Page 54 of Second Time Around

“Here, Jen. I poured you some.” Stacy handed her a glass of wine.

Jenna accepted it for what it was—a peace offering. Despite her sister’s nosiness, she understood that Stacy had her best interest at heart. As often as they sparred, they’d always have each other’s backs. “Thanks, sis.”

The women chatted for a while longer until most of the sandwiches and desserts were gone. Glancing at the clock, Jenna decided it was time to call the meeting to order. One of the rules of the book club was that they spent as much or more time discussing the book as they did eating/drinking. Naturally, Stacy had been the one to make the rules, but Jenna had to admit, the club ran smoothly as a result.

“Okay, ladies. Top off your wine, and let’s head into the living room,” Jenna said.

Everyone filed in and sat down while Jenna claimed her favorite reading chair near the front window. She picked up Twice as Tempting from the end table and said, “So, I guess I’ll start.”

The women laughed since, as the one who’d chosen the book, she had no choice.

“First off, I really liked the heroine, Kelly, in this book. She was feisty and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.”

“Me too,” Debbie said. “I hate when female characters are portrayed as docile or obedient, like in Victorian times.”

“I agree,” Karen said. “I liked that Kelly didn’t just roll over and…well, you know…when Damian came back to town.”

Paige squeezed her eyes shut and slapped her hands over her ears. “I’m not hearing this. I am not hearing this.”

They all laughed, as they often did when Karen expressed her views at the meetings. Having her daughter there didn’t prevent her from being forthright, which the rest of them appreciated, but Paige, not so much.

“Damian sounds like a hottie, though. I might have rolled over for him,” Cheryl said.

More laughter and nods of agreement ensued.

“Besides his good looks, what else did we like about him?” Jenna asked.

“I loved his flirtatiousness and his determination to win Kelly back,” Stacy said, holding eye contact with Jenna for a bit too long.

“What else?” Jenna said, looking around the room.

“Underneath his tough-guy exterior, he was a real softie at heart. Besides Kelly, he loved his family, and especially his niece,” said Kelsey. Speaking of softies, Kelsey was probably the most soft-hearted one of the group, as evidenced in the way she treated her boyfriend’s baby girl, Annie, as if she were her own.

“Some other guy might have given up on Kelly after she rejected him so many times, but not Damian,” Cheryl said.

“It’s easy to fall in love with a fictional character, but what about in real life?” Jenna said. “Would it really be that easy to forgive someone who betrayed you and took off without a word of warning?” The room fell silent, and she instantly realized her mistake.

“Forgiving someone who has wronged you is probably one of the most difficult challenges in life,” Kelsey said, breaking the silence. “Believe me, I know. But the rewards…”

Her voice trailed off as her eyes filled with tears. Stacy, who was seated beside her, reached over and squeezed her hand, and the rest of the women showed their support with encouraging nods and smiles.

“I think what she’s getting at is that no relationship is perfect, but if it’s true love, the rewards are worth the risks,” said Stacy.

“Well said,” Karen said.

Jenna was suddenly anxious to wrap up the meeting. She hadn’t meant to inject her personal life into it, but just because the fictional characters had found their way back to each other, it didn’t mean it would happen for her and Beck. Why am I even thinking about him? I should never have allowed him to bring the food, dammit! Next time, she would refuse his offer, and his kisses too. Although, come to think of it, she might have been the one to initiate the kissing.

After discussing the book for a while longer, Jenna said, “Okay. I think it’s time to announce the next club pick.”

“Hold on,” scolded Stacy. “Does anyone have anything else to say about Twice as Tempting?”

“We’re good,” Paige said, motioning between her and her mom.

“I think we’re ready to move on,” Debbie said.

Thank God, thought Jenna.

Then Karen stood up with a book clutched to her chest so nobody could see the cover. “I chose the next book.” She broke out into a grin that rivaled the Grinch’s.