The Last Time I Saw Paris by Elizabeth Adler

just took me over. I didn’t know where I was,
who
I was. All I wanted was Dan and what he was doing to me, and what I was doing to him.”
    The Girlfriends caught one another’s eyes again, brows raised.
    â€œIt was all my fault.” Lara’s voice quivered. “I knew what I was doing when I asked him to stay for supper. I knew I wanted him, even though I didn’t admit it to myself. But it was there in my every move, from the candles and the wine to the white skirt and the gold sandals.”
    â€œSlut!” Delia grinned admiringly.
    â€œSo when do we get to meet the lover?” Susie poured more coffee and brought out the chocolate cake. “It’s an emergency,” she explained, as the others glanced skeptically at her. “Anyhow, it’s only leftovers from the kids.”
    Since it was only leftovers, they all helped themselves to the cake. “I just had to tell you,” Lara said, her mouth full of comforting calories.
    â€œOf course you did,” Delia said. “And this is the most exciting news we’ve had in years. Besides, the hell with Bill. He’s a two-timing jerk who deserves a bitch like Melissa Kenney. Tell us about the lover. Who is he?”
    â€œHis name is Dan Holland.” Lara eyes darkened and she sighed because of the tug of memory that went with just saying his name. “He’s the guy who’s fixing my deck out at the beach house.” She looked guiltily at them. “And he’s thirty-two years old.”
    Their jaws dropped. “Jeez,” Susie gasped, “is he housebroken?”
    â€œAnd
he’s beautiful.” Lara ignored her.
“And
the best lover I ever had.”
    â€œAnd what’s the count on that, Ms. Lara Lewis?” Delia snorted. “A grand total of two?”
    But Vannie reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you met him, Lara. He’s just what you need right now.”
    They turned on her, astonished. “Vannie the Virgin” had been her nickname and now here she was condoning Lara’s fling with the handyman.
    â€œWhat do you know about it, anyhow?” Delia demanded.
    â€œMore than you think.” Vannie gave them a demure little smile as they stared at her, astonished. “My sex life is pretty good, thank you for asking. And I can see why Lara would need a man now. Bill has been neglecting her; she’s a lovely, normal woman. And if Dan Holland is as good as she says, then my hat’s off to her.”
    â€œWell!” Susie sank back against the cushions, stunned. “Thanks for sharing that with us, Vannie. I’ll think about it next time I have dinner with you and Lucas.”
    â€œOkay, so Lara came to us for help and so far we haven’t resolved anything,” Delia said impatiently. “The score is this. One: Bill has opted out and Lara isn’t sure she would want him back even if he came crawling. Two: Lara has a lover with whom she had a wonderful time and who is going to be a great help getting her over this hurdle. I think we should take a vote. Does Lara keep her lover and have herself a ball? Or does she go off to France alone and have a miserable time remembering the way it used to be? Dan? Or France?”
    â€œDan.” Three hands shot up in the air, three smiling faces turned toward Lara.
    â€œIt’s too late,” she said miserably. “I ruined it. He’s gone.”
    â€œYou did
what
?”
    Lara explained about the ringing phone, that she had known it was Bill, how confused and guilty she had felt, and how she had turned on Dan. “So he just picked up his shoes and left,” she said.
    â€œJeez, now you may never get your deck finished.” Practical Susie shrugged as the others glared at her.
    â€œHis final words were ‘This is your call, Lara, not mine.’” Gloomily, Lara helped herself to another slab of cake. “And that’s the end of Dan