Part 7 (1/2)

She started to say yes, then thought about it.

Thought really hard.

She let out a sigh. Okay, he wasnt abusive, but he wasnt exactly the most sensitive of guys throughout our marriage. I get it.

Really? I hope so. I dont like to see my clients make repeat mistakes. I dont give out punch cards for discounts to pay for three divorces and get a fourth free. He smiled.

That finally pulled a laugh from her. Really?

No s.h.i.+t, one guy, Im working divorce number five for him. At least after number two he got smart and made them sign pre-nups like I begged him to.

Holy cow.

Yeah. That about sums it up.

She started thinking while Ed was writing. Should I get a pre-nup if I get married again?

I would encourage you to do so, yes.

I guess one of the guys I met this past weekend, Don, he doesnt believe in marriage.

Ed laughed. No, Don is smarter than the average Dom. He practices catch and release until he eventually finds the right one. He does it ethically, and he doesnt cheat on his partners. Its not my preferred method of operation, but I cant fault him for it.

He and Carl both seemed nice.

Ed had slipped his gla.s.ses back on. Now he eyed her over the top of the rims. You havent even filed for divorce yet. I would strongly suggest not getting involved with anyone until youve had a little decompression time. Not to mention, you dont want to be in the middle of a legal battle while youre trying to meet new people. Take your time. Playing is fine as long as you dont let yourself get tied up in a bad situation. Eh, no pun intended.

What about Carl and Don? Are they safe?

Id say so, yes. There are several guys who are regulars at the club Id feel comfortable introducing you to. Don and Carl are just two of them.

Okay. Thanks.

Hey, youre friends with the clubs owners. Ask them to help you out. They can make sure you dont run afoul of the wrong people. Derrick and Marcia do a good job of keeping their ears to the ground to prevent problems and making people with bad reputations feel unwelcome, if not outright banning them.

Marcia introduced me to Don and Carl.

Ah.

What?

He smiled. Nothing. But be warned, there are a few self-appointed matchmakers at the club. And they happen to have a d.a.m.n good track record.

Is Marcia one?

Not usually, no.

By the end of her second week staying in Marcia and Derricks guest room, her divorce had been filed, and Mike hadnt even so much as called her.

Shed sent him several FYI texts, such as when the electric and water bills were due, but no response from him.

Okay, fine. Hes a big boy.

At Eds suggestion, she manually deposited half of the mortgage payment into their joint account at her next paycheck. He said she should do that, and pay for half of the homeowners insurance, property taxes, things like that.

But she already had her own auto insurance and had removed herself from their old policy, and from the utility bills.

The only thing she hadnt done yet was to legally change her address, and that was only because she was still hoping to find a better solution than mooching off Marcia and Derrick. She greatly appreciated their help, especially coordinating the move, but she didnt want to live there forever.

She needed a place of her own, that she could afford.

The next Sat.u.r.day, Don and Carl met them all at Sigalos for dinner before going to the club. Theyd just sat down with everyone when Derrick got a call that they were having an electrical problem at the club.

Dammit.

She really liked Don and Carl. Shed sat between them and really didnt want to leave.

Hey, Marcia said, Don, would you guys mind bringing Mel to the club with you after dinner?

Her heart soared. Sure, Don said. No problem.

Thanks! Marcia dashed out after Derrick.

A little suspicion flitted through Mels brain, but then she started talking to the guys and it went right out of her brain again.

Kel and Mallory showed up a few minutes later. Sorry, traffic, Kel apologized. Did you all order yet?

Tilly looked up. What about the electrical problem?

What electrical problem?

At the club?

No one told me about that. Hold on. He pulled his phone from his pocket and walked out. When he returned a few minutes later, he said, Its fine. Derricks got it covered.

Shed been set up and she knew it.

Not that she was going to complain.

On the way over to the club, out of the earshot of the others, she said, I need to apologize to you two.

Why? Carl asked.