Holly Lane by Toni Blake

the nervous lump in her throat, and kept her voice low. “Jeff married Ronni and they plan to have a baby. And he’s petitioning to cut off my alimony, so I’m broke. And I had sex with Adam.”
    Jenny just looked at her as if she were speaking Chinese. Then, finally, she said, “What?”
    Sue Ann simply sighed—then began again. “Jeff married Ronni and—”
    Jenny held up her hands. “No, stop. I heard it all. I’m just . . . having trouble processing it.”
    “Understandable. It’s a lot to take in at once.”
    Now Jenny narrowed her eyes on Sue Ann. “All right, let’s start at the beginning.” But her gaze began to widen as she slowly comprehended bits and pieces of what Sue Ann had said. “Jeff seriously married her? Already? And—and he’s . . . what ?”
    So Sue Ann proceeded to share all the information Barry Clayton had given her over the phone. And as always, Jenny was her ever-supportive self, aghast on Sue Ann’s behalf, reminding her she didn’t need a man who would do something so cold, and assuring her the courts would never take Sophie away from her.
    “But I still have to find a better job, fast,” Sue Ann explained. “And make sure I look like a great mom and all that, just in case Jeff ever did take that step. I mean, I don’t think he would, but . . . I never thought he’d leave me, either. And I never thought he’d marry Ronni and withdraw all financial support this fast as well. So he’s turning out to be . . . ”
    “A giant asshole?” Jenny asked.
    “Well, I was going to say unpredictable. But I think giant asshole is completely accurate, too.”
    “Agreed,” Jenny replied, then let out a big breath as she said, “All right, now on to the next part, which I’m completely unclear on, by the way. In fact, I’m wondering if maybe I misheard you.”
    “You mean the part about me having sex with Adam,” Sue Ann said to confirm.
    And Jenny was back to looking like Sue Ann was speaking a foreign language. “Okay, see, there are a couple of parts to that sentence that keep confusing me,” she said. “Like the part about sex. And the part about Adam.”
    “It’s confusing to me, too,” Sue Ann assured her. “But that’s what happened.”
    Again, Jenny went silent for a moment, as if trying to puzzle it all through. “So . . . ” She gave her head a short shake as though trying to clear out some cobwebs. “You’re saying you had sex. And that it was with Adam. Adam Becker. My high school boyfriend who you were still trying to fix me up with just a couple of years ago.”
    Sue Ann cringed at the irony.
    And then Jenny’s brow knit as the news really, finally sank in. “Whoa. You had sex with Adam ! I really don’t want to act like this is more important than the other stuff, but . . . start talking.”
    So after another deep breath, Sue Ann dove in, starting with the department store reindeer, and proceeded to tell Jen the whole tale, which now felt completely exciting and a little lurid. “You realize,” Sue Ann continued, keeping her voice low, “that this is the first time I’ve even kissed someone other than Jeff since I was sixteen.”
    “Wow,” Jenny said. “And . . . how was it?”
    Sue Ann could only sigh. “Nice.” Then, remembering Adam’s reaction to that lackluster word, she added, “No, wait, that’s a lie. It was incredible.”
    Which made Jenny’s eyes light up. “He was a good kisser when we were teenagers, too.”
    Sue Ann cast a knowing nod. “Very smooth, confident, unhurried. Like . . . kissing is an art.”
    “Yeah.” Jenny sounded nostalgic. “That brings back memories. But . . . how was the sex?” She hadn’t gone that far with Adam back in the day.
    And the question only made Sue Ann let out yet one more well-pleasured sigh. “Well, maybe this is just because I don’t have a lot to compare it to, but it was almost . . . magical.”
    “Magical? Wow.” Jenny’s gaze widened. “That’s saying