On Saturday morning, a month after the incident with the bartender, Valerie got up early. She had just finished her second cup of coffee when Rod, hungover from his solo night of binge-watching The Apprentice for the third time, staggered out of the bedroom.
Val looked up at him. "Coffee's on. How are you feeling?"
Rod grunted. "I'm moving kind of slow. Didn't mean to drink that much."
"You'd think by now you'd know better."
He poured a cup of coffee. A tense silence hung between them. Val checked her phone, waiting for the text from Tommi.
Rod leaned against the counter and sipped his coffee. She saw him looking at her and could feel the fight coming on. He glanced at the front door and saw her suitcase sitting, packed and ready to go.
Rod took a breath and said, "Tell me again why you're running off with Tommi."
She shifted on her stool, inhaled to find the right words, and then said, "It's not a big deal. You won't go anywhere. I want to lie on the beach. It just makes sense that Tommi and I take a few days, a girls' trip, and then you and I both get what we want."
"I hate wasting money like this." Val looked at him, puzzled. "What am I supposed to do?"
"Really? Just do what you always do. Drink, watch TV, go out with Mark.
You won't even notice I'm gone."
He pursed his lips, and Val could sense him trying not to blow up.
"Just text me when you get there. You have reservations? Where on South Padre are you staying?" he grilled, his tone just short of demanding.
Val stood and took her cup to the sink. "I'll text. And stop worrying. It's not like it's Spring Break. Who wants to look at a middle-aged woman in a bathing suit? It'll be fine."
Rod shook his head. "What's happening, Val? Hell, you went to school for six years without telling me."
Valerie swung her head towards him, and her eyes narrowed. "I told you. I told you a long time ago. When I said I wanted to go back to school, you laughed and said I was too old. You said I wasn't smart enough."
She turned away and looked out the sliding door. "You don't remember that, do you?"
Rod bowed his head. He sat with some force on a stool at the island. "You're like a stranger anymore. I don't even know who you are."
Val turned to him. "Did you ever?"
"Ever what?"
"Know who I was? I mean, really, Rod, you go through life like it's only your opinion that matters, like it's only your feelings that count. When was the last time you asked me what I wanted?" He did not respond.
"Yeah, I don't remember either. In any event, it's just a few days. You'll be fine."
Her phone buzzed.
Downstairs waiting. Let's ride!!!!
"Tommi's here. Gotta go."
Yelling a quick "See ya!" over her shoulder, Valerie grabbed her suitcase and bounded through the door, leaving her bewildered husband standing alone in the kitchen.
Tommi, wearing a tank top and white shorts, pulled out of the parking garage, ready for a vacation. "Look out, South Padre!" she yelled.
Valerie pursed her lips and said, "Okay, I have a confession to make." Tommi threw her a sideways glance. "Hmm, this should be interesting."
"We aren't going to South Padre." Val waited for Tommi to respond. "What do you mean? I'm already tasting those margaritas on the beach." Val shook her head. "You'll have to settle for margaritas by the pool in Dallas."
Tommi, stunned, pulled the car to the side of the road. "What are you talking about? I told Mark that we'd be in South Padre. I can't tell him I'm going to Dallas. He'll freak out."
Valerie turned sideways in the passenger seat and faced Tommi. "I don't want you to tell him."
Tommi's nose crinkled with doubt. "What?"
"Okay, listen, remember when we were at Tequila Barb's a few weeks ago and that new bartender wanted to nap in your cleavage?"
Tommi grinned. "He was so cute. Funny too."
"You said something that night that stuck with me."
Tommi laughed. "That doesn't happen often."
Val continued. "You said that 'with great boobage comes great responsibility.' And I think you're right. So, I did a ton of research, and I'm getting mine done. We're going to Dallas so I can get breast implants."
Tommi's eyes almost jumped out of their sockets. "Are you shitting me? Wait...when...how did this happen?"
"I found a surgeon in Dallas, checked her out, and saw that she'd gotten some really excellent reviews. I drove over three weeks ago for a consult; we hit it off, and she operates Monday morning."
Tommi shook her head in disbelief. "Holy shit! Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you can't keep a secret to save your life. I didn't tell Rod because if he knew, he'd want to know where the money came from, and then he'd want to spend it on something stupid like a jet ski. It's my money. I saved it, so he can deal with it after the fact."
Tommi's eyes popped wide again. "You didn't tell Rod? Holy shit." Tommi dropped her head back and stared into the heavens.
"Which is why I didn't tell you, because you definitely would have told Mark, and then he would have told Rod, and all hell would've broken loose. This way, you don't have to feel guilty about not telling Mark."
Tommi dropped her head to her chest and sighed. "Okay then, if you're sure." She grabbed the steering wheel as if she was ready to roll, and then dropped her hands and spun toward Valerie. "I mean, you've never even mentioned that you might want to do this."
"I've thought a lot about it." Valerie's mind had been a battleground of doubts and second-guessing for days. Uncertainty cropped up every few minutes, like an unwanted pop-up ad.
"I've gone back and forth every hour of every day for two weeks. But whenever hesitation tried to hijack my resolve, I just said, 'Screw it.'" Valerie hit the dashboard with her palm. "Let's get this show on the road, Tommi. 45 North, baby! Dallas, here we come!" Her voice brimmed with a mixture of nerves and excitement, ready to embrace whatever chaos lay ahead.
They arrived in Dallas without incident and checked into the Marriott. Valerie jittered with apprehension but kept it bottled up as best she could. She took Tommi out to dinner at a marvelous steakhouse. She even sprang for a bottle of wine, a wine her dad would have liked.
Tommi was in seventh heaven. She devoured a 12-ounce steak, mashed potatoes, and a loaf of bread. She helped Val drain the bottle and even ordered two additional glasses. As they eyed the dessert menu, Tommi, with a satisfied smile, asked, "So, if you don't mind me asking, where is all this money coming from?"
Valerie smiled. "I have a secret savings account. I've been putting money in since I got the job at TDLR, trying to save for a down payment. It's not insignificant, but nowhere near enough to buy a house. After what happened at Tequila Barb's, I figured I owed it to myself to do everything I could to move forward. It seems like looks can be an advantage in the business world, and I'm going to claim every edge I can."
Tommi nodded in amazement. "A secret account? Wow! Sometimes it's like I don't even know you."
A puzzled look crossed Val's face. "I've been getting that a lot lately."
They spent most of the next day at the pool. Valerie wore a one-piece that slimmed her figure in the most flattering way. Tommi wore a bikini that accentuated the extra 30 pounds she carried around her middle. Tommi's body confidence astonished her. She mentally applauded her courage.
No way I would wear that in public. You go, girl.
The weekend concluded with a movie night in the room. The surgery took place on Monday and went off without a hitch.
However, the pain was far worse than she had anticipated. The first twenty-four hours after surgery had been tough, but thanks to hydrocodone and Tommi's help, she made it through the night. The toughest part was that she couldn't find a position to lie down that didn't hurt. Finally, she sat on the floor at the end of the bed and lay her head on her arms.
Tuesday morning, Valerie stretched out in a king-size bed, her arms wrapped under her new breasts. She didn't remember much about the night.
"I just remember being really hot and needing to cool off," Val explained.
"It's so much better now. I mean, it still hurts, but the throbbing has stopped."
"You beat the worst part, baby; it's all downhill and tits up from here!" Tommi laughed.
"I truly appreciate it, darlin'." Valerie coughed as she took a sip of water. "You've been amazing. And thanks for not telling Mark. When we get home, you can spill the beans, if you want."
Tommi shook her head and laughed. "I've been feeling so guilty texting Mark. He keeps asking about the beach and how it's going." Tommi frowned. "I feel awful talking about the beach, so I've been keeping it to the drinks and food. I mean, this secret girls' trip thing is weird." She sat on the edge of the bed. "I still can't believe you didn't tell Rod. Don't you think he's going to notice? I mean, hell, he'd better notice! What are you going to say?"
Valerie cracked a vindictive smirk. "Fuck him. It's my money." She chuckled at the irony of how she'd spent it. "I wasn't planning on getting implants, but I don't need his permission for anything."
"Wow, I want to be you when I grow up."
Tommi slid off the edge of the bed and walked to the window. "I know what I said. I'll cover for you and all, but really, Rod's going to know when you show up with these massive C-cups. Hell, just getting in and out of bed is gonna to be a challenge. When you keep tipping over, he's going to get suspicious."
Valerie shifted her shoulders to find a less uncomfortable position. "I bet it takes him a month to notice. That's how often he looks at me. Ever since I told him about school and being summa cum laude, he's been somewhere else, totally distant. Now that I'm working to get my CPA, he's just stopped talking to me. Believe me, this is a nonstarter. Nothing like a bachelor's degree to take the wind out of a simple man's stiffie, right?"
"You have to keep me out of this. Mark'll throw a fit if he thinks I helped plan it behind Rod's back." She thought for a second and said, "And, on top of that, he'll insist that he see the ladies firsthand!"
They exchanged a look and then burst into laughter. Valerie said, "That is so Mark!"