Girls Night Out:
It was a mild spring afternoon in South Park Colorado. The women were gathered in the park. It had been a long time since they all got together like this. She still felt uncomfortable around Debbie Testaburger and Linda Stotch as betrayal ran deep. She hadn't forgotten how they turned against her and voted her out of office in favour of Mitch Conner.
"Come on Sheila it'll be fun." Liane assured her, but Sheila remained apprehensive. She only just joined the group of women as Liane waved her over.
"I couldn't." Sheila looked as though she were self conscious. "I don't really do this kind of thing."
"We never hang out anymore." Liane was asking everyone even though she didn't know what Liane had planned, but she'd clearly organised a group venture.
"But, I'm old and overweight. I won't look good." Sheila's reluctance based on body image peaked her interest in Liane's idea.
"What's this for?" She thought it might have something to do with their old "book club." It started out as a book club, but they quickly got bored with the book selections and turned it into a weekly poker night instead. They never played poker anymore since Mitch Conner was exposed.
"Pin up photo shoot." Liane had vouchers and wanted the other women to go with her. "We get to be pin up models for a day and take nice photos home. The lady on the phone said they'd make great gifts for the men in our lives."
"I don't think I could do it either." Sharon Marsh seemed nervous about it. "I'm not that pretty."
"It's just like a make-over." Liane was still trying to talk them into it. "It's not just the photos. Professionals will do our hair and make-up for the shoot."
She gave her one of the vouchers she had. "I'm in office. I don't think I should do this." She panicked at the thought of risky photos being exposed to the public. She narrowly avoided a scandal when Sharon's ex-husband black mailed her with photos of her having sex with Barbrady.
"You weren't fired for being with Barbrady." Linda reminded her.
She bit her tongue even though she wanted to slap Linda. "Don't remind me about that."
"I can't afford anything like that?" Carol McCormick saw the price tag and immediately refused.
"What the hell?" She had nothing to lose any way and it would make a good anniversary gift for her husband. It was coming up and she hadn't bought him anything for it yet. "I'll cover you Carol." She was still trying to make it up to the McCormick's after she put the SoDoSoPa ruins around her house.
"I'm in." Carol didn't hesitate to agree. "This'll rub my stupid husband jealous."
"Me too." Sharon agreed to the photo shoot. She had a feeling Sharon only agreed to spite Randy.
It was almost like it used to be. Before Mitch Conner and all the backstabbing that took place in the chamber of commerce during her election run. She was still nervous about spending time with Linda and Debbie as they were his biggest supporters during her campaign. She had even considered replacing them on council. She just hoped everyone could put bitchiness and petty behaviour aside for one evening.
"Vicky?" Liane saw her with PC Principal and asked her to join them.
Just like Sheila she was apprehensive. "I don't really like to show off my body."
"Why not?" PC Principal seemed to like the idea. "It'll help with confidence."
"What the hell." Vicky agreed as soon as she told her she'd be giving her photos to Barbrady for their anniversary.
Eventually Liane had wrangled Sharon Marsh, Linda Stotch, Maggie Yates, Principal Victoria, Debbie Testaburger, Laura Tucker, Carol McCormick, Classi and Helen Tweek to go on the trip. The photo shoot was in Denver. She was still trying to persuade Sheila.
"Come on live a little." Liane assured her she'd have a good time.
"Alright." Liane organised everything once Sheila agreed to the trip.
She just hoped that it would be fun. She didn't want any petty backstabbing and she didn't want to discuss politics. She just wanted to let her hair down and do something she hadn't tried before. If only she could count on Linda and Debbie to keep their mouths shut.
XXXX
"How did you get tickets Barbrady? That show is told out." His officers and the other men in town gathered around him at the bar when word spread he had tickets to Les Miserables.
"Please keep this quiet? It's a surprise for Mary." He'd put in a lot of hard work to keep it a secret from her and hiding the tickets wasn't easy.
"Nnnniiiiicccceeee!" His men were always impressed whenever they heard he was with their boss who was also his wife.
"Did someone say Les Miserables?" He jumped out of his skin because he didn't realise Randy was eavesdropping.
He hid the tickets from him when Randy tried to snatch them. "Go away!"
"It's totally sold out!" Randy whined. "I was going to take Sharon."
"Aren't you divorced?" Jimbo cocked his brow at his little half brother.
"Trying to get back together. For the kids." Randy made another grab for his tickets.
"Does this mean you'll leave Mary alone?" He and Mary were both sick of the constant harassment and stalking. Mary hardly worked at City Hall preferring to work at home because of it.
Randy ignored him. "Why do you have tickets? You're not very progressive!"
"Don't start!" Johnson warned him to back off.
"Are you taking Mary?" Freddie only just knocked off work to join them.
"Yeah." He stuffed the tickets in his coat pocket. He warned Randy to drop it. "Touch me and I'll arrest you for assault!"
"It's not fair!" Randy sulked like a child whose mom refused to by him a candy bar. "You're a bumbling idiot with no culture or taste. You're not progressive!"
"Out you go!" Yates dragged him by the scruff of his shirt. "You were warned."
"This is America! I thought this was America!" Randy clamoured when Yates dragged him out.
"Gee whiz! Give it a rest you stupid ninny!" He sighed with frustration and ordered another beer.
XXXX
When they arrived the hair and makeup people went straight to work making them over. They each picked out their own outfits and a backdrop for their photo shoot. Sheila nervously volunteered to go first. She didn't have anything to worry about. She looked stunning as did Carol McCormick and Principal Victoria.
She was getting changed into her outfit, which was a black laced corset, stockings and a green nightgown she was going to wear loosely when she heard the sniggering and the gossip coming from Linda, Laura, Maggie and Debbie.
"What?" She knew they were talking about her. She wasn't stupid. She had every right to give them the silent treatment after how they treated her.
"What makes you think we're talking about you?" Linda shrugged. It pissed her off because she knew what they were doing. She scowled at them. This wasn't high school. It was supposed to be a fun night out with friends.
"If you didn't scowl so much you wouldn't need Botox." Debbie quipped to the amusement of Linda Stotch and Maggie Yates.
"The Botox is for my fucking crippling migraines!" She shrieked. She wanted to slap Debbie.
"Sure "migraines."" Debbie was patronising her on purpose. They deserved more than the silent treatment. She seriously considered firing people on council starting with Debbie and Linda. She'd deal with traitors like Mackey, Gerald, Randy and Skeeter later.
"Just get over it Mary. Mitch Conner is old news." Linda added. It might be to them, but they didn't realise the impact that election had on her political career. The same one she was still trying to salvage.
McDaniels stormed out. She needed a cigarette. If she remained in the studio with them a second longer she would bitch slap Debbie. Principal Victoria, Sharon, Carol, Sheila and Classi followed her out.
"Too bad I'm not around other women from Jersey." Sheila sighed. Debbie would definitely get bitch slapped if that were the case.
Vicky went inside to confirm a separate photo shoot for their group. There was no reason why they still couldn't have a fun night out.
"Anyone else want a seat on council?" She was serious when she asked. "Two spots just opened up."
"You're serious about this?" Vicky knew she wanted to clean up council. They'd talked about it before.
She nodded. She wanted people she could count on even though she didn't have many friends left.
"Damn girl!" Classi was impressed. "You like my little homie Kitty Litter, you go for the throat!"
XXXX
Her group went in at a later time. It was much more pleasant than before. They laughed and indulged in cheese platters and she bought the girls expensive Champaign.
She enjoyed her photo shoot and couldn't wait to get the pictures to her husband. She did go to a few bars with the ladies before meeting her husband for their anniversary night. She wasn't sober when Barbrady picked her up from a bar. The other women organised a bus home and she'd stay the night in Denver with Barbrady.
She fell into him and he helped her up. "Are you okay for a night out?" He asked.
"What did you have in mind?" She asked curiously. She knew he'd organised something special ahead of time. She even tried to find out what it was. But, he'd cleverly hidden it from her. He gave her an envelope. It was tickets to Les Miserables. "Holy crap! These are balcony seats. This show is sold out. How did you get these?!"
He shrugged. "I have my ways."
She stumbled, but managed to change into a deep purple ball gown her husband bought for her to wear. She loved the show. She rarely went out at night apart from anniversaries. She stayed in her husband's arms during the show. They drank and Barbrady took her out to a fancy restaurant for dinner. More wine. She knew she'd be hung over the following day.
XXXX
They stumbled over each other just to get to their hotel. Her husband struggled to open the door. She couldn't keep her hands off him. "What a show?!" She exclaimed between kisses. "I can't believe you managed to get those tickets."
He giggled as he caressed her back and ran his fingers through her short blue hair. They didn't have to be presentable anymore it was okay for him to mess it up. "Those were the last ones too."
She didn't care if the buttons came off his shirt when she ripped it open. They scattered across the floor. She'd pick them up and sew them back on later. She wanted him. They moved awkwardly across the room stripping out of their clothes as they went. She only stopped to fish his present out of her handbag. "I got something for you."
Despite the bitchiness earlier in the evening she had a great night out with her girl friends. She honestly thought she didn't have many left. A cheeky grin broadened across George's face when he opened the envelope she gave him.
"When did you get these taken?" He asked as he studied the photos. Earlier that evening she looked and felt like a pin up model.
"It was Liane's idea originally." She told him about Debbie's hurtful comments and her plans to replace them both on council.
"Will you replace Randy too?" He told her what happened at the bar.
"You got it." She stoked his inner thigh. She wasn't finished with him yet.
He handed her a pretty box with a bow and asked her to try it on. It was similar to the lingerie she wore during her photo shoot. As soon as she sat next to him he kissed her and the collapsed on the bed.
"You look beautiful Mary." He told her before they collapsed in a heat of passion.
She loved being alone with him. The hotel out of town meant they were not surrounded by obligations. They both turned their phones off and tuned the outside world out. He was all she wanted. He moved slowly caressing her body with his tongue. Teasing her. She longed for him. She kissed him fervently and pulled him on top of her wrapping her legs eagerly around his waist. She knew she would need a late check out. Maybe even another day in Denver. Her responsibilities could wait until she got rid of her hangover.