When he finished talking and there was an awkward silence as none of them asked any followup questions or exhibited any interest in him or what he had to say, Steven got the hint. Excusing himself, he walked back to the bar, and Anita breathed a sigh of relief, finishing off the rest of her drink.

Her friends were silent for a moment, looking at each other with raised eyebrows and stifled smiles. It was Patty, of course, who broke the ice. “What was that about?”

Anita shook her head. “Nothing.”

Ellen bumped her shoulder. “Don’t do that. Share.”

She hadn’t come clean with Jen, not even after Jen had apparently deduced what was going on, but she unburdened herself now, and it felt freeing to be able to speak openly about things she had only thought privately.

“He exposed himself?” Sharon said, grimacing with distaste. “What a creep.”

Ellen nodded. “That’s just icky.”

“Do men actually think that works?” Gabrielle wondered. “Do they really think that if we see it we’ll get so excited that we’ll do whatever they want?”

“It’s my fault,” Anita said softly. “I shouldn’t have let it go that far.”

“It’s not your fault,” Patty said. “At least, not all your fault.”

“Marriages are tough,” Gabrielle offered. “Sometimes you have to work at them. I know we’ve had our ups and downs.”

“I had an affair,” Ellen admitted, taking a sip of her drink.

They stared at her, shocked.

“It’s true,” she said quietly.

“What happened?” Anita asked.

“We went through kind of a rough patch early on, before the boys were born, when I was still an aide at the high school. We weren’t really talking…or doing much of anything else. I stayed after work a few too many times, got a little closer than I should have, and ended up doing something I shouldn’t have. Everything straightened itself out eventually, but…there was a lapse.”

“So who was it?” Patty.

“I’m not going to say.”

“Come on!” Everyone.

“Okay. Fine.” There was a long pause.

“Who?” they prodded.

“Dennis.”

Eyes widened all around. “Dennis Whittaker?” Sharon said.

Ellen nodded, embarrassed. “I know you used to go out with him,” she said, turning to Anita.

Anita raised her hands. “Tenth grade. And nothing happened.”

Patty cackled. “Well, it happened with Ellen.”

“Gross,” Gabrielle said.

“It actually was,” Ellen confided. “Gross, I mean. Sort of.” She fanned a hand in front of her. “I’m not getting into it.”

“Dennis,” Sharon said wonderingly.

“Yeah, well, it was a mistake. One I regret.” She turned toward Anita. “One you were smart to avoid.”

“I still think he’s cute,” Sharon reaffirmed. “But you definitely dodged a bullet there.”

“So did your husband ever find out?” Gabrielle asked.