hefted her suitcase into the trunk of her friend’s car. “That she claims has special man-attracting powers. And not just any man, but supposedly your one, true love. There’ve even been articles written about it. Isn’t that a hoot?” she prompted when Laurie didn’t roll her eyes or fall over laughing.
“I think it’s sweet.”
Sweet? Gwen had felt the need to talk to a rational, nonwedding-infected female. Laurie VanCamp, a friend from work who was giving her a ride home from the airport, was just the person. Or so Gwen had thought.
But Laurie wasn’t scoffing the way she was supposed to. “Tell me the whole story again.”
So Gwen did as they left Houston’s Bush Airport, merged onto the freeway and headed for Gwen’s apartment in the Galleria area. By the time Laurie matched speed with the other cars barreling down the freeway, Gwen was sorry she’d told her anything.
“What’s the skirt look like?” Laurie asked.
“Black, slinky but classy, knee-length—nothing special.”
“Has it been road-tested?”
“Sort of.”
“Has it or hasn’t it?”
Sheesh. “Yeah, I suppose.”
“Well, does it work?” Laurie was taking this whole thing way too seriously.
“How should I know?” Gwen snapped.
“How many of the women found their husbands while wearing it?” Laurie asked with exaggerated patience.
Gwen sighed. “Both of them,” she admitted.
Laurie shot her a startled look, then trained her eyes back on the highway. “And your problem with this skirt is…?”
“Aside from not believing a word of the story? I don’t want a man.”
“Right.”
“Really! Men take too much time and energy. And they’re unreliable. I mean, look—you had to come get me at the airport because the guy changing the oil in my car didn’t have it ready when he said he would.”
“The last Sunday in December is prime football playoff season, not to mention all the college bowl games. What do you expect?”
“I expect him to do what he said he would! I should have known better, but the fact that he’s my neighbor made me forget he’s a man.”
“He’s doing you a favor—give him a break.”
“I’m paying him. And why are you making excuses for him? I was stranded at the airport and he’d had three days to change the oil. You shouldn’t have had to mess up your Sunday afternoon just so he could watch football.” She shook her head. “I don’t need the aggravation. Men are like a really time-consuming hobby that’s become more trouble than it’s worth. I’ll be better off concentrating on my career.”
“Like the world needs more caffeine.”
“Hey! You work at Kwik Koffee, too!”
“Yes, but if you’re giving up men, it should be for something noble like finding a cure for cancer or heart disease or becoming an astronaut or something.”
“You see? You see? You just proved my point. More women would have those careers if they didn’t have to spend their time catering to men.”
“So find a man who isn’t a jerk like Eric.”
Like that was so easy. “I didn’t know Eric was a jerk when we started going out.” She gritted her teeth to keep from listing all his jerkish traits for about the eleven millionth time.
“And you’re still letting him yank your chain. Gwen, honey, it’s time to move on.”
“I have. By—my—self. Seriously. I’m through with men. Don’t need ’em.”
“Sure you do.” Laurie gave her an infuriating smile.
“Why? I’ve got a job, a nice apartment, a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes and a vibrator—why do I need a man?”
Laurie snickered. “Uh…companionship?”
“I’ll make a note to myself to get a dog—they’re not as much trouble.”
“Okay, then…” Laurie drew herself up, physically preparing to deliver the coup de grâce to the conversation. “Children.” She sat back and waited for Gwen’s reaction.
“They take longer to housebreak than dogs. And men.”
“Such cynicism does not become you.” Laurie signaled and took the Westheimer exit off the 610 loop.
“Sure it does. I’ve practiced a world-weary expression that makes me look attractively sophisticated.” Gwen demonstrated.
Stopping at the traffic light gave Laurie time to study her. “You’ll get wrinkles.”
“That’s what Botox injections are for.”
Laurie looked disgusted—an expression that Gwen couldn’t help noticing would give her frown lines. She decided not to mention it.
“So you’re not going to wear the skirt.”
The skirt again. “Oh, I’ll wear it. I’m just not going to go manhunting in it.”
“I can’t believe you’re being so selfish. You said your friend, Kate, has to catch it after you, if she’s still single. But after her, it’ll be a free-for-all grab and I want an invitation to that wedding.”
“You’re that desperate for a man?”
“As I understand it, the skirt attracts lots of men before true love wins out. What fun.” Laurie sighed.
What had happened to the independent, competent, take-no-prisoners Laurie she worked with? “Our fore-mothers would be appalled to hear this conversation. Your mother would be appalled to hear this conversation. What about all the struggling, protesting and fighting for equal rights, and burning bras—”
“Like that did anything but give them sagging boobs.”
“—so their daughters—we—could have a choice in how we live our lives?”
Laurie shrugged and turned into Gwen’s apartment complex. “So I’m choosing to live it with a man.”
“And I’m choosing not to.”
Laurie slid a look at her. “You’ve done a real good job of getting the word out, because I haven’t noticed that many men around that you could choose not to have a life with.”
Gwen bristled. “Then you haven’t been looking.”
“Really? When was the last time a man asked you for
