Cash and Carrie

Cash and Carrie By Shawna Jeanne Barely six months into their marriage, Carrie Llewellyn began to suspect her husband Cash was keeping secrets from her. To be honest, she didn’t really know him all that well. Theirs hadn’t been a long engagement; they hadn’t known each other for years. They met through a mutual friend named Saundra who Carrie knew from class and who also worked part-time in HR at the company where Cash worked, too. Saundra liked to play matchmaker—the way she stared at Carrie that first day of class made Carrie wonder if she was a lesbian. It’d explain why she seemed so interested. During break, Saundra cornered Carrie in the restroom. Uh-oh, here it goes, Carrie thought. She studied her long chestnut curls in the mirror and didn’t quite meet Saundra’s bright, heavily-lined eyes in the reflection. Was she really wearing blue eyeliner? Did anyone even sell that stuff anymore? “You are so pretty,” Saundra opened with. Her words came out in a rush, and she ran a hand through her spiked, bleached hair as if to smooth it down, but she had enough product in it that it didn’t budge an inch. Carrie gave her a wan smile. “Thanks. Look, I’m not really…” Saundra didn’t give her time to shy away. “I know this guy, you’d love him. Super nice, always polite, but girl, those muscles! Arms like this.” She held her cupped hands apart as if encircling an invisible bicep. “And good looking, too! Quite a hottie. You’d love him.” Carrie wondered how Saundra already knew what kind of guy she’d “love.” She almost had half a mind to hit on Saundra just for fun, rattle the woman a little. Make her think twice about what kind of “guy” Carrie liked. But then Saundra might think she were serious, and Carrie might find herself caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. What would she do if Saundra called her bluff? Hey, sure, you really are pretty, so let’s just duck in the handicapped stall for a quickie before we get back to class, how’s that sound? Instead, Carrie smiled grimly and shook her head. “No, really. It’s okay.” “You’d love him,” Saundra insisted. And she didn’t let up. Twice a week they had a class together, and every time Carrie saw her, it was the same thing. Cash is so great, and you two would look so cute together, and you’d love him. Carrie once asked if Cash was such a catch, why didn’t Saundra go out with him herself? That was when she found out Saundra was married, with twins, and she figured matchmaking was a diversion to liven up the otherwise dull life of a housewife. After three weeks, she stopped saying no. She only shook her head, sometimes before Saundra even opened her mouth to speak. Five weeks, and she was wearing down. It would be nice to go out with someone, anyone, just for a change. So who’s life needs livening up now? Week eight, she surprised herself and Saundra by saying yes. She’d go out with him. Once. She’d get a free meal out of it, maybe a free movie, and Saundra would shut up about it. Who knew? Maybe she might even have a little fun.