The Marriage Intervention (30 page)

Josie nodded. “Of course. Of course we will.”

“Have you thought about the question I asked you the last time you were here?”
 

“Which one?”
 

Dr. Strasser smiled an ironic smile. “Have you thought about how you can improve the communication between you and Paul? How you can communicate in a more positive manner so he doesn’t feel attacked?”

The truth: she hadn’t thought about it. She was so busy thinking about herself that she forgot all about it.
 

I can’t say that to Dr. Strasser. Although he could probably tell from the look on my face.
 

Just then, a thought crossed her mind, sudden like a drop of bacon grease popping out of a hot pan.
 

“I have, actually,” she said. “I could focus on him more, on how his work and the weird schedules and everything are affecting him. I’ve been pretty self-absorbed. He probably gets as sick of working as I do of him being gone. I always assume he’d rather be at work, but I realize now that he feels like he can’t let his team down. And that’s an admirable quality.”

Dr. Strasser looked satisfied, and Josie felt smug.
 

“That’s a good insight, Josie,” he said. “Well done.”
 

Josie beamed. Unfortunately, that feeling of pride didn’t last for long. Summer and Delaney were waiting for her in the parking lot, and they didn’t look happy to see her.
 

***

They leaned against the driver’s door of her car, arms crossed, sentries protecting the world from the terror that was Josie Garcia. Josie felt the nerves buzzing through her body the moment she saw her friends, and the buzzing crescendoed as she approached them.

“Did we imagine it,” Delaney said slowly, “or did we see you with Scott Smith at the gym?”
 

“Not only with Scott Smith,” Summer said, “but receiving a personal training session from him? After we specifically told you to stop seeing him outside of school.”
 

The sun hovered low in the sky, and Josie had to squint to see their faces. The air still felt warm, and Josie noticed the trees along the parking lot’s outer edge had tiny buds on them. She didn’t know how to answer, so she said, “Did you?”
 

“Did we see you, or did we tell you not to see him?” Summer said.

Delaney spoke before Josie could answer. “Don’t play dumb. Even if we didn’t say it, I’m pretty sure it was implied when we saw you at The Blue Fish.”
 

“How did you guys see me? You weren’t even at the—oh. You must have been at the gym on Friday.”
 

Because the sun was in her eyes, Josie turned around and stood next to Delaney, leaning against the car and crossing her arms in the same way her friends were.

“Now she’s catching on,” Summer said. “You were acting so strangely about your personal trainer at first, and then all of a sudden you were fine with it. We thought it seemed really suspicious so we—”
 

“So you spied on me?” Josie said. She fought hard to keep anger out of her voice. That particular emotion seemed to rise to the surface so easily, and she needed to get it under control. To improve communications.
 

How do you like that, Dr. Strasser?

“Well, not at first,” Summer said. “But when I talked to Ronnie and she mentioned your trainer was the new guy, I had my suspicions. I mean, I have to admit, when we saw Scott and Blair making out, his ass was looking, you know, pretty…”
 

“Tight,” Delaney supplied. “So anyway,
then
we spied on you.”
 

Josie groaned at the ground.
 

“Yeah. Feels pretty crappy, right?” Delaney said. “But I’ll say to you the same thing you said to me when you guys were doing the spying. You need it. Obviously.”
 

“Obviously,” Josie said.
 

“Now, don’t pout,” Summer said. “We’re doing this for your own good. This is an intervention, after all. But you can’t recover until you first admit you have a problem.”
 

“What problem?”
 

Delaney and Summer looked at one another and sighed.
 

“Just kidding, guys,” Josie said. “Okay. Step one. My name is Josie, and I’m addicted to Scott Smith.”
 

“Hi, Josie,” Summer and Delaney said.
 

“My marriage has become unmanageable because I’m powerless over this addiction.”
 

The girls nodded, satisfied.
 

“Good,” Delaney said. “Now we need to find you a different personal trainer in time to train for the race. And I think we need to give good old Scott Smith a talking to.”

Panic swept over Josie like wind in the spring, howling through her body and clearing everything else out of its path.
 

“You can’t talk to him. And you can’t cancel him. He inspired me! You probably missed this, because you were spying from afar, but I ran two miles! Two whole miles! Because he inspired me. I need him.”
 

“That’s the addiction talking,” Summer said. “You don’t need him. You ran two miles because of you. Because of your own willpower and determination.”

Josie kicked at the ground. “But finding a new trainer will hurt his feelings.”
 

“Um, no offense,” Delaney said, “but I think your marriage is more important than Scott Smith’s feelings.”
 

“Agreed,” Summer said.
 

“Then I should be the one to break the news,” Josie said. “Let me talk to him.”
 

As if she weren’t there, Summer stage-whispered, “Can we trust her?”
 

“No,” Delaney answered in the same loud whisper. “But we can give her a chance.”
 

Summer nodded, and as one, the girls pushed themselves away from Josie’s car and walked to their own cars, each of them sending a quick, “See you Thursday,” over her shoulder.
 

Josie sat in her car for a moment before driving away. She could do this, she thought. No problem. She could tell Scott Smith she had to get a different trainer. He would understand. It was probably too late now to cancel their next appointment, and she didn’t wait to taint her own exercise euphoria by telling him while they were together. So she’d do it after that. She had to.
 

With that matter settled, she drove home, where Delilah greeted her with so much enthusiasm she couldn’t help but feel truly loved.

***

“Did you do it?”
 

Delaney didn’t bother with greetings or preamble. She launched right into the nitty gritty.
 

“No. I told you,” Josie said, hearing a cringe-worthy whiny quality in her voice. “I’ll do it after our next session. That way I won’t miss a session.”
 

Rowdy’s was already in full swing, the bartender pouring drinks at a frenzied pace.
 

“Whatever,” Delaney said.
 

Josie’s radar beeped. Why was Delaney acting so grumpy? That was usually Josie’s role.

“What’s up with you?” Josie said, careful not to sound like she was speaking too carefully.

“Huh? Oh, nothing,” Delaney said. “I’m just turning into a fat cow who can’t find a wedding dress to save her life. No wonder I looked like a sausage in that one dress at Froth.”
 

“That’s what has you acting like a coyote with a burr on his backside?”
 

“Yeah. Got a problem with that?” Delaney said. “I always pictured myself looking good on my wedding day. Not gonna lie, I’m going to look like a seal. A walrus. A whale. And I’m disappointed.”
 

“There are lots of knocked-up brides these days. They make lots of bridal gowns for—”

“For fat girls?”
 

“Oh, Delaney. No. Not for fat girls,” Josie said. “For glowing pregnant women. I’ve got you. Let’s go back to Froth. Trust me. As you know, fashion is my specialty. This may feel like a lost cause to you, but to me, it’s a special challenge. One I’m happy, and honored, to take on.”

Summer walked in then, her long ponytail swinging behind her.
 

“Sorry, guys,” she said as she boosted herself onto her stool. “I’ve been on the phone all day.”
 

“You look tired,” Josie said.
 

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Shit.”
 

“What’s going on with you?” Delaney asked. As if she was one to talk, Josie thought.
 

Summer nodded, acknowledging there was something. “I don’t want to bother you with it right now,” she said. “But I promise to tell you when I have more details. Okay?”
 

Josie and Delaney tried prodding for a couple of minutes, but she remained tight-lipped.
 

“Have an olive,” Josie said finally, pushing the bowl closer to Summer. “It always makes you feel better.”
 

“Thanks,” Summer said, laughing just a bit. “It does.”
 

Josie left the bar that night feeling guilty, herself. Delaney and Summer were both facing down some of the biggest moments of their lives, and Josie was afraid to risk hurting the feelings of a man who supposedly meant nothing to her now? What was really important? Not Scott Smith. Not even running six miles, although the race was symbolic of her commitment to herself.
 

Her marriage was truly important. It was time she started to act like it. No excuses, no exceptions.
 

Scott jogged up alongside Josie and motioned for her to begin the cool-down. When she nodded and slowed, he put his hand on her shoulder and fell into step beside her.
 

After just a second too long, Josie broke eye contact and focused on what she just achieved. Three miles. Three entire miles. She couldn’t believe it.
 

Even a couple of weeks ago, she wouldn’t have believed it was possible. But here she was, cooling down after three whole miles. Tamping down the urge to pump her fist in the air, or jump up and down, or yell, “wooohoooo!” she grinned at the track as if it were her new best friend. Not Scott. The track.
 

The white gym towel Scott handed her smelled like bleach, and Josie inhaled as she wiped her face. Maybe she could run six miles. Maybe. If she could run three, why couldn’t she run six? For the first time, six miles didn’t seem like a trip around the world.
 

“All right,” Scott said, interrupting her thoughts. “Let’s stretch it out.”
 

As she stretched out her quads, she said to Scott, “I need to talk to you.”
 

He nodded, eager to hear what she had to say.
 

She said quickly, “Not here. Can you come over?”
 

His face lit up.

Oh, shit.
 

“No, not like, ‘Can you come over,’” (she waggled her eyebrows) “but, like, ‘I need to talk to you in private.’”
 

Scott’s shoulders slumped. “Oh. Okay. Let me just grab my stuff and I’ll follow you home.”
 

***

Josie would later look back and realize hindsight would have come in handy before she actually put herself in such a vulnerable situation. Again, though, she wasn’t operating in hindsight. Determined to keep the meeting between her and Scott strictly hands-off, Josie placed Scott’s ice water on one side of the bar, and positioned herself opposite him so there was no risk of them making physical contact.
 

“So,” Scott said. “This is pretty serious, huh?”
 

Josie sipped her water. “Yes. It is.”
 

Scott drummed his fingers on the countertop. “Okay. Spill it.”
 

“Working with you,” she began. “I mean—training with you. Training with you has been good.”
 

When he quirked an eyebrow at her, she amended her statement. “Incredible. I couldn’t have run three miles today without your support. And I know I’m on the way to finishing my first race, in large part thanks to you.”
 

Now, he smiled, warmly, and she felt a stab of guilt.
 

“Josie, I—”
 

“Wait,” she said. “Let me finish. Please. Like I said, it’s been great training with you. I know you’re going to be a great trainer, and you’re going to help people get great results. But.”
 

“I knew there was a ‘but’ in there,” Scott said.
 

Josie smiled. “But I need to get a different trainer.”
 

He opened his mouth to speak, but again, she stopped him. “With our history, with everything that’s happened between us, it’s not fair to me, to you, or to Paul for us to be working together in this capacity. I have to put my marriage first.”

To his credit, Scott managed to cover his shocked expression pretty quickly.
 

“I understand,” he said, nodding. “I understand.”
 

“It’s nothing personal,” Josie said, but she wished she hadn’t. It was such a cliché, such a go-to phrase.
 

“Actually, it’s pretty personal,” Scott said. “It’s absolutely personal.”
 

“You’re right,” Josie said. “I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. It is personal. Very personal. Which is exactly why I can’t do it anymore.”

“I understand,” Scott repeated. “No hard feelings.”
 

The clock on the microwave read six-fifteen, which meant Paul should be home in about fifteen minutes. Perfect timing. Scott should be out of here just before Paul got home. She set her glass down and moved toward the front door. Scott didn’t follow.

“Just one thing, Josie,” he said. He leaned a hip against the counter.
 

She bit back a sigh.
 

“Yes?”
 

“Tell me the truth. Do you still have feelings for me?”