"First off, I was a little drunk. Second off, I wasn't prepared for her to start talking like that. Third off, I had no idea she didn't know about our history. Fourth off..."
Gabby cut off Renee, "Fourth off, you are making excuses."
Renee shook her head, "Not excuses, reasons."
"Reasons are just excuses with better P.R."
"What. Ever. I'm just saying that it wasn't really my fault that she got all pissed and stormed off."
"No? Because of your reasons?"
"Yes, because of my reasons. I mean, come on, really? She just wants to talk about that stuff without a reaction?"
"That stuff? We were all talking about that stuff. We all always talk about that stuff. You just didn't want to hear about her stuff because of who it was with."
"Well, yeah. I mean, yeah." Renee couldn't believe that she even had to excuse herself for that. There should be some loyalty here.
"You could have said you didn't want to hang out if she was going to be here."
"So you are choosing her over me? Is that where we are?" Renee could feel the anger rising. First off, she was still a little drunk.
"We aren't choosing anyone..."
"We? Who all has been discussing this?"
"Look, you and Augie broke up a long time ago."
"A year ago." Renee corrected her.
Gabby shook her head, "Almost two years ago."
Renee counted back, 19 1/2 months. That seemed closer to a year than two years to her.
Gabby gave her best exasperated sigh, "A while ago, is that better?" Renee waved her hand in a vague go on gesture.
"You and Augie broke up awhile ago. You decided that you would stay friends and you even made a big deal about it. That we wouldn't all have to balance who to invite where and who to leave out. You decided that."
"Well yeah but..."
"There is no but. You had to know at some point he would start dating again and who ever he started dating would end up socializing with us. You brought that Chuck dude from work to a BBQ after all."
"That was different."
Gabby raised her eyebrows, "How was that different?"
"I brought him and he stayed with me. He didn't go out with just the guys and talk about our sex life."
"You never even slept with him."
"So not the point!"
"No, that's exactly the point. We all know you didn't sleep with him because we all talk about that stuff. ALL of that stuff. So you knew when Augie started dating Julia seriously and she started hanging out with us more and more that would come up. You needed to deal with it on your own and not make her feel badly."
"So yeah, you are totally taking her side."
"I'm taking the side of not being an ass. You were an ass."
Renee could feel the tear forming. She wasn't sad. She was mad. Well maybe a little sad too. She couldn't believe that they were all going to take Julia's side. She should have realized that Gabby hadn't come outside to make sure she was okay, she had been nominated by the group to come lecture her. Gabby was always the one who handled the do the right thing portion. She knew this just as solidly as she knew that Lori had followed Julia into the bathroom to make her feel better when she had stormed off. So Julia got sympathetic Lori and she got the lecture from Gabby. And Corrine and Gayle held the table for everyone to come back and finish what was going to be an awkward end to the evening.
The tear made its way down her cheek.
Gabby sort of collapsed in on herself, "Oh don't cry. Look, we aren't taking anyone's side, but it looks like they are getting serious so you are going to have to get used to her being around. You don't ever have to like it, but you have to be polite. Okay? Can you agree to that?"
Renee looked skyward to try and get the tears to stop flowing. "I think I'll just head home tonight. Tell everyone I apologize and leave it at that, okay?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. Go on."
Gabby reached out and gave Renee a hug, "Okay, text when you get home."
Renee nodded and started walking. She only lived a few blocks away and the weather was really nice so she might as well take advantage of it. She pictured the scene at the bar table, Julia and Lori would be back from the bathroom with Julia plastering on a bright smile to show that she was really okay and had over reacted for sure. Gayle and Lori would be waiting for Gabby to come in with Renee with her looking contrite and full of apologies. But...
First off, she was a little drunk.
Second off, she hadn't been prepared for Julia to start talking about what a great lover Augie was.
Third off, Augie really should have told Julia that he and Renee had dated so Julia wouldn't be so shocked when Renee said that of course he was a great lover now. She had fixed all of his lousy habits afterall.
And fourth off? Fourth off she really wasn't sorry that Julia had gotten mad and stormed off. Not really. She had done all the work with Augie, it wasn't fair that someone else got to reap the benefits now without acknowledging that fact. Or at least knowing that someone else had been there before. Augie had been truly terrible when they first slept together after all. And yeah, maybe she hadn't needed to explain it in such detail to Julia but first off, she might be more than a little drunk.
Yeah, she was being an ass.
Fifth off? It wouldn't be the last time.
Renee smiled to herself and walked home feeling much better than she had all night.
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