The Secret Lives of Housewives by Joan Elizabeth Lloyd

control with all of you. It’s pretty private.”
    â€œFunny,” Cait said. “We do seem to have gotten beyond private very quickly.”
    While they ate, they chatted about a juicy piece of society gossip and the persistent drought throughout lower New York State. Sadly, the sporadic summer rains weren’t having much effect on the rapidly depleting reservoirs. “If I hear one more politician tell me to shut off my water while I brush my teeth I’ll scream,” Monica said.
    â€œShort showers and no car washing or lawn watering,” Angie said. “Like I have time to wash my car or water my lawn. I think my grass is going to dry up and blow away.”
    â€œLike I have any effect on my condo association’s sprinklers,” Monica said.
    After Monica related an incident from work and Eve talked about the following year’s shoe styles, Angie said, “Did you hear that the lottery is up to almost two hundred million?” Angie said. “I’m tempted to buy a few tickets.”
    â€œDo you know what the odds are against winning it?” Monica said.
    â€œI know, I know,” Angie said, chewing quietly, “but I love to think about it.”
    â€œIt’s really not that much money,” Monica continued. “If you take a lump sum it’s only about one hundred, and after Uncle Sam takes his cut, you only get to keep fifty.”
    â€œFifty million. Mere pocket change,” Eve said dryly.
    â€œWhat would you do with all that cash?” Cait asked Angie.
    Angie gazed off into space, contemplating. “What wouldn’t I do? I’d get a van with lots of room for the kids, and a bigger house. Tony could stop commuting to the Bronx and stay around here. I’d put a lot of it away for college for the twins, and then I’d get day care for them and go back to college myself.”
    â€œWhy college?”
    â€œI’ve always envied people like you, Cait, educated, poised, able to handle everything. I wanted to go after I graduated from high school, but there wasn’t enough money so I went to work.”
    â€œYou envy me,” Cait said with a sigh. “I’d love to have your life, kids and all.”
    â€œDon’t envy my twins. They’re wonderful and I love them dearly but they’re an incredible amount of work.”
    â€œI know that, but I’d love to have them.”
    â€œSee me some afternoon and I’ll give them to you.”
    â€œWhat about you, Eve? What would you do with all that money?”
    â€œI don’t know. I’d love to travel but without anyone to travel with, I don’t know.”
    â€œWould you quit your job?”
    â€œOf course not,” she said quickly, then snapped her mouth shut. After a slight pause, she asked, “What about you, Cait? What would you do with the money? You seem to have a lot as it is.”
    â€œAs you’ve all gathered, I’d love a baby. Maybe Logan and I could adopt—nah, he’d never go for it. I don’t know what more money would change for me. Monica?”
    â€œYou know, this seems really silly but I’d love to buy one of those huge RVs and travel around the country. You know, stop where you want, stay where you want, move on when you want. No worries, no responsibilities. That would be my idea of heaven.”
    â€œI’ve always wanted to travel,” Eve said, looking dreamy. “For me, it’s trains. I’ve always wanted to go to Europe, get a Eurail pass and go everywhere. I even want to eat and sleep on one. Like the Orient Express.”
    â€œNo people?” Cait asked.
    â€œProbably not. Just me.”
    â€œSpeaking of Mr. Hunk,” Cait said when there was a lull in the conversation. “Has he asked you out?”
    â€œWere we speaking of Dan?” Should she admit that he’d asked her out? Monica wondered. Somehow this group was becoming important to her, even with