Ariel & the Lady of the House:
Moon in the 8th
by Laura Lynn

EXCERPT

Chapter

As Stella and I walked hand-in-hand uptown toward her daddy’s house, I could feel my long, wavy golden brown hair sticking to my neck and my meticulously applied makeup sliding down my face. Sweat was beginning to pool around my ankles causing my feet to slip around in my pointy-toed, knee high leather boots.

That morning I heard on the news that this particular November was the warmest in New York’s history. As much as I enjoyed the 75-degree weather, I could have used a blast of cold air – I was sweating bullets.

To start with, I was wearing fall clothes. I had to. It was late November for Christ’s sake. Because of the summer-like autumn we were having, my fall clothes were just sitting in my closet with the tags still on them. Soon I would be pulling out my winter clothes leaving my new fall wardrobe basically untouched. I couldn’t let that happen. Who knew what would be in fashion next year.

Secondly, I was a nervous wreck. I knew my imminent conversation with Josh was going to suck and I wasn’t looking forward to it. I was glad to have Stella by my side. Not that a three-year-old could protect me from her father’s wrath, but at least he might try to temper his reaction knowing she was in ear-shot.

Yeah, lots of luck.

At this point in the game, my daughter and I were living with my best friend Frankie. We moved in right after Josh and I initially split up a little over a year ago. It was high time I gave Frankie his guest room back. Also at this point in time, Josh still didn’t know Brad and I were seeing each other. This was a little problematic considering I was shacking up with the guy in a matter of weeks.

I never set out to hide my relationship with Brad from my ex-husband. Initially I felt it was none of his God damned business who I dated. That cheating bastard was no longer privy to the details of my life. Shit, he was the one who owed me; he took advantage of my precious time – primarily my entire 30s. I would never get that back. No, I owed him nothing.

But now Brad and I were moving in together. Still none of Josh’s business except for one rather major detail – our daughter. I had primary custody, so she was moving in with Brad, too. This wasn’t going to go over well considering Josh was pretty open about hating Brad’s guts. He blamed him for the breakup of our marriage. Right. As if Brad put a gun to his head and demanded he screw the boss’ wife behind my back. Granted, Brad did hire a private investigator to uncover the affair between Josh and Marcia, but in retrospect it was really just a waste of his money. I found out on my own. I didn’t need a professional to point out the lipstick on his collars and the condom wrappers in his suit pockets.

As we walked, my daughter and I chatted about Thanksgiving only being a day away and how she was going with daddy to her grandma and grandpa’s in Philly for the holiday. She told me all about the pilgrims and the Indians and how they ate pumpkins and corn. I explained to her that mommy was going to eat with Brad, Uncle Frankie and Aunt Rosa. She told me she was OK with that as long as no one at grandma’s made her eat pumpkins. I assured her that could be arranged. We finished the rest of our walk in silence.

The doorman to Josh’s building spotted us a half a block away and had the door ready and open when we arrived. “Ariel, Stella, how are you ladies, today?” he cheerily asked.

“Fine, thank you, Ben,” I replied as Stella and I whisked through the door.

“Is it a lucky day for Sagittarians?”

“Every day is,” I smiled as I kept walking. I was too consumed to stop and make small talk.

“Have a good holiday,” he called out after us as we made our way across the lobby and to the elevator. As I raced across the shiny marble floors, I could barely hear him over the loud clickity-clacking from my high-heeled boots.

“Yes, you too,” I replied as the elevator doors closed.

The elevator shot up like a bullet and lurched to a stop at the 17th floor. The second the doors opened Stella ran out ahead of me and down the hallway toward her daddy’s condo. I took my time. Like Ben, Josh had the door ready and open. He was crouched down to Stella’s level with his arms held out her. Once she reached him, he scooped her up and gave her a big hug.

“How’s my little Stella-bella?” he asked as he swung her around.

“Mommy says I don’t have to eat pumpkins, daddy.”

He looked at her quizzically. “Pumpkins?”

By then I reached the door. “She’s a little concerned about pumpkins being on the Thanksgiving menu. I told her not to worry.”

“Ah,” Josh nodded. Actually, if anyone should understand it would be him. Unfortunately she seemed to have inherited his neurotic relationship with food. He grabbed Stella’s suitcase from me. “Come in,” he offered.

As I entered the condo I took a good look around. This was going to be our condo, but I never made it here. I decided I wanted a divorce three weeks before we were supposed to move in.

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