suzan, if it’s coming at you soon, you probably need to be ready with an answer. Why wouldn’t he ask you to marry him? Your beautiful, have great cheek bones and your smart as a whip.”

The women talked for an hour or so and then had one more drink with dinner before Suzan had to catch the subway home. At the end of their visit they hugged outside of the Prim Rose in the cold night air and Mary caught a cab home.

Roy gave Mary an allowance every week for extras and cab fare. He didn’t want her riding the subway anymore. Things had gotten a little out of control in the subway these days. Mary reached home at 11:30 and the door man was there to let her in, as always. Her’s was a newish apartment with a view of Central Park.

Suzan reached her apartment thirty minutes later. It was in a nice area and the apartment was fine, but not like Mary’s larger one.

Suzan entered her apartment, put her purse down as usual on the kitchen counter and checked her phone messages in her small, dark kitchen. She found two calls waiting for her. She played them back and listened. One was from her mother. It was the usual, “How are you honey, I’m fine. When can we get together and talk?”

Suzan hadn’t talked to her her as often as she should have lately and felt a little bad about that. “I’ll have to call her tomorrow,” she said to herself. The second call was from Chad.

“I have to talk to you Suzan, it’s important. Let’s get together tomorrow somewhere. You choose. Call me tonight and let me know where you want to go and what time to meet. After seven is best for me.”

She walked to her bedroom, changed out of her clothes and into a robe. She entered her bathroom, removed her makeup, dropped her robe on the chair next to her bed and slid into her cool bed, naked. She dialed Chad’s number and left a message on his phone.

Suzan would end up on the edge of the park one way or the other, or so she thought as she rolled over and turned out her bedroom light. It was her dream to live in one of those tall apartment buildings overlooking Central Park.

She knew Chad lived there now, and if marrying him brought her happiness and an address in that area she would be very pleased with herself.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Well, everyone should have a plan and maybe a back up plan as well.

More tomorrow.