Keatyn and I are the first to arrive at the restaurant. We’re in the process of being seated when RiAnne waddles her way through the tables, looking like if she coughed too hard she would burst. Ariela and Peyton follow closely behind her.
Ariela looks exactly the way I remember her. Tall, pretty, great eyes, and a sincere smile. She walks right up to me and gives me a hug like I’m her long lost best friend. “Vanessa! It’s so good to see you. You look amazing!”
“Thank you. I understand you’re getting a divorce?” I say, cutting to the chase as we sit down. I think we need to find out what this girl is up to.
The waiter takes our drink orders and as soon as he’s stepped away from the table, she replies, “Have you ever had one of those moments where you knew you had to change your life?”
I nod, because I know exactly what she means, but the rest of the girls are squinting their eyes.
“I’m sure you all want to know why I’m here. I’d want to know too. I thought it was dumb luck I ran into Keatyn at the store the other day, but it feels more like it’s exactly what was supposed to happen. I came here to see Riley. I made a mistake. I shouldn’t have listened to my dad. I shouldn’t have gotten married. I knew it even before I found out he was cheating.”
“I’m sorry you got cheated on,” I say to her. “I know how that feels. What triggered your decision? When you found out about his cheating?”
“No, I had known that for a while. Two things made me snap, I guess you could say.”
“What?” Peyton asks, as Keatyn pats her growing baby bump.
“I told my mom he was having an affair and she told me that successful men often have liaisons, but they can still be wonderful, loving husbands and good fathers.”
“Bullshit,” RiAnne coughs.
Peyton, RiAnne, and Keatyn, who have relationships to envy, laugh.
I don’t.
I understand. Bam’s mother said something similar to me when I told her why we were getting a divorce.
“Then, I went to a coffee shop and saw Riley—and you, Keatyn—on the cover of a magazine. I cancelled my appointments for the afternoon and went and saw the trilogy. I hadn’t seen any of the movies until then.”
“The Keatyn Chronicles?” Keatyn asks. I watch as a lot of expressions cross her face, ending teary-eyed. “So, you saw how much he loved you? How crazy he was for you? How he was afraid to even text you?”
“Did you really do it for him? Like in the movie?”
Keatyn nods. “I did. I was shocked he included the picture of you from the wrap party.”
“That’s what really did it. After the movie, I went home, packed a bag, and the shoebox full of memories I had hidden in the back of my closet, and hopped on a plane. I’m crashing on my friend’s couch. She’s married and has three young children. It’s a little chaotic. Hopefully, I’ll find a job out here soon. And somewhere to live.”
“You can live with me,” I say, surprising myself. “I have a guest house and a hot cabana boy. He’s gay, but you’d never know from looking at him. He’s great for your ego and he’s training to be a masseuse.”
“Are you sure?” both RiAnne and Ariela ask me.
“Yes, I’m sure. I have more space than I know what to do with.” I decide to change the subject. “So, Peyton, how is our favorite rock star doing?”
“Damian’s good. He’s on tour. We decided it was just too much to try and take the kids this time. Jagger just started kindergarten and Jett’s loving preschool. You know Damian was tutored most of his life. He wants our kids to have a more traditional upbringing.”
“As traditional as you can get when your dad is Damian Moran,” I say.
The waiter interrupts us, takes our orders, and refills our water.
“Yeah, well the kids don’t really have a sense of that. They just know Daddy is on a work trip. And this tour is only four weeks. He wants to be home before the baby comes.”
“Have you agreed on a name yet? Dallas and I are still fighting over this one,” RiAnne says, patting the top of her belly. “We decided five was enough. I’m going to have my tubes tied.”
“I’m pretty sure we decided on Cash,” Peyton says.
“That’s really cute. They all have little rocker names,” Ariela says. “Peyton, do you work outside the home?”
“I have my own business. I design wallpaper and have a successful decorating blog. And I’ve always done interiors for my friends.”
“Our Malibu beach house wouldn’t look nearly as beautiful as it does if it weren’t for Peyton,” Keatyn says, smiling.
“And I have a lot of her wallpaper in my house,” I tell Ariela. “The main bedroom in the guest house has a feature wall done in one of her gorgeous metallics.”
“The guest house has more than one bedroom?” Ariela asks me.
“Vanessa married really, really well,” RiAnne tells Ariela then she turns to me. “Speaking of that, was today the day?”
“Yes. After a long two years, my divorce is final. I’m a very free and very rich woman. And, certainly, my law degree came in handy.”