I have been laid up with the flu all weekend, which is why these updates are coming so quickly! My husband took the kids out pumpkin picking and my Yankees are out of the play-offs, so there is nothing to watch on TV. So, I dragged my laptop into the bedroom and have been lost in Danny and Katie's world for most of the day!

This may be my favorite chapter yet! Conversations between women friends are my favorite. I based some of these women on my own friends, and I hope you will find them to be the kind of women we all want to have as friends. I know I do! Enjoy...

Intimacies between women often go backwards, beginning in revelations and ending up in small talk without loss of esteem. - Elizabeth Bowen

Chapter Ten - Girl Talk

Avalon Center for Women; Eighty Seven Hours Missing

Katie picked up the invitation lying on the counter of the reception desk at Avalon and began to read out loud. "We are cordially invited to an 'Influential Women of Manhattan' Luncheon on November the Eighth, Two Thousand and Five, A.D.." She laughed, "A.D... they're worried we might accidentally show up 2, 000 years before the birth of Christ?"

Lucy chuckled and looked over at the invitation, reading over Katie's shoulder. She shook her head and then went back to whatever it was she was doing on the computer. Camille, another one of Avalon's employees, came through the back doors and leaned on the reception counter. "What's the number for our tech support guy?" She asked. "I'm gonna need to get someone to fix my computer."

"I'll do it," Lucy replied, picking up the phone. "What's should I tell them is wrong with it?"

Camille looked guiltily at the two of them. "It's in several pieces on my floor."

Katie and Lucy exchanged a glance with each other and tried to suppress their laughter. Camille's passion was one of the reasons she was so good at her job at Avalon, but God help the world when her passion became misguided anger. "Are we throwing a tantrum for any particular reason? Or because it's been over a week since your last temper tantrum?" Katie asked, lightly.

"It's nothing." Camille said, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

"Your computer is not only a very expensive piece of equipment, but it also holds all of your important files." Katie reminded her. "It doesn't sound like nothing."

"Well it is."

"It's a man, isn't it?" Lucy asked, putting down the phone.

"Yes." Camille admitted.

"Thought so. Care to share?"

"No." Katie and Lucy waited the requisite ten seconds before Camille continued with, "Why do they have to be such bastards?"

"That's a big question." Katie pointed out. "Are we talking about all of them or did you have a particular bastard in mind?"

"Chris."

"Chris? Who's he?" Lucy wanted to know.

"My so-called boyfriend."

"I thought you were going out with that guy Lance?"

"That was last month." Katie informed Lucy.

"How did I miss this?" Lucy cried, in mock outrage.

"I try to keep you up to date, but Camille's love-life just moves so fast." Katie turned to Camille, and said, "It's only been three weeks? How did he go from being the love of your life to bastard in three weeks?"

"He's cheating on me."

"After only three weeks?" Lucy wanted to know. "He must get bored easy. Who's he cheating on you with?"

"His wife."

"He's married?" Katie asked, intrigued. "Did you know?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?" Katie and Lucy asked at the same time.

"He said they were separated."

"He told you that?"

"Well, nearly separated."

"Oh God, Camille." Katie chided mockingly. "We all know guys can be bastards but you don't have to make it so easy for them."

"There you are, Katie." said Maria, Avalon's head therapist and Katie's savior, entering from the same door Camille had just come through. "I've been calling your office for the past ten minutes."

"I wasn't there." Katie replied simply.

"That's what I figured when I saw the empty desk. I said to myself, 'Katie is not here'." Marie promptly responded.

"No. I was here." Katie teased.

"That's what I figured when came in and saw you. 'Here she is' I said. Just a few seconds ago, as a matter of fact." Maria joined in, loving the verbal sparring that went on around this place.

"I'm glad that's sorted out." Katie said, "So what did you want?"

"I can't remember." Maria shook her head, looking confused.

"Let me know when it comes back to you."

"I will." Looking at the group, she asked. "So what are you three talking about?"

"Bastards." Katie, Lucy, and Camille said together.

"Oh" said Maria, "men."

"You got it." said Lucy.

"What could you possibly have to contribute to this conversation?" Maria asked Lucy. "Jeremy isn't a bastard." She said, referring to Lucy's long time boyfriend.

"I'm supporting the sisterhood." Lucy said simply.

"Oh." Maria said, then turning to Camille she asked, "Has Chris dumped you?"

"No, he has not dumped me" Camille said firmly. Then, a lot less firmly, "He just cheated on me, sort of."

"You knew about Chris?" said Lucy to Maria.

"Sure. I was there when she met him."

"You were there?" asked Lucy.

"Sure. All the girls were there. We were having a girls night out at Cosmos." Maria said simply.

"Well were was I then?"

"Er... I think you had a date with Jeremy." said Katie.

"You could still have asked me." Lucy pretended to be hurt. "I can see Jeremy anytime but I hardly ever go out with the girls any more. Come to think of it, we used to have girls nights all the time. How come they stopped?"

Katie, Maria, and Camille looked a little uncomfortable.

"What?" asked Lucy.

"Well" Katie said, "they sort of didn't stop."

"They didn't stop?"

"No."

"You still have girls nights?"

"Yes."

"Without me?" Lucy exclaimed.

"Sort of." said Maria.

"We think about you a lot though." said Camille.

"But not enough to invite me." Lucy pointed out.

"It's just that you're always out with Jeremy." Katie said.

"I'm not ALWAYS out with Jeremy. Most nights its just a video and a pizza, and that's if I see him at all."

"It's just a little different now." said Maria.

"Why?"

"Because you're in a serious relationship. The rest of us are either single like me and Kate or just having a casual fling like Camille."

"Hey!" said Camille but Maria continued. "So I guess we just kind of assume that you want to be with Jeremy."

"Well don't assume that in future." Lucy said firmly. "Jeremy and I are not joined at the hip. Next time you have a girls night I expect to be asked, ok?"

"Ok." The other three said in unison.

"Actually, we're having one tonight. After the night shift comes on." said Katie.

"Great" said Lucy. "I'll be there."

"Good." said Camille. "It'll be great to have you back."

"Oh wait a minute" said Lucy. "Tonight? Damn, I can't."

"Why not."

"I have a date with Jeremy."

The four women dissolved into peals of laughter. There was always something special happening when these women got together...they didn't tear each other down out of jealousy or pettiness. They were all beautiful and accomplished in their own way and truly appreciated each other's friendship.

"Ok, so here's the cliff notes version of how Camille met Chris." Maria says, filling Lucy in. "Alright. We were in a bar and this guy comes up to her and says 'You've ruined my love-life.'"

Camille chimed in, "I'd never seen him before so I say 'What?'. So he says it again and I say 'Why?'. Then he says, 'Because after seeing you I am fated to compare all women to you and they will be but pale shadows in comparison.'."

"Wow" said Lucy.

"I fell in love."

"Really?" Lucy shook her head. "That is one thing I don't miss about being single. Cheesy pick up lines."

"I don't know," Katie grinned. "I heard one last night that wasn't too bad."

"Do tell." Maria said, raising her eyebrows and the other girls leaned in.

"Um...I think it went something like this." Katie paused for dramatic effect. " 'You're amazing.' " she said, with a twinkle in her eye.

"Who used that one?" Camille asked. "That's brilliant."

"Danny."

"I knew it! I knew it!" Lucy threw her arms around Katie in her excitement. "I knew he was crazy about you from the minute he saw you! I can tell these things!"

"Who is Danny?" Camille asked.

"Hottie F.B.I. boy? From breakfast the other day?" Maria asked, grinning.

"Who is Danny?" Camille asked again, raising her voice.

"I'm not out of the loop on this one." Lucy said. "Special Agent Danny Taylor. Of the F.B.I. He was here the other day nosing around about Frank Runyeon."

"You hopped in bed with the Feds?" Camille asked.

"I did not. Let me be clear. I did not." Katie protested, laughing. "Danny was a perfect gentleman." Then with a sly tone to her voice, she added, "Who happens to kiss like a God!"

Again, the women dissolved in laughter. "Spill it, girl." Maria said. "Let us live vicariously through your lips!"

But the girls would not have a chance to hear about Katie's romantic evening. Because the front door of Avalon opened and a young woman walked in. Her eyes were wild as they darted around the reception area and she was clutching a baby to her chest.

Maria immediately moved to the woman's side. "Can we help you, honey? Do you need to sit down?"

The woman shook her head and looked around. "I was raped a few nights ago." She said quietly, holding the baby closer to her.

Katie, Lucy, and Camille sprang into action and immediately went into crisis mode. Careful not to scare her, they let Maria handle the young woman directly while they got the appropriate paperwork in order and Camille went out back to see if they had any cribs available.

"OK, honey. You're safe now. He can't hurt you here." Maria reassured her. "Do you know who did this to you? Was it a stranger?"

The young woman shook her head. Her next words stopped them all in their tracks. "It was no stranger. It was my husband." She licked her lips and looked right at Katie. "Frank Runyeon."